Chapter 173 - 166 Hu Family
Tian Sisi’s first visit to Tian Manxing’s home left her in awe, for she had always heard Granny Zhao reminisce that among the many daughters of the Tian Family, it was the third daughter, Manxing, who married the best. Indeed, viewing it now, it seemed quite splendid.
In Shanghai, where land is worth its weight in gold, owning a three-story western-style house with its own yard is a sign of high society, although in Sisi’s eyes, the yard seemed a bit small, and the house somewhat outdated. But one must keep in mind this is Shanghai, where many a family still crammed four generations into a fifteen-square-meter room!
If it were in her previous life, such a house located in the city center could not be acquired for less than tens of millions. Tsk tsk, Sisi really wanted to tell Manxing, "Third Auntie, you are really a millionaire!"
Manxing’s in-laws and husband all came out to greet them. Most Shanghai people are known to be shrewd, stingy, and somewhat snobbish, but Hu Dingbei’s family was quite decent, lacking the typical pettiness of Shanghainese and more warmhearted towards others.
Of course, it was also because Sisi and her relatives were not poor kin. With gifts in large and small packages and fashionably dressed, they were considered quite stylish even by Shanghai standards. Another contributing factor was the background of Sisi’s family.
There was significant opposition from Manxing’s in-laws at the beginning mainly because she did not have formal employment. Later, Tian Aiguo pulled some strings through his friends in Shanghai to get Manxing a job as a female worker in a textile factory. It’s worth noting that during the 70s and 80s, a female worker in the textile industry was comparable to a golden phoenix—more sought after than the civil servants of today!
Therefore, upon learning about Sisi’s family background, that they were retired old revolutionaries from Beijing and that she had brothers serving as high-ranking military officers, Manxing’s in-laws no longer dared look down upon the Tian Family. In the eyes of Shanghai people, only individuals from two places are not subject to their scorn.
One is Beijing, the Capital, and the other is Guangzhou, because the people from Guangzhou are richer than those from Shanghai. Hence, from that point on, Manxing’s status in the Hu Family rose considerably.