"Mom, what did you say to her? Her face looked so unpleasant." After the lively commotion in their courtyard had lasted for an hour, most of the people had left. Lin Wan walked over to her mom this time and asked.
"They donât want to save face for themselves, so I canât give them face either. I just said, if they want to recognize this kinship, theyâll have to wait for your grandma to climb out of the ground. Only then will we acknowledge it."
Her momâs words made her and Saozi cover their mouths and laugh softly.
"When did our mom become so sharp-tongued?" Saozi whispered with a cheeky grin while pulling her aside.
Lin Wan raised an eyebrow, "Mix with ink, turn black. She must have learned it from Dad."
Mu Qing smiled gently, having gained a lot of insight after marrying into the Lin family. She nodded in understanding.
....
"Arenât you quite close with Ah Hui? Why donât you go ask him. Ah Qing canât be reached, and Dad hasnât called home. We need to find out whatâs going on." Fang Qiao spoke with furrowed eyebrows at the Ye family residence.
"Iâm not going. We used to be close, but who knows what that damn girl Ah Qing did to make both families shun us. Havenât you noticed since Liang Zhi fired me, their family speaks to me coldly?" Ye Rong frowned deeply.
Itâs just as well theyâre not coming back; heâs comfortable at home.
The chickens and ducks heâs raised this year, although a bit small, still made a lot of money. Once spring comes, heâll get another batch of ducklings and chicks. After a few months of raising them, it will be another batch of income.
Without his dad at home eating and drinking his resources, he saves a bundle.
His mom can earn her own money; if she doesnât give it to him, so be it, he doesnât need that much.
In truth, he still selfishly wanted his mother back. With her around, his dad wouldnât keep an eye on him, and he could continue living comfortably.
Fang Qiao was just saying, an elder hasnât heard from their father for so long, if he isnât worried, why should she be concerned?
Ever since she had seen that frightening look in Ye Rongâs eyes last time, she dared not provoke him anymore.
On regular days, she cooed to him softly. Fortunately, the chickens and ducks they raised had decent yields.
Only the neighbors nearby had many complaints, disliking the smell from their home. Especially during summer. The smell from their courtyard wafted across the whole village.
The village chief approached them several times, suggesting they either rent a place outside the village to continue raising or buy a location to do so.
Ye Rong agreed in front of others, but Fang Qiao knew he had no intention of listening. Judging by his demeanor, he would continue raising them at home after the New Year.
No one could sway his stubborn nature, and if pushed too far, he would show that same frightening expression as before.
Fang Qiao dared not advise him; when she visited her parents, she had also mentioned to her dad to stay out of Ye Rongâs affairs.
Fang Qiaoâs dad didnât expect such a seemingly honest person to be a silent threat. If such a person were provoked, he could kill you with no hesitation.
Though Fang Qiaoâs father was a cripple, he wasnât reckless. He knew what to do.
Ye Rong was praying in his heart that Ye Weijun wouldnât come back.
In an inconspicuous spot at the entrance to the detention center in G City.
Ye Qing handed two hundred bucks to Ye Weijun.
Ye Weijun looked at the two hundred bucks, with a face full of disdain, said, "Just this little? Damn, Iâve raised you for nothing."
"If you swear one more time, do you believe Iâll have you back inside for a month?" Ye Qing snatched the money that hadnât yet reached Ye Weijunâs hand, with a mocking look.
Seeing the money gone, and hearing his daughter threaten to jail him, Ye Weijun relented immediately. His tone softened, "Ah Qing, Dad was wrong. Okay, two hundred it is, Iâll send Dad to the train station. This time, Dad wonât make trouble."
Ye Qing snorted, "Remember, this isnât Kao Shan Village here. If I say youâre not my dad, others will believe it. Your violent behavior at home doesnât work here. I advise you to stay honestly at home. Occasionally I can send you some money. If you stir up trouble like this again, next time it wonât just be staying a few days. Do you believe I can have you put away for life? Oh, and donât think about your son-in-law; heâs not someone to mess with. If things backfire, even I canât help you."
Ye Weijun unwillingly muttered, "Othersâ Xiao Wan married a soldier, who can back her folks and make her family proud. But you, married an officer in the army, and even your father-in-law wonât see me, doesnât respect me."
"Dad, going home doesnât necessarily mean backing someone, but I can tell you, you can go back and tell the villagers that your son-in-law is just Lin Wanâs manâs brother."
"Oh, so theyâre brothers?" Ye Weijun was delighted to hear that and laughed.
"What brothers? Her man is just an illegitimate child, canât compare to your son-in-law."
"Illegitimate child?" Upon hearing this, Ye Weijun didnât frown; instead, he laughed heartily, "Great, this time I can finally stand tall over Lin Guozhi... Qing, Dad wonât hit you anymore; can you tell me where your mom is now? Iâd like to see her."
"Dad, you can date other women at home, or you can divorce my mom, but you canât see her."
When Ye Weijun heard this, his eyes widened in displeasure, "What nonsense! Sheâs my wife; I canât see my own wife? As a daughter, youâre suggesting I go find another woman and want me to divorce your mom. I think youâre doing this on purpose, waiting for me and your mom to divorce, right?"
"I am doing it on purpose."
"You...?"
"Dad, if you find my mom, can you promise not to hit her? If you hit my mom... fine, but if it drags my child into it, what then? You should know my husband isnât someone to mess with. If he finds out our child was harmed, can you take responsibility?"
"My own grandson? I would pamper him, how could I hurt him?" Ye Weijun muttered under his breath, "Your mom is alone with the child, living in a big house in the city, and me, Iâm left at home with that small plot of land. What was the point of raising you all these years?"
Seeing Ye Weijunâs hard demeanor rise again, Ye Qing wasnât lenient, speaking coldly, "If you want to find her, go ahead, but I wonât give you a penny from now on. Either stay at home, and Iâll send you ten bucks a month, or roam freely, drinking and eating meat by yourself, living comfortably, or staying in the city in a detention center, your choice."
Ye Weijun said no more, clearly conceding, for this was the city. He wasnât skilled here, and now even his own daughter was going against him.
But having money to spend wasnât bad. As for women, there were plenty of widows in the village, like Li Fuguiâs wife, easy to approach.
Ye Qing thus put Ye Weijun on the train home.
Upon returning to the big house, she packed a few pieces of clothing and also took a train to the Capital City.
Yesterday, she received a call from Mei Langchi saying that something had come up and he couldnât come to pick her up, asking her to go herself.
Though harboring some resentment, Ye Qing didnât voice it. Going to the parents-in-lawâs house for the first time, without her husband, was bound to be awkward.
Mei Langchiâs parents already didnât take to her warmly, going like this, wouldnât it be embarrassing.
As Ye Qing descended the stairs, realizing this predicament, she turned and headed to the hospital.
...
"Did you see? The clothes Liang Hongmei is wearing, all woolen, and her trousers all pure cotton. Look at those shoes, real leather ones." During dinner, the weather here wasnât cold. Today Liang Hongmeiâs family returned, becoming the topic of conversation for villagers during their mealtime chats as they gathered with bowls in hand.
"Yeah, back when Liang Hongmei lived here, did you ever see her in clothes without patches? Forget clothes, even their meals were only sweet potatoes and potatoes."
"Envious, arenât you?"
"Who wouldnât be? I donât know what stroke of luck they had, but ever since their two kids got into college, theyâve soared like nobodyâs business, climbing steadily over these years."
"Isnât it because their daughter knows how to teach and is bold, started a small business and made some money."
"Yeah, when we first heard about their business dealings, who didnât look down on them, now see, theyâve risen up. Weâre so broke we could pinch a penny till it splits, whereas theyâre carefree spending big sums like itâs nothing. Today you saw, didnât you? The candies they gave the kids were all White Rabbit milk candy. That stuff sells for a high price in the city."