Chapter 30: The Unfortunate Marriage of My Cousin

“Mom, Grandma, I found some great things today!”

As soon as Su Jinyan stepped through the door, she shouted eagerly.

Once she entered the living room, she was surprised to see so many people.

“Uncle, Aunt, little aunt and uncle, you’re here!”

“Oh, and all three cousins are here too?”

Today, not only did her little aunt and her husband come, but the three cousins were also there.

A few days ago, her elder cousin had something to attend to, her second cousin hadn’t returned yet, and her third cousin was busy with exams, so they weren’t around.

Her elder cousin, Chen Bingnian, who was two months younger than her, was already working as a data clerk at a municipal office. He smiled and greeted her, “Yanyan Sister.”

Her second cousin, Chen Bingqi, just returned from the countryside two years ago and has been accepted into the Foreign Language Department of a university in the capital this year. He wore glasses and appeared refined; his skin was rough from the sun and wind, showing he had truly labored in the countryside.

Her third cousin, Chen Bingyuan, was in high school and had never gotten along well with the original owner of the name. He often scolded her for being foolish and merely snorted, sitting to one side without any intention of greeting her.

Her little aunt scoffed, patting Chen Bingyuan on the shoulder, “Can’t you see anyone?” She then turned to Su Jinyan, as if she saw her own daughter, smiling as she approached, “Yanyan, what good things did you bring?”

Su Jinyan was not upset by her third cousin’s rudeness; instead, she smiled brightly and said, “Little aunt, I bought two baskets of huge goose eggs!”

“The nutrition of goose eggs is dozens of times that of chicken eggs! Now our whole family can be replenished. Additionally, I’ve asked the seller to reserve some for me in the future.”

Su Yaqin was taken aback. Goose eggs? She regarded Su Jinyan with disbelief, “Two baskets of goose eggs?”

Chicken eggs are rare, but goose eggs are even harder to come by. They hadn’t seen any for years.

Although geese can be eaten, they produce very few eggs. Those who raise them typically keep the eggs for themselves or sell them to acquaintances before they can be placed on the market.

At that moment, Su Jinjun entered the room carrying two baskets of eggs, followed by Zhang Yanling, holding her child.

Everyone turned to look.

Su Jinyan smilingly took one basket from Su Jinjun’s hands and pulled open the snake-skin bag covering it, “Look, little aunt, what do you think?”

Seeing the large, white goose eggs, everyone was taken aback. Aunt couldn’t help but come closer, intrigued and amazed, picking up one of the eggs for a closer look.

These goose eggs were enormous!

Su Jinyan laughed, “Everyone can take some home later. Don’t worry about eating them. I’ve arranged for the seller to reserve them for me; we won’t run out.”

“Yanyan, you’ve only been out for a little while. Where did you buy these? Did you go to the black market?”

Uncle Su Chengyun frowned and asked.

Such goods wouldn’t be sold openly at supply and marketing cooperatives or department stores. If there were any, they would have long been snatched up internally.

Su Jinyan smiled and replied, “Uncle, how could I dare to go to the black market!”

“I was just coming out after buying some oil barrels from the supply and marketing cooperative when I noticed an old man pushing a bicycle, quietly wandering around the entrance of a nearby alley. I observed him for a while and discovered he was selling something. However, it seemed like people thought his prices were too high, so not many were buying. I was curious and went to take a look and unexpectedly found these great things.”

“Do you know where he came from? Is it safe?”

“Uncle, who would ask about such deals? They’d rather cover themselves up so that no one can tell whether they are male or female.”

Su Yaqin laughed scornfully, “Alright then, don’t tell your uncle these things. You might end up overdoing it.”

It’s still her clever niece; who doesn’t buy things discreetly? They would rather disguise themselves, not even distinguishing between men or women! Asking for names and origins? It’s like a joke!

Su Chengyun shot her a sideways glance. Though he disapproved of buying from the black market due to the risks involved, he wasn’t an old stick-in-the-mud either.

“Anyway, Yanyan, you’re just a little girl; you shouldn’t be going to the black market in the future.”

Su Jinyan chuckled, carrying the basket toward the kitchen. “Aunt Yang is a great cook. Let’s have her fry some big goose eggs for dinner.”

Everyone agreed—this was a rare treat!

While Aunt Yang was cooking, Su Jinyan joyfully pulled everyone to try on clothes and distribute them.

Aside from a couple of unfamiliar sisters-in-law and a few children, everyone else was present.

Su Jinyan took out a camel-colored woolen coat and handed it to her elder sister-in-law, “Sister-in-law, I’m sorry I didn’t know your size before, so I didn’t buy you anything. Now that I see you’re around my size, you can wear this. I haven’t worn it before; it’s new.”

Although she thought it odd that her elder cousin would choose a wife who looked like a country girl, she respected her cousin’s choice.

Love knows no bounds between city and countryside, right?

Zhang Yanling smiled and waved her hand, casting a glance at Su Jinjun, “You wear it; sister-in-law has a child and doesn’t go out much. You’re about to start school, so it’s perfect for you.”

Despite saying this, her eyes were glued to the clothes.

She had never seen such beautiful garments, let alone worn them!

Su Jinyan grinned, “You can’t wear such eye-catching clothes to school, sister-in-law. Don’t be shy; if you don’t take it, will you say I didn’t prepare a gift for you?”

At that moment, Su Jinjun said lightly, “Yanyan is giving it to you, so just take it. It’s been a while since you bought new clothes.”

Zhang Yanling’s eyes instantly brightened, and she nodded, smiling without saying much.

Why had she not bought clothes for so long?

Because all the clothing coupons issued by the military had been given to her mother-in-law, and Su Jinyan received them!!!

The clothes she wore now were all old garments or ones issued by Su Jinjun’s military unit!

Hunched over, she squeezed the soft and thick wool coat in her hands, her mouth curling slightly in irony.

Coming from the same family, the disparity was substantial.

An unmarried girl effortlessly gave away such valuable clothing. (No one in the family had told Zhang Yanling about Su Jinyan’s marriage.)

Hearing that her family had various seafood and so much food must be worth over a thousand bucks. Clearly, the Su family often subsidized their expenses.

What about her? In the army, she had to count every penny just to eat a bit of meat and a plain steamed bun.

Su Jinyan looked at her elder sister-in-law and raised her eyes to her ever-proud elder cousin, her eyes filled with confusion.

Such a fine cousin, young and already a deputy regiment leader, how did he end up marrying her…

Cough, stop, she didn’t understand!

It must be true love!

The clothing was truly well-received by everyone, especially her fashion-conscious aunt Su Yaqin, who tried on high heels, long dresses, fitted pants with floral shirts, two woolen coats, and a down jacket, clearly enamored with them.

Seeing her little aunt so fond of beautiful clothes, Su Jinyan decided to provide her with a new wardrobe every season!

Xin Huimin was strict and busy with work. Su Yaqin had treated the original owner like her biological daughter since childhood, and now that affection was directed at her, she naturally wanted to repay her kindness.

When the meal was prepared, Aunt Yang called everyone to the table, and they reluctantly set aside their clothes.

Tonight’s dinner was significant, with Aunt Yang putting in a lot of effort.

Steamed bass, fried hairtail fish, boiled shrimp, garlic oysters, white-cut chicken, pig trotters stewed with yellow beans, braised pork, tofu boxes, scallions stir-fried with goose eggs, sweet and sour ribs, beef stewed with potatoes, cold bok choy, cold black fungus, scallion for tofu salad, and mutton, radish, and goji berry soup, alongside rice and flatbreads.

With so many people in the Su family, a specially ordered banquet table filled with food was laid out on the large round table.

The aromas were rich, colors bright, and the presentation appealing.

“Aunt Yang, your cooking could be considered imperial chef level.”

“Yeah! Each time I eat Aunt Yang’s cooking, I forget all about the staple food.”

“Grandma only lets Aunt Yang cook like this when Su Jinyan is around!”

They could eat for months with this much food!

It was all meat, and they had plenty of meat coupons too.

Grandma Su looked at everyone, “If you could bring back as many good things as Yanyan does, I would let Aunt Yang do the cooking for you too.”

“You all can’t be satisfied with just having food! Aunt Yang usually cooks too, but it’s always millet porridge, steamed buns, and stir-fried cabbage. None of you little brats ever come to have a decent meal with this old woman.”

A few people laughed nervously.

No one spoke further; they just started eating.

Hot food would surely keep them quiet!

Tender fish, delicious shrimp, tasty fried goose eggs, beef; everyone’s chopsticks flew across the table like they were in a fight.
In the Su family’s dining culture, there was no custom of eating quietly. The atmosphere was lively and noisy. One of her little cousin brothers seemed curious and asked Su Jinyan twice how she managed to get such goodies.

Su Jinyan smiled like a benevolent Buddha, effortlessly playing it cool, “No matter the era, money can make the world go ’round. If you lack tickets, just handle business without them.”

“Seafood is hard to come by around here, but I know someone at the port in Jin City. If anyone wants to eat, just let me know.”

At that moment, Zhang Yanling, feeding her child goose eggs, suddenly brightened up and softly said, “Xiao Yan, really? You can buy things without tickets? Could you possibly get me some fish and a few pounds of shrimp? The child is at such a growing stage, and eating more fish and shrimp will help him grow taller.”

Suddenly, the lively atmosphere at the table shifted, and everyone fell silent.

Zhang Yanling subtly pressed her lips together in apology, “I’m sorry, I misspoke. It’s okay if you can’t buy them; the child can eat steamed bread too.”

Steamed bread too?

Su Jinyan narrowed her eyes; was this a subtle jab?

Was she talking about her elder brother or implying that uncle and Aunt were treating her poorly as a daughter-in-law?

The atmosphere in the living room grew colder.

Su Jinjun narrowed his eyes and coldly said, “When did our family start eating steamed bread?”

His voice was icy enough to freeze, gritting his teeth with a palpable lack of deference towards Zhang Yanling.

Su Jinyan didn’t want to let this woman ruin her pleasant evening.

With a flirtatious smile, she said, “Big brother, you really aren’t fulfilling your duty. You’re in the army every day; how would you know what the family eats?” She turned back to Zhang Yanling, “Sister-in-law, I bought plenty this time for everyone, including you. You can take some back later; as a mother, you should make more fish and shrimp porridge for the child.”

Su Jinjun coldly interjected, “Yanyan!”

Su Jinyan looked at him with a warm smile, “Big brother, are you still being polite with me?”

Su Jinjun held his tongue, unwilling to speak further.

He didn’t want this woman to take advantage. If she continued acting this way, he would never get promoted and would want a divorce!

The once warm atmosphere didn’t improve, and everyone quietly continued their meals.

Everyone in the family knew the circumstances behind Su Jinjun’s marriage. None of them liked Zhang Yanling, who appeared calculating and petty. After all, this child was born out of careful planning.

Su Jinjun was the eldest grandson of the Su family! Such a wife—

Zhang Yanling remained indifferent, gorging herself on the dishes, enjoying this food that these people didn’t seem to like anyway. If they didn’t want to eat, why should she deprive her own stomach?

When had she ever eaten such delicious food?
After being married for more than two years, this was her first time returning home for the New Year. The entire family disapproved of her, and in the following year, during the holiday, Su Jinjun didn’t even bring her along, leaving her at the army base while he enjoyed with his family. He never even gave her his salary tickets to manage!

Twenty dollars a month—what could she do with that!

Zhang Yanling held grievances against this man, whom she had picked after a long consideration, thinking that with over a hundred bucks monthly, she could support her younger brother’s education and even get him a wife. But now? Nothing at all!

What she forgot was that the twenty dollars was merely her pocket money. All the rice, vegetables, and food were purchased by Su Jinjun.

When they had just married, Su Jinjun had handed over his salary slips to her. Not only did she eat well and dress well, but she also sent a fixed thirty dollars every month back home. With her family constantly asking for money, it often left her family struggling by the month’s end, and she even secretly borrowed money and tickets from others in the military compound, which amusingly made her a laughingstock.

The origins of Su Jinjun and Zhang Yanling’s marriage were an old tale, yet Su Jinjun was caught in that trap.

Near the military base, there were several nearby villages. One time, when Su Jinjun was on leave, he passed by a river when he suddenly heard cries for help.

Due to his profession, he jumped into the river to save someone, not realizing it was a setup. The family of the person he rescued had been waiting for him to save their daughter…

In the hot summer, he swam back to shore with Zhang Yanling in his arms, only to find a crowd gathered. The Zhang family was wailing and crying that their daughter’s purity had been ruined and that she would never find a husband, pressuring Su Jinjun to accept the marriage.

At that time, he was at a critical point for promotion. If a scandal erupted, he wouldn’t be able to dream of it for years! Moreover, he had really saved someone…

In the evening, after the Su family left, Su Jinyan listened to the gossip from Su Chengguo, and the sighs never seemed to stop.

I wonder if her elder brother wants a divorce—

A man so talented, would he really want to spend a lifetime with such a woman? Wouldn’t he end up depressed?

The next day was the Little New Year. Su Jinyan woke up early to cook for Xin Huimin and Su Chengguo all day, making dumplings to freeze in the yard. After nine-thirty, she returned to the courtyard.

Xin Huimin rarely went out due to the constant security, so she wouldn’t visit Su’s family for the Little New Year, fearing to create trouble.

In this era, customs were still highly valued.

Married daughters could not celebrate the Little New Year, New Year’s, Mid-Autumn Festival, or any other significant reunion festivals at their natal homes.

Just before arriving home, Su Jinyan took two frozen large yellow croakers, two pounds of large shrimp, five pounds of pork belly, three pounds of beef, a leg of lamb, and a pair of couple ‘Omega’ mechanical watches from her space.

Zhao Yuanyi was out running errands every day, and he needed a watch for convenience. The original owner had an old Shanghai-brand watch. She examined it and thought it had good collection value, so she decided to save it.

Holding onto it was for future appreciation!