How much do you think you deserve?
The old man suddenly asked, his voice surprisingly calm.
This question stunned everyone.
Su Mingqiang's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said.
"At least five thousand! I'm the eldest son, according to the old custom..."
"The old rules for farting!"
Su Jianguo couldn't help but interrupt, but shut up at his father's signal.
The old man slowly walked to the window, his back to everyone, his voice low and deep.
"Mingqiang, do you know why your dad won't give you money?"
Su Mingqiang opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.
The old man turned around and his gaze swept over everyone in the ward.
"Because you don't deserve it."
These three words struck Su Mingqiang's heart like a hammer blow, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.
"To shrink back in the face of adversity, and to abandon righteousness for personal gain."
The old man continued.
"Your father is right, you really don't deserve to be the eldest son."
Su Mingqiang clenched and unclenched his fists, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes, but he dared not refute his grandfather's authority.
The old man suddenly changed the subject.
"but..."
This "however" made everyone prick up their ears.
The old man walked up to Su Mingqiang and gently lifted his chin with the tip of his cane.
"I can give you a chance."
"father!"
Su Jianguo couldn't help but exclaim.
The old man waved his hand, signaling his son to calm down.
"Mingqiang, how many days have your wife's family members been detained at the police station?"
Su Mingqiang was taken aback and stammered in response.
"Five...five days."
"Um."
The old man nodded.
"Here's what we'll do: I'll stay at your place for a week. During that week, I want to see how you and Jinhua behave."
A glimmer of hope flashed in Su Mingqiang's eyes.
"Grandpa means..."
"One week later."
The old man said slowly.
"If you two perform to my satisfaction, you can have a share of this money to start your own business."
Su Jianguo suddenly stood up.
"Father! This..."
"Nation-building."
The old man interrupted him.
"That's settled then."
The unquestionable tone in his voice immediately deflated Su Jianguo.
He opened his mouth, but in the end he just sighed heavily.
"Yes, Father."
The old man nodded in satisfaction and turned to the others.
"Xiulan, pack your things, we're leaving the hospital today. The second son is badly injured, someone needs to stay and take care of him..."
"I'll stay and take care of my second brother."
Su Yuzhen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.
Su Jianguo took his family and left the hospital, returning to their courtyard house.
On the way, Su Jianguo specially hired a tricycle so that Grandpa Su and his wife could ride to their eldest son's place.
The eldest son, Su Mingqiang, looked resentful and was still thinking about how Su Jianguo hadn't shared any of his money.
However, seeing that Grandpa Su's face had turned cold, Su Mingqiang didn't catch anything and took the two elderly people back to his own home.
Meanwhile, Su Jianguo led his family back to the courtyard house.
The clothesline in the yard was full of faded quilts, and the eldest daughter, Su Yufen, was bending over and vigorously scrubbing them on the washboard, while her two grandsons played in the mud under the pomegranate tree with their bare bottoms exposed.
"Father! You're back!"
Su Yufen looked up and saw her father. She wiped her wet hands on her apron and came to greet him.
Her eyes were red, and her voice was trembling with tears.
"How are Mingde and the others? Are they badly injured?"
She's been taking care of the child alone at home these past few days, which has worried her terribly.
"It's alright, the second child will need to stay in the hospital for a few more days."
Su Jianguo handed his daughter a cloth bag containing a change of clothes and noticed that her knuckles were red from rubbing them together.
"What, did you wet the bed?"
Su Yufen nodded shyly.
"Both Da Mao and Er Mao peed last night, so I thought I'd take advantage of the good sunshine to wash them off quickly."
She leaned closer to her father and lowered her voice.
"Dad, how's things going with the textile factory?"
Before Su Jianguo could answer, the door next to him creaked open.
Aunt Zhang walked over quickly, carrying a rough porcelain bowl.
"Hey Lao Su! You're finally back! I steamed some locust flower buns, they're fresh out of the steamer, come and have a taste!"
Immediately afterward, Aunt Li, a neighbor, also poked her head out, carrying a string of sausages in her hand.
"Master Su, this was sent from my family home; it's for the children to nourish themselves!"
In the blink of an eye, seven or eight neighbors had gathered in the yard.
Grandpa Zhao from the front yard even brought over half a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), patted Su Jianguo on the shoulder, and said he would calm him down that night.
"Thanks everyone, but really, it's not necessary..."
Su Jianguo waved his hands repeatedly, but Aunt Zhang forced a steaming hot bun into his hand.
"Don't mention it! The neighbors are all outraged by what happened to your family!"
Aunt Li has a loud and clear voice.
"Who does that Deputy Factory Director Wang think he is? He bullies people just because he has power and influence!"
Aunt Zhang whispered in Wang Xiulan's ear.
"Xiulan, I heard Wang Defa got locked up? Serves him right! People like him deserve..."
.
After finally dealing with the concern of his neighbors, Su Jianguo returned to his room, only to find that Wang Xiulan, who had come in earlier, had already cleaned the house spotlessly.
The bed sheets and blankets were all replaced with clean ones, and even the rattan chair he usually sat in was polished until it shone.
"Master, have some tea and rest."
Wang Xiulan brought over a cup of steaming jasmine tea, the tea leaves unfurling in the cup, releasing a fragrant aroma.
Su Jianguo finished the tea comfortably; the tea was just the right temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.
He touched the cloth bag in his arms; the thickness of the 20,000 yuan made him feel both at ease and uneasy.
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