Qin Xiangxiang walked to the bedroom door, pushed it open, and looked inside.
Su Yi was leaning against the bed, holding a radio with his eyes closed, tapping out a beat in a very leisurely manner.
Her heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, instantly relaxed. She turned her head gently and spoke softly to her two children.
"We need to think about this matter carefully. We absolutely cannot let your father know."
"Chang'an, how long is your vacation?"
Su Chang'an paused for a moment, then said, "One week!"
"You two don't need to worry about this. Just go back to your units when it's time. Leave everything else to Mom!"
Qin Xiangxiang didn't want her children to get involved in this matter, lest they be implicated if anything went wrong.
Su Meifang's eyes lit up. "Mom, you want to?"
Qin Xiangxiang made no attempt to hide her murderous intent. "Yes, that old woman is not young anymore, it's time for her to pass away."
"You know, for an old woman like you who is all alone and has no family or younger relatives around, it would be perfectly normal for something to happen to her at home."
"Maybe he'll die at home and rot without anyone even knowing!"
Li Yueniang was unaware that her actions tonight had made Qin Xiangxiang want to kill her.
When Li Yueniang first brought her child to the capital to seek refuge with Su Yi, she had no relatives there.
Su Changqing and his wife, along with Su Qingci, are currently far away. Their only grandson will return to the unit after the New Year.
For almost the entire year, Li Yueniang, an elderly widow, stayed at home all by herself.
They only return when Su Jindong's troops have leave.
But the military doesn't give leave every month; sometimes it can be as long as six months before they can come back.
Just as Qin Xiangxiang herself said, Li Yueniang might die at home and rot away without anyone knowing.
Li Yueniang is quite old, well into her sixties. Even if Su Jindong comes back and finds out, he'll just assume she's old and something happened to her.
They wouldn't even consider Qin Xiangxiang as a potential candidate.
A fierce glint flashed in Qin Xiangxiang's eyes, and the resentment in her heart slowly dissipated.
No rush, take your time. There will be plenty of opportunities once Su Jindong returns to the team.
Once Li Yueniang is dead, Su Changqing and his wife will never be able to come back. She has plenty of ways to make Su Yi forget about this son.
After Su Yi passes away, everything in the Su family will belong to Chang'an and Meifang.
**
Although she was kept to sleep a little late by the sound of firecrackers last night, Li Yueniang got up at four in the morning.
She's getting less and less sleep these days. She gets up, lights the stove, boils a kettle of water, opens the door, and pulls down the thick curtain that's like a quilt to block out the cold air.
The water on the stove soon began to gurgle and bubble, the steam rising as if it would lift the lid off.
Li Yueniang quickly poured herself a bowl of tea, then turned around and took out a tea tray, picking out some of the various snacks that Su Qingci had sent.
Then he sat alone and quietly drank tea.
This has been her long-standing habit: she drinks tea first thing in the morning, believing it nourishes her stomach and promotes overall health.
After finishing the tea, we would go to the courtyard and practice the Five Animal Frolics for forty or fifty minutes.
She took a toll on her health when she was young, so she has to be even more disciplined now, not only eating a light diet but also exercising regularly.
A loveless relationship can be ruined, and a heartless life can ruin everything. If she wants to live longer, besides controlling her emotions, she also needs to have a healthy body.
She wants to wait for Changzhi to come back to find her.
When Su Changzhi went missing, she almost blew up the military family compound, which alarmed the political commissar and chief of staff.
The army also sent many people out to look for Su Changzhi.
Li Yueniang was kept in the dark about the process, and no matter how she tried to get information out of Su Yi over the years, Su Yi never gave her a word.
However, over time, Li Yueniang learned from Su Yi's fragmented words that Su Changzhi had become involved in a partisan dispute.
The last place they disappeared was the seaside.
At that time, a large number of people across the country were evacuating overseas. According to everyone's analysis, Su Changzhi may have boarded a ship heading there.
This is at least good news for Li Yueniang.
At least her Changzhi is still alive.
Although the situation is still tense, she believes that one day, people on both sides of the strait will be able to travel between them and people on the other side will be able to come back to see their relatives.
Her son was already so old when he left; he had all her memories.
Li Yueniang firmly believed that he would definitely come back to find her.
All she could do was try her best to live a little longer.
So she can't get angry, she can't be sad, she has to eat well, she has to exercise, she has to take care of her health...
In winter, it gets light quite late; it's almost five o'clock and it's still pitch black outside.
Li Yueniang had already drunk half a pot of tea. She stood up, stroking her arms and doing some warm-up exercises.
Then I went into the courtyard and started practicing the Five Animal Frolics.
"Grandma, why are you up so early?"
Su Jindong was awakened by the sound of firecrackers. "What time is it?"
"What time is it? Everyone else has been setting off their opening firecrackers for ages, and you're still sleeping!"
"Luckily, the God of Wealth's blessings are endless. Hurry up, there's a roll of firecrackers on the cabinet. Take it to the door and light it."
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Li Yueniang was very careful about her words, afraid of saying anything unlucky.
Su Jindong then remembered that before midnight on New Year's Eve, firecrackers should be set off to close the door, symbolizing that wealth would not flow out.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, firecrackers are set off early in the morning to symbolize welcoming good fortune into the home.
Su Jindong hurriedly found a matchbox, grabbed the firecrackers from the cabinet, and headed for the door.
Li Yueniang wiped her sweat and prepared to go to the kitchen to make dumplings.
The custom here is to eat dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year, which symbolizes bringing in wealth and good fortune. The dumplings are also vegetarian, representing "tranquility".
Firstly, it symbolizes harmony and peace within the family, free from arguments. Secondly, after indulging in a large meal of meat and fish last night, eating some vegetarian fillings is beneficial for digestion.
The dumplings were made last night, so we can just cook them right away.
"Grandma, should I go to wish Grandpa a Happy New Year today?"
While eating dumplings, Su Jindong asked Li Yueniang if Su Changqing would usually take them to the military family compound on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
He's alone today, and last night he was...
Li Yueniang didn't even raise her head.
"No, I've already given out the red envelopes last night, so going again today would be a waste of time."
"Besides, Qin Xiangxiang might even give you a hard time!"
"If you're so full you're bored, go visit all the neighbors in the neighborhood to wish them a Happy New Year."
"Especially your Grandma Guo's family."
“You’re never around, and whenever I need anything, it’s always Wenjing who helps me. You should go and thank her.”
"I'll pack some dried fruit for you later, go and take a look."
After finishing his meal, Su Jindong took the gifts prepared by Li Yueniang and went next door.
"Grandma Guo, Happy New Year! Happy New Year!"
"Hey~ Jin Dong's back? Come in, come in! When did you get back?"
"We only got a day off yesterday afternoon!"
Happy New Year, Kim Dong-ge~
Upon hearing Su Jindong's voice, Guo Wenjing excitedly rushed out of the room, her face beaming with joy.
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