Qiao Guilan quickly covered her daughter's mouth, glanced back at the courtyard gate, and said, "Don't let your second brother hear about this. Your father secretly burned his college acceptance letter!"

This news was like a bombshell, leaving Song Caixing stunned in shock.

Song Erzhuang happened to be passing by. "What are you two doing, standing outside the yard like that, acting all sneaky?"

"Ahhh!" Qiao Guilan exclaimed in surprise, "The child's father?"

"What bad thing did you do to scare me like that?"

“What bad things could I, a housewife, do? You should have gone to work long ago, why are you still here? You can go home and give me your bankbook, I need to check the accounts.”

Upon hearing about the passbook and account reconciliation, Song Erzhuang hurriedly left, carrying his shoulder pole and basket.

"I'm late for work. We'll talk about it when I get home."

Qiao Guilan shouted angrily at Song Erzhuang's retreating back, "Did you go to your older brother's house again?"

Song Erzhuang had already run far away. Qiao Guilan was about to complain to the Fourth Sister again when she turned around and found that the Fourth Sister had disappeared.

-

Tang Suxiang chased after her granddaughter to feed her while complaining to her husband.

“Your brother said last night that he would go to the village office to apologize to our family over the loudspeaker, but after just one night, he changed his mind and said that Baogen is getting married. I think he's just making excuses to avoid apologizing to our family!”

Song Dazhuang ate his breakfast in silence.

The two have had quite a few arguments these past few days.

"Are you mute? I'm talking to you!" Tang Suxiang lost her temper when her husband didn't respond. She slammed the stainless steel spoon onto the bowl and yelled at her granddaughter, "Tangbao, eat your food, or you'll starve!"

"Waaaaah..." the child began to cry.

"Why are you yelling at your granddaughter?" Song Dazhuang called to his daughter-in-law, "Xiaofen, the child is crying, take the child away."

Ding Xiaofen, who was talking to Song Hanwen inside the house, came out and carried her daughter into the house.

"Erzhuang said he would broadcast an apology after Baogen's wife entered the house, so let's wait a few more days. Don't you know my brother? He's simple-minded and all brawn and no brains. I'm his older brother, he won't play any tricks on me."

"Then why don't you try to persuade your brother? It's just a matter of apologizing on the radio for a few minutes. I can't even hold my head up in the village anymore. People point and talk about me wherever I go."

Tang Suxiang felt ashamed to face anyone in the village.

“Everyone in the village says you’re strong, honest, and capable, but I haven’t seen you gain any advantage. On the contrary, it’s your brother’s family that has made me lose face.”

"How dare you say that?" Song Dazhuang glared at Tang Suxiang. "How many times have I told you not to go around talking about other people's kids? Who's to blame now?"

"It's all because of my dad..."

Song Dazhuang interrupted, "Your dad is seventy years old. Did he hold a knife to your throat and force you to slander Yinhua?"

"Song Dazhuang, are you siding with your brother's family in everything now? If you hadn't promised Yinhua that I could apologize on the radio, would I have lost face like this?" Tang Suxiang said angrily, "Are you having an affair with Qiao Guilan? Or with Yin..."

With a crash, Song Dazhuang smashed the bowl in front of him.

"You're still spouting nonsense. Haven't you learned your lesson this time?"

Tang Suxiang was so angry that she slammed the small bowl and spoon she was using to feed her granddaughter onto the table. "You can break bowls, but I can't?"

The dining table was a complete mess.

"Tang Suxiang, don't force me to take action!"

"Hanwen, your dad's going to hit me! Come save me!" Tang Suxiang shouted.

Song Hanwen rushed out to protect his mother, "Dad, if you dare to touch my mother again, I'll smash up Uncle's house!"

"Hanwen, stop fooling around!"

"I'm going to confront my second uncle's family right now and ask them why they're bullying my mom like this!" Song Hanwen said as he rushed out of the yard.

Song Dazhuang rushed forward and grabbed Song Hanwen.

"When has your second uncle ever bullied our family? Isn't it always our family that benefits?"

Having no other choice, Song Dazhuang had to tell his son the truth.

"Most of your second uncle's money is with Dad. Your brother's college tuition money came from your second uncle, and your daughter's illness money also came from your second uncle. If Dad doesn't make your mother apologize, and he really angers your second uncle and tells all these things, how will our family be able to face anyone in the village?"

Song Hanwen asked Tang Suxiang, "Mom, did Grandpa or Uncle pay for Tangtang's medical treatment?"

Song Dazhuang said, "Your second uncle's mother went to your maternal grandfather to borrow money, but she didn't get a single penny. Your maternal grandfather is most biased towards your sixth aunt, and all the money is spent on your sixth aunt's children and grandchildren."

Tang Suxiang was unhappy that her husband spoke ill of her family. "My dad is old and has old-fashioned ideas. He's a bit sexist and thinks that since Tang Bao is a girl, once she grows up and gets married, she's like water spilled out of a cup..."

"Isn't Yunyun a girl?" Song Dazhuang retorted to Tang Suxiang. "How come Yunyun was born a lucky star, with tons of money being poured on her? Is our granddaughter just water spilled out?"

“Yunyun and our granddaughter are not of the same generation.”

"They're all girls, they all have to get married!" Song Dazhuang pointed at Tang Suxiang. "I'm not trying to criticize you, but your dad is biased. He always thinks of your sixth sister's family when there are good things, but when something goes wrong, he'll bring trouble on you!"

“Song Dazhuang, what has my dad ever done wrong to your son and daughter? Why are you so disdainful of him behind his back! My dad paid for Hanwen's motorcycle, and Erniu and Yinhua were born in the same year, so my dad was afraid that Erniu would be outshone by Yinhua…”

"Tsk tsk tsk...!" Song Dazhuang glanced at Tang Suxiang sideways. "How dare you say such things? An elder, badmouthing someone else's child behind their back, and you still think you're right?"

"I'm doing this all for our daughter, Erniu. If it weren't for my dad's idea, would Erniu have been able to marry into a wealthy family?"

No sooner had Tang Suxiang finished speaking than the courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside.

"mom!"

Speak of the devil and he appears.

Song Erniu was pushing her bicycle, with her five-year-old daughter sitting on the back seat, and a bag of clothes in the basket in front of the bicycle.

"Erniu, why are you back?" Tang Suxiang greeted her happily. "My little girl has come to see her grandma. Let grandma give you a kiss. Did you miss grandma?"

Tang Suxiang picked up her granddaughter from the back seat, kissing and coaxing her, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Erniu, come in quickly. Mom is going to buy pork ribs for lunch. I'll have your sister-in-law make your favorite braised pork ribs!"

Ding Xiaofen, who was holding her daughter inside the house, felt dissatisfied when she heard her mother-in-law's words, but she didn't go out to greet her.

"Mom, I won't eat here for lunch. I need to go home and take care of my second child." Song Erniu handed the clothes from the bicycle basket to Tang Suxiang. "My mother-in-law doesn't have time to help me take care of the children. I can't manage taking care of two children by myself, so I sent my daughter here. Mom, can you help me take care of her for a few days?"

“I don’t have time. I have to take care of my granddaughter.” Tang Suxiang immediately refused. “Your family is so rich, why don’t you hire a nanny?”

"Mom, you watch too many TV dramas. Just because my family is from the city and my mother-in-law has some money doesn't mean I can afford to hire a nanny." Song Erniu was full of grievances when she talked about her mother-in-law.

She complained to her parents and brother for half an hour before rushing back home.

Tang Suxiang didn't want to take care of her granddaughter. "Erniu, it's not that Mom doesn't want to help you take care of the child, it's just that Mom hasn't been feeling well lately, and I also have to take care of Tangbao. I really can't take care of two children."

"Tangtang has her sister-in-law to take care of her, so why can't you take care of my daughter?" Song Erniu said with a disappointed look when she saw that her own mother did not want to take care of her child. "They say that a married girl has no home. She is an outsider in her husband's family and is disliked when she goes back to her parents' home."