Chapter 634: Chapter 257: My Mother-in-law is a Loyal Servant (Part 1)
He Tiantian and Qiao Zhenbang divorced and did not rush to find a new partner.
She first returned to the Jiao Family to properly recuperate.
The Jiao Family had three sons besides Jiao Jiao, but all were already married with children.
Jiaojiao was the youngest child and the only daughter, pampered by her parents and indulged by her brothers, which made her grow up selfish and willful.
Had she been any other rural woman, not to mention in that era, even in later times, moving back to her parents’ house after a divorce would have resulted in disdain or obstruction from the sister-in-law.
But Jiaojiao was different. Although the three sister-in-laws didn’t particularly like her, with Mr. Jiao and Mrs. Jiao around, no one dared to say anything and instead took good care of her.
He Tiantian: ...Ah, such good family members, how could the original owner bear to hurt them.
"Jiaojiao, what are your plans next?"
"Your dad went to the commune and found his old comrades, as well as your grandfather’s old comrades. They might be able to help."
After the month-long postnatal care, seeing her daughter’s complexion getting better day by day, Mrs. Jiao cautiously discussed the matters with her.
"There’s a spot available at the County textile factory, but the work is a bit tiring."
"Also, this year there are two quotas for recommending university students. Although it’s only two, your act of ’self-sacrifice to save others’, combined with being a high school student, still gives you a chance to compete."
Either working in the County or going to college—both were the best prospects for young people at the time.
It must be said, Mr. Jiao and Mrs. Jiao genuinely cared for their child, using all they had for this troublesome daughter.
Although He Tiantian didn’t know the specifics, she would bet that to secure these two spots, Mr. Jiao had to abandon his pride and exhaust all the connections and favors the Jiao Family had accumulated over two generations.
"Mom, do you really want to push me out that much? I don’t want to work, and I definitely don’t want to go to school."
Such a precious opportunity, of course, He Tiantian could not waste.
If she wanted, she had a hundred ways to leave the countryside and obtain the so-called "bright future."
"I’ve been exhausted during these two years in the Qiao Family. Mom, you don’t know, initially, I married Qiao Zhenbang not because I liked him so much."
He Tiantian returned to her parents’ home and slowly reverted to some "old habits"—becoming lazy, picky, and occasionally throwing a small tantrum.
Mrs. Jiao didn’t think much of it, but the three sister-in-laws often gossiped privately: "Busy with chores at her in-law’s house, and back at her parent’s home she becomes the little emperor again!"
"One really wonders whether our lady here bullies the weak and fears the strong, or was really bewitched by Qiao Zhenbang!"
He Tiantian: ...The original character setup must not collapse, did you not see the previous writer portrayed the male lead too perfectly, even causing an Awakening.
He Tiantian finally managed to get everything back on track, stabilizing the world of the novel once again.
She dared not cause any abnormalities that might lead to more people’s "Awakening"!
She found an opportunity to directly "lay her cards on the table" with Mrs. Jiao.
"So what’s the real reason?" After being puzzled for two years, she finally had the chance to hear the answer directly from her daughter. Mrs. Jiao quickly grabbed He Tiantian’s arm.
"Mom, let me tell you, I had a dream where Qiao Zhenbang’s grandmother embroidered a double-sided embroidery and sold it for ten thousand yuan."
Hiding her greed, He Tiantian brought up this event, her eyes shining brightly.
She raised a finger, "Ten thousand yuan! A full ten thousand yuan. Mom, my dad is the team leader, our family has three strong laborers, and you and my three sister-in-laws also earn work points."
"Our family is definitely one of the top in the production team. But after a year of hard work, how much can our family earn by the end of the year? How much savings does our family have?"
Initially, the mention of "ten thousand yuan" shocked Mrs. Jiao as well. She couldn’t help but count on her fingers, "Our family can only save about three hundred yuan per year, oh Lord, ten thousand yuan would take, would take—"
Mrs. Jiao was illiterate and couldn’t do complex arithmetic, usually only managing basic addition and subtraction within ten when shopping.
Even after counting all her fingers, she couldn’t figure out how many years it would take for their family to save ten thousand yuan.
"It would take thirty years! And that’s without eating, drinking, getting sick, or having weddings or funerals!"
He Tiantian, excited, said, "I calculated this account clearly, and that’s why I thought about marrying Qiao Zhenbang."
"I knew it, my daughter is so smart and has a high vision, why would she reject someone like Han Ye, a platoon leader, to marry Qiao Zhenbang instead."
Mrs. Jiao suddenly understood—it was all for the money.
Wait, hold on!
Quickly, Mrs. Jiao noticed something off again.