To please others? It's better to please yourself.

The snow outside was falling heavier and heavier. When Xu Jing'an returned, her shoes were soaked and her feet were freezing cold.

She took a moment to go back to her room and change into a different pair. Even though they were single-layer shoes, it was better than wearing wet shoes!

They placed their soaked shoes against the stove to dry them.

Dinner was another family gathering. It's only once a month, and the whole family is really looking forward to it!

The whole family was overjoyed when the braised pork was served. Xu Jianshe excitedly picked up his chopsticks, waiting for his parents to give the order so he could start eating: "Finally, we can eat meat!"

"Alright, alright," Xu's mother joked with a smile, "like you've never eaten before." She picked up her chopsticks and first put a quarter of the meat into Xu's father's bowl.

"Eat up, while it's hot." As soon as Mr. Xu spoke, half of the meat on the table was eaten, and chopsticks were practically flying.

"You eat too," Xu's father said, seeing that Xu's mother was reluctant to take any meat, so he gave half of the meat in his bowl to Xu's mother.

"That's enough, that's enough," Xu's mother stopped her, "You eat more, you're the hardest working in our family. I'll just eat some!"

Of course, Xu Jing'an was not among those who ate meat.

She quickly picked up the other dishes on the table and started eating. Otherwise, once they finished the meat, there wouldn't be any left for her.

In the Xu family, whenever Xu Jing'an puts her chopsticks into the meat or eggs, her mother always remembers that there is something she hasn't done and asks her to do it.

When she returns, naturally there will be nothing left.

One might not understand what it means after one or two tries, but nobody's stupid! Over time, the original owner naturally understood what Xu's mother meant.

After each of these incidents, Xu's mother would always say, "How much food is enough?"

"A good life is earned by saving every penny!"

"As a girl, the first thing you need to learn is to be diligent and know how to manage a household!"

The original owner understood that what Xu's mother said was meant for her to hear.

A family's resources are limited, especially for an ordinary family that is not particularly wealthy!

And this is the era we live in! There are only so many things, and everyone is keeping a close eye on them!

Xu Jing'an didn't make any changes after she arrived.

It's just eggs and meat, right? You can go years without eating these things and still not die.

We didn't make changes when we first arrived because we hadn't figured out the situation and didn't dare; now there's no need to make changes!

She needs this kind of stable, discreet life where she doesn't attract too much attention.

Only when she goes unnoticed and unsuspected can she leave unexpectedly and live a good life.

If you're in charge of your own affairs, how many good things can't you eat?

After the table was cleared and Xu Jing'an came in from outside after washing her clothes, all the joy and liveliness from before vanished.

……

Xu Jianguo kept his head down and remained silent. Xu Jing'an knew without asking that it must be about his marriage to Xu Duoduo. It was simply that they hadn't reached an agreement on work.

Xu Jingping and Xu Jianshe had already run away when they realized the situation was not good.

Xu Jing'an, ignoring everyone else, quietly slipped back to her room. After all, this was Xu Boss's own business and had nothing to do with anyone else!

Xu Jingping sat at her desk, holding a book. She heard the door open, glanced up at Xu Jing'an, and then continued reading.

Xu Jing'an quickly made time to do her homework. If it got late, her mother would scold her for wasting electricity.

Half an hour passed, and Xu Jing'an had already switched from her Chinese textbook to her math textbook. Xu Jingping, however, remained motionless, her eyes fixed straight ahead, not even turning the page.

Xu Jing'an knew she was distracted. To be precise, Xu Jingping's mind wasn't on the subject.

Xu Jingping knew in her heart that she was an average student and had no chance of getting into university.

It's already December, and I'll be graduating high school soon. But what about finding a job?

The family is not well-off—we have no money! Besides, the eldest son, Xu Jianguo, is getting married, so the idea of ​​paying for a job is out of the question.

Internal recruitment is easy, but she doesn't know about it. Taking the open recruitment exam is too competitive; she's unsure if she can pass.

Thinking about this, Xu Jingping felt extremely annoyed, and her breathing became heavy.

How can she find a way to survive?

Xu's mother did have a formal job, but Xu Jingping knew in her heart that it wouldn't be her turn.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Xu's mother seems to treat her well, at least better than the third child in this family; it's because she's good-looking.

Despite Mr. and Mrs. Xu's complaints about not having money, they weren't particularly nervous or concerned when their eldest son proposed marriage.

That's because she'll be eighteen after the New Year. All the gaps can be filled by her.

My only advantage is that I have a pretty face.

Look! She and her third child are both in high school, and even though the third child's grades have always been good, it doesn't matter in Xu's parents' eyes! Because she doesn't have a pretty face, she can't fetch a good price!

What? You're saying the third sister is smart enough to go to university? That's still a long way off! Who knows if she'll even pass the entrance exam in two years? Who can predict something that far in the future?

Putting aside other things, she only needs to learn a lot from her older brother's partner.

When the time comes, she won't be picky about anything else, she'll just choose a family that can find her a job.

With this in mind, Xu Jingping considered her shortlisted candidates repeatedly. After making up her mind, she took out a piece of paper and began to write.

……

Xu Jianguo felt so distressed that he couldn't sleep whenever he thought about his girlfriend "Xu Duoduo's" marriage requirements.

If he were capable of getting a formal job, would he need to be an apprentice at an oxygen concentrator?

Isn't this making things difficult for Xu Jianguo?

The more I thought about it, the less I could sleep. I could only toss and turn in my room, and the old wooden bed kept creaking.

The fourth brother, Xu Jianshe, couldn't sleep because of the noise, and he started complaining in anger.

"Xu Jianguo—, can't you let a person get any sleep?"

"If you're not going to sleep, go outside; it's cooler there!"

"Will this ever end?"

Xu Jianshe was seething with anger, and he went straight for Xu Jianguo.

Xu Jianguo retorted impatiently, "How dare you talk to me like that? I'm your brother!"

Xu Jianshe retorted, "What's wrong with me, brother? You're only a few years older than me. If you're this annoying, you could live to be 1000 and it wouldn't matter!"

"Hey! Fourth brother, are you insulting me? Don't think I can't tell?" Xu Jianguo, who only has a junior high school education, hates it when people don't finish their sentences.

Whenever this happens, he suspects the other person is insulting him!

"Go to sleep!" As soon as their mother's words came out, neither of the two brothers said anything.

Xu Jianguo: "Okay, I'm going to sleep now!"

The room quieted down, and occasionally Xu's parents could be heard whispering to each other.

But none of this has anything to do with Xu Jing'an.

She lay on the bed, having only taken off her outer robe. Wearing an old cotton coat patched upon patched, and covered with a quilt that had been used for countless years and was now matted and lumpy, she closed her eyes.

With his hand on his abdomen, touching the banknotes, he felt completely at ease.