Su Qingyu ran to almost all the private schools in the town and finally solved the problem of Xiao Qingyang’s education.

Let Su Dahu pass the message to Father Su and Mother Su. She just took the excited Xiao Qingyang to buy pens, ink, paper, and inkstone.

After buying it, the little guy excitedly studied in the house, spread out the book, and said he wanted to learn to read in advance and even skipped his favorite martial arts school. When Madam Ma learned that he was going to study, she collected a lot of writing materials and sent them to him.

The day before he went to private school, Father Su and Mother Su arrived at the store early in the morning.

Carrying large and small bags of local specialties, including rice and flour.

“Mom and Dad, are you worried that your little son and daughter won’t have enough food to eat here?” Su Qingyu teased.

Mother Su slapped her and said, “What are you talking about? Isn’t it better to leave them to you than to keep them in the village? How can your father and I not be at ease?”

“Mom, you brought so many things, and grandma didn’t tell you anything?” Su Qingliu was a little surprised.

“Hmph, what can she say about me?” Speaking of her stepmother-in-law, Mother Su was quite dissatisfied.

“Your grandfather asked me to bring it. He said that the Qingyang and Qingxing were all here with you, so he asked me to bring some of their food rations. They are all grown at home, so you don’t have to spend money to buy them outside.”

When Su Qingliu heard that it was Old Su who asked her to take care of the twins, she stopped talking. No wonder Stepgrandmother didn’t say anything; it turned out that it was Grandpa who spoke.

“Your grandfather did this because his family doesn’t provide vegetables to your sister anymore. Most of the families in the village sell vegetables to your Second Gu. Da Hu can’t even buy vegetables in our village. Your Fourth Shu even buys vegetables from the nearby villages at a high price. Your grandfather must be feeling guilty.”

Mother Su was very dissatisfied with Second Gu for taking away her daughter’s business.

This Xiǎo gūzi ^[1]husband’s younger sister, who was not born from the same mother as the child’s father, had never taken her, the eldest sǎozi, seriously, nor did she take the eldest son’s family seriously. Mother Su could understand anyone opening such a vegetable shop, but she could not accept that Second Aunt Su also opened one.

“Mom, anyone can do this kind of business. If she didn’t do it, someone else would. She pays a high price for vegetables, so our family can make a little more money by selling them to her.” Su Qingyu comforted her.

“What profit is there? I heard from Siquan that she didn’t even settle the grocery money with the family. The money she usually collects for the vegetables isn’t given to Siquan either; it’s all taken by the family. She said the vegetable business was split out, so the profits belong to Siquan and the family, and she shouldn’t have to cover the cost. So, your grandmother gave your fourth uncle the money to buy the vegetables. But after the vegetables were delivered to her, she didn’t pay, saying there were too many expenses and that she would settle the bill at the end of the month.”

Because of this, she was not the only one who had complaints. The second and third shěn (wife of the father’s younger brother) of the children also had complaints. Even their father-in-law frowned.

Only the mother-in-law trusted her daughter. She said her pójiā’s (husband’s family, in this case, daughter’s husband’s family) family had an oil shop there; how could they owe her money? She also hoped that Su Baozhu would find a girl from the town for Su Siquan.

After hearing this, Su Qingmei and Su Qingliu looked at each other in surprise.

This Second Gu had a lot of tricks up her sleeve. Using other people’s money to do business, only taking in but not spending, and not having to worry about the source of goods, just sit back and wait to collect the money?

No wonder they had the confidence to engage in price wars.

Su Qingyu shook her head.

Su Dahu said a few words to Father Su and Mother Su and then went to the village, and Zhou Dajiang followed him. The store didn’t need so many people now, so she and Su Qingliu could handle it. Grandma Zhou in the backyard could also handle it, and sometimes her grandchildren would come over to help out.

“Dajiang is much more cheerful now.” Father Su said as Zhou Dajiang left.

Su Qingliu praised him with a few words: “Well, before, he would get confused when there were too many people around, and he would blush when people teased him. Now he can joke with others, and he is much more tactful in doing things.”

Father Su nodded with great satisfaction: “That’s good. Your Eldest Gu and I are from the same mother. Now there is no one working to earn money in her family, and life is much more difficult than before. A few days ago, I went to the county to help carry your Gufu home, and I saw that Qixia and Jinhai at home only ate wild vegetable porridge.”

Su Qingliu sighed, “Two days ago, when the monthly wages were settled, Qingyu gave Da Jiang one or two taels of wages. He couldn’t wait and asked someone to bring it home the next day. With his wages every month, Eldest Gu can also take it easy.”

Father Su also sighed. The Zhou family’s biggest laborer had fallen ill. Without income, the whole family had to live in misery. He didn’t know how long he would be able to recover from his leg.

“Your Gu and Gufu thanked me repeatedly, saying that Qingyu lent them money for the leg doctor and gave Da Jiang a job. They wanted to come over to thank you in person, but I stopped them. We are all family members. Your Gufu can’t do anything else now, so I asked him to make some straw and bamboo baskets at home and asked someone to send them to your shop after he finished them. It will be an income at least.”

Su Qingyu nodded. “I will also give some processing work to my gufu so that he can have some income at home and not feel like a useless person.”

“Your gufu has come to terms with it now. His legs and feet have been cured. Although he will be different from normal people when he recovers, it will not affect his walking. He also wants to support the family.”

“That’sgood.”

Xiao Qingyang and Xiao Qingxing listened to everyone talking quietly.

Although they were very happy living with their two sisters and had a lot of fun playing every day, the two little ones still missed their parents very much. When Father and Mother Su came, the two of them nestled in their arms and were very obedient.

Speaking of Qingyang’s studies, little Qingyang excitedly pulled his father and mother to see what his sister had prepared for him.

“These pens, inkstones, and books were all bought by my second sister. My eldest sister sewed the schoolbag for me. Granny Zhou also made a pencil case for me. Mom and Dad, look…”

After the display of Qingyang, it was the turn of Qingxing.

Qingxing was more lively than her brother and talked more. She described the Yangwei martial arts school vividly, saying how great it was that Master Ma’s wife had so many people, and showed Father Su and Mother Su the clothes and jewelry that Master Ma’s wife had given her.

The couple was terribly shocked.

It had only been a short time, but the two children had become different from the wild children in the village. They spoke in an orderly manner, their temperament had changed, so many things had happened, and they had received so many gifts.

It left the couple utterly stunned.

After leaving the room, he asked Su Qingyu with some trepidation: “Master Ma and his wife gave them so many valuable things. Is it okay for us to take them? Should your mother and father go to meet them and give them some gifts as well?”

Su Qingliu laughed. She was also uneasy at first, but later she felt relieved after seeing that Madam Ma took better care of Yaya than she, as a mother, did.

“Mom, Madam Ma really loves the kids. Look at Yaya; she takes good care of her. She bathes her, changes her diapers, and even makes clothes for her. We are too polite, and it makes people feel awkward.”

Su Qingyu nodded. “Dad and Mom don’t have to go. They are not the kind of people who only do superficial things. They really like the children. Just let them accompany her more often. I will make her some food and go to talk to her. She doesn’t usually see strangers.”

Only then did Father Su and Mother Su felt relieved and pulled their two children over to talk to them.

(End of this chapter)