1994: Starting with unpaid leave

Xiuyun's parents were both workers at the No. 1 Machine Tool Factory, and the elderly couple were typical old-fashioned people.

They already had a lukewarm impression of Dong Jianguo.

In their minds, a man should work hard and live a down-to-earth life; what's the use of being handsome?

Not only does it not help with work, it also makes one's lifestyle particularly prone to problems.

After all, flies don't land on eggs without cracks. If a man is handsome, all sorts of bees and butterflies will flock to him without him even having to beckon.

Not only that, Dong Jianguo is too young and doesn't know how to speak well. He doesn't know how to make a good impression when he visits his parents-in-law.

If it were simply a matter of being young and having a low income, unable to compete with her two brothers-in-law, that would be one thing.

If you're diligent and have a sweet tongue, you can at least make up for some of the losses.

But when he comes here, he doesn't even bother to wash the dishes after eating and drinking. He either sits on the sofa in the living room watching TV or is in a hurry to drag Xiuyun home.

Especially today, even though they knew dinner was served at 5 o'clock, they insisted on dragging their three daughters to wait until after 5 o'clock. Isn't that cheating and being lazy?

So the two elderly people got angrier and angrier as they looked at Dong Jianguo. Not only were they angry, but they also felt sorry for their youngest daughter.

Seeing that his parents-in-law's expressions were off, Dong Jianguo quickly chuckled, put down the bag he was carrying, and explained:

"Mom and Dad, I'm so sorry, Xiuyun and I have been waiting for ages for a taxi... We finally managed to flag one down, but the driver refused to take us..."

"Stop explaining, hurry up and wish your mom a happy birthday! Everyone's waiting for dinner."

Zhou Yuejin, the father-in-law, waved his hand impatiently.

Dong Jianguo smiled and took the wine glass from his older sister:

"Mom, today is your 50th birthday, and I'm especially happy. Although I'm the last one to join the family and I'm not good with words, I remember all the kindness you've shown me."

"Over the years, you and Dad have not only raised Xiuyun so well, but you've also always treated me like your own son. I'll drink this glass first as a sign of respect, wishing you boundless happiness and longevity, and that your life will become increasingly prosperous and your health robust. Our whole family of three looks forward to you enjoying many more years of happiness!"

Upon hearing Dong Jianguo's words, everyone except the children at the table exchanged bewildered glances.

Actually, these words of blessing wouldn't be anything special if they came from someone else, but coming from Dong Jianguo, they were quite surprising.

Last year, when the whole family celebrated Cao Wenli's birthday, Dong Jianguo only stood up and said "Happy Birthday".

How come you've become so eloquent?

The second son-in-law, Zhang Jinlong, was the first to react, leading the applause: "Wow, Jianguo must have prepared a lot at home! His speech this year has improved significantly; it was really well done!"

As soon as he took the lead, his eldest son-in-law, Tong Zi'ang, nodded in agreement: "That's right, doing business really makes a difference. Jianguo's words were quite insightful, almost on par with the clerks in our office."

Dong Jianguo turned to look at his brother-in-law: "Thank you for the praise, brother-in-law. I will definitely continue to work hard and achieve even greater success."

The fact that Tong Ziang's brother-in-law was a leader in the bureau undoubtedly exposed Tong Ziang's idea of ​​subtly showing off his position in the unit, leaving Tong Ziang feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Seeing this, the second brother-in-law laughed and joked, "This Jianguo, he's so young but his way of talking is quite interesting. Brother-in-law, are you him?"

"Yes, that's right. Our Jianguo is not only handsome, but now he's also very eloquent. His future is limitless!"

The father-in-law, Zhou Yuejin, was somewhat displeased: "A man can't just rely on a good-looking face to succeed in the world. He has to be discerning in his words and actions, leaving no room for error."

"Jianguo, in this respect, you still have a lot to learn from your eldest and second brother-in-laws."

It was his mother-in-law's birthday, and Dong Jianguo didn't want to embarrass anyone. Seeing that his father-in-law had spoken, he could only adopt a submissive and obedient demeanor.

"Dad, you're right. I still have a lot to learn, and I'll definitely ask my two brothers-in-law for advice more often in the future."

"Jianguo, give the gift to Mom," Xiuyun said, trying to change the subject, worried that her husband would feel awkward.

"Yes, my older sister just gave us a 300 yuan shopping voucher, and we gave Mom 200 yuan in cash. What did you prepare for Mom?"

The second sister, Zhou Xiuqing, perked up at the news and looked on eagerly.

She couldn't stand being overshadowed by her eldest sister in everything, and now that Xiuyun's family had come, she finally found some comfort.

Xiuyun and her husband are young and earn little money, so they don't have much to begin with.

Just now in the kitchen, she asked her older sister again and learned that their family was doing a small business selling eggs.

They must be in dire financial straits.

Although it's not good to put down her younger sister, she and her brother-in-law both secretly want to feel superior, even if it's just a little bit.

Her husband, Zhang Jinlong, slammed his fist on the table: "Xiuqing, what are you doing! Did your sister listen to her brother-in-law? Jianguo and his wife have just started their business and are in dire need of money. Why are you putting them down now?"

Zhou Xiuqing glared at him, but then she saw her husband giving her a meaningful look, and after a moment's thought, she understood.

If Xiuyun and her husband weren't allowed to give their mother a gift at this time, their family, having given her two hundred yuan, would definitely be ahead of their third sister's family.

At this point, making things difficult for the third sister would only make him look petty, even if he won!

Realizing this, Zhou Xiuqing immediately changed her tune: "Oh dear, look at my head, I was so busy in the kitchen I was completely confused. Your second brother-in-law is right, you two are at a time when you need money. If you ask me, it's good enough that you came here to show your filial piety. Even if you didn't bring anything, Mom and Dad wouldn't say anything, right, Mom and Dad!"

"Okay, let's eat quickly, or the food will get cold."

Zhou Yuejin nodded and picked up his chopsticks to eat.

Although the reasoning was that of his second daughter, the fact that his third son-in-law gave him nothing made him somewhat unhappy.

"Sometimes you just can't compare yourself to someone."

He muttered something under his breath, not too loud, not too soft, just enough for the whole family at the table to hear.

Upon hearing her father's words, Zhou Xiuyun's expression changed, and she couldn't help but purse her lips.

She didn't understand why, as soon as she and Jianguo entered the house, they were inexplicably targeted by the whole family.

Seeing this, Cao Wenli, the mother-in-law, felt a little sorry for her husband. She nudged him and put on a smiling face, waving to her third daughter and Dong Jianguo, whose expressions seemed somewhat unnatural.

"Eat up, you must be tired after a long day. I'm so glad you all came!"

Dong Jianguo nodded, glanced at his second sister's family, and then turned to his father-in-law and mother-in-law:

"Mom, since you're happy that we're here, Xiuyun and I aren't ignorant children; we should make you even happier!"

As he spoke, he took a red gift box out of the bag, opened it, and handed it over:

"Mom, this is the gold necklace that Xiuyun picked out for you. Do you like it?"

Inside the box, beneath a slender gold necklace, a golden peach pendant, its bright yellow color particularly eye-catching…