"That woman's gone mad, she's absolutely insane!" Jiang Chuande said with a dark face. "Son, we can't spend our lives with a woman like that. If things continue like this, what's the point of life? And she keeps asking us for money, where are we supposed to get any?"

Jiang Hui's face darkened even more. These past two days, his brothers outside somehow found out that his wife had beaten him and made a lot of fun of him. Unfortunately, he didn't have any money to go out and have some fun to prove his innocence, which infuriated him.

So he said irritably, "But what can you do? Can you afford the rent?"

“But even if we have a house to live in, we don’t have money to eat. She’s deliberately trying to starve us to death. It’s a small matter if Dad goes hungry for a few days, but if we can’t come up with the money next month, won’t we get beaten again? Have you ever seen any old man in the village get beaten by a woman?”

Jiang Hui didn't know how Song Xia suddenly changed her gender. Wasn't she always silent no matter how much he beat her before? Now she's not even afraid that his divorce will affect the children.

But if they really get divorced, he has no money, no car, and no house. Where will he find another wife? He's out working, and if he goes home for the New Year and his wife is gone, he'll be laughed at to death.

"Go out and look for a job tomorrow." He touched his throbbing eye socket, realizing he really couldn't do anything with Song Xia. He couldn't beat her in a fight, and he had no one to threaten her with. Damn it, "Ouch!"

Jiang Chuande reluctantly pouted: "At my age, what kind of job can your dad find?"

Jiang Huicai wouldn't indulge him: "Even if you're picking up trash, you have to earn money for me. I can't support you."

Having gotten used to robbing money from Song Xia, they now realize it's really not easy to find jobs and earn money on their own. The main problem is that the two of them are lazy and unwilling to work, and they look down on low pay. They don't even get an interview for jobs that are easy and pay well for others.

But after spending that hundred yuan, he was really hungry. Jiang Hui borrowed a few hundred from his brothers, but that wouldn't last more than a few days. If he borrowed more, they were all his cronies, and they wouldn't lend him so much money. Even if they did, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to pay it back.

Jiang Hui looked for Song Xia several more times and found that she had really hardened her heart this time. Her eyes were only cold towards him, and she would rather he starve to death outside.

"Damn it!" He was so annoyed that he actually went to rummage through Wenwen's schoolbag.

"I think you're asking for it!" Song Xia threw him to the ground with a back throw, and Jiang Hui was in so much pain that he couldn't get up for a long time.

With no other option, he found a job on an assembly line the next day that included room and board. The workers had been complaining about the bland and watery food, but he still managed to wolf down several bowls of it.

Jiang Hui actually went to work, which was a strange thing for the building where Song Xia and the others lived. It proved that men still need to be disciplined, otherwise they will neglect their families.

"Sister Song, thank you for taking care of me even though you're doing this work." Sister Li was already very skilled at it after just one try, and with her helping out, Song Xia's job became much easier.

"We're neighbors, and I was worried you wouldn't come, since I'm not giving you much."

"Forty yuan for two hours, that's already higher than my hourly wage at the factory during the day. Anyway, I'm just idling around every night."

Sister Li was really happy. Skewering food wasn't tiring; she could do it sitting down. She earned an extra forty yuan a day, which added up to twelve thousand yuan a month, enough to cover her rent and utilities.

"I had no idea you were doing so well in this business!" She was a little envious, but not jealous. It was a skilled trade, and she couldn't do it.

“College students are willing to spend money these days. Besides, business is only good for a few months a year. They spend almost three or four months during winter and summer vacations!” Song Xia said modestly. No matter how good the relationship is, she couldn’t reveal the actual sales figures. “And as you can see, I use fresh beef and fresh chicken legs and wings. How can the money I make compare with those who sell frozen goods?”

"That's true. Buying frozen goods is at least half the price of this. Even though it looks like a lot when you string them together, you don't make much profit per string."

"Mom, let me help you." Wenwen finished her homework and wanted to help too. Tomorrow is Saturday and there's no school, and Song Xia can still sell things in the evening, so we let her go.

Sister Li teased her, "Little Wenwen, are you going to help your mother earn money tomorrow too?"

"Mmm." Wenwen smiled shyly, "I can't let Mom work too hard."

"Oh my, what a thoughtful girl you are! Your mother has been spoiling you all this time." Sister Li said fondly, "You're so sensible, just like Song Meizi. It's a good thing you didn't take after her father."

Song Xiaxin said that Wenwen, Jiang Hui, and she were not related by blood, but this was enough to show that lifestyle and environment can also influence a person, and genes are not absolute.

"By the way, I was just asking you, why didn't you ask Jiang Hui and your father-in-law to help you string these together?"

"Them?" Song Xia chuckled. "Never mind, it's better without them."

"You're right. Let them go out to work, and you and Wenwen can have some peace and quiet."

Peace and quiet? Song Xia's eyes darkened. She wouldn't let Jiang Hui have any peace and quiet. She had said that she would get back all the suffering he had endured in the past.

The next day, Song Xia got up a little later and arrived at the university town at noon, just in time for lunch. There were already quite a few college students looking for her stall.

"Sister, you're finally here! I've been craving this so much!" The female student was more affectionate towards her than the other male students. "Without your barbecue, I can't even sleep in. I didn't eat anything this morning because of this!"

Song Xia was both amused and exasperated: "No matter how delicious it is, we can't eat this every day!"

“I feel fine. I used to get pimples after eating barbecue and spicy hot pot outside, but I’m fine after eating yours. It shows that your ingredients are much cleaner.”

"Me too, me too. I thought it was because I'm getting old and won't live much longer. Turns out it's because it's cleaner here, sister."

"Since you all say so, then I won't stand on ceremony. I'll order more and eat my fill. It's so delicious!"

The male students couldn't get a word in edgewise and just lined up obediently.

Wenwen's mouth dropped open in surprise. She hadn't expected the older brothers and sisters to be so enthusiastic. Could her mother handle all that?

"Mom, let me move the little stool."

"Hey, there's a child!"

"So cute, sister, is it yours?"

"Yes, this is my daughter. It's Saturday today, so she came out with me to set up a stall."

"Can I pinch your fingers, sister?" The college student's hands were itching to touch the cute and well-behaved little girl, and he looked at Wenwen with a restless expression.

"What do you want to knead?" Wenwen asked with wide eyes, thinking that they were all very generous because they were helping their mother's business. "Sister, knead whatever you want."

Seeing her resigned expression, the college students couldn't resist any longer. After ordering, they surrounded her and started pinching her repeatedly. Wenwen was stunned, then smiled foolishly, "Sisters smell so good, and it doesn't hurt at all."

Just when things were going well, someone said, "The city management officers are here."

Urban management officers?

Song Xia frowned. Wasn't it always assumed that street vending was allowed here?

Several stall owners nearby, as well as some college students who were starting their own businesses, were also quite bewildered. Why did the city management officers come today?

It wasn't until Song Xia saw the cold look on the barbecue restaurant owner's face that she realized he was behind it. She said that in this area, if no one reports it, it's usually fine.

She's actually quite a distance from her first time setting up a stall, but he's still resentful and won't let her go.