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Zhang Lan, feeling annoyed, said, “Your aunt came to borrow money. Didn’t we receive some gifts yesterday? She’s eyeing that. She was crying and begging for money.”
Wang Qian finally understood why Wang Mei had been silent after her comment in the morning. It seemed that they were in dire need today.
“Mom, we shouldn’t lend her money. It’s like feeding a dog with meat buns. Who can guarantee that she’ll pay it back? Let her go to her own family. We don’t have it, and she has to repay her debts,” Wang Qian asserted.
Zhang Lan looked at her petite daughter, who, despite her short stature, spoke with great authority. Her adorable appearance made her words even more convincing. Although her daughter’s words reflected her own thoughts, her husband seemed hesitant, which was the cause of her frustration.
“Good girl, you’re right. Mom will listen to you,” Zhang Lan agreed.
After understanding the situation, Wang Qian began to persuade her father. She knew that he was soft-hearted and often lacked principles when it came to family matters. Household affairs often lacked a clear right or wrong in the eyes of others, but everything should be based on reason.
Dealing with the unreasonable people in the Wang family, Wang Qian could only respond in kind. It was like talking to a brick wall; there was no reasoning with them.
Turning to her father, she said, “Dad, whether you want to lend the money or not, we can’t do it. We’ve faced so many hardships, and the house isn’t even finished yet. If you want to stay in this village in the future, we need to repay some of the debts quickly. Otherwise, people will always be after you. You know the conditions of our aunt’s family. Why did she come to us instead of her own mother? You should think about it. Also, I haven’t forgotten where my injury came from. If you’re too embarrassed to say it, I’ll tell them. I’m not afraid to offend anyone, even if it’s our aunt. I’d rather not have any dealings with her family. It’s bound to cause trouble.”
Wang Qian spoke at length, regardless of whether her father was pleased or not. She needed to express her feelings. It was clear that this was a form of bullying, preying on the vulnerable. They were trying to take advantage of her family’s vulnerability, weren’t they?
Wang Zhenhe sat on the kang and listened to his daughter for a while before speaking with difficulty. “Qianqian, I have considered it, but seeing your aunt cry like that, I find it hard to refuse. She raised me when I was young. How can I bear to reject her?”
Wang Qian became angry upon hearing this. Her eyes widened as she responded, “Dad, it’s common for sisters to raise their siblings. I was raised by my brother and sister. It’s the bond between you and your sister. However, both you and your sister have your own families and responsibilities. These responsibilities cannot be interchanged. If your sister truly cared, she wouldn’t have hit me and Mom. The saying goes that a dog’s behavior reflects its owner. Although it may not be entirely appropriate, it shows that she doesn’t respect you. She only thinks of you when she’s in trouble. Why did she come to us instead of her other brothers or her mother? Dad, you should really think about it. Many of these situations are caused by your character. You should reflect on this. If my uncle’s family faced the same situation, how do you think he would react? He would have probably confronted her long ago.”
Zhang Lan felt relieved hearing her daughter’s words. This man was truly clueless.
She didn’t bother talking to Wang Zhenhe and instead took her daughter to the kitchen to prepare dinner for the children.
Wang Qian whispered to her mother about her morning’s catch and shared her plans. Zhang Lan firmly disagreed. She couldn’t allow a seven-year-old to go to the city alone. She feared the child might get lost or be abducted by bad people.
Wang Qian planned to persuade her mother again the next day and go to the city once she had caught more fish in the space.
Wang Zhenhe had a tasteless meal, as his daughter’s words made him think. Before dinner, he made a decision. He wouldn’t lend any money to his sister, regardless of the resentment or blame. He had made up his mind.
“Wife, I’ve made a decision. We won’t lend any money to my sister. I’ll go see her later,” he said.
After her husband came to his senses, Zhang Lan felt relieved. The family couldn’t continue like this. She and the children would save up, and for that to really happen, she needs her husband to support her.
“Alright, go see her later. Should we bring our daughter?” she asked.
Wang Zhenhe smiled wryly. “It’s fine. I shouldn’t involve our daughter in such matters. I’m too useless. I’ll go by myself.”
After getting ready, Wang Zhenhe went next door. The children, having heard the situation, agreed with their sister’s plan. They all listened intently, eager to see what would happen next.
Sure enough, they soon heard Zhu Qiyu’s scolding and crying from next door.
Wang Qian quickly fetched a small stool from the kitchen and placed it against the wall, then began shouting into the room, “Aunt, if you continue to mistreat my dad, I’ll report you immediately. You’re bullying us and trying to gain something for nothing. If you say another word, I’ll report you right away.”
As soon as Wang Qian finished speaking, the room fell silent. After a short while, crying could be heard instead of cursing.
Inside the room, Zhu Qiyu began to cry loudly. “What have I done wrong? My granddaughter dares to report me. This is outrageous. You’re defying tradition, you little brat. Son, you have to take charge. Your daughter wants to trample over your mother.”
Wang Qian wasn’t afraid. She leisurely lay against the wall, staring into the courtyard, and continued, “Madam, go ahead and scold all you want. The neighborhood committee director will be here soon. You’re disrupting the harmony of this socialist family. Let’s see if the director can handle you.”
After speaking, she didn’t care about the situation inside the room and quickly slipped off the wall, taking the small stool back to her room.
Zhang Lan and the children sat on the kang and heard Wang Qian’s words outside. Mingcheng, feeling relieved, said, “Sis, you did well. Big brother supports you. We’re all on your side.”
Zhang Lan hugged her daughter tightly and said, “Sweetheart, where did you learn to say such things? You should speak less in the future. After all, she’s your grandmother. Regardless of anything else, you should respect your father. She’s his birth mother, and people should not hit or scold their own family members.”
Wang Qian felt a bit uncomfortable and pouted, saying, “Mom, Dad is over thirty years old. Grandma and Aunt scold him as easily as they scold their chickens. Even his own family doesn’t know how to respect him. It’s painful for me to hear. I feel so frustrated.”
Wang Zhenhe, standing at the door, felt less upset after hearing his daughter’s words. He was grateful to have a loving family. His children empathized with him, and a little frustration was nothing compared to that.
Seeing him standing silently at the door, his family looked at him with a mix of concern and sympathy in their eyes.
Wang Zhenhe smiled and said, “Don’t look at me like that. I refused just now. Qianqian, what you said scared Grandma and Aunt into silence. You’re truly my good daughter.”
Wang Zhenhe found it amusing to see his sister and mother feeling uncomfortable. He never expected that it would be his youngest daughter who would stand up to them, a seven-year-old child.
Wang Qian had been worried that her father would blame her when he returned, so she had sought an alliance at home in advance. She didn’t expect her father to react this way. It seemed that wherever there was oppression, there would be resistance, and she hadn’t been wrong.
She looked up at Wang Zhenhe with teary eyes and said, “Dad, you’re not mad at me, are you? I was afraid you’d be angry when you came back.”
This time, she intended to use her tears to move her father. Otherwise, she would continue to be constrained by her grandmother’s family in the future. It was better to establish her authority now.
Seeing his usually composed daughter with teary eyes, Wang Zhenhe couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. He hugged his little girl and wiped away her tears, saying softly, “Qianqian, Dad isn’t mad at you. As long as you’re reasonable in the future, I promise I won’t hit you. Look at how well-behaved our daughter is. How could I bear to hit you?”
Zhang Lan understood what her daughter was trying to do. It seemed that Wang Zhenhe would be under the thumb of his little daughter in the future. Even at such a young age, she was quite cunning.
With the family matters settled, Mingcheng and the others went to school. Wang Zhenhe was going to work on the roof in the afternoon. The carpentry work was done, and only the roofing remained. They had found someone in the village who knew how to do the roofing, and it was estimated that it would be finished by the end of the afternoon. Once the new house was dry, the family could move in.
In the afternoon, someone came to help, and Wang Zhenhe went to the construction site. Meanwhile, Zhang Lan and her daughter prepared the dinner for the evening.
Wang Qian remembered the rice and flour in the space that hadn’t been used much. The family hadn’t had a proper meal together yet. “Mom, why don’t we make some soup dumplings tonight? We can use the seaweed, and we can make the filling with the fish meat. That way, we won’t need to make a separate dish.”
Zhang Lan thought her daughter’s idea was great. She was pleased with the suggestion. “Alright, we’ll do as you say. Let’s go get some flour.”
Zhang Lan and her daughter went to the space to get some flour and seaweed. They also took out a large fish from the tank. Seeing that it was already full of fish, Zhang Lan couldn’t help but feel happy. Her daughter was so capable that she could handle the work of ten boys.