Chapter 81
Another parcel?
When Wang Shoucheng saw the parcel, he felt even worse. It was all because of the disobedient daughter-in-law of the eldest son.
If the eldest son's wife had been obedient, the contents of this parcel would have been theirs, and the eldest wouldn't have been swayed by her to be so discontented. He insisted on dividing the money and goods, and now they couldn't even hunt anymore.
Wang Qinghe took the parcel. "Thanks, I'll..."
"I know everything, Brother Wang. You don't need to explain." Chen Chengcai waved him off; Wang Qinghe was a good man but just didn't like talking much.
"I still need to deliver something to Aunt Feng next door. I'll be off." With that, Chen Chengcai rode away to their neighbors.
Wang Shoucheng glanced at the parcel. It was quite large, and who knew what good things were inside.
"Eldest, you and your wife haven't brought anything home lately. You've been taking advantage of Old Fifth and his wife. What do you think?"
"Dad, what about all the work I've done over the years?" Wang Qinghe carried the parcel back into the house.
Inside, Bai Xiuxiu had already come out to receive the parcel.
"I can take it in. You should go with them," Bai Xiuxiu said, reaching for the parcel.
Wang Qinghe refused: "This thing is heavy. I'll carry it in. They won't mind waiting a bit longer."
After bringing the parcel inside, Wang Qinghe left the house.
He didn't want to see the Wang family at all!
Let alone let them make Xiuxiu suffer in any way.
Watching his eldest son slowly emerge after delivering the parcel, Wang Shoucheng felt even more frustrated. Back then, when he had secretly taken the eldest, he shouldn't have thought about using him as leverage against those two, fearing they might come back to kill them.
He had planned that if those two really came to kill them, he and his wife would return the eldest to save their lives.
Now, he wished he had drowned this damned child long ago.
If he had killed him early on, there would be no problems now.
Nor would there be anyone coming to look for the child, nor would the eldest be so unmanageable.
"Qinghe, spoiling your wife like this will eventually bring disaster," Wang Shoucheng said to his eldest son with an unpleasant tone.
Wang Qinghe looked at him with an even worse tone: "My wife is great. Who has she harmed? Even if she were a disaster, I'd still let her be one. If I die for her, that's my choice. Dad, you should focus on others instead of always watching us."
"You!"
Wang Shoucheng was so angry he wanted to slap him.
"Father, let's go divide the pork first. If we wait too long, we'll miss our turn. If we go early, we can get more benefits from the team leader. After all, today's meat is closely related to our family." Wang Qingqi sensed something was off with his brother's attitude today.
If his brother and father got into a fight, he couldn't beat his brother and couldn't not help his father.
He couldn't bear to watch his father get beaten either.
Better to prevent it.
Hearing his younger son's words, Wang Shoucheng calmed down a bit and led his sons to divide the meat.
Inside the house, Bai Xiuxiu opened the parcel. Inside were the yarns she had ordered. The colors had some flaws, with parts not dyed properly. For this reason, her sister had sent nearly ten pounds of yarn.
Besides the yarn, there were shrimp, some fabric, and new shoes for the children for the New Year.
Bai Xiuxiu took out the items and opened the accompanying letter.
The letter was from her sister, who mentioned that her in-laws had visited, making things busy at home.
She asked Bai Xiuxiu to take care of herself.
Because Bai Xiuxiu had cried during their last phone call, her mother was very worried and planned to visit soon.
Bai Xiuxiu put the letter away, looking forward to seeing her mother and sister again.
It had been a long time since she had seen them.
"Mama, when will Auntie come to see Yueyue?" The little girl sat on the bed, curious as she watched her mother bring back another familiar parcel.
Every time such a parcel arrived, her mother gave her and her brother treats, saying they were from Auntie and Grandma.
But she had never met Auntie.
"They'll be here soon," Bai Xiuxiu said happily, thinking that by the time her sister and mother returned, they would have moved to the county.
She needed to prepare plenty of good things for them. Right, the ginseng in the space should be sizable by then. She would take some back for her sister.
The little girl, hearing that Auntie would be coming soon, came closer. "Mama, shall we save Yueyue's candy for Auntie?"
"Me too," said Mingming, who was drawing nearby.
Bai Xiuxiu smiled and carried the children back to the bed. "Sure, Mama will save it for them."
"Will Yueyue get candy today?" the little girl asked expectantly.
Bai Xiuxiu laughed. "You two have already had some today. No more. Be good, and Mama will cook shrimp for you tonight."
The two children, upon hearing about the shrimp, forgot all about the sugar.
On the village threshing ground.
As soon as Wang Shoucheng arrived, he was surrounded by several gossipy old ladies.
"Old Wang, I heard from my son that it was your family who discovered the pig today. Your luck is truly remarkable," said Aunt Qiu from the western part of the village. She was in her forties and had raised two sons and a daughter on her own.
Her grandson is already four years old this year.
Aunt Qiu looked at Wang Shoucheng, then at the pigs, feeling a bit warm inside.
If only she could get some of this meat back to her house?
Wang Shoucheng felt pleased with the compliment but, given the crowd, maintained his usual demeanor and nodded silently at Aunt Qiu.
"The meat has been cut; everyone line up. Today..." The team leader, preparing to distribute the meat, glanced at the Wang family and mentioned them first.
"Today, the wild boar chased out three of Old Wang's daughters-in-law, causing them quite a fright. The village decided to give half a leg of the pig to their family. Everything else will be divided equally among everyone."
Hearing this, Wang Shoucheng still felt a pang of regret.
After all, there were five wild boars.
Over a thousand pounds of meat.
And they only got one pig leg! They lost out big time.
While they felt shortchanged, the rest of the villagers looked at them with envy.
It was a pig leg! If preserved as salted meat, it would last through the winter and even into spring.
The team leader efficiently cut the pig leg and handed it to Wang Shoucheng.
He also gave them another three and a half pounds of meat.
"You mustn't cause trouble again in the future. Don't think that just because you found the pigs, everything is fine. Without the help of our villagers, your daughters-in-law could have been injured.
Our villagers can't always be around to save people."
Chapter 82
"Look at the trouble you've brought to our village today. Although we ended up benefiting, I, as the team leader, absolutely do not support gaining benefits through such dangerous means. If this happens again, I won't share any of these large prey with you.
Everyone in the village will get an equal share."
The team leader warned Wang Shoucheng with a cold face.
Wang Shoucheng was the one who made the decisions for the Wang family, and he could see that clearly.
Hearing the team leader's words, Wang Shoucheng felt angry inside.
Does Chen think he wants to share the wild boar with everyone? Bringing trouble to the village? It's more like the village has brought trouble to their family!
What a bunch of ungrateful people.
Feeling resentful, Wang Shoucheng still smiled and apologized with a guilty look: "Team Leader, you're right. This was my lack of consideration. My daughters-in-law are all family-oriented and young. I sent them into the mountains to find some mushrooms, but they went too far.
That led to the wild boar incident last time.
This time, it might be the wild boar seeking revenge?
Rest assured, Team Leader, I won't let them cause any more trouble for the village."
"That's better. Alright, you should go back early. I still need to continue distributing the meat. Old Ma, take a set of the pig's innards, and give the rest to those who helped with the net today. There's no need to share with the Wang family anymore.
They've already taken quite a bit."
The team leader discussed with the person who slaughtered the pig.
Wang Shoucheng felt even more unhappy. The pig's innards should have been theirs.
What a loss!
"Older Brother, here's the pig leg." Holding the pig leg, Wang Shoucheng left the threshing ground in high spirits but didn't want to carry it himself anymore.
He tried to hand it over to Wang Qinghe.
Wang Qinghe dodged quickly, showing no intention of taking it.
Seeing Wang Shoucheng's confused face, Wang Qinghe said, "Dad, I'm too tired from going into the mountains today. Let Old Fifth carry it."
"How can I carry this thing?" Wang Qingqi complained.
The pork is delicious, but the wild boar smells strong, especially since it's still raw and unprocessed. He didn't want to carry it at all.
"How can you not carry it? When you married your wife, you carried her from her parents' house to ours, and you walked pretty fast then," Wang Qinghe asked him, puzzled.
Wang Qingqi almost cursed.
Is his brother crazy?
Can a wife be compared to a pig leg?
Seeing that Wang Qinghe had already walked far away, Wang Shoucheng handed the pig leg to his youngest son.
"Dad, I..." Wang Qingqi wanted to refuse.
"What? Do you want me to carry it? You ungrateful brat!"
"How could I? Dad, why does Older Brother act like this now? He doesn't help with work or hunting. He even refuses to store food with us. Why keep him around just to feed him?"
Wang Shoucheng looked complicated upon hearing this: "You don't understand. I have my reasons. Don't worry, once everything is arranged, he'll get what's coming to him."
"Dad, what were you and Mom discussing so urgently today?" Wang Qingqi asked about the matter that intrigued his wife.
Now, Wang Shoucheng's expression turned sour: "Are you trying to die? Curious about everything? Why don't you wonder when you'll give me and your mom a grandson? Don't mention this again!"
When Wang Qinghe arrived home, everyone was already in the courtyard.
It was quite dark, and it gave him a fright.
"Older Brother? Why did you come back first? Where are Dad and Old Fifth? Where's the meat?" Wang Qingfu, the second son, noticed that his older brother's hands were empty and felt something was off.
Usually, the meat would be in his older brother's hands.
What happened?
"The meat is with Dad and Old Fifth. I'm too tired today to carry it," Wang Qinghe said, heading into the house.
Wang Qingfu was speechless.
What does "too tired to carry it" mean?
His older brother could probably carry a whole cow by himself, so how could he not carry the meat?
How many trips will it take to bring it all back? And couldn't he at least help carry some?
Wang Qinghe entered the house, where Bai Xiuxiu was knitting socks. Seeing him return, she put down her work: "How did it go?"
"We got a pig leg and over three pounds of meat. They're probably planning to send some to the city," Wang Qinghe said while adding wood to the stove.
"No matter how much they plan to send away, our share shouldn't be reduced."
Bai Xiuxiu calculated how much they would receive and thought about making jerky out of it for the children to snack on.
Wang Shoucheng and Old Fifth returned soon after.
Throughout the journey, Wang Qingqi was both exhausted and overwhelmed by the smell, feeling like he was about to meet his great-grandmother.
He had just entered the courtyard when Wang Qingfu took the meat. Seeing that there was only one pig leg and a large piece of meat, he felt quite distressed.
Five pigs, and in the end, they were left with only this much?
Zhao Guifen had been suffocated by the smell of manure all day and was terrified by the rumors, leaving her in a foul mood.
Now seeing that the meat was divided into such a small portion, she immediately pointed at Zhao Cuihua and started cursing: "Why don't you just die? It was you last time, and it's you again this time! Are you afraid our family will prosper and live well? Twice now, are you even human?"
"Mom, what nonsense are you spouting? Why am I not human? There were so many wild boars; why don't you try chasing them? Besides, do those wild boars belong to your family now? Just because you say they do? What if they didn't? Would they have trampled me to death?"
Zhao Cuihua thought this whole family was crazy!
Zhao Guifen looked at the third daughter-in-law and found her increasingly annoying.
"Enough, what are you arguing about? This pig leg, I'll decide. We'll keep it and send it to the children's uncle tomorrow to finalize the job." Wang Shoucheng looked at the pig leg, his eyes filled with calculations.
Wang Qingfu was delighted upon hearing this and immediately wanted to take it to his parents' room.
Before he could move, Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe came out from the west room.
Bai Xiuxiu looked at the family and smiled. "Dad, I know you want to make the decision, but hold on. Didn't we agree that the harvest from the mountains should be shared? This pig leg needs to be divided too. If you want to send it to the city, first cut off our share.
Then send the rest."
Zhao Cuihua was suddenly energized upon hearing this. "We also want our share cut off; I'm not sending meat to anyone else."
"Cut off our share too," Chen Fang, supported by Wang Laosi, spoke up suddenly.
Wang Shoucheng wished he could smash the entire pig leg on his eldest daughter-in-law's head to stop her from talking.
She was their family's nemesis!
"How can we send it if we cut it all off? How can you be so selfish? When Lao Er and Old Fifth get better off, they won't abandon you?" Wang Shoucheng scolded his sons and daughters-in-law angrily.
Zhao Cuihua sneered. "Dad, don't fool us. City workers earn only so much a month; they might not even have enough for themselves. By the time they become successful, I'll be long dead!"
Bai Xiuxiu gave Zhao Cuihua an approving look and urged him, "Dad, instead of fooling us, why don't you cut the pork first?"
Chapter 83
"Do you still regard yourselves as members of the Wang family? We are all part of this family. If Second Brother and Old Fifth succeed, isn't that a benefit for the entire family? Are you wishing for the family to suffer?" Wang Shoucheng felt a pang of heartache for this pig's leg.
Mainly, if he could directly give away this pig leg, it would be impressive.
If it were cut up messily, how embarrassing would that be?
"Father, precisely because we are part of the Wang family, we should share the meat. If we weren't part of the Wang family, we wouldn't have this right." Zhao Cuihua stared at the pig leg, already thinking about how to eat it later.
She was absolutely unwilling to let Second Brother and Old Fifth benefit from it.
Eating this pig leg is better than letting them gain favor.
Especially with Zhou Jiaojiao's attitude; if Old Fifth really goes to work in the city, wouldn't Zhou Jiaojiao's life get better?
She now hates Zhou Jiaojiao, and Zhou Jiaojiao hates her too.
In any case, she won't help her enemy.
"Father, let's quickly divide the meat. Do what you want, but we don't care. Just divide the meat so we can start cooking. We're waiting for the meat to go into the pot." Bai Xiuxiu fanned the flames on the side.
Thinking about eating pork, Chen Fang also swallowed hard. After getting her share, she could save some to send to her maternal family.
She and her husband didn't have children yet, so she could send as much as she wanted to her maternal family.
She and Wang Qingliang could eat less.
With that thought, Chen Fang also urged, "Yes, Father, please hurry."
Zhou Jiaojiao, who had been silent, started to panic. What did this mean? Were they really going to take her pork?
"I disagree with this. Without me, you wouldn't have gotten these things. Normally, I don't mind sharing what I bring back since we're all family. But not this time. This wild pig leg is precious.
Giving the whole leg to Uncle's family will secure the job.
This concerns Qingqi's future, and I absolutely cannot let you ruin it."
When Zhou Jiaojiao spoke, she sounded aggrieved.
Zhao Cuihua wanted to curse when she heard her: "Are you shameless? You might as well say the entire Xiahe Village belongs to you? Does everything we encounter belong to you? If that's the case, then our injuries are also your fault?
You should compensate us for medical expenses first.
Everyone in the family has been injured recently.
You're a jinx.
If it weren't for the villagers' help today, who knows what would have happened."
"Am I a jinx?" Zhou Jiaojiao was shocked. How could Zhao Cuihua be so shameless?
The Wang family relies on her now.
"Enough, stop arguing. Do you want the neighbors to see the commotion?" Wang Shoucheng shouted angrily at Zhao Cuihua.
His third daughter-in-law was becoming increasingly unreasonable.
"Father, are you planning to renege on your word? The rules we just set, and now you want to change them? How can everyone trust you then?" Bai Xiuxiu saw Wang Shoucheng's conflicted expression and guessed he probably didn't want to rely on Wang Qinghe hunting anymore.
He likely wanted to settle things clearly now.
However, forget it.
Until they got the money and divided the family,
it had to be fair.
He could ignore Wang Qinghe and her feelings, but he couldn't ignore the other sons' feelings.
If he changed the rules so quickly, it would lead to discord among brothers and between father and sons.
Wang Shoucheng was annoyed by Bai Xiuxiu's words.
Why was his eldest daughter-in-law so annoying?
"Father, are you really going to change your mind like what my sister-in-law said?" Wang Laosan was shocked and unhappy. His wife wanted the pig leg, and he was looking forward to having some meat tonight.
But now Father wanted to change the rules for dividing the money?
Why?
Just because Second Brother and Old Fifth are successful?
How are they more successful than him? Aren't they doing the same work?
Who has a bigger head than whom?
"Don't believe everything your sister-in-law says." Wang Shoucheng wished he could hit his third son to wake him up.
While he did have that idea, it was to prevent the eldest from taking advantage of the family.
If not for worrying about finding a son, he would have divided the eldest out already.
Wang Shoucheng felt more and more aggrieved, but now there was no turning back.
He had no choice but to agree: "Old Fifth, go get a knife. Let's divide the meat. Old woman, find some bowls. These bones..." Wang Shoucheng thought, if the bones could be given as gifts, that would be good too. They contain bone marrow and can be used to make soup.
"Let's divide it up, and make it fair." Bai Xiuxiu once again mercilessly shattered Wang Shoucheng's hopes.
"How can you be so heartless?" Zhao Guifen, feeling the pinch in her heart, hadn't even gone into the house to get a basin when she was already infuriated by Bai Xiuxiu's words.
"Is it that bad? When it comes to being heartless, who can surpass you? Over these years, Qinghe has done countless chores around the house. We haven't seen any benefits or fairness from you. Now we're only asking for a little fairness, and that's not acceptable?"
Bai Xiuxiu showed no mercy in her words.
These few sentences left Zhao Guifen's face pale.
It wasn't that she didn't dare to retort; rather, she suddenly remembered the news about finding their son.
No, she had to listen to the old man. She couldn't say anything now; otherwise, if they started arguing, Bai Xiuxiu would bring up how they treated the eldest poorly.
If that got out, it would be disastrous.
Zhao Guifen cursed inwardly, holding back her anger as she went into the house.
She and Wang Shoucheng were thinking along the same lines. Wang Shoucheng, now on edge, said coldly, "Eldest daughter-in-law, we've divided the meat according to your wishes. Can you please stop talking? In the future, try to avoid saying things that could harm our family's harmony.
The past is the past. Back then, Qinghe's younger brothers were still young. If he didn't work, how could the family survive?
Now that life is better, isn't this..."
"Life is better, so shouldn't we get some compensation?" Bai Xiuxiu interrupted him.
Wang Shoucheng felt uneasy and simply didn't respond.
However, Bai Xiuxiu didn't expect him to reply. Whether he responded or not, she had more to say. Seeing that Wang Shoucheng wanted to leave, Bai Xiuxiu spoke faster: "Dad, without mentioning anything else, can you at least give us two eggs a day?
Qinghe has worked so hard over the years that his health has suffered. Eating two eggs for nourishment isn't too much to ask, right?"
Inside the house, Zhao Guifen, who had just come out with a basin, nearly fainted upon hearing that they wanted eggs: "Are you crazy? How dare you even think of eggs? Are those for you to eat!"
Chapter 84
"Do you think they deserve to eat eggs?" Zhao Guifen felt heartache about the chickens at home. They could only afford to keep two chickens now, and these produced two eggs a day, which she saved to exchange for money. The thought of giving those eggs to the eldest son and his wife was almost unbearable.
Zhao Guifen felt heartache, and Wang Shoucheng felt even more heartache.
He could not bear to consume the eggs by himself; occasionally, he would bestow them upon his second son or Old Fifth, merely to ensure the sons' obedience and to unite their hearts with his own.
Give them to the eldest? It made him feel uncomfortable all over!
That eldest son, who should have been dead long ago, didn't deserve to eat the family's eggs.
But...
If they gave him eggs, anyone looking for a child wouldn't suspect Wang Qinghe.
After all, who would give eggs to an adopted child?
In this way, not only would their reputation remain intact, but it would also avoid any trouble.
Wang Shoucheng was tempted.
The searchers wouldn't stay forever. Once they confirmed that the child they were looking for wasn't the eldest, they wouldn't need to give him any more eggs and could simply kick him and his wife out.
Once this matter was resolved, everything could return to normal.
Wang Shoucheng calculated in his mind and decided it could work.
"Old lady, don't get too worked up. What the eldest daughter-in-law said is true. In recent years, Qinghe has indeed had it tough. Back then, the second son was in school, and the third and fourth sons weren't doing well with their work. We relied on Qinghe to get by.
Now that things are better, we should compensate him a bit.
Let's settle this. From now on, we'll boil two eggs for him every day."
Wang Shoucheng, suppressing his heartache, agreed to the arrangement.
Zhao Cuihua felt like she had seen a ghost!
These were her eggs!
The others were also unhappy, but they couldn't come up with any objections since what was said was true.
"Dad, Big Brother contributed to the family, but my wife and I also contribute." Wang Qingqi wasn't pleased when he heard about the eggs. His wife kept stepping on him, clearly angry as well.
Why should he be left out of this good deal?
"What? Does your Big Brother also want a job in the city?" Wang Shoucheng asked his youngest son impatiently. This youngest son always brought up the worst topics at the wrong times, causing him distress!
What wouldn't he get after these few days?
He hadn't been stingy with good things for his youngest son, so why was he still so short-sighted?
Wang Qingqi immediately fell silent.
He was the most pampered in the family, partly because he was good at flattering.
He knew exactly how to handle his parents. Seeing his father's impatience, he knew saying more would bring no benefits, only trouble.
Seeing his silence, Wang Shoucheng snorted, "Old Second, divide the meat among everyone."
This pig leg weighed nearly thirty pounds, and after removing the bones, it was divided into six portions.
Adding the three pounds of meat, Bai Xiuxiu and the others received around five pounds of meat.
The bones were also divided into a portion.
Zhao Cuihua, holding the basin of meat, couldn't stop smiling. Her luck had really turned around recently—first the money, now the meat. She could even send some back to her natal family!
She planned to cook some tonight, save some to send to her natal family, and make the rest into dried meat.
"Big Sister, let me help cook the meat for you? I'll mark each portion and ensure I don't take any of yours." Zhao Cuihua approached Bai Xiuxiu, looking at the basin held by Wang Qinghe, trying to curry favor.
Hearing this offer, Bai Xiuxiu immediately handed over the meat. "That would be great."
"Don't worry, Big Brother and Big Sister, go back and rest. I'll call you when it's time to eat. By the way, are you cooking all of this?" Zhao Cuihua looked at the large amount of meat, unsure.
"Just cook two pounds, and make the rest into dried meat." Bai Xiuxiu figured one meal should be enough for the family.
"I'll do it right away."
As Zhao Cuihua was about to leave,
"Third Daughter-in-Law, can you cook ours too?" Chen Fang saw Zhao Cuihua taking Bai Xiuxiu's meat and quickly called out.
"Sure, but you have to give me some benefit." Zhao Cuihua agreed readily.
Hearing this, Chen Fang knew there would be no freebies, so she took a piece of meat about half a palm size from her basin. "Will this do? Cook this piece and make the rest into dried meat."
"Alright, wait for dinner." With that, Zhao Cuihua took the meat into the kitchen.
Zhao Guifen watched enviously, missing the old days when she could decide everything without giving anything in return.
Back then, she controlled everything in the household, deciding how much food everyone got.
With so much meat, if it were hers...
Zhao Guifen dared not imagine how many things she could accomplish!
"Old man, what about ours?" Zhao Guifen was also feeling a bit greedy.
"All of it should be sent to the child's uncle. Only when Lao Er and Lao Wu get better will our days improve." Wang Shoucheng was counting on his youngest son.
His youngest son had married a wife with great fortune; their future would definitely be bright.
What did he care about this little bit of meat?
"We need to think long-term. This time, we must bring back good news." Wang Shoucheng stared at his wife, starting to doubt the whole thing after so many trips of gift-giving.
They couldn't keep sending gifts without any results.
"Rest assured, I'm going with them this time. I don't believe it either." Zhao Guifen also felt her family was being unreasonable.
"Mum, can I go along too?" Zhou Jiaojiao found her mother-in-law untrustworthy.
They had been spending money on her mother-in-law's family for a while now and hadn't seen any benefits.
She had already sacrificed enough for this job!
"What would you do there?" Zhao Guifen was unhappy.
If Lao Wu's wife went, her family would have to cook an extra meal.
"Mum, my family is coming back tomorrow. I want to go with you to see Uncle and buy something for my family on the way back. My elder brother is in the city, and Qingqi and I will be going there too. We'll need to visit each other more often."
Zhou Jiaojiao made up an excuse.
Zhao Guifen frowned but didn't say anything.
Wang Shoucheng thought for a moment: "I think it's fine. Let Lao Wu's wife come along tomorrow."
It took nearly two hours to divide the meat before they finally sat down to eat.
Zhao Cuihua brought Bai Xiuxiu their portion of the meat: "Elder Brother and Sister, the meat is cooked. Come and get it. Mum and Dad said to eat in your own room tonight."
She called out loudly on purpose, trying not to laugh.
Inside, Bai Xiuxiu heard the decision and smiled.
Was this a lesson learned from the fish incident?
"I'll go get it." Wang Qinghe got up to fetch the meat.
Inside, Bai Xiuxiu set up the small table, thinking about going to the city tomorrow to buy some steamed buns and putting them in the space.
When Wang Qinghe returned, he brought four wheat straw cakes.
Zhao Cuihua was a good cook, and the meat was tender and fragrant.
They sat down to eat.
In the main room,
Wang Shoucheng and his wife, along with Lao Er and Lao Wu's families, silently ate the wheat straw cakes. The pickles on the table, paired with the smell of the meat outside, tasted particularly bitter.
"Old Wang, I heard that someone in the city is looking for a child. I heard it was from twenty years ago, during the famine, in the same area. Are you home? I want to ask about the details and see if I can help."
Outside, someone entered the courtyard, and this shout almost scared the soul out of Wang Shoucheng!
Chapter 85
Wang Shoucheng practically leaped up as if there were nails on the stool, bouncing high.
In just a few steps, he rushed out. The speed at which he moved was completely different from his usual slow pace. His expression was more terrifying than a ghost.
It scared the pickles right out of Wang Qingqi's hand: "What's going on?"
"Mom, what's wrong with Dad?" Wang Qingqi asked halfway, almost choking on the last syllable. Zhao Guifen's expression wasn't much better than Wang Shoucheng's; even her hand holding the chopsticks was trembling.
Zhao Guifen couldn't sit still either and hurriedly put down her chopsticks.
Seeing her sons and daughters-in-law looking curious, she took the food off the table: "What could be the matter? It's probably someone asking about something. Your father and I have seen plenty in our day. Back then, to make ends meet, we traveled far and wide.
From the sound of it, it might be your Uncle Yang. He and your father are old buddies, so he'll definitely want to chat.
Take this food and eat it in Old Fifth's room.
Second daughter-in-law, go to the kitchen and cook something nice. Fry four eggs and take a bit of meat from our portion to stir-fry some cabbage." Zhao Guifen, having been shocked, now seemed calm.
The fewer people who knew about this, the better.
"Mom, why are you being so generous all of a sudden? Are you hiding something from us?" The second son, Wang Qingfu, had more wits than Wang Qingqi.
Why would Mom react so strongly to the commotion outside about finding a child?
"What could I possibly be hiding? Every time Uncle Yang comes over, doesn't he always eat something good with your father alone? Now, get lost before you annoy me further. If it weren't for you two brats, we'd be eating meat today."
Zhao Guifen glanced at her second son, feeling exasperated.
Wang Qingfu couldn't say anything more. His parents wouldn't tell him, no matter how curious he was.
He decided to focus on the immediate benefits instead.
Wang Qingqi also wanted to listen in, but since his older brother had already been scolded, he didn't want to invite trouble.
Zhou Jiaojiao saw that both her husband and her brother-in-law had stopped talking and felt a bit disappointed. If they could figure this out, they might gain leverage over their in-laws.
As they left, Wang Shoucheng brought in a man around his age.
It was Uncle Yang, wasn't it?
He was the captain's cousin and a skilled carpenter. He often made furniture for others on the sly and didn't have to do heavy labor in the team, only carpentry work.
He earned more points while doing less work.
Both Wang Qingfu and Wang Qingqi greeted him: "Hello, Uncle Yang."
Yang Chenggong looked at Wang Shoucheng's two sons and felt envious. He had six daughters and only one son, whose health was questionable.
Wang Shoucheng had five children, especially the eldest, who was incredibly strong.
Thinking about it, Yang Chenggong nodded in response: "Yes, you look energetic. That's good."
"Alright, go do your own things and don't interrupt me and Uncle Yang." Wang Shoucheng glanced at his sons. Right now, he had no mood to boast about having many children and good fortune.
He was terrified.
Wang Shoucheng went inside, and Wang Qingfu and the others went to the east room.
Wang Qingqi felt a bit resentful: "Older Brother, what do you think Dad and Uncle Yang are discussing? Our parents aren't usually keen on helping others. They mentioned something about finding a child, and they've been to that place before.
Whose child is missing?
Older Brother..."
"So what? Can't you keep quiet while eating? Just finish your meal. Our parents may not like helping others, but Uncle Yang doesn't know that. Uncle Yang is one of the few friends Dad has in Xiahe Village, and Dad pretends well in front of him.
As for whose child is missing? It's certainly not ours."
Wang Qingfu didn't like hearing Wang Qingqi talk like this. He also had a slight premonition.
He felt that this matter... might have something to do with the eldest brother.
After all, their parents treated the eldest differently from them.
But he didn't want to entertain that possibility. If the eldest wasn't part of their family and had capable biological parents, wouldn't his life be better than theirs? Why should that be the case when they all grew up together?
Even from a young age, the eldest had to share everything with him.
Someone who has always been inferior to him should stay that way.
There shouldn't be any changes.
Seeing his older brother's attitude, Wang Qingqi stopped thinking about it.
His stance was similar to his brother's. If something were true, they would treat it as if it weren't! As long as their parents didn't mention it and no one said anything, it wouldn't exist!
Zhou Jiaojiao watched the brothers fall silent and found the pickles tasteless.
She desperately wanted to eavesdrop next door.
"I'll help Second Sister-in-law," Zhou Jiaojiao said, leaving the room.
She intended to eavesdrop but was startled to see Zhao Guifen sitting by the door.
"What are you doing out here?" Zhao Guifen frowned at her youngest daughter-in-law.
Zhou Jiaojiao felt guilty under her gaze: "Mom, I just thought I could help Second Sister-in-law with cooking. She can't manage it alone."
"Who's showing off here? Go back and stay there. Your second sister-in-law can handle it alone."
Zhao Guifen's attitude was firm.
Zhou Jiaojiao, seeing that it wouldn't work, had no choice but to slink back.
In the kitchen, Liu Xiaoe heard the commotion outside and immediately felt wronged.
Mom is being too unfair, making her do all the work. Even when Old Fifth's wife offered to help, Mom didn't agree.
In the room, Wang Shoucheng was so anxious he could barely breathe. Watching Yang Chenggong sit down, his expression was inscrutable, which only added to his unease. "Old Yang, what child did you mention outside? Whose child is missing in the provincial city?
I used to go there with my wife to make a living.
That was over twenty years ago. I don't know if I can still remember anything."
"Who said otherwise? Today, I went to the city to make some furniture for someone and happened to overhear this. The person often deals on the black market and knows a lot of information. It seems that a child from a high-ranking official's family in the provincial city went missing years ago and has been missing for quite some time.
They haven't found the child yet.
Now they're starting to search counties and villages, asking around everywhere.
This is a paid search.
Isn't this great news for you? If your family can provide any clues, they might give you hundreds or even thousands. Isn't this like finding money?"
The more Yang Chenggong spoke, the more excited he became.
Wang Shoucheng felt like fighting him.
Good news?
It's not good at all!
The more he listened, the more it sounded like they were looking for his eldest son. The two people clearly weren't ordinary.
As for the child's parents, they had heard them called something that indicated they weren't commoners.
After all these years, it's possible they've become high-ranking officials.
Wang Shoucheng felt a chill in his heart.
Chapter 86
"Old Wang, what are you thinking? This is such a good opportunity. Why aren't you happy? You're not afraid I'll ask for a favor from you, are you? Look at how stingy you are. Fine, I won't ask for anything from you.
Tomorrow, I'll take you to meet the people looking for their child. You can talk to them.
If we can get some money out of it, that would be great, right?"
Yang Chenggong, seeing his old friend's demeanor, thought he was reluctant to share the benefits.
So he acted generously.
Wang Shoucheng felt like cursing. Was this trying to send him to his death?
However...
Wang Shoucheng calmed down a bit and reconsidered. It might work. If Old Yang accompanied him, the other party wouldn't know who knew the truth.
He decided to ask first.
If they were genuinely looking for their child and it was indeed Wang Qinghe... he would pretend to know nothing.
He could say a few vague things and deflect suspicion from himself.
Wang Shoucheng suddenly saw the logic in this. He had initially planned to have his nephew inquire discreetly to avoid seeming too abrupt.
Now that Old Yang offered to help, it was a perfect excuse.
"How about it? If you agree, I'll go with you tomorrow." Yang Chenggong, being warm-hearted, was worried that his friend was hesitating even when money was within reach.
"Alright, Old Yang, you have to keep your word and come with me. Don't try to take advantage of me; times are tough at home. My eldest son has worked hard for years. We give him two eggs every day now. In winter, I want to make him a couple of new clothes.
We really need the money."
Wang Shoucheng agreed with a smile.
Yang Chenggong nodded in agreement: "You finally see reason. I've been telling you all along that your eldest son is the best. He looks good, is strong, and has a good character. He's a good kid.
Treating him well is better than treating anyone else well.
Think about it, over the years, he's been working tirelessly. Your family also assumes he doesn't need anything because he never complains. But everyone is human.
You should treat him better.
His quiet nature is just like yours, never saying much."
Yang Chenggong liked the eldest son, Wang Qinghe, the most. He had always been a bit dissatisfied with Wang Shoucheng's treatment of his sons.
Now that he seemed to be changing, it was truly gratifying.
Wang Shoucheng felt a pang of guilt over the eggs but, seeing Old Yang's attitude, knew he had succeeded in his plan!
As long as he endured for a while, once those people looking for their child left, he could divide the household.
On the surface, Wang Shoucheng pretended to repent: "I feel guilty towards him. The younger ones were still small back then, so only he could work like an adult. Now, thinking about it, they are all my sons. Why didn't I realize this earlier?
From now on, I'll treat the eldest better."
"Old man, dinner is ready. I'll bring it in," Zhao Guifen knocked on the door from outside.
"Alright, let's eat," Wang Shoucheng said to Yang Chenggong and called someone in.
Zhao Guifen entered and placed the fried eggs and cabbage with meat on the table. "There are two more dishes coming. Wait a moment. It's cold outside, so I'll add a soup."
"Thank you, sister-in-law," Yang Chenggong said, feeling pleased at the sight of the meat.
His life was comfortable, but his wife favored her family. His son needed medicine, and his daughter-in-law supported her family even more.
His household hadn't been depleted thanks to his hard work!
Meat wasn't a regular part of their diet.
Today, knowing everyone had received meat, his wife and daughter-in-law kept only one pound for themselves and planned to send the rest to their respective families.
That's why he rushed to deliver the news without delay.
The Wang family had received more meat, so they wouldn't miss this portion.
"Old Yang, when we go to the city tomorrow, you'll have to look after me. I might not know anything, and if they get angry..."
Wang Shoucheng said, serving the other person some food.
"Sure, we won't mention who knows what. Let's go in and see their attitude first. If they seem friendly, we'll talk," Yang Chenggong understood that Wang Shoucheng was scared.
They ate for nearly an hour before Yang Chenggong was seen off.
Bai Xiuxiu watched through the window and noted: "It seems like everything will be settled tomorrow."
Wang Qinghe cleaned up the table and, hearing his wife's words, glanced outside: "Uncle Yang knows about this. It must be Xiao Zhang from the black market who told him. Xiao Zhang's business isn't big, but his brother is influential.
I've already told Xiao Zhang what to do next and how to handle each step.
He won't make mistakes.
Once we get the money, Wang Shoucheng won't dare to ask Xiao Zhang for it back.
I'll go to the city tomorrow. The money shouldn't stay with Xiao Zhang for too long. Although he's reliable, money can sway anyone."
Wang Qinghe explained his plans to his wife to ease her worries.
Bai Xiuxiu wasn't too worried, after all, she had seen Wang Qinghe handle things countless times before!
Everything was done meticulously, leaving no room for trouble.
"Once this matter is settled, we'll go into the city." Bai Xiuxiu was already looking forward to their new life ahead.
"Alright." Wang Qinghe, thinking about the wonderful future his wife had described, felt his heart stir with anticipation as well.
"I'll go heat some water; let's get washed up and rest early."
While Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe enjoyed a warm and peaceful atmosphere in their room, the situation in the east room was far from pleasant.
The more Zhou Jiaojiao thought about it, the more something seemed off. She felt that her in-laws were hiding something, and this secret was likely related to her suspicions. Wang Qinghe might not be their son, and he could even have a significant background.
At the thought of this possibility, Zhou Jiaojiao found everything about Wang Qingqi increasingly unpleasant.
And when she considered that Bai Xiuxiu might end up living a life she could never attain, she exploded in anger.
She started throwing things around the room.
Wang Qingqi was startled and confused: "What are you doing, wife?"
Hearing this, Zhou Jiaojiao glared at him, looking far more sinister than her usual cute self: "I married you to enjoy a good life, and we should live better than anyone else. Qingqi, do you have any suspicions about Father and Mother... and Brother's situation?"
"What nonsense are you thinking? These are just baseless speculations."
"You must find out the truth about this matter." Zhou Jiaojiao felt extremely uneasy, and she no longer wanted to wait to start a business in the black market.
She continued to stare at her husband, her voice softening slightly: "Qingqi, when I was at my parents' house, I learned how to make pastries. I found a pastry recipe years ago, and it's quite unique. If we sell it in the black market, it will surely make money.
Recently, everything in our family has been divided equally, but I want us to secretly make these pastries ourselves.
Tell your parents that we want to split the profits with them, what do you think?"
Chapter 87
When Wang Qingqi heard they were going to the black market, his heart started pounding: "This... isn't it not good? How about we discuss it again later? If we do business at the black market and get caught, that would be terrible. Wife, our life is fine as it is; let's not do this."
Alright?
"What do you mean by 'fine'? Do you have any ambition at all? Even if we go to the city, we won't have a house. Won't we need to buy one then? How much money do our parents have to buy us a house? I've heard from my sister-in-law that many families live in small rooms with three generations.
You should at least think about our future.
In any case, this must be done. I don't want to suffer for the rest of my life."
Seeing Wang Qingqi's lack of ambition, Zhou Jiaojiao got angry. Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe's situation had already made her uneasy.
No matter what, she couldn't let them outshine her.
Zhou Jiaojiao thought for a moment and then spoke gently to Wang Qingqi: "I know what you're worried about, but don't worry. With my luck, nothing will happen to us. In the future, no one will live better than us. I'll give you a few sons, and our family..."
Mentioning sons and looking at the attractive Zhou Jiaojiao, Wang Qingqi was immediately swayed. What else could he say but yes?
The next morning.
At the breakfast table.
The whole family watched as Wang Qinghe and Bai Xiuxiu's family of four divided up the two steamed eggs. The aroma wafted through the air, making everyone's mouths water.
Even Wang Laosan and Wang Laosi couldn't help swallowing their saliva.
Although they had meat yesterday, that was yesterday.
Thinking about how Big Brother's family would have two eggs every day from now on, they felt envious.
Zhao Guifen's eyes were practically spitting fire, but remembering Old Man's instructions, she held back.
The old man had said not to provoke the eldest couple recently.
"Today, Uncle Yang and I are going to the city, so don't wait for us for lunch. I see the expansion of the house is almost done. Work hard these days, and we can move into the mountains sooner.
Old woman, take the second son, Old Fifth, and his wife to their uncle's place. Be careful and try to get everything settled today.
We can't keep sending things to their place. How much have we sent already?"
After breakfast, Wang Shoucheng clearly assigned tasks to the family.
With Zhou Jiaojiao absent, there was no need to go to the mountains.
Hearing that she wouldn't be going, Zhao Cuihua was secretly delighted. She could stay home and finish preparing the pork jerky for her sister-in-law and the fourth daughter-in-law.
"Alright, I'm leaving." Wang Shoucheng hurriedly left.
Thinking about today's task, he felt a bit overwhelmed.
"Eldest, when you go to the mountains today, show some spirit. It's been days; at least bring back some small game," Zhao Guifen said to her eldest son, thinking about the egg custard.
Wang Qinghe nodded as usual, seemingly agreeing, but he never actually did anything.
After breakfast, Bai Xiuxiu gave him food coupons and meat coupons: "Eat something good in the city today; don't just wait."
Wang Qinghe was delighted to receive the coupons from his wife.
Xiuxiu cares about me!
"Our supplies aren't bought yet; I'll get them while I'm in the city," Wang Qinghe said, unable to hide his happiness.
"No need. They'll search your basket when you come back. If they see it, it might affect our plan. I'll go to the city this afternoon to buy them. Take care of yourself," Bai Xiuxiu reminded him several times, and Wang Qinghe's gaze grew deeper.
It seemed like he wanted to devour her with his eyes.
"Stop staring at me; hurry up and leave," Bai Xiuxiu thought, feeling that if they continued, they'd end up on the bed.
"Okay." Wang Qinghe obediently responded, already holding his wife close: "Xiuxiu, can I kiss you?"
"We're old married folks; kiss if you want, why ask?" Bai Xiuxiu wondered.
Wang Qinghe then took her behind the curtain and kissed her.
After a while, he left, looking particularly energetic.
Once he had been gone for a while, Bai Xiuxiu regained her composure and took the children to the work team.
At the work team, Chen Jinhua was chatting with Liu Xiaohui and Miao Miao about yesterday's pork distribution. After eating pork yesterday, she felt full of energy today.
Upon seeing Bai Xiuxiu enter, Chen Jinhua warmly invited her to join the conversation.
Bai Xiuxiu sat the children down on a nearby bench and joined Chen Jinhua at her work station to listen to the gossip.
Chen Jinhua looked mysterious: "Have you heard? A high-ranking official's child went missing in the provincial capital years ago. They're still searching and have even come here."
How fast this gossip spreads! Even Aunt Jinhua knows about it?
Bai Xiuxiu was surprised, but the faster the gossip spread, the more nervous Wang Shoucheng would become.
The money should arrive today.
If not today, increasing the spread of the news would make him confess.
"Is that true? Aunt Jinhua, where did you hear this?" Miao Miao asked excitedly, hearing such big gossip for the first time.
"My husband's brother heard it while working in the county. He said whoever finds the child will be greatly rewarded. But I wonder how such a child could be lost and how much suffering they've endured outside."
Chen Jinhua shook her head while drinking water.
She expressed regret over this.
Hearing this, Bai Xiuxiu also smiled and said, "I've heard about this too. Yesterday, Uncle Yang came to my house and mentioned it. It seems that when my in-laws were younger, they went out to make a living and also stayed in the place where the child was lost.
What a coincidence.
Now, my father-in-law has already gone to the county with Uncle Yang, presumably to see if they can help in any way."
"Really? Oh my, what a coincidence. Speaking of which, your husband was born outside back then. They brought a child back, and everyone was so surprised, saying it was an early birth.
They must have suffered a lot!"
As Chen Jinhua recounted the events from back then, she was filled with emotion.
Bai Xiuxiu echoed her sentiments.
Wang Shoucheng and Zhao Guifen desperately didn't want the villagers to bring up this matter, but she insisted on bringing it up.
Aunt Jinhua is warm-hearted and quick-tongued.
Before long, perhaps even by tonight, this matter would spread to the point where anyone who saw the old couple from the Wang family would ask them about it.
At that point, they wouldn't be able to avoid paying to resolve the issue.
On this side, Bai Xiuxiu and Chen Jinhua continued chatting and laughing.
On the other side, Wang Shoucheng followed Yang Chenggong to the county.
Chapter 88
As soon as they arrived in the county, Wang Shoucheng became even more nervous.
He regretted his decision and wished he had brought his wife instead, since she was already aware of the situation.
"Old Wang, this way." Yang Chenggong led Wang Shoucheng to a house made of blue bricks. This used to be the residence of a wealthy family in the county, but now it was divided among several households.
The original large courtyard had been partitioned into smaller courtyards.
Yesterday, he had come here to make furniture for one of these households, as they were getting ready to bring a new bride home.
They wanted an entire set of furniture.
This family had some savings, so they could afford it.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, he ran into someone.
"Uncle Yang!" Zhang Panhe recognized Yang Chenggong immediately and greeted him enthusiastically.
Seeing Wang Shoucheng beside Yang Chenggong, Zhang Panhe thought to himself that this must be the man Wang Ge mentioned—the father who abandoned him.
He had seen heartless people before, but never anyone quite like this.
Wang Ge had saved his life, and he was determined to help with this matter.
With that thought, Zhang Panhe pointed at Wang Shoucheng and said to Yang Chenggong, "Uncle Yang, is this the man you mentioned who went to the provincial capital, Níng County?"
"Yes, that's right, it's my old friend. He agreed to come and listen to what you have to say. Can you help connect us?" Yang Chenggong pushed Wang Shoucheng forward.
Wang Shoucheng was so nervous that he could barely speak, only nodding vigorously.
"Sure thing. When you mentioned it yesterday, I kept my two brothers here just for this. Uncle Wang, why don't you come with me? If you can provide any clues, there will be benefits. Actually, a couple of days ago, some people came here and talked to them about something.
I think they might be close to finding the person.
However... they didn't seem very happy, and their search has been slow."
Zhang Panhe spoke casually, appearing to be a chatterbox.
Wang Shoucheng listened carefully to his words.
Not very happy?
Could it be that they didn't want to find the person?
No, it wasn't certain yet that they were looking for Wang Qinghe.
Soon, Wang Shoucheng followed them into the house, which was a bit dimly lit.
Two men were sitting on stools, whispering to each other.
"It's been so many years, and now they want to dig it up again."
"Don't complain. In my opinion, if we find them, we should get a good payoff. That way, we won't offend anyone."
Their conversation was vague, leaving others unsure of what was really going on.
But Wang Shoucheng felt a surge of excitement. The two men who took their child away back then must be relatives of the child's parents. Now that the family had become successful, those helping them certainly didn't want to offend anyone.
Thinking about this, Wang Shoucheng felt a bit better.
"Brothers, this is the person we talked about yesterday. I've brought him here. Take your time talking, but don't scare him; we're all honest folks." With that, Zhang Panhe left the room.
The two men in the room had also been invited over and had rehearsed their lines all night.
Now, they could recite them fluently and were starting to get into character.
One of the men, who had mentioned getting a payoff, looked at Wang Shoucheng and asked, "Have you been to Níng County? In the spring twenty-four years ago, were you near Kang Ci Hospital? It's the largest hospital in Níng County."
Wang Shoucheng's heart raced.
Wasn't this exactly what he was looking for?
Wasn't this Wang Qinghe?
Wang Shoucheng shook his head vigorously. "I... I haven't..."
"What do you mean by 'haven't'? Let me tell you, we came here because we had information. Wang Shoucheng, after your family returned from fleeing, you suddenly had an older son. Everyone in your village says you treated that son poorly.
His age matches what we heard."
The man's tone was sinister.
Wang Shoucheng's heart pounded faster. "No, I know nothing."
"Your child, we heard, was born prematurely. What a coincidence. Let me tell you, regardless of whether it's you or not, if we report it, you'll suffer. At that point... Old Niu, it's him. I don't like him, so he'll suffer." The other man chimed in.
If Wang Shoucheng was too sure, he wouldn't dare admit it or offer money.
They needed to make it clear that they were here to extort him. If he didn't pay, they would report it.
They wanted to scare Wang Shoucheng but give him a way out—pay to avoid disaster.
"I agree, Old Zhou, your idea is good," the first speaker said.
Hearing this, Wang Shoucheng burst into tears. "You're bullying me! I know nothing. My son is mine and my wife's."
"I don't care. I'm going to tell them that, and whether it's true or not is none of our business. But your family will suffer. Don't blame anyone else; blame this mess."
Who made us come to this godforsaken place with all this resentment? You just accept it."
Old Niu, who had spoken first, sneered again as he stood up, towering and burly.
This made Wang Shoucheng feel instantly smaller in stature.
Besides, they couldn't really escalate this. If it came to that, everything would be ruined.
Thinking this, Wang Shoucheng sobbed, his nose running and tears streaming: "No, my whole family is made up of honest people. How could we handle this? If you really feel unhappy about coming here, how about I buy you something?"
"Buy us something? Are you trying to send us away like beggars? Four thousand yuan. If you're not willing, we'll report it, and your family will suffer along with you."
Old Niu laughed coldly.
Wang Shoucheng nearly fainted from the shock of four thousand yuan: "What? How much?"
Four thousand—his family had saved that much over so many years!
Did these people know how much money that was? Did they treat it like it was nothing?
"What are you yelling about? Hurry up, we want it today. If you don't have the money, we'll go back and report it. I see you're not being honest, old man. Who knows, maybe your child... Never mind, even if it's not true, if we can't find them, we'll say it's your family, and that will be that." Old Niu glared at him.
"It's absolutely not true! You're framing us!" Wang Shoucheng felt utterly unlucky. He had wanted to bribe them, but instead, he encountered two scoundrels.
The worst part was that their threat might not work on others, but it worked perfectly on him!
He was truly out of luck!
"I know, we're framing you. Pay up to avoid trouble, or we'll report it." Old Zhou spoke like a smiling tiger, and those few words erased any lingering doubts in Wang Shoucheng's mind.
These two weren't looking for someone in Níng County; they were looking for a sucker in Níng County, and he had walked right into it!
It was all his wife's fault for not using her head and reminding him that something was amiss.
"Before tonight, you must give us the money, or we won't wait for you." Seeing him silent, Old Niu added fuel to the fire.
Chapter 89
"How could I possibly come up with so much money? And you want it tonight? You might as well take my life." Wang Shoucheng felt like giving up when he heard about the money.
Four thousand yuan—selling him wouldn't even fetch that much.
"We brothers don't do evil. Why would we want your worthless old life? We'll just report it, and someone else will deal with it." Old Niu saw his reluctance and remained calm.
Wang Shoucheng felt utterly hopeless.
If he paid the money now, he and his wife's lifelong savings would be gone! And they might never earn that much again. This money included what those two people gave them when they brought Wang Qinghe home.
There was also the money saved from sending the eldest son hunting over the years.
If they had to earn it themselves, it would take two lifetimes.
The family needed food and drink!
If they earned it normally, they wouldn't save anything at all.
Wang Shoucheng felt like tearing his hair out in frustration.
"No, I'm just an honest man. You can't do this to me. How about you ask for less? Maybe I can manage if you lower the amount." Wang Shoucheng hoped he could settle this with five hundred yuan.
"Old Zhou, he wants us to ask for less?" The muscular man named Niu glanced at his companion.
Old Zhou laughed, "Less? That wouldn't even cover our travel expenses. No nonsense, we won't accept a penny less. Pay up, and we'll let you go."
"How can I trust you? What if you still accuse us after taking the money?" Wang Shoucheng wished these two would disappear from the world.
But he couldn't fight them, and he didn't even know who they were.
And what if they took the money and still made things worse?
Wang Shoucheng stared at them, and Old Niu chuckled sinisterly. "Then you're just unlucky. If you pay up, we won't falsely accuse you. But if you don't, we definitely will.
It's up to you.
Now go back and get the money. We'll wait here until sunset."
After saying this, Old Zhou grabbed him like a chicken and dragged him out.
"Brother Zhou, how did the questioning go? Did you get any useful information?" Zhang Panhe approached to support Wang Shoucheng as they came out.
"Haha, it went well. Tell them to go back." With that, Old Zhou went back inside.
Hearing that it went well, Zhang Panhe understood that the matter seemed to be settled.
It looked like today would have a resolution.
"Old Wang, how did it go? Did they give you any benefits?" Yang Chenggong asked his old friend as he came out.
At this, Wang Shoucheng wanted to fight him, his resentful gaze making others uneasy.
"What's with that look?" Yang Chenggong was stunned.
Without a word, Wang Shoucheng left. It was all because of Old Yang; if not for him mentioning this, he wouldn't be suffering. These two were clearly looking for a scapegoat.
There were indeed people looking for their child, but their minds weren't on finding the child.
They were using this pretext to find anyone who had been there, especially those with sons of the right age, and pin the blame on them.
This was sheer thuggery!
The worst part was that they actually succeeded.
He was truly unlucky.
"Old Wang, why aren't you talking? Have you gone mute?" Yang Chenggong grew anxious when Wang Shoucheng remained silent.
Even outside the courtyard, he still didn't speak.
"You've really done me in! Don't talk to me; I have something important to do." Wang Shoucheng didn't want to see him. This old fool had truly ruined him.
He needed to return to the village first.
As soon as they left, Zhang Panhe stood by the wall, watching them until they were far away before entering the house.
"How did it go? What did that old fool say?" Zhang Panhe looked at Old Zhou and Old Niu.
These two were almost laughing uncontrollably. "He's such an old fool. He believed everything we said. Your instructions yesterday were spot-on. Even his words were exactly as predicted.
You're really impressive."
"It's not me; it's my old friend who's impressive.
Anyway, if this works out, you'll get your share. But remember, once you get your share, try not to stay in this county."
"Don't worry. We're just visiting relatives. Your brother treats us as brothers, and we recognize you as our brother too. We won't cause you any trouble!" Old Niu spoke with respect about Zhang Panhe's brother.
He was quite a figure.
"Alright, I need to go out for a bit." Zhang Panhe left the house and went to another room in the courtyard. The rooms in this courtyard belonged to him and his brother.
But officially, others lived in them to avoid suspicion.
With similar economic status, having so many rooms under one family would invite trouble.
Thus, it is the reliable relatives of the family who reside there, and they have all signed a guarantee letter early on, promising to return it to them sooner or later.
In another room, Wang Qinghe was temporarily placed there to stay.
Upon seeing Zhang Panhe approach, Wang Qinghe could tell by his expression that things were likely to be settled soon.
"Brother Wang, it's all set. I reckon he wouldn't dare not to pay up. If he dares to, we'll come up with another plan. But Brother Wang, you're really something. They say every word you wrote was used, spot on, without a single discrepancy."
Zhang Panhe looked at Wang Qinghe with an expression of admiration and relayed the words he had just heard.
"I simply made an educated guess based on my birth year and the approximate season, the place they fled to, and my wife's speculation about their general identity, and he was quite scared." Wang Qinghe, however, had no curiosity about his biological parents.
As long as he and Xiuxiu live a good life, nothing could be better.
"Brother Wang, one day in the future, someone might actually come to seek you out. When that time comes, you might just start living a good life. As they say, after hardship comes sweetness, and it's about time that you experience the good life!" Zhang Panhe spoke with a hundredfold admiration for Wang Qinghe.
He shares the same name as Brother Wang, but Brother Wang is far more formidable than he is.
"Thank you for your help today, Xiao Zhang. With the scale of the black market dealings between you and your brother, aren't you considering scaling back?" Wang Qinghe always felt that the black market was not a sustainable solution.
Moreover, they were too ostentatious.
Not to mention their archenemies in the black market, even with the increasingly tight rumors and the growing madness of the black market, they should all consider stepping back from the fray.
Zhang Panhe felt a jolt in his heart: "Brother Wang, do you think this isn't going to work out?"
Wang Qinghe nodded, "Yes, if you trust me, then pack up your stall and avoid making a big fuss."
"Let me discuss this matter with my brother."
At the county station, Wang Shoucheng was anxiously waiting for the bus.
Chapter 90
"Old Wang, why are you being so extravagant? Can't we just walk back? And what's going on with you? You're blaming me out of nowhere." Yang Chenggong chased after Wang Shoucheng to the bus station.
He was even more bewildered. He had known Old Wang for decades; how could he suddenly act this way?
"Cut the crap. I'm annoyed just seeing you. Those two people you met are nothing but trouble. They weren't looking for their child; they were here to extort money! I think you're in cahoots with them. Not one of you is any good!"
Wang Shoucheng grumbled and said a few words to him.
Seeing the bus arrive, he quickly got on.
Yang Chenggong was left speechless, but he still had work to do and couldn't go back.
When Wang Shoucheng arrived at the village, a few old ladies chatting at the entrance greeted him.
"Old Wang, you came just in time. We have something to ask you." The old ladies at the village entrance all knew Wang Shoucheng and were about his age.
Although he usually maintained a stern demeanor, he enjoyed talking to these old ladies, who found him respectable and likable.
Wang Shoucheng walked over.
Among them, Widow Qiu asked directly, "Big Brother Old Wang, I heard today that someone lost a child in the provincial city. The place where they lost the child is somewhere you've been before. Was it the same place where you and Sister-in-law fled during hard times? What's that place like? Is it fun? Was your eldest born there?
Do you know the people who lost their child? Did you help them today?"
"What? Who told you?" Wang Shoucheng's head buzzed, and his mind exploded.
How could this be revealed?
He wished he could bury the past, but now even the gossipy old ladies at the village entrance knew? It was as if the whole village knew!
"Jinhua, she mentioned it today when she brought some things from the Women's Federation to the elderly ladies. She talked to me about it. Big Brother Old Wang, you're truly a good person. Even though it happened so long ago, you still helped them."
Widow Qiu looked at Wang Shoucheng with enthusiasm, remembering the pork the Wang family had shared.
How much pork was it? If given to her, she wouldn't know what to do with it.
Wang Shoucheng didn't know what she was thinking. All he wanted was to tear Chen Jinhua's mouth apart! How could anyone be so talkative?
Now the whole village probably knew that someone had lost a son in the city, and it was a place he had visited. His attitude towards his eldest... and the fact that his eldest was a premature baby in Xuan City?
Wouldn't people start suspecting over time?
Wang Shoucheng felt weak in the knees.
He collapsed onto the ground in panic.
"Big Brother Old Wang, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Widow Qiu was also stunned by his sudden collapse.
"No, no, I'm fine. I need to go home. I remembered something important." Wang Shoucheng scrambled up and ran off.
"At his age, he's still so impulsive. Why run so fast? Is there a ghost chasing him?" Widow Qiu stared at him, causing the other old ladies to laugh.
Wang Shoucheng rushed home. At that moment, Zhao Guifen had also returned.
She was boasting to her daughters-in-law about the job, confident that it would bring great fortune to the family.
The money from the jobs of her two sons would allow her and her husband to provide financial support without appearing to do so, leaving others speechless.
Her second and fifth sons would become workers.
How wonderful! She couldn't believe it.
Finally, their bad luck was dissipating. When her eldest daughter-in-law, the jinx, returned, she would show off.
But she needed to discuss this with her husband first.
As she was pondering, Wang Shoucheng burst into the courtyard.
His terrified appearance startled Zhao Guifen: "Old man, what's wrong? What happened?"
Zhao Guifen also felt scared, fearing that the negotiations had failed.
That would be disastrous.
"Let's talk inside. You should go back to your tasks." Wang Shoucheng glared at his second and fifth daughters-in-law and his working sons.
Everyone was confused by his outburst.
Wang Shoucheng took Zhao Guifen inside, extremely anxious: "Old woman, where's our money? Get it for me right away."
"Are you crazy? You want money as soon as you get home? How much?"
"Four thousand, all of it."
"What? How much?" Zhao Guifen was shocked.
Had her old man gone mad?
"Our family's money, both public and private, adds up to just this much. If we give it all away, how are we supposed to live? Our two sons are still waiting to buy their jobs, and their uncle has already said that it will cost three hundred and fifty each to arrange it.
Then they'll be official workers.
If you take the money now, you're taking our family's lives."
Zhao Guifen was on the verge of tears.
"I think you're the one who doesn't care about our family's lives!" Wang Shoucheng felt extremely unlucky whenever he looked at this old woman. But he knew that if he didn't explain the situation clearly, she wouldn't hand over the money even if she died.
So he explained the situation to her.
After hearing it, Zhao Guifen was stunned: "How could something like this happen?"
"How should I know? You manage our family's money, yet you didn't even think about this matter for me. Now I've been taken advantage of. And when I came back,
the whole village knows about our family's troubles!
Everyone knows I went to the city and that we visited the place where the child was lost.
When our eldest son brought back a child a few months after saying you were here and had a premature birth, no one thought much of it then. But now, combined with this, how many people might start suspecting something?
We need to pay the money to avoid disaster. Those two people are clearly here to extort us. After we give them the money and they leave, we'll separate the eldest couple from the household. Then life will be better."
Wang Shoucheng spoke faster than usual, feeling very anxious.
"What about our second son and Old Fifth?" Zhao Guifen was reluctant.
"What can we do? Have their wives go back to their families and find a way. We'll repay them later. At least we have the autumn harvest coming up; the grain distribution is imminent." Wang Shoucheng calculated that they should be able to gather enough money for the jobs, but there would be some turmoil at home.
But right now, they couldn't worry about that.
"There's no other choice." Zhao Guifen took out the hidden money from under a brick on the ground.
She had to dig up more than fifty bricks to get all the money.
At the commune, Bai Xiuxiu was feeding the child lunch. The lunch consisted of biscuits she had brought, which she was now soaking in hot water with brown sugar, making them sweet and fragrant.
"Jinhua, our team will be distributing the grain the day after tomorrow," the team leader said as he entered the room.
Hearing this, Bai Xiuxiu was also happy. Once the grain was distributed, they could divide the household.
She and Wang Qinghe still needed to split the money that the Wang family publicly had.