She thought about waiting to return from her master in the evening and then finding an excuse to take a radio out of space.
Granny Zhang, alone at home, could listen to the broadcast to pass the time. It wasn’t right; how could she forget such an important thing?
Granny Zhang set the dishes and saw Xinyan hadn’t come in yet: "What are you dawdling outside for? Come eat."
Xinyan responded, "Coming."
She went to the kitchen to wash her hands before entering the room to help Granny Zhang serve soup, and then she started eating.
Granny Zhang, while picking up food, said, "If it snows, will mailing stuff be affected?"
Only then did Xinyan remember what Granny Zhang said earlier about someone back home asking her to buy wedding supplies: "Did you and Grandma Tong buy everything? Coincidentally, my friend can get jacquard blankets. If you need, I can bring one back."
Granny Zhang, hearing about the jacquard blanket, asked, "How much is it? Is it expensive?"
Xinyan laughed, "It’s twenty yuan cheaper than the department store."
Granny Zhang’s eyes lightened up: "Is it genuine? Are there any defects?"
Xinyan swallowed the food in her mouth: "No, once I bring it back, you’ll see, I guarantee it’s even more beautiful than those in the department store."
Granny Zhang was delighted: "That’s good, find some time to bring one back. If it’s okay, I’ll mail the items out right away."
While they were eating, they heard noisy commotion outside.
Xinyan paused eating to listen to the noise outside.
Granny Zhang glanced out the window: "Don’t bother listening. It’s the Chen family inside. The second daughter came back with her two children yesterday."
Xinyan didn’t understand: "What’s going on? Why is it getting more intense?"
Granny Zhang took a sip of soup and put down the bowl: "Chen family’s second daughter never gave birth to a boy in her husband’s family. It’s heard that the mother-in-law was strongly opinionated, but her husband was good, always protecting the mother and children.
Last month, the husband had an accident in the factory and passed away. The factory compensated with a sum of money and a job offer.
Logically, the job and at least half of the compensation should belong to the second daughter and her children, but the husband’s family didn’t want to share the compensation or let her take the job.
She didn’t argue for the sake of her daughters, but who would’ve thought, that the mother-in-law not only refused but also had plans for her granddaughter, finding a man a decade older for her.
This made the second daughter of the Chen family explode, and she almost chopped the mother-in-law with a knife.
The commotion was quite significant. Some neighbors, afraid of trouble, called the police.
Later, the husband’s factory leader and the community committee came. After mediation, they finally decided to give half of the compensation to the mother and daughters, the job offer also was turned into money, which was equal to the full compensation amount.
Her mother-in-law was definitely unwilling, but this time the second daughter of the Chen family wouldn’t relent, saying if it wasn’t handled fairly, she’d go to the city government to complain, essentially scaring the husband’s family.
Later, the husband’s family agreed to her demands, split the compensation, and agreed to turn the job offer into money. But the mother and daughters must vacate the house they were living in."
Upon hearing this, Xinyan casually remarked, "Moving out might make life better, saving them from that family’s troubles."
Granny Zhang finished the last bite of her meal and put down the chopsticks: "They see they can’t control the two granddaughters’ marriages anymore, and they’re not getting any benefits, so they want to drive them out."