Chapter 409 Barrier

Zhang Cui had never seen a man like Wei Yang before.

What man doesn't want a son?

But Wei Yang showed no regret whatsoever.

When only the mother and daughter were in the room, Zhang Cui hugged the child and said, "You are still young. If you don't want to have children now, you might want to later. Nothing is absolute."

Song Lubai glanced at her and said, "Why do you seem to feel more sorry for me than others for not having a son?"

Zhang Cui glanced at her and said, "What do I regret? I'm afraid he'll resent you later."

Song Lubai held out her palm and said, "Stop it now. I don't know if he's blaming me or not, but I feel like you're a little resentful that I didn't give birth to a son. Aren't sons and daughters the same?"

Zhang Cui shook her head and said, "What's the difference? When a daughter grows up and gets married, it's like we're still relatives. Like you, I don't think you even want me to come. But it's different with a son. He brings a wife home, and when I'm old, he can take care of me."

Zhang Cui kept glancing at Song Lubai's face as she spoke.

Song Lubai pouted and said, "Think whatever you want. When Jianshe and Heping grow up, I'll see if they're always hanging around you."

Seeing that she didn't react much, Zhang Cui continued, "I'm not saying daughters are bad, but boys can support you when they grow up and can be the pillars of the family..."

As Zhang Cui was speaking, Wei Yang entered the room.

Song Lubai pointed at Wei Yang and said, "This is the pillar of our family. He's much more useful than that son who's nowhere to be found. Mom, you don't need to worry about whether I have a son or not."

Song Lubai wanted to say some harsh words, but thinking about how much her mother had taken care of her child these past few days and how she had brought a lot of nice things with her when she came, she held back all those words.

Wei Yang glanced at the mother and daughter, then decided it wasn't appropriate to get involved, so he put down what he was doing and left.

Once again, only the mother and daughter remained in the room, and Zhang Cui remained silent for a while.

After a long pause, Zhang Cui said, "I'm only saying all this for your own good. If you don't think it's a big deal, I won't say it again."

Song Lubai nodded and said, "Don't worry, I know whether I'm doing well or not. If things really get tough, I have a job and I won't go hungry. Don't say those things again."

Zhang Cui could only swallow those words back.

Since ancient times, it has been considered unacceptable for a family not to have a son. In the village, it's one thing to have few able-bodied men, but having few sons makes a family vulnerable and easily bullied.

But then she thought about it again. Her daughter's family was in a pretty good situation. Wei Yang was a cadre, so no one would usually come knocking on their door to bully them. Whether or not they had a son wasn't really that important.

Although she had found a reason for her daughter not to have a son, Zhang Cui still felt uneasy.

Back in the Song family, Old Mrs. Song would constantly nag her about how she had caused Song Lubai's father to have no descendants.

Because she had no son, she couldn't even hold her head up in the Song family. After Song Lubai's father sacrificed his life, her status in the Song family was even lower than that of a hen that laid eggs for the family.

The chickens at home are fed, but she and Song Lubai have no food to eat, and they get scolded for not having food.

Recalling those days, Zhang Cui's face showed a sorrowful expression.

She remembered every single word that Old Lady Song said to her.

Song Lubai glanced at her and asked, "What's wrong with you now? Why are you rubbing your face like that?"

Zhang Cui sighed and said, "You married better than me. Wei Yang is a good man. I'm happy for you."

These words weren't harsh. Song Lubai said, "From now on, you just need to worry about building up the two brothers. Don't worry about anything else. I'm fine with everything, so don't worry about me."

Zhang Cui said, "Even if you live to fifty, you'll still be a piece of my flesh and blood. How can I not worry about you?"

Song Lubai got goosebumps all over her body; she couldn't tell whether it was from being touched or feeling disgusted.

"Don't worry, if I have the ability in the future, I will definitely help them. You don't need to do this."

Song Lubai vaguely knew what her mother wanted, and since things had come to this point, she simply laid it all out.

Recalling Song Lubai's coldness towards her in the past few years, and how he had always kept her at arm's length, tears welled up in Zhang Cui's eyes.

"You think I'm that kind of person?"

Song Lubai couldn't stand the atmosphere in the room any longer and said, "I want to eat rabbit meat. Go to the yard and bring one in. Thaw it in warm water first, and then we'll stir-fry it later."

Zhang Cui hurried off.

She had a lot to say, but didn't know where to begin.

There's still a block of tofu left from the New Year's purchase, which has been sitting in the kitchen in the yard and has become frozen.

When tofu is frozen and then thawed, it has many air pockets inside. When stir-fried, it absorbs a lot of broth, and the texture is completely different from fresh tofu, but the taste is very good and particularly flavorful.

When the white sugar melts in the pot and bubbles with a dark reddish color, the rabbit pieces are added to the pot and stir-fried for a while, and the aroma of rabbit meat wafts out.

Vermicelli, tofu, radish, and other vegetables were all dumped into the pot and stewed.

Although the ingredients were put in haphazardly, the dish still smelled really good when it was ready to be served.

Wei Zhao was good at praising people; with just a few words, he made Zhang Cui beam with joy, wishing she could pay for all the meals from now on.

On the ninth day, Song Lubai and the others heard that Old Man Li had passed away.

Song Lubai was in confinement after childbirth and it was inconvenient for her to go, so Wei Zhao and Zhao Hongying took the money and went to Pang Juan's house.

At Pang Juan's home, the child was crying, and Tang Xuewen, head down, was receiving guests with Pang Juan.

"When will the burial take place? If you don't have enough people, just tell us and we'll find some for you."

Pang Juan said, "Father doesn't want us to be so particular. We'll be buried tomorrow."

Tang Xuewen felt quite upset. "He was perfectly fine yesterday, and even ate an extra bowl of rice last night. Who would have thought he would be gone when I woke up this morning?"

Tang Xuewen had been living in this house for more than half a year. Old Man Li didn't have much to do, ate little, and even made shoes to earn some extra money for the family. For Tang Xuewen, Old Man Li was a very worry-free person.

Old Li left, and although Tang Xuewen didn't feel as heartbroken as if his own father had died, he was still quite sad.

Zhao Hongying said, "He passed away peacefully without suffering. Don't be too sad. Take good care of his funeral and live a good life from now on."

Guests come and go, and when the house is empty, Pang Juan and her husband still can't muster any enthusiasm.

Her ex-husband was a scoundrel. She supported her father-in-law, who was unable to work, for over ten years, and she suffered a lot. It's impossible for her not to feel that her father-in-law was a burden to her.

But now that he's suddenly gone, I feel quite empty inside.

She had imagined the scene of her father-in-law's passing before, and at that time she felt that if her father-in-law passed away, she would feel relieved.

But she doesn't feel that way now.

"Xuewen, from now on it'll just be the three of us at home. He probably closed his eyes in peace because he thought you were a good person. Xuewen, from now on it'll just be the three of us at home."

These words were a great compliment to Tang Xuewen.

Since he married Pang Juan, no one has talked behind his back anymore.

His family is all well, but unfortunately, he doesn't have any children of his own.

But things seem pretty good as they are now.

He put his arm around Pang Juan's shoulder and said, "Uncle, rest in peace. From now on, let's live a good life together."