Kissed and Seduced By the Most Rough Man in the Village-Chapter 170: A Woman Must Cherish Herself

Hearing Aunt Guo’s remarks, the relatives of the factory workers couldn’t help but show a hint of embarrassment on their faces. However, they quickly put on forced smiles and praised Aunt Guo for having found such a good daughter-in-law. They all agreed that the two young couples were bound to have a bright future.

Yet, the sincerity behind these words was questionable, and everyone was well aware of it. Upstairs, after Su Xiaoxiao had closed the door, they could still see the lively discussion taking place below through the window. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Jiang Xinyue walked over to Su Xiaoxiao, her voice gentle as she consoled her, "Xiaoxiao, don’t pay any attention to these people. They’ve got nothing better to do, and their tongues will never stop wagging. Your brother-in-law and I won’t care about what they say."

Su Xiaoxiao understood that where there were people, there would always be gossip, so she wasn’t too concerned. However, she quickly thought of something and couldn’t help but add, "Sister Xinyue, make sure to remind your husband to be a bit cautious at work. Adding such a significant piece of equipment to our home might make some people think he’s embezzling money from the factory."

"Don’t worry, I’ll have a talk with your brother-in-law about that," Jiang Xinyue agreed, realizing that Su Xiaoxiao had a valid point.

As soon as they haphazardly placed the washing machine in the middle of the living room and Huo Shoucheng came out looking for scissors, he overheard their seemingly random conversation. He curiously asked, "What are you trying to tell me?"

"Xiaoxiao is concerned that some people at the factory might think you’ve embezzled from the factory, so she wants you to be extra careful at work," Jiang Xinyue explained while handing him the scissors in a well-coordinated manner.

Huo Shoucheng chuckled, "Thank you for your concern, Xiaoxiao. However, the factory accountant is only responsible for keeping accounts and signing documents. Money doesn’t pass through our hands."

"But what if you were involved in fraudulent accounting with someone else?" Su Xiaoxiao countered.

Although they didn’t know what would happen in five months, at most, there would be issues related to accounting and personal conduct.

"Okay, for the next few months, I’ll keep a close eye on the accounts. I won’t let anyone take advantage of the situation," Huo Shoucheng reassured, not taking Su Xiaoxiao’s concerns lightly.

Su Xiaoxiao felt relieved that he was genuinely committed to doing so. The family’s mutual support and care created a comforting atmosphere for everyone.

However, thinking about the five months ahead, including celebrating the New Year, Su Xiaoxiao felt that perhaps, in the midst of the festivities, they would forget their worries. Nevertheless, she still believed it was essential to stay vigilant. It might be best to have Jiang Yexun keep an eye on things over here after the New Year.

"Brother-in-law, the pipes aren’t long enough. I’ll go to the cooperative store later and buy an extension hose," Jiang Yexun called out after moving the washing machine a couple of times.

The sink was in the hallway, but the hallway was only ninety centimeters wide. It was impossible to fit through even by squeezing. They would need to extend the pipes to place the washing machine on the balcony for convenient washing and draining.

"Sure, after lunch, we’ll go together," Huo Shoucheng quickly agreed.

He then went to the kitchen to help his mother-in-law, reheating the dishes that were already prepared. Jiang Yexun took out two large bags from the drum and casually placed them on the sofa. He unzipped them and pulled out two cans of powdered milk, along with three bundles of wool yarn in red, dark blue, and black, handing them to Jiang Xinyue.

"All of this was bought for you by the little educated youth."

Jiang Xinyue was already used to her younger brother’s way of speaking, so she didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. After taking the items, she immediately smiled and looked at Su Xiaoxiao with curved eyebrows, "Why did you bring so many things for me when traveling is already inconvenient?"

"The powdered milk was Brother Yexun’s decision. He said your health wasn’t the best from a young age, and feeding a child consumes a lot of your own nutrients. If the baby is willing to drink powdered milk when it’s born, then he will be the one to cover the costs of powdered milk in the future," Su Xiaoxiao explained with a hint of dissatisfaction as she cast a sidelong glance at Jiang Yexun. She provided more details.

However, Jiang Xinyue immediately shook her head upon hearing this, "That won’t do! Nowadays, even a pound of regular bagged milk powder costs more than three yuan. The canned ones you bought are relatively expensive; I saw them at the cooperative store last time for fifteen yuan for two pounds. A child needs to be fed every two hours. A can won’t even last a week. I can’t waste your money like this."

"Sister Xinyue, how can you call it a waste? We bought it for our future nephew or niece, to make sure it doesn’t put too much strain on your body. Don’t worry about the money; Brother Yexun has been hunting for thirteen years. Buying this much powdered milk won’t be a problem, otherwise, what’s the point of having him as an uncle?" Su Xiaoxiao teased with a smile.

Aunt Guo came out with a plate of sweet and sour pork and stir-fried eggplant, potato and pepper. She heard the conversation and immediately put the dishes on the table before joining them at the table.

"Xinyue, listen to Xiaoxiao. Money isn’t as important as your health. Now that your younger brother and Xiaoxiao are engaged, we should be a bit more financially comfortable. Let your brother endure the label of a freeloader," Aunt Guo said as she held Jiang Xinyue’s hand, her words filled with heartfelt advice.

Seeing that her daughter still wanted to say something, Aunt Guo quickly continued, "You don’t know how difficult it is to feed a child! Holding the baby all day will make your arms sore, and if you don’t have enough nutrients, it could even be harmful. Besides, when the child starts teething, they can bite you until you’re bleeding."

Aunt Guo thought back to how hard it was to feed her children in the past and couldn’t bear to let her daughter go through the same struggles. Although she didn’t have the means back then, now that the conditions were better and they had reasonable justifications, there was no need to stubbornly endure such hardships.

Jiang Xinyue couldn’t help but shudder when she heard her mother’s terrifying description. The women and young wives in the unit compound all said that taking care of a child was easy, and every woman went through it.

However, it felt like what her mother described was completely different from what she had heard.

But compared to outsiders, she was more willing to believe her own mother. Yet, the thought of having her younger brother bear the reputation of being a freeloader to buy these things for her made her feel embarrassed. After all, no woman wants to be ridiculed for raising a "kept man."

Su Xiaoxiao understood her sister’s hesitation but casually shrugged, "Xinyue, our reputation is not defined by what others say. Are we going to sacrifice our well-being just because of a few words from others?"

However, since Jiang Xinyue hesitated to speak, Su Xiaoxiao added, "Xinyue, names and reputations are just words; they can’t decide our happiness. What’s most important is to take care of yourself, and that’s what your brother and I want."

Jiang Xinyue finally let out a sigh of relief, feeling her mother’s and Su Xiaoxiao’s heartfelt concern. "Alright, when the time comes, if I can breastfeed, I’ll do it, but if not, I won’t force myself."

"That’s right. We women must ch ourselves and not overexert. Life’s already hard enough," Su Xiaoxiao cheerfully spoke, then pointed at the two bags of wool yarn. "Originally, Yexun and I wanted to buy you some clothes, but we didn’t know how much your body would change during pregnancy. So, we bought yarn instead. Now we can knit clothes according to your pregnancy size. After giving birth, we can unravel them and redo them."

"These are pure wool, so they must be quite expensive, right? You guys have spent so much money on me all at once, and you’re about to get married. Is this money enough?" Jiang Xinyue touched the pile of yarn lovingly and asked with some worry.

She knew that the maternal family had some valuable assets, but it seemed impossible to convert them into cash at the moment. She was genuinely reluctant to spend her younger brother’s hard-earned money. It felt like she was spending the money he risked his life for.