"Just name your price!"
Su Tong gripped the door bar, feeling his palms slightly sweaty. "If anyone touches me today, they'll never get a single penny from me for the rest of their lives!"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Sun Qiaomei.
Su Tong felt relieved when he saw that Sun Qiaomei's face looked like she had eaten shit—he had guessed correctly.
Whether it's Su Dazhi or Sun Qiaomei, they both have only one goal—money!
Sun Qiaomei sighed, "Our roots are here. Kid, don't think that just because you've moved to the city and found a good job, you're a city person! You're a member of the Su family, and your roots are in Sujiazhuang."
"I don't have time to listen to your nonsense," Su Tong frowned. "If you still want money, just tell me how much you want—I don't have any money on me, I have to go back and get it. Going back now will barely cover the round trip! Otherwise, we won't make it today!"
“Su Tong, it’s only right to respect your elders. Without your grandfather, where would your father be? Without your father, where would you be? You’re the head of the finance department at the food factory, and your monthly salary is 83.5 yuan, right?” Sun Qiaomei stared intently at him.
Su Tong's heart skipped a beat—who was so quick to talk, revealing his salary on the phone?
Seeing the change in Su Tong's expression, Sun Qiaomei felt extremely smug. She continued, "Su Tong, you've made something of yourself, becoming an official in the city. This is a great joy for our Su family. But you kept it a secret! What were you thinking? You've become successful, yet you don't even know how to be filial to your grandparents and your father. Am I wrong to call you disobedient and unfilial?!"
The elders nodded in agreement:
"As a person, you must never forget your roots!"
"Your grandparents are still toiling in the fields for a living, and you're spending over eighty yuan a month. Don't you feel guilty about spending that money?"
"Exactly! In my opinion, his salary should be given to his grandparents to keep and save for him!"
...
"How much do you want?" Su Tong asked again. "Hurry up and tell me, I don't have that much patience!"
The clan chief was trembling with anger. He stepped forward and raised his hand to slap the chief.
Su Tong sneered: "What, have you forgotten what I just said?"
He then looked at Sun Qiaomei and said, "If anyone lays a finger on me today, you won't get a single penny!"
Su Tong had figured it out—they were just bluffing him; they wouldn't actually do anything to him.
Otherwise, if he gets injured and lies in bed for months, wouldn't he lose his job?
Their goal is money; they're not stupid.
Sun Qiaomei cleared her throat and said, "I think your seventh grandfather is right. You should bring your salary over, and Grandma will keep it for you!"
“Dream on,” Su Tong said coldly. “You’d better say something I might agree to. Sun Qiaomei, you know I have a heart condition. If you scare me like this, I might die of fright in a minute! Then you won’t get a single penny!”
“We don’t want much,” Su Dazhi said. “Your dad asks for ten yuan a month, and your grandparents ask for ten yuan together, so you only need twenty yuan a month. That’s not unreasonable, is it?”
"Fifteen." Su Tong knew he had to bargain, otherwise they would think he was asking for too little. "I'll give you fifteen a month, and I don't care how you divide it."
"Eighteen," Sun Qiaomei countered.
“Fifteen, not a penny more.” Su Tong’s voice was icy.
“Well… alright then. You’ve been working for a few months now, so let’s give you this year’s pay first. Don’t worry, we won’t call your factory every day after we get the money!” Sun Qiaomei said, then gestured to the clan chief, “Thirteenth Grandfather, have this kid sign a written agreement.”
So, the old and blind clan chief wrote an IOU and had Su Tong press his red thumbprints onto it.
The annual "filial piety" gift is 180 yuan.
Su Tong complied.
Sun Qiaomei took the IOU and had the clan chief read it to her again before she put it in her pocket with satisfaction.
Then he said to Su Tong, "Bring the money over by the day after tomorrow at the latest. Otherwise, I'll take this note to your workplace and talk to your boss!"
"Okay, I'll come the day after tomorrow." Su Tong said, then turned and left.
As he walked out of the Su family courtyard, he heard Su Yin shouting from inside the house: "Fool Su Tong is here! Fool Su Tong is gone!"
Su Tong was so angry that his eyes turned black.
He truly regretted coming all this way.
However, he also knew he had to get it.
Because he was afraid that his colleagues at the food factory would find out about these shameful things in his family.
He was at least a leader in the food factory.
Su Tong has money; he can accept 180 yuan a year.
However, he knew it would not be limited to this.
Sun Qiaomei was so anxious when she found out he earned more than eighty yuan a month.
The Su family all wished they could skin him alive and cut him to pieces; they would never be satisfied with just fifteen yuan a month.
He must find a way to solve the problem once and for all!
Su Tong actually had two hundred yuan on him.
He was afraid that Su Dazhi had encountered some trouble and needed money urgently.
Before he came, he thought that Su Dazhi was looking for him, which should be related to money. But he didn't expect that Su Dazhi would ask for money so blatantly, without even bothering to come up with a reason. It was so simple and crude!
"Forget it!" Su Tong had already reached the village entrance. He made up his mind, and seeing that no one was around, he counted out eighteen ten-yuan bills. He put the remaining twenty yuan, plus one yuan for the return fare, under a big tree at the village entrance with a large stone, and then returned to the Su family courtyard.
"Here's one hundred and eighty yuan. Give me the IOU." Su Tong clutched the eighteen ten-yuan bills tightly in his hand.
Sun Qiaomei gave a wink and slowly pulled out the IOU.
At the moment he was exchanging money for an IOU, three or four men suddenly appeared out of nowhere and pinned him down.
Sun Qiaomei reached directly into Su Tong's pants pocket, then his shirt pocket, and even searched his underwear.
Naturally, nothing was gained.
Su Tong left again, retrieved his twenty yuan from under the big tree at the village entrance, and without hiring an oxcart, strode away along the path leading to the town.
However, after walking for a short while, he heard someone calling him from below the ridge of the field by the roadside.
Yes, when you call his name, it's a young woman, speaking with a Haicheng accent.
"Su Tong!"
He slowed his pace.
"Su Tong! Su Tong!"
Su Tong stopped.
The woman's voice continued to call out, "Su Tong, is that you?"
Under the blazing sun, it didn't seem like a female ghost was lurking around. Su Tong mustered his courage and walked towards the source of the sound.
In the cornfield, where only stalks remained after the harvest, lay a girl, looking up at him and crying out, "Su Tong! Save me!"
Su Tong was stunned for a few seconds.
The girl's face was covered in dirt, but he still recognized her; she was Chen Yuanyuan!
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