Two thousand yuan, just for two thousand yuan.
He closed his eyes, letting the passbook fall to the ground, and remained in a daze for a long time.
“When we left last time, my mother said that she had saved all the money I sent back over the years, and that we could take it with us when we left.”
I didn't think it was much money. When I took the money out, I didn't want it back. I told my mother to keep it for herself.
"If I had taken this passbook back then, none of this would have happened?"
The Pei brothers' heartless and treacherous behavior was a huge blow to Pei Songbai, and he racked his brains to find excuses for his brothers.
"Songbai, a truly kind person would not abandon their own mother because of this."
"Don't even mention two thousand yuan, even if I gave you twenty thousand yuan, two hundred thousand yuan, would you give up your mother?"
The deed is done; trying to cover it up is the most foolish thing to do.
Xia Wenhua didn't want to have any further contact with the Pei family, those heartless, wicked, and stupid people, so she spoke as bluntly as possible.
Pei Songbai took a deep breath and understood Xia Wenhua's meaning.
He lowered his head and said, "Forget it, let's ignore them."
We can leave aside the matter of the Pei brothers; there are more important things at hand right now.
After meeting Pei's mother, some things became difficult to say. However, this presented an opportunity to communicate with Xia Wenhua, which Pei Songbai seized.
"Wife, I...I want to take Mother with me to Guangxi Province."
Xia Wenhua's behavior in Hongshan Village was completely different from that in the family compound. In Pei Songbai's view, it was because Xia Wenhua was unwilling to get along with her family.
If things were to proceed as usual, firstly, Pei's mother herself would not want to leave home, and secondly, there were several younger brothers in the family, so Pei Songbai would not make things difficult for Xia Wenhua.
Now that he knows he can't rely on his younger brother, as a son, he can't let his mother, who gave birth to four sons, end up being criticized and forced to live with her daughter in her old age.
Pei Songbai had been thinking about these words all the way here, and finally said them under the cover of night.
He looked up and met Xia Wenhua's eyes: "Mother's illness still needs time to be treated, and I definitely can't take such a long leave. I'm also worried about leaving Mother here alone. How about we take her with us?"
The home belongs to both of them. Pei Songbai respects Xia Wenhua and wants her support and understanding.
Xia Wenhua glanced at Pei Songbai, then looked down at the two children.
The child missed his grandmother, and Pei Songbai, as the son, couldn't just abandon his own mother.
Xia Wenhua herself doesn't actually dislike Pei's mother.
The original owner lived with Pei's mother for several years. Apart from taking care of the children, Pei's mother never interfered in anything about the original owner. She was truly a good elder.
Putting all that aside, now that Pei's mother is sick, it's unreasonable for her children to ignore her.
Xia Wenhua grabbed Pei Songbai's hand: "Songbai, we are husband and wife, and my mother is also mine. She is sick, and if there is any chance of treatment, we will do everything we can, even if it means selling everything we own!"
By the moonlight, Pei Songbai saw the determination on Xia Wenhua's face.
He held Xia Wenhua in his arms, buried his head in her shoulder, and didn't get up for a long time.
Feeling the dampness on her neck, Xia Wenhua didn't say anything, but gently patted Pei Songbai's back as if she were coaxing two children to sleep.
Everyone has their difficulties in life. She can help strangers, let alone Pei Songbai, who is her lover.
Xia Wenhua agreed to take Pei's mother away, and Pei Songbai finally felt relieved. His steps on the way to Wangjia Village were lighter than before.
The two woke up most of the dogs in Wangjia Village in the middle of the night and walked into Pei Cuihong's house amidst the barking of the dogs.
When Xia Wenhua brought the things she bought at the supply and marketing cooperative to the Pei family, she didn't take them with her. She gave some to Pei Hongqi's family and brought them with her.
They entered the house carrying large and small bags. Brother-in-law Wang Dashan greeted them first, politely calling them brother and sister-in-law.
Pei Cuihong, however, gave them no friendly treatment whatsoever. The idea that one shouldn't hit a smiling face didn't work on her.
Seeing Wang Dashan accept the things Pei Songbai brought, she coldly shouted: "Wang Dashan, how can you be so easily swayed? You can be bought off with such a cheap thing."
"How dare you take someone else's things? Throw them away right now!"
Pei Cuihong immediately launched into a barrage of sarcastic remarks, leaving Xia Wenhua and Pei Songbai completely stunned.
“Cuihong, you…”
"Oh my, who is this? You don't even have time for your own mother who's sick, and now you're showing up at your sister's door? Who knows who you are? Get out!"
Pei Songbai had barely started talking when Pei Cuihong immediately launched into a long, rambling monologue, nearly spitting out Pei Songbai's words.
However, it was precisely this sentence that made Xia Wenhua and Pei Songbai realize why Pei Cuihong was angry.
Xia Wenhua had just left the child in the room with Wang Dashan when she came out and heard Pei Cuihong's words. She quickly went up to explain.
"Little sister, we really didn't know Mother was sick before. We only found out when we got back today."
Whenever Pei Cuihong thought of the grievances her mother suffered in Hongshan Village, she would give a cold shoulder to everyone with the surname Pei except for herself.
Xia Wenhua, this sister-in-law, was no different from any of the other sisters-in-law in her eyes. She sneered and didn't believe her at all.
"Didn't you know Mother was sick? Why are you back with all these bags? How come you know that bastard kicked Mother out a long time ago and think it's time for her to leave, so you've come back for her funeral?"
Pei Songbai, have you no conscience? Even though Mother was sick, you weren't obligated to treat her. Couldn't you just take good care of her until she passed away?
Pei Songbai, who had always been involved in the military and rarely came into contact with the dark side of society, was unaware of the plans of the three Pei brothers.
From the moment Pei Cuihong learned what those people had done, she understood what they were up to and wished she could just take a knife and kill those unfilial descendants of the Pei family.
Pei Songbai was completely bewildered by the scolding. In his memory, his younger sister was a gentle and kind girl. He never expected to encounter Pei Cuihong's outburst upon his return.
This was the first time in her life that Xia Wenhua had been scolded so harshly without any respect. But when she thought of Pei Cuihong, a girl who was not valued by her family, who had taken Pei's mother to her home despite the gossip, she lost all her temper.
Xia Wenhua sighed: "Cuihong, we really didn't know Mother was sick."
We came back this time because your older brother was transferred to another place. We were passing by to visit Mom, but we only found out today when we entered the village that Mom was sick and had been kicked out.
If we had known earlier, we would have come back immediately and would never have let Mother suffer like this!
Xia Wenhua's words were firm and resolute. Pei Cuihong didn't know whether she believed her or not, but she stopped cursing.
Just when Xia Wenhua thought she wouldn't say anything more, Pei Cuihong suddenly spoke up: "Swear that if you hadn't just found out that Mother was sick, I'd let you be struck by lightning and die!"
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