RGL – Chapter 44

When they arrived at the Zhao home and saw who was sitting in the living room, Su Min immediately regretted coming.

She never would’ve expected to run into Su Wenwen here of all places.

“Now you know why I didn’t want to stay in the house,” Xue Mian muttered. “She wouldn’t leave me alone. My aunt even wanted me to chat with her. So annoying.” He looked completely disgusted—he wasn’t about to waste his time playing social escort to someone like that.

Xue Nian was speaking with Director Gao. When she heard the front door open, she looked back and saw Su Min and Xue Mian.

Su Min gave a polite smile. “Hello, Auntie.”

Xue Nian stood up with a warm smile. “Xiao Min, you’re here. It must be freezing out—come in and have some hot water.”

Su Min nodded and followed Xue Mian inside, still carrying her backpack.

Su Wenwen also looked over. The sweetness on her face immediately twisted into something darker when she saw Su Min. But as soon as Xue Nian turned around, she forced a smile again, though a hint of displeasure still lingered on her face.

Seeing her expression, Xue Nian chuckled, “Wenwen, why do you look unhappy?”

Gao Long glanced over at his granddaughter and laughed. “Kids change moods fast. Now that two friends are here, why don’t you go play with them?”

Xue Nian smiled and added, “Yes, we adults are talking, you must be bored. Why not go hang out with Mianmian and the others?”

Xue Mian was about to take Su Min to his room, but upon hearing that, he immediately said, “Su Min and I are studying. Others would just distract us.”

Su Wenwen pouted. “I can study with you too.”

Gao Long smiled. “Yes, you and Xue Mian are in the same class, right? Perfect chance for classmates to bond.”

“I don’t have time.” Xue Mian dragged Su Min straight toward his room.

Su Min tugged on his sleeve, then pulled out the smoked pork from her backpack. “Auntie, my mom made this. She told me to bring some over for you to try. I always come over and just eat your food—I feel a little bad,” she said lightly, trying to ease the mood.

Xue Nian accepted it with a smile. “You’re too thoughtful!”

Su Wenwen muttered under her breath, “Can’t believe she brought that kind of thing…”

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The living room wasn’t very big, so as soon as she spoke, everyone heard her. The smile on Xue Nian’s face stiffened for a second, but she quickly recovered and said with a smile, “I actually really like this. Xiaomin, thank your mother for me.”

“Auntie, you’re too kind,” Su Min said with a smile.

Xue Mian, looking impatient, pulled Su Min straight into the room.

Su Min didn’t resist and walked along with him. But she stole a glance at the elderly man sitting beside Su Wenwen. If she guessed correctly, that must be her third aunt Gao Hong’s father.

Despite how impolite Xue Mian was being, Xue Nian didn’t seem upset. She simply smiled and said to Gao Long, “He’s spoiled by the old lady in our house.”

Gao Long chuckled and nodded, his refined face full of grandfatherly affection. “Our Wenwen is spoiled too. Her grandmother always says girls should be pampered, and she can’t stand the slightest bit of unpleasantness.”

Xue Nian’s smile faded slightly at his words. Wasn’t he implying her grandson had been rude to his granddaughter just now? She hadn’t even mentioned how Wenwen had made such an inappropriate comment earlier, putting her in an awkward position. And he called himself an educator—couldn’t even teach his own child well, yet still had the nerve to subtly criticize someone else’s.

If Mianmian did something wrong, the family could scold him. But outsiders? They didn’t get to say a single bad word.

Given Xue Nian’s current status, there really weren’t many people in the county who could make her feel wronged. She had only been so polite and welcoming to Gao Long and Su Wenwen just now out of good manners. Now that they’d annoyed her, she didn’t bother anymore. She quietly brought out some hot tea, set it on the table, and sat down to read the newspaper without engaging further.

Gao Long realized he’d said something offensive and felt a bit regretful. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to speak with County Chief Zhao and had already offended his wife. It seemed like things would be hard to handle from here on out.

He frowned slightly, sipping his tea in silence. Su Wenwen also noticed that the aunt who had seemed so friendly earlier now appeared displeased. Seeing Xue Nian’s cold expression, she didn’t dare say a word and just sat quietly off to the side.

When County Chief Zhao returned home, Xue Nian brought a tray of warm sweet soup into the room for Xue Mian and Su Min.

As soon as she entered, she saw her mischievous troublemaker nephew quietly bent over his desk, writing and drawing. The girl beside him was seriously reading a book. Neither spoke, but the atmosphere between them was remarkably harmonious. Xue Nian hesitated, almost unwilling to interrupt the peaceful scene.

“Take a break and have some sweet soup to warm up.”

Hearing her voice, Xue Mian put down his pen and turned to her, frowning. “Auntie, is that person still here?”

“She is,” Xue Nian replied, handing the sweet soup to Su Min. “They came to discuss business with your uncle.”

“Bringing your kid along to talk business—that’s a bit much.”

Xue Mian shook his head with a smile, then glanced at the book in Su Min’s hand. “How the Steel Was Tempered—that’s a good book. Do kids your age like reading this?”

Su Min smiled. “That kind of spirit is needed no matter what era it is.”

“You really are more mature than Mianmian,” Xue Nian said with a fond, joking tone. Her eyes, however, were full of affection. Xue Mian finished his sweet soup and said, “Xiaomin and I will just stay here until they leave. Oh, has Zhao Xue come back yet?”

“That one’s a handful too. Went out to play and won’t even be home for lunch,” Xue Nian replied, clearly exasperated about her son. Raising a boy had seemed like a good idea at first, but after a while, they became annoying to everyone. Girls really were better. Just look at this Su Min—so clever and considerate.

She took the two empty bowls and smiled. “Alright, you two take your time. I’ll call you when lunch is ready.”

After Xue Nian left, Xue Mian lost interest in drawing. He turned his chair around to face Su Min. “Why don’t you ever talk? Don’t you get bored just reading all the time?”

“I don’t mind. I’ve never been much of a talker.”

Xue Mian tilted his head, watching her quietly. Then, after a long pause, he said in a slightly aggrieved voice, “Su Min, I’m going back to B City in ninth grade.”

“Huh?” Su Min looked up at him. “You’re going back?”

“Yeah. My grandparents want me to attend high school in B City, so I’ll be heading back for ninth grade. These past two years, I’ve been staying with my aunt because my parents weren’t home and my grandparents were getting older. But they still want me to return to B City.”

Su Min was surprised by this news.

Xue Mian had always had such a strong presence—it never occurred to her that he might leave. She’d assumed he would stay, that they’d go to the same high school, keep sitting together. But now, suddenly, he was leaving.

Still, life was full of comings and goings. You never really knew when someone would leave your side.

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Su Min smiled to herself. After being reborn and returning to her childhood, she sometimes truly felt like a child again—she even found herself thinking from a child’s perspective without realizing it.

She smiled and said, “If you’re taking the high school entrance exam over there, then going back does make sense. And your grandparents are getting old—you should be by their side.”

“My aunt said the same thing,” Xue Mian lowered his head, hiding the disappointment in his eyes.

After a while, Xue Nian came to call Su Min and Xue Mian out for lunch.

When the two of them left the room, Gao Long and Su Wenwen were already gone from the living room.

“They finally left,” Xue Mian muttered as he sat down at the dining table. “Bringing a little girl along to talk business… that’s really something. They might as well have just said they came to visit relatives—it would’ve been more believable than calling it official business.”

“You brat, are you speaking with hidden meaning?” County Chief Zhao said with a smile, sipping his soup.

Xue Nian added, “Still, what Mianmian said isn’t wrong. I don’t want to entertain them next time either.”

“What on earth happened while I was gone?” Zhao looked puzzled, glancing at the two of them, but neither answered. Embarrassed, he took another sip of soup. Then, seeing Su Min eating politely and quietly, he smiled and said, “Eat more vegetables. Make yourself at home here.”

“I will, Uncle,” Su Min replied with a smile.

Zhao laughed and said, “Oh right, didn’t your family say you were planning to buy a house? The county has housing available now—are you planning to buy?”

“Yes, my dad even said the government’s policies are great—ordinary people don’t have to worry about housing anymore.”

“Your parents came from the countryside to start a business, but they’re quite open-minded. There are still some people who can’t bear to spend money and just want to hold on to every cent.”

Seeing the concern between his brows, Su Min thought for a moment, then smiled and said, “Elderly people don’t care much for things like housing or comfort anymore—not like young people, who enjoy a bit of indulgence. Around where we live, a lot of families are like that—the older generation doesn’t support buying houses, but the younger folks are always thinking about it.”

“But young people don’t have money,” Xue Mian said seriously.

Seeing the two kids so earnest, Zhao was intrigued and asked with a smile, “Since most of the money is in the hands of the older generation, it’s hard for young people to buy houses. If you were at the age to buy a house now, would you want to?”

“Of course,” Su Min nodded. “What young person doesn’t want to have a nice house to live in? I heard that in the U.S., people believe in spending in advance, so they live and dress however they like.”

“Spending in advance?” Zhao’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “You pay attention to international affairs too?”

Su Min was caught off guard and quickly thought of an excuse. “The house we’re renting now belongs to someone living abroad, so we’ve heard a bit about how people live there. I heard that people over there like to spend future money to enjoy life now.”

“Wouldn’t that just lead to a mountain of debt?” Zhao frowned.

“I’m not sure about that. But I was thinking—if young people could move into a house in advance and then slowly repay it with their future salaries, I think a lot of people would go for that.”

In her previous life, taking out loans to buy a house had become the norm.

Even many wealthy people used that method—taking out loans for property and using their surplus cash for investments. That way, after a few years, the loans were paid off and their businesses succeeded.

Zhao fell into deep thought after hearing what Su Min said.

After a while, he suddenly stood up. “I’m heading back to my room for a bit,” he said, and quickly walked off.

Watching him go, Xue Nian smiled at Su Min. “Don’t worry, that’s just how he is. When he gets an idea, he has to act on it right away—can’t even finish his meal first. Let’s keep eating. Have some more dishes.”

She used the serving chopsticks to put more food into Su Min’s bowl.

Others might not know, but she did—this girl must’ve just said something that gave Lao Zhao a great idea, which was why he ran off like that.

She remembered how the last time Su Min visited, Zhao came up with a new idea for developing the county. And now she’d helped him solve another issue. Xue Nian liked this child more and more.

If only she were her own daughter—so much less worry than that son of hers.

After lunch, Xue Mian dragged Su Min out shopping.

When Xue Nian heard he was going out shopping, her jaw nearly dropped. This kid usually never set foot outside—now suddenly he was willing to go out in this freezing weather?

Once they left the Zhao household, Su Min let out a quiet breath.

Talking to County Chief Zhao had made her feel tense the entire time. Even with mental self-suggestions, she couldn’t fully suppress her nerves.

Once they got to the street, Xue Mian tightened his scarf and adjusted Su Min’s for her too. “Su Min, how are you so smart?”

“Hm? Smart about what?”

Su Min looked at him in confusion. This perennial top student was actually calling her, the eternal number two, smart? Was he being sarcastic… or just sarcastic?

Xue Mian stuck his hands in his pockets. “What you said to my uncle just now shows you understand a lot. And you spoke to him in a very composed and appropriate way. You’re different from most people I know.”

Hearing that, Su Min’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly said, “Haven’t you heard the saying? ‘Poor kids grow up fast.’ While you all were playing at home, we already had to start thinking about our family’s future.”

Xue Mian frowned and stared at her for a long while before awkwardly turning away. “You won’t have to work that hard in the future.”

Su Min nodded. “I’ll take that as a blessing.”

After they got to the mall, Xue Mian went straight to a pen counter and bought a red fountain pen.

Once he paid and received the pen, he handed it to Su Min. “This is for you—an early New Year’s gift.”

Su Min took it in surprise. Just a moment ago, she was wondering why a guy like Xue Mian would buy a red pen—turns out it was for her. It was the first time a classmate had ever given her a gift, and she felt a sudden wave of emotion. She smiled and said, “I rushed out today and didn’t bring anything with me.”

Xue Mian looked out the window with a proud expression. “I knew you didn’t think much of me as a friend.” Then he glanced at her, feigning annoyance. “When I get back, you’d better make it up to me.”

“Alright, I’ve got it memorized.” Su Min felt her heart soften—she was already completely disarmed.

During winter break, Su Min didn’t stay idle. She and Liao Zhaodi split up to sell skewers. Liao Zhaodi stayed at the old shop under Sun Qiufang’s supervision, while Su Min went with Su Changrong to the new family shop to sell spicy hot pot.

One day, Li Meng dropped by the store, got tempted and tried two skewers. She found the taste excellent. After hearing from Sun Hai that he had learned this from Su Min and had even made money and opened a shop because of it, she immediately decided to set up a small space in her own eatery just for selling this kind of thing. It was the perfect thing to sell in the cold of winter—just when she had been worried about slow business.

Su Min smiled and said, “Auntie, if you really want to do this business, it’d be better to sell hotpot. In this weather, hotpot sells better than stir-fry.”

“Hotpot? But isn’t that something everyone can make at home?”

“Sure, but what matters most is the atmosphere. Eating it at home and eating it out just feels different—the taste, the environment. How about this: I’ll make a hotpot base for you to try today, and you can decide if it’s worth selling.”

“That sounds great. If it works out, I’ll buy you something tasty!” Li Meng said with a big smile.

Su Min had worked in a hotpot restaurant in her past life. While she hadn’t been in the kitchen, she’d picked up a thing or two.

She wasn’t claiming to have the skills of a master chef, but it’d definitely taste better than homemade. She hadn’t put too much thought into making the skewers before, but this time, to help her uncle, she made an effort to recall everything she remembered from her previous life.

She went with Li Meng to the market and bought various spices and chili oil. She also got several pounds of pork belly, which Li Meng rendered down for the fat using the chili oil.

Then they added bone broth and spices.

After simmering for a while, a delicious aroma began to fill the air. Li Meng swallowed hard. “It smells amazing, but isn’t the cost a bit high?”

“Auntie, you’re not giving people a whole pot. You simmer a big pot of bone broth, and as the liquid reduces, just add water and keep simmering. When customers come, ladle in some bone broth as the base, and add a spoonful of this spicy mix—that’s how the flavor comes out.”

“You can do that?” Li Meng cooked a piece of meat in the broth and tasted it. It really was delicious.

“It’s really fragrant—worth a try.”

Su Min said, “If you want to do it better, you should consider learning the craft in Chuancheng. The hotpot there is the real deal.”

Li Meng looked at Su Min with admiration. “Minzi, how are you so clever at your age? No wonder your uncle’s always saying you’ll do great things one day.”

She added, “But how do you know all this? Maybe I should talk to older sister and brother-in-law about it first—this is your family’s recipe, after all.”

“It’s fine. My parents aren’t in this business anyway. You and Uncle can go ahead and run with it. It’s just a fun new thing—it won’t last forever. If you want to make it long-term, you’ll still need to learn the authentic method somewhere else.”

Li Meng smiled. “We’ll give it a try first. If it really works, then we’ll go learn properly.”

Even though Su Min said it was fine, Li Meng didn’t feel right about starting the business privately. So when she and Sun Hai went to visit Grandma Sun, she brought it up with Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang.

She knew how highly Sun Hai regarded this second Sister and Brother-in-law. He had always been grateful to them, and she didn’t want any tension arising because of this.

After hearing about it, Sun Qiufang just smiled casually. “Minzi always liked brainstorming with her little uncle. Now she’s doing the same with you. It’s fine—whatever you two figure out, go ahead and do. Changrong and I can barely manage the shop as it is. We’re not looking to add anything new. But Minzi’s just messing around—whether it works or not, you two will have to decide.”

Li Meng laughed. “Sis, I already tried it—the flavor’s great. I even made some for Sun Hai last night. He loved it. I think this could work.”

Sun Qiufang smiled and said, “Then you two go ahead and give it a try.”

That evening, after leaving Sun Qiufang’s place, Li Meng brought up the matter with Sun Hai again. This kind of skill was a valuable thing—Su Min was still a child and didn’t understand that yet. But as adults, they couldn’t afford to ignore the rules. Otherwise, if the child grew up and thought back on this, it might cause a rift.

Li Meng said, “I’m thinking we should give Minzi a big red envelope for New Year’s.”

Sun Hai waved his hand with a smile. “Absolutely not. If you do that, Minzi might overthink it. Don’t be fooled by her age—she’s sharp. I think we should just buy her a nice outfit for New Year’s. You’re her aunt now anyway, so it’s only proper to buy her something.”

Hearing that, Li Meng quickly agreed. “Good thing you told me—otherwise I might’ve caused a real awkward scene.”

After the couple talked it over, it didn’t take long for them to get the hotpot corner up and running in their small restaurant. The aroma wafted through the streets, attracting many of their old customers to come try it out.

Some got hooked after just one taste and kept coming back for more.

This kind of thing was all about novelty—as long as the novelty didn’t wear off, business would stay good.

After just over half a month, their sales had already surpassed what they were making from stir-fried dishes.

And hotpot had lower costs. Plus, it saved them from constantly stir-frying dishes. All they had to do was prep the ingredients in advance and serve them when customers ordered. It made the work a lot easier.

They kept at it all the way until the 28th (of the lunar calendar), when they finally hung up the “Closed for the Holidays” sign.

On the first day of their break, Li Meng bought Su Min a brand-new fuchsia cotton coat. When Sun Qiufang saw it, she immediately recognized that it must’ve come from a high-end store.

“A child wearing something this fancy—what for?” Sun Qiufang said with a smile.

Li Meng laughed. “Young girls love looking pretty. And Minzi’s already so pretty—she should dress even prettier.”

Hearing Li Meng praise her daughter, Sun Qiufang was absolutely delighted. Now she finally understood why the old lady (Grandma Sun) liked this daughter-in-law so much—she really knew how to say the right things. Anyone would like someone like that.

Because they needed to host a wedding banquet back home to treat their village relatives, Sun Hai carried Grandma Sun on his back and took Li Meng back to their hometown on the afternoon of the 28th.

After seeing them off, Sun Qiufang asked Su Changrong, “What is it? Thinking about going back home too?”

“What are you talking about? Didn’t we say we weren’t going back this year?”

Sun Qiufang replied, “It’s not that I want to go back, but remember when Lanzi had her baby and sent us word? We didn’t go see her back then. We should at least go pay a visit.”

“Qiufang, you mean… you want to go back?”

Su Changrong looked at her in surprise.

Sun Qiufang gave him a sideways glance. “I’m going back to see Lanzi, but I’m not planning on stepping foot into the old Su family house. If you want to go, go on your own. I’ll just see Lanzi and head straight back. We’ve got two shops to manage now—even if you’re not worried, I am.”

Su Min, who was listening nearby, quickly said, “I’ll go with Mom to see Aunt Lan.” She definitely didn’t want to go to Second Uncle’s house again—that wasn’t celebrating the New Year, that was walking into a battlefield.

Since Sun Qiufang planned to spend New Year’s Eve in the city, the whole family headed back on the morning of the 29th.

Once they got to the town, Sun Qiufang and Su Min went to Su Lan’s place, while Su Changrong returned to his family home. He figured, after all, he was a son of the Su family—some responsibilities just couldn’t be avoided.

Su Lan’s new house had already been completed and moved into before the New Year. It was built on the original foundation.

When Sun Qiufang and Su Min arrived, Su Lan was sitting inside nursing her baby. She’d had a daughter this time, and it was clear the family was very fond of the child. Her clothes, shoes, and hat were all handmade by her mother-in-law—each piece meticulously crafted.

“This little girl is really adorable,” Sun Qiufang said, stroking the baby’s soft cheek.

“You’re here so early. Weren’t you coming back on New Year’s Eve?” Su Lan asked.

“We’re spending New Year’s Eve in the city. This trip is just to check on you and the baby. Your brother went to see the folks—we’ll all head back to the city afterward.”

Hearing that, Su Lan instantly understood there must’ve been some fallout with the family.

She didn’t say anything about it, just asked about how Su Changrong and the rest were doing. When she learned they had already opened a second shop, she was genuinely happy. “That’s great. I never imagined my big brother could actually run a business. But ever since he went to the city, it’s just been getting better and better.”

Sun Qiufang smiled. “His mind actually works pretty well—it just hadn’t opened up back when we were living in the village. He was muddled all the time. But once we got to the city, he started to wake up little by little.”

“Li Qiang and the others are going to work in the city now. There’s no work left for the construction team, so they’re planning to head to the city to help build houses. We didn’t hear about it before the New Year, and other towns got ahead of us. This time, they plan to start after the New Year,” Su Lan explained.

“Really? If I had known, I would’ve let you know earlier. I didn’t even realize what was going on,” Sun Qiufang said, showing a hint of regret.

Su Lan laughed, teasing the baby. “I don’t care about his business. Right now, I’m focused on raising my two kids, and everything else is his responsibility. Anyway, now that we’ve opened a shop, it’s not too bad. We’re making some money.”

Sun Qiufang, curious, asked, “You’ve opened a shop? Where is it? I didn’t see it.”

“It’s over by the town station. You probably didn’t notice when you came. I had Li Qiang find a shopfront over there and set up a stall. We mainly sell breakfast, and in the afternoon, we sell noodles and other stuff. The town is getting busier, so this business is still making a profit,” Su Lan explained.

Sun Qiufang chuckled, “You really have a knack for business.”

Su Lan sighed. “I’m just doing this to make a living. By the way, sister-in-law, since you’re in the city selling general merchandise, do you have any snacks I could wholesale? I want to bring some back and sell them at the station. That way, I can take the kids and look after the stall.”

“That’s no problem. Whenever you have time, just come find me and your brother. Let him take you to buy the goods. Su Changfu went with him last time to buy stuff; they even had a bit of an argument over it,” Sun Qiufang said with a smile.

Su Lan pouted. “No wonder he suddenly opened a shop. I didn’t realize my brother was helping him. I heard their shop is doing well. There aren’t many people selling this kind of thing in the town, so a lot of people come to their shop.”

Sun Qiufang shook her head. “Even so, he doesn’t appreciate what we’ve done for him. He thinks we haven’t helped enough. He wants us to shove money into his pocket before he’s happy. This time, when buying goods, Changrong went with him, and your third brother paid half of the money. Who knows if he’s even repaid it yet. Changrong and I are just done with their matters. Every time, it’s nothing but trouble.”

Su Changrong came over during lunch, and he didn’t seem off at all, his expression normal.

The Li family was very warm and welcoming. Although it wasn’t New Year’s Eve yet, they knew Su Changrong and the others were planning to head back to the city after lunch, so they prepared a big spread of food—almost as good as New Year’s dinner.

Su Changrong happily drank a few cups with Li Qiang and Li’s father. When he heard Li Qiang was going to work in the city, he invited him to visit his place when he had the chance.

Watching Su Changrong talk more than usual, Sun Qiufang turned to Su Min and said, “Your dad’s drunk again,” her tone full of concern.

Su Min furrowed her brows. Her dad was like this—either extremely happy or without any concerns, and that’s when he would drink more. Otherwise, he was always sober. Even when eating at Aunt’s house, he wouldn’t be this cheerful.

Could something be bothering him?

After dinner, Sun Qiufang talked to Su Lan for a little while longer before preparing to leave for the city.

Before leaving, she reminded Su Lan, “If you need to buy goods, come to the city and find us.”

As Sun Changrong and the rest of the family walked away, Su Lan asked Li Qiang, “What’s up with my brother? He seems like he has something on his mind.”

Li Qiang replied, “I just heard Dad say that when he came back, he saw some trouble at the Su family’s place. It seems like your third brother, third sister-in-law, and second brother’s family had a big fight. They were really yelling, but no one knows what it’s about.”

“Can they really fight?” Su Lan asked, surprised. Though she didn’t visit often, she knew the family had been very supportive of the three families. It didn’t seem like they would fight.

When the family arrived at the station and was waiting for the bus, Sun Qiufang asked the same question.

“Changrong, what happened today? Didn’t you say you were staying over there for lunch? Why did you go to Lanzi’s house so early?”

Su Changrong squatted down and rubbed his face.

Su Min and Sun Qiufang both looked at him with concern.

Su Changrong sighed. “Turns out the 200 yuan that Changgui gave Changfu was borrowed from the school teachers. And Changfu hasn’t made any effort to pay it back. Changgui never asked for the money either. But with the New Year coming up, the teachers reminded him, and since Changgui couldn’t come up with the money, his wife told Gao Hong. When Gao Hong found out, she caused a big scene at home today and almost got into a fight. I couldn’t stay there anymore, so I came over to find you.”

“Changgui borrowed money for Changfu?” Sun Qiufang laughed, “Does he have no money after all these years?”

“They say Gao Hong’s been controlling everything.”

“Well, that’s what he deserves. If he were capable, he wouldn’t let Gao Hong control everything. The old man and old lady might not have treated us well, but they’ve been really good to them. They haven’t shown any gratitude. Just from that alone, Changgui is in the wrong. And Changfu—borrowing money and not paying it back. Good thing we didn’t lend them any money. Otherwise, we’d be the ones fighting with them this year.”

Sun Qiufang felt that the situation with her in-laws was really just a farce.

Su Min also found it quite absurd. She remembered in her previous life that the third uncle’s family and second uncle’s family had always kept their distance, with the third uncle’s family being supported by the second uncle’s family after his return. How had it all escalated into this in this life?

It seemed that when there were no conflicts over interests, they were brothers, but when conflicts arose, brothers could easily turn into enemies.