Chapter Thirty-Four: Consolation

  Thank you "Gao Ling", "(Straw Man)", "I like YYYY", "Voice of Silence", "I am who I am", "Unexpected" for the generous support!

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  Lu Zhengdong looked at Lin Donghe's eyes filled with gratitude and said after a pause:

  "Don't worry too much about your brother, he's still a good kid at heart. I'll keep an eye on him in the countryside and straighten him out, he'll turn out okay..."

  Lin Donghe nodded:

  "Ah, it's just that I'm troubling you too much, Dong... That... the money you lent me, I'll try to think of a way to pay you back, I... my salary is all given to my mother-in-law... each month I only have some pocket money, for now..."

  Lin Donghe was somewhat taken aback, Lu Zhengdong had helped so much, Zhu Xiaodong's medical expenses and compensation were all paid by Lu Zhengdong, she wanted to return the money to Lu Zhengdong and also wanted to express her gratitude, but she didn't even have enough money in her pocket to invite Lu Zhengdong for a meal, let alone repay him. Thinking of this, Lin Donghe couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, but she really had no way to find such a large sum of money at the moment, so she still had to take a stand and finally gritted her teeth and said.

  Lu Zhengdong looked at Lin Donghe's embarrassed expression and knew that Lin Donghe was short of money, this amount was a large sum for him, but for Lu Zhengdong it was just a drop in the ocean. He had not intended to let them repay it anyway, but seeing Lin Donghe like that, if he said they didn't have to repay it, Lin Donghe would definitely not agree and would feel indebted to him with an uneasy conscience. So he said:

  "I'm not in a hurry for the money now, let's talk about it after your brother starts working and earns some money."

  "Zhèng dōng...... wǒ wǒ......"

  Translation: "Politics east...... I I......"

  Lin Donghe was taken aback by Lu Zhengdong's words and didn't know what to say for a moment. She also felt quite uncomfortable in her heart.

  This time she asked her husband's family for help, but not only did they refuse to help, they even coldly ridiculed her brother, saying he was useless and didn't amount to anything. They only gave a little money for medical expenses, leaving the rest for her to ask her own family for. And yet, Lu Zhengdong, as the deputy head of the village, held an official position higher than her father-in-law's, and such officials usually avoid trouble altogether. But not only did Lu Zhengdong not avoid it, he also put aside his pride, using both his strength and money to help, truly going all out for them. Compared to her husband's family, it was like one was heaven and the other was earth...

  Lu Zhengdong saw Lin Donghe's expression was a bit down, and he really felt sorry for her. He thought that Lin Donghe's husband's family didn't care about her brother's situation, and Lin Donghe only had 200-300 yuan in her pocket, which was really heartless. After some deliberation, he continued to say:

  "Winter sister, you care about your family, care about your brother, and are very filial to your parents. These are all good things, but you also need to consider yourself. I think you're now living just for the sake of your family, compromising and enduring hardships for their sake, being good to them... this isn't right. Life's road is still long, if you continue to live so difficultly, what will you use to take care of your loved ones in the future? Moreover, if the happiness of your loved ones is built on your own endless pain, it's also unfair to you. In fact, it's not something that family members would want to see either."

  "You always feel that they have turned you from a rural to an urban household, given you a city residence and found you a job. No matter what, it's all a great kindness to you, and you owe them a debt of gratitude. You put up with whatever they do, enduring in silence. But the truth is, your thinking is completely off the mark. In the beginning, they took advantage of your family's difficulties, exploited your vulnerability, and acted very unscrupulously. You are trading your lifelong happiness for it."

  You work like an ox and a horse to serve them, the whole family is dependent on you, even more so than a servant. The food and meat in their house are all provided by your wife's family, and the money you earn still has to be handed over to them. You're just a laborer who brings his own food to their household. How much have you paid out? What you've paid out far exceeds what they've given, how can they still ask for more?

  "You're not just someone who's never had kids, never passed on the family line, and yet they find all sorts of ridiculous excuses to bully you, treating you like dirt. If their family can find you, it's because their ancestors' graves are emitting a lucky aura, but they don't know how to cherish it. It's not that you're ungrateful to them, it's that they're ungrateful to you! They're just a bunch of good-for-nothings!"

  Lu Zhengdong saw Lin Donghe lowering his head and not speaking, as if thinking about his words, and continued:

  "Now your factory hasn't collapsed yet, and you can still make money for them. They all treat you like this. The times are developing, society is changing, and you also see that your pig hair factory is getting worse year by year. It won't be long before it's hard to sustain itself and will collapse. Everyone will be laid off, and you'll have no income. What will happen to your days in their home? What should you do yourself? How can you take care of your family?"

  Lu Zhengdong thought of Lin Donghe, who was swept out by his family after the pig bristle factory went bankrupt and had an accident while working in the south. With such an opportunity, he must have advised Lin Donghe well, not to let such a tragedy happen again.

  They're bullying you just because your family is from a rural area, and you're from the countryside. They're taking advantage of your kindness and simplicity. There's a saying that goes: "A good person will be bullied, a good horse will be ridden." You tolerate everything, but they'll only get worse. If you really think that place is where you belong for the rest of your life, then you should fight back; if you really can't bear to live like this anymore, then you need to make plans.

  For many ordinary people, life will not be smooth sailing, and happiness will not fall from the sky. To change one's fate, one cannot bow down to fate. Once you bow your head, fate will tightly grasp your neck. However, if you strive hard and struggle, you may be able to grasp fate by the throat and make it bow its head before you... Only when you live a happy life and have a better living condition can you offer more help to your loved ones. Think carefully about how to walk your future path...

  Lin Donghe felt that Lu Zhengdong's words pierced her heart, the family brought her in just to carry on their lineage, but she never had children, so all these years she endured and tolerated, but what she got was not understanding and tolerance, but rather taking advantage of her kindness. She also didn't want to stay in that so-called home anymore.

  She also has unspeakable bitterness in her heart - if she leaves that so-called home, her father-in-law will take care of the factory's big brother, and this job will be lost. Now, even if her husband's family is tight with money, she can still think of ways to support her family a little. If she loses her job, not only will her family not be able to make ends meet, but her own life will also become a problem.

  But now things have finally changed. If Lu Zhengdong can really find a job for his brother, the situation at home will be greatly improved, and she will also feel much more relaxed and able to consider her own affairs...

  Lu Zhengdong saw Lin Donghe quietly thinking, so he didn't say anything else. After all, what he said was something that Lin Donghe still needed to digest carefully. These things he could advise Lin Donghe on, but in the end, it was up to Lin Donghe herself to make a decision...