Xiao Huaidong slowly turned around, looking at the two of them with a blank expression.
“If you have something to say, just say it properly. Why look for the village chief?”
Li Xiulan quickly chimed in, forcing a smile onto her face. “Exactly. The village chief is out working with everyone right now, no need to disturb them. Don’t you just want to be with this woman? Fine, we agree.”
Xiao Huaidong raised an eyebrow and looked at them without speaking.
Based on his understanding of his parents, the faster they compromised, the more schemes they were hiding. There was no way they would let him go so easily.
“How about this—you can marry into her family, we won’t object. But after you leave, you have to send us eighteen yuan every month.”
After Li Xiulan finished, Xiao Aiguo added, “Besides that, you also need to find your second brother an office job in the city. It’d be best if it pays thirty-five yuan a month. If you can get him a house too, that would be even better. And before you leave, go talk to the village chief and give the militia squad leader position to your eldest brother.”
After saying this, the two of them looked at Xiao Huaidong with expectant faces.
“That’s all? Nothing else?” Xiao Huaidong suppressed his anger and asked coldly.
“Then let us think some more!”
His response made Li Xiulan and Xiao Aiguo feel like they hadn’t asked for enough.
Just as they were about to make even more outrageous demands, Xiao Huaidong let out a self-mocking laugh.
“I’m going to marry into her family and live off a woman. I’ll be relying on her to support me. Becoming a militia squad leader requires evaluation and selection. As for finding my second brother an office job—do you really think someone like me, a country bumpkin, has the power to control things in the city?”
Li Xiulan pointed at Xu Huaying. “Isn’t she here? We’re all family. Shouldn’t she help your second brother?”
Xu Huaying sneered. “Who’s family with you? You’re not worthy.”
Xiao Aiguo barked angrily, “He hasn’t even left with you yet! And you dare speak about his parents like that in front of him? Aren’t you afraid he’ll abandon you?”
Xu Huaying calmly sneered, “Brother Dong has already seen through you. His heart has gone cold toward you. Even if he abandons you, he won’t abandon me.”
Li Xiulan and Xiao Aiguo were so angry they were gasping for breath, pointing at Xu Huaying but unable to say a word.
After a while, their gaze fell on Xiao Huaidong. “Old Fifth, you…”
“Enough! Not a single cent. All these years, I’ve spent money supporting this entire family—that’s more than enough. If you want to remove me from the family, go ahead. If you don’t want me as your son, then don’t. I only came back to inform you that I’m marrying Huaying. Once I get the household registration split and a letter of introduction from the village chief, we’re leaving.”
After saying that, Xiao Huaidong reached out and took Xiao Nanchu’s hand, his tone softening.
“Little Bean Sprout, let’s go. We’ll pack up and head to the city with Aunt Xu to live a better life.”
The old couple of the Xiao family, having gained nothing, were unwilling to let them go.
They jumped up and blocked their path. “Old Fifth, you can’t leave yet.”
Li Xiulan suddenly pointed at Xiao Nanchu. “If you want to marry into her family, fine. But as the saying goes, a stepmother means a stepfather. Our Xiao family’s child can’t go to someone else’s home to suffer. Leave her here—I’ll take care of her. You just need to send fifteen yuan every month for her living expenses.”
As she spoke, she crouched down, forcing a smile as she reached out to touch Xiao Nanchu’s messy hair.
“Little Bean Sprout, your father is going to the city to live under someone else’s roof. If you go with him, you’ll have to watch your stepmother’s face. Stay with Grandma instead. I’ll cook meat for you every day, okay?”
Xiao Nanchu asked innocently, “Grandma, is that true? You won’t hit or scold me anymore? You won’t only give me a bowl of salty gruel every day? You won’t sell me to traffickers again?”
“Little Bean Sprout? You said your grandma tried to sell you to traffickers?!”
Xiao Huaidong stared at Li Xiulan in disbelief. “You beat and scold her, starve her—I endured it because you raised me. But I never thought you’d be so heartless as to sell your own granddaughter. Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?”
“Brother Dong, call the police! Grandparents like them deserve to be taken in and reformed!”
Li Xiulan panicked and denied it repeatedly. “No, no! That wretched girl is lying, slandering us!”
Xiao Aiguo glared fiercely at Xiao Nanchu. “You believe a child’s nonsense?”
Xiao Nanchu looked at Xiao Huaidong with teary eyes, her lips tightly pressed together in grievance.
Just as Xiao Huaidong was about to refute them, Xu Huaying analyzed calmly, “She hasn’t been sold yet, which means someone saved her at the time. As long as we find that person, the truth will come out. Little Bean Sprout is obedient and sensible—I believe she’s not a child who lies.”
Li Xiulan and Xiao Aiguo’s eyes flickered with unease. They stared nervously at Xiao Huaidong and glared resentfully at Xu Huaying.
“Heh…”
Xiao Huaidong clenched his fists. Parents like these—he no longer wanted them.
“If you keep blocking us, I’ll report you to the police.”
With that, he took Xiao Nanchu’s hand, brought Xu Huaying along, and walked toward the door.
“Oh heavens! I can’t live anymore! A son abandoning his parents will be struck by lightning! How did I give birth to such a wretched beast…”
Li Xiulan lay on the ground, wailing and rolling while cursing.
Xiao Aiguo took a deep drag from his pipe and called out to Xiao Huaidong, who was about to step out the door.
“Old Fifth, we agree to everything.”
Xiao Huaidong stopped, still facing away from them.
But then Xiao Aiguo continued, “We don’t want anything else. But your mother had a hard time raising you. My only request is this—you can leave, but you must take your mother with you. Otherwise, your mother and I will hang ourselves right in front of you.”
Xiao Huaidong suddenly turned around. His heart was more dead than sorrowful.
These… were his parents.
Xu Huaying tightened her grip on his hand, looking at the redness in his eyes with concern. “Brother Dong, don’t be sad. It’s just one more pair of chopsticks. I can afford to support her.”
A shadow flickered in Xiao Huaidong’s eyes. After a long pause, he nodded.
“Alright.”
Li Xiulan immediately scrambled up from the ground, overjoyed and gesturing excitedly. “Oh, Old Fifth, I knew you were the best! I’ll go pack a few clothes right now. Let Huaying and Little Bean Sprout stay home and help me—you go find the village chief!”
Xiao Huaidong glanced at Xu Huaying, gave a slight nod, and strode out the door.
An hour later.
After packing a large bundle of clothes, Li Xiulan ran to a neighbor’s house to boast about how she was going to the city to enjoy life with her son.
But then the neighbor gossiped, “Xiulan, two police officers just came to the village. They said that half a month ago, an old trafficker tried to abduct a six-year-old girl here. They’re going to the village chief and plan to gather all six-year-old girls in the village to identify the trafficker!”
Li Xiulan was so shocked she jumped up and ran home, all her joy about going to the city gone in an instant.
She rushed back in panic—just as Xiao Huaidong returned after completing the paperwork.
Without a word, Li Xiulan urged the three of them to leave quickly.
“I just remembered I left something at your aunt’s house. I won’t go to the city with you today. Once I get it back, I’ll come find you in the city. Hurry up—if you’re late, you’ll miss the last bus!”