When Song Baogen returned home that evening, he learned that his parents wanted to take his eldest sister's orchard from him. He then launched into a tirade against his parents.

Qiao Guilan and Song Erzhuang, a married couple, dared not utter a sound after being yelled at by their son. They were getting old and their health was not as good as before, and they were counting on their son to take care of them in their old age.

Song Baogen went inside to get a coat and put it on, preparing to go apologize to Song Yinhua. Li Wenxiu, heavily pregnant, said, "Mom and Dad meant well."

"What do you mean?" Song Baogen saw through his wife's thoughts. "Even you want to covet the fruit trees my older sister planted?"

“I heard from the villagers that your older sister made 10,000 yuan selling fruit,” Li Wenxiu said.

Song Baogen was taken aback.

Seeing Song Baogen wavering, Li Wenxiu continued, "Your eldest sister also runs a wonton shop, and business is so good that it's always packed with customers. There aren't enough seats for everyone, and she even hires people to work in the shop. She definitely earns no less than she does selling fruit every year."

Song Baogen struggled internally for a moment.

The moment Li Wenxiu mentioned that she had sold over ten thousand yuan worth of fruit, he was tempted.

In the surrounding villages, there are only one or two households with more than 10,000 yuan in income. My older sister earns tens of thousands of yuan from selling fruit once, and with the profits from her wonton shop, it would be a lie to say I wasn't tempted.

There's probably no one in the whole town who can earn as much money as my older sister.

“Wife, how much money our eldest sister earns is her own business. We shouldn’t be envious.” Song Baogen suppressed his greed. “Our eldest sister planted the fruit trees back then and has been managing them for the past few years. She opened the wonton shop with her own money. We’ve never contributed anything. We can’t just take it from her just because she’s making money.”

“Your eldest sister owns a wonton shop and earns a lot of money every year. It’s not unreasonable for her to give you the fruit trees.” Li Wenxiu’s voice trailed off as she spoke, her voice becoming softer with guilt. “You are her own brother.”

"If your brother asked us to give him the house and all our assets, would you be willing?"

“That won’t do!” Li Wenxiu blurted out, then suddenly realized her double standards and explained to Song Baogen, “I’m just worried about you, aren’t I? I’m about to have my second child, and you have to support our whole family and take care of your parents. How can your salary be enough? Your older sister is rich, and the house at the foot of the mountain is also our family’s…”

"Don't say anything, I won't take anything from my older sister."

Song Baogen put on his coat and went out.

Li Wenxiu was very unhappy. The land and house at the foot of the mountain originally belonged to the Song family, and the fruit trees planted on the land should also belong to their family.

Song Yinhua wasn't short of money from selling fruit; she also earned quite a bit from her wonton shop.

Li Wenxiu became increasingly dissatisfied with Song Baogen, and in a fit of anger, she ran to the convenience store to call Song Qiuxue.

She and Song Qiuxue have maintained contact.

If anything happens at home, she will call Song Qiuxue to let her know.

Song Qiuxue told her more than once that although she had reunited with the Tang family, she was a grateful person and would not abandon her adoptive parents. She told Li Wenxiu to let her know if anything happened.

Although Li Wenxiu harbored many grievances against Song Qiuxue, especially after Tang Dafei beat Song Erzhuang into a vegetative state, Song Qiuxue protected the Tang family, forcing her mother-in-law Qiao Guilan not to pursue the matter and even threatening to sever ties with Qiao Guilan, she still thought that Song Qiuxue was studying at a university in the provincial capital, and that her son would have to rely on Song Qiuxue's help when he grew up and went to study in the provincial capital.

Song Qiuxue had told her long ago that when her son went to study in the provincial capital, he would stay at her house, and she would not abandon him.

With Song Qiuxue's repeated promises, Li Wenxiu suppressed her many grievances against Song Qiuxue. Out of consideration for their old classmate relationship and sister-in-law relationship, she secretly maintained contact with Song Qiuxue without telling her husband and in-laws.

"Qiuxue, do you think your second brother is out of his mind? He's like an idiot. Mom and Dad helped him get the orchard back, but he's still pushing it away. I've never seen anyone so stupid!"

Li Wenxiu complained to Song Qiuxue on the phone.

“I heard from the villagers that my older sister made 10,000 yuan from selling fruit this year. She also has a wonton shop that is always packed with customers. She has also hired people to work in the shop, so she must be making a lot of money. In our family, only Baogen works to support the whole family and also has to take care of the elderly. If we had fruit trees, we could sell them every year and make money. Life would be much better in the future. Isn’t everything I do for this family?”

Li Wenxiu was full of bitterness, angry that her husband was so stupid that he wouldn't even take the money that was already in his hands.

Song Qiuxue comforted Li Wenxiu a few words over the phone.

“Wenxiu, my second brother is so stubborn. He’s always been closest to my eldest sister since we were little. But my eldest sister doesn’t have a job, so where would she get the money to buy fruit seedlings and open a shop?”

Song Qiuxue's words had a hidden meaning, and Li Wenxiu asked, "Are you saying that the money for buying fruit seedlings and opening the wonton shop came from Baogen?"

"Wenxiu, don't overthink it, I didn't mean it that way."

Li Wenxiu hurriedly ended the phone call and ran to find Song Baogen.

Electricity has been connected to every household in the village, and the houses at the foot of the mountain are brightly lit.

Song Baogen went to explain to Song Yinhua that he wouldn't take her fruit trees. Song Yinhua was just about to have dinner, so she called Song Baogen to eat with her.

The siblings chatted as they ate their dinner.

Song Baogen repeatedly said that he would not take these fruit trees, nor would he take anything from this place.

"Big sister, don't pay attention to Mom and Dad anymore. I can't possibly want the fruit trees and fields you've worked so hard to plant over the years..." Song Baogen was speaking when he heard Li Wenxiu's voice.

"Woof!" The black wolfhound barked at the gate.

Song Yinhua got up and called the black wolfhound back.

"Wenxiu, come in quickly, have you had dinner? Baogen is having dinner here, you should join us..."

"I'm looking for Baogen!" Li Wenxiu, heavily pregnant, entered the house with a bad attitude towards Song Yinhua and deliberately asked in front of Song Yinhua, "Song Baogen, I'm asking you, where did all your previous wages go?"

"What are you making a fuss about now? I send all my monthly salary home to support you all." Song Baogen was somewhat puzzled.

“Your older sister doesn’t have a job, but she has money to buy fruit seedlings and open a wonton shop. You have a salary every month, but there’s not a penny left in the family. Besides eating the crops grown in the fields, how much money can your children, your parents, and I spend? Tell me honestly, who does your salary go to?”

Song Yinhua sensed the veiled meaning in Li Wenxiu's words.

She didn't say anything.

Even if she explained to Li Wenxiu that she had saved up her money by picking wild fruits and gathering medicinal herbs on the back mountain, Li Wenxiu would not believe her.

She couldn't possibly tell Li Wenxiu that she had picked a lot of fruit from the space and sold it for some money.

The answer Li Wenxiu wants to hear now is that Song Baogen used all his salary to buy fruit seedlings and open a shop for her.

"Wenxiu, this is your older sister's house." Song Baogen pulled Li Wenxiu away, "Let's talk at home..."

"Say it right here!" Li Wenxiu deliberately made a scene in front of Song Yinhua. "Tell me in front of my elder sister, where did all your wages from the past few years go?"

"I bring home every penny of my monthly salary!" Song Baogen shouted at the top of his lungs. "Let's talk about this when we get home!"

Li Wenxiu shook off Song Baogen's hand and said sarcastically, "What have you been doing behind my back that you're afraid to say in front of outsiders?"

"Li Wenxiu, don't go looking for trouble!"

"Am I making trouble for no reason, or are you using your salary to subsidize outsiders?"