Chapter 121
"No, you can have the pots, bowls, and utensils, but I absolutely won't give you money!" Zhao Guifen proposed again, unwillingly. There were plenty of dishes at home; giving them some wouldn't be a problem. Why should she give them money?
"Really?" Bai Xiuxiu looked at Zhao Guifen and smiled warmly.
"Fine, then we'll take the pots, bowls, and utensils. Four years ago, the commune's kitchenware factory needed some strong temporary workers. The team leader took my husband there. When he came back, because he worked the hardest, they rewarded him with this set of dishes.
There are eight bowls, eight plates, two soup bowls, and a lard jar.
You said that as the family grows, there wouldn't be enough dishes, so you took them."
Bai Xiuxiu helped the Wang family, who only remembered the bad, recall the past.
Zhao Guifen was dumbfounded.
How could they still remember something from so long ago?
"Oh, and..."
Bai Xiuxiu prepared to continue.
"Alright, stop it, we'll give you the money. You have fewer people, so just buy new ones when the time comes. This family needs these dishes." Wang Shoucheng didn't want to hear any more memories. If they kept going, they might end up moving out of the old Wang house!
He knew very well how much they had used over the years.
Zhao Guifen remained silent and took out another five yuan.
Now the money left in the house was even less!
"Let's go to the team office right now! Second son, third son, fourth son, you and your wives come with me to the team office. Old Fifth, you take your wife's family back." Wang Shoucheng didn't want to hear any more about dividing the household. If they kept dividing, there would be no money left.
"Dad, I'll go too." Wang Qingqi felt left out and panicked.
"Just take them back." Wang Shoucheng didn't want to waste words with this fool!
The Zhou family had spent so much today; he needed to make amends. Did they not want to be relatives anymore?
Besides, if the Zhou family didn't leave, how could his wife deal with the two children in the main room?
Before Wang Shoucheng could finalize his plan, Wang Qinghe had already brought the two children out.
Wang Shoucheng wanted to yell.
What were they doing? Taking the children to the team office?
Zhao Guifen was also angry. She knew why her husband left her at home, but why did they take the children?
The whole family left the house, and the Zhou family split off once they reached the gate.
Although Wang Qingqi wanted to follow for the division, he didn't dare disobey.
"Qingqi, do you know what happened with our Jiaojiao? She doesn't keep secrets from you, does she?" Tian Xiaolan looked at her son-in-law, feeling aggrieved.
Could the Wang family be involved in this mess?
Wang Qingqi was confused. "Mom, I really don't know. Jiaojiao seems fine. She has no contact with my eldest sister-in-law. Since she married me, she's been living comfortably. My parents dislike my eldest brother and sister-in-law.
While the food at home isn't great, they've always given us extra meals privately.
And my mother got me this job. She was about to join me and enjoy life.
This is all so sudden."
Wang Qingqi felt increasingly wronged. What was Jiaojiao trying to achieve?
"Didn't your eldest sister-in-law bully her? When she first married in, who knows..." Old Zhou was puzzled. Although Jiaojiao liked to stand out, she wouldn't go so far!
"Not really..." Wang Qingqi was stunned.
He realized something!
Though unbelievable, it was possible.
"What is it? Did your eldest sister-in-law bully her first?" Tian Xiaolan's eyes lit up. They couldn't let their family take the blame!
"It's just that she always found fault with my eldest sister-in-law, thinking she had an easy life with my eldest brother doing everything for her. She felt her life wasn't as comfortable, and her family always sent things to her sister-in-law." Wang Qingqi awkwardly explained.
"That's impossible!"
Old Zhou dismissed this possibility outright.
His son-in-law shouldn't think like that, and his daughter couldn't be that kind of person.
"Qingqi, our Jiaojiao was always a good child, always thinking of the family. She's so kind it hurts. Don't think ill of her. This must be the third sister-in-law's doing.
Xu Xiaojuan was always trouble.
But she was good to Jiaojiao.
She must have thought your eldest sister-in-law was too aggressive and always bullied you. So, she took matters into her own hands.
In essence, everyone was doing it for you and Jiaojiao's sake."
Tian Xiaolan understood her husband's intentions and started praising Zhou Jiaojiao while wiping her tears.
Wang Qingqi was moved.
The eldest and second sisters-in-law, who had followed silently, were speechless.
What kind of person is the sister-in-law? If others don't know, how could they not know?
Although their men have gone to work as laborers, they can't stay away from the village forever.
After all, they don't have jobs. If they became urban residents, they wouldn't be able to come back and share in the food distribution.
So they have to work at home and on the farm.
Over the years, dealing with the sister-in-law, her viciousness has grown just like her good fortune, getting worse day by day.
If anyone doesn't please her even a little bit, she wishes they were dead.
If someone dares to be better than her, she becomes consumed with envy and resentment.
If there's anyone in this village who is better than her in every way, that person is her enemy!
Even in her dreams, she cries over their graves.
They were originally puzzled about why there was enmity, but after hearing what this brother-in-law said, everything made sense.
Their sister-in-law is just that kind of person.
This is the easiest situation for her to develop hatred.
However, they dare not say this. In the eyes of their parents and their own husbands, she is still their good daughter and good sister—a fortunate and sensible girl who had to get married when she reached the right age.
They still hope she will continue to bring good fortune to the family.
Wang Qingqi was almost driven mad by the Zhou family.
On the other side.
Wang Shoucheng and the others went to the brigade office.
The brigade leader, because he had agreed with Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe to handle their property division, hasn't returned yet.
As it got darker, the brigade leader looked at his wife, who was there for the spectacle.
"Jinhua, why don't you go back first? At least make some dinner?"
Chapter 122
"That won't do. You're always like a wooden block, unable to speak properly. If you were to relay it to me, it would be stiff and formal. It's much better to wait here. The two old ones from the Old Wang family are thoroughly rotten; they've been exploiting their eldest son for the past two years.
I've been watching them with disapproval, and today I must see this division of the family through.
I need to make sure that our girl Xiuxiu doesn't get shortchanged."
Chen Jinhua had a basketful of reasons to refuse going home.
She turned around and poured herself a cup of hot water, ignoring her husband.
It was clear she was angry.
The team leader had no choice but to approach indirectly: "What about the others in our family..."
"Relax, our son went home to cook. He should be there by now, right?"
Chen Jinhua was very calm. Not to brag, but her son had a good job, looked decent, and was tall. He could cook and was filial—what more could one ask for?
Seeing how she put it, the team leader couldn't bring up sending her back again.
"Oh, they're coming." Chen Jinhua looked outside and saw a group of people heading towards the team office, so she kicked him.
"Really?" The team leader hurriedly got up to look, and indeed, they were coming.
Why did so many people come for this division of the family?
When Bai Xiuxiu entered the room, she immediately saw Chen Jinhua.
"Xiuxiu is here? Come sit down."
Chen Jinhua invited Bai Xiuxiu to sit next to her, feeling even worse about the Wang family seeing that Wang Qinghe and Bai Xiuxiu had to bring their children along.
Bai Xiuxiu didn't hesitate and sat down beside Chen Jinhua.
"Aunt Jinhua, why haven't you gone home to rest?"
Bai Xiuxiu's caring tone made Chen Jinhua feel much better.
Look at how well-spoken she is! And then there's my own wooden block.
"Auntie heard about your family division. I need to watch out for you, so no one takes advantage of you." Chen Jinhua didn't hide her intentions from the Wang family. If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't interfere directly, she would have helped Xiuxiu tear this family apart.
"Cough, cough! Old Wang, Qinghe, are you here to have me witness the division of your family?" the team leader asked.
"Yes, we want to divide the family," Wang Shoucheng said anxiously.
He sighed heavily: "My son is grown, and these old bones can't control him anymore. They don't want to live together, so I have no choice."
"How will you divide it?" the team leader wondered.
This time, before Wang Shoucheng could continue playing the victim, Wang Qinghe spoke up: "We want one-sixth of the family's money, which is three hundred yuan. Also, the room I currently live in, and five yuan for the pots, pans, and other utensils. Yunjiu Novels
In total, three hundred and five yuan.
That's our share."
"Just that?" The team leader felt uneasy. How could it be just that little?
Ever since Qinghe could work, he has been doing all the labor for the family.
Even the donkeys in the production team don't work as much as he does.
"And this." Bai Xiuxiu handed the ledger to the team leader.
Wang Shoucheng didn't expect them to show the ledger. This was meant to humiliate the Old Wang family. How could they be so malicious?
The team leader was initially puzzled, wondering what these small books contained.
But after reading through them, he was so angry he wanted to pour a thermos of hot water over Wang Shoucheng's head.
He had seen unreasonable things, but nothing this outrageous.
Children under six are not allowed to participate in labor. Children between six and nine can only do light work worth less than three points.
Children nine and older can participate in other labor.
Wang Qinghe, between the ages of seven and nine, had to do two-point labor every day.
By the time he was ten, these two old ones took him to the fields. He was strong and worked quickly.
Everyone in the village knew this.
But who knew that at home, he barely had any money to spend?
He wore clothes that were hand-me-downs from Old Wang when he was young, and patched-up clothes when he grew up. Not a single penny of his earnings ever reached his hands. Even in winter, he had to go into the mountains to hunt for this family?
Is he really their own child?
His clothes were stuffed with dried corn leaves.
Only after getting married a few years ago and bringing Bai Xiuxiu home, with her dowry, did he start dressing better.
He attended school because the village promised an egg subsidy for each child attending primary school.
Their family thought the annual tuition was cheaper than a year's worth of eggs, so they sent him!
These records show every penny he spent in the Wang family since he learned to count.
Including food and drinks, the expenses for nearly twenty years didn't even add up to three hundred yuan.
All this money was spent on food.
Even when it came to getting married, he earned extra money to cover the costs himself.
But from Wang Qinghe, they received over four thousand yuan.
Subtracting the three hundred yuan for the division of assets and the money spent on food and drinks, there's still over three thousand yuan left...
"These are what they owe me and my husband. Captain, is that unreasonable?"
Bai Xiuxiu asked the captain, who looked rather displeased.
The captain nodded. "No, that's not unreasonable. I'll also act as your witness for this."
He had seen biased parents before, but these parents weren't just biased; they treated their children like they were someone else's.
"Captain, there's also the matter of Zhou Jiaojiao and Xu Xiaojuan pushing me into the water. I was traumatized, so I'm asking for five hundred yuan in compensation, making it a total of one thousand yuan."
Bai Xiuxiu continued.
Chen Jinhua had just gotten hold of the ledger and was still angry when she heard this.
Looking at Bai Xiuxiu, she felt increasingly satisfied.
Indeed, Xiuxiu's actions made her feel comfortable.
"I'll write all this down. You'll put your fingerprints on it, and I'll stamp it. I'll be your witness for the division of the family. Both sides find it reasonable, right? There are no other issues?"
The captain stared at Wang Shoucheng.
In previous years, he had acted as a witness for others, but... in those cases, he would usually favor the elderly parents during the division.
After all, the kindness of parents raising their children was undeniable.
So most of the time, the younger couples would have to bear some loss when setting up their own households.
But this time, Wang Shoucheng better not cause any trouble.
Wang Shoucheng felt guilty under the captain's gaze. "Captain, what about my wife and me for our old age?"
How could they have the nerve?
The captain rolled his eyes but still handled it officially. "Let's follow the village's average standard. In our village and the other villages under the commune, the minimum monthly support for parents by their children is two yuan.
Let's go with that number.
For both of you together, it's four yuan a month."
"Qinghe, Xiaobai, do you agree with this?"
"That's too little..." Wang Shoucheng couldn't care less about the captain's expression; what could four yuan do?
"I didn't ask you," the captain scolded him irritably.
Then he turned to Wang Qinghe.
Even during such a major event as dividing the family, Wang Qinghe showed little emotional fluctuation. He glanced at the Wang family and finally looked at Wang Shoucheng: "Fine, I'm willing to provide the minimum monthly support for my biological parents."
Chapter 123
"Um, Old Wang, Qinghe and his wife have agreed. You should give me your stance quickly.
Two yuan per person per month is not low."
The team leader highly approved of Wang Qinghe's straightforward attitude.
If it were him who had suffered such grievances from childhood, he would never have agreed to support the elderly so easily.
Qinghe is truly a good child.
Wang Shoucheng's eyelids kept twitching. Was that wolf cub, Wang Qinghe, aware of something? That couldn't be possible; he spends all his time in the mountains, what could he know?
Could someone have told him?
That shouldn't be the case!
Could he have overheard him talking with his wife? Or perhaps... because he has treated this wolf cub so poorly, it made him suspicious?
Wang Shoucheng was deeply troubled.
"Look at you! You still don't agree? If you don't agree to two yuan per month, then let's make it even less." The team leader grew annoyed seeing Wang Shoucheng still silent.
Old Wang is really unreasonable. How well did Qinghe speak?
And he's still not satisfied?
"Don't... don't reduce it further." Wang Shoucheng feared that it might actually be reduced.
He looked at Wang Qinghe with great hesitation. This wasn't about four yuan.
But... why did he specifically mention biological kinship?
If there's any evidence, wouldn't the four yuan be gone?
Forget it, if they find evidence, he and his wife might suffer terribly, and it won't just be about the four yuan.
In this life, he must insist that this is his son!
"Fine, I agree. Team Leader, four yuan it is."
Wang Shoucheng dared not delay any longer. Recently, the topic of biological kinship had been mentioned too many times, making him fearful!
Old Second and Old Fifth need to get their acts together soon; the family relies on them.
"Good, this is perfect. Now that you've agreed, I'll write it down."
Seeing that the matter was almost settled and that Wang Qinghe and his family had already discussed everything at home, the team leader quickly wrote out two copies of the separation agreement.
"Sign here and press your fingerprints, I'll be your witness."
The team leader pushed the agreement toward the two of them.
Wang Qinghe signed his name without hesitation and pressed his fingerprint.
The other members of the Wang family looked at Wang Qinghe and Bai Xiuxiu. With this, they had successfully divided the household, and their hearts itched with envy.
Wasn't that too easy?
Moreover, if the eldest brother could get back what he had paid over the years, couldn't they do the same?
"Alright, everyone go back. Qinghe, do you and Xiuxiu need to have a wall built to separate your part from the rest of the Wang family's courtyard?" The team leader brought up the matter proactively.
Wang Qinghe had left a very good impression on him recently.
"Captain, I can handle this myself." Wang Qinghe had always intended to separate the courtyard.
They didn't plan to live in this courtyard, but they did plan to sell it.
They certainly wouldn't let the Wang family benefit from it.
If they were to sell it, it would be better to have a separate entrance after building a dividing wall.
Who would dare buy it otherwise?
When Wang Shoucheng heard that even part of the courtyard was to be divided, he felt as if his heart was bleeding.
"Captain, I've never seen anyone divide a courtyard when separating households..." Wang Shoucheng tried to save his courtyard, unwillingly.
"Oh, I've also never seen a son raised like yours."
The team leader looked at him with disdain.
"Well, haven't I already repaid him? And I still have to repay him every month. This is the first time I've heard of parents having to return money earned at home to their son.
As a father, I admit I'm biased. This money is compensation for him.
But the courtyard is different." Wang Shoucheng became more agitated as he spoke.
If it weren't for Old Fifth's ungrateful wife, would he have to give the money back to Wang Qinghe so reluctantly?
Forget about the account book; even if the emperor himself came, he wouldn't give a single coin.
Giving money was already painful enough, and now even part of the courtyard was to be divided.
Did those two deserve to live in a separate courtyard? Weren't they afraid they'd trip and die?
Moreover, with a separate courtyard, wouldn't it be harder to steal the children?
"Shut up already. The money your son asked for was all beyond what it cost to raise him. He's already accounted for the food and clothes you provided. I'm currently leading three villages, and I've never seen a father act like this before."
Chen Zhuangshi found even looking at Wang Shoucheng one more time to be annoying.
Wang Qinghe didn't mind and even cooperated, "Dad, we don't want the money or the courtyard. After all, you had two choices, right?"
Wang Shoucheng was immediately speechless.
That spendthrift Old Fifth's wife!
If she doesn't bring me more benefits, I'll make her pay!
"Dad, do you still want the courtyard?" Bai Xiuxiu, seeing him pretending to be mute, asked again in cooperation.
"No, take it all!"
Wang Shoucheng stormed off, and the other members of the Wang family looked at each other in disbelief.
Is Dad crazy? Giving away part of the courtyard?
The eldest brother and sister-in-law have really hit the jackpot. They wish they could get a share too.
After the Wang family left, Chen Jinhua tidied up and prepared to go home with her husband.
Seeing her husband packing things, she was curious, "Why did Old Wang agree today? It didn't seem like he was doing it willingly, but who could force him?"
Chen Jinhua couldn't figure it out.
If Xiuxiu and Qinghe had any leverage, they would have used it long ago. How could the Wang family still control them like this?
"This isn't something we should worry about. As long as Xiao Bai and Qinghe are well, and the Wang family doesn't cause trouble, that's fine. Xiao Bai's sister is serving in the military, leaving Xiao Bai alone in our village. We can't let her suffer here.
Alright, can we go home now? I'm starving."
Chen Zhuangshi explained his stance with a simple smile and urged his wife to go home.
With the division of the household successful, Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe returned home with their two children. The stove was burning brightly, and Bai Xiuxiu went up to the kang bed, taking out a bag of rice from her space, along with some meat jerky made by Zhao Cuihua and dried shrimp sent by her sister.
She used the meat jerky to make soup and soaked the dried shrimp to stir-fry.
"Qinghe, take some mushrooms from the cabinet on the ground and soak them to stir-fry as well.
We should eat something nice today since we divided the household."
Wang Qinghe carried the two children onto the kang bed, first making a cup of honey water for his wife and then a cup of sugar water for the children.
The two children looked bewildered.
They didn't understand what dividing the household meant; they only knew that their parents had been taking them out often these days.
However, they weren't hungry, and their parents didn't scold them, so they behaved well.
The two children played happily on the kang bed.
Bai Xiuxiu took the honey water from Wang Qinghe and watched him busy himself cooking.
The warmth of the cup in her hands brought her comfort.
Chapter 124
Wang Qinghe skillfully started cooking. He had learned this skill from helping out with the cooking in the Wang family since he was young.
At first, his cooking wasn't very good; after all, there weren't many seasonings, and he didn't know how to make it taste better.
It was only after he married Xiuxiu that he gradually improved.
Xiuxiu grew up with her mother and sister. He had met her mother-in-law and elder sister, both of whom were shrewd and capable, and they pampered Xiuxiu more than he did. Originally, Xiuxiu could have followed her elder sister to join the military if she hadn't met him here and found someone she liked.
She would have gone with her elder sister.
Since being with him, Xiuxiu's life has not been as good as it was at home.
If only he could do better.
Wang Qinghe thought about this and also considered the matter of the house: "Xiuxiu, after I find Xiao Zhang tomorrow, I'll come back and build the courtyard wall. Who do you want to sell this house to?"
Bai Xiuxiu was counting their money when she heard his question and pondered for a moment: "Our courtyard is quite nice, and we've spent a lot of money fixing up the house. Now that we've separated from the family, whoever buys this house won't be bothered by the Wangs.
Let's start by asking people we know. I'll ask Aunt Jinhua tomorrow. If she needs it, we can sell it to her at a discount.
She has helped me a great deal.
If she doesn't need it, we can ask others."
"Alright."
Wang Qinghe added some more firewood to the stove.
In the main room.
Wang Shoucheng returned to the house with his family, looking dejected.
As soon as they entered, Zhao Guifen eagerly asked about the pension: "Old man, how much pension money did Lao Da give us? Shouldn't it be around forty or fifty yuan per month? For two people, that's not much; it's already cheapening them!"
"Forty or fifty yuan?"
Even Zhao Cuihua, who had just entered, couldn't help laughing at such an outrageous request: "Mom, you might as well lie down and dream now. It's only four yuan."
"How much?"
Zhao Guifen suspected her ears were failing her.
"Four yuan, two yuan each, adding up to four yuan," Wang Shoucheng glanced at her. This old woman really finds trouble where there isn't any.
She always says things that are hard to hear.
"He, he should go die! Four yuan, what can you do with four yuan? Why did you agree to it?" Zhao Guifen regretted not going along.
Wang Shoucheng looked at her with a cold smile: "What else? Whenever I had objections, they mentioned Old Fifth's wife. Do you want Old Fifth and Lao Er to lose their jobs? Our family's hope lies in them."
"Dad, you're wrong. This is Lao Er and Old Fifth's hope, not ours." Wang Laosi spoke sarcastically.
Wang Shoucheng glared at him: "What do you mean?"
"Nothing, I just think I've done a lot of work for you over the years. You might as well calculate the money I earned from working and give me three hundred yuan. I haven't eaten much more than Lao Da either. Give me my share.
I don't want to live like this anymore."
Wang Qingliang bravely spoke up.
Beside him, Wang Laosan looked at him with shock in his eyes.
Laosi... Is he crazy?
Doesn't he know why Dad agreed with Lao Da? It was to prevent Lao Da and his wife from causing trouble for Lao Er and Old Fifth's jobs.
He wants to separate too? Does he want to get beaten again?
Smack!
Wang Shoucheng slapped his fourth son across the face, so angry that his lips trembled: "You, you useless thing. What? Your father isn't dead yet, and you want to separate? I'll beat you to death before you can separate and drive me mad.
I... I'll let you separate?
Where's the feather duster? Where's my feather duster?"
Wang Shoucheng turned around in anger, and Zhao Guifen immediately handed him the feather duster.
"Dad, what are you doing?"
Wang Qingliang was stunned by the beating.
Wang Shoucheng ignored him and beat him fiercely: "I'll teach you to separate! I'll teach you to be smart! Do you still want to separate?"
"Answer me!"
Wang Qingliang howled in pain and quickly begged for mercy: "No more, Dad, I won't separate anymore, okay?"
Wang Shoucheng didn't calm down and glared at Wang Laosi's wife Chen Fang: "I'm telling you, stop mentioning separation. Your elder brother is unlucky and ungrateful. Didn't you see how much benefit Old Fifth's wife brought to the family recently?
She even talked about doing black market business.
That's all money!
Now that your elder brother and his wife have separated, there's one less person to share the money with.
You should be happy!"
I don't divide the family assets; it's all for your own good. If any of you dare to complain behind my back again, just watch me beat you to death.
And if anyone dares to threaten me with Old Fifth's affairs like the eldest did, I'll really beat you to death.
Can't I beat you brats if I can't beat the eldest?"
No one in the family dared to make a sound.
Old Fifth, Wang Qingqi, had returned earlier than them. Hearing that his father was going to take away what belonged to him and his wife, he felt a knot in his heart.
Why?
Why should this family take away his things?
"Alright, Old Second's wife, go make dinner quickly. You all get back to your tasks. Old woman, make something good tonight," Wang Shoucheng glared at Zhao Guifen.
Warning her not to skimp today.
Could this family be held together with only a few good meals a year?
Zhao Guifen was used to being frugal. Hearing that they were having a good meal, she felt uneasy.
But she knew better and took out some preserved meat she had stored: "This is all there is. Take it and cook it, then make some rice. Don't make too much, one bowl per person. If anyone's still hungry, they can eat some sweet potatoes.
Also, make an egg soup.
Put... put four eggs."
Zhao Guifen endured the pain in her heart.
The family couldn't help but swallow their saliva upon hearing about the meal.
In the western room, Bai Xiuxiu and her family had finished dinner and drank some hawthorn tea to aid digestion before settling down for the night.
Wang Qinghe skillfully drew the curtain and hugged his wife...
The next morning, Wang Qinghe took his wife and two children to the commune office first.
At the commune office, Bai Xiuxiu warmed up to him for a bit: "When we go to the county later, take a bus. We can afford it. Walking would be too tiring, and you're not allowed to refuse me."
Wang Qinghe, completely charmed by her, nodded vigorously in agreement.
His slightly dazed smile, paired with his fair face, didn't seem foolish at all.
Instead, it had a clean and pure quality.
Bai Xiuxiu felt that just looking at his face could make her eat two more bowls of rice.
"Bring back some eggs when you return, and buy some meat too. Keep the rest for yourself," Bai Xiuxiu gave him twenty yuan along with meat and grain tickets.
"Okay." Wang Qinghe's voice was a bit hoarse.
He watched his wife enter the commune office before leaving.
Now that he no longer needed to avoid people when going to the county and could take a bus, it was much faster and more convenient.
As soon as he arrived in the county, he headed straight for Xiao Zhang's place.
When he arrived, Xiao Zhang was applying medicine to his face.
Seeing him come, he immediately became enthusiastic: "Brother Wang!"
Chapter 125
"Brother Wang, why are you here? I was thinking of going to your village later to find you," Xiao Zhang said, looking surprised at Wang Qinghe.
Wang Qinghe followed Xiao Zhang into the courtyard and noticed a bruise on his eye. It looked like he had been hit.
"Brother Wang, I've inquired about what you asked me to look into. The house is manageable, but the job... jobs are harder to come by. However, if you're willing to spend some money, it shouldn't take more than ten days or half a month to arrange something.
As for the house, my Seventh Aunt has a small courtyard on the western side of our county, near the lumber mill and food factory. I've checked the walls; they're sturdy. Inside, there's a central room.
It's divided, with two rooms on either side.
The courtyard isn't too big or too small, about two hundred square meters. You can grow some vegetables, though not large crops.
My Seventh Aunt's husband passed away early, and she has only one daughter.
Her daughter married someone in the neighboring county and recently found a new partner herself. They plan to get married and live together.
She doesn't want the house anymore.
She wants to sell it and give part of the money to her daughter and keep the rest for her own retirement.
If you agree, we can go to the Housing Management Office."
Xiao Zhang haphazardly applied some red medicine to his eye and began explaining the details of the house to Wang Qinghe.
"When would be a convenient time to see it?" Wang Qinghe was quite interested in Xiao Zhang's description.
"We can go right now. Let me lock the door, and we'll set off immediately." Xiao Zhang quickly put the medicine away in a wooden box.
He then led Wang Qinghe out.
On the way, he enthusiastically introduced various aspects of the county.
Wang Qinghe listened attentively, noting down the information that would be useful for him and his wife.
"Oh, Brother Wang, you mentioned before that you wanted to wind down the black market business. Is there any specific reason for that?" Xiao Zhang, remembering what his brother had asked him to inquire about, casually brought up the topic.
"No, it's just that the bigger the tree, the more wind it catches. Everyone envies profitable businesses, especially those that aren't above board. Over time, it becomes problematic.
We've already reached the peak. If we continue, we might attract more trouble than the benefits we gain."
Although Wang Qinghe didn't do business in the black market, he occasionally helped his wife obtain some coupons.
The black market was even busier than the supply and marketing cooperative.
"Brother Wang, you're really smart. My brother heard the same advice a few days ago. After I told him your opinion, he started considering other options. But what else can we do?" Xiao Zhang seemed troubled.
Their operation wasn't small. Initially, his brother was hesitant.
But yesterday, when they went out, someone inexplicably put a sack over their heads and beat them up, warning them not to compete for business.
They couldn't report this to the authorities, and while Xiao Zhang's injuries were mostly on his body, his brother was badly hurt and couldn't leave the house for several days.
What kind of situation was this!
"What should we do?"
Wang Qinghe was even more puzzled by his question.
"Of course, find connections to get a job at a factory. What else?" Wang Qinghe countered.
"A job? How much could that earn?" Xiao Zhang was far from pleased.
Wang Qinghe remained silent.
They arrived at the courtyard Xiao Zhang had mentioned.
The courtyard wasn't large, but the walls were indeed solid and nearly two meters high.
All the gates in this area were iron gates.
A child had drawn a smiling face on the gate as they passed by.
Xiao Zhang knocked on the door: "Seventh Aunt? Are you home? I've brought someone over."
Soon, an elderly woman who appeared to be in her sixties opened the door.
Despite the wrinkles on her face, she looked spirited and cheerful when she smiled.
"Let's talk inside."
Wang Qinghe and Xiao Zhang followed her into the courtyard.
Before entering, Wang Qinghe glanced around at the nearby courtyards.
The other courtyards looked similar to this one. This courtyard wasn't particularly special, but it was better maintained than the others.
These courtyards were built side by side, separated only by walls.
"Brother Wang, this used to belong to a wealthy family. These small courtyards were all enclosed within a single wall. Later, the wall was demolished, and these houses were converted into individual courtyards. I heard they made hundreds of small courtyards.
Imagine how rich that family must have been.
I heard from my family that one row of houses in their courtyard was converted into dozens of small courtyards.
We now live in one of them."
Xiao Zhang couldn't help but sigh as he spoke. A house like that was something he wouldn't even dare to dream about.
Entering the courtyard, there were a few small vegetable plots on either side, all now empty of produce.
Inside the house, the first room had a stove installed, with a dining table to the east and several stools around it.
Several large chests were placed in the room, atop which were everyday household items.
The house wasn't large, but it was clean.
The eastern room appeared to be about twenty square meters, with a large kang bed, and two chests on the ground.
The western room was similar to the eastern one.
The old lady poured hot water for the two men: "I usually cook in this main room by myself. If you buy this house, you can build a kitchen later."
"Wang Ge, this is a minor matter; I can build it for you later."
"If you like this house, let's settle it early so I can leave sooner." The old lady seemed a bit anxious about this matter.
Xiao Zhang looked at Wang Qinghe; without his nod, Xiao Zhang didn't dare to agree either.
Wang Qinghe looked around and found it quite satisfactory.
However, the final decision still needed to be made by Xiuxiu.
"I've seen the house, and I think it's good. But in our family, my wife makes the decisions. Would it be convenient if I bring her here tomorrow to take another look?" Wang Qinghe asked the old lady.
The old lady was a bit surprised.
For such a big decision, he actually lets his wife make the call?
"Seventh Aunt, what do you think?" Xiao Zhang was a bit worried; many people wanted to buy this house.
After all, houses were scarce, especially in this area with many factories nearby.
Many factory workers couldn't even get housing allocations.
Houses like this, where individuals could buy and live in, were extremely rare.
If not for their family connection, he wouldn't have been able to get close to it.
"Sure, I'll wait," the old lady agreed. Selling the house to anyone was selling it, and she was happy to wait an extra day for someone who respected his wife.
"Seventh Aunt, about the price?" Xiao Zhang asked softly.
"We'll discuss it after they come and see it." The old lady already had a set price.
But she also believed in eye appeal; if the person made her feel comfortable, she'd be willing to reduce the price by ten or twenty yuan.
Chapter 126
This house has been lived in for quite some time; she couldn't bear to part with it.
"Thank you." Wang Qinghe expressed his gratitude and followed Xiao Zhang out of the courtyard.
Once outside, Xiao Zhang couldn't help but praise the courtyard: "Brother Wang, if it weren't for you wanting this place, I would have taken it for myself. There are many factories nearby, and most houses here are used as dormitories for factory workers.
Private residences are few and far between.
My Seventh Aunt got this house because her husband died working for the factory.
That's why she has the right to sell it.
Yesterday alone, people almost wore down the threshold of her courtyard.
If you're interested, you must come with Sister-in-Law tomorrow.
My Seventh Aunt has set a price of five hundred yuan.
But don't worry, Brother Wang, I'll definitely negotiate it down for you."
"This is much appreciated." Wang Qinghe glanced at Xiao Zhang and pointed to the corner of his eye, indicating that he had noticed the injury there.
"If you need any help, feel free to tell me."
Seeing this, how could Xiao Zhang not understand?
"Hey! It's nothing serious. Don't worry about it, Brother Wang. If I really needed your help, I would have asked already." Xiao Zhang felt bitter inside. He wished he could retaliate, but neither he nor his brother knew who was responsible.
Recently, just as Brother Wang said, they were attracting too much attention.
If it weren't for the money, he would have given up entirely.
Unfortunately, he couldn't let go.
His brother also planned to scale back their operations, hoping to avoid more trouble.
Brother Wang wouldn't be able to help with such matters anyway.
Moreover, Brother Wang wanted to bring his wife to live in the city. If he got involved, it might affect Brother Wang negatively.
Xiao Zhang's refusal made it clear to Wang Qinghe why he was injured.
It seemed these brothers talked about quitting but couldn't fully let go.
Still, it was human nature, and Wang Qinghe couldn't be sure of his assumptions.
Wang Qinghe looked at the courtyard and decided to give one more piece of advice: "Xiao Zhang, going with the flow will make life easier."
Xiao Zhang was taken aback.
Even after sending Wang Qinghe away, he was still processing what had been said.
What did Brother Wang mean by "going with the flow"?
In Xiahe Village.
Bai Xiuxiu and Chen Jinhua spent the morning discussing the family division. Chen Jinhua had witnessed the division last night, but hearing the finer details still brought her satisfaction.
"You should have done this long ago, Xiuxiu. After the division, focus on your work at the Women's Federation.
It will drive that family crazy."
Chen Jinhua spoke with enthusiasm.
In the evening, when preparing to leave, the other two departed first, and Bai Xiuxiu then mentioned the house.
"Aunt Jinhua, I don't plan to live in this house anymore. You've seen how we get along with the Wangs. If we stay here, I'd be scared to leave my child at home. Qinghe and I want to buy jobs and move to the county.
We plan to sell this house.
Would your family be interested? Fifty yuan should suffice."
Bai Xiuxiu offered an almost giveaway price.
After all, she had spent much more than that building the house.
Chen Jinhua was surprised: "Your house is so good, and you're not going to live in it? Fifty yuan... That's too little."
"We don't feel safe living here, so we'll have to leave it empty anyway."
Bai Xiuxiu gave a simple excuse.
Chen Jinhua understood that this was the couple's way of thanking her.
"Could I let my sister live here?" Chen Jinhua tentatively asked Bai Xiuxiu.
Their current home was spacious enough, and her son wouldn't stay in the village.
However, her sister's situation was chaotic, and moving out might help her have children sooner.
"Of course, once you buy it, it's yours. Who lives there doesn't matter," Bai Xiuxiu agreed without hesitation.
"That's great, Xiuxiu! You've done me a huge favor! I'll have Uncle Chen handle the transaction tomorrow. Rest assured, I won't let you lose out." Chen Jinhua was overjoyed, thinking about her previous plans.
"If you really move to the county, I can ask our former Women's Federation director to see if she can help you transfer. But the chances are slim since we don't have strong connections, and you haven't been with the Federation for long.
Although your education is sufficient, still..."
Chen Jinhua sighed.
Hearing this, Bai Xiuxiu felt her heart stir. "If it works out, Auntie, you'll really be helping me a lot."
"If it doesn't work out, you can stay in our village for now. Get some good results early on, and then you can go to the county."
After Chen Jinhua finished speaking, she felt a bit regretful.
She had gotten too excited in the moment.
The director is currently at the commune, but who knows what the situation is like there.
Moreover, she wasn't sure if her connections would even work.
But no matter what, it was worth asking.
Even if it's not the Women's Federation, having a job at the commune would still be good.
Her life was set; with no education, climbing up was just a dream.
But Xiuxiu is different!
Chen Jinhua didn't know why, but looking at Xiuxiu made her feel good.
It was as if Xiuxiu were her own daughter.
"Alright, your husband has come to take you home. I'll be off, see you tomorrow." Chen Jinhua patted Bai Xiuxiu's back and turned to leave.
After Wang Qinghe returned from the county, he went back to bricklaying.
Estimating it was about time, he came to pick her up.
"Dad!" Yueyue ran over to him upon seeing him.
Wang Qinghe skillfully picked up both children.
"Wife, today when I went to the city, I talked to Xiao Zhang..."
Wang Qinghe started talking about the house.
Hearing her husband's description, Bai Xiuxiu also felt excited.
Finding an independent courtyard was not easy.
They were fortunate that their county was prosperous, and they had encountered such a good opportunity.
"Let's go see it tomorrow. By the way, just now, Auntie Jinhua..." Bai Xiuxiu told Wang Qinghe about what Chen Jinhua had said.
However, she didn't hold much hope for it.
That was the Women's Federation at the commune, not easy to get into.
She hadn't achieved anything significant yet; wanting to join would be like dreaming.
But even if she couldn't get in, having Auntie Jinhua put in a good word meant that once she did achieve something, she could still have a chance.
That was still a good thing.
Wang Qinghe was also happy after hearing this. Whatever Xiuxiu did, as long as it made her better and safer, he was happy.
When they returned to the Wang family home, Bai Xiuxiu saw that Wang Qinghe had already built nearly half of the wall!
As soon as they entered the courtyard, Zhao Guifen glared at them.
At this moment, someone else returned.
Zhou Jiaojiao, supported by Wang Qingqi, came in from outside.
She looked very haggard.
Chapter 127
Zhou Jiaojiao and Wang Qingqi returned around the same time as Bai Xiuxiu, but they took a different route.
When Wang Qingqi and Zhou Jiaojiao came back, Bai Xiuxiu and the others had just entered the alley.
Zhao Guifen was about to confront Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe when she saw her youngest son and daughter-in-law return.
She felt both excited and angry. Zhou Jiaojiao had caused their family to lose a large sum of money, and if she hadn't come back, Zhao Guifen would have wanted to die.
But... now that she was back, Zhao Guifen couldn't help but think about the money they had lost.
If not for Zhou Jiaojiao, they wouldn't have had to pay any compensation.
Zhao Guifen's emotions were complex.
"Mom, I brought Jiaojiao back. Where's Dad? Where are the others? When is dinner? Jiaojiao and I are hungry. She suffered all day; you should make something good for her."
Wang Qingqi rushed Zhao Guifen for food as soon as he entered the courtyard.
Zhao Guifen's eyes narrowed as she glanced at Zhou Jiaojiao: "Do you two even have the heart to eat? Our home is in shambles, and you still want to eat! Go inside first; there's no rush for food. Your second sister-in-law and third sister-in-law went to pick mushrooms in the mountains. We'll cook once they return."
Zhao Guifen said a few more words.
Zhou Jiaojiao felt guilty. On the way back, Wang Qingqi had already told her that the family had split from the eldest brother and his wife, and they had paid a hefty sum in compensation.
Such a large amount of money—it was practically extortion by Bai Xiuxiu!
Looking at her mother-in-law's face, Zhou Jiaojiao felt an unprecedented sense of urgency.
Feeling wronged, she looked at Bai Xiuxiu, who was about to take her child inside, and choked out, "Elder Sister, I've heard about what happened to our family. It was my third sister-in-law who tried to harm you, not me. How could you use this incident to extort money from Mom and Dad?
And Elder Brother, we're family.
Even if you feel that Mom and Dad treated you poorly, at least they gave you life.
How could you use my situation to force them to give you money?
This is utterly heartless.
If you have any grievances, take them out on me. Why do you treat Mom and Dad like this?"
Zhou Jiaojiao's words resonated with Zhao Guifen.
Her expression softened as she looked at her: "Hmph, what's the point of talking to someone so heartless? You two go inside first; she's not part of our family anymore."
Zhou Jiaojiao felt pleased. Indeed, saying a few words against Bai Xiuxiu always made her mother-in-law happy.
Bai Xiuxiu waited until Zhou Jiaojiao was about to enter the house before calmly responding: "Why would I target you? You're the one who helped us split the household; I should be thanking you. As for being heartless? That's a bit too much.
I still pay Qinghe and your parents monthly for their support.
Compared to those who haven't split yet, we're doing much better.
If we're heartless, what does that make you?"
With that, Bai Xiuxiu took her child and her husband inside.
Zhao Guifen suddenly remembered that the real culprit was Zhou Jiaojiao!
Seeing her mother-in-law's face darken again, Zhou Jiaojiao hated Bai Xiuxiu even more.
"Mom..."
Zhou Jiaojiao wanted to explain.
Inside the house, Wang Shoucheng's voice echoed: "Enough, let's talk inside. We can discuss things within the family."
Wang Qingqi and Zhou Jiaojiao entered the house.
The room seemed darker than usual.
Wang Shoucheng sat on the bed, looking at his son and daughter-in-law standing before him.
His wrinkles seemed deeper than usual, and his cloudy eyes made it hard to guess what the old man was thinking.
Zhou Jiaojiao was on the verge of breaking down.
Wang Shoucheng finally spoke: "Old Fifth's wife, on your way back, Old Fifth should have told you everything. Our family has sacrificed a lot to preserve your reputation and ensure your husband and brothers' job stability.
Your family also contributed significantly.
All of this happened because of you, so don't tell me it was your third sister-in-law's fault.
What grudge did your third sister-in-law have with the eldest sister-in-law?
Since you're Old Fifth's wife, we acknowledge this responsibility.
However, you can't avoid this debt."
Hearing her father-in-law's words, Zhou Jiaojiao felt overwhelmed.
What did he mean?
Was she expected to repay all this money? Just one day away, and she was saddled with such a huge debt? Were the Wangs even human?
"If your mother and I only had Old Fifth as a child, we would break our bones to repay the debt. But there are other people in this family."
Old Fifth's wife, from now on, this family must pull together.
If you and Old Fifth live well while others don't, you won't be truly happy either.
Now that the family has supported you, you must also support the family."
Wang Shoucheng kept persuading Zhou Jiaojiao.
Zhou Jiaojiao felt even more distressed. If she hadn't married Wang Qingqi, she wouldn't have encountered that damned Bai Xiuxiu, and none of this would have happened.
How could she face her third brother when she goes back to her parents' home?
Clearly it was all the Wang family's fault, yet they were asking her to pay the price?
However...
Zhou Jiaojiao thought about the person she unexpectedly met when she returned from being interrogated, and her mind began to churn with ideas.
The black market business was indeed beyond her capabilities alone.
The Wang family still had their skills; for now, she needed to keep them at bay. If they could really make a fortune, paying off the debt wouldn't be an issue.
She didn't want to spend her whole life in this wretched village.
She planned to study and go to college in the future.
Given how the Wang family treated her now, they shouldn't expect her or Wang Qingqi to take care of them in the future.
After some consideration, Zhou Jiaojiao agreed, crying as she spoke: "Dad, I'll do as you say. I do bear some responsibility for what happened. I kept telling my third sister-in-law about everything my eldest sister-in-law did in our house, and she got angry too.
That's why she acted impulsively."
Zhou Jiaojiao continued to blame Bai Xiuxiu and Xu Xiaojuan.
No matter what the family thought, she couldn't admit to anything.
Yesterday, during the interrogation, she was truly terrified.
With so many eyewitnesses to Xu Xiaojuan's actions, there was no escaping it. Even though no one died, a few years in prison was likely.
Xu Xiaojuan tried desperately to drag her down with her. If she hadn't insisted that she had nothing to do with it and had no evidence against her,
plus running into an old classmate who helped her out,
she might not have made it back!
She absolutely didn't want to spend years in jail; it would be better to kill her.
"Um, hearing you say this, I'm relieved. By the way, how are you progressing with the black market business? When can we start? We still need to give money to the eldest every month." Wang Shoucheng urged Zhou Jiaojiao, mainly because the family needed money!
He and his wife didn't have much left.
They needed to find a quick source of income soon.
Chapter 128
If the whole family found out that the thousand-plus on the books is now worth nothing, this family would fall apart!
Zhou Jiaojiao didn't understand why they were so anxious; she assumed they wanted to fill this big hole as soon as possible.
She was also furious.
That old hag, couldn't she give her a break?
She had just gotten out of the police station; couldn't she have a few days of peace?
"Jiaojiao, your parents are asking you a question." Seeing her silent, Wang Qingqi grew anxious too.
He was going to be a worker in the future and needed to find a way to buy a house in the city.
The factory wouldn't allocate him a house, and the family couldn't afford to buy one for him. Apart from his wife earning money, he didn't know any other good solutions.
After all, what his wife earns is his, so making money quickly was the right path.
"I'll take care of it tomorrow, Mom and Dad. Rest assured, I can handle this. I'm a bit tired, can I go back and rest?" Zhou Jiaojiao held back her anger and made a promise. Given her current disheveled appearance, Wang Shoucheng and Zhao Guifen didn't press her further.
"Old Fifth, take your wife back. When your second sister-in-law returns from the mountains and prepares dinner, call her out to eat.
By the way, although the black market business is important, you can't neglect the mountains either."
Wang Shoucheng added another sentence.
Zhou Jiaojiao nearly lost it. What? After doing black market business, she still had to go to the mountains?
Even the donkeys in the team didn't work like this!
"Wife, let's go." Wang Qingqi smiled foolishly and led Zhou Jiaojiao away.
As expected, marrying Jiaojiao was the right choice. She had two ways to make money.
Zhou Jiaojiao was pushed back into the room.
Her anger could no longer be contained: "Why did you push me back? Can't you see that my parents are treating me like a donkey?"
Wang Qingqi was stunned by her scolding: "Wife, what else can we do? I don't like it either, but we don't have better options right now. Let's bear with it for now. When we get a chance, we'll separate from the family."
Zhou Jiaojiao felt a bit better.
That was more like it.
"So, Big Brother and his wife will be separated from us? We only need to give the Wang family four yuan every month?" Zhou Jiaojiao suddenly remembered Bai Xiuxiu again, feeling like ants were gnawing at her heart.
Why should she?
Bai Xiuxiu had caused her so much trouble, yet she still had to earn money for Bai Xiuxiu and watch her live a good life?
"Isn't that right? If we don't separate them, they'll cause trouble and jeopardize my job."
Wang Qingqi was also frustrated. For years, his older brother had been working hard for the family. Now, losing such a helper made him uncomfortable too.
With all that money, if it were used on him, how comfortable his life would be?
"Wife, don't worry. I won't let them live so comfortably. I'll tell you..." Wang Qingqi recalled last night when he ran out of toilet paper and overheard their plan while getting some from the main room.
Mom and Dad planned to extort money from Big Brother's children.
Zhou Jiaojiao was shocked by the cruelty of the elderly couple but also felt a glimmer of hope.
In the east room, Bai Xiuxiu was playing with the two children while watching Wang Qingqi cook.
Today, Wang Qingqi bought eggs and meat from the county supply store. He was preparing shrimp stir-fried with eggs, another meat dish, and a small packet of seaweed sent by her sister, which she planned to use for seaweed soup.
The aroma of freshly steamed rice filled the room.
New rice tasted completely different from old rice.
Seeing the seaweed, she thought of her eldest sister and her mother. Once they moved into their new house, she would write to her eldest sister and mother.
Wang Qinghe noticed his wife staring at him and assumed she was hungry: "Wife, the food will be ready soon. Do you want me to find something for you to eat?"
Bai Xiuxiu was deep in thought, and his words made her laugh.
Bai Xiuxiu was beautiful, and when she laughed, her eyes seemed to sparkle. Wang Qinghe, not well-educated, couldn't describe it, but he felt full of joy and wished she would always smile like that.
The next morning.
After washing up and having a simple breakfast, Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe took the two children out.
The courtyard wall was almost complete, leaving only a passage since the gate hadn't been changed yet.
Zhao Guifen sat on a small stool in the yard, watching Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe. Seeing them leave with the children, she felt frustrated.
At this rate, when would there be an opportunity?
"Mom, I'm scared." Yueyue tried to hold her mother's hand, hiding in her father's arms, still feeling afraid.
Bai Xiuxiu was puzzled: "What's wrong, Yueyue?"
"Grandma is scary." Yueyue whispered, not daring to look.
Bai Xiuxiu looked back at Zhao Guifen. Zhao Guifen's eyes revealed malice and greed.
It made her feel uneasy all over.
This old woman must be up to no good.
She thought about how she and Yueyue had almost been abducted in their previous life. These two old people were probably planning the same thing again.
They needed to move as soon as possible.
She could take risks with herself, but not with the children.
Last night, Wang Qinghe had already gone to the team leader's house to ask for leave on her behalf, so the two of them headed straight to the commune to catch a ride.
Usually, when they came to the city, they came separately.
It was rare for all four of them to come together like this. Upon arriving in the city, Bai Xiuxiu followed Wang Qinghe to meet Xiao Zhang.
She had met Xiao Zhang a few times, but always in the village.
After becoming Wandering Spirit, she watched from behind her husband as Xiao Zhang helped him with his work.
Xiao Zhang had been waiting outside his house early in the morning. Seeing Wang Qinghe arrive with his wife, he quickly greeted them, "Brother Qinghe, Sister-in-law, you're here? Mingming and Yueyue look like they've grown quite a bit."
As he spoke, he gave each child a small gift—a little bear.
"This is something my sister-in-law made. She's very skilled; give it to the kids to play with."
"Quick, thank Uncle."
Bai Xiuxiu reminded the children, who obediently thanked him: "Thank you, Uncle."
Xiao Zhang smiled and gently pinched the cheeks of both children before asking Wang Qinghe, "Brother Qinghe, shall we go see the house directly, or rest a bit first?"
"Let's go directly." Wang Qinghe glanced at his wife, noticing her eager expression and understanding what she was thinking.
"Alright, let's go then."
Xiao Zhang led them back to Seventh Aunt's courtyard. As they arrived, a family with angry faces had just been chased out of the yard.
Seeing them, that family's eyes filled with hostility.
"What bad luck! Coming to cause trouble in my old lady's courtyard early in the morning." Seventh Aunt cursed, then seeing them approach, put on a smile: "You're here? Come inside."
"Seventh Aunt, what happened?" Xiao Zhang asked with concern.
"What else? Relatives from next door wanted to buy the house. I told them it was already sold, and they went berserk, making a scene. Ignore them; let's talk inside."
Chapter 129
The old lady led them into the house, glancing between Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe, then at the two children now in Wang Qinghe's arms. Her smile was warmer than yesterday. She even found some sunflower seeds for the children.
"These were roasted this year; they're for the kids. Would you like me to show you around the house again?" Seventh Aunt looked at Bai Xiuxiu, her tone much friendlier than when she spoke to Wang Qinghe yesterday.
Xiao Zhang quickly helped her sit down. "Seventh Aunt, don't trouble yourself. I can show Brother Wang and Sister-in-Law around. We can discuss things after we finish the tour?"
"Alright, take a rest before you look around."
The old lady placed the kettle on the stove, which she had lit early that morning.
She had originally planned to receive Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe but hadn't expected the unfortunate incident earlier.
"Brother Wang, Sister-in-Law, let me show you the house."
Xiao Zhang took them through both rooms again. The house was spacious and not too dilapidated.
More importantly, it was clean inside.
Bai Xiuxiu liked it at first sight. The vegetable garden wasn't small, and the walls were high enough. Living here would be reassuring.
It suited her perfectly.
Moreover, finding a suitable house was difficult, and buying one that met all their needs was even harder.
Xiao Zhang showed them the entire yard. "Brother Wang, Sister-in-Law, do you like this place?"
Wang Qinghe looked at his wife. "Xiuxiu, what do you think?"
Bai Xiuxiu nodded. "This house is perfect for our family of four. We can live in the east room, and we can put up a partition in the west room for the children. Plus, there's a factory nearby. If you could work there, it would be even better."
Wang Qinghe agreed.
Seeing his wife's satisfaction, he confirmed with Xiao Zhang. "Xiao Zhang, we really like this house."
"Great! Let's go back inside and talk to Seventh Aunt." Xiao Zhang was also pleased; this house was quite good.
Brother Wang was getting a great deal.
And living in the county would make it easier for him to visit Brother Wang.
They went back inside, where the old lady had prepared tea.
"Finished? Come, sit down and have some tea. This tea was given to me by my son-in-law. We can discuss things over a cup of tea." The old lady's enthusiasm made Xiao Zhang wonder.
Seventh Aunt wasn't usually so easygoing.
Perhaps because he often helped with chores, she smiled at him sometimes.
But it wasn't like this yesterday.
After they had tea, Xiao Zhang brought up the price. "Seventh Aunt, Brother Wang and Sister-in-Law like the house, but we're not sure about..."
"Four hundred fifty yuan," the old lady suddenly said.
Xiao Zhang was startled. Seventh Aunt had previously quoted five hundred, which was fair. He had intended to negotiate slightly lower, but why did Seventh Aunt reduce the price herself?
The old lady didn't explain, instead looking at Wang Qinghe, Bai Xiuxiu, and their children.
"Do you think it's reasonable?"
Xiao Zhang kept giving Wang Qinghe signals.
Wang Qinghe looked at his wife.
"Seventh Aunt, are you willing to sell us the yard for this price?" Bai Xiuxiu was surprised. Qinghe had already told her about Seventh Aunt's asking price.
Selling this house for a good price wouldn't be hard, and there were plenty of buyers.
Seeing her surprise, the old lady smiled, gazing at their family of four with a nostalgic expression. "This house was allocated to us years ago, and each family built its own fence. That's how it became like this today.
My husband used to work at the food factory. One year, they brought in new machinery, and the factory manager led everyone in carrying it inside to set an example.
Unfortunately, a part wasn't secured properly and fell.
It nearly hit the factory manager, but my husband saved him and got hit on the head instead.
He didn't survive the hospital trip.
I received this house.
Living here with my daughter for so long, everything in the house has sentimental value.
I want to find a good family for this house.
Seeing your harmonious family, I feel a connection.
If someone else wanted to buy it, I wouldn't agree for less than five hundred. But for you, this price is fine. If you agree, we can go to the Housing Management Office." The old lady gave each child a handful of sunflower seeds.
Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe exchanged a glance and made their decision.
"Thank you, Seventh Aunt. We'll buy this house. Let's find a time that suits you to go to the Housing Management Office." Bai Xiuxiu immediately agreed.
"Let's settle it this afternoon then. Bring all the necessary documents, and I'll get everything ready too. This afternoon, we'll go to the Housing Management Office and finalize the house matters. After that, I'll head off to see my daughter."
Seventh Aunt was in a hurry, not wanting to wait another moment.
Bai Xiuxiu didn't expect Seventh Aunt to be even more eager than she and Wang Qinghe.
However, the sooner it's done, the better.
"Alright, we'll go back for our documents and come back this afternoon." Bai Xiuxiu agreed.
"Wang Brother, shall I escort you?" Xiao Zhang quickly offered to follow them out.
"No need. Your Sister-in-Law and I can manage." Wang Qinghe stopped Xiao Zhang from accompanying them and left with his wife and children.
After they left, Xiao Zhang helped the old lady back into the house, unable to resist asking, "Seventh Aunt, why are you being so agreeable today?"
Seventh Aunt smiled, her eyes filled with nostalgia. "Seventh Aunt likes pretty young girls and harmonious couples. And those two kids are truly adorable. I've lived in this house for so long. Having such a blessed family move in is a good thing.
Your Uncle only left me one daughter and this house.
I'm moving closer to my daughter.
If this house stays empty for too long, it will deteriorate. It needs people living in it to have vitality.
Seeing this family makes me feel comfortable. Both the couple and the children are beautiful.
They're bound to do well in the future."
The old lady's words left Xiao Zhang speechless.
So, Seventh Aunt is just a fan of good looks?
But indeed, Wang Brother and his wife are both very attractive.
Their children are even cuter, as if they inherited the best features from both parents.
"Seventh Aunt, won't there be any trouble from the neighbors next door?" Xiao Zhang suddenly remembered the family they saw leaving when they arrived.
He became nervous.
Wang Brother is so protective of his wife; any conflict would be disastrous.
Chapter 130
"It's fine. You know how they are; they just want to take advantage. They don't have much courage, and this time they're trying to set up a relative, hoping to make a few bucks as middlemen.
They wouldn't dare offend the new neighbors over this.
Besides, now that the deal is done, what can they do?
If anything happens, I wouldn't keep it from you two. We're not the kind of people who harm others."
The old lady explained.
Xiao Zhang was relieved.
Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe took their children back to the village, collected the necessary documents for the house purchase, and went back to the county.
Since there were no disputes on either side and the old lady's house had all the required paperwork, the transaction was completed quickly.
Bai Xiuxiu handed the money to Seventh Aunt, finalizing the deal.
"Wang Brother, Sister-in-law, my Seventh Aunt will clear out the house this afternoon. You can move in whenever you like. But you must call me when you move; I'll come help and warm your new home." Xiao Zhang, who had accompanied them, reminded them before they left.
"Sure, we'll definitely call you."
Wang Qinghe agreed, knowing they would need Xiao Zhang's help with the move.
After finishing the house transaction, they returned to the village late at night.
Passing by the brigade office, they saw Chen Jinhua getting ready to leave.
Seeing the couple return, Chen Jinhua greeted them: "How did it go? What did you think?"
She seemed even more eager than Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe.
"It's all settled. We just need to pick a convenient day to move." Bai Xiuxiu couldn't help but feel happy about it.
Once they moved, she wouldn't have to worry about her children being troubled by the people in the main house.
Still, they needed to find jobs soon, or it could become an issue.
"That's great, but you should find work in the county as soon as possible, even if it's just a temporary job," Chen Jinhua said, sharing both their joy and concern.
Without jobs in the county, they'd end up commuting, which could lead to gossip.
"We're already working on it." Bai Xiuxiu wasn't worried about finding work; they had enough money to buy a job if necessary.
Xiao Zhang also had connections, so it shouldn't take long.
"That's good." Chen Jinhua felt relieved.
"Aunt Jinhua, about the house we discussed?" Bai Xiuxiu thought it best to settle everything today.
Chen Jinhua wanted to finalize things quickly too; she had already told her sister, who was eager to move in immediately. However, since Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe hadn't decided when to leave, she had advised her sister to be patient.
"Let's settle the house details. We'll move in the next few days, and then your sister can move in." Bai Xiuxiu gave herself and Wang Qinghe some extra time.
"Alright, I'll call Uncle Chen later, and we'll discuss it at your place. I need to go home and cook dinner." Chen Jinhua felt reassured and left promptly.
When Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe returned home, the Wang family was in the courtyard, looking at them as if they were enemies.
Seeing them, Zhao Guifen remembered her money.
But thinking about what her son had told her earlier, she couldn't help feeling smug: "You're back? Some people don't know how to appreciate what they have. They think they've gained something, but in fact, they've lost big!"
Bai Xiuxiu didn't want to engage with Zhao Guifen's rant and walked straight to her yard with Wang Qinghe.
"Old Fifth made a good impression on his first day at the factory. The factory rewarded him with four cans of food. You won't see any good days in this family anymore!"
Zhao Guifen expected Bai Xiuxiu to respond, but neither she nor the eldest son acknowledged her, leaving her frustrated and shouting.
Bai Xiuxiu paused, turned around, and replied: "Really? That's great. We look forward to Old Fifth earning enough to pay us back."
Then she hurried inside.
On such a cold day, she didn't want to argue with the Wang family.
Zhao Guifen's mood plummeted.
Even the cans of food lost their appeal.
Thinking about having to repay the debt with his parents, Wang Qingqi felt even more resentful.
Why should he?
He had earned recognition at the factory and future success, yet he had to pay his brother first?
Clearly, Jiaojiao's parents had already paid a thousand yuan, so this matter should have nothing to do with him and Jiaojiao.
It was all their parents' fault!
The elder brother and sister-in-law deserved to die.
"Little Wu, don't listen to that heartless thing, your sister-in-law. You must work hard. Isn't there still a chance for you to go to the canning factory in the county? You've always been capable since you were young, and our whole family is counting on you."
Guifen thought about her son working in the county as a worker and felt a bit excited already.
Jiaojiao also took these words to heart, looking at her husband and couldn't help but smile.
After suffering such a big loss this time, her luck seemed to have improved.
She even found ginseng in the mountains.
Her husband had also made contributions at the factory, and it wouldn't be long before Qingqi could go to the county.
Then, she could leave this village too.
Thinking this, Jiaojiao looked at Qingqi with a gentle expression: "Qingqi, what Mom said is right; you need to work harder."
In the evening, after Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe finished dinner, not long after, the team leader was pulled over by Chen Jinhua.
When they entered the Wang family's courtyard, it startled the Wang family.
They were just eating when they saw them come in.
Wang Shoucheng hurried out: "Team Leader, why are you here? Our family..."
Their family didn't have any issues today!
The team leader was about to explain, but Chen Jinhua spoke first: "We have something to discuss with Xiuxiu; it has nothing to do with you."
She then dragged her husband into the next courtyard.
As for what exactly it was, she didn't say.
The Wang family was curious, itching to know.
Cuihua finished her meal quietly, seeing how they all looked like they wanted to eavesdrop, and couldn't help feeling speechless.
She understood that this whole family, tied together, wasn't as smart as her brother and sister-in-law.
Why make enemies?
Why not just repay the money and live a good life?
No, she needed to get more money in her hands and hurry up and separate from the family.
Otherwise...
Cuihua glanced at Liu Xiaoe, whose face was bandaged like a ball, and felt scared!