klisemfg Chapter 391 The Beloved Little Sister 26
Chapter 391 The Beloved Little Sister 26
I had already asked around about the future sister-in-laws that my two older brothers had liked, but I hadn't met any of them yet.
Until this day, Ji Xiaosong was organizing the medicine cabinet at the clinic, her fingers gently brushing over the rows of labeled medicine bottles.
Since the news of her pregnancy spread, her workload has been halved, but more villagers are coming to see her every day, all wanting to see this "blessed daughter-in-law" who is pregnant with quadruplets.
"Dr. Ji, can you take a look at me?" A clear female voice came from the doorway.
Ji Xiaosong turned around and saw a girl in her early twenties standing at the door, wearing a brand-new Dacron shirt, with two black braids hanging down in front of her chest.
The girl was pretty, but there was a hint of arrogance in her eyes. She recognized her at a glance as Lin Xiulan, the saleswoman at the supply and marketing cooperative whom the matchmaker had introduced to her second brother, Ji Jianjun.
"Hello, comrade," Ji Xiaosong said, somewhat surprised, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Xiulan walked into the consultation room, but her eyes kept looking around the clinic before finally settling on Ji Xiaosong: "I heard that Dr. Ji is a good doctor, so I came here specifically to see her."
She paused, then lowered her voice, "Actually, it's nothing serious, it's just... my periods aren't very regular."
Ji Xiaosong understood and asked her to sit down, then took out a pulse pillow: "Put your hand on this, let me take your pulse."
Lin Xiulan stretched out her slender wrist, on which was a brand-new Shanghai brand watch.
Ji Xiaosong noticed that her nails were neatly trimmed and painted with light pink nail polish, which is quite rare nowadays.
Ji Xiaosong frowned slightly as she placed her fingers on his pulse.
Lin Xiulan's pulse was wiry, thin, and rapid, indicating significant liver qi stagnation, and...
"Comrade Lin, do you often suffer from insomnia and vivid dreams? And are you prone to anger?" Ji Xiaosong asked softly.
Lin Xiulan's eyes lit up: "Dr. Ji is amazing! How could you tell that?"
She leaned closer and said, "To be honest, I work at the supply and marketing cooperative. Those country folks always love to haggle, it's so annoying!"
Ji Xiaosong continued taking his pulse without showing any emotion: "How many people are in your family?"
“Just me and my mother.” Lin Xiulan pouted. “My father died early, and the family relies on my salary from the supply and marketing cooperative to make a living.”
She suddenly lowered her voice, "Dr. Ji, I heard that your second brother... that Ji Jianjun who grows crops in greenhouses, is quite well-off?"
Ji Xiaosong's heart skipped a beat. So this was Lin Xiulan's true purpose in coming here, and she had also recognized her.
She withdrew her hand and said calmly, "You don't have any major problems, just excessive liver fire. I'll prescribe some medicine to soothe your liver and regulate your qi. Try to avoid getting angry and drink more water."
Lin Xiulan seemed unconcerned about the diagnosis, instead asking, "Dr. Ji, how is your second brother...?"
“My second brother is honest and hardworking, and he’s a master at farming,” Ji Xiaosong said while writing the prescription. “Last year, our greenhouse vegetables were sold to the county supply and marketing cooperative, and the income was quite good.”
Lin Xiulan's eyes lit up: "Really? Then... is his house big?"
“Five large brick houses, recently built.” Ji Xiaosong looked up at her. “Why is Comrade Lin asking about this?”
"It's nothing, just asking casually." Lin Xiulan adjusted the hem of her dress with feigned modesty. "Matchmaker Aunt Zhang said that your second brother wants to find a partner with a stable job..."
Ji Xiaosong didn't reply to her, but handed her the prescription: "Go to the pharmacy to get the medicine. Take it twice a day after meals."
Lin Xiulan took the prescription but didn't leave immediately: "Dr. Ji, actually... I feel like we're quite destined for each other. How about... I come over to your house for a visit sometime?"
Ji Xiaosong smiled slightly: "As a married woman, it's not easy for me to make this decision. Besides, I've been staying at my in-laws' house a lot lately, so it's not convenient for me to take you there."
"That's great!" Lin Xiulan said with delight. "It's good that you're not staying at your parents' house. I'm on leave tomorrow, so I can go visit you! It's okay if you don't come; I can find someone to go with me."
After seeing Lin Xiulan off, Ji Xiaosong seemed lost in thought.
This girl is clearly after the second brother's conditions; her words are full of disdain for rural life, so she's probably not a good match.
In the afternoon, Ji Xiaosong left work early and went back to her parents' home, where she told Wang Xiuhua about the incident.
"Mother, Lin Xiulan is coming to our house tomorrow," Ji Xiaosong said while helping her mother pick vegetables. "I think she... has some ulterior motives."
Wang Xiuhua stopped what she was doing: "What do you mean?"
Ji Xiaosong recounted the entire conversation during the pulse diagnosis.
After hearing this, Wang Xiuhua frowned: "This girl... is she after our family's conditions?"
“I think so.” Ji Xiaosong nodded. “She immediately asked how big the house was, but didn’t say a word about her second brother’s character.”
Wang Xiuhua sighed: "Your second brother is honest. If he marries a wife like this, he'll probably suffer in the future."
Just then, Ji Jianjun returned from the field carrying a hoe, covered in sweat: "Xiao Song is back? Why are you back so early today?"
"Second Brother," Ji Xiaosong asked directly, "Have you met Lin Xiulan from the supply and marketing cooperative?"
Ji Jianjun's dark face suddenly turned red: "I...I've met her once...Aunt Zhang brought her to the fields to see her..."
"What do you think of her?"
"Pretty...pretty good..." Ji Jianjun rubbed his hands together. "The city girl is fair-skinned and has a nice voice..."
Wang Xiuhua and Ji Xiaosong exchanged a glance, both seeing the other's worry.
“Jianjun,” Wang Xiuhua carefully chose her words, “you can’t just look at a wife’s appearance; the most important thing is her character…”
"Mother!" Ji Jianjun suddenly became agitated. "I know what you're thinking! You just think her family is poor? I don't care! I'm strong enough to support her and her mother!"
Ji Xiaosong was stunned, not expecting her second brother to care so much about Lin Xiulan.
Just as she was about to explain, a burst of laughter suddenly came from outside the door.
The three turned to look and saw Lin Xiulan, arm in arm with matchmaker Aunt Zhang, already standing at the courtyard gate.
"Oh my, Jianjun's home!" Aunt Zhang called out loudly. "I've brought Xiulan over for a visit!"
Ji Jianjun was immediately at a loss, hurriedly brushing the dirt off his clothes: "Aunt Zhang is here... Please, please come in..."
Lin Xiulan was wearing a brand-new floral dress and shiny leather shoes, which looked out of place in the simple farmhouse courtyard.
She looked around, her gaze lingering for a moment on the newly built tiled house, a slight smile playing on her lips.
“Brother Jianjun,” she called sweetly, “I heard that the greenhouse vegetables you grow are especially good?”
"It's...it's alright..." Ji Jianjun stammered, "It's just...it's just enough to make a living..."
Aunt Zhang held Wang Xiuhua's hand and said in a voice loud enough for the whole village to hear, "Aunt Wang, Xiulan is a full-time employee of the supply and marketing cooperative. So many men want to marry her but can't! If it weren't for Jianjun being honest and capable, I wouldn't have introduced her to your family!"
Wang Xiuhua forced a smile: "Come in and sit down, have some water."
After everyone entered the house, Lin Xiulan's behavior further confirmed Ji Xiaosong's judgment.
The girl criticized the Ji family's house, furniture, and even their bowls and chopsticks, her words filled with the superiority complex of a city dweller.
"Is this table made of elm wood? Our supply and marketing cooperative director's table is made of mahogany..."
"You still use these coarse porcelain bowls? Everyone in the city uses fine porcelain now..."
"Brother Jianjun, are you planning to buy a house in the city in the future? It will be convenient for me to commute to work..."
Ji Jianjun's expression grew increasingly grim, but out of consideration for their relationship, he could only manage a perfunctory response.
Wang Xiuhua tried to change the subject several times, but Aunt Zhang interrupted her each time.
"Aunt Wang, I'm not bragging," Aunt Zhang patted her chest, "a girl like Xiulan is hard to find even with a lantern! If her father hadn't died early and her family hadn't been poor, how could she have gotten into your rural area?"
This remark finally angered Wang Xiuhua.
She put down her teacup, her voice turning cold: "Aunt Zhang, what's wrong with us country folk? My son built a new house and greenhouses with his own two hands, without stealing or robbing. In what way is he not good enough for a city girl?"
Aunt Zhang was taken aback, not expecting that Wang Xiuhua, who was usually easy to talk to, would get angry.
Seeing this, Lin Xiulan quickly tried to smooth things over: "Auntie, don't be angry, Aunt Zhang didn't mean that..."
“I don’t care what you mean,” Wang Xiuhua stood up. “Marriage is a serious matter, and it’s all about mutual affection. I don’t think Jianjun and Xiulan are a good match, so let’s just call it off.”
"Mother!" Ji Jianjun cried out anxiously, but Ji Xiaosong held him back.
Lin Xiulan's expression changed instantly: "Auntie, are you looking down on me? Just because I don't have a father?"
“It’s not that I look down on you,” Wang Xiuhua said, looking directly at her. “I just want to ask you one question: what do you see in my Jianjun?”
Lin Xiulan was speechless, her face flushing red and then turning pale.
Seeing this, Aunt Zhang quickly pulled her up, saying, "Come on, come on, they don't even want us! You'll regret it later!"
The two stormed off, and the courtyard became eerily quiet for a moment.
Ji Jianjun squatted in the corner, holding his head and not saying a word.
"Second Brother..." Ji Xiaosong walked over and gently patted his shoulder.
"Xiao Song, did you... figure it out a long time ago?" Ji Jianjun asked in a muffled voice.
Ji Xiaosong nodded: "When she came to the clinic, the first thing she asked was how big our house was and how much income we had... but she didn't ask you a single question. Besides, I took her pulse and I think this girl has a bad temper. I'm afraid you won't get along with her."
Ji Jianjun gave a bitter laugh: "I really am a fool..."
“It’s not your fault,” Wang Xiuhua said tenderly, stroking her son’s head. “That girl is beautiful and has a lovely voice. Who wouldn’t like her? It’s just… her heart isn’t with you.”
Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open again, and Ji Jianshe rushed in: "Jianjun! That Lin Xiulan... wait, she's gone?"
"Third Brother?" Ji Xiaosong asked in surprise, "How did you know she was here?"
“I just got back from the county,” Ji Jianshe said, panting. “At the supply and marketing cooperative, I overheard her bragging to her colleagues that she wanted to marry into our family and become a young mistress, so that your second brother could buy a house in the city and she could bring my mother there to enjoy a life of luxury…”
Ji Jianjun's face turned pale instantly.
Wang Xiuhua stomped her feet in anger: "What kind of talk is this?!"
“And there’s more,” Ji Jianshe said in a low voice, “She said that rural people are easy to fool, and that after we get married, she’ll sell our greenhouse vegetables to her supply and marketing cooperative at a low price and take a cut…”
"Smack!" Ji Jianjun slammed his fist against the wall, blood seeping from his knuckles: "I...I was truly blind!"
Ji Xiaosong quickly pulled her second brother back: "Don't do this! It's not worth it for someone like that!"
Wang Xiuhua wiped away her tears: "It's all my fault, I didn't protect you properly..."
“It’s not Mother’s fault,” Ji Jianjun took a deep breath, “It was my own fault for not recognizing the person clearly.” He looked at Ji Xiaosong, “Little sister, thank you… if it weren’t for you…”
Ji Xiaosong shook his head: "Second brother, we are family."
After this incident, the Ji family members became more wary of potential partners introduced by matchmakers.
Ji Xiaosong, in particular, decided to carefully vet the next girl, Zhou Xiaomei, a textile factory worker.