RGL – Chapter 19

Sun Qiufang had no idea what her eldest brother was thinking. After chatting with Sun Hai, she became concerned that it was getting late and told Su Changrong they should return to Village.

Grandma Sun originally wanted the couple to stay for dinner, but knowing that her daughter and son-in-law were likely busy even during the New Year festivities, she didn’t insist. She just asked Sun Hai to escort them to the entrance of the village.

Sun Bing didn’t say much. He followed behind them, sulky and downcast.

Watching his younger sister, who, aside from saying she was going back, hadn’t exchanged a single word with him from start to finish, made him feel even worse. She had so much to talk about with Xiao Hai, but couldn’t even spare a word for her own elder brother. Clearly, their relationship had grown distant.

On the way back, Sun Qiufang and Su Changrong discussed what to do once Sun Hai left for the city.

“Changrong, let’s not mention this to anyone back home when we return. Otherwise, Mom and Changfu might start having ideas,” Sun Qiufang said. She knew that if this matter got out, they’d be the ones in the wrong.

Su Changrong didn’t think it was that complicated. “Don’t overthink it. Changfu already has a job in town. Even if he knew we were making money, he wouldn’t want to follow us around picking up junk. We can swallow our pride and do this—he can’t.”

In his opinion, no matter how profitable picking up recyclables might be, a secure job—a so-called “iron rice bowl”—was still more valuable. Who knew how long they could make a living off collecting junk? If the national policy changed, they’d all be back to farming anyway.

Sun Qiufang agreed. She herself thought this was a good way to earn money and wanted to help her brothers from her mother’s side of the family, but she also worried that her in-laws would have objections. Yet, perhaps her in-laws didn’t think much of it to begin with.

“Forget it. Let’s not say anything. The less trouble, the better.”

Su Min had been silent the whole time. She had just heard Su Changrong mention Second Uncle Su Changfu’s job. Recalling her previous life, she knew Su Changfu’s job was already nearing its end. At the beginning of this year, his family was planning to build a house in town. Not even two months after it was finished, he lost his job.

All of this required money. The family’s financial situation must not be exposed to Grandma and the others. If they found out her family was earning money in the city, they would definitely make a fuss and demand it.

She looked up at Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang and, after thinking for a moment, casually said, “Mom, Dad, when I was home earlier, I heard Grandma and Second Aunt talking about building a house in town. They said it would cost a lot of money. Is Second Uncle really building a house in town?” Regardless of anything else, she decided to give her parents a heads-up first.

Su Changrong was startled. “Building a house in town? Did your grandma and Second Aunt really say that?”

Sun Qiufang also looked at Su Min in surprise.

Su Min quickly nodded. “Yeah, Grandma said it would take a lot of money to build a house for Second Uncle in town. She wasn’t sure if the family’s savings would be enough. Mom, Dad, please don’t tell Grandma I said this, or she’ll give me trouble again.”

Hearing this, both Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang felt deeply uncomfortable.

Where did Changfu’s family get the money to build a house in town? Over the years, aside from Dad’s income, everything had come from farming. Even if it wasn’t the main source, it still added up. Now that money was being quietly used to build a house for the second son’s family, without even a word to them.

Back when the couple went to the city, the family only gave them just over a hundred yuan, then didn’t care about them at all. But now, for Changfu’s house, their parents were already making arrangements. The favoritism was crystal clear.

Su Changrong glanced at Sun Qiufang and saw that her face had gone pale. He said, “Qiufang, forget it. Didn’t we always say the family money was for taking care of Mom and Dad in their old age? It’s theirs. Let’s not interfere.” Of course, he felt even more bitter than Sun Qiufang, but he was also more restrained. Even if their parents were being biased, he couldn’t throw a tantrum like a child. Not only could he not make a scene, he also had to maintain peace in the family.

Su Min asked, “Mom, Dad, if Grandma and Grandpa don’t have enough money, will they ask us for it? In the past, whenever the family had money, they always found a way to take it from us.”

Sun Qiufang’s face darkened. She gritted her teeth and said, “I don’t care if it’s true or not—if that old lady dares ask us for money for this, I won’t give a single cent. When I was hunched over in the wind and rain collecting trash, did anyone feel sorry for me? If anyone dares to set their sights on my hard-earned money, I’ll fight them for it!”

“Alright, alright, we won’t give it. I never said we would,” Su Changrong quickly reassured her. They had worked so hard for this money; there was no reason to use it to build a house for the second brother’s family. They themselves were still renting a dilapidated shack—there was no obligation to help anyone else build a house.

Back home, Sun Qiufang’s face looked better, though she still didn’t speak to Grandma Su or Li Yulan. In her eyes, those two were leeches, just there to suck her blood.

Su Min quickly followed her into the room.

As for Su Changrong, he was stopped by Grandma Su to help with chores. He looked at the room where Sun Qiufang and Su Min had disappeared, sighed, and said nothing.

Inside the room, Sun Qiufang immediately noticed something was off about her bag. The clothes she had folded neatly before leaving were now disarranged. Though they were still in the bag, it was clear someone had rummaged through them.

Su Min noticed too. “Good thing we took the valuables with us. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have found anything when we got back.” And even if the money was gone, she was sure Grandma and Second Aunt would never admit to taking it.

Sun Qiufang angrily flung open the door and started shouting in the courtyard, “Who’s the wretched soul that dares rummage through someone else’s bag to steal things during the New Year? Don’t they have any shame left? If I find out which thieving hag did this, I’ll definitely report her to the town authorities!”

“What are you yelling about?” Grandma Su came out of the kitchen, her face flushed with both anger and embarrassment.

“Exactly. Sister-in-law, you’re scolding people like that — anyone listening would think one of us stole something from you!” Li Yulan followed closely behind, also stepping out of the kitchen.

Sun Qiufang looked at the two of them and snapped, “I didn’t name names, so what are you so nervous about? I’m just worried an outsider snuck into the house and rifled through my bag. I know exactly what my bag looked like — one glance and I can tell if someone’s touched it. Don’t treat me like a fool. I just didn’t expect that even when I leave my bag inside, someone would still dare steal from it. What kind of long-handed thief do we have in this village?”

She kept calling the culprit a “thief,” making Grandma Su and Li Yulan’s faces go from red to pale and back again. After the eldest son’s family had gone out, the two of them had figured that since they just came back from the city, they probably brought some goodies. That bag was bulging — who knew what valuable things were in it?

Grandma Su didn’t even think it was stealing. To her, anything her son and daughter-in-law brought home belonged to the family anyway. As the matriarch, what was wrong with checking what was in the bag? But after rummaging around and finding only clothes and no money, she was sure they must’ve taken the cash with them. Otherwise, how could there be not a single cent left?

Now, Sun Qiufang came back and started shouting — wasn’t that just slapping her in the face?

Grandma Su, fuming, snapped, “Sun Qiufang! Are you just looking for a fight on New Year’s? You haven’t even given our Su family a male heir, and now you’re smearing us like this? How heartless can you be?”

Li Yulan quickly chimed in, “Exactly, sister-in-law. Can’t we talk this out nicely? Why make such a scene in front of the whole family?”

“What scene? All I know is my bag was tampered with. Am I supposed to just stay quiet about that?” If it had been in the past, she really would’ve stayed quiet. But now, Sun Qiufang had figured things out — no matter how much she put up with, they still looked down on her. She might as well be fierce and stop wronging herself.

Li Yulan hadn’t expected it. The sister-in-law who used to be silent and obedient, who worked diligently for the family without complaint, had turned into someone completely different. She was at a loss.

She glanced at Grandma Su and, realizing it wouldn’t be wise to argue directly right now, rolled her eyes and said, “Sister-in-law, you just went to the city once — how did you change this much? No wonder people say not everyone is suited for the city. One trip and look at you, turning against your family. If this keeps up, you’ll be tearing down the house next.”

Grandma Su thought that made sense. Back then, her eldest daughter-in-law used to follow everything she said obediently. Now she talked back and even started trouble on her own. She really had changed too much. “I think you and Changrong shouldn’t go back to the city anymore. That place is no good. Stay here and farm the land properly. Changfu and his wife are about to move to town — someone needs to work the fields.”

“Work the fields?” Su Min immediately picked up on the key point — it wasn’t just farming, but helping with farming. “Help who, exactly?”

Grandma Su glared at her. “Of course, help your second uncle! Otherwise, how are they supposed to eat in town?”

The moment those words came out, not only did Sun Qiufang’s face darken, even Su Changrong’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He stepped over to stand beside his wife and said to Grandma Su, “Mom, I never planned on coming back to farm again. Qiufang and I are doing just fine in the city. We don’t need to rely on farming here.”

“What do you mean doing fine? Then who’s going to till the land? Your father and I are getting old — we can’t keep doing this.”

Sun Qiufang sneered, “Then whoever wants to farm can go ahead. It’s not our turn anyway. My bag was clearly gone through, and since I don’t know who it was, I can only curse: whoever stole from me during the New Year, may their hand rot. This year, whoever’s hand rots — that’s who did it.”

With that, she turned around and walked back into the house. If it weren’t New Year’s Eve and improper to leave right now, she would’ve left this house immediately.

With this uproar, Su Changrong had no mood to continue helping either. He followed Sun Qiufang back inside. Su Min quickly followed them as well.

Outside, Grandma Su was still muttering and swearing, but no one paid her any attention. They’d had enough of arguing with her.

Sun Qiufang sat on the bed, reorganizing her bundle. She was already planning that as soon as the New Year’s Eve was over, they’d head back to the city right away.

“Su Changrong,” she said, “let me make myself clear now. If you dare give even one cent to Su Changfu, I won’t let it slide. Li Yulan backstabs me like that, and your mother treats me this way — I’m not going to play the fool anymore. You heard her just now. She even dared to say we should farm for Su Changfu? What does she take us for, tenant farmers? At least tenant farmers get paid — your mom’s heart is darker than any landlord’s.”

Su Changrong listened as his wife vented, all the while thinking about his own situation. He used to believe their family was fairly harmonious. Sure, his mom was always picky, but they rarely fought. Now he realized that supposed harmony was just the result of him and his wife constantly swallowing their pride. They worked hard every day, never argued, never fought for anything — of course things seemed peaceful. And even then, his mom still picked on them.

Now that he wasn’t constantly sacrificing for the family, they started disliking him like this — was there even a single person in the family who truly treated him with sincerity?

“Sigh, from now on, let’s come back less often. And when we do, don’t say much — just be like the third brother. Once the New Year’s over, we leave and don’t bother with anything else.”