Stepmother Reborn: Dad, my mom hasn't hit me for three days

When Zhang Xiuhua returned home, Jidong, Ergou, Yaoyao and Zhuzhu were playing cards on the kang. They were not gambling, but just bored and looking for something to do to relax. Jilin did not play, so he could only suck on a popsicle. It was still snowing outside, but the house was warm, so he did not feel cold at all when he ate the popsicle. This is also a feature of the Northeast. Not only do they eat popsicles, they also eat frozen pears and frozen persimmons.

When they saw Zhang Xiuhua coming back, they stopped what they were doing and called for help.

Zhang Xiuhua took off her clothes, flicked off the snow on them, hung them on the hanger, and sat over to watch them play cards. "Who lost more?"

Zhuzhu pointed at Ergou and laughed, "Second brother lost the most."

He pointed at Jidong and complained, "Jidong is too smart. I lost all the money I won to him!"

Seeing her complain, Yaoyao rubbed her head and said, "Just be content. At least you didn't lose money. My second brother lost so much."

Ergou didn't care about losing money at all, and said with a smile, "It's okay, it's New Year, have fun!"

After Li Jianguo finished processing the pork, he called Jidong and Yaoyao to the kitchen to help. The two of them were slightly better at cooking.

The reason I didn't call Zhang Xiuhua was because I was worried that she was tired and wanted to let her rest for a while.

Zhang Xiuhua asked Ergou, "How is the Yangcheng Garment Factory doing?"

"I've recovered." Ergou handed her a document and a deposit slip for 300,000 yuan. "This is my profit. I'll pay off part of the loan first. The interest rate is quite high now."

This document is a contract that Zhang Xiuhua owns 50% of the shares. Ergou always thought that she used her and his courtyard house as collateral for the loan. They mortgaged together, so she owns half of the shares of the garment factory.

"So much?" Zhang Xiuhua was worried that he didn't have enough money. "Have all the workers been paid?"

"Yes. Don't worry, I still have some money in the account, enough to pay the suppliers." Ergou also learned a lesson, "The end of the year is the peak season, and business is not good in the summer."

各个行业都有淡旺季，服装厂的旺季是每年3月至6月，9月至11月。淡季就是春节后的一个月，7月至9月初。

When the business is busy, he works three shifts a day and can't handle the orders. When the business is slow, he will give the workers a day off and only keep a small number of workers working eight hours a day.

Zhang Xiuhua suddenly realized.

Ergou told her, "I added another production line to the instant noodle factory. Now there are six production lines in total. I also added one to the brewery."

Zhang Xiuhua nodded, indicating that it was good, but then she realized, "If you use all the money to buy the production line, will you not be able to share the dividends?"

"Yes!" Ergou pointed out that they had to distribute the products quickly to seize the market. "So far, our instant noodles have only covered four provinces and one city: Jiangsu Province, Shanghai, Anhui, Shandong and Zhejiang. It's not that we can't enter other provinces, but our production capacity can't keep up. Only by adding more production lines can we sell them nationwide."

Being close, the freight is cheaper, and the factory can make more profit. Ergou's idea is correct. Zhang Xiuhua can understand, but she is worried that the villagers cannot understand, "They are counting on the dividends this year. Your business is so good, but you don't share any money. Maybe they will withdraw their shares?"

Ergou nodded, "If they want to withdraw their shares, I will buy them out."

Zhang Xiuhua was stunned. It was fine to withdraw the shares. She asked carefully, "Then how much do you plan to give?"

Ergou didn't bring his accountant with him, but he did a quick estimate and said, "They invested 1,000 before, and I'll give them 1,200. I won't let them lose money."

Zhang Xiuhua breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay! Call a meeting of the villagers and tell them your ideas. Maybe they will understand you."

The villagers' main expenses are finding wives for their sons, preparing dowries for their daughters, building greenhouses, and taking care of illness, etc.

If you need money urgently, you can withdraw your shares in advance. If you are not in a hurry to use the money, you can keep it.

Seeing that they had finished talking about business, Zhuzhu came to Ergou and said, "Brother, have you heard? Zhang Jinbao brought his girlfriend back. They are getting married soon."

Ergou was stunned for a while before he realized that the Zhang Jinbao Zhuzhu was talking about was the Zhang Jinbao who had seven sisters. He didn't have a deep impression of this person and didn't take it seriously. "Really?"

Zhang Xiuhua felt strange, "Is he already 22?"

Shouldn't it be full? Juemei is the same age as Baolin, Zhang Jinbao is the younger brother, one year younger than Juemei, he is only eighteen this year, and will only be nineteen during the Chinese New Year. How did they get married?

"Don't people in my hometown usually get married early?" Zhuzhu disagreed. "That sister is very beautiful. Except for her dark skin, there's nothing wrong with her."

Zhang Xiuhua laughed. It was the first time she heard Zhuzhu praise someone for being pretty. She teased her on purpose, "Compared to you, who is prettier?"

Zhuzhu blurted out, "Of course I'm prettier. But we are not the same kind of people."

Yaoyao was amused by her serious and conceited look and flicked her head, "Don't be so proud. If the audience who don't like you hear it, they will definitely say that you are ugly and it's weird."

Chinese people like humble people, and bragging like this will cause ridicule from haters.

Zhuzhu is still young, she doesn't understand the evil of human nature, she stuck out her tongue when she heard her sister's words, "I'm just telling you. I'm very modest outside."

In a blink of an eye, Zhang Xiuhua saw the beautiful sister that Zhuzhu had mentioned. Needless to say, she was indeed very beautiful. She was not of the same type as Zhuzhu. Zhuzhu was cute and delicate, and she was very recognizable in a crowd. She was the kind of beautiful girl from a small family, with a gentle and quiet personality that older people liked.

Zhang Jinbao took her for a stroll in the village. Perhaps because it was too cold, they walked for a while and then went back soon.

Aunt Wang Er saw them, pointed at her head, and whispered to Zhang Xiuhua, "I heard they are from other provinces. It's so cold, and they are wearing so little. Is there something wrong with their brains?"

She has been in the Northeast for so many years, and she has never seen anyone wearing so little in the winter. This is too much.

Zhang Xiuhua laughed, "Maybe I didn't bring that many clothes?"

"She didn't bring any clothes, and she didn't even know to buy some!" Aunt Wang looked down on the Zhang family. "Jin Bao's mother kept praising this girl for her ability. She's about to get married, but she didn't even buy her new clothes. They don't value her at all, but they still let her marry in. This girl must be crazy."

Zhang Xiuhua sighed, thinking that it might be because she lacked love since childhood, so she was easily fooled by a few sweet words from a man.

"Jin Bao's mother asked her to have three children. Now every household is practicing family planning, but she still wants to have three children." Aunt Wang curled her lips, "The key is that this girl agreed. She only has a pretty face, but her IQ is not good. I wonder if the next generation will give birth to idiots."

Zhang Xiuhua sighed, "I don't think three is enough. With how sons are favored over daughters in his family, if they don't give birth to a baby, they'll have to keep having more."

Aunt Wang thought her guess was possible, and she clapped her hands in agreement, "You are right."

"When are you getting married?" Zhang Xiuhua didn't mind her family's business. This girl was clearly happy to do this, and no one forced her. When she hit a wall, she would regret it.

Aunt Wang nodded. "Soon! You came at the right time. We'll get married tomorrow."

Zhang Xiuhua suddenly realized, but just felt strange, "Why haven't I heard them mention it before? Why are they in such a hurry?"

She came back every two weeks and never missed any gossip in the village. Li Jianguo stayed alone in the orchard, but that didn't stop him from listening to the gossip in the village. When he got to know something, he would pass it on to her.

"The girl ran away secretly. Her parents were not happy, so Zhang Jinbao wanted to get married as soon as possible. Once the child was born, it would be too late for her parents to regret it." Aunt Wang whispered, "The Zhang family started looking for a wife for Zhang Jinbao last year."

Zhang Xiuhua was surprised, "So early?"

"It's not that early, actually. People here start talking about wives when they are 18 or 19 years old." Aunt Wang told Zhang Xiuhua the gossip Aunt Li had told her. "I heard that their family is very picky. They want a girl who is not only good-looking, but also has a big butt that can give birth, and she has to be gentle, hardworking, and able to give birth to a son. Aunt Li was so angry that she cursed their family and went to the temple to make a wish."

Aunt Li Si often helps the village to find marriages, and is considered a part-time matchmaker. She had a bad experience with the Zhang family before, so she is naturally unwilling to accept the offer now.

Zhang Xiuhua asked, "What happened next? How did you find this girl?"

"Several villages nearby know that none of the seven daughters of the Zhang family returned home. Who would dare to marry into such a family?" Aunt Wang curled her lips. Marrying her daughter into a place where even her own daughter didn't want to stay would be like pushing her into a fire pit.

She raised her chin. "Zhang Jinbao was delivering food outside. He was good at talking. Once he coaxed her, the girl insisted on marrying him. I heard that they slept on the same kang at night. They haven't even gotten married yet. Who would do such a wicked thing? It's too disrespectful. But the girl is so confused, as if she had drunk a drug. Her parents can't control her."

Zhang Xiuhua was shocked when she heard this. This was 1988 and Zhang Jinbao was not afraid of being arrested.

"How did you know?" Zhang Xiuhua felt that Zhang Jinbao was not that brave and that maybe he was just spreading rumors.

Aunt Wang Er saw that she didn't believe it, and immediately became anxious, "I didn't say that. It was Zhang Jinbao's mother who said that. We were just chatting together, and she showed it to us."

Zhang Xiuhua suddenly realized that what Zhang Jinbao’s mother said seemed to be true.

As they were talking, two people came angrily from the village entrance not far away and asked them where Zhang Jinbao's home was. Zhang Xiuhua pointed out the direction.

Aunt Wang Er saw this and her eyes flashed with gossip. "It must be that girl's parents who are here. Now there will be a lot of fun to watch."