I was reborn after my cousin stole my life.

Chapter 200: Aunt Zhao

Aunt Zhao arrived a week after Anhui sent her telegram.

Before she arrived, she sent a telegram to the military unit, indicating which train she was taking. Jiang Zhou then set aside half a day, borrowed a vehicle from the military unit, and personally went to the train station to pick her up.

Jiang Zhou hadn't seen her for many years, but he remembered her general appearance. When she got off the train with her big bags and small packages, Jiang Zhou recognized her at first glance.

She had a kind face, but her thin face carried a hint of sorrow. She looked much older than when he had seen her many years ago. She wore a blue long-sleeved shirt made of denim and black wide-legged trousers.

Her hair was neatly styled at the back of her head, and even after such a long train ride, it wasn't messy at all.

He was neat and clean from head to toe, as if he had tidied himself up before getting off the bus.

"Is this Aunt Zhao?" Jiang Zhou walked to the car door.

Aunt Zhao was carrying luggage in both hands. She looked tired after sitting on the train for several days and nights. When she heard someone call her name, she looked up and her eyes lit up when she saw Jiang Zhou. Her eyes were filled with joy. "It's me! It's me! It must be Xiao Zhou! You've grown so much! I thought you wouldn't recognize me. I didn't expect you to still remember me."

Jiang Zhou: "..."

A familiar way of greeting.

He reached out and took the luggage from her hands. "You must be tired from the journey. Let's go home first. My mom is waiting for you there. She's been asking when you're coming these past few days..."

"As soon as I received your mother's telegram, I rushed to the brigade to get a letter of introduction, packed my things, and set off..." Aunt Zhao followed beside Jiang Zhou, reaching out to lift the bag Jiang Zhou was carrying in his right hand. "Let me carry this, don't tire yourself out..."

"No need, Aunt Zhao, this little bit of food won't tire me out."

Jiang Zhou led her out of the station and to the jeep parked at the intersection. He put her luggage in the jeep first, and then let Aunt Zhao get in the car.

Aunt Zhao got into the car with a smile. "The last time I saw you, you weren't even in the army yet. I heard from your mother that you're now a chief of staff. You've really made something of yourself! You look much stronger than before! And you've gotten tanned too..."

On the way back, Aunt Zhao didn't stop, asking Jiangzhou a lot about Yuan Xiu, such as what she liked to eat, whether she had any dietary restrictions, and what she was particular about.

"My wife has a very good personality and doesn't have any dietary restrictions... By the way, Aunt Zhao, let's agree on what to say. If anyone asks, just say you're my mother's cousin and you're here to help take care of the children."

Aunt Zhao nodded: "Okay, just say that if anyone asks me."

As she spoke, she laughed, "Your mother used to introduce me to others when she took me out, saying I was her distant cousin's daughter, afraid that people would look down on me if they knew I came from a poor background..."

The car drove into the courtyard and stopped in front of the small building.

An Hui was changing her baby's diaper in the bedroom on the first floor when she heard the car and immediately went to the window to look outside.

"Finally! I'm free!"

……

Aunt Zhao's arrival did indeed "liberate" An Hui.

No, I should say that the whole family was relieved.

Upon arrival, she didn't immediately go inside to hold the child. Instead, she stood at the door and greeted Yuan Xiu, saying, "I've been traveling for several days, and the car was very dirty. I'll go take a shower and change my clothes before coming inside."

People are particular about cleanliness, so Yuan Xiu naturally agreed, which shows that people like cleanliness.

The first thing Aunt Zhao did upon arriving was to go to the public bathhouse and take a good bath, which was done with her by An Hui.

The water pressure in the public bathhouse is high, making bathing much more comfortable than at home.

An Hui doesn't go there often; she doesn't like to be "open and honest" with strangers.

Aunt Zhao was not a stranger. The two found a corner and chatted while taking a shower.

"When you came over here, what did your son and daughter-in-law say? They didn't stop you, did they?"

Aunt Zhao gave a wry smile: "I was going to stop her, but when she heard there was a salary, my daughter-in-law became more diligent than ever. She even helped pack all the luggage."

An Hui immediately turned to look at her, "You agreed to give them the money?"

Aunt Zhao nodded: "I said I'll send them ten yuan back every month from now on."

An Hui was exasperated. "Why did you agree to them? If you wanted to leave, you could have just gone. They couldn't have stopped you, could they? You're just too nice, that's why they bullied you."

"Ugh!"

Aunt Zhao sighed, "What else can I do? Sending this money back is like raising my grandchildren. I'll have to go back and live with them sooner or later. I'll still have to rely on them when I'm old. If I don't give it to them now, I'm afraid my whole family will hate me."

"If you have money, they won't hate you; instead, they'll fawn over you. If you send money back every month, they'll take it for granted. What if they start to resent you when you go back and you have no money left?" An Hui asked.

"As long as I have a clear conscience, that's all that matters to me."

"You!" An Hui angrily tapped her head. "You're so old, yet you're still the same as before, too honest!"

Aunt Zhao laughed, "That's good, honest people don't suffer losses."

"Honest people often suffer!" An Hui glanced at her. "Don't worry, as long as you take good care of my grandchildren, I won't let you suffer!"

When Anhui said she wouldn't be at a disadvantage, she meant paying Aunt Zhao a high salary. In public, Aunt Zhao was a relative who came to help, but in private, she was a live-in nanny. According to the current market price, the average live-in nanny's salary is about 10 to 15 yuan a month, including room and board.

For those with good conditions and high demands, the salary is around 20 to 25 yuan. Anhui paid Aunt Zhao a monthly salary of 30 yuan.

In this era where "36 yuan is enough," a salary of 30 yuan including food and accommodation is truly considered a very good deal.

Even if Aunt Zhao sends ten yuan back home every month, she can still keep twenty yuan in her own hands.

"This is too much; I can't take this much."

Upon hearing that the salary was so high, Aunt Zhao couldn't sit still. "Let's give you a little less. The cadres in our town only earn thirty a month."

"The salary is high, so my demands are also high. You have to take good care of my grandson and granddaughter, as well as my daughter-in-law. I'm entrusting them all to you."

Jiang Zhou and Yuan Xiu had no objection to the salary; as a couple who both worked, they could afford the thirty yuan.

Later, when Yuan Xiu went to university, university students didn't have to pay tuition and even received living allowances.

"I'll be troubling Aunt Zhao from now on." Yuan Xiu sat on the sofa, covered with a blanket and wearing a hat. Her two children were being held by Aunt Zhao and An Hui, one in each arm.

"No trouble at all. Leave everything at home to me from now on. Don't be so polite with me. Just tell me what you need to do. If I do anything wrong, just let me know and I'll fix it right away."

Yuan Xiu and Jiang Zhou exchanged a glance, then smiled and nodded to Aunt Zhao.