RGL – Chapter 30

“The family is busy, I can’t leave right now. I’ll be back with Minzi once we’re done,” Sun Qiufang said coldly. If it weren’t for helping build a house for the second son’s family, Su Lan’s child wouldn’t have passed away. After the incident, they didn’t even bother to visit. This couple is really heartless.

Li Yulan noticed her attitude and felt unsettled. She remembered how Su Changfu had told her that Su Changrong’s family had moved into a large house in the city and opened a shop. She couldn’t help but suppress her discomfort. Now, the eldest son’s family is nothing like it was before.

She smiled and said, “You’re busy with your business, it’s okay if you couldn’t make it back. Building a house doesn’t compare to your opening a shop, after all.”

Sun Qiufang nodded, “It’s good that you understand.”

Li Yulan had originally intended to throw in a sarcastic remark to prick at Sun Qiufang, but to her surprise, Sun Qiufang simply played dumb and responded with that. She immediately felt embarrassed. She pursed her lips, “Go ahead and take your seat, they’re about to start.”

After saying that, she walked towards the room.

Sun Qiufang pursed her lips, grabbed Su Min’s hand, and followed her into the room.

This time, there were quite a few people from the village attending the banquet. Sun Qiufang greeted them, chatting briefly with her third aunt, who worked their land.

After Su Changfu bought land and built a house in the town, everyone in the village was envious. This time, they came in a lively manner, saying many flattering words.

Grandpa Su was also quite pleased with himself, sitting at the main table and drinking with everyone.

Grandma Su also came out to greet a few people, then came over to ask Sun Qiufang to come inside to talk.

Sun Qiufang was talking to her third aunt when she heard Grandma Su’s words, and the smile in her eyes faded. She excused herself from her third aunt and followed her inside. Seeing this, Su Min quickly got up and followed as well.

“Why hasn’t Changgui’s family returned?”

As soon as Sun Qiufang entered the room, the old lady asked sternly.

Sun Qiufang put on a straight face and replied, “How would I know? We don’t live in the same place. If you want to know, you should ask Changfu, he was the one who invited them.”

Hearing her push the responsibility to Su Changfu, Grandma Su scowled, “How could you not know? You’re all from the county, why didn’t you come back and inform us?”

“I’ve been busy too. Who has time to worry about all these things?” Sun Qiufang’s tone was getting worse. This old lady was just unreasonable. It wasn’t the third child’s fault for not coming to the banquet, but she was blaming them. What kind of logic is that?

When Grandma Su heard her say she was busy, she immediately sneered, “Busy with what? Busy with opening a shop, huh? How dare you even mention that. When it was New Year’s, Changfu came to you asking to borrow money to build a house, and you said you couldn’t afford it, that you were living hand to mouth. So how is it now that you’ve got money to open a shop?”

Sun Qiufang retorted, “So what? Is it wrong for me to borrow money? What’s wrong with opening a shop? How does that concern you?”

“Borrow money, from who? Your family’s so poor they can’t even make ends meet, can they lend you money? In the end, isn’t it all Old Su family’s money that’s funding this shop?”

Sun Qiufang was infuriated by her shamelessness and couldn’t help but laugh, “Even if my family is poor, when Changrong and I moved to the city, they gave us money. And as for your Su family, didn’t you give all your money to Changfu to build a house? When did you give us money to open a shop?”

Grandma Su was livid when she heard Sun Qiufang talk back, gritting her teeth, “And now you’re defending yourself? The money that you and Changrong earned, isn’t that all from the Old Su family? You can’t even have a son, you only have this one daughter, and in the future, all of Changrong’s money will go to Cancan. Why don’t you ever consult the family when you’re spending money?”

Li Yulan, listening to Grandma Su’s words, felt very pleased. She saw that Sun Qiufang’s face had turned red with anger and worried that she might cause a scene if this continued, so she quickly said, “Mom, big sister-in-law rarely comes back, please calm down. Let’s talk things through, they will listen.”

Grandma Su, upon hearing the advice, finally relented, “Fine, I won’t press the matter anymore. Now, Changfu and Yulan borrowed money to build their house. You and Changrong should take some money out to help pay off the debt. Also, the supply and marketing cooperative isn’t doing well now, and Changfu and Yulan are thinking about opening a shop in the town so they can earn some money. You and Changrong should figure out how to help them with the inventory and lend them some money to get started.”

Sun Qiufang, hearing this shameless request, was so angry that she found it laughable. Where did this old lady get the nerve to ask her and Su Changrong to do all the hard work for the Old Su family?

At first, the reason she and Su Changrong didn’t speak or manage things at home was because they lived in the old house, working the land alongside everyone else, and didn’t want the family to be in constant turmoil. But now that they had separated, each living their own lives, who could still be bothered about the others?

“Why aren’t you responding?” Grandma Su glared at Sun Qiufang.

“There’s no way to respond. The money that Changrong and I have is ours. When we were poor, we didn’t ask the Old Su family for money. Now that we have money, don’t think we’ll give it back. In the future, Changrong’s money will go to Minzi. Even if she marries, it will go to my son-in-law. If you want to give it to someone else, don’t even think about it.”

Sun Qiufang said this firmly, without a trace of politeness.

After all, if a quarrel was going to happen, let it happen—who was afraid of whom?

Grandma Su had originally thought that it would be a simple matter of saying one word, but she didn’t expect her daughter-in-law to be so bold and refuse outright, even stating that her money would go to outsiders but not her own eldest grandson. She nearly spat blood out in fury.

She grabbed Sun Qiufang’s clothes. “You shameless thing, your conscience must have been eaten by dogs. I’ll make sure Changrong divorces you!”

Seeing Grandma Su getting physical, Su Min quickly tried to pull her hand away.

Sun Qiufang also yelled back, “Divorce? If you have the guts, go ahead and tell Su Changrong to divorce me. If he listens to you, then I won’t stay with him either.”

Grandma Su, provoked by her words, immediately reached out to grab Sun Qiufang’s hair.

Su Min, unable to break free, screamed loudly, “Help! The old lady is hitting people!”

Li Yulan had been hoping that the old lady would teach Sun Qiufang a lesson, hoping that Sun Qiufang would soften. But to her surprise, Su Min started shouting, and she immediately realized it was bad.

Sure enough, the guests outside heard the noise and rushed in. Seeing Grandma Su pulling at Sun Qiufang, a few aunts quickly came over and pulled them apart.

Sun Qiufang’s hair was messy, and her clothes were wrinkled. Seeing more people in the room, she cried out, “How can we live like this? Changrong and I work so hard outside, finally saving up some money, and as soon as we return, the old lady wants me to subsidize the second son’s family. What’s the fairness in this? Everyone, tell me, what’s the reason for this?”

Su Min also shouted loudly, “My mom says no, and my grandma hits people. This is the new society, how can she still hit people like this?”

Many of the people present were also wives, and they knew how difficult it was if a mother-in-law was unreasonable. Some of them, seeing Grandma Su’s actions, felt that her heart was cold. Even if a mother-in-law favored her own children, it was wrong to take money from other children for that.

Grandma Su, furious, yelled, “Heartless woman, a hen that can’t even lay eggs! I’ll make sure Changrong divorces you!”

“Old sister, what kind of words are you saying? How can you ask for a divorce between your son and daughter-in-law?” An elderly woman pulled Grandma Su aside to advise her.

Sun Qiufang smiled coldly. “Let me put it this way. If you want Changrong and I to divorce today, I will no longer recognize you as my mother-in-law. In the future, during festivals, I won’t come back. Let all the villagers here bear witness. Today, it’s not because I, Sun Qiufang, am not a good daughter-in-law. It’s because this mother-in-law doesn’t recognize me as her daughter-in-law.”

A few aunts tried to mediate. “Qiufang, don’t say things like that. The old lady was just confused for a moment, she didn’t mean it.”

“Yeah, Qiufang, don’t say things out of anger.”

But Sun Qiufang was already too upset to listen. The more they spoke, the more irritated she became. “I’m done saying my piece.” She grabbed Su Min’s hand and walked out of the room.

She didn’t care about the loud scolding and crying from Grandma Su behind them.

They didn’t even get to drink the banquet wine. Before the agreed-upon time to meet with Liao Zhaodi, Sun Qiufang simply took Su Min and went to visit her grandmother.

When they arrived at Sunjia Village, Grandma Sun had just finished eating. Zhang Guihua, feeling resentful because Sun Qiufang helped Sun Hai but not Sun Bing, naturally didn’t greet them kindly.

But Sun Qiufang, still irritated by Grandma Su’s actions, didn’t want to talk to her. She went straight to the room where Sun Hai used to live, gave Grandma Sun some money, and told her about Sun Hai’s current situation.

Knowing that Sun Hai was doing well outside and had started his own business, Sun Qiufang finally felt relieved.

“I’m sorry to trouble you and Changrong,” Grandma Sun said with red eyes.

“It’s fine, Mom. Xiao Hai is a thoughtful person, and he still helps Changrong and me. I’m very grateful to him. He even said that once he’s successful, he’ll come back to bring you to live in the city,” Sun Qiufang replied.

“Oh, why burden yourself with that? You should just live well on your own. I’m fine here. Take this money back, and let him take care of himself. Starting a business takes capital, so he can’t afford to waste time.”

“Don’t worry, Mom, we’re not short on money,” Sun Qiufang said, tucking the money into Grandma Sun’s pocket.

Su Min also added, “Grandma, take this. I saw how Mom and Uncle treat you so kindly, so I want to follow their example and be kind to you, too.”

Sun Qiufang smiled, “Look at you, now I’m your role model. Mom, you better hold on to this. Later, my daughter might not be as filial as me.”

Grandma Sun smiled and nodded, “Alright, I’ll take it. You also tell Xiao Hai to take good care of himself.”

Su Min then took out a coat she had bought for Grandma Sun with her own earnings. “Grandma, I bought this with my own money. It’s my way of showing respect.”

“Minzi also bought me something. What a good child.” Grandma Sun looked at the coat and laughed. “Such a nice coat, it’d be a waste for me to wear it. You should buy yourself a skirt instead.”

Having never worn new clothes in her life, Grandma Sun couldn’t believe that her granddaughter had bought her one. She was overjoyed.

Zhang Guihua, overhearing the laughter outside, angrily threw down a basin. Glancing toward Grandma Sun’s direction, she went back into her house to find Sun Bing.

“Look at what your sister is doing. She’s taking Sun Hai out but not taking you.”

Sun Bing sulked, “I’ve already got my own family now. I have a house and land, so what’s the point of going out?”

“You good-for-nothing,” Zhang Guihua said, tapping his head, her expression full of disappointment.

Before they left, Sun Qiufang talked to Sun Bing for a while. Even though she was a little disappointed in this brother, he was still her flesh-and-blood brother.

Sun Bing remained silent for a while before finally speaking up. “Qiufang, can you let me go to the city to earn money too? Xiao Hai is making money now, and my wife is starting to complain about me.”

Hearing this, Sun Qiufang sighed. “Big brother, there are some things I won’t say to the Su family, but you’re my real brother, so I have to talk to you. If you and your wife are determined to rely on your own abilities to earn money, you don’t need me to take you. You can support yourself in the city. But if you’re not putting in the effort, then even if you rely on others, you won’t make any money. Changrong and I are doing okay in the city, but that’s after a long struggle. In the beginning, we didn’t even have a place to stay; we were picking up scraps, getting looked down on everywhere. Can you and your wife handle that kind of hardship?”

“Then what about Sun Hai?”

“Sun Hai also made money by picking up scraps. Later, he thought of starting another business, and neither Chongrong nor I helped him. He didn’t even borrow capital from us.”

Now Sun Bing didn’t know how to respond. The idea of picking up waste and being laughed at was something he couldn’t bear. Not only her, but even Guihua wouldn’t have agreed to it.

He thought of what Zhang Guihua had said earlier and reluctantly said, “Just help out a bit, offer some guidance. My wife and I are really carrying a heavy burden.”

Sun Qiufang saw that he still wanted someone to help, so she firmly said, “I don’t have much to guide you on. Just one thing: work hard and be bold. If you and your wife can do that, then go to the city.”

She glanced at the time and said, “I need to catch a bus, so I’m planning to head back with Minzi.”

Sun Bing nodded and watched her leave the courtyard.

Once Sun Qiufang left, Zhang Guihua came out of the house. “So, what did Qiufang say?”

“She said that even Sun Hai went to the city by picking up scraps first, and later figured out how to do business on his own. She and Chongrong didn’t help him at all. She also said that if we want to go to the city, we just need to be hardworking and bold.”

“Didn’t she mention helping out at all?” Zhang Guihua frowned.

“Well, she said that. What else can I say? I think Qiufang’s point makes sense—if we’re making money through our own abilities, it wouldn’t be right to ask others for help.”

Zhang Guihua sneered after hearing this. “Making money through your own abilities? Well, you need to have that ability first.”

When Sun Qiufang and Su Min arrived at the station in town, Liao Zhaodi was already waiting there. Upon seeing them, she happily ran over.

“Aunt, Su Min, you finally came.”

Su Min said, “Why did you come so early?”

Liao Zhaodi smiled and said, “My sisters sent me here, and they had to hurry back to work, so they left first.”

The three of them got on the bus, and Liao Zhaodi kept happily chatting about things at home.

This time she came back, her sisters were all very happy, especially when they saw the new clothes and items she bought. They cried with joy. Although her grandparents were angry about her following her mother to remarry, they didn’t say anything.

“My sister said my dad is getting married. I don’t know how things will go from here.”

Su Min said, “Your dad has always wanted a son, so marriage was inevitable. Fortunately, your sisters are all teenagers now, and they can take good care of themselves.”

After returning home, Sun Qiufang erupted in anger at Su Changrong.

Su Changrong was completely puzzled and confused as to why he was being scolded.

“What’s going on? Did I eat some bad food or something?”

Sun Qiufang angrily replied, “It’s all because of the problems in your family.”

She explained everything that had happened at home to Su Changrong and then asked him what he thought about the old lady wanting them to divorce.

“Divorce? Why would I divorce? Am I out of my mind? Why would I divorce such a good wife?” Su Changrong quickly reassured her, “Qiufang, don’t you know what kind of person I am? We’ve been through so many years together. How could I divorce you? If the old lady keeps making a fuss, I won’t agree.”

“What if she threatens to kill herself?”

“How could the old lady do that? She values her life too much. I’m her son, I know her well.”

Hearing this, Sun Qiufang couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Su Min also laughed along. She didn’t realize her father was such a sensible person.

Su Changrong said, “I understand everything at home. Don’t worry, all our property will go to Minzi, no matter who causes trouble. Please understand my situation. After all, I’m a Su, and even if the old lady is difficult, she gave birth to me and raised me. Over the years, I’ve suffered, but isn’t that the way it is for children? If you don’t like things with the old lady, I’ll handle them. If she hits or scolds me, I’ll bear it. Don’t worry about the rest.”

After hearing him speak so comfortingly, Sun Qiufang felt her anger dissipate. “No matter what, I’ll be like Gao Hong next time, showing my attitude. If your family comes over again, I’ll give them a cold shoulder. Don’t blame me for it.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. If everyone shows their attitude, it won’t be any different for us,” Su Changrong said humorously, which made Sun Qiufang speechless.

Although this caused a lot of trouble, Su Min secretly felt a bit relieved. After such a commotion, her mother would not let the old lady manipulate her anymore. As for her father, he would have to listen to her mother.

The weekend passed in a noisy way, and by Monday, Su Min was still recovering from the hustle and bustle. Her short vacation was over so quickly.

When she entered the classroom, Su Wenwen was already seated. Upon seeing her, Su Wenwen suddenly smiled.

Su Min shivered all over, not sure if she was overthinking, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Su Wenwen’s smile held some deep meaning.

Soon, Su Min figured out what Su Wenwen was so smug about. After the first class on Monday, Wu Laoshi called Su Min into the office to discuss the class change.

“Class change? Why do I need to change? I’m doing fine in this class.”

Wu Laoshi wasn’t sure how to answer. In his opinion, although Su Min was a transfer student, her grades were good, and she had always been a role model in the class. Moreover, teaching her was a point of pride for him. Even if the credit didn’t go to him, he would still be happy about it.

Unfortunately, an order had come from above, and he could only follow it.

“Su Min, several of the teachers in Class One are experienced. It would be better for you if you go there.”

“Thank you, teacher, but I don’t plan to change classes for now. I’ve gotten used to being here, and I don’t want to switch to another class.”

Wu Laoshi heard her refusal and could only say, “Su Min, let me explain. The school has made adjustments, and they want to move you to Class One. You’ll need to accept the school’s arrangement.”

It’s not beneficial to go against the school.

Su Min picked up on what was going on, but as a student, especially a transfer student, she had no real say in the matter. In the end, she had no choice but to follow Wu Laoshi’s instructions, pack up her books, and get ready to switch classes.

Xue Mian, who had been drawing on his desk, noticed her packing up and asked, “What are you packing for?”

“Teacher Wu said I’ve been moved to Class One, so I’m packing up to go there.”

“Class One? Why suddenly move there?” Xue Mian straightened up.

Su Min shrugged and said nonchalantly, “I don’t know.”

“How can they change classes like this? The school is going too far. Do you want to go to Class One? Aren’t you fine here?”

Xue Mian’s voice was a bit anxious. The thought of Su Min leaving and him being left alone in this class made him uncomfortable.

Su Min sighed, “What’s the big deal? It’s all about studying anyway. Whatever the school arranges, we have to follow. If we don’t want to, can we refuse?”

“Of course not,” Xue Mian said seriously.

Su Min smiled helplessly. Some people would never understand the helplessness of ordinary people.

Once Su Min moved out, Xue Mian started packing his things. After a while, he went to find Wu Laoshi in the office.

Wu Laoshi tried to persuade him for a long time, but Xue Mian refused to back down. He insisted on being in the same class as Su Min.

Wu Laoshi suspected he was having a crush, so he kindly advised, “You’re still young. You should focus on studying and not think about other things.”

Xue Mian looked completely confused. “Teacher, where is your mind going? Su Min is my academic competitor. Without her, I’ll be distracted and my studies will suffer. Isn’t school about studying? I have to take responsibility for my grades. If the school doesn’t take my problem seriously, I’ll ask my parents to formally talk to the school.”

Wu Laoshi was taken aback. How did students get so articulate nowadays? The kid even knew how to phrase things. “Formally talk to the school”—he knew exactly what that meant.

But since the student made a request, as the homeroom teacher, Wu Laoshi had an obligation to pass it on to the school. The problem was, there were only two students in the class with outstanding grades. If both of them left, the class’s exam results would look bad, and who would he turn to?

“I’ll discuss this matter with the school. Just wait patiently.”

After sending Xue Mian off, Wu Laoshi went to the principal’s office to discuss the situation.

When the principal heard that Xue Mian wanted to transfer classes, he immediately made a decision. “Fine, let Su Min return to Class Three.” The education bureau had pressured the school to move Su Min, but they couldn’t afford to offend County Magistrate Zhao’s relatives.

There was no need to weigh the options; the principal’s decision leaned toward County Magistrate Zhao’s side.

After leaving the principal’s office, Wu Laoshi felt relieved and happily hummed a song as he headed to Class One to pick up his students. He didn’t care about the behind-the-scenes dealings. After all, when gods fight, the mortals suffer. This time, the gods had lost, and the mortal had benefited.

When Su Wenwen saw Su Min walk into the classroom behind Wu Laoshi, she was so angry that her mouth twisted in frustration.

When Xue Mian saw Su Min sit down, he smiled so widely that his eyes narrowed into slits.

“Hey, looks like we’re destined to be desk mates.”

Su Min had no idea what had just happened. She had barely sat down in Class One before Wu Laoshi came and moved her back. She thought to herself that either the school had lost its mind, or she had done something foolish.

However, when she looked at Su Wenwen and thought about the smug look earlier and her current angry expression, she had some guesses.

But even if she guessed the truth, she could only accept it. Sometimes, the system is stronger than the individual.

Su Wenwen was so upset about Su Min not being transferred that she didn’t even feel like attending class. As soon as school was over at noon, she ran home and threw a huge tantrum.

Gao Hong was so angry she had a headache, but there was nothing she could do. She had received a call from her father at work. The principal had said that if this matter escalated, it would end up with County Magistrate Zhao’s official, and they would all be at a disadvantage.

Although she was determined to protect her daughter and find a way for her, she didn’t want to involve her father in this situation.

“Alright, alright, I’ll have your teacher change your seat so you can sit closer to Xue Mian. You can communicate more with him and improve your studies.”

When Su Wenwen heard this, she finally stopped crying. Her eyes red, she sniffled, but her dislike for Su Min only grew stronger.

Su Min didn’t have the time to care about whether Su Wenwen liked her or not. She had been worried about her father’s illness for a while, so after pestering him for a few days, she finally waited for the weekend. She dragged Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang for a check-up, and even pulled Sun Hai along.

After the physical exams, the family was all healthy, except for Sun Qiufang, who was a bit anemic. Su Min sighed in relief and then went to the pharmacy to buy some iron supplements for Sun Qiufang.

With her family healthy, Su Min felt happy. A few days later, Xue Mian brought her good news again. Su Changrong’s household registration could be transferred to the county’s textile factory’s logistics department, and Su Changrong himself could report to the factory.

Su Min felt like she had just won the lottery.

“Xue Mian, are you serious?”

“Of course, I’m serious. Don’t be silly. Go home quickly. Tell your dad not to be late. By the way, although it’s a transfer, they won’t pay a salary. Once the household registration is transferred, your dad will be laid off.” Xue Mian tugged at her braid, grinning as he carried his schoolbag and left.

Su Min took a while to process what he had said. She grabbed her bag and rushed out.

When she arrived at home, she told Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang the news.

It took them a long time to react. Finally, Su Changrong asked, “Do you think your classmate is telling the truth?”

Earlier, when his daughter had mentioned this, he had thought she was just talking playfully, so he hadn’t gotten his hopes up. But now, it seemed like it was really happening.

Su Min replied, “Whether it’s true or not, we’ll find out once we go. He may be young, but he doesn’t seem like the type to lie.”

Sun Qiufang added, “If this is true, our family really owes him a huge favor. Should we buy something and go thank him?”

“I still need to check with Xue Mian. We can’t just give any gift casually.”

The next day, Su Changrong went to the textile factory with a nervous heart. After reporting his name to the security guard, they called the office, and soon someone came out to take him through the procedures.

Su Changrong felt like he was walking on air the whole time, as though he were in a dream.

When he got home, he showed his work ID to Sun Qiufang. “Qiufang, pinch me, is this real? Am I really a worker now?”

Sun Qiufang pinched his ear. “Is this a dream?”

“It’s really not a dream.” Su Changrong laughed happily.

At school, Su Min also thanked Xue Mian and subtly expressed her desire to visit his uncle and thank him.

Xue Mian smiled and said, “No need to go. If you really want to thank him, just let your parents do good business. When their business grows and contributes to the county, that’ll be the best way to thank him.”

Even though he said that, Su Min couldn’t take it to heart.

She knew that she owed Xue Mian a huge favor this time.

Two months later, Su Changrong was able to officially transfer his household registration. Sun Qiufang and Su Min, as his spouse and child, also transferred their registrations.

For this matter, Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang made a special trip back to their hometown to get the household registration book and handle the transfer.

It was then that Grandpa Su found out that his eldest son had managed to get a city household registration.

“Don’t think you can just take the household registration book. If you want it, bring money.”

Grandma Su was sitting in the doorway with a chair, looking like she wouldn’t give the book unless money was paid. She glared at Sun Qiufang as if she were about to eat her alive.

Sun Qiufang was too lazy to argue with her. “If you don’t give it, I’ll go to the police station and tell them about it.”

“Don’t scare me. The police won’t care about this.”

“Why wouldn’t they care? Even if the household registration book is at home, we have a right to it as part of the family. If you won’t let us take it, that’s illegal.” She had come prepared this time.

Grandpa Su took a few puffs of his cigarette. “Give them the household registration book.”

“Old man, what are you doing?” Grandma Su glared at him angrily.

“I said give it, so give it. Hurry up!” Grandpa Su shot a glare at Su Changfu. “Changfu, go get it and give it to Changrong so he can transfer the household registration.”

Su Changfu was reluctant but dared not refuse. He could only hold back his anger and go inside to get the household registration book.

Grandma Su tried to stop him, but when she saw the look Grandpa Su gave her, she quickly withdrew her hand. Although she usually bossed everyone around at home, Grandpa Su was still the head of the family.

After a while, Su Changfu reluctantly brought out the household registration book.

Grandpa Su took the book and handed it to Su Changrong. “Now that you’ve made something of yourself, the family won’t hold you back. But Changrong, remember that even if you’ve got success, don’t forget your family.”

Su Changrong took the household registration book, “Dad, my brothers have all grown up and started their own families. As the eldest, I can only take care of myself now.”

Grandpa Su furrowed his brows but didn’t say anything.

The process of getting the household registration book was smooth, and Sun Qiufang felt a sense of relief. She quickly followed Su Changrong to the town government to handle the paperwork.

Once they left, Grandma Su started crying again, “Old man, how could you be so foolish? If you don’t take the money opportunity today, when will we have a chance like this again?”

Grandpa Su took a puff of his cigarette, his eyes looking out the door, “You don’t understand. Changrong isn’t like he was before. He’s successful now. If you keep causing trouble with him like you did in the past, he might really stop acknowledging us. Changrong is a person who values feelings. If we treat him well now, it’ll be easier to talk to him in the future.”

Grandma Su, hearing this, was somewhat dismissive. What feelings? He was still her son, and they all had to listen to her.

After completing the paperwork at the town government, Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang hurried back to the county and went to the textile factory to finalize the procedures. They got a certificate and then went to the county government.

After a whole day of running around, they finally transferred their household registration to the city.

Looking at the city household registration book, Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang nearly cried from excitement.

With the city household registration, they felt they had truly settled down.

Now, they were thinking about buying a house of their own.

The family now had over 20,000 yuan in savings, which was no small amount. It would be enough to buy a house in the city. However, they couldn’t find a big house right away.

When Su Min heard they were planning to buy a house, she immediately suggested they expand their store.

The family business was going well now, and sometimes they made over 1,000 yuan in a month. They could easily bring in more goods to sell.

Su Min remembered that many small supermarkets had been built from small convenience stores.

The family business was now running smoothly and could easily be expanded. In the future, they could even follow a supermarket model. Also, there were no good houses to buy at the moment. If they wanted to buy a house, they’d need to wait for a few years until the real estate market developed. They could even flip houses then. It would be better to seize the opportunity now and focus on growing the business. When more opportunities came, they could grab the commercial chances.

When Sun Hai heard Su Min’s idea, his eyes lit up. He realized that his niece was much sharper than he was. This little girl may be young, but her mind was vast. She thought further ahead than the adults.

He said, “Sister, Brother-in-law, you should really consider what Minzi said.” As an outsider, he didn’t want to say too much.

Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang were hesitant.

Their lives were going well now, and all they were missing was their own house.

But Su Min was still a child. She could make suggestions, but whether they would act on them ultimately depended on Su Changrong and his wife.

That night, Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang lay in bed discussing the matter.

Sun Qiufang turned over and looked at Su Changrong, “Do you think Minzi’s suggestion is right? Should we try to earn more money while we have the chance?”

Su Changrong didn’t say anything and was also thinking about it.

After a moment, he said, “Actually, I think Minzi is right. We’ve been in business for so long, and we’ve watched the business grow and make more money. If we expand now, we’re sure to make more. It’s just that I’ve been wanting to buy a house, so I’m having trouble making the decision.”

Sun Qiufang slapped him, “You’re such a fool! If we can make money, why worry about it? I was worried before because I thought if we expanded and couldn’t make money, we’d have no money left to buy a house. But now that we know we can make money, what’s the problem? Once we earn more, what house can’t we buy?”

Su Changrong was stunned for a moment. “So, you mean we should expand the business?”

“Yes, let’s take one more gamble. If we win this time, our income will double. Changrong, we’ll really be rich people in the city.”

Before, they had been poor villagers. Now, they could be rich people in the city.

Sun Qiufang smiled and squinted, “Let’s give it a try. Minzi may be young, but she’s capable. After all, this business will be hers in the future, so let’s listen to her and give it a shot.”

Su Changrong turned over and pulled her into his arms, “Wife, I’ll listen to you.”

The next morning, at breakfast, Su Changrong announced his decision to expand the family store.

“Dad, are you sure about this?” Su Min asked excitedly.

“I’m sure. Your mom and I are still young, so we can take the risk. But you, if we continue the business, we won’t be able to buy a house until next year or the year after. If the business fails, we might not even be able to buy a house.”

Sun Qiufang glared at him when he mentioned the business failing, “Can you say something positive for once in the morning?”

“Alright, alright, I spoke wrong.” Su Changrong slapped his mouth.

To expand the store, they needed another storefront. Su Changrong immediately rented the adjacent space, knocked down the wall, and promised to restore it to its original condition when they moved out.

The store was now twice the size, and Su Min helped them organize the space—rice and grain, dried goods, spices, snacks, and fruits. The more than 30 square meters were arranged neatly.

Su Changrong renamed the convenience store to “Rongfang Supermarket.”

“Final exams are coming soon. What are your plans for the winter break?”

After school, Xue Mian asked Su Min as he carried his schoolbag.

Su Min nodded, “I’ll study at home during the winter break and help watch the store.”

Xue Mian felt a little disappointed when he heard this. He had even invited Su Min to go to B City with him for fun. “Can’t you go out? You could come to my house, and we could do our winter homework together. We’ll have someone send you back.”

Hearing Xue Mian’s invitation, Su Min smiled and said, “Even if I wanted to go, my parents wouldn’t let me leave the house. Besides, I promised Zhaodi I’d take her out to earn money during the break.”

“That girl from Class 5?” Xue Mian knew Su Min usually went home with a girl named Liao Zhaodi from Class 5.

He felt a little sour inside. With a frown, he turned and walked away, carrying his bag.

Was he upset now?

Su Min was puzzled as she watched him leave the classroom, wondering what she had said wrong. Why did he get upset so quickly?

What Su Min didn’t know was that for the next few days, Xue Mian didn’t talk to her at all.

She felt that boys were so hard to understand. When Xue Mian ignored her, she just quietly focused on her homework.

Xue Mian had intended to act moody, but since Su Min didn’t fall for it, he was left feeling frustrated. He couldn’t get angry with her, so he just sulked at home.

County Magistrate Zhao noticed that his once well-behaved nephew had reverted to his old self again.