Yang Shuying pushed the door open, glanced at Jiang Xuan, and seemed unsurprised.
She reached out to check the old man's breath, then knelt down with a thud, and began to wail loudly, "Dad! Don't go! Don't leave us..."
Grandpa's funeral was conducted in a fairly dignified manner.
Although Jiang Qiutang's family was unwilling, they gritted their teeth and paid the money for the sake of face.
Villagers came to pay their respects. Jiang Xuan, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, knelt before the mourning hall with her uncle and the others.
Yang Shuying knelt to the side, holding a handkerchief, her hands on the ground, and together with the original owner's three aunts, she would burst into tears whenever a group of people came, seemingly so sad that she was about to faint.
With swollen eyes and a hoarse voice, the uncle kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude to the villagers who came to offer their condolences.
Jiang Xuan didn't cry. She looked at the old man behind the mourning hall and silently said in her heart, "Grandpa, don't worry, I will definitely live well for your granddaughter."
Because of the hot weather, the old man was buried on the third day, on the opposite loess hillside.
After the funeral, the aunts and cousins went back to their own homes, and the cousin went to the machine factory. Everything returned to normal.
The next morning, while Jiang Qiaoyun was still asleep, Jiang Qiutang and Yang Shuying were having breakfast in the main room.
Yang Shuying took a sip of porridge, rubbed her eyes which were swollen like light bulbs, and said, "This Jiang Xuan seems like a completely different person."
Jiang Qiutang, biting into a steamed bun, asked, "What's wrong?"
"Don't you think she's been acting differently these past few days?"
Before Jiang Qiutang could speak, he saw Jiang Xuan standing at the door.
She swept her gaze coldly over them, her voice calm: "Uncle and Aunt, I'm here to collect my father's and grandfather's money."
Jiang Qiutang was stunned, and almost dropped his chopsticks. "What money? What nonsense are you talking about?"
“My father had an accident back then, and the Zhang family gave him 300 yuan in compensation. You can take this money.”
"In addition, my grandfather was a veteran, and the government would give him a subsidy of 50 yuan every month. Over the years, you have been collecting this money on his behalf. Now that my grandfather has passed away, you should give me half of this money."
Yang Shuying's expression changed drastically, and she suddenly stood up, almost spitting rice porridge crumbs onto Jiang Xuan's face.
"What nonsense are you spouting? What subsidies are there? Your grandfather was just an ordinary soldier, not an officer. Where would he get the money? Have you been sleeping for days and been possessed by a ghost? What nonsense are you spouting so early in the morning?"
Jiang Xuan sneered, took an envelope from his pocket, and slammed it on the table: "It's written clearly in black and white. My grandfather fought in wars and made meritorious contributions. The government gives him a subsidy every month. If you still try to renege on your debt, we'll go to the village committee for a confrontation."
Jiang Qiutang glanced at Jiang Xuan a few times, took out the letter from the envelope, and after reading it for a while, his hands began to tremble.
That old bastard, he actually had this trick up his sleeve!
Not only did they leave money for Jiang Xuan, but they also arranged a marriage for her?
They had just asked someone to introduce Jiang Xuan to a potential partner; the third son of the Zhang family in the next village was quite to their liking.
They're so generous, they can give 500 yuan as a bride price!
“What’s there to argue about? Your grandfather has been eating and wearing our clothes for so many years, doesn’t that cost him money?” Yang Shuying shouted.
"Shut up!" Jiang Qiutang glared at Yang Shuying, put the letter on the table, and softened his tone, "Xuanxuan, we can discuss this. We haven't squandered your grandfather's money; it's all for the family..."
"For the sake of the family?" Jiang Xuan interrupted him, her eyes icy cold. "For the sake of the family, you can't even afford to pay for Grandpa's medicine? For the sake of the family, you won't even buy him a decent piece of clothing?"
Yang Shuying was so angry that her face turned pale. She pointed at Jiang Xuan's nose and cursed, "You ungrateful wretch! We've raised you for so many years and supported your education, and you actually have the nerve to hold us accountable?"
Jiang Xuan didn't back down at all, staring directly into her eyes, which made Yang Shuying feel uneasy.
"Raise me? If it weren't for my dad's compensation, would you have been kind enough to raise me? Besides, how have you raised me? Have you ever bought me a new piece of clothing or something?"
"Tell me, which meal you ate wasn't cooked by me? Which piece of clothing wasn't washed by me? You supported my education? If my grandfather hadn't known the principal and waived my tuition, would you have supported me?"
"Besides, you were so kind to support me, so why did you take away my college acceptance letter?"
Yang Shuying stomped her foot in exasperation and said, "Why are you talking so rudely? What do you mean by 'stealing your admission notice'? Didn't I tell you? What's the use of a girl studying so much? Getting married is the most important thing, you see..."
Jiang Xuan interrupted her with disgust, "I'm not here to waste my breath on you. I just want my grandfather and father's money back. If you don't give it to me, we'll go to the village committee or go directly to the town to ask the leaders for a settlement."
When Jiang Qiutang heard that they were going to the town, he panicked.
He knew that if this matter escalated, he would definitely not come out on top.
He had just used his father's connections to get his son, Jiang Yonggui, a job at the provincial machinery factory. Jiang Yonggui had only been working there for two months and hadn't even been officially hired yet.
At this point, you can't joke about your son's future.
He ruffled his messy, bird's-nest-like hair and said in a low voice, "Alright, alright, stop arguing! Xuanxuan, I really didn't know about the money before, and your aunt didn't tell me either. It's all your aunt's fault. Just name your price, and we'll give it to you."
Yang Shuying was so angry she almost fainted.
What a selfish person!
Jiang Xuan sneered and took out a piece of paper from another pocket. It contained the accounts she had calculated last night.
“Grandpa’s subsidy started in June 1965 and continued until May 1970. It was 25 yuan per month. From June 1970 to August 1977, it was 35 yuan per month. From September 1977 to this month, it was 50 yuan per month. He received a total of 2,125 yuan. I got half of it, which was 1,062.5 yuan. My dad also got 300 yuan, which was 1,362.5 yuan.”
Yang Shuying was so angry that she pounded her chest. "A thousand yuan? Why don't you just rob someone!"
Jiang Xuan looked at her coldly: "This is the money I deserve, and I won't take a penny less. If you're not willing to give it to me, let's go to the village committee right now."
Yang Shuying pointed at Jiang Xuan with her carrot-like finger and yelled, "Get out of here, you shameless bastard! Get out of my house! I must have been blind to raise a scoundrel like you!"
Jiang Xuan slapped her hand away, her face full of disgust: "Don't worry, I won't stay a moment longer after I get the money!"
"You stupid woman!" Jiang Qiutang pushed Yang Shuying away, gritting his teeth in anger. "You go out first, I'll talk to Xuanxuan."
After Yang Shuying left, Jiang Qiutang patted Jiang Xuan on the back and said gently, "Xuanxuan, why do we have to make things so ugly as a family? Your grandfather in heaven wouldn't want to see us like this, would he?"
"How dare you mention my grandfather? As his son, have you ever fulfilled your filial duties for even a single day?"
Jiang Qiutang choked and said awkwardly, "I've been busy, haven't I? You know, your cousin went to work at the machinery factory, and we don't have enough manpower at home."
Changing the subject, Jiang Qiutang continued, "Xuanxuan, although your grandfather has arranged a marriage for you, it's so far away. Who knows what kind of family they are? What if they mistreat you? Where will you go to seek justice?"
"Your uncle will find you a good marriage nearby, someone you know well and who will definitely not let you suffer. Whatever dowry you want, your uncle will provide it. How does that sound?"
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