Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s Ⅱ

Part 268 Send away

Si Nian's older brother was an honest and simple man, not much of a talker, and didn't know how to refuse people.

And since it was his mother-in-law who used both pressure and guilt on him, he had been troubled quite a bit because of it.

Si Nian didn't care much about the money, but it was enough to leave Mother Zhou frustrated for a while.

Si Nian despised being taken advantage of. She was the kind of person who only treated others well if they treated her well in return.

Mother Zhou, after losing out, stayed quiet for a long time, unable to recover. Meanwhile, her daughter was beside her, complaining and looking like she was on the verge of tears.

However, Si Nian had already stopped paying them any attention. After all, they were her sister-in-law's family, and she couldn't be too harsh.

A meal was, of course, still necessary. If they left without one, gossip would follow—whether about her or her sister-in-law, it wouldn't be in short supply.

She didn't want to cause trouble for her family.

So, Si Nian went into the kitchen to start preparing the meal.

Mother Lin and Zhou Sui Sui joined her to help.

They cooked simple country dishes, though they were generous with the meat.

Father Lin also enjoyed being at his daughter's place; there, he could watch TV and listen to the radio.

At the moment, he was holding his little granddaughter, shaking his head while listening to traditional opera.

Lin Xiao sat silently without saying a word.

Mother Zhou and Zhou Ping had unpleasant expressions, and no one offered them a word of comfort.

In this awkward atmosphere, they finally sat down to eat.

The two mothers and daughters dove into the food like starving ghosts, showing no manners at all.

Si Nian didn't mind.

Zhou Sui Sui, however, looked quite unwell and had no appetite.

Lin Xiao didn't understand the tension but sensed that something was off with his mother-in-law's family, so he served her some dishes.

In the afternoon, Lin Xiao and Zhou Sui Sui had to leave.

Father Lin and Mother Lin planned to stay a couple more days.

Si Nian intended to take them shopping for some clothes and shoes.

Lin Xiao had work and two younger brothers at home, so they had no choice but to return.

The more Mother Zhou thought about it, the more unwilling she felt, wishing to stay longer.

Zhou Sui Sui hurriedly said, "Mom, Fourth Sister, let's go home."

"Home? With such a big house, isn't there enough room for us to sleep?"

Mother Zhou spoke without any politeness, feeling that this daughter was quite useless.

Her in-laws were so wealthy, yet they hadn't managed to gain any benefits from them. She looked at Zhou Sui Sui with disappointment, feeling like she was wasting her potential.

"This, this isn't right..." Zhou Sui Sui didn't like her family and knew that the Lin family probably didn't like them either.

She refrained from saying much just to keep the peace for herself.

But since they were being offered hospitality, and their relationship wasn't good, she felt awkward about it.

"You'll also have a hard time finding a ride back later," she pointed out. "This isn't the county; we're in the city center here."

It would take three or four hours by car, and the fare would be incredibly expensive.

"Why don't we just have Lin Xiao come pick us up?" Mother Zhou said matter-of-factly. "He has a car, after all."

"Eldest Sister-in-law, she's right," Si Nian chimed in. "My brother drives to the county; when it's time, the aunts can take a taxi back to the county, and my brother can come pick them up."

Si Nian explained, "A taxi from here to the county will only cost a bit over two yuan. If the two of you negotiate, it should be about four yuan. A chartered car might be a little more expensive, especially since our place is remote and there are fewer cars running there. Tickets need to be bought in advance; otherwise, we'd have to charter a vehicle."

"Right..." Mother Zhou instinctively agreed, but then realized something was off and hurriedly said, "Wait, weren't we supposed to be picked up from the city? Why would we need to take a taxi back to the county?"

Si Nian feigned surprise, "Auntie, you didn't know? My brother only delivers goods to the county now; he doesn't come to the city center anymore. It's too far, and it wastes fuel and money."

"Well, that's not right! I'm his mother-in-law; what's wrong with him coming to pick me up?"

"It's not that he can't pick you up, but the car isn't my brother's. If you want him to pick you up, you'll need to buy him a car so he can take you wherever you want," Si Nian replied.

Mother Zhou was so angry her chest heaved.

Before she could explode, Si Nian pushed her brother into the car, saying, "Brother, you should head back quickly. It'll be too late to get home, and you still have deliveries to make in the morning. Don't worry about the aunts; I'll help them find their way to the bus station."

Lin Xiao, still a bit dazed, got in the car and started the engine.

Mother Zhou immediately panicked and rushed over, pulling her daughter with her.

It was better for her to lose her life than to spend money on a taxi.

Zhou Ping felt like her trip had been for nothing. Not only did she not buy any clothes, but she also ended up spending her own money on this. She was so angry she almost cried.

Finally, they managed to send off the whole family.

When Lin Mama and Lin Baba arrived, someone was there to help look after the children, so Si Nian finally had some free time.

With that time, she thought about making some pastries and marinated dishes to send over to Fu Qianqian and the Jiang family.

Between work and taking care of the kids, she really hadn't had the time to prepare these things.

Si Nian rolled up her sleeves and got busy.

**Northwest Military District.

When Yang Yujie returned to the military district, she was assigned a lot of work.

As soon as she had a break, she overheard people gossiping.

"Have you heard? Commander Zhou is back."

"Commander Zhou? Who is that? Is there such a commander in our military district?"

"Hah, you really don't know! This Commander Zhou is quite a big deal; he was one of the top three figures in the military district alongside Commander Wang back in the day."

"I heard he retired early, though?"

"I'm not too sure. The situation back then was quite complicated, and there was another top figure..."

"What are you talking about!" A cold female voice interrupted their conversation.

The two turned around, startled, and quickly saluted, "Commander."

Yang Yujie shot them a cold glance and turned to walk away.

The two felt confused. "What's up with the commander? Just back and already in such a bad mood?"

"Shh! Stop talking. What we were just discussing is a taboo. Do you know who the third top figure was?"

"Who?"

"Commander Yang's biological brother..."

"Commander Zhou, you have a letter." There was a knock on Zhou Yue's door.