Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting-Chapter 117: Look at the Bigger Picture

"It’ll hurt to give it to her, but that’s better than her really making a scene."

Sun Qiang was the main decision-maker in the family. He glanced at his useless son, then gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"Yun Hua, go talk to Qingya again tomorrow. Try to give her as little as possible. If you really can’t talk her down, just give her the money!"

Listening from the side, Yang Yunhua could only lower her head and nod.

And so, the matter was settled.

「The next day.」

As Song Qingya ate breakfast, she could tell at a glance that the family was unhappy and knew they’d decided to give her the money.

But they were still reluctant to part with it.

Sure enough, no one initiated a conversation with her during breakfast.

Song Qingya laughed inwardly, but her expression remained placid as she ate her meal, pretending everything was normal.

Just as she expected.

After breakfast, Yang Yunhua called her over for a private talk.

She stood at the doorway, a broad smile on her face, trying her best to appear warm and friendly.

It was a benevolent expression, but one that betrayed a hint of unease.

"Qingya, dear, you’ve had it rough, too. Your Uncle Sun and I were up half the night looking for the passbook, and we’re ready to give it to you today. But... well, since you’ve made the trip, shouldn’t you give us a little something? A red envelope for your mom? How about this: you compromise a little, and we won’t make things difficult. What do you say to eight hundred? It’s a lucky number. Just take that, okay?"

"Mom, I seem to recall you being the one who said it had to be the full amount. The moment you opened your mouth, it was one thousand. Why are you changing your tune now?"

Song Qingya sat on the sofa, adjusting the bag in her lap as she glanced up at Yang Yunhua.

"Well, the situation is different now."

Yang Yunhua sat beside her, her hand gripping the corner of the table. She glanced nervously at her daughter.

In her heart, she knew she was in the wrong for being so inconsistent.

But the thought of a thousand yuan still made her heart ache with reluctance.

Song Qingya made a show of getting up to leave.

She gently set her handbag down and stood up straight.

"Mom, if you really don’t want to give it, don’t force yourself. I’ll just go pack my things and head back with my husband."

"Oh, Qingya!"

Yang Yunhua grew anxious and shot to her feet, muttering Qingya’s name.

But she trailed off, not knowing what to say next.

’She wasn’t the one in a hurry. They were.’

Instead, Song Qingya calmly sat back down on the sofa, her hands crossed lightly in her lap.

Watching the flustered Yang Yunhua, she felt a cool indifference.

She was long used to this family’s habit of turning hostile and denying their promises.

The door was shut tight again. Sun Qiang came in and berated Yang Yunhua in a low voice.

"Why did you let her get angry and walk out? She said she wouldn’t take less, so why didn’t you just give her the money?"

He kept his voice hushed, afraid someone next door would hear.

He stood by the door, one hand still on the knob.

"But I couldn’t bear to part with it! A thousand yuan! It would take our family three or four years of hard work to earn that back!"

Yang Yunhua also kept her voice to a whisper.

"She asks for a thousand right off the bat. How could I possibly agree to that?"

"Such a woman’s shortsightedness!"

Sun Qiang scolded, his eyes flashing with anger. Then his tone softened.

"Try to look at the bigger picture, will you?"

He snatched the passbook from her hand.

"Once Zhenhai joins the army, we’ll have his brother-in-law pull some strings, get him an officer’s commission. We’ll make this money back in less than two years."

As he spoke, he clutched the worn, red passbook, his eyes gleaming with greed.

"I know what to do! You just stay out of this. I’ll take it to Qingya myself!"

He went to Song Qingya’s door and knocked softly.

"Qingya, are you in there? It’s Uncle. I’d like a word with you."

His voice from outside the door was placating, a forced smile plastered on his face.

"Whatever you have to say, say it from out there. Don’t come in."

Song Qingya’s cool voice drifted from inside the room.

She didn’t get up to open the door. She simply sat there, her voice betraying no hesitation.

"But... isn’t it inconvenient to talk out here?"

The smile on Sun Qiang’s lips stiffened, and his voice grew heavy.

As he spoke, he quietly gave the door a little push.

The door opened.

The door swung open. Song Qingya had stood up, walked to the door, and pulled it open with a single motion.

Song Qingya stood in the doorway, looking at him calmly. "If I let you in, can you promise you won’t try anything?"

"Do you remember the time you groped me while Ajin was out?"

Her tone was still level, but Sun Qiang’s expression changed instantly.

The corner of his mouth twitched. He looked like he wanted to say something, but no words came out.

"Say what you have to say out here. If you dare force your way in, I’m calling the police."

After saying this evenly, she stood unmoving in the doorway.

Sun Qiang never imagined she would be so blunt.

His first thought was of the strange things Yang Yunhua had said the night before.

Her words kept circling in his mind.

’Can a person’s personality just change so drastically? Or... is she like a different person entirely? She couldn’t have... had her soul swapped, could she?’

The moment the thought surfaced, he shuddered, frightened by his own idea.

But the more he studied Song Qingya’s expression and posture,

the more he felt this woman was completely different from before, as if she were a new person entirely.

Being called out like this in front of his family was more than he could bear; he was utterly humiliated.

"Qingya, what are you saying? We’re family now, aren’t we? There’s no need to make things so tense."

He put on a sincere, almost pleading tone. "It’s fine if you don’t let me in. We can just talk out here for a moment. Let’s be civil and not ruin our relationship."

Sun Zhenhai, who had been standing off to the side, was reeling from the shock.

Sun Zhenhai froze, then turned to look at his mother, who had been standing silently to one side.

His mother offered no explanation. She just kept her head down, her hands unnaturally twisting the hem of her shirt.

Her strange behavior only confirmed the doubt in Sun Zhenhai’s mind. He was stunned, his voice trembling as he asked, "Dad, did you really do something like that? Is it true?"

"Enough out of you! Get back to your room and study!"

Sun Qiang, his face beet-red, roared in anger.

To stop her from dropping any more bombshells,

he couldn’t be bothered with haggling or setting conditions. He was afraid any further delay would just give her more ammunition against him.

His palms were sweating with anxiety, and he cast aside all thoughts of dignity and pride.

Without another moment’s hesitation, he offered her the passbook with both hands:

"Qingya, look. This is the one-thousand-yuan bride price you gave us. We haven’t touched a single penny. It was always meant for you. If you don’t take it, who else would? We’re still relatives, right? We’re family! Let’s just get along from now on, and you... you don’t need to say those things anymore!"

’Family?’

Hearing that word, a small smile played on Song Qingya’s lips.

She didn’t refuse. She simply took the passbook, still warm from his grasp and covered in its thin plastic sleeve.

Then, almost instinctively, she turned without a word and slammed the door shut with a loud BANG.

The family was left standing awkwardly in the doorway, completely at a loss as the atmosphere turned rigid.