Chapter 219: Mother-in-law’s Love
Chapter 219: Chapter 219: Mother-in-law’s Love
After dinner that evening, An Hui took out the new sweater she had knitted for Jiang Moli.
"Moli, try it on and see if it fits."
The sweater was made from fine, rose-pink angora yarn. Knitted in a simple stockinette stitch, it featured a small, round collar. It was fluffy, and the simple style was gentle and easy on the eyes.
Jiang Moli found a white button-down shirt to wear underneath the sweater, letting the collar peek out.
Pairing a sweater with a button-down was a very fashionable look for the era. The white and pink combination made her look both sweet and ladylike.
"It’s beautiful, really nice. Moli’s skin is so fair, she can pull off such a delicate color," Ma Hongmei praised.
An Hui and Lu Deyao also nodded repeatedly, their eyes full of satisfaction.
The more the parents-in-law looked at their daughter-in-law, the more they liked her.
Jiang Moli herself was also quite pleased. The angora yarn was light, soft, and warm.
"Mom, thank you so much! A thousand words can’t express how touched and happy I am. How about I give you a kowtow?"
The whole family burst out laughing at her antics.
The sounds of laughter and cheerful chatter traveled upstairs to Mr. Liu’s apartment.
Although she didn’t know what the Lu Family was talking about, the joyous atmosphere made Wei Xiuqin sigh to her husband in spite of herself:
"I thought the Lu Family would be in for some terrible luck, getting a troublemaker for a daughter-in-law. Turns out their lives are just getting better and better."
Mr. Liu warned his wife, "You’d better stop gossiping about the Lu Family. The Commissar’s temper these days isn’t something an ordinary person can handle. Don’t go looking for trouble."
When Lu Deyao lost his temper, he’d even chew out the top leaders of the military region. He had no desire to provoke a madman like that.
...
Rain began to fall in the middle of the night. The next morning, the temperature had plummeted by several degrees, carrying the sharp bite of winter.
The angora sweater An Hui had knitted came in handy.
She wore it under a gray woolen Lenin-style coat, cinched at the waist with a wide belt, and a pair of one-inch black leather boots on her feet. The look was both retro and classy.
Not long after leaving the house, she ran into Lu Tingting on her way to school.
"Good morning, my dear niece."
Lu Tingting shot her a glare, but her eyes couldn’t help but linger on her outfit, looking her up and down.
Jiang Moli grinned. "So? Don’t you think your Third Aunt is stunning today?"
"I don’t know what on earth you’re wearing. It’s hideous."
"To think you’ve gone blind at such a young age. How pitiful."
Lu Tingting glared at her angrily and fell silent.
’But inwardly, she was both jealous and frustrated.’
’That damn woman... she really knows how to dress.’
...
She arrived at the Art Troupe stop.
As soon as she got off the bus, she ran into Qian Ling, who was cycling to work.
Because of the cold, Qian Ling’s face was flushed a rosy pink, like two juicy peaches.
Jiang Moli gently pinched her friend’s icy cheeks. "It’s so cold, why are you still riding your bike?"
Qian Ling hopped off her bike and walked alongside her, pushing it. "It’s fine, it’s not that cold."
Her eyes lit up with amazement as she noticed Jiang Moli’s outfit. "Your coat is gorgeous! Did you just buy it?"
Jiang Moli: "Mm-hm. You’ve got good taste."
"Is the sweater new too? Did you knit it yourself?"
"My mother-in-law knitted it for me."
Qian Ling was both shocked and envious. "Oh my god, your mother-in-law is amazing! She even knits sweaters for you? You’re so lucky!"
Jiang Moli smiled. "I am pretty lucky."
...
When they arrived at the theater, the two of them went to the locker room first to put their things away.
The locker room was livelier than usual today; they could hear chatter and laughter from far down the hall.
But the moment Jiang Moli stepped through the door, the room fell silent.
The coat Jiang Moli was wearing was identical to Hou Yuzhu’s new coat!
Before Jiang Moli arrived, Hou Yuzhu had been showing it off quite a bit.
The woolen coat was an import from Hong Kong. There were only a few in all of Rongcheng, and the price was exorbitant—one coat cost half a year’s salary.
And right after she finished bragging, Jiang Moli walked in wearing the exact same one.
Wearing the same outfit isn’t a problem. Being the one who looks worse in it is.
Hou Yuzhu had a larger frame, and wearing a thick sweater underneath, she inevitably looked a bit bulky.
Jiang Moli, on the other hand, had a petite frame. Her angora sweater was light and thin. With her small face, long neck, and fair skin, she exuded the noble, bright beauty of a wealthy heiress.
Hou Yuzhu was so furious her face was grim all day.
When it was time to get off work, Fang Qihong’s car was already waiting at the Art Troupe’s entrance.
Once Hou Yuzhu got in the car, Fang Qihong asked, "You must have been happy today. That outfit must have really impressed your colleagues, right?"
"Don’t even mention it! Jiang Moli is my nemesis. Whatever I wear, she wears. Is there something wrong with her?"
Hou Yuzhu ranted for a bit but got no response.
She turned her head and saw Fang Qihong craning his neck to look out the window.
Following his gaze, she saw a group of colleagues from the drama troupe, Jiang Moli among them.
She reached out and slapped Fang Qihong. "Who are you looking at!?"
Fang Qihong turned back with a smile. "I was looking at that Jiang Moli you mentioned."
Just as Hou Yuzhu was about to explode, she heard Fang Qihong say, "She’s so skinny and short. She doesn’t have your flair in that coat at all. Don’t pay her any mind."
Hou Yuzhu’s anger turned to delight. "Really? I look better than her?"
"Of course. In my eyes, that coat was tailor-made for you. No one else could wear it so well."
Hou Yuzhu was completely won over by his flattery and beamed with delight.
Little did she know, Fang Qihong’s mind was filled with the image of Jiang Moli’s slender, swaying back.
’That woman is just too damn alluring.’
’Too bad she’s already married, and her husband’s family is powerful.’
’He might be a lecher, but he wasn’t a brainless idiot.’
’He knew very well who he could mess with and who he couldn’t.’
Not two days later, Hou Yuzhu came to work wearing another new coat, this one a burgundy wool.
As expected, she was met with fawning praise and envy from others in the troupe.
Seeing Jiang Moli still wearing the same gray woolen coat, Hou Yuzhu finally felt the knot of resentment in her chest loosen.
...
In the blink of an eye, it was the last day of the month, and the entire Art Troupe was in high spirits.
The last day of the month was payday.
Jiang Moli was a screenwriter, so her allowance was slightly higher than that of an ordinary performer in the art troupe—33 yuan a month. If a script of hers was chosen, or if she went on tour with the troupe, she would receive an additional stipend.
Qian Ling was thrilled to get her pay. "I got 37 yuan this month! Moli, how much did you get?"
"I got 24.20."
A hierarchical pay system was in effect during this era.
Seniority and job titles were publicly defined, so the salaries of personnel at the same level within the same work unit were basically identical. There was no need for income privacy.
Qian Ling comforted her, "That’s not bad at all. You just joined the troupe not long ago. Once you have some achievements under your belt, your income will be higher than mine."
Jiang Moli’s goal was to be a billionaire; she truly didn’t care about this chump change.
She slung an arm around Qian Ling’s shoulder. "Are you free tonight? I’ll treat you to something good!"
Before Qian Ling could respond, Hou Yuzhu’s mocking voice rang out from behind them. "Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Jiang offering to treat someone. But what’s the big deal about treating just Qian Ling? If you’re going to treat, you should treat the whole troupe."
Jiang Moli turned around and smiled. "What’s the big deal about treating someone to a meal? Wait until I’ve saved up a bit more, and I’ll buy you a bicycle."
Hou Yuzhu snorted. "It was just a joke. Look how worked up you are. You know, you shouldn’t be so stingy. It’s really off-putting."
"If you hadn’t said you were joking, I would’ve thought you had no manners. Since you’re not stingy, why don’t you make the arrangements tonight? How about you treat everyone to a meal at a restaurant?"