Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

Chapter 329 Xu Jie's family found out
Buying gold and driving cars—there aren't many families in their town with that kind of financial power.

Zhao Jinmei and Xu Chungen both looked at Li Jianbing.

Li Jianbing chuckled and said, "It's basically working on my own, collaborating with some companies in the decoration business."

The villagers couldn't understand it, but that didn't stop them from thinking Li Jianbing was amazing and were incredibly envious.

Zhao Jinmei was happiest about Xu Fangfang's pregnancy. She kept staring at her belly and asking all sorts of questions, "Judging by the dates, you got pregnant almost right after you got married?"

Xu Fangfang nodded.

A village woman said sarcastically, "We told you to get checked and treated a long time ago, but you wouldn't agree. Otherwise, things wouldn't have come to this point of divorce."

Xu Fangfang slowly lowered her eyelids. Instead of being angry, she smiled. "I didn't expect it to be so fast. I got pregnant right after getting married. I was stunned when I found out. The doctor said I was in good health and there was nothing wrong with me."

The crowd's expressions turned somewhat strange, and Zhao Jinmei subconsciously frowned, "You really didn't go for treatment?"

Xu Fangfang immediately took out her early pregnancy report. "Mom, why would I lie to you? I was originally planning to go to the hospital for treatment, but when I went there, I found out I was pregnant. We were so happy!"

Zhao Jinmei couldn't stop smiling, and kept saying "May the Bodhisattva protect you" with her hands clasped together.

The villagers, who had been speaking sarcastically, were instantly filled with a burning desire for gossip.

"If Fangfang is healthy, does that mean Xu Jie is the one who can't have children?"

"Yeah! Didn't he remarry? He even specifically found a woman who had given birth before, but it's been more than half a year and we still haven't heard of his wife getting pregnant."

"Oh! In that case, everyone really misunderstood Fangfang. Xu Jie's mother and grandmother are really outrageous! If they hadn't spread rumors everywhere, we wouldn't have been led by the nose and believed their nonsense."

“Yes, Jinmei, we can’t let this go like this. Xu Jie’s grandma came to our village to brag before, saying that her grandson married someone better, and she made Fangfang look like nothing. Didn’t you even get sick from that?”

Xu Fangfang's face immediately darkened as she looked at Zhao Jinmei, "Mom, that family is still causing trouble at our house?"

"No, no, it happened a long time ago, I've forgotten about it. You're pregnant, you can't be angry. I'm going to the street to buy some things later, and then I'll talk to you about it properly."

Nothing in the world is bigger than the baby in her daughter's belly. Zhao Jinmei now only feels triumphant and doesn't care about anything else, or rather, she doesn't need to care.

The villagers didn't say anything more after seeing her like this.

Since they couldn't get the fire going, the villagers who weren't interested in watching the spectacle turned and left. Some even planned to go to Xujia Village and talk to Wang Ximei, hoping they would turn around and make fun of Xu Jie's family.

After seeing all the villagers off, Zhao Jinmei quickly closed the courtyard gate slightly and pulled her daughter inside to talk.

"My son-in-law seems quite old. How old is he?"

Xu Fangfang honestly replied, "He's ten years older than me. He joined the army when he was a teenager and served for several years. Later, he was injured and discharged. He was assigned to a car repair shop, but the business wasn't doing well, and many people were laid off. He didn't want to waste his time, so he started his own business. He's made quite a bit of money over the years. He has an apartment in the city that was allocated by his work unit, and he also has a self-built house left to him by his parents. It has three floors, totaling about 400 square meters, plus a large yard. Now the village is preparing for demolition, and he'll be able to get several resettlement apartments. Mom, what do you think of his situation?"

Zhao Jinmei did not answer immediately, but continued to ask: "Urban household registration?"

Xu Fangfang nodded, "My parents-in-law are gone, and he has no other siblings. It's just the two of us living together."

Zhao Jinmei was increasingly satisfied as she listened, beaming from ear to ear. "Good, good, good! This offer is a hundred times better than the previous one. Not to mention anything else, the gifts you brought today are enough for your dad to brag about for years to come."

Back when Xu Fangfang and Xu Jie were discussing marriage, Xu Jie appeared to be gentle and sensible, but he was very stingy. Every time he came over, he would only buy some fruit, and it was always cheap stuff. His company occasionally gave them welfare benefits, but they never received anything from them.

It's not that he likes to be calculating, but people are always comparing themselves to others. There's a family in the village whose son-in-law works at the same company as Xu Jie, and that son-in-law would often send things from his workplace to his mother-in-law's house.

Zhao Jinmei saw all this, and it would be impossible for her not to have any thoughts about it.

Seeing that her mother liked Li Jianbing, Xu Fangfang also smiled happily.

The couple stayed in the village for one night and drove back to the city early the next morning.

That same day, a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law visited relatives in Xujia Village and casually mentioned Xu Fangfang's pregnancy to everyone.

The news quickly reached Wang Ximei's ears.

Without saying a word, Wang Ximei rushed to the house immediately. As soon as she entered, she started cursing, "What a load of bull! If Xu Fangfang could give birth, I'd cut off my head and let her use it as a football."

The woman who brought it up was unhappy. "Auntie, why are you yelling at me? It's none of my business. Besides, the whole village saw Xu Fangfang drive back with her husband yesterday. Her belly was huge, probably seven or eight months along. It was pointed, and you could tell she was carrying a boy. The whole village saw it. If you don't believe me, go ask her yourself!"

"You said it's none of your business, so why are you making such a fuss in our village?" Wang Ximei started acting unreasonably.

The woman didn't tolerate her either, and argued with her with her hands on her hips, "What? Can't I say anything? Xu Fangfang remarried, and her husband has a city hukou, a house, and a car. Yesterday, when she visited her future in-laws, he brought wine, tea, gold jewelry, and many other valuable things. What, are we so unsophisticated that we can't talk about it?"

Besides, Xu Fangfang has already divorced your grandson. What business is it of yours how she remarried? Is it any of your concern if I mention her? Instead of wasting time causing trouble here, you should be taking your grandson to get treatment for infertility!

Wang Ximei was so angry that her face contorted, and she screamed hysterically, "Who are you calling infertile! Who!"

The people next to her tugged at the woman, signaling her to be lenient, but the woman wouldn't have it. "What? Did I say something wrong? Xu Fangfang and Xu Jie have been married for so many years and have no children. Everyone says Xu Fangfang can't have children. Your village must have heard a lot about how her in-laws are behaving against her. Is no one going to say a word for her?"
Now that she's doing well, she got pregnant with a different man. Isn't it obvious who can't have children? Xu Fangfang's parents didn't come to your village to demand an explanation, and you can really act like none of that ever happened?

"Hmph! Shameless old witch!"

After the woman finished speaking, she grabbed her daughter-in-law's hand and ran away quickly, giving Wang Ximei no chance to continue harassing her.

Unable to do anything about them, Wang Ximei started causing trouble for this family.