Old Fifth Shu Mingshan and Old Sixth Shu Minghui entered the house bickering and playing around. When they saw the Old Master sitting in the living room, they immediately became well-behaved,
and obediently called out, “father.”
Just as Shu Minghui raised her chin at Shu Yao, Wen Xia’s voice came from upstairs,
“Minghui, come upstairs.”
Shu Mingshan’s eyes darted between his mother and sister, then his father and Shu Yao. He also wanted to follow them upstairs,
but Wen Xia shouted him down.
He could only remain downstairs alone while his old father questioned him.
The Old Master was clearly extremely strict with his son. After questioning him for a long time about his performance at the Machinery Factory, Shu Mingshan answered with his head bowed and shoulders slumped. Only then was Shu Zhenzhong somewhat satisfied.
Of the four sons in the Shu Family, three were in the Military Unit. This Younger son had been spoiled by Wen Xia and did not want to enter the Military Unit and suffer, while Wen Xia also intended to keep one son by her side,
He had originally planned to attend university, but failed the national college entrance examination in his first year. Then the national college entrance examination was suddenly canceled, so she could only have him enter the Machinery Factory.
After sitting for a long while, Shu Zhenzhong stood up and went to exercise in the courtyard. Shu Yao went into the kitchen to prepare milk powder. Unexpectedly, when she came out, Shu Mingshan was still there, staring at her with an expression that suggested he wanted to speak but could not.
Shu Yao secretly rolled her eyes.
When “Shu Yao” first arrived at the Shu Family, Shu Mingshan was nine years old, at the age when everyone hated him and even dogs avoided him. He felt that playing with girls was beneath him and disliked Shu Minghui intensely,
but he treated “Shu Yao” fairly well. Perhaps it was because none of the children his age had such a large niece. Every day, he strutted around like a peacock, holding his neck high as he dragged “Shu Yao” all around the compound.
Shu Minghui was displeased. She had never liked this niece who had divided father’s attention, and now even her Older Brother was siding with her. She immediately began crying in a heart-rending manner, and no matter how Wen Xia tried to comfort her, she could not calm down,
She herself also believed that this son had no heart and was siding with an outsider, so she locked him in his room and beat him severely. From then on, Shu Mingshan always avoided Shu Yao.
Shu Mingshan dawdled. After Shen Huaiyu had drunk three spoonfuls of milk, he finally spoke,
“Shu Yao, are you all right?”
“What could possibly be wrong with me?”
Shu Yao continued moving her hands, her tone calm.
Shu Mingshan secretly glanced at her,
“Didn’t you used to like Shen Zhongyue the most? He has now been Sent-down for Rural Reformation. Aren’t you sad?”
Shu Yao finally raised her head,
“I? Like Shen Zhongyue the most?”
“Heh, who told you that?”
“Isn’t it true? Minghui said you even drugged him specifically so you could marry him!”
“That’s what Shu Minghui told you?”
Shu Yao found it amusing,
“Shu Mingshan, use that not-so-bright brain of yours. Where could I have bought that kind of drug?”
“And in this family, who has the ability to come into contact with that kind of drug?”
That mother and daughter-in-law duo, Wen Xia and her daughter, were truly formidable, telling different people completely different stories.
Shu Mingshan thought for a long time before asking blankly:
“Where can that kind of drug be bought?”
Upon hearing this, Shu Yao rolled her eyes so far upward that they nearly reached the heavens,
What an idiot. He was beyond saving. No wonder he would later be completely controlled by a woman and drive his Old Mom to the grave.
Thinking of the future scene of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law facing off, Shu Yao looked forward to it immensely.
Shu Mingshan coughed and remembered what he had originally wanted to say,
“Don’t be sad. At worst, I’ll introduce you to several partners who are even more outstanding than Shen Zhongyue in the future. You can choose whichever one you like.”
“Tell me, who sent you? Wen Xia or Shu Minghui?”
“Wen Xia’s level shouldn’t be this low. Sending a foolish son to persuade me—was it Shu Minghui?”
“Are you in such a hurry to drive me out again?”
“What are you talking about!”
Shu Mingshan was dizzy from being led around in circles,
“Who wants to drive you out?”
“I’m obviously just afraid you’ll be too sad.”
he muttered softly,
He had asked his friends about it. If one wanted to quickly move past the grief caused by a previous relationship, one should start the next one without any gap!
Shu Yao was quite attractive, and with the Shu Family backing her, there would be plenty of people who liked her even if she had a child.
What was so good about Shen Zhongyue? He was so much older than her. Only someone with impaired judgment like her could have taken a liking to him.
Shu Yao looked at him in surprise. Shu Mingshan seemed somewhat embarrassed, and even his neck turned red,
He suddenly stood up, pulled a stack of money from his pocket, placed it on Shen Huaiyu, and said rapidly:
“I heard you’re living alone outside now. You have to pay rent and raise a child, so life isn’t easy. This is from me, the child’s Grandfather.”
After saying that, he turned around and was about to run.
Shu Yao blinked as she looked at the pile of crumpled banknotes and some coupons, then slowly called out to him:
“Stop. Take them back.”
“Why! Don’t put on a brave—”
Shu Yao raised her head and stared at him with utmost sincerity:
“It’s too little.” She did not think much of it.
“You!”
Shu Mingshan’s face and neck flushed with anger,
He was an apprentice now and had a limited salary each month. Besides, he had never worried about money from childhood to adulthood and almost always spent his entire salary as soon as he received it. Even this money had been borrowed from someone, and he had specially exchanged for the milk powder coupons.
This Shu Yao really did not appreciate kindness!
“Take them back. I don’t need them.”
Shu Yao placed the stack of money on the coffee table.
If Wen Xia and Shu Minghui found out, who knew what conflict they would cause next? She could not be bothered to get involved with them.
Shu Mingshan’s eyes reddened. He walked over step by step and reached out to take the money.
“Fifth Brother, what are you doing!”
From the staircase came Shu Minghui’s scream.
From her angle, it looked as though Shu Mingshan was handing money to Shu Yao.
Shu Yao clicked her tongue, snatched the money and ration coupons from Shu Mingshan’s hand, put on a smile, and said in an extremely sweet voice:
“Thank you, Younger Uncle~”
“Ah! Fifth Brother, why are you giving her money!”
Shu Minghui came running down the stairs, pattering all the way. Pointing at Shu Mingshan, her complexion twisted:
“I wanted to buy that dress today and asked you to subsidize me a little, but you refused. Why are you giving Shu Yao money!”
Shu Mingshan became lightheaded with delight at being called “Younger Uncle” by Shu Yao. He continued staring blankly at her as the corners of his mouth gradually stretched toward his ears,
Shu Yao had not called him Younger Uncle in many years. This money had been well spent!
“Shu Minghui, what are you shouting about?”
Hearing the commotion, the Old Master walked in from outside and immediately began scolding her,
“Your mother has spoiled you rotten. You do not look like an elder at all!”
“I think Old Fifth did very well.”
Shu Minghui immediately fell silent. In front of the Old Master, she had always been too frightened to even breathe loudly.
Father had always had this same attitude toward her older brothers and sisters. When she was little, she had not thought anything of it. She even believed father ought to be that way; just watching him made him seem so formidable,
until Shu Yao came. Only then did she learn that father could also be so gentle: he would carry Shu Yao around the courtyard with her sitting on his neck, and when her uncles came to the house for dinner, he would hold her on his lap and feed her.
She was jealous of Shu Yao—extremely, intensely jealous of Shu Yao.
Having received the Old Master’s praise, Shu Mingshan was even more delighted and utterly beside himself,
His mind was filled with: Yaoyao called me Younger Uncle! The Old Man praised me!
Shu Yao sighed inwardly. Discord among children was often caused by the elderly person’s lack of virtue. In particular, the relationships within the Shu Family were exceedingly complicated,
but as the favored party, Shu Yao would never be foolish enough to persuade the Old Master for Shu Minghui’s sake.
She liked the Grandfather’s unconditional favoritism, even if it was bestowed upon her under the identity of “Shu Yao.”
Shu Minghui felt wronged, and Shu Yao felt wronged too. Grandfather had clearly once belonged to her alone, but now there were so many aunts and uncles,
with the same name, the same face, and the same favoritism toward her. Who said that Shu Zhenzhong in The 1960s could not also be the Shu Zhenzhong of the twenty-first century?