326 Sowing Discord
Old Madam Jiang gritted her teeth in anger. When she saw Jiang Wu’s leg in a cast, she had an excuse again.
Her tone was filled with concern as she said, “You’re not in good health and your legs are broken. What if you get too tired at work and it worsens your condition? I am considering for Jiang Yu’s sake, but you’re also my son, so I am also considering for your sake. If you give your job to Jiang Yu, you’ll still have five yuan a month in the future and you don’t have to work. That’s like killing two birds with one stone! Moreover, you don’t have to pay for my monthly retirement expenses.”
Jiang Chun knew that her father would start to waver if Old Madam Jiang spoke gently, so before her father could speak, she stopped him. “Grandma, the doctor said that my father’s legs can recover. My father’s poor health is due to a chronic illness. He was able to do this job in the past, so he can do it now as well.”
Only then did Old Madam Jiang look at Jiang Chun and say unhappily, “Your father will get older and older. As his mother, I can’t bear to let him work so hard, even if you’re ruthless enough to.”
!!
Old Madam Jiang glossed over the fact that she had snatched her son’s job and made it seem as if she was doing it for her son’s sake. She even blamed Jiang Chun for mistreating her parents.
Old Madam Jiang wanted to sow discord, but Jiang Wu wouldn’t fall for it. He knew how filial Jiang Chun was.
Last year, when they were recruiting from door to door for intellectuals to go to the countryside, Jiang Wu couldn’t bear to let Jiang Chun suffer, so he suggested giving his job to Jiang Chun.
However, new employees only earned 18 yuan a month, while due to Jiang Wu’s work experience, Jiang Wu’s salary had already increased to 25 yuan. This meant that the Jiang family’s monthly salary would be reduced by 7 yuan.
With three more people at home, this seven yuan might not be enough for Jiang Wu to even buy the cheapest medicine every day.
Therefore, Jiang Chun stopped Jiang Wu and insisted on going to the countryside. Later, Jiang Chun earned some money in He Mountain Village and often sent packages home. Only then did Jiang Wu improve the quality of his medicine and his body recovered a little.
Jiang Wu couldn’t help but speak up for his daughter. “Mom, there’s nothing wrong with my body. Jiang Chun is assured because she knows that I can do it.”
Jiang Wu was filial to his mother, but no matter how filial he was, how could he possibly prioritize his nephew over his daughter?
When Jiang Mei saw that Jiang Wu had the same thoughts as her, she heaved a sigh of relief.
She looked at Old Madam Jiang and mustered her courage to go forward. “Mom, after Jiang Chun went to the countryside, Jiang Wu and I have been living a better life than before, but now, you insist that we give up our jobs. In that case, Jiang Wu won’t even be able to afford the cheapest medicine. Moreover, Jiang Chun is 19 years old this year and will reach marital age in two years. We have to start preparing the dowry now. Our family doesn’t even have 20 yuan in cash now.”
“As parents, we don’t have the ability to save up money for Jiang Chun’s dowry, so I discussed it with Jiang Wu and asked Jiang Chun to save up her salary as a dowry. If we even take this money, how can Jiang Chun get married? If she doesn’t have a dowry, she will be looked down on by her in-laws before she even gets married. How can she have a good life in the future?!”
The more Jiang Mei spoke, the sadder she became. Her family had sacrificed the most for her in-laws, but why did her in-laws want to force her family to a dead end?
It was one thing for her to favor boys over girls, but why did she not even care about Jiang Wu’s well-being? “Mom, please let our family live our lives!”
Jiang Mei had been oppressed in the Jiang family for so long that she didn’t even dare to speak loudly. This was the first time Jiang Mei had expressed her thoughts and emotions so assertively, shocking everyone present.
After Old Madam Jiang came back to her senses, she glared at Jiang Mei with her small eyes as she scolded loudly, “You b*tch. In the past, you always stood quietly at the side and didn’t even dare to make a squeak. Turns out you were pretending all along! You made me really think that you were a good person. Turns out you were waiting for this day.”
“Let me tell you, my son’s relationship with me is not something you can sow discord with! You only gave birth to a girl after marrying into our family, yet you dare to shout at me now? Why does a wretched girl need a dowry when she’s getting married? What a waste!”
After Old Madam Jiang scolded her, she still felt that it wasn’t enough and even got off the bed nimbly, planning to teach her third daughter-in-law a lesson.
“Jiang Mei, you have such a potty mouth. I’m gonna tear your mouth apart!”