Chapter 5: Su Yue Reminds Shen Qiuxia

Shen Qiuxia let out a heavy sigh.
“Your father and I raised three sons and one daughter. We’ve always treated you all equally.”
“Your eldest brother, Zhi Chen, joined the army after finishing high school. Your third brother, Zhi Ming, graduated from university and stayed in the capital to work. Your little sister also found a job through her own efforts. Only you, the second child—you dropped out of high school just to get married.”

“Now that life’s not going your way, you want to take your sister’s job. All these years, your eldest and third brothers have sent home ten yuan every month without fail. And you two? You eat and live here at home, yet haven’t contributed a single cent. What gives you the right to question us?”

The moment she said this, Su Zhiqiang’s face turned an ugly mix of red and white.

He stiffened his neck and said,
“Mom, I dropped out of school and got married because I wanted to help the family sooner! Me and Xiulian haven’t just sat around doing nothing these years!”

Su Yue chuckled lightly.
“Second Brother, you dropped out because Second Sister-in-law was afraid you’d fall for some other girl at school. That’s why she forced you to quit. We all know the truth, so stop using the family as an excuse.”

Hearing this, Wu Xiulian instantly flew into a rage.
“Little Sister, that’s between me and your second brother! You’ve no place to speak up!”

Then she glared at Su Yue, and at her parents-in-law, and threatened,
“Dad, Mom, Big Brother and Third Brother aren’t home, and they might not come back at all. All these years, we’re the ones who’ve stayed home and kept you company. How does that make us freeloaders? Don’t forget—you’ll be relying on us for your retirement!”

Seeing her son and daughter-in-law still trying to argue, Shen Qiuxia dropped all pretense:
“Have you ever turned over a single coin or grain from the work points and wages you earned each year? The family’s expenses—every one of them—your father and I covered by tightening our belts. Zhiqiang, you tell me, in all these years since your marriage, how much help have we given you, and what real contribution have you made to this family?”

Looking at her son who lowered his head and said nothing, Shen Qiuxia’s eyes turned red with tears, filled with disappointment.
“Second Son, your father and I never expected to rely on you for our old age.”

“Your elder and younger brothers may live far away, but they still think of us. And you? You’re here every day, yet refuse to shoulder even the smallest responsibility. Don’t think just because you do a little housework that you’ve done something great. That’s your duty!”

“This job of Yueyue’s—she earned it on her own. You two need to stop being so envious.”

Wu Xiulian, seeing no way to argue back, resorted to her usual tactic: she threw the kids at home and ran off to her mother’s to figure out her next move.

Seeing this, Shen Qiuxia made up her mind—once the eldest and third sons returned, they’d divide up the family.

With that in mind, she grabbed her youngest daughter by the hand and led her into the main hall.

Su Dahai let out a long sigh and followed behind them.

Su Yue poured cups of water for her parents and comforted them,
“Dad, Mom, have some water. Don’t get upset.”

Su Dahai’s eyes were full of concern.
“Yueyue, everything with your job is settled, right?”

Su Yue smiled gently.
“All set, Dad. Oh, and one more thing—tomorrow, Li Xiangbei’s family is coming over to propose marriage.”

She had already told her mother when she and Li Xiangbei made their relationship official.

Shen Qiuxia nodded slightly, just about to speak, when Su Dahai cut in ahead of her.
“Yueyue,” Su Dahai began, “you’re still young. Maybe it’s better to focus on your job for now and postpone thinking about marriage. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone even more suitable in the future…”

Before he could finish, Shen Qiuxia elbowed him sharply, her eyes full of reproach.

“Don’t stir up trouble here! Yueyue has always been a thoughtful girl—she knows what she’s doing. There’s no need for you to worry. And just listen to yourself, what kind of thing is that to say?” She rolled her eyes at him, then turned back to her daughter with a warm smile.
“Yueyue, as long as you’re sure about it and believe Li Xiangbei is the right person, then your mother supports you.”

Su Dahai quickly added,
“Yueyue, if he ever mistreats you, don’t keep it to yourself. You must come home and tell your parents, understand?”

Su Yue was both touched and amused.
“I understand, Dad. Don’t worry.”

Su Dahai opened his mouth to speak again, but Shen Qiuxia cut him off with a glare.
“Look at the time! Don’t you need to get to work? You don’t want to miss your work points, do you?”

Wu Xiulian didn’t return that entire night. Early the next morning, Su Zhiqiang took their youngest son and headed to the Wu family’s house.

Shen Qiuxia watched them leave, then curled her lip in disdain.
“See that? I bet they’re skipping work again today. Su Dahai, I’m telling you right now—once Yueyue gets married, we’re splitting up the family. You and I will move into the new house.”

That new house had been built with help from Su Zhichen. He’d done it out of love, hoping his parents could live more comfortably. When Su Zhiming heard about it, he also sent over 200 yuan to help. After discussing things, Shen Qiuxia and Su Dahai had initially wanted to put the deed under the names of their eldest and third sons. But since both had moved their household registrations out of the village, they couldn’t legally own the house.

In the end, the house was registered under the names of the elderly couple. It was already built, but Shen Qiuxia planned to wait until her sons returned so they could all move in together.

Su Dahai didn’t hesitate to agree.
“Alright. We’ll do exactly as you say.”

Only then did Shen Qiuxia smile in satisfaction.
“Now go on, get to work. I’ve already asked the brigade leader for leave for today.”

Seeing that it was almost time, she walked over to her daughter’s room and called out,
“Yueyue, are you ready yet?”

Su Yue answered from inside,
“All ready. The door’s open, Mom—just come in.”

Shen Qiuxia pushed open the door and saw her daughter wearing a floral-patterned top paired with blue pants. She immediately frowned and said,
“Didn’t your third sister-in-law send you a couple of new polyester shirts? Why aren’t you wearing one of those? They look much more polished.”

Thinking of this, Shen Qiuxia couldn’t help but grumble softly,
“Just a few years ago, girls could still wear bright clothes and dresses—like those ‘bulaji’ or qipao. My daughter would look stunning in one of those. Sigh, life really is getting worse and worse these days.”

Su Yue’s expression instantly turned serious.
“Mom, you must never say things like that out loud. You don’t know—one of my classmates wore a ‘bulaji’ dress once and got accused of being a bourgeois lady. Her whole family was sent to a remote area. Their life is miserable now.”

Shen Qiuxia’s face turned pale immediately. She instinctively covered her mouth, shocked.
“It’s that serious?”

Su Yue nodded solemnly.
“Yes, very serious. Think about the letters Big Brother and Third Brother have sent home. They used to say they were doing well, but not anymore. Clearly, things have changed out there. And when have they ever complained to us, even once?”

Shen Qiuxia listened and nodded slowly, lost in thought.