Li Xiulan was even more restless. Before she received the acceptance letter, she dared not brag to others. Now that she had seen the letter, she urged Gu Xingping to mail it to Chen Lishu in the township. She also put on her shoes, smiled, and went to visit neighbors, casually mentioning that her child had been admitted to university.
Time flew by until the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month, Xiao Nian. People in the Northeast habitually ate dumplings on Xiao Nian. Seeing that the garlic sprouts she had planted were growing well and were edible, Chen Lishu cut them after breakfast. She kept some for herself and gave the rest to Lin Xiaoyue.
…
"Sister-in-law, do you still need grain coupons?" At the entrance of the corridor, Wang Yufen stopped a woman in her thirties and asked in a low voice.
"Do you have any extra, sister-in-law?" The woman's eyes lit up when she heard her question. Seeing her nod, she smiled, "I thought your mother-in-law was here, so I didn't dare to ask. How much do you have now?"
With many children at home, it was impossible not to find a way.
Wang Yufen thought for a moment and said, "Two catties."
Normally, only she and Wei Xiaoya were at home, and they could save five or six catties each month by being economical. Now that Old Man Wei had come to live with them, there were more people to feed, and she only managed to save this much last month.
"Okay, the price is still the same?" The woman said, taking out a dollar from her pocket and handing it over.
Wang Yufen took the money handed over by the woman and then handed over the grain coupons in her hand. When she looked up, she saw Chen Lishu walking in. She was so startled that her hand trembled, and she almost dropped the money on the ground.
"Sister, sister-in-law."
Chen Lishu initially thought they had met in the corridor and were just chatting. Now, seeing Wang Yufen looking guilty, her gaze fell on the grain coupons and money in their hands that they hadn't had time to put away, and her eyebrows twitched.
"The Gu family is here. Are you planning to go to the Wu family?" The woman quickly stuffed the grain coupons into her pocket and smiled as if nothing had happened, greeting them.
Everyone in the family residential area knew that the Gu and Wu families were on good terms, so they didn't think twice.
Chen Lishu pretended not to see anything and nodded with a smile, "Yes."
After greeting each other, Chen Lishu went upstairs to find Lin Xiaoyue.
"Sister-in-law, these are the garlic sprouts I planted. I brought them for you to try." Chen Lishu handed her the garlic sprouts when she entered.
"It's perfect timing. I was still wondering what filling to use for dumplings tonight, and you've brought them over." Lin Xiaoyue smiled and took the garlic sprouts, putting them in the kitchen.
She was heavily pregnant now, and it was inconvenient to go out, especially in winter when the roads were slippery. She could only occasionally buy some groceries from the city when Wu Zheng was on leave.
"Sister Lishu, you're here." Lin Xiaohui came out from the room, showing a perfunctory smile on her face as she looked at Chen Lishu.
Chen Lishu nodded at her as a greeting.
"Sister, I bought cabbage in the city the day before yesterday. I think cabbage tastes better than garlic sprouts."
Lin Xiaoyue shot her a warning glance, but Lin Xiaohui pretended not to see it. She picked up a stool and sat down beside them, smiling at Chen Lishu and asking, "Sister Lishu, what have you been doing at home lately?"
Chen Lishu's expression turned a little indifferent, "Nothing much."
Lin Xiaohui's eyes flickered. She picked up a paper box that Lin Xiaoyue had made on the table and said, "My sister makes several cents a day by making paper boxes at home. Brother Gu works so hard to earn money, you should understand him, right? I think this job is very suitable for you, Sister Lishu. It's not tiring at home. Unlike me, who has to go to work every day, take care of students, and teach classes. If it weren't for the decent salary, I would have quit long ago."
Chen Lishu: "..."
If Lin Xiaoyue wasn't around, she would have loved to slap her.
"Thank you for your kindness, Xiaohui. I'm afraid I can't join your sister in making paper boxes. After all, I'm going to university after the new year, so I don't have time." Chen Lishu said to her with a half-smile.
Lin Xiaoyue was surprised when she heard this, "Going to university? Sister-in-law, did you take the college entrance examination? Which university did you get into?"
Chen Lishu nodded and replied with a smile, "Provincial Normal University. I just received the acceptance letter this morning."
Early in the morning, a young soldier knocked on her door. Knowing it was a letter from home, Chen Lishu guessed it was the acceptance letter. When she opened it, it turned out to be true.
"Then I really must congratulate you, sister-in-law. You are amazing." Lin Xiaoyue praised her sincerely.
When she received the notice about the resumption of the college entrance examination, she had advised Lin Xiaohui to participate as well. After all, she had only graduated from junior high not long ago, and it would be good to get into a vocational school. Unfortunately, no matter how much she persuaded her, it was useless. She even said that it wasn't like she didn't have a job now.
"Impossible! How could someone like you, who didn't even finish primary school, get into university?" Lin Xiaohui realized what was happening and immediately stood up from the stool, pointing at Chen Lishu and questioning her.
"Xiaohui! You're becoming more and more unruly. If you continue like this, I'll write to Mom and have you sent back to your hometown!" Lin Xiaoyue was so angry that she slammed the table. Her sister was too outrageous, talking without thinking and blurting out everything! "Sister, she must be bragging. How can someone who didn't even finish primary school get into university? Or she used despicable means to plagiarize from others."
Lin Xiaohui, who was clearly inferior to her in all aspects, suddenly said she got into university. She simply couldn't accept it.
It was like a person who considered themselves wealthy looking down on a beggar, only for the beggar to suddenly pull out a bankbook and claim to be a millionaire. The impact was considerable.
"Slap!" Hearing her unrestrained remarks, Lin Xiaoyue became furious and slapped her directly across the face.
Lin Xiaohui covered her slapped cheek, looking incredulous, "Sister, you hit me for an outsider?"
"If you keep talking nonsense, pack your things and leave now!"
Chen Lishu looked at Lin Xiaohui, her expression cold and mocking, "Xiaohui, do you know an idiom called 'self-righteous'? There's also a saying that there's always someone better than you. It's better to read more books to improve your brain and raise your caliber, instead of thinking about useless things all day. There are many people better than you. Mediocrity is not a sin. You should learn to face reality."
Chen Lishu then stood up and said to Lin Xiaoyue, "Sister-in-law, I'm leaving."
Before leaving, her steps paused slightly. When she looked back, her gaze fell on Lin Xiaohui's face, which was like a spilled palette, and she curved her lips, "By the way, if you find your job tiring, then don't do it. Go back and marry someone. Look at me, I found someone as excellent as your Brother Gu. He treasures me like a gem and is all about me every day, and other women are like air in his eyes."
Don't think she didn't notice her little intentions. With such little ability, it's best to go wherever it's cool.
"Sister, look at her, she's too shameless!"
Lin Xiaohui was so angry that she was jumping. When had she ever seen Chen Lishu like this? In her impression, she had always been hesitant and thought she was easy to bully.
"Xiaohui, that's enough."
Lin Xiaoyue shook her head in disappointment, "You're not staying here for the New Year. Tomorrow I'll have your brother-in-law buy you a ticket. You're not young anymore. I'll tell Mom to find you a husband in our hometown."