Wu Li was severely scolded by her sister - in - law, and even her mother didn't say a single word in her defense.
Her mother stood beside her, looking worried. "What should we do? You said that brother could get a job in the city, and Wu Gui has already prepared his clothes and luggage. How could this job just disappear?"
The sister - in - law was grumbling beside them. "If you're not sure about something, why bother talking about it? If you can't handle it, just admit it. But you had to show off and make empty promises. Now you've dragged our whole family into this mess."
Wu Li really had no way to voice her grievances.
The sister - in - law's words were extremely harsh, and even her own elder brother was giving her a dirty look. Her mother, the only one who might have stood by her side, was now silent.
It was they who had begged her to help find a job for her brother in the first place, but now she was the one being blamed from all sides.
Angered by them, Wu Li blurted out in frustration, "I had no other choice! Who would have thought that Li Chuchu would suddenly come back and claim the job? Forget it, I'm not going to interfere in this matter anymore. You can figure it out on your own from now on."
Fearing that her daughter would really wash her hands off the matter, Wu's mother quickly said, "Oh, your sister - in - law was just speaking out of anger. After all, we're family. How could you say such things? Tell your brother and sister - in - law clearly what exactly happened!"
As she spoke, she winked at Wu Gui.
She needed to coax and deceive Wu Li first to calm her down.
After being soothed by her mother, Wu Li reluctantly told them the whole story.
"Li Jianmin had already brought back the letter of introduction. Brother was just waiting to report to the factory. But unexpectedly, Li Chuchu suddenly showed up and demanded the job."
"Why did Li Jianmin agree to that?"
Wu Gui was dissatisfied with his brother - in - law. As expected, a second - marriage couple couldn't be relied on when real trouble came.
Wu Li defended Li Jianmin. "Li Jianmin had no choice. So many neighbors were watching, and they were all his colleagues' family members. If he didn't give in, he wouldn't be able to hold his head up in the factory in the future."
Wu Gui snorted, looking displeased.
Wu's mother knew that her son's stubbornness was flaring up again. She nudged him with her elbow to make him behave. Then she said to Wu Li, "You're such a grown - up, yet you were outsmarted by a little girl."
Wu Li looked helpless. "I already have a hard time at home with the label of a step - mother. If I have any conflicts with Li Chuchu, people will surely gossip about me. The last time I just said a few words to Li Chuchu, I was almost drowned by the neighbors' criticism."
Wu's mother gave a cold snort.
Her daughter's reputation wasn't her main concern.
Her daughter was so naive. It was a second - marriage, and she still expected to have deep feelings with the husband's family? If it weren't for Li Jianmin having a job and being able to support their family a little, she wouldn't have let her daughter marry into that family.
A shrewd look flashed across her eyes as an idea popped into her head.
"Here's what you do. Go and talk to Li Chuchu in a few days. Tell her that we want to buy the job from her. Ask how much she wants. I heard that your cousin's son bought a job in the city for only 400 yuan. Since we're family, I think 200 or 300 yuan should be enough. Anyway, you need to handle this for your brother. We'll be waiting for good news at home."
Wu's mother was really cunning. Buying the job or getting it for free meant the same to them, and they definitely wouldn't pay a single cent. Since her daughter had promised, she should be the one to pay. Moreover, Li Jianmin had a monthly salary of 100 yuan, so their family was quite well - off. This money was nothing to them.
Wu Li felt even more helpless.
"The job your cousin's son bought was just a temporary one with a monthly salary of only 25 yuan, and there's no guarantee of getting a permanent position. Lotus Steel Factory is one of the top steel mills in the city. It's completely different. I've inquired before. Buying a job there would cost at least 1000 yuan."
There were still some things Wu Li didn't dare to say.
What kind of relatives were they to Li Chuchu? If she went to talk to Li Chuchu, Li Chuchu would probably not even want to see her, and might even raise the price!
"1000 yuan? She must be crazy about money!"
Wu Gui's eyes bulged with a hint of fierceness.
"Would she dare to take 1000 yuan from us?"
Wu Gui used to be a good - for - nothing hooligan in the village, never doing anything proper. His stubbornness had caused a lot of trouble for the family.
Wu's mother frowned, suspecting that her daughter was just making up excuses not to pay. "Anyway, you should go and talk to her first!"
"Talk about what? That job was originally mine! She stole it from me! And you expect me to talk to her nicely? Where does she live? I'll go and find her right now!"
A vein on Wu Gui's face popped out, stretching from his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth. Half of his face looked terrifying.
This was a sign that he was about to act recklessly again.
Wu Gui was usually not too bad - tempered, but once he got angry, it would be a big deal. He once smashed someone's head with a beer bottle. It was only after Wu Li used her divorce settlement to compensate that the matter was resolved.
Whenever this happened, his wife would take the children and stay far away.
"Oh, my son, what are you doing?" Wu's mother was afraid that her son would act recklessly again. She hugged his arm and comforted him, "Your sister has already promised to talk to her. Why are you so impatient?"
Wu's mother kept winking at her daughter.
Wu Li had no choice but to reluctantly agree. "Yes, brother, don't worry. I'll handle this. You just stay at home."
With her daughter's promise, Wu's mother felt relieved.
After calming Wu Gui down,
Wu's mother didn't forget to give her daughter some reassurance. She pulled Wu Li outside the house, held her hand, and said earnestly,
"Hey, your brother's temper is getting worse and worse. Mom knows it's hard for you to live in the Li family with a child. But you know your brother's temper. He can't just do nothing. Only when our whole family moves to the city and settles down there can we gain some respect. Your younger brother will also support you in the future."
Wu Li was on the verge of tears. Sure enough, only her mother could understand her.
"Mom, leave this matter to me. Even if I can't find a job in Lotus Factory, I'll keep an eye on the recruitment information of other factories. You just wait for my news at home."
Actually, what Wu's mother really wanted was a job in Lotus Factory, but this wasn't the right time to say it. She patted Wu Li's hand. "Okay. Mom always thought you were the most promising one in our family. Mom's life is almost over. Your brother will rely on you in the future."
Wu Li felt a strong sense of determination well up in her heart.
She was determined to bring her mother and brother's family to the city.
Wu Li didn't even stay for lunch. She left after sitting for a while.