While working in the fields, Xiang Wenshan overheard the brigade leader’s wife chatting with Wang Cuihua.
After a few casual remarks, Wang Cuihua lowered her voice and asked, “Jinhua, have you heard what happened at Yu Zhaodi’s house?”
Jinhua wasn’t usually interested in Yu Zhaodi’s affairs, but seeing the complicated look on Wang Cuihua’s face, she asked, “What happened?”
“Song Lao Wu is getting married. He…” Wang Cuihua hesitated, unable to continue.
Jinhua looked surprised but kept pulling weeds without lifting her head. “Huh? Whose daughter? Why haven’t I heard about this?”
“I don’t know whose daughter. The key is… Song Lao Wu is saying he wants to marry into the wife’s family.”
Jinhua was so shocked she nearly sat down on the ground. “What? Marry in?”
Wang Cuihua nodded.
Jinhua’s mind went blank. Yu Zhaodi might play favorites, but not to this extent! Look how badly she’d hurt the child—driven him to become a live-in son-in-law.
How could he do that? Being a live-in son-in-law came with so much humiliation!
Wenshan, listening nearby, clicked her tongue. How was his speed this fast? Surely he hadn’t mentioned her, right?
Probably not. Cuihua had said she didn’t even know whose daughter it was.
Still, Wenshan suddenly felt uneasy, her scalp tingling. If the brigade found out that the woman Song Lao Wu planned to marry into was her, there’d be endless gossip.
Wenhui leaned over curiously. “Marry in? The man’s going to marry into the woman’s family? Can’t he afford a bride?”
Wang Cuihua hesitated, glanced at Jinhua’s expression, and said quietly, “It’s not that he can’t afford it. It’s that his family never intended to pay for his marriage. If they had, he’d have married years ago.”
Wenhui seemed to understand a little and nodded, not asking further. Still, she was extremely curious. What kind of woman would deliberately look for a man to marry in? What would she gain from that?
Wenshan suddenly felt her nose itch and sneezed.
Wenhui immediately looked at her. “Sis, are you okay? Did you catch a cold?”
Wenshan shook her head. “I’m fine. Something probably tickled my nose. I feel better now.”
“That’s good.”
By the end of the morning, the entire brigade knew that Song Lao Wu was planning to marry into his wife’s family.
Many people went to Yu Zhaodi to ask which family her son was marrying into. More than half asked with barely concealed mockery.
Yu Zhaodi kept a stiff face and drove them away, cursing Song Lao Wu fiercely in her heart.
After working for a while, Song Lao Wu was about to leave when Song Jianli—the brigade leader’s youngest son who was working nearby—called out to him.
“Lao Wu, are you really planning to marry in?”
Song Lao Wu smiled at him. “Yeah, Brother Jianli.”
Jianli frowned. “Why don’t you think it over again? The reputation isn’t good. Once you marry in, you’ll have to look at your father-in-law’s face for everything. You…”
“Brother Jianli, I know what you mean, and I know you’re looking out for me. I understand all that.
“But even without marrying in, don’t I already have to look at people’s faces every day? There are benefits too. I’ll have meals provided and a family of my own. It’s no different from a man marrying a wife.”
Jianli opened his mouth to argue—how was that the same? But seeing Lao Wu’s determined expression, he couldn’t persuade him further.
“Then… which brigade is the bride from?” He felt he should at least check things out for his younger brother.
“She’s not from the brigade. She’s from the city. She’s a good person. When it’s settled, I’ll treat you to wedding candies.”
The moment Jianli heard “city,” he felt even more uneasy.
Why would a city girl marry a countryside man? And his younger brother—barely literate, skinny as a bamboo pole, not even working hard lately—what would she see in him?
Could it be the girl had some problem and couldn’t get married in the city, so she turned to the countryside?
Jianli felt he had uncovered the truth.
He opened his mouth to continue persuading him—but Lao Wu had already walked far away.
Jianli glanced at the work at his feet, then at Lao Wu’s retreating figure, sighing. He’d try again in the afternoon.
After leaving, Song Lao Wu found a quiet willow tree and lay down beneath it.
For the first time in a long while, he felt hopeful.
The title of live-in son-in-law didn’t sound good, but it saved a lot of trouble.
Splitting from the family was impossible. Not only would Old Man Song and Old Madam Song refuse, but Third Brother and Fourth Brother wouldn’t agree either. Both families loved taking advantage and playing little tricks.
They couldn’t even earn enough work points to feed themselves and had two kids each. If the family split, those households would make the biggest fuss.
Thinking that freedom was within reach, he felt especially cheerful.
Lying under the tree, a willow twig between his teeth, he hummed a little tune.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Song family was furious.
No one knew how the news had spread so quickly. Everyone in the brigade knew. While working, many people had been probing the Song family for details.
At noon, Song Dashan returned home with a dark face. Seeing that Song Lao Wu still hadn’t come back, his anger boiled over.
“Where did that Old Fifth run off to again? Shameless thing! He’s completely disgraced me today!”
Inside the house, everyone wore different expressions.
Song Lao Liu looked smug. With their father this furious, Song Lao Wu’s good days were over.
Served him right. A grown man with two hands and two feet, yet going to be a live-in son-in-law—how embarrassing. She had been mocked today because of him. She’d been so ashamed she wished she didn’t have such a brother.
Seeing Song Dashan so angry, Yu Zhaodi tried to soothe him. “Alright, stop getting angry. Yelling at home won’t let that brat hear you out there.”
Song Dashan shot her a fierce glare. “Look at the son you gave birth to! He’s dragged the family’s face through the mud—”
“…You’ve completely lost all face!”
Hearing that, Yu Zhaodi flared up. “What do you mean the son I gave birth to? Isn’t he your son too?
So it’s all my fault now? Could I have given birth to him by myself?!”
Song Dashan was so choked by her retort that he clutched his chest. “You—you…” He couldn’t even finish his sentence.
Seeing their parents about to start fighting, Song Lao San tried to smooth things over. “Dad, Mom, now’s not the time to argue.
The main issue is—what are we going to do?
What Fifth Brother’s done is too embarrassing. The whole brigade knows he wants to marry into someone’s family. People keep asking me whose family he’s joining.”
Yu Zhaodi gritted her teeth. “Who knows whose family he thinks he’s joining? He’s not marrying into anyone’s family!”
She had raised that son all these years. He was in his prime working age—how could she just let another family benefit from him?
Song Lao Qi, meanwhile, was thinking about having a room all to himself and spoke up, “Dad, Mom, just agree to let Fifth Brother marry in.
It’s a good thing! That’s one less mouth for our family to feed.
Besides, you’ve got so many sons—are you really missing just this one?
Just treat Fifth Brother like a daughter and marry him off. During the holidays, he can come back with gifts, like Second Sister does. Wouldn’t that be nice?
It’ll also save you the trouble of finding him a wife. If you arrange a marriage for him, then I won’t have a place to live.
And if I don’t have a place to live, the family will have to build me a room.
And if I get a room, then my older brothers will want rooms too.
Once there are too many kids and not enough space, won’t that cause conflict?”
Yu Zhaodi felt her precious youngest son made some sense. She truly wasn’t short one son—but giving him away for nothing still pained her.
Song Dashan listened carefully to his youngest son’s words, frowning as he pondered something.
When it was time to eat, Song Lao Wu returned.
Song Dashan didn’t even spare him a glance. Yu Zhaodi shot him an irritated look. “Oh, so you know to come back for food? If you’ve got the guts, then don’t step into this house at all.”
Song Lao Wu ignored her. After sitting down, he said calmly, “If you agree to let me marry into another family, I won’t come home to eat anymore.
If you don’t agree, then I won’t get married for the rest of my life.
And if I don’t get married, then Lao Liu and Lao Qi can forget about getting married too.
If the older brother isn’t married, why are the younger ones in such a hurry?
If they find partners from the city, for every one they find, I’ll break them up.”
Song Lanhua’s eyes practically spat fire as she glared at him. “Song Zhaohua, don’t go too far!”
Heaven knew how badly she wanted to marry into the city. If Song Lao Wu sabotaged it, she’d die of anger.
Song Lao Qi muttered anxiously, “Brother, you can’t drag me down like this. It’s not easy for me to find a city wife…”
Then he turned to their parents. “Dad, Mom, just agree already. Let Fifth Brother marry in.
Otherwise this family will never have peace.
Dad, Mom—don’t you still hope one of your sons will bring home a city girl?”
Without hesitation, Yu Zhaodi replied, “Of course I do!”
In the brigade, Zhao Xiufang’s daughter had married into the city, and she showed off every day.
If her own son married a city girl, and his father-in-law helped him secure a formal job, she’d be able to walk around the brigade with her head high.
Especially enough to infuriate that Zhao Xiufang.
“If you want that, then why not agree?
Dad, Mom—just agree already.”