The 1960s: The Story of a Country Girl's Journey to the City

The day after Bao Ya made the phone call, it became the talk of the army. It even reached Jiang Tao's ears.

He had a rough idea of ​​what was going on that day, but at that moment he was lying in the hospital bed and could only sit up. His mother was still at home, and his wife was about to give birth. He wanted to have a good talk with her but couldn't find an opportunity. He was so frustrated that he got angry and broke out in mouth blisters.

His comrades in the ward felt sorry for him; he had a troublesome wife, and it made Lao Jiang very angry.

However, Wang Xiao felt that Xu Wanyun did have problems, but Lin Baoya deserved much credit.

Not only Jiang Tao and the Xu family were affected, but Qi Jiaojiao was the most hurt. Originally, Lu Xuefen wanted to find her a partner in the army.

Those from well-off families and high-ranking positions looked down on her, while those from rural backgrounds and with high positions shook their heads as soon as they heard she was Lu Xuefen's niece. The whole story about her daughter had spread throughout the army, and marrying her daughter would be like severing ties with their hometown; they still had their pride.

Jiang Tao was suffering from internal heat and couldn't eat. He only ate less than half of the meal that was delivered to him the day before.

Bao Ya thought for a moment and decided she had to make him something appetizing, since he was her partner's sugar daddy.

The next day, Bao Ya chopped some diced meat, carrots, wood ear mushrooms, chives, scrambled eggs, and fried tofu cubes, and made him a bowl of Qishan Saozi noodles.

With so much vinegar in it, the whole room was filled with a sour, spicy, and savory aroma as soon as the lunchbox was opened, attracting the attention of everyone else.

The aroma of vinegar, in particular, was enough to make one's mouth water. Those in the wards who had meals delivered to them were fine, but a few bachelors couldn't stand it. Looking at their own hospital meals, they found them tasteless and bland.

Wang Xiao glanced at his wife, and she immediately understood – the next meal would be noodles with minced meat sauce.

"Sister-in-law, cook the noodles until they are 80% done, drain them, and toss them with sesame oil so they won't get soggy when you put them in the lunchbox."

"Okay, I got it."

Before she could ask, Bao Ya told her how to make it. Seeing Wang Xiao inhaling continuously, she knew he wanted to eat it.

Little Wang Muchen had already eaten a couple of bites by Jiang Tao's bedside, and kept saying how delicious it was.

Fang Mingda, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but speak up and discuss it with Bao Ya.

"Sister-in-law, could you please include my portion when you cook? I'll pay for my meals."

He was closest to Jiang Tao, so he could not only smell the food but also watch him eat, which was too torturous.

"That's not right, how can I take your money?"

This guy is almost thirty and still single. I don't want to get too involved with him right now. Making money is more important.

The two bachelors opposite were listening intently to what was happening on this side; if Lao Fang succeeded, they would join him.

"There's nothing wrong with that; it's only right to charge. We can't just eat your food for free."

"By the way, bro, I need to tell you something."

Instead of responding to Fang Mingda's words, Bao Ya slapped her forehead and turned to Jiang Tao.

Jiang Tao had finished his noodles and was now drinking soup. Hearing Bao Ya call him, he looked up, his heart pounding with worry—what had happened at home again?

"Um, my mother and I are almost out of money, could you...?"

She still had money on her, but she was truly out of tickets. Moreover, what she brought were the military tickets that Jiang Tao had given him last time and the national tickets that Jiang Cheng had prepared.

"Didn't your sister-in-law give it to you?"

Jiang Tao stared at Bao Ya in surprise, and when he saw her shake her head, his mind went blank again.

Mother and Bao Ya have been here for almost ten days now, and they cook for him every day with their own money. It seems the rumors outside are true.

Jiang Tao took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and said in a gentle tone:

"Let Xiao Gao go with you to the logistics department to pay my salary first, including the bonus."

Jiang Tao wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground. Several of his comrades wanted Bao Ya to help with cooking, but they all thought about paying her first. He himself was eating and drinking well every day, and his sister-in-law was the one who paid for it.

My wife is unreliable too. How come she doesn't even understand basic social etiquette? Isn't she usually very good at everything?

He didn't know that Xu Wanyun's good behavior was directed towards her superiors, not her subordinates. Jiang Yuan and Jiang Cheng had both visited the military base before and had suffered her cold treatment quite a bit.

"Um, I also need to tell you something. When my second brother came, he told me that he would give me a hundred a month, and you'll get the same amount, a hundred. Anything over a month will be counted as two months. You see..."

Bao Ya struck while the iron was hot, and also asked him to settle his wages. Since he'd already brought it up, she should say it all. If he wanted the money, he should ask for it all at once; endless haggling would only annoy people.

Everyone was shocked. Giving her a hundred yuan a month for helping out? Was his second brother out of his mind? Wang Xiao blurted it out.

"Is your second brother out of his mind? They each get a hundred, and you only earn two hundred a month? And you just help with cooking every day?"

Even the head chefs at state-run restaurants don't earn that much; this whole family is mentally unstable.

"Cooking is secondary; the important thing is to protect my mother from being bullied."

Fang Mingda and Wang Xiao exchanged a glance, understanding dawning on them. This was the real Lin Baoya.

Jiang Tao understood. Who could bully his mother other than his wife and father-in-law's family? He hadn't expected such deep-seated prejudice between them, given they'd only met once. Why?

But this isn't the time to think about that. Let's settle their bill first and stop talking about this.

"Tomorrow, Xiao Gao will take you to collect three months' salary, and I'll collect my mission bonus at the same time."

"Okay, I'll go with Mom tomorrow. Wang Muchen, come here, let's play clapping."

Bao Ya readily agreed and then called over the chubby little dumpling to play with her.

Then a resounding children's song echoed through the ward.

"The black crow, with its long tail, forgets its mother after marrying a wife."

He carried his mother to the back of the mountain and his wife to the kang (heated brick bed).

Fried dough sticks, so fragrant! Wife, wife, you try some first.

Mother is sick and wants to eat pears, but we don't have the spare money to mend the sieve.

My wife wanted to eat big pears, so I went to the market with a lantern, going to the east market and the west market. I bought some pears, peeled them, and secretly hid them under the covers. "Wife, wife, you can have a pear."

Jiang Tao had just eaten some delicious noodles with minced meat sauce, but it was stuck in his chest, and his face turned red and white in turns.

Just how badly has Xu Wanyun offended her family? Her parents, as well as her second and third sons, all have such deep prejudices against her. Is it really just a misunderstanding as she thinks?

The people in the room looked at Jiang Tao with sympathy, but also with some strange emotions.

However, his sister-in-law is quite capable, able to protect her mother-in-law so well; no wonder the second son of the Jiang family was willing to offer such a high price of one hundred yuan.

Now the Xu family is not only famous in the army, but Lin Baoya is determined to grind them to dust.

Bao Ya's decision not to complain to Jiang Tao, but instead to directly confront the Xu family and humiliate Jiang Tao, was based on her own considerations.

Children who lack ambition will be disliked by their parents, and similarly, parents who lack ability will be looked down upon by their children.

Xu Wanyun's attitude towards the Jiang family didn't just change today. The fact that she and Jiang Tao have been able to get along peacefully until now suggests that they had already reached a balance. In a sense, Jiang Tao tacitly approved of her actions.

Instead of whining and complaining to him like a weakling, it's better to just slap him twice. After all, only opponents deserve respect, and opponents who can destroy him at any time deserve double the respect.

The next day, Bao Ya and Liao Chunhua went with Xiao Gao to the logistics department to collect Jiang Tao's salary. They only received three months' salary and receipts; the bonuses from completing tasks were left in his account. Bao Ya thought this would make the accounting easier.

That same afternoon, after receiving the money, Bao Ya went to the post office again to make a phone call. Then, the news that the Jiang brothers had paid a high price to have their sister-in-law protect their mother once again topped the trending search list.