"Paying for watching TV?"
Shen Jianhua was unaware of this and couldn’t help being somewhat astonished.
We all live in the same village, what’s the big deal about watching TV? It’s not like it’s a cinema where you have to pay.
Even if outsiders don’t come to watch, don’t they still watch it themselves? More people doesn’t mean more electricity costs.
"They just want to make a killing off this TV."
Shen Jianhua thought for a moment and asked, "Did the others pay?"
"Some did, some didn’t; most of them did. It’s all Li Chunhua’s fault; she was the one who led the way in paying. She always has to show off in everything."
The mention of this infuriated Zhou Lanfang as she had always wanted to watch it but couldn’t bear to fork out the money.
If no one else had paid, she would have had the nerve to go watch, but it would be awkward to do so without paying when others had.
Upon hearing that most had paid, Shen Jianhua immediately made up his mind. "I’ll go over first; you guys clean up and come over later."
After saying this, he turned and left.
Zhou Lanfang hurriedly chased after him from the kitchen, "Don’t you go paying any money."
She wasn’t sure if Shen Jianhua had heard her, as he gave no response. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became, so she took off her apron and was about to follow him.
Zhou Siyu quickly grabbed her, "Auntie, if you chase after him now, Uncle will already be at someone else’s house. Bringing it up in front of so many people would be embarrassing for him!"
"Knowing your uncle’s temperament, if I don’t go now, he’s definitely going to pay."
Twenty cents can buy enough greens for two days’ meals; we can’t just let others take advantage of us!
"Let him pay! It’s nearly New Year anyway. We can watch the Spring Festival Gala. If we don’t pay, when everyone else is watching and we’re not there, who knows what they’ll say behind our backs."
Zhou Siyu had long wanted Zhou Lanfang to contribute to the TV fee. Everyone else had paid their share, but their family had not. Every time she went to watch TV, the host’s face looked sour, as if they begrudged her presence.
Yet she really wanted to watch, so she pretended not to notice.
"Then let Uncle pay for one month?" Zhou Lanfang was tempted. She had been itching to watch TV these past days.
Before there was a TV, everyone would come out to bask in the sun and chat, but ever since the TV appeared, they all started watching it, leaving her no one to talk to.
On the rare occasions when she did find someone, they talked about shows she couldn’t follow.
But the thought of spending those twenty cents made her heart ache.
"If Uncle is going to pay, let him. It will show all those women in the village that even though you have a daughter, Uncle still dotes on her," Zhou Siyu always knew what mattered most to Zhou Lanfang and what to say to strike a chord with her.
"What’s so great about having children?" Zhou Lanfang said proudly, turning up her nose, "I just have good luck. Look around the village, who lives more comfortably than I do?"
People might look down on her, gossip about her being barren, but she looked down on them too. No matter how many children they had, she had yet to see a man treat his wife well, and none of their children were as clever as Siyu.
"Exactly," Zhou Siyu eagerly agreed, buttering her up, "When you go enjoy city life in the future, they’ll be even more jealous."
While they were talking, Shen Jianhua returned. Seeing them still in the kitchen, he said, "I paid the TV fee. From now on, if you want to watch TV, go watch."
If other families can afford to pay for watching TV, so can he.
After all, he couldn’t stand being looked down upon. Fınd the newest release on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮·𝙣𝙚𝙩
"You always waste money on nonsense," Zhou Lanfang chided softly, worried that Shen Jianhua might have been swindled, "How much did you pay?"