That old bastard!
Su Nian’an cursed inwardly.
The Su family didn’t have that much money or that many coupons? Su Nian’an would have to be a complete fool to believe that.
Although Su Aiguo and his wife were both employees now, the Su family had actually been in business in the past.
It was only to avoid being labeled capitalists that the Su family donated part of their property, while Su Aiguo and his wife also bought themselves jobs as workers. That was how they managed to avoid being sent down to the countryside.
But as for the assets the Su family had accumulated in the past, Su Nian’an did not believe for a second that they could not come up with what she had just demanded.
“No! My demands aren’t even that much, yet you’re still cutting them down by more than half. You have absolutely no sincerity! You should know that once I go to the countryside this time, there’s no telling whether I’ll be dragged out and subjected to public criticism. Do you know how terrifying that is? And yet, all of this is something Su Nianxi should have been the one to endure.”
Su Nian’an kept emphasizing that these were things Su Nianxi should have been responsible for, making Su Nianxi too frightened to say a single word.
She was terrified that if the negotiations broke down, Su Nian’an would simply refuse to take her place and marry Gu Qingyu.
They couldn’t force her either. If they pushed Su Nian’an too far, she might reveal the fact that she wasn’t the Su family’s biological daughter.
Although Su Nianxi did not understand why her parents were so afraid of Su Nian’an revealing her identity, she wasn’t stupid. If her parents themselves didn’t want the truth made public, why would she deliberately expose it?
Su Aiguo sighed before saying, “The Su family’s assets were all donated back then. We really don’t have that much left. Nian’an, Dad knows that the Su family has wronged you. That’s why I wanted to compensate you with some money and coupons, so you’d have a little more with you and wouldn’t have such a difficult time after going to the countryside. That’s why I agreed to give you so much. But, Nian’an, people have to learn to be content, don’t they?”
Listening to Su Aiguo’s words, which were half an emotional appeal and half a threat, Su Nian’an couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.
What an old fox.
He was so ruthless toward his own biological daughter, yet he loved his brother’s daughter so much.
Su Nian’an even wondered whether Su Aiguo had some kind of inappropriate relationship with this so-called good brother of his. Otherwise, why would he protect Su Nianxi so fiercely?
But people in this era were conservative, so such situations were rare. Su Nianxi probably had some other identity after all. After all, she was an important vicious female supporting character in the novel.
“It’s not that I don’t know how to be content. Once I go to the countryside, I might never be able to come back for the rest of my life. And when I ask you for some money and coupons, you still want to be so stingy. Since you have no sincerity, then forget it. Whoever wants to marry into the Gu family can do it. I’m not marrying him!”
After saying this, Su Nian’an stood up and prepared to leave.
Seeing that she was about to leave, Su Nianxi panicked.
She absolutely did not want to go to the countryside. But her parents clearly insisted that someone had to marry into the Gu family. If Su Nian’an refused, wouldn’t that person have to be her?
“Dad~”
Su Nianxi couldn’t help calling out to Su Aiguo coquettishly again.
Su Nian’an rolled her eyes. She had just reached the doorway when Su Aiguo’s voice came from behind her.
“I’ll give you ten thousand yuan, thirty jin of meat coupons, thirty jin of cloth coupons, and fifty jin of grain coupons. Nian’an, Dad really can only take out this much. The Su family has to live too.”
Su Nian’an stopped in her tracks.
Then she slowly turned around and looked at Su Aiguo, who was sitting opposite her.
“I won’t haggle with you over the other things. But I want one hundred jin of grain coupons.”
Grain coupons could be exchanged for flour. Su Nian’an was already thinking about making some pastries with it later.
After all, no matter what kind of hardship she had to endure, she absolutely could not let her stomach suffer, right?
As for money, Su Nian’an believed she could earn more herself.
“Nian’an…”
Su Aiguo was about to say something, but Su Nian’an immediately interrupted him.
“This is my bottom line. If you want me to go to the countryside in place of your adopted daughter, you have to offer me enough benefits. Otherwise, why would I willingly make myself the scapegoat?”
Su Nian’an dared to be so tough because she had correctly recognized her current position as the crucial candidate for the substitute bride being sent to the countryside. The Su couple did not dare do anything to her.
After all, the Gu family wanted a perfectly intact bride. What could Su Aiguo and his wife possibly dare to do to Su Nian’an?
“Fine! I agree.”
Su Aiguo gritted his teeth and agreed immediately.
Liu Cuilian, who was sitting nearby, became increasingly upset the more she thought about it. She finally cursed, “Su Nian’an, what have you learned from staying with your aunt all these years? How to cheat your own biological parents? I really misjudged you. I originally thought that your appearance would help our Su family. Who would have thought that the moment you opened your mouth, you would want to take away so much of the Su family’s property?”
Liu Cuilian still wasn’t willing to give up. She didn’t want to let Su Nian’an take so much money and so many coupons with her.
After all, what Su Nian’an was asking for was not a small amount. It was practically the family’s emergency savings. When Liu Cuilian heard Su Aiguo agree, her heart was already bleeding.
Although it was already the latter half of the 1970s, ten thousand yuan was still an enormous sum of money.
And then there were the coupons. Coupons were difficult to accumulate at this time. Having to hand over so many all at once how could Liu Cuilian possibly be willing?
“Fine. Since you don’t agree, then there’s nothing more to discuss. I’m going back to my room. Don’t call me unless there’s something important.”
Just as Su Nian’an was about to leave, Su Aiguo immediately shouted angrily at Liu Cuilian, “Why do you have to say so much?!”
Liu Cuilian was still unwilling to accept it.
That was so much money! Why should they give it to a daughter who had never been close to them in the first place?
“Nian’an, Dad will give you everything I just promised. It’s just that you mentioned earlier that you wanted to sever the father-daughter relationship…”
“Don’t worry about that. Once I receive the money and coupons, I’ll immediately write up a severance-of-family-ties agreement. I won’t marry into the Gu family and then drag you down with me.”
Su Nian’an answered immediately.
This family had a father who didn’t act like a father and a mother who didn’t act like a mother. The original owner had simply been starved for affection, and that was why she had been driven to suicide after she couldn’t bear being treated as a pawn anymore.
If Su Nian’an had to say, she was actually more worried that these parents would try to cling to her in the future.
Besides, Su Nianxi was practically the archetype of a vicious female supporting character. Who knew how terrible she might become in the future?
This couple could just wait and clean up after their precious adopted daughter!
“Fine. I can withdraw the money for you tomorrow. As for the coupons”
“As for the coupons, we may not be able to get them that quickly.”
Coupons were not easy to obtain at this time, so Su Aiguo was reluctant to hand them over. He wanted to delay things as much as possible, thinking that once Su Nian’an went to the countryside, he could simply renege on the promise.
“No! I want to see the money and coupons by tomorrow evening. The wedding date you agreed on with the Gu family can’t be delayed either, can it? Are you really planning to delay giving me the coupons?”
Seeing that he couldn’t fool Su Nian’an, the loving expression that had been on Su Aiguo’s face just moments ago instantly disappeared.
What answered Su Nian’an now was his cold voice.
“Fine. I’ll give you everything tomorrow. The day after tomorrow morning, I’ll send someone to take you to the Gu family.”
“I can go myself.”
If Su Aiguo sent his own people to take her there, who could guarantee they wouldn’t kill her to silence her after getting the money and coupons?
Crime rates in this era were higher than in the peaceful times of later generations. Everyone was still struggling to get enough food and keep warm.
For the sake of money and coupons, who knew what desperate things people might do?
Besides, surveillance cameras weren’t widespread at this time. If she were killed somewhere in the middle of nowhere, there might not even be anyone to collect her body.
“Then how do I know whether you’ll keep your promise and actually go to the countryside to find the Gu family and fulfill the marriage arrangement?”
“That’s simple.”
Su Nian’an smiled before continuing, “Find someone from the Gu family to accompany me to the countryside and take me to the Gu family.”
With a single sentence, Su Nian’an completely blocked whatever Su Aiguo had been about to say next.