RGL – Chapter 45

When the family had a falling out, Su Changrong naturally didn’t want to go back home. He decided to take Sun Qiufang and Su Min back to the city.

This time, the quarrel at home was so intense that he felt even more unwilling to return. But, after all, his parents were still there. No matter how bad it was, they were still his father and mother, and he would have to come back and see them in the future. But he could no longer feel the same way about it as before.

Once back in the city, Sun Qiufang started preparing food for the New Year. She invited Zhu Qiang and Zhang Hui’s family over for dinner that evening.

Zhang Hui, hearing that they were inviting them over, arrived early to help Sun Qiufang with the cooking.

Liao Zhaodi, meanwhile, was in Su Min’s room, reading a book.

“Su Min, Uncle Zhu said he wants to bring Zhu Xiaobing into business, and my mom also said that once I finish middle school, I should stop studying,” Liao Zhaodi said.

“What? Why stop studying? With your grades, you can easily go to high school!” Su Min put her book down. “You’ve been working so hard these past two years, you’re now one of the top five students in the class. If you stop studying, it would be such a waste!”

Liao Zhaodi lowered her head and sighed. “My mom said that since Xiaobing isn’t studying anymore, if I continue, people will say that Uncle Zhu doesn’t care about his own child but favors outsiders.”

“That makes no sense. Zhu Xiaobing isn’t studying because he chose not to, what does that have to do with you? Zhaodi, think for yourself. If you want to study, the money you’ve saved these past two years is enough to cover your high school fees. You can study hard and sign up for school yourself. Who’s going to stop you? And when I have the chance to earn money, I’ll bring you along too. Don’t worry about tuition.”

Su Min had been watching Zhaodi’s efforts closely. While Zhang Hui and Zhu Qiang were busy making money at the market, Zhaodi had been doing her fair share of housework—washing clothes, cooking—and still managed to maintain good grades. If she gave up her future just because of other people’s gossip, it would be such a waste.

It might seem like no big deal now, but in the future, she’d realize how important what she gave up really was.

Su Min knew that she wasn’t a genius or a business prodigy. She hadn’t learned everything just by not studying. Having suffered because of a lack of education in her previous life, she understood the frustration better than anyone.

That’s why, in this life, she worked hard to study, hoping to do well and go to college.

Zhaodi had become one of her closest friends, and she didn’t want her to give up her future due to momentary weakness.

Zhaodi didn’t want to give up on studying either, but when she thought of the difficult look on her mother’s face, she couldn’t bring herself to be selfish.

“Zhaodi, listen to me. Don’t rely on anyone else. Study for yourself, don’t owe anyone anything, and don’t sacrifice yourself for anyone.”

Looking at Su Min’s serious face, Zhaodi suddenly felt more confident. It seemed completely possible—she could rely on her own ability to study and go to college.

In the kitchen, Sun Qiufang was talking to Zhang Hui about the children’s matters.

Zhang Hui, while chopping fish pieces, laughed, “Your daughter Minzi is really impressive. Not only are her grades good, but she also knows how to do business. Xiaobing was saying how delicious your skewers are.”

“Oh, she just came up with it on her own, just stumbled upon it by chance,” Sun Qiufang said humbly, though she felt very proud inside. Her daughter wasn’t just a standout in the village—she was hard to find even in the entire county.

Sun Qiufang wanted to mention that Liao Zhaodi was also doing business with her daughter but remembered that Su Min had said not to let anyone know, including Zhang Hui. So she kept quiet about it.

She thought to herself, these two mother and daughter were really strange—why did they have to hide such good things from each other?

Zhang Hui smiled, “I’m also thinking of letting Zhaodi quit school after middle school and help out in the market. The business at the market is doing well. Zhu Qiang and I plan to bring the kids into it. When we’re older, they can take over the stall.”

“Wait, Zhaodi’s not going to study anymore?” Sun Qiufang looked at Zhang Hui in surprise. “It’s not like you don’t have the money for her education—why stop her from studying?”

“Ah, Xiaobing doesn’t want to study anymore, and now he’s helping Zhu Qiang sell pork at the market. Since he’s not studying, it’s not really fair for Zhaodi to continue. If relatives and friends find out, they’ll say Zhu Qiang is neglecting his own child and favoring others. I thought about it, and honestly, girls don’t really need an education. It’s better to do business at the market so we can earn more money in the future.”

“You really are…” Sun Qiufang suddenly stopped herself. Some things were just not something an outsider like her could comment on. But she couldn’t help but think that Zhang Hui was usually quite clear-headed, so why was she so muddled when it came to being a stepmother? Being a stepmother should focus on reputation, but she couldn’t let her own child suffer. This is how it goes—being a stepmother is great, but the biological mother doesn’t do her job well.

In the future, when it comes to taking care of her parents in their old age, she would still be relying on her biological daughter. As for Zhu Xiaobing, considering his current state, relying on him to take care of her in the future was as likely as a steel tree blooming.

That evening, Zhu Qiang and Zhu Xiaobing also arrived.

Su Changrong and Zhu Qiang were already very familiar with each other. As soon as the food was served, they sat down, drinking and eating while chatting. Zhu Xiaobing sat beside them, skillfully pouring wine.

“You kid, how can you drink at this age?” Zhu Qiang looked at him unhappily.

Zhu Xiaobing furrowed his brows and slammed the bottle down. “You never cared about me before, so why are you caring now?”

Seeing this, Su Changrong quickly pulled Zhu Qiang aside and turned to Zhu Xiaobing, saying, “Alright, Xiaobing, it’s the New Year, let’s keep things peaceful. Don’t argue with your dad.”

“I’m not arguing with him,” Zhu Xiaobing replied, eating a few bites of food and acting like a grown-up. Suddenly, his chopsticks fell to the floor. He furrowed his brows and loudly called out, “Liao Zhaodi, where did you go? Get me a new pair of chopsticks.”

Liao Zhaodi reluctantly came out of the room, went into the kitchen, and brought out a clean pair of chopsticks.

Su Changrong shook his head in silence, not knowing what to say.

Su Min saw this from the door and, noticing Zhu Xiaobing’s attitude and how Zhu Qiang didn’t say anything despite being upset, she suddenly felt a bit strange.

Indeed, no matter how good a person was, when it came to right and wrong, they still chose their own son.

This made her even more determined: she would never let Zhaodi sacrifice her own happiness for others.

Things like marriage and dropping out of school to do business weren’t worth it.

Although there were some small hiccups along the way, the adults didn’t let their enthusiasm wane. The two families sat together and happily had an early New Year’s Eve dinner.

Sun Hai and his wife, along with Grandma Sun, returned on the afternoon of the first day of the New Year.

As soon as they got back, Sun Hai shared some news with everyone.

Sun Bing and Zhang Guihua were planning to come to the city. They were leaving after the first month.

“Are the two kids not studying anymore?” Su Changrong was the first to ask.

Grandma Sun shook her head. “Guihua is acting like she’s possessed—she insists on coming to the city. All the land at home has been rented out, and she’s telling Yan Yan and Qiangzi not to study for now. She wants them to earn money like Minzi and then come to the city to study when they have enough money. Sun Hai and I have tried to talk to her, but she just curses at us. We can’t do anything. Bingzi is just listening to Guihua and won’t hear anything we say.”

Sun Qiufang was furious upon hearing this. “They don’t know what’s good for them. Let them do whatever they want. Don’t try to stop them, or they’ll think we don’t want them to make money.”

“Second sister is right. Big brother and sister-in-law are already stuck in this. If we try to stop them, they’ll really see us as enemies,” Li Meng immediately agreed. Back when she was at their hometown, she didn’t want to get involved in this. She had already known what her brother and sister-in-law were like before she even married in. She hadn’t planned to build a good relationship with them. It was only because she had just married in that she couldn’t speak up. Otherwise, she would have argued with Zhang Guihua long ago.

Su Changrong sighed. “Forget it, don’t worry about it. Xiao Hai, you’re married now, so you should take care of your own family first. If Big Brother really needs our help, they’ll come and ask us. If we intervene too much, Big Sister-in-law will have something to say about it.”

Sun Hai nodded. He had been feeling quite helpless these past few days. He couldn’t do anything, and just watching made him frustrated, so he came to the city early.

After dinner, Li Meng helped Sun Qiufang clean up the dishes in the kitchen. After a while, Sun Hai came in.

Sun Qiufang teased him, “What’s wrong? It’s only been a little while since you separated, and now you’re coming to find her?”

Li Meng blushed at her words and replied, “Sis, he wouldn’t do that.”

Sun Hai also blushed. “Sis, I came to find you.”

Sun Qiufang, hearing this, gave her younger brother a look of exasperation. In such a good atmosphere, a smart person would have admitted it right away to make his wife happy. But he was quick to deny it.

She said, “What’s the matter?”

“Li Meng and I discussed it at home, and we’re planning to move to a new house after the New Year. We’re thinking of getting a first-floor apartment with two rooms. We want to bring Mom to live with us. After going back this time, we’ve decided we don’t want her to go back anymore. Now that Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law are so determined to come to the city, Mom definitely won’t be living with them anymore. We can’t let her go back alone.”

Sun Qiufang frowned. “Mom’s been doing fine here. Why make her go through all this?”

Sun Hai sighed. “Sis, you know Mom’s feelings. She’ll be okay living with us for a few days, but over time, she’ll have concerns. Besides, you’re married now. If your in-laws find out you’re taking care of Mom and not helping brother-in-law’s parents, they’ll gossip.”

Li Meng, who had felt a bit hurt by Sun Hai’s earlier denial, quickly forgot about it when she heard him bring up the matter. She followed along with his suggestion. “Sun Hai and I are not under any pressure right now. It’s just right for Mom to live with us. You’re still taking care of Minzi, and managing the new shop. It’s really too much for you.”

Sun Qiufang wanted to take care of her own mother, but the things Sun Hai and Li Meng said were real and practical difficulties.

Su Changrong was a good man, but it was hard to understand why a daughter should take care of her mother’s family. If she were to grow old, she would never let Minzi take care of her and Changrong.

She said, “If you want to do this, don’t rush. It’s hard to find a place to live right now, and it would be a wasted effort. It’s better to wait until our new house is finished, then we can move in and live in our own new house.”

“Your new house?”

“Yes, this is something your brother-in-law and I have already discussed, but we haven’t told you. The houses the county built, we’ve already reserved two of them. They’re both large three-bedroom homes. Since you can’t buy a house with a city household registration, your brother-in-law said he’ll give one of the houses to you to live in. If you get on your feet later and still want the house, we’ll transfer it to you. If you don’t want it, the house will be left for Minzi to live in later.”

“Sis.” Sun Hai pursed his lips, unsure of what to say. He just felt a blockage in his chest and didn’t speak for a long time before finally saying, “Sis, you and brother-in-law don’t need to be this good to me.”

Sun Qiufang sighed with a smile, “Your brother-in-law and I have watched you grow up. If you succeed, we’ll be happy too. We can’t help much, but if there’s something we can do, we’ll lend a hand. I know Big Brother is uncomfortable and feels like your brother-in-law and I are biased. I admit, I have a better relationship with you, but if he and Zhang Guihua weren’t so unreliable, would I really not care about him as my brother? People need to have something worth helping before others will lend a hand. So, until Big Brother stands on his own, don’t interfere. Otherwise, he and Zhang Guihua will never realize their mistakes.”

“I understand, Sis,” Sun Hai nodded.

After the conversation, Li Meng went to greet Grandma Sun and then left with Sun Hai to go home.

On the way, Sun Hai wrapped Li Meng’s face tightly with his scarf. The couple held hands as they walked home.

“Li Meng, no matter how we live in the future, we can never forget the help from sister and brother-in-law. Don’t ever be like Big Sister-in-law. I can’t accept that.”

“I remember. I don’t need you to tell me, I’ll never forget how Big Sister-in-law treated us.”

After the Lantern Festival, the county town began to get busy.

Su Min enrolled at school and discovered that Xue Mian had indeed not returned.

She finally realized that her long-time deskmate would never come back.

When class began, Teacher Wu announced that Xue Mian had transferred schools.

Looking at the empty seat, several high-achieving students immediately eyed it. In the end, the girl who ranked third in the class during the final exams, Wu Xiaojuan, was assigned to sit there.

Throughout the class, Su Min couldn’t focus. Sometimes, when she turned her head and saw an unfamiliar face instead of the one she was used to, it made her feel a little dazed.

It wasn’t until the entire day passed in this way that Su Min realized how powerful habits could be.

In March, the county introduced a new policy. Workers from the state-owned factories in the county who wanted to buy a house but were short on funds could apply for a loan through the factory and borrow money from the bank. They would pay back 20 yuan a month until the loan and interest were cleared.

Once this policy was announced, people in the county who wanted to buy houses but didn’t have the money suddenly became excited.

Though they had houses to live in, they were cramped in a single room, where turning around meant bumping into someone. In the past, they had no other choice, and they were okay with it. But now that there were bigger houses available, who would still want to live in such tight conditions?

Some people, quick on the uptake, started doing the math. Buying one house and paying 20 yuan a month wasn’t too difficult. If they rented out their old house, it could help ease some of the repayment pressure. Most of the family worked in the factory, so 10 yuan a month wasn’t a big deal.

Once this idea spread, more people realized that buying a house was really a good thing. Not only would it be more comfortable to live in, but it would also be an asset to own in the future.

After all, factory houses weren’t really theirs—what if they were taken back one day? So, it was better to buy a house and feel secure.

Various reasons tangled together, so the office responsible for loan applications at the factory was packed with people wanting to buy houses every day.

Soon, the first batch of houses being built in the county was sold out.

“That Minmin is indeed a smart kid. She doesn’t say much, but every time, she hits the nail on the head,” said County Mayor Zhao, smiling as he drank tea.

Xue Nian, sitting on the sofa knitting a sweater, looked up at him and said, “It’s rare to hear you praise someone.”

County Mayor Zhao laughed, “This kid is really quite impressive; she deserves some praise. His friends, none of them compare to her.”

“You’re still saying that. Mianmian called me yesterday and asked me to keep an eye on Su Min. If anything happens, I should let him know. Now, I’ve become the messenger. But my parents, too—they had Mianmian doing fine here, but they couldn’t wait a year and had to send him back to school. If that was the case, why bother sending him here in the first place?”

“Your father’s health hasn’t been great lately. It’s good for Mianmian to go back and spend time with him,” County Mayor Zhao understood the situation a little better. Now that Mianmian was almost 15 years old, an adolescent, even if the old man couldn’t take care of him, he probably wouldn’t feel comfortable letting him stay outside. The third generation of the Xue family couldn’t go astray. This time, when Mianmian returned, he was likely in for a tough time.

In April, the first batch of houses in the county was finally completed.

Su Min’s family had paid their deposit early, so they were the first to receive their house.

The houses being built were two households per floor, with their doors facing each other. At first, Su Changrong had wanted to buy one of the door-to-door units. But the design was one three-room unit and one two-room unit per floor, so there was no choice but to buy the two units on the second and third floors.

After a whole day of searching, both families stopped doing business and came to view the houses.

“This really looks great,” Su Changrong looked around inside and out, then said to Sun Hai, “Let’s go buy some cement and lime tomorrow, and we’ll paint the house inside and out. We’ll also buy some nice furniture. From now on, we’ll be real city folk.”

“It’s all thanks to you and Qiufang,” Grandma Sun sighed. She felt content with her life. Her younger son and daughter-in-law were great, and her son-in-law and daughter were so filial.

Su Changrong smiled, “In the future, Little Hai will definitely do well. Just wait for your good fortune.”

Grandma Sun chuckled, “I’m already enjoying good fortune now, not waiting for later.”

Su Qiufang and Su Changrong had already decided that the second-floor apartment would go to Sun Hai to live in, as it would be more convenient with the elderly person living with him. They would stay on the third floor since it was the right height, neither too high nor too low.

After looking at the third-floor apartment, Su Qiufang led Li Meng to see the second-floor unit.

Seeing such a spacious house, Li Meng was also surprised.

“You and Sun Hai can live here for now. The house only cost a few thousand yuan. With your and Sun Hai’s situation, this house isn’t a problem. If you like it, we can transfer it to you. But since you don’t have a registered household yet, we’ll just write an agreement privately,” said Su Qiufang.

Li Meng, upon hearing this, didn’t even look at the house anymore. She took Su Qiufang’s hand, “Sis, don’t be so formal with me. You and brother-in-law have done so much for us. Sun Hai and I would never doubt you. We don’t need any written agreement. If you really write one, Sun Hai would get upset with me.”

When Su Qiufang heard this, she couldn’t help but laugh. Whether it was said from the heart or not, it still felt warm inside. Her and Changrong’s intentions hadn’t been in vain.

After seeing the house, Su Changrong and Sun Hai went out to buy materials and together repainted the house.

Both families also went out to buy furniture together.

With the house purchased, Su Changrong no longer held back on spending money. They bought the best furniture available.

They picked an auspicious day, and both families moved into their new home.

Looking at the cozy and well-decorated room, Su Min was almost moved to tears.

After two lifetimes, they finally had their own house, their own home.

While Su Changrong and his family were happy, Su Changgui’s situation was quite different.

Since the New Year’s dispute at the old home, Gao Hong had been giving him a cold shoulder. On top of that, he hadn’t repaid the money he borrowed from the school, and many teachers had been whispering behind his back that he was unreliable.

Thinking back to how he once had a happy life and a smooth career, where he was treated politely by others because of his father-in-law’s connections, now, because of the burden of his family, he was harshly criticized by his in-laws. Gao Hong was at odds with him, and even Wenwen wasn’t paying attention to him as a father anymore.

If he had known it would turn out like this, he shouldn’t have gone back for the New Year. No, he shouldn’t have been involved with his family’s problems from the very beginning.

That night, after work, Su Changgui came home feeling down, barely daring to speak.

Gao Hong was having dinner with Su Wenwen, ignoring him completely.

Su Wenwen gave a heavy sigh, and both she and Gao Hong ate and chatted as if Su Changgui didn’t exist.

“Gao Hong, Wenwen, are you eating?” he asked quietly.

Gao Hong snorted, “Can’t you see?”

“Oh, then I’ll eat too.” Su Changgui mumbled and went to the kitchen, only to find that there was barely anything left in the pot. Feeling a little sour inside, he scraped the pot and put the leftover bits in a bowl.

When he entered the living room, Su Wenwen had already gone to her room, and Gao Hong was cleaning up the dishes.

Su Changgui hurried over, “Gao Hong, are you still mad?”

Gao Hong sneered, “What do you think? Didn’t your mom say I’m a person who just eats and never spits it out? Well, now I’m doing exactly that—I’ll eat and not spit it out. If you want to eat, go cook it yourself. There’s no food for you here.”

“Gao Hong,” Su Changgui said helplessly, “This is still our home.”

“Your home? Isn’t it in the town? The other day, when your mom was cursing at me, why didn’t you say anything? Su Changgui, you’re not a man, that’s fine, but your wife was being bullied, and you didn’t say a word,” Gao Hong said, her eyes red with anger. She had never been cursed at like that in her life. That old woman from the countryside actually dared to curse at her. Su Changfu and his wife were just standing there, supporting her, and Su Changgui didn’t say anything.

How did she end up marrying such a useless man?

Su Changgui, feeling guilty, lowered his head slowly under Gao Hong’s scolding. “Gao Hong, what do I need to do for you to forgive me?”

“Forgive you?” Gao Hong looked at him coldly. “If you want me to forgive you, then you’d better kneel down and swear you won’t go back to the old home again. Otherwise, I won’t let this go!”

“Gao Hong, but that is my hometown! If I don’t go back, it doesn’t make sense,” Su Changgui said.

“What doesn’t make sense? Didn’t Su Changrong and his wife not go back either? Why can’t you be like them? How come you can’t even compare to Su Changrong? How stupid was I to marry such a man?”

Her words hit Su Changgui’s soft spot. He suddenly looked up, glaring at Gao Hong.

Seeing this, Gao Hong stepped back, “What kind of look is that? Su Changgui, you think you’re tough now?”

Su Changgui immediately realized his mistake. He quickly stepped forward, “Gao Hong, you misunderstood. I didn’t mean it.”

But Gao Hong wasn’t listening anymore. She had been spoiled by her family growing up, and since marrying Su Changgui, he had always been obedient to her. He had never raised his voice, let alone looked at her with that kind of threatening expression.

Furious, she said, “Go away, I’m going home with Wenwen today. You can stay here and live your life.”

With that, she turned and walked into Su Wenwen’s room, slamming the door shut.

Su Changgui knocked on the door several times, but no one responded. After a while, Gao Hong appeared with Su Wenwen’s backpack, both mother and daughter with cold faces. She shoved Su Changgui aside and walked out the door.

Looking at the open door and the empty house, Su Changgui slowly squatted down on the floor.

How did life end up like this?

When Gao Hong and Su Wenwen entered the house, Gao Long and Gao Mother were sitting at the table, having dinner. They had been thinking about their daughter when they saw Gao Hong open the door.

Gao Mother looked at her in surprise, “Why are you here at this time? Where’s Changgui?”

Gao Hong, still furious, pulled Su Wenwen onto the sofa and tossed the bag to the side. “Don’t mention it, he’s getting tough now. I just said a few things to him, and he snapped back at me. Just now, he looked like he was about to eat me alive.”

“What? Su Changgui is that bold?” Gao Mother stood up in shock. “Who gave him the nerve to glare at you like that?”

Gao Hong pouted and leaned back on the sofa. “Well, this time, unless he kneels and begs for forgiveness, I won’t go back.”

“That’s how it should be,” Gao Mother agreed. “I married such a good daughter to him, and all these years, he’s been treated well, being a leader at school, getting all the good things. And this is how he treats my daughter.”

“Did Changgui really do that?” Gao Long set down his bowl and tea cup and sat next to her.

Gao Hong fumed, “Can I be lying? Dad, you didn’t see him. He looked like he was going to eat me alive. I think if I hadn’t been able to speak up all these years, he would have hit me by now.”

“He dares!” Gao Mother’s face turned red with anger, and she narrowed her eyes. “Tomorrow, I’ll call the school and have him come to the house. I’ll make sure to have a serious talk with him.”

Upon hearing this, Gao Hong immediately grabbed her mother’s hand and said reluctantly, “Mom, don’t do that. I’ve already told him I’m not going back. If you call him over, it’ll look like I want to go back. I’ll lose face. This time, I want him to come crawling back and apologize. I’m staying here for now.”

Gao Long nodded. “You two handle this, but don’t go too far. Men should have some pride. Don’t push Changgui too hard.”

Gao Hong sneered, unconcerned. “No matter how much pride he has, I can crush it.”

With that, she stood up, grabbed her bag, and went back to her room.

Su Wenwen quickly followed her.

“Mom, do you really think this will work? Do you think Dad won’t come to get us?”

“He wouldn’t dare.” Gao Hong changed clothes and sat on the bed. She looked at her daughter and said, “Wenwen, remember this. When you get married, you need to do the same. Men are like this—if you treat them well, you won’t get anything in return. You have to make sure he listens to you, no matter what. You say one, he can’t say two. Got it?”

Su Wenwen nodded, not fully understanding.

As for Su Changgui, he couldn’t hold out much longer. The next day, he went to Gao’s house to find Gao Hong.

Recently, there was a vacancy for a vice-principal at the primary school, and this was the time for him to push forward. He couldn’t afford to have things go wrong at Gao’s house.

After work in the afternoon, he bought a bunch of fruits and supplements and headed to Gao’s house. Before he could even step inside, Gao Mother blocked him at the door.