Chapter 132 The ledger is not as simple as it seems.
Of course, those people couldn't admit they were there to freeload. Even if they needed to rely on the Qin family, they had to make the Qin family feel that they valued their relatives before they came. If they didn't value the Qin family, they wouldn't have come at all.
"Of course I'm not here to freeload, of course not."
"It's almost Chinese New Year, we should go back home."
"There are still many things to prepare when we get back, so it's better to go back sooner."
...
Not everyone wanted their family members to stay here. When most people heard what You Yun said, they naturally said they wanted to go back.
You Yun made her stance clear: she wouldn't keep these people around, and Brother Qin couldn't possibly say he wanted to. Brother Qin didn't have a very good relationship with his mother, especially after she caused so much trouble. He had long hoped she would pass away sooner, but she was incredibly resilient and had held on until now.
Even on her deathbed, Qin's mother still offended people, showing no consideration for her eldest son. On the surface, she appeared to be thinking of her son, but in reality, that wasn't the case at all.
That evening, You Yun spoke with Brother Qin and said directly that she couldn't let those relatives stay in her house.
"It's up to you." Brother Qin had no objections; he couldn't really let those people stay indefinitely.
If those people want to stay, they'll have all sorts of problems. They'll want Brother Qin to find them jobs, and then they'll need to resolve their residency issues. One problem after another. If Brother Qin isn't stupid, he won't even consider letting these people stay. Letting them stay is pointless and will only add to his troubles.
Those people actually had the nerve to talk badly about Song Fenglan.
Yes, Brother Qin thought that if those people really stayed, they would offend Song Fenglan in place of Qin's mother.
“This time, not all of them came for your mother,” You Yun said. “Some people brought lots of bags and wanted to stay. I wouldn’t allow it. Your mother just passed away; there’s no need for them to stay. They can stay for two or three days, but not long-term.”
You Yun disliked those people and didn't want them to offend anyone. You Yun had no intention of mending her relationship with Song Fenglan; there was no need for them to do so. She hadn't offended Song Fenglan; it was someone else who had.
Now that Qin's mother is gone, You Yun doesn't expect Song Fenglan to come over, and whether she does or not is unimportant. The two families live their own lives, without disturbing each other.
You Yun knew perfectly well that all the money left by Qin's mother had gone to Qin Li'an. Qin's mother could give her things to whomever she wanted; it wasn't realistic for You Yun to ask Qin Li'an to take them out. You Yun herself was even thinking of having Qin's elder brother give the remaining family property to their son, not to Qin Li'an.
Humans are all selfish; how can anyone be completely without a trace of selfishness?
You Yun wouldn't let those relatives who wanted to stay stay any longer. If they wanted to remain in the capital, they would have to rent houses or stay in hotels. Some people were unhappy and said that You Yun was stingy, adding that even people from the countryside would host their relatives and let them stay longer.
When those words reached Song Fenglan's ears, she thought it was fortunate that those people weren't going to stay at her house. Song Fenglan didn't want to deal with those people; they didn't give her face, so she wouldn't give them face either. It was a two-way street, and no one should speak ill of anyone else.
Some people went to Qin's father and said this, but Qin's father didn't pay much attention to them.
While the family of three was sitting on the sofa at home watching TV, Qin Zihang was still talking about things at his family's place.
"They were cursing right at my uncle's door, saying that he didn't want them, his relatives," Qin Zihang said. "They were cursing really fiercely."
"Did you curse him?" Song Fenglan asked.
"He scolded me." Qin Zihang nodded. "Dad knows too. When we got there, we saw him at the door, so Dad told me to come back first."
"It's just a small matter," Qin Yizhou said. "Those people are to stay with my elder brother."
Qin Yizhou couldn't let those people stay on his side. He knew them too well; they loved to take advantage of their age and status. Even the younger ones liked to use their elders to intimidate others. Qin Yizhou couldn't possibly help them any further; they had no sense of gratitude whatsoever, and they would only take advantage of any opportunity.
Qin Yizhou thought they had had enough of Qin's mother, so they shouldn't put up with anyone else.
"I still have some money left from what Dad gave me," Qin Yizhou said. "I plan to give the rest to Dad."
“Sure,” Song Fenglan said.
"Grandpa's money?" Qin Zihang asked, puzzled.
“Yes, it’s your grandfather’s. Back then, your grandmother insisted that we give her money, but your grandfather knew we couldn’t give it to her,” Qin Yizhou said. “We signed a written agreement that we would give less of the property and more to your uncle’s. Those things were meant to be used for your grandparents’ retirement.”
"That must have been given to me secretly by Grandpa," Qin Zihang said. "Grandpa still needs to take care of himself in his old age, doesn't he?"
“Your grandfather is sensible; he wouldn’t come to us asking for money. The rest of the money should be given to him; it’s his,” Qin Yizhou said.
"Take it, take it," Song Fenglan said without objection. "Take it to your dad as soon as possible."
“I’ll go there tomorrow,” Qin Yizhou said. “Those people have left, so I can give the money to Dad. I also received money a few thousand yuan when Mom was sick.”
“Our family doesn’t lack this money,” Song Fenglan said. “We’ll return it.”
Song Fenglan didn't want to be criticized by Brother Qin and his wife. She said that what should be returned should be returned, and her family would never take advantage of Qin's father.
“If you return it now, your older brother and the others will probably find out,” Song Fenglan said. “But so what if they find out? We had a written agreement in place, so we shouldn’t have to pay for it in the first place.”
"Mm." Qin Yizhou nodded.
"Be more open and honest," Song Fenglan said.
If this matter were to spread, Song Fenglan wouldn't even think it was her fault. Her family had been more than kind to Qin's mother. Despite how Qin's mother treated them, they were quite tolerant and didn't have a big argument with her. It was Qin's mother who liked to push her luck and had many demands.
The next day, Qin Yizhou went to see his father and withdrew all the remaining money. Whether his father deposited it into a savings account or kept it at home, Qin Yizhou didn't care. Previously, to prevent his mother from finding out, his father had made Qin Yizhou withdraw the money, and they had cancelled the savings account.
Qin's father did not expect that Qin Yizhou would return the remaining money to him. He had given the money to Qin Yizhou without thinking that Qin Yizhou would have any left over.
“This is the account book,” Qin Yizhou said. “It clearly records the money Mom asked for, the things she asked me to buy, and every single expense. As for my travel expenses, I paid for them myself, so I didn’t include them. And the New Year’s gifts we sent are also not included.”
Qin Yizhou felt he needed to clarify these things to avoid his father thinking they had spent so much money all at once.
"There's still a little over two thousand yuan left," Qin Yizhou said. "Dad, would you like to calculate it?"
"Never mind," Qin's father said. "You can keep the money."
"No need," Qin Yizhou said.
“When I get old and useless, and I need money, you can give it to me,” Qin’s father said. “As for any extra money, you don’t need to pay; let your older brother pay for it.”
Mr. Qin was very satisfied with Qin Yizhou. He knew that Qin Yizhou was a sensible person and wouldn't spend the money casually. Mrs. Qin gave the savings to Qin Li'an and didn't leave any for Mr. Qin, which didn't surprise him.
Long before Qin's father and mother started sleeping in separate rooms, Qin's mother had developed significant resentment towards him. She didn't want to leave anything to Qin's father; she only wanted to leave it to Qin Li'an, whom she considered her darling.
"This is just in case," Qin's father said. "I'll keep the money I have. This money is still with you."
Qin Yizhou looked at his father, who had aged considerably.
"I'll give you this part of the ledger; I'll keep separate accounts for the rest," Qin Yizhou said.
"No need. You take the ledger too," Qin's father said. "Don't worry about your older brother finding out. Even if they do, they can't say much. There was a written agreement back then. Your older brother wasn't asked to pay this part of the money. He should be satisfied with the money I've given him."
You Yun didn't go to work. Qin's father and Qin Yizhou didn't talk in the study; they talked directly in the living room, and they were very frank about it.
"Let your sister-in-law take a look," Qin Yizhou said again, knowing that You Yun was hiding in the corner.
Upon hearing this, You Yun came out. You Yun understood Qin Yizhou's meaning: everyone should make things clear to avoid future disputes.
“I wrote two copies back then. This one is for my eldest brother and sister-in-law,” Qin Yizhou said. “I’ll keep the other one. The same goes for the rest of the money. I’ll write down where it was spent and how it was spent. This money belongs to Dad, and I won’t touch it. The interest in the bank will also belong to Dad.”
You Yun quickly glanced through the ledger and knew at a glance that it would cost a lot of money. At first, it cost eighty yuan a month, then one hundred yuan a month, and when Qin's mother was sick, there was additional money to be spent. With all these expenses added up, it would cost quite a bit. If they could still save more than two thousand yuan, that would be considered very good.
No wonder Qin Yizhou gave the money so readily; it turns out the money belonged to Qin's father.
You Yun couldn't say that Qin's father and Qin Yizhou had done anything wrong, since it had already been agreed upon. Qin's father did it that way to prevent Qin's mother from continuing to cause trouble outside; if she did, the Qin family would lose all face.
“It will cost these things,” You Yun said. “Just do as Dad says. I have no objection, and your older brother can’t possibly have any either. Speaking of which, I’ll have to trouble you.”
"These are all minor matters. As long as you accept the bill and there are no problems, that's fine," Qin Yizhou said.
"No problem, no problem," You Yun quickly replied. How could there be a problem? Even if there were, they would say there was no problem. Besides, they had already done a very good job; they couldn't ask for more.
“You and your older brother can both take a look,” Qin Yizhou said. “If there are any mistakes in the calculations, you can tell me.”
“That’s right, how could it be wrong?” You Yun said.
You Yun quickly realized that Qin Yizhou had spent some money as well, such as on fruit and gifts; it was impossible to include all the expenses. You Yun felt that it was enough; one shouldn't be too calculating.
Not only You Yun stayed at home, but also her daughter, who was still young and unmarried.
When word got out, You Yun's first thought was of her two children. Since Qin Li'an and Qin Ya didn't live at home, it could only be her two children. You Yun asked, and her daughter admitted it.
“They didn’t give any money in the first place, but they made people think they did. Mom, your reputation is ruined!” You Yun’s daughter Xiang Qing said. “People outside say that there was a written agreement, but Grandma still went to ask for the money. Everyone said that you encouraged her to do it.”
Xiang Qing was extremely dissatisfied. It was clearly not her own mother who had instigated it, yet those people claimed it was her mother. Those people were utterly despicable. Before, Xiang Qing couldn't defend herself, but now she could say it wasn't her mother who had instigated it.
Qin's father and Qin Yizhou had planned this together; they set up the scheme to stop Qin's mother from making a fuss.
Xiang Qing felt it was unfair to her mother, who was innocent.
“They all say bad things about you,” Xiang Qing said. “No one will explain for you, and it won’t make a difference even if you do.”
*Slap!* You Yun slapped Xiang Qing across the face.
"Mom, you..." Xiang Qing stared wide-eyed at her mother in disbelief. She hadn't expected her mother to slap her so hard. Her mother had never been willing to hit her before, but now she had.
“Those things are all in the past, but you insisted on telling everyone. Do you think those people will stand by Mom’s side? Do you think they will sympathize with Mom?” You Yun was very disappointed. “You think you are protecting Mom, but in reality, you are putting Mom in a position of being unkind, unjust, and unfilial. Don’t blame Mom for hitting you. Mom wants you to understand that some things, if you explain them, will only offend people, and all the good things you did before will be wasted.”
You Yun had no intention of letting outsiders know about this matter; she didn't feel wronged at all. It had already been agreed upon, and if Qin's father and Qin Yizhou hadn't done it that way, Qin's mother would definitely have made a fuss. For everyone's sake, Qin's father and Qin Yizhou should indeed have done it that way.
"Do you think I'm the only one being talked about?" You Yun said. "Your aunt is being talked about too. Even if most people are on her side, so what? She'll still be talked about. Xiang Qing, you're all grown up now. You should understand that some things aren't black and white, they're not so absolute. Do you think Mom has been wronged, but your aunt hasn't been wronged either? By bringing these things up now, aren't you just making people think I have a problem with your aunt?"
"How could this be?" Xiang Qing covered her cheeks. She hadn't expected this at all; she just wanted to clarify things for her mother.
“How could I not?” You Yun said, “You’re not married yet, there are many things you don’t understand. I’ve told you so much, but I’m bound to overlook some things. Ask me about everything, okay? Xiao Qing, you’re not this family’s biological daughter, do you know that? You were brought here by your mother!”
You Yun hugged her daughter. She knew her daughter meant well, but her daughter's actions could potentially exacerbate the conflict between her and Song Fenglan. Even if Song Fenglan didn't say anything, what about the others?
People say that as soon as Qin's mother left, You Yun couldn't wait to clear her name.
No one cared whether You Yun was innocent or not; those people just said whatever came to mind.
“Mom has prepared some dowry for you, but… you won’t be able to compare to Qin Ya in the future. Qin Ya’s dowry is much larger,” You Yun said. “Your grades weren’t good, and you went to a vocational school anyway. If you hadn’t come to this family, Mom wouldn’t have been able to save up so much for you. You need to know that you’ve gotten a good deal.”
In the past, You Yun rarely said these things to her daughter, not wanting her to feel burdened. But now, You Yun worried that if she didn't tell her daughter, her daughter might misunderstand.
“Second marriages are never that easy. Even in a first marriage, if something like this happens, it’s hard to say much,” You Yun said. “Mom slapped you to make you understand that your grandpa and your dad will also be unhappy.”
You Yun would rather teach her daughter herself, even slap her hard, to make her remember what happened today.
"Mom." Xiang Qing's eyes were red as she hugged her mother back. She really didn't understand any of this.
“In the future, if you ever want to do these things again, you must tell Mom,” You Yun said. “Mom isn’t trying to make things difficult for you, but some things really aren’t that simple, understand?”
"Mm." Xiang Qing nodded.
"Does it hurt?" You Yun let go of her daughter and looked at her daughter's cheek, where there was still a bright red handprint.
"It hurts a little," Xiang Qing said.
When Qin's father and elder brother learned that You Yun had slapped Xiang Qing, they stopped talking to Xiang Qing. The caregiver had been dismissed long before Qin's mother passed away, and since there was no caregiver in the house, it couldn't have been the caregiver who told them.
Xiang Qing ate with the Qin family, and she didn't dare to say much. This time, she was wrong.
When Song Fenglan learned of what Xiang Qing had said outside, she wasn't surprised. Xiang Qing was doing it all for her mother; what could be wrong with that? As for whether You Yun was involved, Song Fenglan didn't care.
Qin Yizhou was afraid that Song Fenglan would be unhappy, so he said he would invite Song Fenglan out to dinner.
"Let's skip eating out and just eat at home. Home-cooked meals are better." Song Fenglan and Qin Yizhou were in the room. Song Fenglan was flipping through a book when she looked at Qin Yizhou. "You went over there and said that it was going to be known by those people anyway. Make this matter clear so that your older brother and sister-in-law don't think that your father has put a lot of money with you."
“Dad probably doesn’t have much money on him,” Qin Yizhou said. “Before, when Mom was still alive, Dad contributed a lot of money. Dad would try to get my older brother to contribute less if he could. I guess Dad was afraid that my older brother would be unhappy, and that my sister-in-law would think they spent too much money.”
“Yes,” Song Fenglan said, “Your dad can spend money however he wants; it’s his own money.”
Song Fenglan and her son Qin Zihang had a simple idea: the Qin family had already divided their property, and they considered the things in Qin's father's hands to belong to Qin's eldest brother's family, not to be divided up.
“If you’ve discussed it with them and reached an agreement, then there’s no problem,” Song Fenglan said. “If you want to use your own salary to supplement it, I have no problem with that either.”
“No subsidies,” Qin Yizhou said. “If there should be subsidies, it should be the eldest brother who provides them. We can’t expect to give more money just because we got the demolition compensation first. What if they also get their demolition compensation later? Even without demolition compensation, their houses are still valuable.”
Qin Yizhou didn't want to suffer this loss, mainly because his father and his associates were more inclined to side with his older brother. Qin Yizhou didn't want to be taken advantage of, so he needed to be firm when necessary.
“It’s alright with Dad, but if it were Mom, she wouldn’t care about any of that,” Qin Yizhou said. “Now…Mom’s gone, it’s better to clarify things for everyone.”
“It’s impossible for Zihang to have a good relationship with them,” Song Fenglan said.
“It’s not your fault. You didn’t say anything bad about them, but Zihang can feel it himself,” Qin Yizhou said. “Zihang is all grown up, and they still haven’t thought about being good to him. Mom still wants Zihang to help Li’an. Before Mom passed away, you weren’t here, but in front of me, Mom directly told Zihang not to listen to you, that what you said was wrong, and that she should help Li’an more in the future. Zihang is even younger than Li’an, and Mom still has the nerve to ask Zihang to help Li’an more.”
Qin Yizhou felt uneasy just thinking about it. That was his son. Qin Zihang was not Qin Li'an's servant, and Qin Zihang did not need to think about Qin Li'an all the time.
“Mom said Zihang’s surname is Qin, and Zihang said he can change his surname,” Qin Yizhou said. “I think Zihang is right, Zihang can indeed change his surname.”
“Changing the surname would require changing a lot of information, which is unnecessary,” Song Fenglan said. “Back when I was still in the capital and hadn’t taken Zihang with me to join the army, I did consider divorce.”
Song Fenglan almost followed the path described in the original novel. She divorced Qin Yizhou and made Qin Zihang change his surname to Song Zihang. A divorce would have a significant impact on Qin Zihang. With Song Fenglan busy with other things and less time to care for her son, Qin Zihang wouldn't be the way he is now.
Song Fenglan took Qin Zihang with her to join the army. Qin Yizhou would take good care of Qin Zihang, as well as Professor Su and his wife.
Professor Su and his wife were in relatively good health, and Song Fenglan would contact them every now and then, sometimes even sending them some things. Professor Su and his wife had told Song Fenglan not to send anything anymore, but Song Fenglan still sent some, sometimes asking Sister Pang to buy and deliver them for her.
One should be grateful and not be an ungrateful person.
If it weren't for the help of Professor Su and his wife, Song Fenglan wouldn't be where she is today.
“Zihang was very unhappy with what Mom said,” Qin Yizhou said. “How could Zihang possibly side with Mom? Of course he’s on your side.”
“Of course, Zihang is my son,” Song Fenglan said. “He was very sensible when he was little. Even if I didn’t say it, he could feel it himself and knew that he should be good to his mother.”
This is also one of the reasons why Song Fenglan wanted to pamper Qin Zihang more; she didn't want Qin Zihang to become a pitiful control group. Even if Qin Zihang wasn't exactly a villain, he was at most an emotional control group—he was just rich but hadn't experienced much family affection or love.
Even though Song Fenglan felt that having money was enough and didn't need to think about anything else, she still felt that if she could make her son's life better, then she should make it better for him. Besides, Qin Yizhou didn't remarry in the original novel; he truly loved Song Fenglan very much.
“Your mother’s matter is in the past,” Song Fenglan said. “She’s gone, so say less.”
"I'm not saying this out loud, but isn't this what people over there are saying?" Qin Yizhou said, "They told me about Dad giving money. When others asked me, I said Dad said he gave money, and the remaining money is with me, waiting for Dad to use it later."
After learning about this, Qin Erjie was not satisfied with Xiang Qing's actions. Xiang Qing had originally married Qin Dage along with You Yun, and yet she had revealed some family matters. Even if You Yun wasn't entirely innocent, Qin Erjie didn't believe that You Yun hadn't considered having Qin Yizhou and his wife pay for it; it was just that Qin's mother had done it without You Yun even having to say it.
At home, when Sister Qin was talking to her husband, she told them to be careful and not to talk nonsense outside.
“Dad did the right thing,” said Qin Erjie. “The remaining money should be put with Yizhou. Don’t be fooled by how well my eldest brother and sister-in-law are doing now; who knows if they will continue to do so in the future. That amount of money isn’t much, and with Yizhou managing it, Dad won’t have to worry about my eldest brother not having enough money when he needs it. My sister-in-law has money and is financially secure, so they won’t be short of funds, nor will they have to spend the money elsewhere.”
It wasn't that Second Sister Qin didn't trust Brother Qin, but rather that he was truly capable of doing such a thing. Brother Qin's current wife was someone else he had married. Although he was currently well-off working for a private company, if that company were to let him go, he would suddenly lose much of his income. In contrast, Song Fenglan's family of three had a very stable income. Song Fenglan herself also owned patents, and those patents were profitable, not even needing to be factored into the Song family company's shareholdings.
"Of the three siblings in our family, Yizhou is the most successful," said Qin Erjie. "He deserves it. He understands this clearly and knows how to treat his younger siblings well. He hasn't gone down the wrong path."
"Yes, that's right," said Qin's second brother-in-law. He was still working as a security guard at the school. His salary wasn't high, but it was enough to support his family.
Sister Qin and her husband bought their own house; they weren't allocated housing by the school, which has since been expanded. Both Sister Qin and her husband have stable jobs and don't need to worry about losing them. Since Brother-in-law wasn't allocated housing by the school and didn't live in the school's housing, the school is unlikely to dismiss him as long as he performs well.
When Qin's mother passed away, Qin's second sister didn't even think to search through her belongings, nor did she ask if her mother had left her anything. Qin's second sister had long seen through her mother; her mother was extremely selfish. Despite her mother's apparent favoritism towards Qin Li'an, what her mother valued most...
It was herself.
Qin Li'an didn't want to offend anyone, but his mother would offend people on his behalf, and she would always say that it was for Qin Li'an's own good.
Qin's second sister found Qin's mother's dying words amusing. If Qin's mother hadn't said those things, perhaps Qin Zihang would have treated Qin Li'an better. But after Qin's mother said those things, Qin Zihang would only think about staying away from Qin Li'an and not getting involved with him.
"We should live our lives well and not compare ourselves to our eldest brother and sister-in-law, nor should we expect our younger brothers and sisters-in-law to help us," said Sister Qin. "We are doing very well as we are now."
Qin Erjie became a teacher, but she didn't join the Education Bureau. She knew Brother Song was doing very well there, but that was Brother Song, not Brother Qin. Qin Erjie couldn't expect others to help her; she just needed to do her job well.
“Mom is gone, and it’s almost New Year again,” said Qin Erjie. “Yizhou and the others… they probably won’t be spending New Year’s with Dad and the others.”
"Why don't we go?" Qin's second brother-in-law asked.
“We haven’t gone over there all these years, and there’s no need to go over there now,” said Qin Erjie. “My eldest brother and sister-in-law’s family is also quite complicated. I heard that Qin Ya has a boyfriend, but I don’t know if he is sincere or if he is only after her Beijing residency.”
"She got a boyfriend from out of town?" Qin's second brother-in-law asked.
“Yes,” said Sister Qin, “people who are even slightly more outstanding don’t even look at her.”
It's all Tian Keshu's fault. Tian Keshu still goes to see Qin Ya and Qin Li'an from time to time. Tian Keshu is clearly still capable of working, but she only thinks about enjoying herself and expects her children to rent a house for her and give her money for her retirement.
That's true. Tian Keshu washes dishes for people, and dishes aren't so easy to wash.
“If they can find a better one, and the couple works together, they can buy a house, that would be great,” said Sister Qin. “I’m just afraid it will all be for nothing, and the man is only after the household registration.”
"..." Qin's second brother-in-law did not speak; he looked at Qin's second sister.
“I wasn’t talking about you. I was sent to the countryside as an educated youth, and my household registration wasn’t in the capital. I only got it back after I passed the exam,” said Sister Qin. “Our situation is different from theirs. With what happened to Mom, I guess Qin Ya won’t be able to get married so soon. She’ll have to wait.”
But before New Year's Eve, the day before, Qin Ya broke up with her boyfriend. It turned out he was two-timing her, having a so-called first love. How could Qin Ya bear this? Breaking up was the best option.
Qin Ya did have some expectations for love, but when love didn't turn out the way she imagined, she decisively broke up with him to cut her losses.
The day before New Year's Eve, Brother Qin came to see Qin Yizhou again, wanting Qin Yizhou and his family to come back for the New Year's Eve dinner. Qin Yizhou refused.
"Aren't you going?" Brother Qin asked Qin Yizhou as they stood at the intersection.
"I'm not going," Qin Yizhou replied.
"Mom's gone, can't you keep Dad company?" Brother Qin said. "We can book a private room outside..."
"No need," Qin Yizhou said. "You can stay with Dad."
“Our…Dad still hopes you can come,” Brother Qin said.
"Did Dad send you to say this?" Qin Yizhou asked.
"No, it was my own idea," Brother Qin said. "We haven't sat down together for New Year's Eve dinner in a long time."
Father Qin never actually asked Qin Yizhou to come back for the New Year's Eve dinner; it was Brother Qin's idea. Brother Qin thought that if Qin Yizhou came back, with Mother Qin gone, they could sit down and eat properly, and talk more.
Qin Yizhou felt it was unnecessary; those things weren't entirely his mother's fault. They couldn't simply place all the blame on her just because she was dead.
Neither Brother Qin nor Father Qin could control Mother Qin. They always said they couldn't, but they were essentially indulging her. They couldn't bring themselves to say anything harsh to her. They had to let people like You Yun do it.
Qin Yizhou didn't like this behavior. Wasn't it just like a grown man hiding behind a woman and letting her handle those things?
Was it those women's fault?
No, not entirely.
If Qin Yizhou could figure it out, then Song Fenglan would understand even less.
"Everyone, please have your own New Year's Eve dinner," Qin Yizhou said. "Eat your own meals and enjoy yourselves. We've already separated our households, so there's no need for us to force ourselves to sit together."
To put it bluntly, there's no need for Brother Qin to show off his so-called big brother prowess at this time.
Qin Yizhou doesn't need it, Song Fenglan doesn't need it, and Qin Zihang needs it even less.
"Okay, fine," Brother Qin said. "Since you're not going, then we won't go."
Brother Qin was quite helpless. He had originally thought that Qin Yizhou would agree to his invitation to the New Year's Eve dinner. Brother Qin hadn't expected Qin Yizhou to refuse without even thinking, which was different from what he had anticipated. But after thinking about it carefully, Brother Qin felt it was quite normal. Qin Yizhou's family of three hadn't eaten New Year's Eve dinner at the Qin family's place for many years, so it didn't matter if they didn't go now.
When Brother Qin returned home, he told his father about his invitation to Qin Yizhou to have New Year's Eve dinner at their house.
"No need to invite them," said Qin's father. "It's fine as it is. If you want to invite people over for New Year's Eve dinner, have Li'an and the others come back for New Year's Eve dinner. And Xiaoya, didn't Xiaoya say she got a boyfriend?"
"They broke up." Qin Ya had just returned when she overheard her father talking to her older brother.
"Break up?" Brother Qin asked, puzzled.
“Yes, it wasn’t a good match. He was two-timing her, so they broke up,” Qin Ya said.
Anyway, these people don't really care about her personal life. Qin Ya moved out a long time ago, and she wouldn't come back to live here if it weren't for the upcoming New Year.
"I'll have your great-aunt introduce you to someone later," Brother Qin said. "Your great-aunt has a good eye."
"..." Qin Ya thought that the person her aunt introduced was someone who valued personal gain. That's right, it's a blind date, who doesn't consider the other party's conditions? Of course, it has to be better conditions, that's what matters. "Okay, then I'll wait for my aunt to introduce me to someone."
Qin Ya really wanted to give up and not make any effort at all. Good partners were simply out of reach for her. She figured she'd settle for someone decent, find a man, have a child, and if that didn't work out, she'd just keep the child and not the man.
This year, Tang Lu didn't come home for the Spring Festival. She made a phone call to Aunt Song and to her family. Tang Lu didn't want to be pressured into marriage if she returned to the capital; she would rather remain single for life than settle.
When Qin Yizhou mentioned that his elder brother wanted them to come over for the New Year, before Song Fenglan could say anything else, Qin Yizhou quickly added, "I refused, I didn't agree."
"You're talking so fast, are you afraid I'll be unhappy?" Song Fenglan took off her coat. She had just returned home. "It's alright. Do you think I don't know you? At most, you'll go by yourself. You won't force us."
“No coercion, no coercion,” Qin Yizhou said. “I understand what my brother means. Mom is gone, and he wants to mend relations with us. But after so many years of strained relations, why bother mending them? And how much could they possibly mend?”
Song Fenglan glanced at Qin Yizhou again. She knew that many men valued brotherhood and would try to ease tensions whenever possible.
"You really don't want to go?" Song Fenglan asked.
“I have no intention of going there,” Qin Yizhou said. “I might have had some ideas in the past, but they didn’t do a good job, and I didn’t think I had to do anything with them.”
Qin Yizhou's thinking was simple: they could still visit each other as ordinary relatives, and there was no need for anything more. This was also why, over the years, Qin Yizhou had visited more often than Song Fenglan and Qin Zihang hadn't allowed them to visit. In Qin Yizhou's view, he should go, and Song Fenglan and Qin Zihang had perfectly valid reasons not to.
"Isn't it ironic to have New Year's Eve dinner together at this time?" Qin Yizhou said. "This way, not only will they blame all the mistakes on Mom, but we will also blame all the mistakes on Mom. We can't possibly feel comfortable having New Year's Eve dinner together. Big brother, he is still the eldest brother."
"That last sentence..."
"If Mom can act like a mother-in-law, why can't my brother act like a brother?" Qin Yizhou said. "It's never wrong to be a little more careful."
“You said it yourself,” Song Fenglan said. “I was also thinking that if you want to come over, you can come over, and Zihang and I can have New Year’s Eve dinner together.”
Zhang Xiaohu went back to Nancheng to buy New Year's goods with his parents. His older brother and sister-in-law also went home for the New Year. Zhang Wen chatted with Zhang Xiaohu for a few minutes and patted him on the shoulder twice.
“They are people who study in the capital, after all. They are really different from us.” Zhang Wen sighed.
"No." Zhang Xiaohu was cutting and drying radishes in the yard. Aunt Pang had planted a lot of radishes, and they all needed to be cut. Aunt Pang had originally planned to cut them in a few days, but Zhang Xiaohu thought he could help since he was there. "If you want to go..."
It's the capital city, so you can go and have some fun.
“I’ll go when I have time later,” Zhang Wen said. “During winter and summer vacations, your sister-in-law and I tutor students, so we can at least earn some money.”
"Working so hard to make money?" Zhang Xiaohu asked.
“Our wages are low, so it’s good to earn more money,” Zhang Wen said. “There will be many expenses when we have children. We should save more money now so that we can pay off most of our debts.”
"That's good," Zhang Xiaohu said. "I'll look for a job during the spring recruitment season and see how far it is from my place. If it's too far, I'll rent another place. I can also see if the company has dormitories. If the company has dormitories, I'll live there."
“Hmm, that works too. We can take the house back and renovate it when you’re about to get married,” Zhang Wen said. “Having your own home after marriage is a different story.”
“Living off-campus makes it difficult to get many things,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “Some of my roommates live far from the capital, and they haven’t bought much stuff because they’re worried about not being able to take it with them when they graduate. They’re trying to save as much as they can.”
“That’s true,” Zhang Wen said. “Postage isn’t cheap either.”
"It's not cheap, that's why we didn't plan to buy a lot of stuff," Zhang Xiaohu said. "We won't need that much at school. By the way, bro, did you buy a computer? You mean a laptop?"
“No,” Zhang Wen said. “Your sister-in-law did say she wanted to buy one.”
"Buy what you want, that's the future trend," Zhang Xiaohu said. "It's good to learn how to use a computer as soon as possible."
"Do a lot of people in the capital buy computers?" Zhang Wen asked.
“I don’t know if a lot of people bought them,” Zhang Xiaohu said, “but I know that Zihang’s family bought them. The three of them bought three computers. Zihang’s uncle and his family also bought computers. Families like theirs always keep up with the times, so it’s impossible that they didn’t buy them.”
"Envious of them?" Zhang Wen asked.
“Envious? How could I not be envious?” Zhang Xiaohu retorted. “Brother, aren’t you envious of me? I can stay in the capital, while you can only stay in the south.”
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