Chapter 266 Showing Off Power
Song Yu'an made a special trip to Shengli Village, trudging along muddy dirt roads, to find Zhou Nuli's master—the famous carpenter in the area.
The old man's face was full of wrinkles and his hands were covered in calluses, but his eyes were bright and his skills were impeccable.
Song Yu'an begged him to help make a set of furniture: a bed, a wardrobe, two chairs, and a small dining table.
After listening, the old man nodded: "Okay, I'll pick it up in a month."
He paid the money on the spot; it was a thick stack of crumpled banknotes, all pieced together from various sources.
The old man took the money, didn't count it, but just smiled and said, "Young man, you're an honest man. I'll make your furniture sturdier."
Nowadays, handmade furniture is actually cheaper than mass-produced furniture in factories.
Machine-pressed panel furniture is lightweight and flimsy; a thin layer of veneer is applied, and it's sold at a high price.
But Song Yu'an knew in his heart that those machine-made cabinets would become loose, the screws would fall off, the cabinet doors would not close properly, and they would make a piercing creaking sound.
Nothing beats the quality of something crafted by a skilled artisan, hammer and chisel by hand.
The mortise and tenon joints fit together perfectly, giving you peace of mind to the touch and a sense of security to live in.
This money was well spent.
These past few days, Shen Cuifen has been following him around the market, buying tables and chairs, assembling cabinets, and choosing curtains.
She gradually realized that Song Yu'an was very generous with his money.
If they see a sturdy pine table, they immediately pay for it; if they see a high-quality cotton bed sheet, they buy three sets without hesitation.
If it weren't for the lack of ration coupons, he would have even wanted to bring the refrigerator home, even if it meant waiting in line for three months.
“This is our home, just the two of us. I just want things to go smoothly and for us to live comfortably.”
She spoke softly, tears welling in her eyes.
She never imagined that one day she would have a home of her own, no longer living under someone else's roof, no longer having to be at the mercy of others.
Song Yu'an comforted her instead, patting the back of her hand: "After I graduate, we'll move to a bigger place. You can live wherever you want after that."
He silently calculated the days in his mind, looked up at her, and said gently, "Cuifen, your acceptance letter should be arriving soon, right?"
They don't live at home, so the postman delivers the mail to the old house in case the Zhou family sees it...
Just imagining that scene sent shivers down her spine, as if countless tiny needles were piercing her skin, and even her breathing became heavy.
“Don’t worry,” Song Yu’an said calmly, having anticipated this, “I had the notice delivered to Yun Rui. She personally promised me that as soon as she received it, she would hide it deep inside the cabinet, lock it, and never let anyone know.”
Shen Cuifen finally breathed a sigh of relief, her heart finally settled. Her hand unconsciously pressed against her chest, her fingertips trembling slightly: "Mother, some schools have already started sending out notices... Old Li's son from the west end of our village received his admission notice from the provincial medical school the day before yesterday."
Her tone was hurried, every word tinged with unease, her eyes slightly red, as if veiled by a thin mist, filled with anxiety and anticipation.
She desperately wanted definite news, to know if the result she had been waiting for had quietly arrived.
Song Yu'an slapped his thigh, making a crisp "smack" sound, his brows furrowing into a knot: "We've been away for quite a few days, and haven't been home even once. Tomorrow, we'll go back and take a look."
She stood up, her eyes firm, her tone leaving no room for doubt: "Let's see what those people are up to at home, whether they're plotting something wicked again."
Just as I was about to leave, a slight noise came from downstairs. The footsteps approached from afar, making a muffled "creaking" sound on the old stairs.
Zhou Dajun stood at the door, looking slightly flustered, clutching a key in his hand. Xiao Shui, holding Weiwei's hand, timidly hid behind her, her eyes darting around, not daring to look directly ahead.
Song Yu'an raised his hand to close the door, his movements swift and decisive, without any hesitation.
Just as the door was about to close, Shen Cuifen's voice suddenly came from upstairs, tinged with surprise: "Mother, who's here? Are you going out?"
Song Yu paused for a moment, then quickly lowered his voice and replied, "Oh, they said they're here to check the electricity and water meters. I'll go down and take a look and come right back up. You stay home and wait, don't come down."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door slammed shut with a loud bang.
Song Yu'an rushed downstairs in a few quick steps, his pace hurried, like a gust of wind passing through the corridor. Just as he reached the corner on the first floor, he suddenly turned around, and without saying a word, raised his right hand and slapped Zhou Dajun across the face.
The sound was so loud it was almost deafening. Zhou Dajun was knocked back, and red marks quickly appeared on his cheeks.
Xiao Shui screamed and rushed over, grabbing Zhou Dajun and hugging him tightly, her voice trembling: "What are you doing! How could you hit someone!"
Weiwei was even more unceremonious. Startled by the sudden commotion, she burst into tears, pounced on Song Yu'an's lap, scratched wildly with her little hands, her nails scraping against his trouser leg, and opened her mouth, revealing her baby teeth as if she were about to bite him hard.
Song Yu'an gave a gentle push, but his movements were very steady, and he held Weiwei firmly in his arms before gently placing her back into Xiao Shui's arms.
Her eyes were as cold as ice, and her voice was low and sharp: "You instigated him to come, didn't you?"
Xiao Shui's tears streamed down her face as she sobbed. Not daring to argue, she buried her face in Zhou Dajun's chest, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. She didn't even have the courage to look up.
Zhou Dajun hugged his daughter tightly, supporting Xiaoshui with his other hand. His voice was low, tinged with timidity and helplessness: "Mother... Xiaoshui said that Cuifen suffered so much for me, endured so many grievances, and she felt bad about it. She should go and thank her... She really didn't mean anything by it, really..."
Upon hearing this, Song Yu'an forced a cold laugh, his lips curving upwards slightly, but without any real joy: "Thank you? Ha..."
She stared intently at Xiaoshui, her gaze sharp as a knife: "Haven't my son suffered enough for you? Why do you keep interfering in this family, pretending to be virtuous and kind?"
Zhou Dajun lowered his head, his hands trembling slightly, and his voice trembling: "Mother...we'll leave now, we won't bother you any longer."
"stop."
Song Yu'an stepped forward, stretched out his arm to block his way, his eyes blazing and his tone sharp: "Explain yourself, what exactly are you after? Did you come here today just to express your gratitude? Then let me ask you, why did you choose this time to come? Did you hear something?"
Is this a way of saying thank you?
They've clearly come here to show off their power!
"Mom, why are you blocking the guests in the hallway? Why don't you let them come up and have a seat?"
Shen Cuifen stood at the top of the stairs, wearing a pair of old, faded slippers with soles that were starting to come unglued, making a soft "patter" sound as she stepped on the floor.
Her expression was calm to the point of being indifferent, with no ripples in her eyes or brows, and she didn't even furrow her brow, as if everything happening before her eyes had nothing to do with her.
But Song Yu'an knew—
The more she acted this way, the more fiercely the fire in her heart burned, and the more fiercely it burned, the more suppressed she became, until it was about to explode.
She had seen Shen Cuifen like this countless times. Each time, she remained silent, suppressing all her emotions deep inside, and then, little by little, bursting out in the coldest way.
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