Make a Fortune and Become Well-off [90] - Chapter 182

Father Jiang and Mother Jiang also thought the same. The couple had full confidence in their eldest son.

Mother Jiang stretched out her neck and stood on tiptoe, looking in the direction of the ferry. She asked Father Jiang, “Is there still no call from Songzi?”

They hadn’t received a phone call or a letter. Every day, they went to the brigade headquarters to ask, but the people there didn’t know anything and even thought Songzi had gone missing.

That one sentence made Mother Jiang angry. “Bah! My Songzi won’t disappear. He’s just too sensible,” she said. “It’s probably because he hasn’t made enough money in the past six months and feels embarrassed to come back.” She sighed deeply, “Actually, we don’t need him to earn any more money. The family debt has been paid off. As long as he comes back safely, that’s better than anything else.”

Thinking of their three children who were no longer around, Father Jiang sighed helplessly. Chinese New Year was approaching, and the children of other families were returning home one after another. Only their three were missing. “We can understand if Baizi doesn’t come back—he still has classes—but Ning Ning hasn’t shown up, even during her winter vacation.”

At that, Mother Jiang became angry. “Weren’t you the one who insisted she go to school? And now look!” She wanted to say more, possibly about the two children from the uncle’s family 

But with Jiang Guoliang present, it was hard to say much more. She just muttered irritably, “No one will come back.”

Jiang Guoliang didn’t realize his second sister-in-law was talking about him. He smiled and said, “Second Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Songzi comes back every year. Ning Ning might be home by evening.” 

He paused, wondering if she could be staying in Wucheng to work.

He knew how much his second brother and sister-in-law favored boys and was surprised they allowed his niece to attend high school. Father Jiang thought similarly and said, “If they aren’t coming back, they should at least send a letter. This is making us worry.”

“Alright,” Mother Jiang interrupted impatiently, “They’re not worried about us, so stop worrying about them.”

After waiting a few more days, it was already the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month, and New Year’s Eve was approaching. Father Jiang looked toward the ferry every day, feeling restless. Still, there was no sign of Jiang Song, Jiang Ning, or Jiang Bai. He was growing impatient. “It’s already the twenty-eighth. Baizi is on winter break as expected, so why can’t at least one of them come? Even if Ning Ning is working, shouldn’t she be on holiday by now?” Even Grandpa Jiang was nowhere to be seen. He was truly anxious.

Mother Jiang snorted coldly. She didn’t care whether the two people came back or not.

She stretched her neck again, looking toward the ferry, hoping to see her eldest son walking home. When she didn’t see Jiang Song, she turned around and walked home without energy and happened to run into Jiang Hehua.

To prevent floods, those living near the river built their houses as high as possible on the mountain. The brigade secretary’s house was up there, and the Jiang family’s house was in the village.

Jiang Hehua, who had always been a bit arrogant and rude, rarely raised her lips in a slight smile at Mother Jiang and greeted her, “Hello, Second Aunt.”

“Oh, it’s Hehua.” Mother Jiang, though often harsh with her own daughter, was always polite to others’ daughters. She asked with a smile, “Where are you going?”

“Has Ning Ning come back? I’m here to play with her,” Jiang Hehua said, standing on the steps of the house and peering inside.

Those who lived in the village were only slightly shorter than Jiang Hehua. The Jiang family hadn’t turned on the lights, so the room was dim, making it hard to see anything.

At the mention of Jiang Ning, the smile on Mother Jiang’s face faded a little. She frowned and replied, “Do you know that she’s been on winter vacation, and I haven’t even seen her shadow? I don’t know where that wild girl is.”

“Wild girl” was a common expression in the area, used to describe girls who spent a lot of time playing outside, suggesting they were particularly naughty and playful.

Jiang Hehua looked surprised and said, “She hasn’t come back yet? That’s strange. We’ve been on vacation for several days now. In Wuzhong, like us, they don’t let students stay in the dorms on vacation.”

She frowned slightly, worried, but tried to comfort Mother Jiang. “Second Aunt, don’t worry too much. Maybe Ning Ning’ school is different from ours, and they let students stay in the dorms during winter break.” She seemed confused and asked, “But still, why would Ning Ning stay in the dorm during vacation instead of coming home? Chinese New Year is only a few days away. I rushed back as soon as my break started, hoping to play with Ning Ning.”

She said with some regret, “Second Aunt, I’m leaving.” She waved at her. Originally, she wanted to ask Jiang Ning if the Jiang Ning who ranked first in the joint examination from No. 1 High School was indeed her, but since Jiang Ning hadn’t come back, it was pointless to ask.

Mother Jiang, already upset that Jiang Song hadn’t come home for the Chinese New Year, felt even more stifled after hearing Jiang Hehua’s words.

She fumed, “What’s the use of raising a girl like this? She’s only fifteen, and she’s wandering around without coming back. What else can we expect from her in the future?”

She was preparing hand-rolled noodles, adding some saccharin to the dough, which she then kneaded and cut into pieces like French fries before frying them in a pan. Locally, these were called fried fruits. She also rolled the dough into thin slices, cutting them into triangles, adding salt and black sesame seeds before frying. These fried desserts were typically served to guests during the Chinese New Year.

However, because Mother Jiang wasn’t particularly skilled at cooking, none of the three children ever wanted to eat the fried stuff she made, even during the New Year. They preferred going to Uncle Jiang’s house to enjoy better food. In the end, it was Father Jiang and Mother Jiang who had to eat all the fried fruits themselves.

The fried fruits she made were harder than rocks, and even dogs’ molar bones would seem like cheese in comparison.

While rolling the dough, her frustration grew. The more she rolled, the angrier she became. “What’s the point of making these things every year? No one’s going to be here for the New Year, and no one will eat them.” Tears began to flow, falling onto the back of her hand. She felt both aggrieved and sad.

She couldn’t understand what she had done wrong. She had given birth to such a disobedient daughter who seemed to take revenge on her, showing no concern for her mother.

Meanwhile, Father Jiang was in the kitchen, boiling sweet potato syrup and making rice candies. These were rare and cherished treats for rural children during the Chinese New Year, lasting until April or May, when the syrup would soften the rice candy.

He thought about making extra, hoping the three children would return. When they left again, each could take some with them, so they’d have something to eat when they were hungry.