Poem in the Rice Field 14: Chapter 14
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He bombarded with a flurry of questions. 0
"Dad, tell me the truth, is Shi Shi really your biological child and I'm just the adopted one?" Second Brother said with a hint of sarcasm. 0
His father, impatient, replied, "Step aside, you're blocking the camera." 0
Second Brother nearly fainted from anger. 0
He had always been carefree, and his marriage prospects had been stagnant. 0
Every time his mother video-called him, she urged him to get married. 0
Now that he was thirty, he finally had a girlfriend—his senior who was five years older than him. 0
She was amazing! 0
With strong work capabilities, her income was three times that of Second Brother's. 0
His mother was not satisfied: 0
"At your age, having children will be difficult." 0
"And you act like a lapdog in front of her; I wouldn't dare to boss my son around like that." 0
Second Brother shot her a glare: 0
"Mind your own business! I've pursued her for years; if you mess this up for me, I swear I'll never marry." 0
On the day of the wedding, Second Brother couldn't stop smiling. 0
"This is great! My teeth aren't great, so I'm definitely going to live off soft food for life." 0
Sister-in-law was gentle, while Second Sister-in-law was decisive and assertive. 0
As their mother aged, it was Second Sister-in-law who took charge of family matters. 0
Gradually, their mother accepted this daughter-in-law. 0
She even boasted in the village: 0
"My second daughter-in-law spends money extravagantly; she bought me a foot bath for several thousand!" 0
"She got me a massage chair that cost over ten thousand." 0
"What do we farmers need that for?" 0
"She took me to buy a gold necklace; the chain was thicker than a dog collar—if I wore it around my neck, it would snap!" 0
 
 
"You can make money, but you shouldn't spend it like this!" 0
I always remind her that if this continues, no one will want to talk to her. 0
She doesn't care: 0
"They're all like this. Your Aunt Ma's daughter-in-law bought her a gold bracelet, and she bragged about it to me eight hundred times." 0
This is what ordinary parents are like. 0
They don't actually lack these things. 0
When their children think of them and treat them well, they feel happy. 0
This is also their source of pride and confidence. 0
Unlike my elder sister, Sister Two did not follow our mother's arrangements. 0
She ran off with her boyfriend and was out of touch for two years. 0
When she returned for the New Year with a child in her arms, our mother was furious, crying and cursing her for being unfilial and a white-eyed wolf. 0
But what could be done? 0
The child was already born. 0
There was no way to sell it for a good price; they could only let it go. 0
Our mother wanted to scrape some benefits from Sister Two, but Sister Two wasn't going to indulge her. 0
Their relationship was cold and distant. 0
However, Sister Two later settled in the Provincial Capital and started to connect with me more. 0
For my thirtieth birthday, Sister Two gave me a gold necklace: 0
"This is for you." 0
She had always remembered the silver necklace incident. 0
That day we drank quite a bit; her cheeks were flushed, and with dreamy eyes, she said: 0
"I have something funny to tell you." 0
"Ever since you got into college, Mom and Dad have said countless times that I'm disobedient and not smart." 0
"If I had known earlier, I would have let them send me away and kept you." 0
Sister Two said it lightly, but I could imagine how hurt she felt every time she heard those words. 0
 
 
I held her hand and said, "If I stay with the Ma Family, even if I get into the top high school, they won't let me attend, let alone go to college." 0
 
"Sister Two, you're doing well now; in fact, you're stronger than I am." 0
 
Under the brainwashing of my biological father's mother, she had not been assimilated and had always remained true to herself. 0
 
Having freed herself from them, she carved out her own space with just a middle school education. 0
 
In truth, her life was the one worth writing about. 0
 
Her mother had high hopes for Ma Qiang. She believed that if I could get into college, then Ma Qiang would surely have no problem. After all, he was the crown prince, destined to gather the essence of the world. 0
 
But Ma Qiang didn't even make it into the top high school. 0
 
His mother wanted to contribute to his tuition fees, but Ma Qiang's grades were so poor that the school wouldn't accept him. In the end, he attended a vocational school instead. 0
 
He spent his days indulging in food and fun. After starting work at a factory, he would fish for two days and slack off for three. 0
 
With lofty ambitions but little skill, he often found himself idle for more than half the year. 0
 
His mother was anxious and frustrated. But there was nothing to be done; after all, he was the crown prince of the Ma Family and needed to be supported. 0
 
When I gave birth to Jiao Jiao, Ma Qiang was still unmarried. His mother had introduced him to several potential partners, but none worked out. 0
 
Perhaps he would remain single for life. Who knows? 0
 
In any case, it had nothing to do with me. 0
 
 
 
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  • Amy
  • Mary
  • John
  • Smith
  • Edward