Just as Hua Baoguo had guessed, Xun Liangfang said, "Mother, Baoguo and I are not outsiders, don't make it so complicated. We'll just eat whatever we eat at home."
"That wouldn't be good. You're a guest after all. If I don't treat you well, you'll be the one being talked about when you get back," Gu Yu said loudly towards the door.
Xun Liangfen's face showed a hint of embarrassment. What was her mother trying to do? This happened every year.
Bao Guo came over today without saying a word the whole way, and didn't even carry all the things. Now her hands are sore and aching from carrying all the things back.
"Mom, where are the things I just brought back? There are a few cans of meat in there. How about we open one and cook some noodles?" Xun Liangfen mustered her courage and said softly.
Gu Yu didn't react for a moment. This brat would never have said such a thing before. She didn't answer, but her eyes darted around and she asked, "Why didn't any of the children come with you? Do you think my grandma's house is too poor?"
Xun Liangfen smiled and said, "I forgot to tell you, Mom. My eldest son's wife found out she was pregnant a few days ago, so he's been taking her to and from work from home and can't come over."
My second son just came back from the countryside and hasn't rested yet. My in-laws feel sorry for the child, so they told him to come another time.
"What about Xiangyun?" Gu Yu didn't care whether Hua Xiangyun came or not. She brought it up because she didn't want to continue the previous topic with Liang Fen.
"She got her head broken by one of the kids in our compound a few days ago. Didn't my second brother mention it when he came back?"
Gu Yu then remembered that there seemed to be such a thing, but it was just a little girl, and she hadn't paid much attention to it.
"Oh, I heard him mention it. I'm not trying to criticize you, but this child still needs to be properly educated."
A girl should do housework when she has free time, instead of going out and playing around with others all day. Look at her now, injured, and the family has to spend money. She's such a worry.
If you ask me, your father-in-law and mother-in-law really can't tell the difference between their own families. They dote on a worthless child like she's nothing.
Look at our family, Da Ni and the others are all very capable, both at home and outside. San Ni can earn eight work points now.
Xiangyun seems to be a little older than Sanni, yet she's still in school. Isn't that a waste of money?
Hua Baoguo listened quietly, forcing himself not to rush in. He also wanted to know what Xun Liangfen was thinking.
“Mother, you know I can’t make decisions at home,” Xun Liangfen’s voice came out, but it sent a chill down Hua Baoguo’s spine. “When Xiangyun finished junior high school, I mentioned that we should try to find some connections and maybe she could be assigned to our village.”
With you and Dad looking after us, it's much better than going to other villages in the future.
I don't know what my in-laws were thinking; they didn't pass the job to Zhi'an, but instead reserved it for Xiangyun.
"That's why you're all so foolish. You think a good-for-nothing is more precious than the sons in your family?"
Before, when I scolded you, you said you only had one daughter, so it didn't matter if I spoiled you a bit. Look at what you've gotten now, she won't even come back to your parents' house with you..."
Hua Baoguo couldn't listen anymore. He stood up and pushed open the door. "No matter what, Xiangyun hasn't eaten a single grain of rice from your family. How dare you spout nonsense here?"
Xun Liangfen clutched her chest in fright, but remembering that she was at her parents' home, she mustered her courage and asked, "What are you doing? You suddenly barged in. Don't you know you're going to scare people?"
Besides, Xiangyun has indeed been spoiled by you all. Even if she was injured, we haven't seen any scars yet. Can't she come with us? I think she has no respect for her elders at all.”
In Gu Yu's memory, Hua Baoguo was always amiable, so it was rare for his tone to suddenly become so harsh and angry. "Baoguo, I didn't mean to blame the child. After all, we are just the maternal family. It doesn't matter whether they come or not."
I was just feeling sorry for Liangfen. She couldn't stay home to take care of the child, but he was still her own flesh and blood, born after ten months of pregnancy. She couldn't scold or hit him; how could she, as a mother, be at peace with that?
Hua Baoguo was bad with words and got confused by the mother and daughter's back-and-forth arguments. Moreover, judging from what they said, it was their family who were in the wrong.
Little did they know that sometimes the most blunt people can be the most hurtful. “Besides giving birth to a few children, she has never raised them. Over the years, we have never seen a penny of her money. I always pay for the things the children need.”
Xun Liangfen looked at Gu Yu with a nervous expression. The old lady's face turned slightly unnatural, and she quickly said fiercely, "You're the father, shouldn't you take some money?"
These words completely enraged Hua Baoguo, who nodded and turned to leave.
Xun Liangfen was getting anxious and was about to chase after them when Gu Yu grabbed her arm.
"You let him go, and now that he can, he's putting on airs like a son-in-law in front of me." Gu Yu snorted and said, "You can't spoil a man like that. Look at you, every time he takes a step, you follow."
I knew you were his wife; otherwise, I would have thought you were his daughter.
In this village of Xunjia, where else could he possibly go? He'll come back on his own when it's time for meals.
At this point, Xun Liangfen had no choice but to confess, "Mother, everyone in the family knows that I've been giving you money all these years. I've given you all my salary for so many years. What should we do now?"
Gu Yu said, "What can we do? What's wrong with a daughter helping her own family? You brat, if your family isn't good, who will support you..."
Hua Baoguo arrived at the brigade headquarters with familiarity with the place. At that moment, Xun Xingshun was holding a meeting with the village cadres.
"Village chief, your son-in-law is here. Is he taking you home for dinner so early?" Xun Daquan, the brigade leader, was the first to notice and teased.
"Village chief, you're so lucky to have found such a son-in-law. We saw them bringing over big bags and small packages earlier. You can't keep anything to yourself. If you have anything good, don't forget us," said Xun Zhihua, the women's director, with a smile.
Everyone praised her, their eyes filled with genuine envy. Xun Liangfen had found a husband in the city who not only gave her a stable job, but also brought her large and small bags every time she came back.
Xun Xingshun smiled and agreed, then carefully observed Hua Baoguo's expression. His heart skipped a beat, and he stood up and said to them, "That's all for today. If you need anything, just come to my house."
The others also realized that this son-in-law hadn't shown this expression when he came to see his father-in-law before.
Although they were gossipy at heart, they had to give the village chief face, so they could only pack up their things and leave.
"Dad, has our family been struggling all these years?"
Xun Xingshun asked, "Who told you that? The family is doing alright."
The harvests have been good these past few years; no one goes hungry, and we even receive some money each year using work points. I can say with certainty that no village within a ten-mile radius is doing as well as ours.”
Speaking of this, Xun Xingshun was full of pride. Their village has been recognized as an advanced village every year, which is inseparable from his contributions as the village chief.
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