Transmigrated & Triumphant: Defying Destiny's Chosen One-Chapter 595 - 78: The Capitalist Exploitation Ideology
The children looked at her in surprise, thinking: Dad was right, Uncle Shi’s house really does have good food!
Then they turned expectantly to their own dad:
"Dad, if we do this, will you pay us wages too?"
Both Old Zhu and Old Wu were dumbfounded.
Old Zhu’s wife, however, slapped her thigh.
"As long as you do the chores as I ask every day, the wages are on me!"
Who knew!
The two little troublemakers at home are at the age where they’re a nuisance, how much stress do they actually cause every day? If three dollars can make a kid stay calm and not mess around...
Old Zhu’s wife thought to herself — only a fool would be stingy with money.
But Old Zhu, the head of the household, had different ideas.
"This won’t do, the kids are still young, how can they have such thoughts? You’re feeding them capitalist sugar-coated bullets."
"Wages for what?"
He glared at Da Mao and Er Mao:
"Doing chores at home is the right thing to do, and you want money for it? When I was your age, I couldn’t even get enough to eat every day."
"Isn’t this your home too?"
Da Mao and Er Mao looked at his serious black face and silently lowered their heads.
The atmosphere fell silent.
...
Shi Suifeng hadn’t expressed his opinion yet, but Chu River was thinking — well, well!
Looking at the buzzcut man with the tough complexion, how dare he pick on me!
"The country is still the people’s own country, isn’t it, Brother Zhu? Can you lay around every day, eating, drinking, sleeping good, and still get paid by the country?"
Old Zhu’s face turned stern.
"You can’t talk nonsense like this. We’ve fought our way through gunfire now."
"I’m willing to contribute to the country from the bottom of my heart."
Chu River smirked: Yet I haven’t seen you refuse your salary!
"So, by that logic, you earn wages fighting for the country, and Da Mao and Er Mao contribute to the family — everyone’s working for their pay, so why do you think they have capitalist ideology?"
It’s only because the current policies are lenient and we’re behind closed doors; a few years ago, who in the city would dare say that?
Old Zhu’s face turned gloomy.
"How can it be the same? I’m their parent, this is their home, and asking for money for doing chores, that’s incorrect thinking."
The atmosphere in the yard was off.
Old Zhou and Old Wu looked left and right, intending to smooth things over, but Shi Suifeng secretly gestured, and they instantly fell silent.
As for Shi Suifeng — with Old Zhu as a brother, there’s no room for criticism.
As a soldier, there’s no criticism either.
But sometimes, some issues, Shi Suifeng felt, it’s a good chance to not let these habits keep going!
Previously, as a brother, he found it inappropriate to talk about things involving Sister-in-law Zhu. Having Little He handle him was just right.
...
Chu River glanced at Sister-in-law Zhu again, and suddenly she showed a look of realization, followed by a deep sigh.
"Oh, is that so."
"It’s my fault for not understanding your family’s situation."
"If I had known earlier that you thought Sister-in-law was a free nanny, I wouldn’t have said such things. No wonder Brother Zhu had such a big reaction, are you afraid Sister-in-law would ask for wages in the future too?"
"It’s all my fault, I was too reckless."
"Just because I was a teacher for five or six years, I dared to teach kids like that."
"Oh, if I were Brother Zhu, I wouldn’t agree either."
Old Zhu: ...
What, what, what?
How did the topic shift to this?!
Looking at Sister-in-law Zhu again, her face was also dark.
Originally, she didn’t think it was a big deal; as a wife, isn’t that the way?
But thinking about her daily busy state, and then seeing Captain Shi’s sister sitting there leisurely eating snacks, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness.
Not to mention being married, she hadn’t enjoyed life like this even when she was a girl!
Everyone is a worker; her brother comes home after work, lording it up.
She had to do housework and cook with her mom and sister-in-law after work.
And after marriage, if the man was hungry or cold, it was her responsibility.
Ever since having kids, she had to work every day, do housework when she got back, fulfill her duties to the elderly, and take care of two kids’ every need...
Day after day.
Without comparison, she thought this was a woman’s life; isn’t everyone living like this?
But now, comparing it, why does it feel so bitter?!
"Exactly..."
She said self-deprecatingly: "Marry someone and you become a free nanny."
The atmosphere became serious.
Old Zhu got anxious—
"What nonsense are you talking? What nanny, you’re my wife, the kids’ mother!"
But nobody paid attention to him, the brothers looked around, the two kids fiddled with their candy with heads down, and in the yard, apart from the wind and insects chirping, there was no other sound.
...
And Chu River looked at Sister-in-law Zhu again.
"Sister-in-law, how much does your family spend each month?"
What kind of estimate could that be?
Sister-in-law Zhu now had a good impression of her, and meticulously calculated on her fingers:
"Ten dollars a month for the two elders."
"Two dollars a month for the kids’ schooling."
— The two troublesome kids lose pencils or can’t find erasers daily, or get punished for bad work, that’s three cents per notebook.
This doesn’t even include tuition.
"And the cost of buying coal, though it’s hot now and we can rely on the sun for washing water, sparingly needed for cooking, but it’s still 5.8 yuan a month."
"Saving on electricity and water, it’s still 3 yuan a month."
Plus clothes, everyone wears old clothes, but with kids around, throughout the year there’s always fabric being torn, adding up to five yuan a month.
In the city, even a small green onion costs money; Old Zhu has been in the army for years, and food for the mother and two children alone costs 10 yuan a month.
After all, the kids are still young and can’t eat too shabbily.
Chu River calculated: "Oh wow, forty yuan a month!"
Exactly.
Sister-in-law Zhu felt a mutual pity — although the calculation was this way, living life inevitably brings unexpected expenses; honestly, fifty yuan a month certainly gets spent.
After all, Old Zhu is filial, and the kids truly can’t be shortchanged.
And even then, this was her saving rigorously.
Since in the mindset of that era, saving money was a family staple.
Not to mention the old mindset that daughters were married off and couldn’t be cared for, not even accounting for gifts she had to send her own parents during festivals.
Chu River shook her head:
"Sister-in-law, how much is your monthly salary?"
The topic jumped too fast, and Sister-in-law Zhu instinctively responded:
"65."
After all, as a union official, her income wasn’t low.
Chu River nodded and then looked at Old Zhu, actually showing a smile:
"Brother Zhu, your salary is quite high now, isn’t it? The main breadwinner for the family!"
Old Zhu waved his hand:
"It’s okay, not as much as your brother, but now over 100 yuan a month, enough to get by."
Chu River nodded, giving a patronizing compliment: "Quite a lot."
Actually, by today’s wage standard, he’s making as much as two people’s salary alone.
She suddenly heaved a big sigh:
"Oh, to be a man is truly good!"
"I want to marry a wife too, not spend money, and have someone wash clothes, cook, have children, take care of the kids, and show filial piety to the elders..."
"And what’s more, if the wife has a job, she earns monthly to support me — how great is that!"
"If I had a wife, I’d sit at home every day lounging around, eating sunflower seeds, and let her earn money for me to spend."
This, this, this...
All the men, women, children present widened their eyes.
Old Zhu’s face was red and white, forgetting the original topic, he argued defensively:
"I earn over 100 yuan a month, no need to spend her money!"
"Really? I don’t believe it."
Chu River looked at him, a slight contemptuous smile at the corner of her mouth.
