1994: Starting with unpaid leave

As soon as the door opened, Liang Qiuyue's slightly surprised face came into view:

"The third brother is here! Come in and have a seat!"

"Is your sister-in-law at home? Didn't she go on duty today?"

"I just got back this morning, and I'm not leaving for a few more days."

As soon as Dong Jianguo entered the room, he smelled a rich, fresh aroma and couldn't help but sniff it.

Looking behind my sister-in-law, I saw a huge pot of seafood on the dining table set up in my parents' bedroom.

Amidst the rising steam, the bright red swimming crabs, each the size of a palm, seemed to be about to burst out of the pot.

"Wow, my sister-in-law is taking care of everyone's meals as soon as she's home! She's living the good life!"

Seeing his expression, his sister-in-law Liang Qiuyue's lips twitched downwards a few degrees:

"I was just telling your brother that you, the third child in our family, are the luckiest when it comes to food. Mom just cooked the seafood I brought back from Dalian, and you came running from far away because you could smell it. Want to have some?"

As she spoke, the eldest sister-in-law sat back down at the dining table and began to scoop crabs from the large clay pot for her son, Dong Xiaojun.

"Uncle..." Dong Xiaojun saw Dong Jianguo come in and hurriedly got up to greet him, but before he could finish speaking, his mother pulled him back to his chair.

"Eat quickly, or there won't be any left when it gets crowded."

"Oh……"

The father, Dong Xuewen, wanted to pick up a crab, and had already picked it up when he noticed his daughter-in-law's displeased look, so he quickly switched to a smaller one.

Upon seeing this, Dong Jianguo couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Third brother, what brings you here today?!" The eldest brother, Dong Baoguo, immediately stood up to greet him upon seeing his youngest brother: "Sit down, sit down, I'll go get you a bowl and chopsticks!"

Because of the angle, Dong Baoguo didn't see what had just happened, nor did he see his wife rolling her eyes at his back.

Dong Jianguo, however, saw it all clearly.

He knew his sister-in-law was a little unhappy.

My sister-in-law, Liang Qiuyue, is a practical person, but she's a little petty.

Although living conditions are much better now than before, the food on our tables is still far less plentiful than it will be 20 years from now.

Therefore, Dong Jianguo could understand his sister-in-law's state.

Without arguing further, Dong Jianguo waved his hand at his elder brother:

"Don't bother, brother. I just finished eating and came over to talk to you about something."

"Oh? You're really not going to order any? These swimming crabs are all covered in roe, they smell amazing!"

Before Dong Baoguo could say anything more, his sister-in-law Liang Qiuyue kicked him hard from behind.

Feeling pain in his calves, he sheepishly stopped talking.

Dong Jianguo turned to his parents sitting by the bed: "Mom and Dad, I've come today to ask for your help..."

Upon hearing his words, Liang Qiuyue put down her chopsticks and took over the conversation:

"Third brother, are you having some business troubles? We, as family, should support you since you've finally managed to start a business."

"But you know, Mom and Dad are getting old and their health isn't good. Junjun needs money for school too. Your brother and I both have to contribute our salaries to support the family. Even if we wanted to help, we just couldn't!"

"Besides, the financial hole in a business is so huge, it's not something we working-class people can fill!"

Hearing his wife's rapid-fire complaints about being poor, the eldest brother, Dong Baoguo, couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Hey, why are you saying all this?! Just hurry up and eat your crab!"

"Jianguo is my own brother. If he really encounters difficulties, how could I, as his older brother, not help him?!"

Sister-in-law Liang Qiuyue pouted, and tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks into the bowl in a steady stream.

"What's wrong with telling the truth? Why can't I speak? The Dong family has way too many rules!"

"Dad, Mom, you're both here. I've contributed a lot to the family over the years. Even when Jianguo got married, the color TV in the house was the one we bought when I got married!"

"You have to give me a fair answer!"

As soon as she cried, Dong Xiaojun, who was fighting with the swimming crab, also parted his mouth, revealing a mouthful of crab meat, and started to howl along with her.

"Shut up, all of you! Let Jianguo finish what he has to say!"

Annoyed by the noise, Dong Xuewen couldn't help but bang his chopsticks on the table, finally bringing a moment of peace.

Dong Jianguo glanced at his aggrieved sister-in-law and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

Although I thought my sister-in-law was stingy in my past life, she wasn't this stingy.

How did it turn out like this?

"Sister-in-law, you've misunderstood. I recently bought a new house and have already moved in. I was thinking of having my family gather at my place this Sunday since everyone's here."

"I've already contacted my second uncle, second brother, and brother-in-law's family, but I haven't notified you yet, so..."

"Ah, is that it!" Upon hearing that it wasn't about borrowing money, Liang Qiuyue's mournful face immediately brightened, and she turned to congratulate her:

"Jianguo bought a house? Why didn't you say so sooner! Congratulations! Where did you buy it?"

Dong Jianguo even felt that if his sister-in-law were to enter the entertainment industry with her acting skills, it would be a significant blow to those expressionless, popular young actresses.

"Xiju Residence, Building 8, Room 301".

"Wow, houses in the Xiju area aren't cheap! Buying a house there must cost a fortune!"

Sister-in-law Liang Qiuyue was taken aback.

Not only her, but the whole family at the dinner table stared blankly at Dong Jianguo.

As one of the first commercial buildings to be sold in Hecheng, GG was all over the place at the time.

Radio, newspapers, and local television stations—they're everywhere.

Even the kids know to repeat the phrase about housing prices there: "City center, 750 yuan per square meter!"

When Dong Jianguo told everyone that he had actually bought a house there, the expressions on everyone's faces became quite interesting.

The eldest brother, Dong Baoguo, was the first to express his opinion, his expression shifting from surprise to delight:

"Wow, bro! I didn't think much of what Mom said about your business last time, but you've already earned enough to buy a house?! Come on, sit down and let's chat! Junjun, go get your uncle a set of chopsticks and a bowl!"

"Really, no need. I just came to let you know, I'm not here to freeload! Mom and Dad, brother and sister-in-law, you all go ahead and eat, I'm leaving now."

"Remember to come visit me on Sunday and help boost the atmosphere!"

"Sigh, your sister-in-law was just saying it casually, why did you take it so seriously?! Why should a grown man like you argue with her?! It's so pointless!"

Dong Baoguo got up to stop his brother, but Dong Jianguo insisted on leaving and pushed the door open.

"You guys eat, I'll go see the old folks and kids off!"

Zhang Guifen, preoccupied, chased after him from the bed: "Jianguo, slow down!"

Zhang Guifen chased him all the way to the outside of the building before she finally stopped Dong Jianguo, who was pushing his cart away.

"Jianguo, tell Mom the truth, did you really buy a house in Xijuzhai?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

Zhang Guifen frowned: "Such a big matter, why didn't you discuss it with us first?"

Dong Jianguo chuckled, "Mom, this is between Xiuyun and me. Why would I need to discuss it with you? What, are you going to pay for my rent?"

Seeing a flicker of guilt on his mother's face, and the striking white hair and wrinkles on her head under the streetlights, Dong Jianguo couldn't help but regret having spoken so harshly.

"Mom, that's not what I meant..."