For the next few days, the sounds of Song Guomin and his wife arguing could be heard in Heping Lane every morning and evening.
Occasionally, Yan Yanle would run back to the Song family home. Song Xinfu, seeing that his grandchildren were too young, couldn't bear to rush back and would let the two of them stay at home for dinner.
Xu Guiying didn't say anything, but she didn't show any joy or enthusiasm either.
In his previous life, Song Xinfu died in a car accident. He spent several days in the ICU before he died. Xu Guiying stayed at the hospital every day, and his second son and his wife took turns visiting. Song Rongrong came a few times, and his eldest, third, and fifth sons made a brief appearance before leaving.
On the day Song Xinfu passed away, he wanted to see his two grandchildren, but one said he was working overtime and the other said she had given birth at home and couldn't leave.
But clearly, her WeChat Moments are filled with photos of Yan Yan's family traveling, and Lele is skiing at a ski resort in the city; she doesn't even want to come see her old man.
That evening, after Yan Yan and Lele left, Song Xinfu called out to Xu Guiying.
"Old woman, why don't you like your grandchildren anymore?"
Xu Guiying glared at her and said, "I don't like anyone else. I only like myself. If you like me, then go ahead and like me. You can move in with the eldest son's family."
Song Xinfu: "...I was just asking, is it really that serious? By the way, we're going to the countryside tomorrow, so go to bed early."
I have to go see my third child this week.
Xu Guiying frowned. That little beast Song Anmin was always giving her trouble!
It's eight o'clock in the evening, and the elderly couple were about to soak their feet in hot water before going to bed when they heard a noise coming from outside the yard.
The second son opened the door and went out, shouting, "Who's there?!"
Song Jianmin's furtive figure appeared outside the Song family's house.
"Second brother, I've come back to see you."
Song Yangmin: "...Get lost."
Song Jianmin: "Second brother, don't say such harsh things. Hard work pays off. I'll be able to convince Mom and Dad one day."
These past two days, the third brother has been coming to the Song family's house with great enthusiasm, either to freeload a meal or to kneel in the yard after eating.
Nobody paid him any attention. After kneeling for about ten minutes, the third brother slunk away.
The third brother plans to kneel again tonight.
Song Yangmin casually asked him, "Have you had dinner yet?"
Song Jianmin rubbed his stomach. "No, I'm starving. Second brother, find me something to eat."
Song Yangmin chuckled, "No, I was just kidding."
Song Jianmin lowered his voice and hissed, "Song Yangmin!"
Song Yangmin shook his head and went inside. Song Jianmin watched his second son's retreating figure with a burning hatred in his teeth. Then he knelt in the yard and called out "Mom and Dad" over and over again.
Song Xinfu came out to empty the foot-washing water.
"Dad! You've finally come out!"
Song Xinfu glanced at him, then poured water, which flowed down beside Song Jianmin.
Song Xinfu put the basin down and asked casually, "Why are you here again? I can't sleep at night when I see your face."
Song Jianmin: "...Dad, this face of mine was given to me by you and Mom, it has nothing to do with me."
Song Xinfu: "Oh, the fifth brother has really gotten himself into trouble, talking back to his father."
With a cry of "Ah!", Song Jianmin knelt down and hugged Song Xinfu's leg, "Dad, please let me go home. I really can't be separated from you. We are family."
Xu Guiying called out to Song Xinfu from inside the house.
Song Xinfu replied, "I'll be right in."
Song Xinfu shifted his leg. "Get out of the way, I'm going back to sleep."
Song Jianmin let out another wail.
Xu Guiying's voice was filled with anger, "Old man, if you don't let me in, I'm locking the door, and you'll be sleeping in the main room tonight!"
Song Xinfu dared not provoke Xu Guiying now, so he kicked Song Jianmin aside and turned to go inside.
Song Jianmin fell to the ground, lying flat on the courtyard floor, his face directly facing the moon overhead, where there were also stars.
Overwhelmed with grief, Song Jianmin thought, "I've already gone to such lengths, why won't my parents forgive me?"
No one is perfect; everyone makes mistakes.
If he weren't so lacking in cultural knowledge, he would at least have composed a poem by now.
Suddenly, Song Jianmin felt that his hair was wet.
He touched it; it was water.
Song Jianmin sat up abruptly, looked at the splashed foot-washing water on the ground, and shouted, "Ah!"
Just then, Song Yangmin came out of the restroom. He had just finished showering and glared at Song Jianmin, saying, "Song Jianmin, keep your voice down. If you get arrested for disturbing the peace, no one will bail you out."
Song Jianmin shoved Song Yangmin aside, "Second brother, let me go! I'm going to take a shower!"
Song Yangmin: "It's inexplicable."
When Song Yangmin walked outside the main room and saw the water in the courtyard, he immediately burst out laughing.
After the fifth brother finished his bath, he shamelessly went into the main room, carefully closed the door, and then slipped into the room where the three brothers lived.
The house is now empty. Without the two little troublemakers' earth-shattering noise and Liu Aimei's shrewd competition, the house is eerily quiet.
The third brother is also gone.
Song Jianmin lay back down on his bed.
"Second brother, when is third brother coming back?"
Apart from Xu Guiying and her husband, and Song Yingying, none of the brothers knew the real reason why the third brother was sent to the countryside, and they dared not ask their parents.
Song Yangmin had to go to the army tomorrow, so he turned over in bed.
How would I know?
Song Jianmin sighed, recalling something, "Second brother, when Zhang Qingli took the money from your cabinet, why didn't you tell me after you found out?"
At the time, Song Yangmin had no evidence and did not think of Zhang Qingli. He only assumed that the third and fifth brothers living in the house had taken it.
The second child, being the older brother, didn't want to argue with his younger brothers about these things.
Song Yangmin: "There's nothing to say. If you say another word, I'll cut your tongue out."
Song Jianmin hugged the blanket tightly; it was still more comfortable to sleep at home.
The next morning, before his parents got up, Song Jianmin quickly slipped out of the Song family home. When he passed by his eldest son's house, he saw Song Guomin sitting under the eaves of the doorway, smoking with a depressed look on his face.
Song Jianmin raised an eyebrow. "Oh, isn't this Big Brother?"
Song Guomin glanced at him. "You've gone home?"
Song Jianmin: "Of course, Mom and Dad would never really want to kick me out. It's clear that you two have broken their hearts!"
Song Guomin glared at the fifth brother and said, "Shut up!"
Song Jianmin scoffed, "If you can't win an argument, you just tell me to shut up. It's pointless."
Song Jianmin left. He's off work today and plans to visit some of his old high school classmates.
Xu Guiying and Song Xinfu also rode their bicycles to the countryside.
We set off at nine o'clock and didn't arrive until almost eleven o'clock.
Only Grandma was at home; Grandpa and Song Anmin were nowhere to be seen.
"Mom, we're back."
"Where are Dad and the third son?"
“The road over there in Lianshangou collapsed, so his grandfather took his mistress to clear it.” Grandma Song picked up a knife, ready to cut some chives. “We’ll have chive dumplings for lunch.”
The old man was a kind-hearted man. His mother used to live in Lianshangou, and he still has some relatives there. When he heard that the road had collapsed early in the morning, he dragged his third son out.
Song Xinfu: "How long have you been gone? Should I go and help out too?"
Grandma Song: "Where are you going? Two people are enough for the house. Guiying, go and knead the dough. Big Dog, go and remove the manure from the pigsty."
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