Chapter Fourteen

Old Madam Guo said:
“Aiyo, my precious grandson, you’re a child raised in the city—how could Grandma ever bear to send you off to do farm work…”

Third Uncle Bi hadn’t expected his usually brainless eldest nephew to say something so clever. He looked at Bi Chunliu with a half-smile, his tone laced with insinuation:
“Eldest niece, don’t tell me it was you who put him up to this? Did you coax Weiguo into saying all that just so you could keep the job in your own hands? A girl being this calculating is no good.”

Hmm? So that’s how Third Uncle talks—always dripping with sarcasm like that?

Bi Chunliu truly had no patience for such passive-aggressive talk. In her previous life, when she worked at the textile factory’s union office, most of her colleagues were women. But everyone got along well—the work wasn’t heavy, and the older sisters spent their time knitting sweaters or chatting. Later, after losing her family, she took revenge, sold off her job and house, and left this place. She moved to a city in the northeast, found a logistics job at a martial arts school, and stayed on there. She bought a small home and managed to put down roots. After so many years in the northeast, she’d grown used to speaking plainly, saying what needed to be said. She had no tolerance for this roundabout, two-faced talk—just listening to it made her skin crawl.

“Third Uncle, why don’t you just say what you mean? All this circling around is boring.” Bi Chunliu met his gaze head-on and continued, “You want to take over the job because you think the four of us sisters are easy to bully without our parents around, right? But that job was left behind by my father—it belongs to our family. It’s not some collective position up for grabs. If you wanted a job, you should have gone out with my dad back then. Why covet what’s ours now? Let me make it clear: I’m holding onto this job until Weiguo graduates high school. Then it’ll pass to him. My parents are gone, and you’re thinking of stealing from us—aren’t you afraid of nightmares at night?”

Third Uncle felt a chill under her steady stare. He slapped the table to bolster himself.
“What nonsense are you spouting, girl? Your father was my own second brother—how could I ever covet his things? Your grandma is right. You’re already at marrying age. Or do you mean to bring this job with you into your husband’s family?”

“Third Uncle, that’s not even a proper argument. It’s clumsy and poorly made.” Bi Chunliu curled her lip.

“You—!” Third Uncle flushed with anger.

Old Madam Guo intervened:
“Enough, enough, no more of this nonsense. Since the eldest girl says she’s keeping it for Weiguo, let her keep it. Old Third, if it really won’t work, then you…”

“Mother! I need to speak with you. Come out here with me!” Third Uncle was anxious. What’s wrong with this old woman? Back then, she always said she felt sorry for him—sorry she hadn’t pushed Second Brother harder to give up his job, leaving him stuck like this, forced now to beg from his own niece. Wasn’t that all because she favored Second Brother? And now that Second Brother’s gone, she’s doting on her eldest grandson instead. Why must he always be the one left to toil in the countryside?

Old Madam Guo went out with Third Uncle.

Bi Xiahe glanced at their mostly silent Third Aunt, then whispered to her eldest sister:
“Elder Sister, do you remember Zhou Lele from my class?”

“Hm? What about her?”

Bi Xiahe wore a worried expression.
“After Zhou Lele’s father passed away, her uncle took over his job. Then he remarried—a really wealthy aunt. Zhou Lele even shared the snacks her new aunt bought with us. If Third Uncle really takes Father’s job, won’t he also find himself a new wife? What will happen to Guangyao and Wang Di then?”

Bi Qiuguo piped up:
“A new aunt? And she bought snacks? Third Sister, this new aunt of Zhou Lele’s treats her that well? Doesn’t her uncle have children of his own?”

“Of course he does. Zhou Lele’s cousins all stayed in the countryside with their birth mother. Zhou Lele told me secretly that her uncle said there would be more children anyway—and since her new aunt was from the city, the children she bore would be better.”

Third Aunt Bi lifted her head. She understood the words were meant for her. Whether or not Old Third harbored such ideas, she didn’t care. But Guangyao was her lifeblood—if Old Third went to the city and tried to discard her and Guangyao, she wouldn’t stand for it. Back when she was pregnant with Guangyao, everyone said it would be a girl, so she didn’t get proper nutrition. Then she suffered a difficult delivery, and Guangyao was born weak and sickly. Even now, his health was poor. If Old Third really was thinking of having another child… Third Aunt’s mind began to churn.

“Mama—” Little Guangyao tugged at her, whispering softly as he opened his hand. Inside were two slices of meat.
“Mama, eat this. I saved it for you.”

My Guangyao… Her mother-in-law always bragged about Second Brother’s son, Weiguo, saying how wonderful he was. Hah, none of them could compare to her Guangyao! Third Aunt shook her head.
“Mama won’t eat. You’re weak—you eat it.”

Guangyao was the youngest of the Bi clan’s two branches, only ten this year. Because of his frail health, he had only started school last year.
“Mama, then you and Third Sister take one each. I already ate several pieces just now, hehe…”

Wang Di looked up at her younger brother, then cast a hopeful glance at her mother.

Third Aunt said:
“Your Third Sister doesn’t eat meat. She takes after me—we don’t like it.”

Wang Di’s lips twitched, but she bowed her head again.

While his mother was still talking, Guangyao stuffed one piece directly into her mouth, then held the other right under Wang Di’s nose.

Wang Di, afraid her mother might take it back, chewed only twice before swallowing it down quickly. Only afterward did she savor the nearly forgotten flavor of meat. So delicious…

“You silly boy…” Third Aunt’s eyes glistened with tears as she looked at her son. Quietly, she made a firm decision: her boy was so good—she couldn’t take even the slightest risk with his future.

She turned to the sisters.
“Eldest girl, Third girl, I know you both dislike me. I’ve been stingy, and I’ve never treated you well. But this time, with your Third Uncle eyeing that job, I won’t meddle. On one condition.”

Bi Chunliu raised her brow. “What condition?”

Third Aunt said seriously:
“I don’t have much ability, but your lives are still long ahead of you. My Guangyao’s health is poor. You’re family—blood relatives. I want you to look after him in the future. Best of all, help him get a job someday.”

Bi Qiuguo’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t believe what she just heard.
“A job?! Third Aunt, the four of us sisters only have one job between us—and you still want another job?”