Sister Xu gesticulated wildly as she recounted: "Widow Xin's screams brought people over. She usually said she was a widow and didn't want to cause gossip, so she didn't interact with anyone. Guess what happened when everyone walked in? Her house had been completely emptied out. It was bare everywhere. The newspapers on the walls had been torn down, leaving only the mud walls. The roof beams had been kicked and bent."
After taking a sip of water, the senior continued, "There are even worse ones. The people who moved here dug a huge pit in the outhouse. I don't know what kind of hobby they have. Do they think the soil in the outhouse has some other purpose? Those people who moved here are so inconsiderate. It's true that there are all kinds of birds in a big forest."
Zhu Fanfan: ...It not only has a function, but also a great function, specifically for concealing gold and silver jewelry. It's just that Sister Xu is too good at using words. She described a home invasion robbery as a move. Widow Xin is such a failure as a person. Even passersby can't stand it.
Sister Xu shook her head and clicked her tongue: "If the people who moved out were inconsiderate, then Widow Xin was even more inconsiderate. She didn't react much when the house was emptied out, but she cried so bitterly when she saw that a big pit had been dug in the outhouse, as if her husband had died. If you didn't know better, you would think the outhouse was her husband!"
Zhu Fanfan: ...Accurate comment. Sister Xu's words hit the nail on the head. Those three boxes of gold and silver jewelry are not her lifelong support. What's the difference between them and her man?
Seeing the uncontrollable smile on Sister Xu's smug face, Zhu Fanfan asked curiously, "Sister Xu, what grudge do we have against the Xin family? You seem quite happy that the Xin family is having a bad time."
Sister Xu hurriedly said, "Widow Xin's surname is Xin, but her husband's surname is Ding. Before liberation, our Fu family had a very high status in the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. We couldn't stand their exploitation of workers and stood up for the workers' rights. We were supported and they didn't dare to touch us easily. We also helped many people, including the Ding family. However, the Ding family is different from Widow Xin. They are grateful and repay kindness."
Tan Fuya bluntly exposed: "You just don't like Zhaodi because you think they're causing trouble for her."
Zhu Fanfan jumped up: "What happened? Did they cause trouble for my older sister?"
Sister Xu stopped Tan Fuya from speaking, saying that Tan Fuya's words were all embellished and would mislead Fanfan: "It's not just about causing trouble. The Ding family elders knew that Zhao Di had no one to back her up, so they went directly to the school. Zhao Di was scared and ran to the Fu family. The factory manager happened to be home. The Ding family recognized the factory manager, apologized on the spot, and even hit two of their grandsons."
Zhu Fanfan suppressed her anger. She had been too lenient. Her older sister was under her protection, and yet this woman dared to disrespect her and lay a hand on her. She hadn't hit her hard enough today; she would find another time to give her a good beating.
Sister Xu was indignant: "Who knew that Xue Fu would find out and then be disgusted by Zhao Di's trouble at school. She was a young girl, and she was beaten up and bruised all over. When she got to school, she was ridiculed. After she recovered, she was beaten up again. He insisted that Zhao Di admit that she had hired someone to beat up the Ding brothers. In the end, it was only when the factory director threatened to fire him that things calmed down."
Zhu Fanfan, who initially thought nothing of it, sensed something was wrong. She had believed it before, but now that she had emptied Xue Fu's assets, she didn't believe it anymore. Xue Fu was rich and would never look at a lowly worker. How could he be threatened by a job?
Tan Fuya said, "Your maternal grandfather also reasoned with Xue Fu, and Xue Fu has become much nicer to Zhao Di."
Sister Xu didn't know what to say: "That widow from the Ding family is no simpleton. She fled to Shanghai when she was a refugee, saying she had no one left to live with. But she was fair-skinned and delicate, and the third son of the Ding family took a liking to her and took her in. To repay his kindness, she married the third son of the Ding family, but they had no children for several years..."
Everyone thought she wouldn't have any more children, but then Widow Xin got pregnant and gave birth to a boy. She finally gained some confidence in her husband's family. Among her sisters-in-law, she was the only one who gave birth to a boy, so her parents-in-law naturally doted on her. She was also good at interpersonal relationships, and she got along well with her mother-in-law.
She was able to conceive again several years later, but after becoming pregnant, Ding's third son died in an accident at sea, and Widow Xin gave birth to another boy.
Zhu Fanfan asked curiously, "How old are these two children?"
Sister Xu thought for a moment: "The older one is about the same age as Zhao Di, and the younger one is the same age as you. It's quite a coincidence that your birthdays are only a few days apart from Zhao Di's. It's really fate."
Zhu Fanfan: ...It's fate, the fate of blood ties.
The eldest and second eldest sons and her eldest sister were around the same age as her, which made her think of conspiracy theories. Perhaps Xue Fu wanted to use a substitute, but her grandfather saw through it.
Zhu Fanfan asked curiously, "I heard that when a husband dies, his family will mistreat the wife. Doesn't their family bully people?"
Sister Xu sighed, "That's why Widow Xin was so lucky. When Ding's third son was alive, he was very obedient to her. Even her parents-in-law couldn't stand it anymore and separated them from her. Widow Xin sold the dowry left to her by her family and built a house for herself. The couple lived separately. If it weren't for Ding's third son's accident, they would have been an enviable couple."
Especially after Ding Laosan's death, the parents-in-law were very satisfied with Xin's behavior of staying at home and raising the children. They felt that Xin had worked hard to be a widow for her son and took good care of her. Xin also had a job and often brought food and drinks to her parents-in-law. They got along well and were praised by the neighbors.
Zhu Fanfan was certain that the two boys were Xue Fu's offspring. As long as the Ding family saw Xue Fu, everything would be clear. They looked so alike, especially since they both had a small mole above their ears, just like her and her older sister. This was undeniable.
When things get chaotic, the Ding family and Xue Fu will fight like dogs. According to Sister Xu, the Ding family is quite well-off. They did some small business before liberation and also followed the public-private partnership after liberation, making some money. Their ancestors have been here for generations and have a certain network of connections. They are much more powerful than Xue Fu.
The key is to figure out how to get a group of people to know without them noticing; that requires careful planning.
As for Xue Fu not having returned home yet and not discovering his house had been burgled, Zhu Fanfan sighed, "It would be great if Xue Fu's house had been completely ransacked too." Sister Xu hadn't heard anything about the Xue family!
Tan Fuya gently tapped Zhu Fanfan's head: "Don't talk nonsense. Just think it in your heart. Saying it out loud will only make people criticize you."
Zhu Fanfan looked at her grandmother in disbelief; her grandmother had actually stopped trying to smooth things over.
Tan Fuya gave her a coquettish look: "Your grandfather said that children and grandchildren have their own blessings. We have done our best for them and we have a clear conscience. They all have their own families and their own way of life. We are about to turn sixty. How many days do we have left? Just take care of yourselves."
We live in a new society now, there's no danger to their lives, and they don't need to worry about trivial matters.
Sister Xu agreed: "It's fine to say it out loud. The Xue family is a family without any sense of responsibility. They won't give their family property to Zhao Di and the others. They just stole it."
Before, Fu Jing was such a sweet and gentle girl that everyone loved her. But after getting married, she became neurotic and increasingly resembled a feudal woman. How could anyone like her? She herself is a woman, so how could she have the nerve to keep saying that only boys are human and girls are like spilled water?
Just then, Fu Minghao returned and, seeing everyone's curious expressions, asked, "What are you all discussing?"
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