After giving Li Jinhua a good scolding, Grandpa Su was satisfied. He took his wife and the radio and went back to the bedroom.
The door slammed shut.
Li Jinhua stood in the center of the living room, her swollen right hand hanging by her side, but her left hand suddenly rose and slapped Su Mingqiang hard across the face.
"Smack!"
A crisp slap echoed in the living room, causing Su Mingqiang to stagger.
He covered his face, his eyes filled with fear and confusion.
"waste!"
Li Jinhua squeezed out these two words through gritted teeth, her voice extremely low, yet sharp as a knife.
"You watched your grandfather bully me, and you didn't even dare to fart!"
Su Mingqiang's lips trembled.
"Jin Hua, I..."
"Shut up!"
Li Jinhua grabbed his collar and dug her nails deep into his flesh.
"Go get me burn ointment! Now! Immediately!"
Su Mingqiang was pushed back two steps by her.
He frantically began searching everywhere.
Li Jinhua looked down at her swollen, red palms, where several transparent blisters had formed on her skin, and even the slightest touch caused excruciating pain.
"You old codger..."
She cursed through gritted teeth, her voice low but each word dripping with blood.
"Wait until my parents are released."
.
On the other side.
The second son, Su Mingde, who was kicked out early in the morning, was in a terrible situation.
In the morning, Su Mingde stood at the entrance of the street office, carrying a blue cloth bundle.
He touched his pocket.
Um.
It only costs twelve dollars and thirty cents.
They can't even afford to stay in the cheapest guesthouse for three days.
After thinking it over, Su Mingde decided to go to the logistics department to ask, just in case the unit had any vacant houses or dormitories.
When I arrived at the logistics department, I ran into the head of the department, Sister Wang.
Su Mingde immediately asked.
"Sister Wang, does your workplace have any vacant rooms? Hmm, a dormitory would be fine too."
Looking at Su Mingde carrying the package, Sister Wang from the logistics department could easily tell what he was there for.
He immediately replied.
"Oh dear, Officer Su, it's not just the houses; there aren't any dorm rooms available. By the way, why don't you ask Old Liu? His son got married and moved out, and I heard he's planning to rent out the attic."
Su Mingde was momentarily speechless, but still managed to ask the question.
"How much?"
"Ten yuan a month, that's cheap!"
After saying that, Sister Wang's round face quickly showed a look of sympathy.
"However, you need to pay a deposit of one month's rent plus three months' rent in advance."
Forty dollars.
Su Mingde felt dizzy; his salary for next month was only 42.5 yuan.
Even so, half of it still has to be given to the family.
Left with no other option, Su Mingde had to take a day off and start looking for a place to live.
The midday sun made the asphalt road feel soft, and he stumbled into the alley, his cloth shoes burning hot.
There are very few houses for rent near his workplace, and even if there are, the prices are beyond Su Mingde's means.
But it was Old Liu's attic.
Su Mingde planned to go and take a look.
We've arrived at our destination.
Su Mingde discovered that the dilapidated attic was barely wider than a coffin, and the sloping roof tiles were almost touching his hair.
Su Mingde sat curled up on the straw mat inside, while the landlord, Old Liu, puffed out a cloud of yellow smoke from a cigarette.
"You think it's too expensive? This is the price! The young men from the grain depots a few days ago were interested in renting it!"
In the end, Su Mingde left with no other choice.
As the pigeons whistled at dusk, Su Mingde squatted beside the swill bucket at the back door of the state-run canteen, munching on a cold steamed bun.
Old Zhao, the cook, was someone the neighborhood office was helping, and they secretly slipped him two leftover steamed buns.
The oil stains seeped through the newspaper, leaving unsightly yellow marks on his pristine white shirt.
After searching all day without finding a house, Su Mingde wandered around and eventually returned to Su Jianguo's courtyard house.
His former home was right in front of him, but Su Mingde didn't have the courage to go in.
Su Mingde stood at the entrance of the courtyard house, his legs feeling as heavy as lead.
"What's there to be afraid of... I'm his own son..."
Su Mingde kept encouraging himself, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
He took a deep breath and was about to push the door open when he suddenly heard a clear laugh coming from the courtyard.
"Grandpa! Higher!"
"Alright! Look at my big plane—whoosh—"
Su Mingde peeked through the crack in the door and saw his father holding up a little boy who looked like a mud monkey and spinning him around. His usually serious face was now all smiles and wrinkles were smoothing out.
The eldest nephew rode on his father's shoulders, his little hands tugging at the old man's gray hair, giggling.
Su Yufen sat under the pomegranate tree mending clothes, glancing up every now and then, a long-lost smile on her lips.
This heartwarming scene pierced Su Mingde's heart like a knife.
He remembered that his father had never hugged him like this when he was a child. He always checked his homework with a cold face, and if he made any mistakes, his father would punish him with a belt.
His fingernails dug deep into his palms, but he felt no pain.
"Splash—"
A basin of hot water was poured onto the bluestone slab, and Wang Xiulan walked out with her sleeves rolled up amidst the rising steam.
"Da Mao, Er Mao, it's time for a bath!"
The two mud-covered boys immediately hid behind Su Jianguo, making the old man laugh heartily.
These two kids have suffered these past few days. Their mother isn't around, and their alcoholic father is irresponsible. The two children are covered in mud like monkeys.
Throughout his life, Su Jianguo never cared about his eldest daughter's two children, and never even gave them a single penny of New Year's money.
This also resulted in the two children not being close to their maternal grandfather. This life is a good opportunity to make up for it.
Su Mingde finally couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly pushed open the door.
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