77.077 Give up the entanglement

"Do you want goose, chicken, or duck? Or stewed pork belly? I'll go buy some tomorrow and give you something nourishing," Su Yu asked the man as she sat down next to him.

"I love the rich, meaty flavor of pork belly. I'll buy some tomorrow. Has the black market moved location?"

Su Yu said no. She went inside and rummaged around, finding two bunches of dried cowpeas and a bowl of dried bamboo shoots, all brought by her mother. She was very experienced in drying these kinds of vegetables and had never ruined them.

"Should we stew it with winter melon or with dried vegetables?" she asked.

"If you have dried vegetables, then use dried vegetables. Dried vegetables absorb oil." Ning Jin followed him in and asked, "Should we stew it for lunch tomorrow? Should I have Ping An and Xiao Yuan go and call Grandpa and Grandma over?"

"Don't call them. The old couple came over a few days ago with stewed goose. Old people shouldn't eat too much meat too often."

"Xiao Wu, are you home?" someone called from outside the door.

"Is that your older brother?" Su Yu asked, putting down the dried vegetables in her hand and following him out.

"You're home? Come over for dinner tonight." When Ning Laoda saw Su Yu there, he frowned subconsciously, nodded, and ignored her. Afraid that his third brother wouldn't come, he hinted, "Dad wants to discuss retirement matters. Come over tonight."

Ning Jin glanced at Su Yu and replied, "Okay, I understand. Why don't you come in and sit for a while, brother?"

Ning Laoda hesitated for a moment, thinking that it would be inappropriate not to go in and sit for a while since he had already arrived at his younger brother's door. However, his sister-in-law was at home, and he didn't want to see this thief, so he refused, saying, "Forget it, let's talk about it tonight, the three of us brothers. I have something to do at home, so I won't come in."

"Alright, then you go ahead and do your thing." Ning Jin watched as the person left, then closed the door and went inside, asking the woman who had gone into the kitchen, "Do you want to come over tonight too?"

Su Yu glanced at him with a half-smile and snorted, "I don't believe you didn't understand what your older brother meant."

"Isn't it just inviting me to dinner to discuss my parents' retirement? Is there anything else going on?" The man walked to her side, put his hand on her shoulder, and leaned down to look at her expression.

"Keep pretending." Su Yu raised her hand to his head, preparing to use her armpits to clamp his neck and tie him up. Unexpectedly, he did not resist and just turned his head to let her do as she pleased, causing his mouth and nose to be directly pressed against the hill.

"My wife really understands my tastes; this is my favorite." He said in a muffled voice, a laugh escaping his nose. He nudged her with the tip of his nose, then lifted his face and pulled away from her, pulling her close instead, asking, "Really not going?"

"No way, what would I do if you three were chatting? I don't need any food." Su Yu said indifferently.

"I'll tell you when I get back tonight."

"No need. Don't think of me as a tigress. You three brothers can discuss your parents' retirement. I guess your parents just want a little more money and food each month. You can decide for yourself." Su Yu tilted her head back so he could see her expression. She really didn't want to get involved in his family's affairs. She had always insisted that each person take care of their own relatives, and Ning Jin had done just that. He handled his parents' and Grandma Ping'an's affairs, so she basically didn't have to worry about them.

“Although I have all the money in the house, it doesn’t mean I’m going to control your spending. As long as it’s for a legitimate reason, I’ll give it to you if you want it. What I’m worried about is that if you have too much money, it will attract other women.” She poked him with her finger. “You can do whatever you want with your parents. I trust you.”

She took care of her parents, and he was considerate of her, so she had complete confidence in how he handled his parents' affairs.

"Okay, I'll let you know when we've reached a conclusion." The man frowned for a moment, then quickly relaxed. The boundaries she drew were indeed clear; she wouldn't interfere in anything concerning his parents, siblings, or other family members. For a moment, he didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed; family matters were separated too clearly.

"Little Wu is here? Come and sit down. Your eldest and second sisters-in-law are already cooking, it will be ready soon." Ning the eldest brother invited his younger brother to sit down. Apart from the two elders' birthday celebrations, the brothers hadn't had a proper chat together for several years.

"How's your work going? You've been driving for six or seven years now, you should be able to lead a truck and be a master operator by yourself, right? Have you taken on any apprentices?"

"I get along well with Lao Wang, and I don't plan to take on any apprentices or become a master chef for the time being." Taking on apprentices to drive cars is hard work and only earns an extra seven or eight yuan in wages. He and Lao Wang have their own way of doing things, and by carrying more goods for others, they can make up for that extra money.

"If you want to take on apprentices, you can choose from your nephews. Pick any of them; they're all quick-witted kids," said Boss Ning, putting his arm around his younger brother's arm in a friendly manner.

Ning Jin glanced at him, slapped his hand away, and said disdainfully, "What's the point of a grown man putting his arm around someone's shoulder? Don't touch me, it gives me goosebumps." She didn't respond to what he said.

"Where's Dad? Isn't he home?" He got up and walked into the inner room.

"Hey, I thought you'd forgotten you have a father." Ning Mancang walked out of the dark house with his hands behind his back. Ning Jin glanced inside and wondered what was going on. The house was pitch black and he was hiding inside. Did he have to come and invite him?

"Dinner's ready, set the table!" Sister-in-law Ning called out, sticking her head out of the kitchen window.

"If we put it in the yard, we'll have to turn on the light bulbs to eat in the main room, which wastes electricity," Ning Mancang said, stopping his youngest son from carrying a chair into the house.

"Then we need to eat quickly, otherwise we'll have to move back inside halfway through our meal."

"You think you can stuff food up your nose without turning on the light?" Old Man Ning scoffed at his fussiness.

Ning Jin didn't reply. When the dishes were served, he went to the kitchen and scooped out a bowl of corn porridge. He ate a bite of vegetables and a bite of porridge, and after two bowls, he was full. He put down his chopsticks and sat down to wait for the others at the table to continue eating. By then, it was already getting dark.

The eldest son was a little embarrassed by his younger brother's stare, but his father continued eating as if nothing was wrong, and the second son showed no sign of putting down his chopsticks, so he had no choice but to pick up his bowl and continue eating.

It was completely dark, and Ning Jin could only see silhouettes, not the expressions on their faces. If he didn't want them to bother Su Yu with this matter again, he would have run away. Influenced by Su Yu, he could no longer integrate into the life he was used to.

"Xiao Wu, I heard that your father-in-law and mother-in-law often come to your house for meals?"

Hearing the old man's voice, Ning Jin breathed a sigh of relief. It had finally started. He hummed in agreement, not denying it.

"Your father-in-law is sick? Should he pay for the doctor's visit or should you pay for it?" He had asked Ping An about this privately, but the kid asked him why he was asking about his family matters. When pressed, he said he didn't know, and ran away whenever he saw him. He was just like his father's good son, a complete ingrate.

"Why are you asking me about my father-in-law?" Ning Jin retorted.

"Did you pay for the medical treatment?" Ning Mancang guessed.

“We paid for the trip, and he returned it all to Su Yu when we came back.” Ning Jin didn’t want to cause trouble for no reason, and he felt that he didn’t need to explain his family’s financial expenses to others. “My father-in-law was the village chief for twenty or thirty years and was a party member. He had saved up money himself.”

"Really?" Old Man Ning was not very convinced.

"I wouldn't lie about this. What do you want? Get to the point. You're meddling in our family's money."

Old Man Ning choked, his face darkened, and when he spoke again, he was very direct: "I've calculated that your father-in-law comes to your house for meals at least three times a month. Since you're not home often, your mother and I won't go, but you can't let us suffer. You should give us an extra five yuan a month for our retirement."

Five yuan isn't much, but he already gives me five yuan and five jin of grain every month. He can give it, but not for this reason.

"Then what will you give me? Every time Su Yu's parents come over, they bring dried vegetables, small fish and shrimp, and when the corn is tender, they pick corn and cook it for the two children. When the peanuts are ripe, they give peanuts. My mother-in-law even makes shoes for the two children. If you and my mother give me something too, I'll give you ten yuan, let alone five." Ning Jin asked the old man.

“We still have to buy our own groceries, where are we going to deliver corn and peanuts to you? Are we going to steal them?” Old Man Ning realized that his youngest son was unwilling to give him more money for his retirement.

Ning Jin thought for a moment. He figured his parents probably got the money from his older sisters. Oh well, five yuan it is. "Should I charge my older brothers the same amount?" he asked casually.

"My parents live with me, so why should I give them money?"

"Okay, add them all."

Ning Laoda and Ning Laotou spoke at the same time. Ning Jin asked his second brother, "Second brother and sister-in-law, are you also going to give me more money every month starting next month?"

Ning Lao Er hesitated for a moment, then his cuff was tugged. He said, "Yeah, I'll join too."

However, his pause had already alerted Ning Jin to something amiss. He took a breath; three years had diluted his resentment and disappointment towards his parents, but this discovery initially filled him with anger, which quickly subsided into calm. He said, "I'm worried you're conspiring to make me pay more for my parents' retirement. Tomorrow I'll go find my uncle. You had a written agreement when you divided the family property, right? But I didn't get a share. I'll also get a written agreement from our relatives stating that I didn't take a share of my parents' property, and since they won't live with me anymore, the bulk of their expenses will be yours if they get sick. I'll only contribute to their retirement, just like my two older brothers. If I find out I've paid more than I should, I won't give them a single penny more in the future."

He got up from the chair and strode out, saying as he went, "I'll bring the money tomorrow, and when I get here, my second brother and I will pay together."

The door slammed shut, silencing the sound of footsteps.

“Dad, I’m not like Xiao Wu. My wife only makes seventeen yuan a month, and I only make thirty-eight. Together, we don’t even earn as much as Xiao Wu alone, and we still have to support a child…”

“I know, give it to me tomorrow, and I’ll return it to you after he leaves, but don’t let it slip.” Old Man Ning interrupted his second son, for he didn’t have a son to support his father-in-law.

With a muffled bang, the door was kicked open, slammed against the wall, and then slammed shut again. Ning Jin kicked the door open and, amidst the clattering of the door knocker, spoke coldly: "Unfortunately, you were in too much of a hurry, and I overheard you."

The room was completely silent. Old Man Ning clenched his fists and looked towards the door, not expecting that Xiao Wu would not leave after going out.

"I'll give you one night to discuss how much retirement money to give each other. Second brother, you eat, drink, and take a lot of money. If your salary is low and you can't support your children or your parents, that's your incompetence. I didn't expect you to be so shameless as to ask for your retirement money back after handing it over." Ning Jin spat and turned to leave.

After returning home, I went straight to the kitchen, rummaged through the cupboard for some slightly golden-brown baked buns, poured a bowl of hot water, and sat down by the stove to eat them heartily.

"What? You're still not full?" Su Yu asked as she came out of the bedroom after hearing the noise, leaning against the kitchen doorway.

"There's too little oil and salt, I can't eat it. I only had two bowls of corn porridge and then nothing else. Luckily, there was still some rice left for me at home." Ning Jin looked up at her. This woman had spoiled his stomach and also kept him clear-headed. With her around, he didn't have any worries about doing anything.

"You should heat it up a bit. The buns have meat inside, and eating them cold isn't good for your stomach." Su Yu didn't ask him about what happened at the old house; judging from his calm expression, she knew there wasn't anything seriously wrong.

"I just like it cold." He retorted, and when he saw her glance at him sideways, he immediately smiled.

The next morning, he went to find his uncle, who was his grandfather's younger brother, only twelve years older than his father. On the way to the old house, he told him about what happened the night before and what he had overheard.

Upon entering the old house, he pointed to the courtyard and reiterated: "My parents didn't raise me for a single day after I was weaned. They didn't contribute any money when I got married. They didn't help when Ping'an's mother fell ill and passed away. Later, when Ping'an grew up, they took care of him for over a year, and I still gave them money every month. But my parents paid for all my older brothers' weddings, dowries, jobs for my older brothers' wives, my older brother's bicycle, and my second brother's job change. Even when the family property was divided, this small courtyard was split in two, and I didn't get a single clod of dirt. Yesterday, they even tried to scheme to get more money from me for their retirement. I've made my point clear today: my older brother will take care of our parents until their deaths, and I will contribute the same amount as my second brother. I won't get any benefits. In the future, when our parents are old and sick, I will only contribute a small portion. I will do what my second brother does, and I may even do less than him."

"Mancang, are you really planning to trick Xiao Wu into giving you more money for your retirement?" Young Master Ning looked at his nephew in surprise, seemingly not expecting him to become more shameless as he got older.

Ning Mancang's face tightened with embarrassment, but having been caught red-handed last night, he was afraid that Xiao Wu might reveal something else, so he didn't refute it.

"Tsk, I wasn't wrong about you back then. You can tell what a person will be like at three years old. The older you get, the more despicable you become. You were a liar when you were young, throwing stones into people's latrines. Even with your wrists caught, you still won't admit it was you..."

"Let's write a written agreement." Ning Mancang gritted his teeth and interrupted his uncle. He had originally planned to stir things up, but in the end, he was defeated by his uncle's mouth, who knew all his dirty secrets.

"Is the retirement money five yuan or ten yuan?" Ning Jin asked.

Five yuan for five jin of grain.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to give it; it's all the second son's fault for being so useless." Ning Jin rubbed salt into their wounds.

"Here, it's finished. Take a look." Young Master Ning handed the workbook to Ning Jin and said with a smile, "Mancang, you're very lucky. You get a monthly grain supply, someone to take care of your food, drink, and lodging, and you even get ten yuan a month."

Ning Mancang didn't reply, staring at his youngest son who had embarrassed him, and said, "That's it. From now on, don't come except to send money and grain. You can send gifts but not show up for birthday parties." He realized that he really didn't get along with this youngest son, and seeing him made him feel sullen.

"Okay, come find me again if you get sick someday, I won't shortchange you." Ning Jin put away the receipt and helped the young master out.

"Get the hell out of here, you black-hearted devil! Even in this state you're still cursing me. I shouldn't have given birth to you. I must have dug up your ancestors' graves in my past life."

Ning Jin did not react.

After walking out the door, Young Master Ning turned to look at him and said, "You're quite calm, aren't you? Don't want to cry?"

"Why are you crying? It's not like he and my mom haven't treated me like this for the first time."

"It's alright, as long as you can think positively. Your grandma took you away because she was angry with your mom, and also because your mom couldn't take care of you. Now it seems that she also saved you. Otherwise, you would be no different from your older brothers, both simpletons with stupid looks."

Ning Jin was unmoved by his words. When he was a child, he had wanted to come back, and he cried a lot when he was locked out. Now that he was actually locked out, he only felt relieved.