Upon hearing this, Fu Yuzhen smiled at Su Qing and said, "Go on, try it on. I want to see if it fits. I brought my sewing kit, so if it doesn’t, I can alter it for you."

"Okay." Su Qing knew Fu Yuzhen meant well, so she went into her room to change.

While Fu Yuzhen and Su Qing were enjoying a harmonious moment, the atmosphere in the Old Su Family’s house next door was heavy. Su Shengli had taken Su Lihui to the city and wasn’t back yet. Old Man Su, Tian Aixiang, and Su Tao were all out working, leaving only Su Shengguo and Old Mrs. Su at home.

"Mom, how could you let that girl Su Qing just leave the family so easily? And you even agreed to a five hundred yuan buyout for the job!" Su Shengguo found it incredible.

’Letting Su Qing leave the family is one thing, but for Mom to actually agree to give her five hundred yuan? That would have been unimaginable before. How could Mom lose control of that girl?’

"If your mother hadn’t agreed, that damned girl was going to raise a fuss at the Public Security Bureau and the Women’s Federation." Tian Aixiang, who had come back from the fields for a bathroom break, noticed Su Shengguo was back and talking to Old Mrs. Su about Su Qing’s separation, so she chimed in.

Old Mrs. Su glared at Tian Aixiang. "You have to stick your nose in everything, don’t you? Get back to work! All you do is slack off. A lazy ass always needs a bathroom break. Who else has a wife as lazy as you?"

Tian Aixiang pursed her lips, completely dismissing Old Mrs. Su’s tirade. ’Eldest Brother is back,’ she thought. ’I have to find a chance to talk about this. That five hundred yuan came from Mom’s pocket, but the job went to Eldest Brother. That means she has less money now. When the family splits up in the future, our branch will lose out big time.’

’I wanted to bring this up before, but my husband told me to wait until Eldest Brother got back to see what Mom decided. Now that he’s here, I have to at least broach the subject and get it out in the open.’

So, Tian Aixiang lingered, refusing to leave, which earned her a few more curses from Old Mrs. Su.

Su Shengguo glanced at Tian Aixiang, then said to Old Mrs. Su, "Mom, even if the separation agreement said we had to give her job back, why would it cost five hundred yuan to buy it from her now? One hundred yuan should have been more than enough."

Even he hadn’t managed to save up five hundred yuan in the last six years.

"You think I wanted to?" Old Mrs. Su’s anger flared up just thinking about that day. "That damned girl has gotten bold. She knew to get the brigade leader and the village party secretary to back her up. In that situation, could your father and I have refused?"

Su Shengguo listened, frustrated. "How did that girl’s personality change so suddenly?"

"Who knows what’s gotten into her," Old Mrs. Su said resentfully.

Tian Aixiang seized the moment to jump in again. "Eldest Brother, since you’re here today, we need to get this straight. That five hundred yuan was to buy the job for you. Logically, that money should come from you. It’s not right for Mom to pay for it. There’s no reason why Shengli and I should have to help you shoulder the cost of buying your job, is there? That’s not fair no matter how you look at it."

When Old Mrs. Su heard this, she erupted at Tian Aixiang. "I’m not dead yet, you greedy thing, and you’re already eyeing the money in my hands? Let me tell you, this family hasn’t been split yet! It’s not your place to run this house. Now get the hell back to work!"

"Mom, you can’t be unfair to Shengli and me," Tian Aixiang said defiantly. "It was already unfair to my Shengli when you let Eldest Brother take over Second Brother’s job. You can’t let your favoritism go too far."

Su Shengguo’s face darkened. "Third Sister-in-law, are you implying I took advantage?"

"Eldest Brother knows perfectly well in his own heart," Tian Aixiang huffed softly.

A lump of anger formed in Su Shengguo’s chest. He glared at Tian Aixiang, annoyed. He wanted to rebuke her, but she was his sister-in-law, after all, and it wasn’t proper for him to argue with her.

Old Mrs. Su grabbed a nearby broom stub and threw it at Tian Aixiang. "Get to work, you lazy hag! If you get your work points docked later, see how I’ll deal with you!"

Tian Aixiang quickly dodged it and pursed her lips in displeasure. Anyway, she had said what she needed to say. With a turn, she headed out of the courtyard.

Seeing Tian Aixiang leave, Su Shengguo asked Old Mrs. Su, "Mom, you’re not really going to make me cover that five hundred yuan myself, are you?"

Old Mrs. Su pursed her lips. "Life isn’t easy for your third brother either."

Old Mrs. Su doted on both her eldest and third sons. Although she was more partial to Su Shengguo—after all, besides her eldest son, she also had her eldest grandson—she still had a mother’s love for her youngest son, Su Shengli.

The youngest son and the eldest grandson—that wasn’t just an empty saying.

"Mom, you know my salary. I give you ten yuan every month, and I have to live on the rest. There are also school fees and living expenses for three children. In the county seat, everything costs money. I just don’t have that much cash on hand right now." Su Shengguo sighed and pleaded poverty to Old Mrs. Su.

Old Mrs. Su glanced at Su Shengguo. ’If you ask me,’ she thought, ’girls don’t need that much schooling. Look at Erya and Sanyi at home. Neither of them even finished elementary school, and aren’t they living just fine? It’s just a waste of money.’

’But she couldn’t say that out loud. Her eldest son also doted on his daughters, just like Second Brother used to.’

Su Shengguo watched Old Mrs. Su’s expression and added, "Besides, Meizi just started seeing someone. His family is very well-off. His father is a factory director, and his mother is a cadre at the factory too. The boy himself also has a permanent job. The whole family has permanent jobs!"

"Really?" Hearing this, Old Mrs. Su’s eyes lit up. She had always dreamed of having a son-in-law from the county seat. It would be such a prestigious thing to tell people.

"Would I lie to you?" Su Shengguo said with a smile.

Then he sighed again. "But, with their family being so well-off and having some pull, it wouldn’t be hard for them to get someone a job slot. It’s just that, when Meizi marries into their family, her dowry can’t be shabby, don’t you think?"

Hearing this, Old Mrs. Su fell into a thoughtful silence.

Su Shengguo continued, "You know me, Mom. I don’t have much money. I’m already worried about Meizi’s future dowry. As for this five hundred yuan, you could squeeze me dry and I still wouldn’t be able to produce it." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Old Mrs. Su was troubled. "What should we do? From what your third sister-in-law said today, your third brother is probably upset about this. Ai, both you and Shengli are my sons. I love you both."

"I know, Mom." Su Shengguo looked at Old Mrs. Su and said, "Mom, why don’t we just coax that girl Su Qing to come back?"

"What? You want me to bow my head to that damned girl?" Old Mrs. Su was about to explode. That damned girl had brought so much shame to the family that day, using the brigade leader and party secretary to humiliate her, the grandmother. She’d bow her head to that damned girl when pigs flew.

’It was already an act of kindness on her part not to give that damned girl a savage beating.’