Song Qingshan and Song Tingxiu, two brothers, had rushed to the city overnight.

Su Xiangwan, after feeding the three children at the old house, was about to leave when the old lady stopped her.

“You sneaky woman! Aren’t you the village secretary? Did you hide the fifty yuan Qingshan promised to give Tingxiu? Tell me!” the old lady demanded.

Su Xiangwan replied honestly, “Yes.”

Old lady Song, enraged, gritted her teeth and said, “Tomorrow, I’ll go to the commune and report you. I’ll tell them that as a village secretary, you mistreat your mother-in-law. I’ll make sure you lose your position!”

Uncle Song intervened, “Secretary Xiangwan is doing a great job. If we were to replace her, anyone else wouldn’t do as well.”

“But she won’t give me money! She took my fifty yuan!” the old lady shouted.

Su Xiangwan glanced at Jingui, who was sitting there watching the two brothers, Goudan and Ludan, lick their candies.

He looked truly pitiful. Unlike Song Fu, whose maternal grandfather’s family had money to indulge him when he was hungry or craving treats, Jingui’s living standards had plummeted ever since the old lady ran out of money.

Taking advantage of the moment when Goudan was feeding candy to Zhizhi, Jingui suddenly reached out and dipped his finger in Goudan’s candy. He then eagerly sucked on that finger.

Su Xiangwan, unmoved, replied coldly, “You should remember how you treated me back then, how you deceived me. You should know by now that except for your coffin money, I won’t give you a single cent. Go ahead and report me if you want. I’d be delighted if you did. Let’s settle this once and for all. Let’s see how people will judge an old woman who clung to over four thousand yuan in savings while her daughter-in-law fed her children with her own blood.”

Old Lady Song, though fearless in other matters, was terrified at the thought of Su Xiangwan revealing this. Clutching her chest in anger, half of her face suddenly drooped.

She could have gone to the city and taken control of Tingxiu’s money. With Tingxiu’s salary, she could have continued to support Qingyu and the third family.

But now, with Su Xiangwan’s intervention, not only was Qingshan refusing to give Tingxiu money, but he was also keeping her stuck in the village.

How would she manage Tingxiu’s salary now?

The old lady’s heart felt as if it were rotting, and her head throbbed violently. It wasn’t until Uncle Song helped her back to her room that she finally lay down on the kang.

Uncle Song tried to reason with her, “Tingxiu worked hard to get his job. I know your ways. If you go around spreading nonsense at the Public Security Bureau’s residential compound, thinking you’re just scolding Xiangwan, you might inadvertently ruin Tingxiu’s career. Wouldn’t that destroy him?”

The old lady retorted, “I’ve reported things to the army before, and nothing happened.”

Unable to persuade her, Uncle Song suddenly remembered the newly planted red astragalus in their private plot and ran off to water it.

Song Qingshan had been away from home for a while. He had no idea that a scoundrel like Fang Gaodi had dared to hit their eldest sister.

On the road, he asked angrily, “Tingxiu, didn’t you know about your Big Sister getting beaten?”

Song Tingxiu replied sullenly, “She mentioned it to me twice, but Mom said it was a minor squabble. Plus, Fang Gaodi apologized sincerely, so there was no need for a divorce.”

“Mom said there was no need for a divorce, and you just let it go?” Song Qingshan pressed.

Tingxiu gritted his teeth and said, “Mom said it was nothing serious, just a small argument.” After all, he was the most obedient to the old lady.

The brothers kicked open the door to the disheveled house. It was nighttime, and the lights were off.

Song Qingshan called out softly, “Big Sister.”

A weak voice came from inside, “I’m here. Who is it? Qingshan?”

A woman struggled to sit up from the bed and turned on the light.

Seeing Song Qingshan, she immediately cupped his face in her hands. “It really is Qingshan! I heard in Beijing that you were alive. You don’t know how happy I was!”

It was Song Qingshan’s elder sister, Song Dahua. Her face looked fine, but she was clutching her stomach.

“Where’s Caiqi? Why isn’t he here?” Song Qingshan asked.

Song Dahua frowned and replied, “He went to his grandmother’s house. I’m fine; just tired from work and wanted to sleep a bit more.”

Tingxiu asked, “I heard my brother-in-law hit you. Is that true?”

Song Dahua hurriedly shook her head. “No, it’s nothing. Are you hungry? I’ll get up and cook for you.”

Tingxiu looked at his brother. “What should we do?”

After all, they were her brothers; it wouldn’t be right to insist on inspecting her injuries.

Song Qingshan said, “It’s fine. Let’s go back and let her rest.”

But just as Tingxiu was about to leave, Song Qingshan suddenly turned around, yanked up Song Dahua’s sweater, and exposed her back.

“And this? You’re still saying he didn’t hit you?” Her back was covered with bruises, each one a clear mark of a fist.

Song Dahua forcefully pulled her clothes down. “It’s nothing. I hit him too. You two should leave now and stop meddling, okay?”

At that moment, the sound of someone unlocking the door came from outside.

Song Dahua quickly said, “Don’t make trouble, you two. If you do, he’ll hit me again after you leave. I’m serious.”

But it was too late.

Song Qingshan was already peeking through the door and saw Fang Gaodi walking in. Without hesitation, he grabbed Fang Gaodi by the collar and dragged him inside.

In his rage, Song Tingxiu raised his fist, ready to punch Fang Gaodi in the face, but Song Qingshan stopped him. “Are you crazy, second brother? Don’t hit his face.”

“Then where should I hit him?” Song Tingxiu asked.

Looking around, Song Qingshan saw Fang Gaodi struggling and grabbed a chair. “Hold his legs apart for me and cover his mouth.”

---

Half an hour later.

“Brother-in-law, did we hit you?” Song Qingshan asked, holding onto the few strands of hair left on Fang Gaodi’s head.

Fang Gaodi shook his head. “No.”

“Do you still want to stay married to my sister?” Song Qingshan asked again.

Fang Gaodi nodded furiously but then quickly shook his head. “No, I don’t dare anymore.”

Song Qingshan stood up, looking at Song Dahua standing by the bedroom door.

He said softly, “From now on, he shouldn’t dare hit you again. Get a divorce quickly. Tingxiu is now a deputy director at the Public Security Bureau. If his sister is being abused, isn’t that a joke?”

Song Dahua nodded but sighed lightly. “I’m just afraid the kids won’t want to stay with me.”

Song Qingshan then asked, “I heard Jinhuan has been causing trouble too?”

“He’s still out there. I told him not to come back for now,” Song Dahua replied.

“If the kid’s behavior is really bad, he needs to be disciplined. Sister, we can’t spoil children. Do you understand?” Song Qingshan said.

Song Dahua had tried to discipline her son, even getting into physical fights with him. But at only 15 years old, Jinhuan was taller and stronger than her, and she couldn’t win.

Still, this was a family matter, and Song Dahua didn’t want to burden Song Qingshan with it.

---

After the reservoir was completed, it entered the water storage phase. Song Qingshan’s main duties shifted from the reservoir to the command center at the county government.

Thus, he spent most of his time at the command center recently. With Tingxiu at the Public Security Bureau, they weren’t worried about Fang Gaodi stirring up trouble. More importantly, Song Qingshan could now return home daily.

That evening, as Song Qingshan was returning home after work, he ran into Song Jianguo.

“Jianguo, why are you so cheerful?” Song Qingshan stopped his tractor and got down to greet him.

Song Jianguo grinned, saliva dripping down his chin. “Qingshan, I need to go to the township to pick up the educated youths. Oh, and our sow just gave birth to seven piglets!”

Seven piglets!

A crossbreed of wild and domestic pigs.

When the news spread, the whole village was abuzz.

The piglets were incredibly hardy, willing to eat even ground-up corn stalks mixed with a bit of vegetables.

Hearing that Xiao Songzhuang had a wild boar capable of breeding, people from neighboring villages, like Da Songzhuang and Sujia Village, rushed to buy sows and brought them to Xiao Songzhuang for breeding.

The wild boar, fierce and majestic, patrolled its pen protectively, guarding the sow that had just given birth. It wouldn’t let anyone approach.

As for the other sows, it remained indifferent despite all the coaxing and shouting from Song Qi and others. It simply refused to breed.

“Qingshan, I heard you helped with the breeding before. Can you help us out?” Da Songzhuang’s village secretary, Song Guoqing, pleaded.

Song Qingshan, just off his tractor, gave Song Guoqing a cold glance, said nothing, and went inside.

At home, Su Xiangwan was cooking meat.

She had cut some high-quality pork belly into chunks, coated them with brown sugar, and was stewing them in a pot.

“I, Song Xiling, won’t tell Dad where this meat came from,” Goudan said confidently.

“Song Xiling, where did your mom get the meat?” Song Qingshan asked.

Goudan quickly replied, “It’s from Da Songzhuang’s village secretary. He brought it as a thank-you for breeding. Dad, did you help them breed?”

Song Qingshan looked at Su Xiangwan, who said, “Hurry up and help them out!”

“No,” Song Qingshan replied firmly.

Su Xiangwan chased after him into the house. “Da Songzhuang gave us the meat, and they promised whoever successfully helps would get it. If you don’t help, how can I eat this meat?”

Song Qingshan turned and cornered her. “Little Su Xiangzhi, do you know who I am?”

“Song Qingshan. Goudan’s dad, Ludan’s dad. Why?” Su Xiangwan replied.

Song Qingshan pursed his lips and sighed helplessly. “I’m the leader of Regiment 307. If word got out that I helped pigs breed, do you think I’d have any dignity left in the army?”

Ah, so that was the issue.

The meat had already been eaten.

Su Xiangwan went outside to see the wild boar still refusing to breed, despite the commotion.

In the end, she promised Da Songzhuang’s secretary they could use the village’s donkey for free breeding instead, finally settling the matter.

---

“By the way, did you beat up Fang Gaodi when you went to the city? Did you give him a good thrashing?” Su Xiangwan asked Song Qingshan after returning home.

Song Qingshan smirked. “We’re government employees. How could we resort to violence? We’re civilized people. We don’t hit others.”

Indeed, they hadn’t hit him, but Fang Gaodi was bedridden.

In fact, for the next two or three months, Song Dahua would have to take care of him.

As for his injuries, he didn’t dare tell anyone.

For men who liked to commit domestic violence, Song Qingshan believed in giving them a taste of their own medicine—injuries they couldn’t admit to.

“Cowards. Your own sister was beaten, and neither of you dared do anything about it? What’s the point of being so tall if you won’t act? If you didn’t, surely Tingxiu should have!” Su Xiangwan fumed.

Song Qingshan chuckled, said nothing, and walked out.

However, as soon as he stepped out, he heard that back at the old house, the elderly lady had suffered a stroke. Her legs were fine, but her hands and feet were numb, and half her face was paralyzed.

What to do? Naturally, she needed to be taken to the hospital immediately.

But just as they were about to leave, Song Qingshan realized he didn’t have a single penny in his pocket.

Without money, how could he take his mother to the hospital?

Su Xiangwan watched for a while, then pulled fifty yuan out of her pocket and handed it to Song Qingshan.

Fine.

She figured it was her anger that caused the stroke, so she was more than willing to give the money. Really.

Old Lady Song stayed in the hospital for about five or six days before returning home.

It wasn’t a big deal; it was just a minor blockage. From then on, she wouldn’t be as nimble as before. She had to take medicine and also rely on a cane.

Three educated youths were sent to the labor reform unit. When they arrived, they had a meeting first and then joined the work.

As for the large courtyard of the landlord’s house, each took a room, and the place instantly became lively.