Qin Shu is a person who likes to talk a lot. She likes to talk to everyone, even to Mr. and Mrs. Wen, who are elders. Not to mention the generation gap between the two generations, some people with reserved personalities will only answer questions asked by the elders. Qin Shu is different. She chatters a lot in front of everyone.
While eating, she talked about her current career, the lace factory and the technical school. Qin Shu said, "The lace factory now has fewer domestic orders, but fortunately we received two foreign orders, so the workers have work to do. Our technical school has also been affected. Previously, many people came to learn, but now the price of rice and flour has risen too much, and all the money at home is used to buy rice and flour. No one is willing to spend money to learn technology. However, the technicians in our school are still there. We have contacted the refugee self-help association organized by the government. If refugees in the Northeast are willing to learn the technology of crocheting lace, we can teach them for free, and we can assign them work after teaching them. At that time, they will be paid by piece, and the salary is the same as that of the workers in our factory. Although there are not many positions, it can help dozens of people."
"That's great." Mr. Wen liked Qin Shu's lively and kind personality and said, "You are only in your twenties, and you can help dozens of people. This is amazing."
"It's not just my idea. We are a business partner. My second sister-in-law and A Yin are also willing to teach the refugees for free." It's rare that Qin Shu doesn't take credit for himself.
Mr. Wen smiled and said to his wife, "Ashu has transferred his enrollment to Peking University and plans to continue his studies. This child is so ambitious."
"It's a good thing to read more books, especially for people who are in business. You need to read more." Mrs. Wen picked up a piece of green sauce meat for her husband and said, "Try it. This is what Ah Shu brought for you. It's the green sauce meat from Yuhua Terrace."
Mr. Wen took a bite and praised the taste, "This green sauce meat is something you can never get tired of eating."
Qin Shu smiled and said, "My father said the same thing."
Mr. Wen asked, "I heard that your friend Mrs. Wei has a child. How is the child?"
"She's doing very well and is very interesting. She was born in early July and is more than four months old now. She could roll over when she was three months old. She doesn't cry at all and is happy no matter who holds her. Her personality must be like my second sister-in-law. You can tell at first glance that she has a good temper." Qin Shu talked about how adorable the little girl from Chen Xuan's family was, but she was too heavy and his arms would hurt after holding her for a while.
Mrs. Wen asked Chen Xuan to go out on a sunny afternoon. Because the weather was good, Mrs. Wen sent a car to pick up Chen Xuan and asked the driver to bring a text message to Chen Xuan, saying that if it was convenient, she could bring the child to talk with her. Chen Xuan went out with her little girl. Although the child was not big, she often went out. Old Mrs. Wei Jinwei would take her out to play when she was free. The child also liked to be with many people, but would be unhappy if there were few people at home.
Mrs. Wen also prepared a set of gold necklaces and gold bracelets as a gift. Chen Xuan said they were too expensive. Mrs. Wen came closer to look at the little girl wrapped in a small quilt and smiled, "It's not expensive. It's for the child. She can take care of it when she grows up." She took it and hugged it. Mrs. Wen was worthy of having three sons. She was very skilled in holding the child. She gently stroked the soft hair on the top of the child's head with her palm. The little girl squinted her eyes in comfort, stretched out her two little hands and shook them, and babbled in her mouth, very happy. The sunlight poured into the room through the French windows in the living room. Mrs. Wen smiled and showed a little fine lines at the end of her eyes. She said with love, "This child doesn't look like you."
"She doesn't look like me, nor like Anian brother. She looks like my elder sister-in-law." Chen Xuan put a single-shoulder canvas bag she carried with her aside. "Madam, you have seen my younger sister-in-law Yin, right? Yin has big eyes and a high nose bridge. She is so pretty, but she doesn't look like her younger sister-in-law, but like her elder sister-in-law." She scratched her daughter's double chin with a finger, and the little girl laughed so hard that she drooled. Chen Xuan wiped the drool with a handkerchief. She said some words of disgust, but her eyes seemed to be filled with stars, full of love for the child.
Mrs. Wen smiled and said, "As long as the child is healthy, it's good. I think the child is white and plump, with not small eyes, a medium nose bridge, and an oval face. He will definitely be good-looking in the future."
Chen Xuan nodded, "Anian also said that our eldest sister-in-law was a famous beauty in the alley before she got married, but she became ugly after she gained weight. Look at our little girl's eyebrows, although they are a little light, they are also thin and long. Her eyes are not big, but not small either. The most important thing is that although she has single eyelids, her eyes are not small. Her eyelids are thin, which makes her eyes look bigger. Her nose bridge is not short, and she looks pretty when she is used to it."
Madam Wen couldn't help but chuckle when she heard Chen Xuan's boasting, "It looks good at first glance."
Chen Xuan was a little embarrassed. "She wasn't this pretty when she was first born. I don't know if it's because she's my child, but the more I look at her, the prettier she looks."
"All mothers are like this." Madam Wen said with a smile, "When the child is in the belly, you don't feel anything at first. When the child starts to move, the feeling is amazing, like there is another life in your body. When the child is born, there is a kind of intimacy of blood connection, no words can describe it. This is the life I personally gave birth to, split from my own bones and blood, and it is the continuation of my true life. There will never be such a feeling again in the world."
"Me too, me too." Chen Xuan couldn't agree more with what Madam Wen said. Her eyes sparkled as she said, "Even though our little girl isn't that pretty, I still like her very much. To be honest, even though Brother Anian is also very handsome, in my heart, our little girl is more important. When our little girl grows up, I will definitely let her go to the best school and receive the best education. She doesn't have to be a superior person, but she must be someone who is respected."
Mrs. Wen smiled, "That's great. Their generation is luckier than ours. We are from the old era, and they are truly the children of the new generation. Even girls can compete with boys in their careers."
"Yes, I used to think that women's lives were too difficult, but our little girl has caught up with a good era." Chen Xuan tends to talk endlessly when talking about children, especially her little girl who is really not naughty at all. When she lets her hold her fingers to play, she will not be naughty at all. When the little girl frowned slightly and curled her lips, Mrs. Wen said, "Why are you suddenly unhappy?"
Chen Xuan immediately became alert and reached out to catch the child, "Oh no, she needs to pee." Before she could catch the child, the little girl had already wet herself.
Mrs. Wen was quite sensitive. When her hands felt hot, she immediately put the child out. The urine fell on the floor and did not get on her body. Chen Xuan apologized quickly, and Mrs. Wen laughed, "It's nothing. Hurry up and change the child's diaper first."
"I'm going to the bathroom. I have to feed the little girl." Chen Xuan said. She carried a big bag with her, which contained many of the little girl's belongings.
Mrs. Wen asked Chen Xuan, "Do you want to have the baby?"
"I don't poop now, I usually poop at night."
Mrs. Wen took her to the room downstairs to feed the baby, and asked Chen Xuan to hold the baby while she sat down. Mrs. Wen opened the big bag that Chen Xuan brought with her, took out a dry diaper for her, and asked Aman to wash the changed diaper. Chen Xuan hurriedly said, "Put it in the brown paper bag in the bag. I'll take it back and wash it."
"I have a heater here. Put your clothes on the heater after washing. It will be dry in a while." Madam Wen went to the bathroom to wash her hands. After coming out, she said, "I used to do the same when I was taking care of children. Children have to poop and pee. We are so familiar with each other. I have always treated you as a junior. Don't be polite to me."
Chen Xuan smiled and nodded, patted the little girl's back, and told her to eat slowly so she wouldn't choke. Chen Xuan said, "She looks good-tempered and cheerful all the time, but she gets anxious when eating, and no one is snatching her food away. She may become impatient in the future."
Mrs. Wen smiled, "Whether she is impatient or patient, this child is lovable."
"I heard from Ash that the lady has three sons."
"Yes." Madam Wen patted the little girl's arched buttocks, "The older one is twelve years old and is in the second grade of junior high school in Nanjing this year."
"You and Mr. Wen are both outstanding people. Your children must be doing well in their studies."
"It's OK, but not as good as I hoped."
Chen Xuan's eyes curved slightly, "It's because Madam is too outstanding. It's too difficult for the child to surpass you. If it were like me, it would be easier for our little girl to surpass me in the future."
"That's not necessarily true. You started late. If you were like other children, starting at the age of seven or eight, you wouldn't be in your current situation. At least you've graduated from college and are continuing your graduate studies. Your life could be different."
"How is that possible?" Chen Xuan said, "Even if my parents were still alive, it wouldn't be possible. Even Ah Yin never went to school. My family used to be good friends with Anian's family. In business families, boys go to school, but girls don't."
"Since your husband's family doesn't allow girls to go to school, how did you start studying on your own?" Mrs. Wen asked with interest.
"I started learning from Ah Yin and the two girls from our back neighbor's house. Their family was a scholarly family. Unlike merchants, their children, both boys and girls, did not have to go to school from a young age. I asked them about words Ah Yin didn't know and borrowed books from them. At first I learned five words a day, then ten, twenty, and recited a poem every day. It was not easy at the beginning, but once I learned to use a dictionary, it became easy to recognize words."
"Your in-laws don't say anything about you? I have a friend who wanted to learn to read, but her in-laws thought she was restless."
"You said that too. I just pretended I didn't hear it." Chen Xuan said, "At that time, I just wanted to live a decent life with my own abilities, and I didn't care what they thought. In fact, knowing how to read is very useful. It was only after I learned how to read that I understood many things."
"What's the reason? Tell me."
Chen Xuan thought for a while, sorted out her thoughts and said, "That's right, how should I put it. I feel that when I first arrived in Beijing, I was lying on the ground, and I had to raise my head when I looked at others. The support that allowed me to stand up was when I learned to read. After I learned a few words, I learned to use an abacus with Brother Anian. When I learned to use an abacus, it was particularly easy for me to remember the accounts of Brother Anian and me. Later, when he settled the accounts at the end of the month and the end of the year, he was too lazy to do it himself, so I did the calculations. Moreover, after I learned to read, my luck began to improve. In the past, I didn't dare to talk to people, but since I learned to read, there are many kind-hearted people willing to help and guide me. It was my neighbor Mrs. Xu who taught me to learn foreign languages. She said that learning foreign languages can be helpful. I begged Brother Anian to teach me foreign languages because it broadened my horizons. Brother Anian invited Smith to dinner at home, and I learned several foreign words in advance so that I could greet Smith. When Smith came to my house for the first time, the old ladies were all scared by his red eyebrows and green eyes. I was a little nervous, but not afraid. Even now, we get along well with Smith. Mr. Wen is also a very good elder, and there is also Mr. Rong. He gave me a list of books, and I read according to the list given by Mr. Rong. Even Madam, if I hadn't read books, learned to read, and had ideals, I would not dare to associate with people like Madam. "Chen Xuan's eyes were warm, "After reading books, I realized that there is something called respect in this world."
As she spoke, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "I have something else to say, I wonder if I can say it?"
Mrs. Wen smiled and said, "Go ahead."
"I feel that in this world, there are only three things that can gain the respect of others forever. One is power, one is knowledge, and the other is character." Chen Xuan hugged her little girl and said shyly, "This is the most important truth I understand. Although my knowledge is still shallow, I have gained equal respect by studying."
Madam Wen looked at Chen Xuan and suddenly said, "There will be a dance at the City Hall tomorrow night. You will attend with me."
The author has something to say: ps: Good afternoon everyone, there will be another update in the evening~~~~