At noon, when almost everyone had finished eating and was resting, Tang Suxiang's apology came over the loudspeaker.
At eight o'clock in the evening, the villagers had finished their dinner and were chatting and relaxing under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village when they heard Tang Suxiang's apology coming over the loudspeaker.
For three consecutive days.
Everyone in the surrounding villages knew about Tang Suxiang's shameful act of slandering and spreading rumors about Song Yinhua.
Qiao Guilan felt incredibly relieved to hear Tang Suxiang's apology over the radio.
She used to be bullied by her sisters-in-law, but this time she'll finally have a good time.
Seeing his wife's smug look, Song Erzhuang was a little angry.
That's his own brother's wife. What's there to be happy about in making a fool of himself in public?
"Look how happy you are!"
"Why wouldn't I be happy? Yinhua has been slandered by her for so many years, and her marriage has been delayed. Now that she's broadcasting to clear Yinhua's name, I'm happy!" Qiao Guilan deliberately made her husband laugh loudly, "Hahaha!"
Song Erzhuang was furious, but felt sorry for his older brother.
"Yinhua is the same. That's her own aunt, they're all family. How could she let her aunt apologize on the radio?"
"You don't feel sorry for your own daughter being slandered and defamed, but you feel sorry for your sister-in-law?" Qiao Guilan was furious. "Are you and your sister-in-law..."
"You wretched woman, what nonsense are you thinking?" Song Erzhuang exclaimed in a huff. "My older brother and I grew up together, we're practically family! This is Yinhua's fault!"
“You were angry for three days because your sister-in-law broadcast it on the radio. She has been slandering your daughter for more than ten years, why weren’t you angry? Her son bullied the little pest Yinhua and she fell into a cave and stayed inside all night, why weren’t you angry?”
Qiao Guilan had long been dissatisfied with her husband's tendency to favor his relatives.
"Isn't Yinhua your biological daughter? Your elder brother's family is your real family? Then you go and live with your elder brother's family!"
"You're being unreasonable, I'm not talking to you anymore." Song Erzhuang got up angrily and was about to leave.
"Are you going to your older brother's house again?"
"Mind your own business!"
Seeing her husband's attitude, Qiao Guilan grabbed Song Erzhuang and prevented him from leaving the house.
The two started arguing, each saying a sentence.
In the heat of the moment, Qiao Guilan started cursing Song Erzhuang.
"You don't let your own daughter go to school, but lend money to other people's sons for their education. What kind of father are you? You're not even human! You even secretly took Yinhua's salary behind my back to pay for someone else's granddaughter's medical treatment..."
"That's none other than my own brother!" Song Erzhuang roared.
When Baogen broke his leg and needed money for surgery, did your older brother treat you like a real brother?
"You old hag, how dare you bring this up with me?" Song Erzhuang felt he was in the right. "Baogen broke his leg, and our family used all our savings and even sold our old ox to barely raise the money for the surgery. And you secretly took Baogen's life-saving money back to your family. You're not human!"
"My mom said it was a loan, and she'll return it to me when my dad comes home the next day!"
"Then why haven't they paid back the money yet?"
Qiao Guilan was momentarily speechless when asked the question.
Song Erzhuang was so angry that he scolded her, "You can just lend Baogen his life-saving money like that? Don't you have a brain?"
"Then you took over all the money in the house, and all of Yinhua's salary was with you. When my mother was sick and needed money for medical treatment, you wouldn't give her a single penny!" Qiao Guilan recalled the hateful look in her mother's eyes when she died, and tears fell down her face.
"Didn't you go take care of your mother?" Song Erzhuang shouted. "Your mother has so many children, why doesn't she think of you when there are good things to do, but she always comes to you when she needs money?"
"I'm the eldest, that's what I should do!" This belief was ingrained in Qiao Guilan's bones, ingrained in her very being. "You refused to give my mother money for medical treatment, and she never forgave me until her death. My younger siblings don't even recognize me! Song Erzhuang, you're not human, you've ruined me... Waaah..."
“That’s Yin Hua’s hard-earned money; it can’t be lent out.”
"You can't lend it out, so why did you secretly lend it to your older brother for his granddaughter's medical treatment behind my back?" Qiao Guilan suddenly realized what was going on. "Just how much money did you lend to your older brother's family behind my back?"
Song Erzhuang felt guilty and said, "It was just... just that one time."
At this moment, Song Erzhuang was filled with regret. He shouldn't have impulsively said it that night.
After living together for twenty or thirty years, Qiao Guilan could tell at a glance that her husband was lying.
"Did you lend all of Yinhua's salary to your older brother's family? That's the money Baogen is going to use to get married!" Qiao Guilan exclaimed anxiously. "I keep track of Yinhua's monthly salary. Bring out your credit union passbook; I need to reconcile the accounts!"
"How can we settle accounts in the dark? Doesn't the kerosene lamp burn money? You old hag, you're getting worse and worse at managing money!" Song Erzhuang just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, afraid that Qiao Guilan would ask him about the money again.
Qiao Guilan went up and grabbed Song Erzhuang, preventing him from leaving.
My husband is simple-minded and doesn't lie.
He's definitely hiding something from her.
"Give me the credit union passbook, I'll reconcile the accounts tomorrow during the day." Qiao Guilan persisted, determined to see the credit union passbook.
Song Erzhuang refused to hand it over, making excuses such as, "It's too late, I forgot where I hid the passbook, I'll find it for you tomorrow, please stop making a fuss."
"You stutter easily when you lie. Did you put all of Yinhua's salary with your older brother?" Qiao Guilan started making a scene. "Song Erzhuang, when I lent money to my family, you beat me half to death and forbade me from managing the money anymore. But behind my back, you took all the family's money to your older brother's family?"
"No, that's not true. Don't make wild guesses. I'll give you the passbook as soon as it's light tomorrow..."
"No, I want it now!"
"Qiao Guilan, I'm warning you, stop causing trouble!"
In the midst of their tug-of-war, Song Erzhuang impatiently swung his arm, sending Qiao Guilan flying a great distance until she crashed into the wall and sat on the ground, bursting into tears.
She cried and cursed Song Erzhuang.
In a fit of anger, Song Erzhuang left the house.
The village broadcast apology ended, and Tang Suxiang returned home.
Song Erzhuang ran to his elder brother's house to apologize to his elder brother and sister-in-law.
He didn't remember anything about being slapped in public by his nephew, blaming himself for the big fuss that night on his own quick temper and impulsiveness.
Song Dazhuang pretended to shout, "Suxiang, go and take out all the money you prepared and return it to Erzhuang, so that Erzhuang won't keep going around saying that we owe him money and won't pay it back..."
"Brother!" Song Erzhuang shouted anxiously, "I'm not here to ask you for money, I'm here to apologize! We're brothers, don't you trust me? It's only right that I help you when your family is in trouble, we're brothers!!"
“Yes, we are brothers, Erzhuang. It’s rare that you still remember that I am your elder brother!” Song Dazhuang sat in the chair, looking disappointed. “Look at the mess you made of my house that night, and you even tried to chop your nephew Hanwen with an axe.”
Song Erzhuang raised his arm and slapped the hand that was holding the axe. "It's my fault! I was too impulsive! My temper is terrible!"
“Erzhuang, I’ve always advised you since you were little that you should be more patient and less impulsive. But you still can’t get rid of this bad habit. Look at your sister-in-law now, she’s too ashamed to show her face in public.”
Song Erzhuang shouted before he could even think, "I'll go on the radio tomorrow to apologize to you and your sister-in-law!"
...
-
At a small wonton stall in town, Song Baogen and his girlfriend invited Song Yinhua and Song Caixing to come out and have some fun.
The four of them ate wontons while chatting and laughing, completely unaware of what was happening at home.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com