"After these few times, you should be able to recognize what kind of person she is. You need to live your own life, but there’s one thing you need to think through clearly, whether it’s good or bad, it’s all your own choice. Whatever the outcome is, it has nothing to do with others."
The Ruanlin lady put the bowl back into the cloth bag, her gaze at Ruan Jiandang was very complex.
When she married Ruan Manchuang, she suffered a lot because of her social status, and her mother-in-law gave her plenty of troubles. Hence, when her four sons got married, she empathized with them and did not interfere in their lives. Whatever their lives turned out to be, it was their own business.
It was just that she couldn’t stand Liao Zhaoji any longer. Her words were meant to give Ruan Jiandang a strong dose of medicine. In the past, she endured because Ruan Wei and Ruan Chi were young, and she didn’t want to break up a good family. But it seemed now that this tolerance was wrong. Rather than continue living in pain for the sake of old love, it would be better to separate early. It was a form of liberation, both for the children and the adults.
Moreover, Liao Zhaoji’s character had been spoiled by her own family, and she was truly afraid that it might spoil her grandsons’ characters too!
"We’re heading back. You think it over by yourself," the Ruanlin lady said at last, "and don’t worry about the house. I’ll take care of Ruan Wei and Ruan Chi for you. Nothing will go wrong."
She then turned to Ruan Chi, "Are you staying here or coming back with us?"
"Going back." Ruan Chi didn’t want to see his mother right now and didn’t want to stay.
"Alright, then let’s go."
Ruan Jianguo bent down to pick up Ruan Jiaojiao from the ground. They had arrived in a hurry and left quickly.
When they left the hospital and saw Liao Zhaoji standing outside the door, they walked past her without a glance.
Once out of the hospital, the Ruanlin lady remembered Xiu Xi, who had looked longingly at them when they left home; her heart swelled with pity and gratitude. She said to Ruan Jianguo, "I brought a cloth ticket. Let’s stop by the supply and marketing cooperative to pick out some fabric and make a couple of outfits for Xiaoxi."
"Alright," Ruan Jianguo nodded, and they visited the supply and marketing cooperative.
At this time, shopping was mostly done at supply and marketing cooperatives, and you needed tickets for purchases. It was Ruan Jiaojiao’s first time in town, and everything seemed novel to her.
Du Qing worked at the supply and marketing cooperative after being introduced by Shu Jiao, a favor she had found. When he saw the Ruanlin family come in, he greeted them with delight, "Mom, big brother, Jiaojiao, what brings you here?"
"We’ve come to pick out some fabric to make a couple of outfits for Xiaoxi."
"That’s great. We’ve just received some new stock these past couple of days. Come have a look. And this hair flower is a new pattern. Jiaojiao, see if you like any? Auntie will buy it for you."
Du Qing smiled and lifted Ruan Jiaojiao up to see a box on the glass cabinet filled with gaudy hair flowers of various colors, each a large bloom with a metal clip attached.
Propping up her little head, Ruan Jiaojiao looked at the vibrant hair flowers; her little face turned embarrassed—such a large bloom. It would be better to stick a real flower on her forehead from the village.
But truth be told, as ostentatious as they were, the flower looked quite pretty when placed on Ruan Jiaojiao’s head.
With her in his arms, Du Qing showed it to the Ruanlin lady, "Mom, does it look nice?"
"Pretty, sister looks pretty," Ruan Chi said with a laugh, his eyes shining. He pinched something in his pocket; he had brought his own saved pocket money today, more than a yuan. He wanted to buy it for his sister.
"It’s lovely!" the Ruanlin lady naturally found it lovely. Even if Ruan Jiaojiao wore a loudspeaker flower in her eyes, she would still look like a little fairy.