Chapter 122
“How it is divided was determined by Yan Lei,” Yan Lei’s Mother said, “But later they caused a fuss, so it was slightly changed, and we wrote to Yan Lei about it too, and he agreed.”
Qiao Wei said: “I haven’t really managed this matter, nor do I want to; I was just asking out of curiosity. How was it divided before? And how was it changed later?”
Yan Lei’s Mother said: “It was set by Yan Lei. Your eldest brother is the eldest son, so he gets six yuan; the third, fourth, and your elder sister and second sister get two yuan each. But later, your sisters-in-law made a huge fuss, saying that since your elder sister and second sister are married off, they shouldn’t get money.”
“Later, everyone discussed it, and your eldest brother stays the same, the second and fourth each get four yuan, and the eldest niece and second niece each get two yuan. The third niece is still young and not married, so she doesn’t get any.”
“We wrote to Yan Lei about this too, and he agreed.”
Yan Lei’s allocation plan…
Qiao Wei shook her head as she listened.
Yan Lei is such a shrewd person, yet he gets confused in these kinds of matters. But there is no help for it; that is how it is when one is involved in the situation.
Qiao Wei is an outsider, so she could see the drawbacks at a glance. Moreover, to her, taking good care of her parents-in-law is fulfilling her duty as a spouse. As for her husbands other siblings, they are all adults, and she has no obligation, let alone affection, for them.
But for Yan Lei, the parents go without saying, but which of his siblings is not blood-related? They slept on the same kang, wore the same pants, and ate from the same pot as children.
These are all bonds.
In this life, it is hard to escape such bonds.
Seeing her shake her head, Yan Lei’s Mother felt uneasy.
Qiao Wei said: “Mother, I won’t interfere with this, but I want to say one thing.”
“Money is best kept in your own hands, to be distributed by yourself.”
“Don’t let go until you are kicking the bucket.”
Qiao Wei had seen too much in the hospital wards.
There were elderly people who gave their bankbook passwords to their children, and there were sons with terminal illnesses who gave their passwords to mothers who had long since divorced and left. Those who took the passwords withdrew the money and disappeared, leaving behind empty bankbooks and bank cards, abandoning the desperate people in the hospital to wait for death.
On the contrary, those who held onto their money tightly, even if they were octogenarians, were served diligently by their family members, who competed to take care of them, fearing that if they turned their backs for a moment, the money would fall into someone else’s hands.
As Yan Lei’s Mother listened, these words truly touched her heart.
She sighed: “Let it be, let it be.”
Qiao Wei said: “In any case, I won’t manage it.”
The money was returned to the old lady. For her own father-in-law’s medical treatment, Yan Lei would absolutely not let the family pay a single cent. He would inevitably bear all the expenses.
Qiao Wei estimated that when he truly reached a high position in the future, things like repairing bridges and paving roads for his hometown would inevitably be unavoidable.
Yan Lei’s Fathers surgery went very smoothly, and the inflammation and complications were effectively controlled.
Apart from the pain from the unhealed wound, the internal pain that had long tormented the old man had disappeared. Yan Lei’s Father had not felt this light in many years.
The doctor chatted with him and said: “It is fortunate that you came to the provincial capital. This surgery cannot be done in the county, and it is risky even in the city. The experts are all at provincial-level hospitals. Your condition was already so serious; if you had dragged it on, it might have been life-threatening.”
Yan Lei’s Father could not help but wipe away tears: “It is thanks to my daughter-in-law coming back.”
Qiao Wei did not even stay at home for a night; she only ate one meal before rushing him to the provincial capital without stopping.
The doctor gave a thumbs up: “This daughter-in-law of yours is a remarkable person.”
Yan Lei’s Father could not help but feel proud: “My daughter-in-law went to high school, works in the County Government, and her articles have been published in newspapers, and even the Peoples Daily reprinted them!”
Yan Zhu: “Father, that is called ‘reprinted’.”
“It is the same, it is the same, anyway, it was in the Peoples Daily!”
The doctor clicked his tongue in surprise and turned to tell President Zhang.
President Zhang let out a long breath: “I knew she was not a simple person.”
Using her pen like a knife, she plays it with great skill.
Four days later, Yan Lei’s Father had his drainage tube and catheter removed, and continued to receive inpatient treatment. But for him, he already felt incredibly relieved.
Seeing Yan Lei’s Mother, he found that the old woman’s complexion was also very good, and he thought the old woman was happy for him.
Neither he nor Yan Zhu knew that Qiao Wei took her mother-in-law to the gynecology department for treatment every day, and the unspeakable hidden illness that had troubled Yan Lei’s Mother for so many years had also disappeared.
She and Qiao Wei went to the bathhouse to bathe again, and this time, she felt that she truly had no strange odor.
She also felt light all over.
Qiao Wei went to the telephone bureau to make a long-distance call to Yan Lei. She did not speak to Yan Lei directly but left a message for him, telling him: I brought Father, Mother, and eldest brother to the provincial capital for medical treatment, treatment has been received, everything is going smoothly, do not worry.
The Military Unit communicator relayed the message to Yan Lei. He turned to others and said: “People used to say that Regimental Commander Yan was henpecked, that his wife was delicate and did nothing. But look, she can write articles, and look, Regimental Commander Yan couldn’t get away, so she, a female comrade, traveled far away to take her parents-in-law to the provincial capital for medical treatment.”
In this era, having been to the provincial capital was something to boast about for several years, and having been to Shanghai was something to boast about for a lifetime.
Yan Lei did not think his wife was so delicate that she “did nothing”; only he knew how capable and decisive his wife was.
But although he knew, he was inevitably worried about her traveling far away with the family and being entrusted with such a heavy responsibility.
A few days ago, the Village Party Secretary called him to tell him that the donation had been received, and that Qiao Wei had taken his parents and Yan Zhu to the provincial capital.
Once they went to the provincial capital, he had to rely on Qiao Wei to contact him. After waiting for several days, he finally received word, and now he was completely relieved.
While Qiao Wei was busy in the provincial capital, Yan Lei, who had taken up the post of military representative in Bocheng County, was not idle either.
Today, a large meeting was being held, and the current head of Bocheng County, Director Guan, was speaking passionately on the stage.
Yan Lei sat in the front row below, tilting his head slightly to take a look.
Huang Zengyue also tilted his head to look at him.
The gazes of the two men collided in the air, and they nodded to each other.
Director Guan was in high spirits when someone suddenly broke into the venue and shouted: “I expose! Guan Tuwei took bribes! He pulled strings to arrange jobs for people! He also slept with other people’s wives and daughters, committing adultery!”
“He committed adultery!”
Director Guan was stunned!
By the time he reacted and wanted to reprimand, someone in the audience had already stood up: “I know about this! He committed adultery!”
Someone else stood up: “He has long been corrupt! He has long since detached himself from the masses!”
“He is already a corrupt power-holder!”
“His lifestyle is extremely corrupt! He messes around with men and women!”
“Down with him!”
“Down with him!”
Director Guan looked at the audience in horror: “You, you! Talking nonsense! I did not!”
But the people had already rushed onto the podium and held him down.
Director Guan shouted desperately: “Let go of me! Talking nonsense! I did not! Someone come! Zengyue! Zengyue!”
Huang Zengyue stood up from the crowd.
“Guan Tuwei has already detached himself from the masses.” He walked onto the podium, “He is corrupt, takes bribes, and has problems with his lifestyle. Who else knows what the situation is? You can report and expose it now.”
Everyone stood up.
The emotions of the masses were extremely agitated.
Secretary Meng had an iron-fisted style, but Secretary Meng was also truly seeking welfare for everyone. During Secretary Meng’s tenure, the civil servants of the County Government had truly benefited.
Housing, daily necessities, fuel, cloth, soap, pots and pans, pork… How many benefits had Secretary Meng brought to everyone.
Everyone remembered.
He single-handedly promoted the merger of the county and town, built roads, opened up traffic, and increased job opportunities. The development of Bocheng County was obvious to all.
Everyone was convinced by Secretary Meng as the leader.
What had Guan Tuwei done for everyone, for Bo City?
He couldn’t think of a few good deeds, but he could think of quite a few wicked ones.
Why should he be the leader?
The masses were agitated, scrambling to go up and expose him, and some even rushed up with hatred to punch and kick him.
Yan Lei put on the military cap he was toying with.
“Maintain order.” He gave the order.
His subordinates controlled the scene and appeased the masses: “One by one.”
But they turned a blind eye to the beating of Guan Tuwei.
Yan Lei quietly retreated to the side of the crowd, hands in his pockets, watching everything on the podium quietly.
Huang Zengyue stood on the stage, controlling the whole situation, and his eyes cast over.
Yan Lei gestured with his chin.
Huang Zengyue also gestured with his chin.
There were also sharp-eyed and clear-minded people who saw it, and thus understood that the Revolutionary Committee of Bocheng County had not been established for long, yet it was about to be reshuffled.
Yan Lei glanced at Guan Tuwei again, this man who dared to try to harm Qiao Wei by despicable means, had already been beaten until his face was covered in blood.
This was just the beginning.
If people do not offend me, I will not offend them.
He said nothing, pressed down the brim of his hat, and left the venue.
Yan Lei’s Father stayed in the First Peoples Hospital of the provincial capital for half a month.
It didn’t need to be this long, but the president was cautious. Seeing that Qiao Wei was not short of money, he discussed with her to let the patient stay for a few more days to recuperate.
Qiao Wei agreed immediately.
One of the reasons she came out this time was to avoid the chaotic fighting in Bocheng County, and she also wanted to stay outside longer; she didn’t want to go back so soon.
The female gynecologist originally thought that Yan Lei’s Mother would leave the provincial capital soon, but as a result, she had to stay here, so she simply let her undergo two courses of treatment in a row.
After all, the hospital had special equipment, and the sterilized operating environment was far better than letting the old lady go back to the rural home and do it herself.
Yan Lei’s Mother no longer had any strange odor, and the uncomfortable feeling was gone.
Qiao Wei was idle anyway, so she really took her for a physical examination, and took the opportunity to treat some chronic ailments.
During the few days when Yan Lei’s Father could not move after the surgery, Yan Lei’s Mother also went to take care of him during the day, and let Yan Zhu take care of him at night. After the tube was removed, Yan Lei’s Father could basically take care of himself. Yan Zhu was no longer tired, so there was no need to tire Yan Lei’s Mother.
In short, when Yan Lei’s Father was able to be discharged, he found that the old woman’s complexion was rosy, her skin seemed to be much finer, and she looked several years younger.
Yan Lei’s Father: “?”
Yan Lei’s Mother was slightly embarrassed: “Oh, Qiao Wei insisted on applying face oil for me. It is midsummer, you say what for.”
Although she said this, her hand touched her face. No one wants to be old, and women especially do not want to be old.
Look at President Zhang, who is two years older than Yan Lei’s Father, yet the two look like they are a generation apart.
Qiao Wei said to her: “You have worked hard all your life, the children have all grown up, and you should be good to yourself.”
Having lived a whole life, this was the first time someone told her she should be good to herself.
No one had ever said this, not even her own parents, who had always told her: “After marrying, you must be diligent, you must work, you must be filial to your parents-in-law, you must serve your husband, you must respect your brother-in-law and be close to your sister-in-law, you must be virtuous, you must endure hardship, and you must carry the load. You must not let us hear others say that the daughter married out from our family is lazy, or we will beat you to death.”
Qiao Wei was entrusted by Yan Lei to travel far away this time, and she successfully completed the task.
When they were discharged, the doctors and nurses greeted her, and President Zhang also came to see them off.
He shook her hand and kept saying: “You really are, why be so polite.”
The Yan family: “?”
The Yan family did not know that Qiao Wei had brought many gifts back when she returned to her hometown on behalf of Yan Lei. She brought a box and a bag; that rattan suitcase contained her change of clothes, and the other travel bag was full of gifts.
But the Yan family welcomed people with empty doors, and Qiao Wei did not even unzip the travel bag.
For the half month of treating Yan Lei’s Fathers illness, Qiao Wei gave those candies and pastries to the nurses and doctors at the nursing station. As for the two bottles of Moutai she brought from Bocheng County, they were given to President Zhang.
These things were not rare for people in the provincial capital, but who doesn’t like free gifts?
President Zhang, at his level, didn’t care about two bottles of Moutai; his family had plenty. But Qiao Wei gave a sweet date after hitting with a stick; although she had been polite first, the later gift made people feel much more comfortable.
One side politely thanked, and the other side politely sent off.
Back at the guesthouse, Qiao Wei took out the remaining things in the travel bag: “Father, Mother, these are a few pieces of clothing that Yan Lei and I bought for you two. Keep them well, you can just take them back.”
Yan Lei’s parents accepted them and kept saying: “Sigh, no need to buy, don’t spend this money. What can’t we wear? Don’t buy such good clothes.”
Qiao Wei’s travel bag was basically empty; the things that were originally bulging and heavy were all scattered in the hospital. Even the young receptionist at the guesthouse got a bag of candy and was beaming with joy.
Yan Lei’s Mother lived with her, so she knew a little bit, but she didn’t say anything.
But when Qiao Wei took out two long-distance bus tickets, she panicked.
“Weiwei, don’t be angry. It is all my fault, my heart was blinded by lard.” She was too ashamed to lift her head, “You came back from so far away, and I didn’t go out to welcome you. I, I was afraid you would look down on me…”
So when the daughters-in-law instigated her, she also wanted to put on airs.
It was really because, the last time she met this daughter-in-law, she really didn’t want to stay with this mother-in-law for a moment; she looked down on everyone in Yan Village.
Qiao Wei could actually understand her mentality. But she would never accept this treatment, because after all, Yan Lei’s wife was her now.
“Mother, I also did things wrong in the past, so I don’t blame you. But if people respect me, I respect them.”
“Yan Lei entrusted the family affairs and the health of his parents to me, and I have handled them well. I suppose everyone is not dissatisfied?”
Who would dare to be dissatisfied? Who could be dissatisfied? Both of them shook their heads like rattles.
Yan Zhu also regretted it to death, and he said: “Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, please don’t be angry. It is all those women in the family. When I go back…”
“Are you going to beat them?” Qiao Wei interrupted him, “Don’t.”
In the original text, the men of the Yan family were all “honest men”. The ones who jumped out to cause trouble with Lin Xixi were all the wives of the Yan family.
In the end, Yan Lei got angry and firmly defended his wife. Yan Zhu, this honest eldest brother, quickly stood out and slapped his wife across the face.
The younger brothers followed suit and taught their own ignorant wives a lesson.
The world became quiet.
Before Yan Lei got angry, the women were all making trouble, and the men were all invisible.
A common writing style in chrono-novels.
Qiao Wei knew that her sisters-in-law would inevitably be very annoying, very ignorant, and even very greedy. But these were attributes bestowed upon them by the Creator.
What Qiao Wei really hated was not the trivial, annoying, ignorant, and short-sighted sisters-in-law; she hated what was hidden behind this writing style.
She looked at this honest eldest brother.
“They don’t even have the qualifications to sit at the table to eat.” She asked, “What exactly are they relying on to make trouble?”
Yan Zhu was stumped by the question. He couldn’t answer, but he felt panicked and guilty in his heart.
The women make a fuss, so who benefits in the end?
He dared not admit it.
He lowered his head in shame, not daring to look into the eyes of this sister-in-law, which were dark and bright.
The Yan Village Village Party Secretary received a call from Qiao Wei. He asked someone to drive a mule cart to the county long-distance bus station to pick people up, but only two people were picked up.
The Village Party Secretary was stunned: “Where is Qiao Wei?”
The two people from the Yan family were asked until their faces turned red.
After finding out clearly, the Village Party Secretary said “Heh”.
“Eighth brother, oh Eighth brother, it is not that I am talking about you…” The Village Party Secretary had a stomach full of complaints, but he also felt tired just thinking about it. In the end, he waved his hand, “Forget it, get in the car. Go home.”
