CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 046 PRETENTIOUS GENEROSITY OR POOR GENEROSITY

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"Little sister, are you saying this outfit you’re wearing now was made by Third Sister-in-law?" Xie Jinghong asked in surprise, addressing her youngest sister, Xie Jingzi.

Because she had been pregnant and giving birth over the past three years, although she had three children to care for which was taxing on her body, her husband’s family was well-off. She would have meat every other day to replenish her strength, her husband was capable, and she brought pride to the family by bearing children, even earning a favorable look from her mother-in-law.

With a good mindset and diet, her body started to put on weight, making her face rounder. Although there were some faint, small dark spots on her cheeks making them slightly more pronounced, her skin was still fairly fair and tender.

Even Xie Jingzi’s face didn’t look as fair and tender as her sister’s, instead appearing a bit unhealthy and yellowish.

"Yup, that’s right. It was finished the other night, and it got dark so I didn’t see it clearly. I wasn’t in the mood to look at it then! You know how clingy Third Sister-in-law is to Third Brother. I was so annoyed with her that I just went straight back to my room without a glance at the clothes she made last night. [Saying this, Xie Jingzi felt a bit of guilt on her face — after all, she always had some misunderstandings about Third Sister-in-law’s character.]

But this morning when I got up, I saw Xiao Wu and Xiaoqi’s little flowered clothes, and they were absolutely beautiful. I found out from Mom that they were made by Third Sister-in-law, and then I remembered I hadn’t looked at the outfit she made for me. Really, Third Sister-in-law’s sewing skills are just amazing!"

Xie Jingzi was a young girl prone to mood swings. Initially, she didn’t like Third Sister-in-law because she had been swayed by Fourth Sister-in-law and Fifth Sister-in-law’s disparaging remarks. But now, she had let go of her small bias after seeing the dowry that Third Sister-in-law’s family had brought over and listening to their mother’s explanation, recognizing the effort Zhang Shanni put into making clothes for her and her niece-girls, which she truly loved!

"It is quite pretty. This light blue matched with pink, I never knew could look this outstanding!" Xie Jinghong said after looking at her youngest sister’s outfit, feeling a touch of envy herself, and then glancing at the new clothes their parents were wearing.

Their parents were dressed in more subdued colors; Dad in a black and blue set, and Mom in earth-yellow paired with black pants. In those times, the variety of fabric colors to choose from was limited. To get anything brighter meant special tribute goods, which were not available to common folk like them.

But even this ordinary color made Xie Tiesheng and his wife look especially spirited— the clothes were well-fitted and sharp, not at all looking bulky. Both had happy expressions, which made them seem to have an extra bit of spirit, um, as her husband said, more imposing!

"Right, right, that Third Sister-in-law has incredible hands. Look, she sewed a small coin purse for Xiao Yi to Xiaoqi from scraps, and when I admired them, she gave me the last two she had, saying one was for you, Second Sister. You want it?" Xie Jingzi blinked her eyes playfully, showing off with a proud face yet also looking a bit pained as she took out two palm-sized, flower-patterned small coin purses from her pocket.

Xie Jingzi was a high school student, and Zhang Shanni had made the little aunt’s skirt long enough to reach her ankles. Given her height of over 165 centimeters, she appeared to have a slender figure, which flattered her body shape and made her look youthful and standout.

Especially since it was the Xie Family’s own turf, her wearing the skirt didn’t attract the judgement or gossip from other women; instead, it drew frequent glances from young men of similar age.

"Do I want it? Why wouldn’t I! Little sister, you can’t hog it all to yourself. You already got one more outfit than Second Sister, so don’t be petty!"

Xie Jinghong playfully tapped her forehead and casually picked one of the purses. Both coin purses were almost identical in both pattern and color, as small as a palm, with the center tied by a fabric button. They were very girlish.

"Second Sister..." Xie Jingzi clung to her second sister Xie Jinghong and acted coquettishly. Even though there was a big age difference between the two sisters, Xie Jinghong, as the second child and the eldest daughter of Xie Tiesheng, had always been well-behaved and obedient, and was definitely very kind to her younger siblings.

The two sisters were amiable and close due to their similar ages.

By four in the afternoon, most of the guests had left, and it was then that Zhang Shan Ni felt comfortable emerging to help clean up the odds and ends.

The borrowed tables and chairs had to be returned to their owners before evening. If there were extra tables, they would also be distributed to nearby families who needed them. At this moment, nobody would disdain leftovers; if the host family was willing to give away the food, it was a true display of generosity.

When returning the tables and chairs, typically an adult from the family, accompanied by a youngster from their home, would do the job—the adult carrying the table and the child holding the chairs. They would also bring along a big bowl of meat and vegetables. Although it wasn’t a lot, maybe just five or six pieces of meat, it was still a kind gesture. This was the customary way of doing things in the village, so nobody found it odd.

Those who were straightforward knew that being given five or six pieces of meat was already quite a bit, as usually only two or three were given at most. What mattered most was that the pieces of meat from the Xie Family were substantial, not just thin slices—quite a few pieces were nearly half an inch thick!

The whole family mobilized to return the tables and chairs, leaving several sisters-in-law, led by Zhou Xiuhua, to clean the house. The second sister-in-law went back with her husband, taking with her several yards of cotton fabric, half a bag of brown sugar, a bag of meat, half a basket of homegrown greens, and a basket of eggs, departing on the village’s ox cart.

Zhang Shan Ni, upon seeing her mother-in-law gave so much to the second little aunt, kept her smile unchanged. It was she who handed over that piece of cotton fabric to her when she left.

Her action not only made Zhou Xiuhua more satisfied, but it also dissolved the slight grudge in Xie Jinghong’s heart.

The third sister-in-law, unaware of her size, had not made her a set of clothes, which she took in good understanding. Understanding did not mean she wouldn’t get annoyed, but now she graciously took out a few yards of fine cotton, obviously intended for making undergarments for the children, how could she remain dissatisfied!

"Such a hypocrite!" Lin Caixia, with her seven-month pregnant belly, muttered to herself while sweeping the floor. Her heavy frame prevented her from bending over, but she was capable of sweeping the floor.

Having already given birth to two sons, she shouldn’t be acting so ’delicate’!

Her pretentious behavior was a result of her indulgence and vanity! Relying on her husband Xie Jinggang, currently the man earning the most silver in the family, she felt proud and somewhat tried to overshadow the host.

The reason why her husband was said to earn the most silver was firstly, the eldest, Xie Jingwei, being the first-born, had always stayed at home, taking care of the family as a poor farmer. Secondly, the third brother Xie Jingchen had been in the military, so she didn’t know how much silver he sent home. Thirdly, the fifth, Xie Jingyang, was currently studying, and a portion of his educational expenses came from her husband!

Thinking this way, she felt like her husband was the most outstanding among the sisters-in-law. She never considered that her husband’s job was in fact arranged by the third brother Xie Jingchen!

Since Xie Jinggang was knowledgeable about the ways of the factory and well-spoken, combined with the favor from Xie Jingchen, he indeed made good progress there. After persevering for several years, his salary had now reached forty silver coins, plus occasional factory benefits, which made him appear to be the highest earner in the family.

Of course, despite earning a lot, he did not give it all to the family. He needed to live, and occasionally grease some palms; thus, he only handed over half of his monthly salary, twenty big silver coins, to his mother, and five big silver coins to his wife, keeping ten to twenty for himself. Among his brothers, it could be said that he had the most disposable silver.

Xie Jingzi, who was cleaning and wiping down the family’s table next to Lin Caixia, heard her dissatisfied mutter distinctly and sneered inwardly, feeling even less fond of this fourth sister-in-law.

Wang Xiaocui, the wife of the fifth brother Xie Jingyang, also noticed the new third sister-in-law’s behavior and felt unhappy as well. Although she had received a set of clothes for Xiaoqi, which she considered a bargain, the child was still so young, and the ’flowered dress’ was a mix and match that looked impoverished!

She grumbled under her breath: a show of false generosity! Luckily, she had some sense and did not voice it out loud, even though her expression was not very pleasant. Currently, with her husband at home, she never caused trouble at home; she had already washed three large basins of utensils until her back was straight and she was feeling sore all over.

Without a moment’s rest, her mother-in-law called her to tidy up the stove room.