"It’s fake?" Mother He’s mouth fell open in disbelief, as she hadn’t been inford about this. She had worried and felt heartache for nothing. She shot an accusing look at He’s father, who quickly pleaded for rcy.
"Right, Auntie, when you go to the shop tomorrow, bring a bit of money, just enough for train tickets for four people will do," Bai Yixian prompted, seeing that no one else seed inclined to speak up.
Mother He frowned slightly as she grasped the key point and nodded, "Okay."
"I’ve made you suffer, wife," He’s father whispered, having lost all hope in his mother, who had brought him into this world, and his brother, three years his senior. No wonder the sisters who had married off years ago never wished to pay a visit back ho, let alone bring dowries—it’s likely they hadn’t even repaid their own bride prices yet.
"This is the last ti, you’ve promised no more ddling after this," Mother He glared at He’s father, who looked at her pleadingly, and she softened, "But I’m not that heartless. If you want to give money for their elder care, I won’t stop you after all they did give birth to you. Should they fall ill and need money, I won’t stop you either, but if anything like before happens again..." Mother He stopped, leaving her sentence unfinished.
"Look how understanding my wife is," He’s father boasted, holding his half-dismantled cast close to her face, "Don’t worry, nothing like that will ever happen again, we’re done with them."
"That’s good," Mother He said, brushing off He’s father’s embracing hand, her heart aching at his now more haggard face.
The al passed in a mix of laughter and teasing. Luo Qianqian, eating the familiar-tasting porridge, could only roll her eyes speechlessly at Bai Yixian’s inscrutable gazes.
Just as everyone expected, Luo’s Mom and Mother He had hardly stepped off the train when they saw a few people squatting by the closed doors of the shop.
Mother He was about to approach, but Luo’s Mom held her back, and the two of them took their ti eating breakfast at a nearby stall.
"Mom, isn’t that the money-losing piece of trash from the Huang Family?" He Guo, bundled up in thick clothing, trembled in the corner. He saw the two won having breakfast at the stall.
The two of them had already eaten breakfast; sitting here now eating another was nothing more than an attempt to provoke. After hearing about yesterday’s events from Mother He, Luo’s Mom was furious. How could there be such shaless people?
"Give a bowl of hot soy milk, no, make it three," shivered Cong Xin, who had been out all night, rushing towards them. Even Luo’s Mom felt ashad at her lack of speed.
Luo’s Mom paid for both their als, "This is for us," and as the vendor acknowledged with a nod, she quickly left with Mother He.
"Huang Yueran, pay for our breakfast," said Cong Xin, not minding the barely touched youtiao, tearing pieces off to share with her son and grandson.
"I don’t have money. Didn’t you see I’m being treated to breakfast?" Mother He sneered, walking away with Luo’s Mom.
The breakfast stall owner, well aware of the situation and knowing there was no money to settle the bill, decided not to waste anything and poured the soy milk back into the large container. He had heard about the recent commotion; every woman was being called a debt-incurred loss, and a granddaughter had even been sent to the hospital.
Luo’s Mom dared not open the shop door, afraid these ruffians would occupy it once more and refuse to leave. So, she humored Mother He by loitering nearby. Seeing that the two won were not opening the shop, Cong Xin had no choice but to finish off their leftovers before following them.
"Huang Yueran, you’re also a daughter-in-law of our family. Give us so money so we can find a place to live," He Guo spoke up, his words lacking any politeness.
"I thought I made it clear, I don’t have money," Mother He looked at the three with sheer disgust. "Besides, I have no ties with He Jun anymore. Please, spare the relationship talk, alright? You want money? Sure, just return every last item of the dowry my family gave ; otherwise, forget it!"
"Have you no sha? Cheap trash, money-paying trash, if you’re part of our family, just give the money and be done with it. If you have no money, can’t you borrow? To be born in our family ans to be our ghost in death!" Cong Xin spat out vile words that made one’s stomach turn, and at her age, the unclean language seed especially contemptible, "Even if you have to sell yourself, you must give money!"
"What can you do to if I don’t give? You want to go to jail?" Huang Yueran was ready to give them the money after being persuaded, but these words infuriated her. She wouldn’t be willing to squander even on a comic book that served no purpose to her daughter.
"Mom," He Guo tugged at Cong Xin’s sleeve, eyebrows knitted. If this continued, they wouldn’t just fail to get money, they might end up in jail again.
Realizing she had misspoken as the situation turned against her, Cong Xin hurriedly modified her words, "Yueran, look, we have no money and can’t even go back ho."
"Return the dowry to . Forget about the money; I’ll consider it dog food after all these years. Not a single piece of the gold jewelry my mother gave can be missing!" Mother He declared sternly, standing her ground defiantly before the shaless group. As He Jun’s ex-wife, now was her opportunity to reclaim what had been subjected to years of oppression, or the chance might never co again.
"No way!" Cong Xin was about to hurl insults when stopped by her son, who shook his head at her, "Look, we don’t carry the gold jewelry with us, it’s all back in our hotown."
Mother He scoffed, suspecting that it had already been sold for money.
"Is that so? Then I’ll call my mom to check. If it’s there, we’ll talk after," said Mother He, grabbing Luo’s Mom’s arm, ready to leave.
"I sold it, it’s all gone," He Guo blurted out as they started to leave.
"You sold my dowry, so why should I give you money? Do I owe you anything?" Mother He mocked.
"You owe us for not bearing Laoer a son!" Cong Xin declared.
Luo’s Mom could no longer stand by and watch, interjecting, "Sohow I feel Brother He doesn’t quite resemble the rest of them, does he?"
"Not just dissimilar? There’s no one taller than one tre seventy in the whole family, yet He Jun is one eighty-two," Mother He pointed out. "The whole family is cunning and calculating. I haven’t seen his elder and younger sisters clearly, but this He Guo’s family is exactly as shrewd and calculating as this old lady. And look how honest He Jun is."
Cong Xin and He Guo’s faces turned a shade paler as they heard these words. Cong Xin quickly retorted, "Don’t talk nonsense! Laoer is my child, wouldn’t I know?"
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