After work, Lu Jiajie and Ma Lili picked up their child and came to Radiance Road.
Upon seeing Lu Jiaxin, Ma Lili felt a bit embarrassed. After all, Jiaxin was still a child, and Ma Lili thought coming over for a meal was taking advantage. But before she could say anything, Xiao Feng rushed over to hug Lu Jiaxin, sweetly calling her 'little auntie'.
Lu Jiaxin adored children. She seldom returned home after each of her parents remarried and had more children, feeling that neither place was truly her home. Holding Xiao Feng in her arms, she went to wash hands in the kitchen, and when the food was served, she saved two special drumsticks for the children, giving one to each.
Ma Lili quickly intervened, saying, "Jiaxin, what are you doing? You eat the drumsticks. Having chicken meat and chicken soup is already pretty nice."
Actually, Ma Lili used to occasionally buy snacks for the children, and though Mother Ma begrudged buying meat and vegetables, she bought meat or poultry every week. But since her nephew Little Fatty Yan moved in, there had been no more snack or meat purchases.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you've forgotten, I've always liked drumettes and don't fancy drumsticks at all."
She didn't like drumsticks because they were full of meat but too fibrous. Strangely enough, not only did she share a name and appearance with her original self, their preferences were also quite similar. Sometimes, she even wondered if her past was all a dream.
Ma Lili immediately had the two kids thank her.
Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng thanked her and then dug into the drumsticks. Ever since Little Fatty moved in, they only had chicken during festivals, and even then, they didn't get any drumsticks.
Ordinary people don't have rules about not speaking while eating or in bed. Lu Jiaxin and Ma Lili started talking about the department store, and led by her subtle prompting, they switched to discussing clothes and shoes.
Ma Lili said, "Nowadays, a lot of clothes and shoes come from Hong Kong. They are fashionable and cheap, which has affected the business of the malls. Currently, only skincare products and large electronic appliances are selling well."
Since these items weren't widely available yet, and the quality of goods from other sources varied greatly, many people still preferred shopping at the department stores. Though business wasn't as good as before, Ma Lili was a permanent employee with a government-paid salary, so she wasn't worried.
Lu Jiaxin purposefully said, "I'm frail and afraid of the cold now, so I want to buy a pair of thicker leather shoes. I couldn't find any fashionable, waterproof thick leather shoes when I looked around Xiushui Street with Xue Mao."
Ma Lili laughed and said, "With such high standards, it's normal not to find what you like. But don't worry, every year before winter, the department store stocks up on several batches of winter shoes, and you will definitely find a pair that satisfies you."
"Platform, fashionable, thick cotton leather shoes?"
Thinking of her high standards, Ma Lili paused and then said, "There are thick cotton leather shoes, but the styles might not be as fashionable."
Lu Jiaxin continued to inquire, "Fifth Sister-in-law, I remember the winter shoes sold at the department store last year cost around one hundred and seventy or eighty."
In truth, the winter shoes sold at the department store were quite nice to most people, but Lu Jiaxin still found them plain. And yet, such shoes cost around one hundred and seventy or eighty, which she thought was too expensive. Of course, those shoes weren't initially intended for the average citizens.
Ma Lili said with a smile, "They are a bit pricey, but their quality is good and durable. Once the store gets its stock, I'll save two pairs for you."
Third Uncle had sent over crabs at noon, which she knew meant the anger had subsided. She was aware that they wouldn't seriously fall out, but Lu Hongjun's quick compromise was unexpected. Thus, saving two pairs of winter shoes for her, mentioning it later would suffice.
Lu Jiaxin shook her head and said, "No need, those shoes are too expensive; I can't afford them. Fifth Brother, when the time comes, help me buy a few pairs of winter shoes from Xue Mao at your factory."
She certainly knew the crabs had been sent by Lu Hongjun, but since Lu Jiajie didn't mention it, she pretended not to know. In any case, she wouldn't accept anything sent in his name; she had to make Lu Hongjun realize she meant business this time and wasn't just speaking out of anger.
Ma Lili immediately stopped her, saying, "That won't do. The shoes from your brother's factory are cloth shoes, which aren't waterproof and also not good-looking."
The cloth shoes from the shoe factory were indeed warm, but they couldn't be worn out in the snow; once outside, they would get wet and be very inconvenient.
Lu Jiaxin said, "It's okay, I can wear rain boots when I go out. I don't have much money on hand right now, so I need to buy things that are practical."
Taking the opportunity, Ma Lili advised, "Jiaxin, don't hold a grudge against your dad; otherwise, you're just giving that woman an advantage. Listen to your sister-in-law, if you need to soften your stance, then do it. There's no shame in backing down to your own father."
Lu Jiaxin smiled and then changed the subject, "Sister-in-law, Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng haven't been growing much recently. We still need to give the kids some nutritious food."
At the mention of this, Ma Lili's mood immediately soured, "I'm actually asking around for a place to move to, and once I find a suitable one, we'll move out and I can properly nourish them."
There were actually many reasons for not having moved out. One was the lack of money; two was her job didn't allow her to pick the children up from kindergarten on time; three, it was out of spite.
Lu Jiaxin persuaded, "Fifth Sister-in-law, this incident made me realize one thing, depending on others is useless; in the end, you can only rely on yourself."
Ma Lili understood the meaning behind her words, and with a bitter smile, she said, "Xinxin, you're still young and don't understand; it's not as simple as you think."
Thinking about how Lu Jiaxin had grown up and become sensible, she shared her concerns, "My sister suggested adopting her youngest son back to our mother's home, but it hasn't been finalized yet. If I move out with Fifth Brother, my sister will surely move back in with her husband and child. If they change their minds about the adoption and refuse to move out later, it would be difficult to get them to leave."
There's an old saying that it's easier to invite the gods than to send them away. Plus, she had another concern she hadn't voiced, knowing the duplicitous nature of her brother-in-law. If he got hold of the house and the family's savings, he would surely abandon the parents when they fell ill. Then, it would likely become her responsibility. Now that her husband had grown cold due to his parents' antics, he would certainly be reluctant to care for them in their old age, leaving her caught in the middle. Therefore, for her to move out, one condition was Little Fatty had to be legally adopted under the parent's household registration, and a second condition was to sign a care agreement for the elderly.
Lu Jiaxin knew the couple had their reasons for not moving out, but she still reminded them, "When that woman came into our home with Zhao Siyi, I realized she meant no good and have since been living in fear, frequently having nightmares where my dad doesn't want me. So every time I had a conflict with them and dad took their side, I was scared he would abandon me and so I just tolerated it."
"Fifth Sister-in-law, based on my own experiences, I think children need to grow up in a relaxed environment, otherwise, they can be left with scars."
Thinking about how ever since Little Fatty had moved in, his mother kept saying that the two children had become sensible. It wasn't that they had become sensible; it was the fear of being scolded, beaten, or driven out that made them behave.
The more Ma Lili thought about it, the sadder she felt.
Lu Jiajie had long wanted to move out, even if it meant renting a place; it couldn't be worse than now. But Ma Lili had always disagreed. Seeing her beginning to waver now, he seized the opportunity, saying, "Wife, I think Xinxin is right, we should move out as soon as possible. Even if life is harder, it's still better than now, when buying something nice for the kids means sneaking around."
Ma Lili, looking at the two children who were eating messily yet unwilling to stop, fell silent and then said, "I will consider it."