The family members got along more and more harmoniously, especially Huang Nai and Xu Mengyao, a pair of "friends regardless of age difference". Whenever Huang Nai saw Xu Mengyao, her eyes were as if she saw a cash cow, and she smiled and asked about her well-being.

One day, Xu Mengyao happened to overhear a conversation between Auntie Feng and Grandma Huang. Auntie Feng said to Grandma Huang in a sarcastic tone, "Auntie, tell me, Brother Huang earns so much money a month, why does he still let you cook and work at the same time?"

Grandma Huang smiled and replied, "Feng girl, you don't understand. The children are busy, and my old bones are idle anyway, so I like to move around. Besides, I don't work for nothing. The pocket money I get this month is probably more than you earn. You should think more about your own skills."

Aunt Feng was naturally unwilling to accept this and continued, "Oh, I really envy Sister Huang. She doesn't have to serve her mother-in-law, and she can live out here as the head of the household and have some free time."

After hearing this, Grandma Huang smiled nonchalantly and then changed the subject, saying, "Then you must be envious of my daughter-in-law. She's beautiful, tall, earns money, and has given birth to four worry-free children. Xiaofeng, I'm not saying anything bad about you. Not only do you say you can't compare to my daughter-in-law, but I heard you've been married to Xiao Wu for quite some time, so why don't you have a child? I'm really worried about your mother-in-law!"

Aunt Feng's face flushed with anger at this, and she heard a clang as she slammed the door in her room, angered by Grandma Huang. Grandma Huang then leisurely walked in, humming a little tune.

Xu Mengyao laughed secretly on the side, thinking: If you mess with the old lady, you'll be in trouble. Her fighting ability is well-known in the village. I guess Aunt Feng will have to be obedient from now on.

At the end of the month, Xu Mengyao began to settle the accounts. Because she only had one day off a week, she couldn't go to Pengcheng to buy supplies, so her net profit from popcorn alone was just over 900 yuan. But Xu Mengyao was content. She knew her business couldn't exceed 10,000 yuan every month, so she could only wait and see.

She walked to Grandma Huang's room, handed her five yuan, and said with a smile: "Grandma, you have worked hard this month. This five yuan is your bonus."

Grandma Huang happily took the money, carefully put it into her handkerchief, and then stuffed the handkerchief into the pillowcase. Xu Mengyao looked at her careful and happy expression and suddenly asked curiously, "Grandma, can I know why you miss my uncle so much?"

Huang Nai looked at her, silent for a long time, then sighed and said, "Sit down, Juan. I know you all think I'm partial to your uncle's family, but no one knows that I owe him!"

Xu Mengyao sat down and looked at Huang Nai with a curious look in her eyes. Huang Nai began to recall:

"You know about your uncle's bad eye. He was fine before he was ten. Our Huang family was very poor back then. The war killed everyone in our family. Except for your second grandfather who followed the army, the only people left in our village were the elderly, the weak, women and children. I had to raise several children by myself. The day your uncle was born, I was pounding beans in the yard. There was no midwife around. I gave birth to him by biting a piece of wood myself. I had to work in the fields the next day. It was really hard raising them. When your uncle was ten, he got a rash that gradually spread to his face and eyelids. He kept complaining about eye pain. I didn't have the money to treat him at the time. I just let him sleep more, thinking that would make him better. Who knew! As a result, he would never be able to open his left eye again."

At this point, Huang Nai couldn't help but touch the corners of her eyes. Xu Mengyao also heard tears sliding down her cheeks. Huang Nai saw this, picked up a handkerchief, helped her wipe away the tears, and gently scolded her: "You little girl, why are you crying?"

Xu Mengyao choked up and said, "Grandma, your life has been really hard. What happened to my uncle's eyes?"

Grandma Huang sighed and continued to recall, "We went to the town hospital at that time, and the doctor said that we had delayed too long. Not only would his eyeball be lost, but his life would also be in danger. I felt so regretful at the time, I wished I could suffer in his place. The doctor suggested that we go to a big city for surgery as soon as possible. I remembered that your second grandfather had sent a letter home before, so I asked your uncle to contact them as soon as possible. This is our last hope.

Fortunately, we finally got in touch. Your second grandfather was an official in the capital. As soon as we hung up, he arranged for someone in town to take us to the train station and even bought us tickets. Your uncle then went to the capital for surgery and a prosthetic eye, saving his life. If I hadn't delayed him, he wouldn't have suffered so much, it wouldn't have affected his military service, and he wouldn't have spent so many years searching for a wife.

Xu Mengyao finally understood why Grandma Huang had been so partial to her for so many years, but she still had a question in her mind: "Grandma, why is your relationship with Auntie so bad? Is it because she only gave birth to my eldest cousin?"

Huang Nai was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "Actually, you have two aunts, you probably don't know."

Xu Mengyao shook her head blankly, and Huang Nai continued:

"Your uncle originally had two younger sisters. My two daughters were very sensible since they were young. The eldest daughter could stand on a stool to cook even though she was not even as tall as the stove. What a pity! Later, they went to the river to wash clothes and never came back. From then on, I was particularly worried that the children would not grow up. When I went to work in the fields, I would carry your father and your uncle to the edge of the field where I could see them.

Your uncle and his wife have been married for seven or eight years and have no children. Tell me, in our village, which mother-in-law can tolerate her for so many years like me? After finally giving birth to your eldest cousin, her belly stopped moving.

Your uncle is constantly being criticized, how can I, as his mother, feel good? Later, your aunt even brought Erya from her parents' home, saying that she picked her up on the street and kept her for her old age. Humph, did she think I didn't know that she was born to her sister-in-law? She actually thought about her family and let us, the Huang family, raise her niece, so that her brother and sister-in-law could have another son!

When Huang Nai said this, her voice was filled with anger and helplessness. Xu Mengyao felt mixed emotions after hearing this, and she didn't know what to say.

She could only pat Grandma Huang's back gently and comfort her, "Grandma, don't be angry. It's been so many years, and children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. It will be a good thing that Erya can provide for uncle in his old age."

Huang Nai sighed and said, "Yes, I have accepted it over the years. I hope Erya is a girl with a conscience."

Xu Mengyao suddenly seemed to think of something and asked, "Grandma, that second grandfather of mine in the capital you just mentioned, he's a high-ranking official, right?"

Huang Nai nodded and said, "I don't know exactly what position he holds, but he said he's responsible for protecting the Chairman and can see him once a week."

Xu Mengyao gasped after hearing this, her heart trembling. That's the Chairman! After all this time, it turns out that there is a relative with such thick thighs in her family!