Chapter 15 When Old Man Qiu and Su Yunting regained consciousness...
When Su Yunting regained consciousness, he first felt the brightness of the light and felt a warm sensation all over his body, realizing that he was sunbathing in the yard.
Then came the fishy smell in the air, and Qiu Yuruo's voice came from beside her: "I forgot to let your brother out later, this smell is too awful!"
Su Jingshu replied with a smile, "It's okay, there's chicken soup to drink, my brother won't mind."
Qiu Yuruo picked up the scalded chicken, plucked its feathers, and said, "Drinking soup is not as nutritious as eating meat. Later, kick the meat off the chicken leg, chop it up, and make porridge for your brother."
Su Jingshu had never heard of this theory before, and then she asked about the difference between the meat and the soup.
The fishy smell in the air slowly dissipated, and amidst the whispers of the sisters-in-law, Su Yunting experienced for the first time the languid feeling of being bathed in warm sunlight.
There was another sound of footsteps beside me.
Qiu Yuru called to Su Jingxuan inside the house: "Little sister, come out and help your second brother lift the table. Take your sand tray and the two of you practice calligraphy together."
The younger sister responded and rushed out of the house.
Then another set of footsteps sounded beside Su Yunting.
Qiu Yu plucked the chicken feathers clean and rinsed it twice with water. She first chopped off a chicken leg and set it aside, and then chopped the chicken into pieces.
Just as the chicken pieces were chopped, Uncle Qiu arrived in his oxcart, bringing Old Man Qiu with him.
The day before yesterday, Uncle Qiu returned from Sujiazhuang. He endured his mother's scolding and talked to his father for a while. Today, he successfully brought his father to Sujiazhuang.
No matter how unwilling Old Qiu was, these past two days had made him realize the reality: once the family was separated, there was no possibility of them getting back together.
Although the third son insisted on separating from the family and no longer wanted to support his brother's education, he did not disown him and still had to fulfill his filial duties.
Old Qiu came to Sujiazhuang today for one reason: his third son said his granddaughter wanted to discuss setting up a noodle stall with him.
Secondly, there's the old man from the Su family. According to the third son, he's been very ruthless towards the eldest son's side. Old Qiu feels that as a relative by marriage, it's necessary to have a good talk with him.
When the two arrived at the Su family home, everyone except Su Yunting, who was lying down and unable to move, showed absolute enthusiasm.
The three children of the Su family, following Qiu Yuruo's instructions, were busy moving stools and pouring tea, calling him "Grandpa" even more affectionately than Qiu Yuruo's own grandsons!
Such high standards and warm treatment helped Old Qiu recover somewhat from his listless state of mind.
Qiu Yuruo said with a smile, "Knowing that you could come today, I killed the chicken early this morning and will make chicken soup for you later."
Old Qiu's face hardened: "Why kill a chicken? I'm not an outsider!"
Qiu Yuruo pulled up a stool and sat down next to Old Man Qiu: "I wouldn't even let an outsider eat this."
Old Qiu was pleased with these words and his mood improved. He then asked about setting up a noodle stall.
Qiu Yuruo first explained her family's financial situation, and then said, "We only have ten acres of land left. Not to mention paying for Yunting's medical treatment, it's not even enough for our own living expenses."
Grandpa knows about my cooking. I wouldn't dare say it's better than what chefs in restaurants make, but it's definitely better than what street vendors make.
This place is right next to the main road, and there are stalls at the Shuangmiao Village intersection ahead. Yunting can't be left alone, so I won't go over there. I'll just set up a stall at the entrance of Sujiazhuang Village. If anything happens at home, I can just shout and they'll hear me."
Old Man Qiu nodded repeatedly after hearing this. He had never thought of letting Qiu Yuru set up a stall before because his family was not struggling financially. Now that she had married into the Su family, she could support her family with her own skills, which was much better than relying on her family for financial assistance.
Old Man Qiu expressed his support for Qiu Yuruo's plan and said he would help her solve any difficulties she might encounter.
Qiu Yuruo: "I already talked to the clan leader about setting up a stall yesterday. We just need to set up a tent at the intersection and get a cart ready."
Old Qiu waved his hand: "Don't worry, your third uncle and I are here."
Qiu Yu Ruo laughed after hearing this, and then said, "When I was at home, I sometimes complained that you didn't value me enough. But after I got married and met other people, I realized that although you didn't value me enough, it was still much better than ignoring me at all!"
Her words made Old Man Qiu feel smug for a moment. He felt that he had done his best for the only bloodline left by his second son.
After all, they never skimped on her food and drink, and raised her to adulthood safely. As for letting her marry into the Su family in place of Lin'er, wasn't it because they felt the two were a good match?
If Qiu Yu can understand now, Old Man Qiu will feel somewhat gratified.
After feeling relieved, I thought of the other people my granddaughter had mentioned.
As for who that person was, Old Man Qiu didn't need to think; he knew who it was.
He asked Qiu Yuruo directly, "What's that old man from the Su family up to this time?"
Qiu Yuruo: "My third uncle brought me back the day before yesterday and told me that it would be good to mend my relationship with the elders here. So yesterday morning I went to town to buy meat and made meat sauce to send to the old man here..."
Qiu Yu recounted in detail what had happened yesterday.
Old Qiu slammed his fist on the table in anger after hearing this: "What kind of bastard is this? It's been a waste of decades' worth of grain that's rotting!"
Uncle Qiu, who had been silent until now, chimed in: "This person is so unreasonable. The younger generation took the gifts to make peace, but not only did he not accept them, he also wanted to write some kind of non-interference document!"
"We're from different generations, otherwise I would have definitely gone over and given him a piece of my mind!"
Old Qiu stood up abruptly: "You're from a different generation than him, but your father and I are from the same generation!"
After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and stormed out.
Old Qiu went from being praised for his integrity to being criticized for being unfair and biased in managing his household. The emotional rollercoaster between these two days made him extremely irritable, and this opportunity allowed him to vent his anger.
Uncle Qiu and Qiu Yuruo exchanged a glance, then followed.
Old Qiu knew where Old Su lived. When Old Su went to the Qiu family to cause trouble, Old Qiu had come to Su Family Village to find the patriarch of the Su family, so he also knew where Old Su's house was.
Old Qiu didn't start cursing at Old Su's doorstep; he started cursing by name as soon as he left the alley where Qiu Yuruo lived and got onto the main street.
The crops in the fields haven't ripened yet, and apart from guarding against crop theft, there's not much work to be done in the fields. Most of the villagers are at home tidying up their farm tools.
Hearing shouts and curses coming from the street, people quickly came out of their homes to see what was going on.
Old Qiu cursed all the way, and when he arrived at Old Su's house, most of the people in Su Family Village came out.
If it were anything else, the people of Sujiazhuang would have been unwilling to accept being insulted from one end of their village to the other by people from another village.
But the villagers were too ashamed to interfere with what Old Man Su had done.
Old Qiu was a man who cared a lot about his reputation, so even when he cursed, he didn't just hurl dirty or foul insults; his curses were always based on reason and evidence.
They cursed Old Man Su for being heartless and unjust, saying that he had gone to their home to force a marriage, making all sorts of promises, and then tricked them into marrying off their granddaughter, only to then ignore them and even write a letter of severance.
He was criticized for being unkind and unfilial. When his grandson fell ill, he immediately separated from the family and left. This was considered unkind, and he failed to protect his eldest son and grandson, which was unfilial to his ancestors!
Old Qiu cursed in the street, and then blocked Old Su's door and cursed for a long time.
Old Qiu was cursing in front, while Qiu Yuruo and her third uncle followed behind.
What Qiu Yu needs to do is to stop Old Man Qiu before the clan leader intervenes.
Uncle Qiu's task was to prevent the Su family from taking action.
Fortunately, the people of Su Family Village all knew that Old Man Su was not a fair man, and it would be pointless to stand up for him. Moreover, if they laid a hand on Old Man Qiu, he could take Qiu Yuruo back on the spot.
If Qiu Yu leaves, who will take care of Su Yunting and his three siblings? Old Man Su won't take care of them, and in the end, they'll have to rely on the person who stood up for him.
So Old Qiu cursed all he wanted without being stopped, and then he blocked the Su family's door and cursed for a while longer.
Old Man Su and Second Brother Su knew that going out was pointless, so they stubbornly stayed at home and refused to come out.
It wasn't until Qiu Yuru heard that the clan leader had arrived that she went forward to persuade Old Man Qiu.
Old Qiu had vented his anger and was tired of cursing, so when Qiu Yuruo persuaded him, he stopped.
The clan chief had actually received the news long ago, but since Old Man Su was in the wrong, he might take his granddaughter away if Old Man Qiu didn't get his revenge.
When the clan chief saw Old Man Qiu, he wanted to invite him to his home, intending to persuade him to leave first.
Old Qiu naturally refused to go, saying, "Clan leader, back then, that old man Su forced me to marry my granddaughter off, promising that the child would never be mistreated. Out of loyalty, I married my granddaughter off, but that old man Su turned his back on me and left his entire family of weaklings to my granddaughter..."
Old Qiu recounted Qiu Yuruo's hardships and Old Su's bad character once again.
Even if the clan chief is the head of the clan, at this time he can only say nice things repeatedly.
Old Qiu then said, "Given what Old Su has done, I will take my granddaughter home right now. There is no reason for your village to hold her back."
If Old Qiu really did that, the villagers really wouldn't be able to object.
Su Yunche, who was following behind Qiu Yuruo, felt a tightness in his heart after hearing this.
In just a few days, the burden on his shoulders was lightened. Everything at home was taken care of, so he didn't have to worry about anything. His older brother was also being taken care of.
These past few days have been the most relaxed for Su Yunche since his older brother fell into a coma.
But now, Grandpa Qiu wants to take his sister-in-law away!
Su Yunche knew in his heart that once his sister-in-law left his family, it wouldn't be a problem for her to find a normal family, and her life would definitely be easier than it was here.
But deep down, he didn't want his sister-in-law to leave at all!
Just as she was feeling upset, she heard Old Qiu continue, "But no matter what, my granddaughter has been married before. Apart from that old Su, who is a scoundrel, everyone else here, whether it's the clan leader or the clansmen, are rare good people!"
Su Yunche felt a little relieved after hearing this.
The clan chief quickly added, "My dear in-law, don't worry. Even if Yunting is sick, he's still a scholar. We won't abandon him if anything happens to the family."
After the clan chief finished speaking, Old Man Qiu immediately became humble, thanked the clan chief, and bowed to the people around him.
Such a courteous person, who wouldn't say "benevolence and righteousness"?
Old Qiu's reputation in Sujiazhuang quickly spread.
On the way home, Qiu Yuru praised the old man repeatedly. When she got home, she had to cook, so she winked at Yun Che.
Su Yunche then took on the task of praising Old Man Qiu.
Amidst his brother's adoring voices and Old Man Qiu's laughter, Su Yunting slowly drifted into a deep sleep.
...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com