Jiang Yao and Jiang Lei had ignored each other during dinner. That was the first time the two of them had quarreled to that extent since they were young. Their parents knew that the fight was quite serious when they saw the signs.
Both siblings did not have a good appetite because of the fight. Jiang Lei only ate two mouthfuls of rice before he left the table. Jiang Yao also did the same when she saw her brother’s behavior.
Mrs Jiang had a headache when she saw that. “I don’t know what Yang Gaoshu did to bewitch my son. She’s a troublemaker. She’s not even married into the family, and she has caused a rift between my children.”
“Mom, Jiang Lei usually dotes on Yaoyao. He’s just angry and doesn’t want to care about her for now. Perhaps his anger would subside tomorrow. Yaoyao will be going to Jin City for the New Year soon; just wait and see. Jiang Lei will definitely let things go by then.” Jiang Jie was not worried; he knew his younger siblings well enough.
It was not like the two siblings had never quarreled when they were young; it had not been as severe as that time. However, Jiang Lei would always extend an olive branch first. He had a bad temper, but it would dissipate quickly. He could not hold a grudge for more than three minutes. After that, he would always bring Jiang Yao to the river to fish, climb trees, and dig for bird eggs.
Of course, Mrs Jiang knew that her son would not be angry with her daughter for too long, but she was not in a good mood because of the incident that afternoon. She turned to look at Wang Xian, and her anger subsided a little. She praised her son. “If your brother could be a little more like you, then we’d be at ease. I don’t expect him to marry someone as good as your wife, but we’ll be relieved if she is half as good as Wang Xian.”
“Mom, don’t worry too much.” Jiang Jie smiled when he heard that. He turned to look at Wang Xian, who still ate quietly. His eyes were filled with tenderness, and they were as bright as the moonlight in the sky.
Wang Xian’s face felt hot from Jiang Jie’s gaze. She kicked Jiang Jie lightly under the table—an indication that he should stop staring at her. Jiang Jie tore his gaze away and picked up a piece of food for Wang Xian.
Most of the unhappiness in his parents’ heart dissipated when they saw the interaction between the two of them. They did not expect their children to be rich and powerful; they only wanted a peaceful life for them.
“By the way, did Yang Gaoshu really ask you for something?” Mr Jiang asked Wang Xian.
Wang Xian nodded. “Yes, she asked me for a bottle of perfume, a tube of lipstick, and a coat.”
“Tsk! Such a big face!” Mother Jiang sneered. “I wonder how the Yang family taught their daughter.”
At the mention of Yang Gaoshu’s greedy and shallow-minded behavior, Mrs Jiang thought about her own daughter and felt even more proud. “Our Yaoyao never took other people’s things even when she was young, and she would never ask for other people’s things. Our family was poor in the past, and we couldn’t buy delicious food for the three of you. Someone in the village teased Yaoyao with candy. She clearly loved to eat them and even swallowed her saliva, but she turned around and left. She would rather not eat than ask for things that her family couldn’t afford.”
Mrs Jiang became more enthusiastic as she talked about Jiang Jie and Jiang Lei. “The same goes for the two of you. You were only a few years old at that time. I brought you to the town for a stroll. Other people’s children were crying and shouting in front of the snack stall, begging for food. The three of you would follow me obediently and didn’t disturb me at all.”
Mrs Jiang felt proud when she talked about those things, but she also felt a little sad. They could not afford to buy snacks for their children, but the youngsters were very sensible.