The fragrant mushroom stewed chicken, the spicy and delicious braised rabbit, and several refreshing stir-fried and cold dishes made everyone thoroughly enjoy the meal.
At the table, Liu Shiping was very well-behaved, Zhang Sumei was very lively, and Liu Weisong was very happy. The whole atmosphere was warm and harmonious.
But as soon as Wang Guangjie and his sister left, Zhang Sumei scolded Liu Shihua and her brother, saying that they were never home and so on.
Liu Shile nudged her second brother, and Liu Shihua immediately realized what was happening and laughed, "Mom, Lele and I have been making money these past few days."
"We don't have enough money at home to treat Dad's leg, so we managed to earn a little over thirty yuan. My sister can take care of it; at least that will do us a little something."
As he spoke, he took out the change he had earned, a total of thirty-five dollars and sixty-five cents.
The remaining 150 yuan is with his younger sister. He doesn't manage money anyway; all the money is with his sister, and he only asks her for it when he needs it.
This time, I took out this money to pave the way for future payments, but I didn't take out too much. A few dozen yuan a day is already quite good; it's equivalent to two months' salary for my older sister.
Zhang Sumei was stunned when she saw the money, but she quickly realized what was going on and asked, "How did you earn this money? Did you do something wrong?"
Let me tell you, we're a respectable family. We don't do those petty, underhanded things. If you dare to do them...
Liu Shile rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Mom, why are you in such a hurry to label your own child like this?"
If this kind of reputation gets out, it will be a disgrace to our whole family. If you don't care about our family's reputation, then go ahead and spread rumors."
Seriously, she's always so restless. I thought she'd stay quiet because of the lavish meal today, but she's still nagging on and on.
Her bluntness left Zhang Sumei speechless. Of course, she knew that a bad reputation would be bad for her family, which was why she had never done so.
She was just caught off guard by seeing them pull out so much money, wasn't she? She'd barely uttered a word before this brat snapped back at her. It was infuriating!
"You brat, I'm saying all this for your own good. You're scholars, what if you go astray?"
"Then tell me, you've only been back for a few days, how did you earn so much? Your older sister works hard all month and only earns a dozen yuan, and you guys suddenly made so much? Anyone would suspect that!"
Zhang Sumei was still somewhat unwilling to give up. As she thought about it, she glared at her eldest daughter. If it weren't for this brat keeping a close eye on everyone, would they still be alive and well?
Liu Shixi found her mother's behavior rather strange. Why was she glaring at her? She hadn't said or done anything.
Liu Shihua was a little annoyed. So all that gentleness and calmness from her mother before was just an act? As soon as she left, she started blaming them, her brother and sister?
Taking a deep breath, Liu Shihua looked at her and said, word by word, "Mom, this money was earned by me, Lele, and Brother Guangjie when we went to the mountains to pick wild fruits."
We've been working on this day and night, Lele. Take this money and go home to rest; you must be tired.
As she spoke, she pushed the money into Liu Shile's hand, then didn't look at Zhang Sumei again. She only managed a forced smile and said to her father, "Dad, I'm going back to rest now. You should rest early too, don't overwork yourself."
Well, this young man has a temper now. It's really not easy for him. Liu Shile was quite surprised to see her second brother like this.
Despite the unexpected turn of events, he took the money without hesitation and smiled slightly, saying, "Okay, Dad, Mom, I'll keep this money for now and take it with me to get Dad treated later."
"Dad, don't worry. No matter how difficult things are at home, my siblings and I will work hard to earn money to cure your leg. I'm really tired, so I'll go home and rest now."
Liu Weisong nodded: "Go ahead, you've been working hard for days, you deserve a good rest." As he spoke, he sighed again, they were all filial children.
Seeing this, Liu Shixi also slipped away. Originally, she wanted to go and chat with her younger sister, but when she heard that her sister was tired, she didn't go. Instead, she went back to her room to think about things.
She really didn't expect her younger brother and sister to be so capable, earning so much money in just a few days. It must have been really tough for them; she wondered how much hardship they had endured to earn that money.
Thinking of this, she sighed deeply, wishing her older brother were still alive, so her younger siblings wouldn't have to suffer so much. What a pity...
"Tell me, what kind of fruit can make so much money?" Zhang Sumei asked her husband, still unwilling to give up, as soon as they left.
Liu Weisong gave her a deep look with his somewhat cloudy eyes, making Zhang Sumei feel a little uncomfortable.
But Zhang Sumei immediately realized what was going on and glared at him, "Old Liu, what do you mean by this? I just wanted to know how they make money, and you're all giving me attitude?"
"Look at that brat! I only said one thing, and she talked back to me. I'm her mother, after all. Does she even respect me as her mother?"
Seeing her like this, Liu Weisong felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. How could he not know what she was planning to do?
He was annoyed but also helpless as he watched her continue her incessant complaining.
"Alright, the children have worked so hard for so long, and instead of showing any concern, you start criticizing them without even knowing the whole story. Do you think they're still young?"
He tried to hold back, but finally couldn't. He said something irritatingly and then pushed his wheelchair away.
Zhang Sumei, who had been complaining, turned ashen-faced with anger upon seeing his reaction. What did he mean? Was she blaming herself for not being right?
She has been married to him for so many years and has never enjoyed any happiness. Not only did she bear his children, but she also had to raise his younger brother. Is it easy for her?
She felt extremely wronged, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she began to sob softly as she recounted all the misfortunes she had experienced over the years.
Liu Weisong was annoyed by her buzzing, and as he listened, he began to feel guilty. Finally, he sighed and said, "Alright, Sumei, stop crying. You've had a hard time all these years."
Zhang Sumei is not young, but she usually pays attention to taking care of herself. Although her family has been struggling this past year, she still looks to be only in her forties.
She had beautiful eyes, and her tear-filled eyes were heartbreaking to see. However, Liu Weisong didn't say anything more after he finished speaking.
Zhang Sumei was furious. This old man was always so stubborn. He was easy to control, but on some things, he was so obstinate that he could drive people crazy!
“I knew you were heartless. I’ve worked so hard to raise these children all these years, and now that they’re grown up, none of them respect me.”
You just stand by and watch them disregard me, watch them make me angry? Do you know how hard it is for me to raise them? Even a dog knows to wag its tail at me, but what about them?
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