Chapter 28 I Have to Borrow Whether I Don't Want To
"Su Hongying!"
Old Man Su was so angry his nose almost crooked. "You really are your mother's child, just like her! You're being unreasonable and illogical. Get out of here right now! If you keep whining here, don't ever come back to your parents' house again!"
"Why can't I go back?!"
Su Hongying retorted, "My mother said that you haven't brought a single penny home all these years. The whole family depends on my mother for support. My mother didn't say I couldn't go back, so what you said doesn't count!"
Old Man Su, "..."
He was furious.
From the moment Su Hongying asked the same questions as Li Banxia at home, he felt that he had wasted his time raising this daughter. Now, he really should have strangled her when she was born!
She was raised by Li Banxia and turned into a monster who dares to disobey even his own father!
Besides, just like Li Banxia, she embarrassed him in front of Tao Hua!
Old Man Su really wanted to beat Su Hongying to death.
He rolled up his sleeves. "You don't count, do you? I'll beat you to death today and see if your mother dares to stop me..."
Su Hongying wouldn't stand still and let him hit her.
When she was little, her uncle taught her that when she was about to be beaten, she should run as fast as she could. Settling scores later was a matter for later; the important thing was to avoid the beating.
Su Hongying ducked down and darted away like a rabbit from beside Old Man Su.
Outside the courtyard, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Help! Come quick! A father is going to beat his own daughter to death over a widow..."
"Su Hongying! Shut up!"
Old Man Su chased after her, and Su Hongying ran laps around a big tree on the road.
It quickly attracted the attention of several neighbors, who opened their doors to see what was going on.
He Taohua broke out in a cold sweat and, out of Old Man Su's sight, gave him several disgusted glares.
"Hongying".
In the courtyard, Lin Jiefang strode out, first stopping Old Man Su, then looking at Su Hongying with a gentle expression, "Let's talk things out, don't shout things like that and cause misunderstandings."
Su Hongying pouted, "Brother Jiefang, you're in the yard? We made such a commotion and you didn't come out. I thought you weren't here."
The mocking tone caused the gentleness in Lin Jiefang's eyes to falter for a moment. He smiled faintly and offered no pointless explanation.
Instead, he said, "Didn't you want to borrow a bicycle? I'll lend it to you."
"Really?" Su Hongying was overjoyed.
Lin Jiefang nodded, "Really, you can borrow the bicycle if you want. It's not worth ruining your relationship as father and daughter over a bicycle."
"Son, what will you do at work?" He Taohua asked anxiously, but it was too late to stop her.
Lin Jiefang glanced at her and shook his head slightly. "I'm fine. I can take the bus to and from get off work. It'll only be a couple of days, right, Hongying?"
"Mmm-hmm-hmm."
Su Hongying nodded with a smile, "Brother Jiefang is so considerate and polite. Don't worry, Brother Jiefang, I'll return it after a few days."
He Taohua frowned as she looked at Old Man Su.
Old Su opened his mouth as if to say something, but Lin Jiefang stopped him with a look.
"So I'll just ride this bike away?"
Lin Jiefang nodded.
Su Hongying ran happily to the yard, picked up the bicycle, pushed it out, made a face at Old Man Su, and rode away.
He Taohua gritted her teeth in annoyance.
She looked up and met Old Man Su's apologetic gaze. Her eyes flickered, and they instantly filled with tears as she looked at him pitifully.
Old Su's protective instincts surged instantly, and in a moment of impulsiveness, he said, "I have two bicycles at home. I'll go and bring one over for Jiefang to ride first."
"Is that alright? Thank you, Brother Youfu."
He Taohua's eyes immediately lit up with a smile, her fair face blooming like a lotus flower, making Old Man Su's head spin. "You wait."
After saying that, he strode home.
He walked a short distance away, and Lin Jiefang walked up to He Taohua, gently supporting her arm, and said softly, "Uncle Youfu might not be able to push the car over."
“That Li Banxia…” He Taohua immediately thought of Li Banxia.
Lin Jiefang nodded.
Mentioning Li Banxia, He Taohua trembled slightly. "Son, that Li Banxia might know something. I brought her some snacks the other day, and she spoke to me in a sarcastic tone. Do you think she knows that Su Youfu spends all his money on us, mother and son..."
"Officer Lin, have you eaten yet?"
As He Taohua finished speaking, she suddenly heard greetings from her colleagues at the auto parts factory behind her.
He Taohua's heart jumped instantly.
Lin Jiefang patted her arm lightly, turned to look at the person who came in, and greeted her with a smile, "Not yet, just about to eat."
After exchanging a few more casual words, one of them left, while Lin Jiefang helped He Taohua back to the courtyard.
"...Mom, regardless of whether Li Banxia knows or not, we can no longer accept money from Uncle Fu."
Lin Jiefang said, "I have a job now, and my salary can support my son and me without any problem. My relationship with our director's daughter is also progressing smoothly. It won't be long before I can marry her. Then, our home will be completely transformed. You can just wait to enjoy the good life."
He Taohua patted her son's hand, her face full of smiles.
“I was planning to wait a few more months to save up more money for your dowry. The director of your auto parts factory comes from a better family than us. I… I’m afraid you’ll be looked down upon by them because you’re considered inferior.”
As he spoke, the smile on his face noticeably faded.
Lin Jiefang pursed his lips, his expression somewhat unpleasant.
He forced a smile and said, "This is my concern, Mom. You don't need to worry about it. As long as I insist on marrying the director's daughter, I will find a way to solve everything else."
He Taohua felt sorry for her son and sighed softly.
“Great, my son has grown up and become successful. Now I can just wait to enjoy the blessings of my son and daughter-in-law.”
Lin Jiefang smiled and said yes, then got up and closed the courtyard gate.
While the mother and son were setting out their meal and chatting, Old Man Su, hungry, entered the courtyard.
He originally intended to freeload a meal at Tao Hua's place, but instead of getting a free meal, he created a problem for himself.
He was thinking all the way about how to take the initiative and make Li Banxia dare not refuse his request.
Once inside the courtyard, apart from Su Laosan, who was fanning himself with a palm leaf fan to cool off, everyone else stayed inside the house.
Old Su kicked the wisteria trellis. "Li Banxia, come out here!"
Before Li Banxia came out, he was attacked by mosquitoes. When he shouted "Come," two mosquitoes flew in.
Old Su, "...Pah! Pah! Pah!"
Su Laosan chuckled.
Old Man Su glared at him, while Su Laosan covered his face with a palm-leaf fan and lay on the rocking chair, creaking and groaning.
Seeing how relaxed he was, Old Man Su inexplicably showed his disdain, "Did your mother tell you to find a job? Have you found one yet?"
Su Laosan paused in his rocking chair, pulled down the palm-leaf fan, glanced at his father, and clicked his tongue.
"Dad, you can't let your bad mood make me feel bad too, really."
He stood up and went back inside.
Old Man Su, "..."
He, an adult, wouldn't argue with a child; he had more important things to do. "Li Banxia, you come out here! Your good daughter, acting like a bandit, rode off with He... she rode off with Jiefang's bicycle! How is Jiefang going to the factory without a bike? You have to give up your bicycle, or the eldest brother's, you have to give up one for Jiefang..."
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