Chapter 54: Zaohua
Chapter 54: Zaohua
Auntie glared at Land Jiaxin for buying so many things but directed her anger at Uncle Lu instead: "This child spent so much yesterday. I'm glad that she has such a thoughtful heart, but today she's just wasting money. Why didn't you stop her?"
Uncle Lu felt helpless and explained, "I tried to stop her, but she said she was buying them for herself. What could I do then? Alright, I'll talk to your third brother later and ask him to teach this child a lesson."
Auntie's expression changed at his words, "Are you getting senile? If you say that, he'll have more excuses not to give Jiaxin money, and that wicked woman will benefit from it. Forget it, I'll find an opportunity to talk to Jiaxin myself!"
Uncle Lu stopped her, "Jiaxin has a temper these days. If you criticize her, she might just turn around and leave. You don't have to worry, she's spending money freely because she doesn't understand the hardships of earning it. Once she starts working and realizes how difficult it is to make a living, she'll naturally become more frugal."
Auntie thought his words made sense, but she still felt the need to have a word with Jiaxin.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qiu was also advising Land Jiaxin, "Cousin, I know you spoil us, but please don't spend so much in the future."
Land Jiaxin reflected on her behavior, remembering Auntie's unspoken disapproval of her purchases. "I was thoughtless. In the future, I'll only buy practical things."
Currently, she wasn't earning any money, and her extravagant spending worried everyone. Once she started making money, no matter how much she spent, they wouldn't say a word.
Xiao Qiu felt a bit embarrassed by her cousin's quick agreement, especially since she had also enjoyed many of the snacks, "Cousin, will you go back to school after the bad guy is caught?"
Land Jiaxin indicated that her health was very weak, and she would need at least half a year to recuperate before she could consider retaking the exams. She was determined to go to university, but first, she needed to earn money to free herself from Land Hongjun's control.
Xiao Qiu said concernedly, "Cousin, why don't you stay here to recuperate? That evil woman won't be able to harm you here."
Five years ago, Cousin's face was chubby and her skin was fair and rosy. Everyone in the village used to say that Cousin looked like a doll from a New Year painting. But now, her face was pale, and she had become very thin.
"I'm moving out of the compound now, so that woman won't be able to harm me either. Xiao Qiu, what do you think about what I told you yesterday?"
Xiao Qiu shook her head, "Cousin, I don't want to go out there. I don't know anyone outside, and I have Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, and Mom here, as well as my brothers. If my in-laws bully me, they can stand up for me."
Land Jiaxin felt helpless. These days, rural children married early and matured quickly. In her previous life, at the age of fifteen, she only knew how to eat, drink, and play.
After chatting for a while longer, Xiao Qiu said regretfully, "I'm just not smart enough to study well, but Zaohua is very clever and always comes first in her exams. This year, she was accepted into the best high school in our county. Unfortunately, her father, Uncle Gen, met with an accident, and now she can't continue her studies."
Land Jiaxin asked and learned that Zaohua was sixteen years old this year and had always been at the top of her class. With her excellent grades, she was sure to get into university. Getting into university meant getting a government-assigned job, and she would be set for life.
That was why everyone said that a golden phoenix was about to fly out of their village. Unfortunately, fate played a cruel trick, and her father's injury in July had drained the family's savings, and he still didn't make it. The family was now in dire straits and couldn't afford to send Zaohua to school anymore.
Xiao Qiu said regretfully, "Grandpa even went to persuade Aunt Gen to continue sending Zaohua to school. It would only be tough for three years, and once Zaohua gets into university, everything will be fine. But Aunt Gen said she can't support the family, and with two young sons, if Zaohua continues her studies, the whole family will suffer."
Land Jiaxin remained silent.
Xiao Qiu continued, "Cousin, you don't know, many people in the village envy me and Xiao Dong."
There weren't many girls of their age in the village who had stepped into a school. Most of them worked from morning to night, and many weren't even allowed to eat their fill, often suffering beatings and scoldings. Compared to them, Xiao Qiu felt very fortunate. She didn't have to do heavy labor and could go to school with her brothers. Unfortunately, she wasn't smart enough to study well, otherwise, she could have gotten into a vocational school and secured a government job too.
Land Jiaxin smiled and said, "Xiao Qiu, it's fine if you don't go out, but you must learn a skill. With a skill, the groom's family won't dare to bully you in the future."
If the groom's family mistreated her, she could always divorce them. With a skill, she would be able to support herself and her children even after a divorce. Of course, she wouldn't say this aloud, partly because Xiao Qiu was still young, and partly because it was too unlucky to talk about divorce before marriage.
Xiao Qiu was tempted but dared not voice her agreement, "My two older brothers didn't learn any skills, and if I bring it up, my two sisters-in-law might disagree."
Land Jiaxin understood her hesitation and smiled, "As long as your mother supports you, you don't have to worry about what your sisters-in-law think."
After dark, the four teams that had gone out returned one after another, all without any useful information. They were initially a little dejected, but when they learned that the old lady was from the west side, their spirits lifted immediately.
The next day, Uncle Lu, Second Brother Lu, and Land Jiajie set off to the west side to gather information. Land Jiaxin wanted to go too, but Uncle Lu refused, saying that it was too far and that her health couldn't handle the journey.
Land Jiaxin had to give up, considering her health. After lunch, with nothing much to do, she said to Xiao Qiu, "I'd like to meet Zaohua. Can you take me to find her?"
It would be a pity if such an excellent student had to drop out of school. Tuition for a semester in a small county high school probably only cost two to three hundred yuan. If this girl had a strong sense of self and knew how to stand up for herself, she could lend a helping hand. But if she was weak and blindly obedient, it wouldn't be worth the effort.
Xiao Qiu didn't think much about it and readily agreed.
Unfortunately, they were out of luck, as Zaohua had gone to visit her grandmother early in the morning. A neighbor of hers shook her head, "That girl went to visit her grandmother."
Land Jiaxin's eyes widened in surprise, remembering that Xiao Qiu had mentioned Zaohua was a year older than her. It wasn't normal for a sixteen-year-old to be married.
The neighbor said, "I heard it's the son of the commune secretary. If this marriage goes through, that family will not only give a high bride price, but they have also promised to arrange a job for Zaohua's younger brother."
Land Jiaxin felt suffocated. In many parts of the country, there was a preference for sons over daughters, and the saddest part was that it was usually the mothers who favored their sons and neglected their daughters.
Xiao Qiu had been in the same class as Zaohua in elementary school, and although they were in different classes in middle school, they still walked to school together, so they were very close. She asked, "Is Zaohua willing?"
The neighbor sighed, "If she wasn't willing, she wouldn't have gone to meet her future in-laws today. If they like her, the wedding will probably be at the end of this year or early next year."
Xiao Qiu frowned, "That can't be right, can it? The girls in our village usually marry at the age of eighteen, but Zaohua is only sixteen."
Land Jiaxin felt that Zaohua's mother probably wanted to finalize the marriage as soon as possible so that her son could quickly get a job in the city. However, if this marriage did go through, what status would Zaohua have in her husband's family? She would be looked down upon and treated like a cow or a horse for the rest of her life.
(End of Chapter)
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