“Sister-in-law, Mom was just bluffing. She wouldn’t really stop me from eating, right? Let me have some food—I still have to go to school later.”
Sun Jiandang, starving and dizzy, reached out to grab the food.
Hearing the commotion, Sun Jianjun came over. “What’s going on? Why isn’t Jiandang being allowed to eat?”
He had come home late the previous night after drinking with his brother-in-law, so Ma Lijuan hadn’t told him what happened.
She briefly explained Liu Guiying’s instructions from the night before.
Sun Jianjun had always believed his mother came first. He nodded and didn’t ask further.
Meanwhile, Sun Jiandang was still trying to snatch his “lifesaving meal,” and chaos broke out.
Liu Guiying was awakened by the noise.
Hearing her fourth son making trouble, she got dressed and grabbed a stick in one smooth motion.
Following her principle—if you don’t behave, you get beaten; no internalizing anger—she swung the stick.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The blows landed squarely on Sun Jiandang.
“Trying to die, are you? Wailing like a ghost this early in the morning. If you’re sick, go to the hospital—what are you making a scene for at home?”
Sun Jiandang jumped around, trying to dodge the stick.
“Are you even my real mom?! Sister-in-law won’t let me eat, and instead of scolding her, you beat me! Is there any justice? Can I even stay in this house anymore?!”
“Nope. Found you at the train station. Go find your real mom. This house doesn’t keep useless people.”
Liu Guiying pointed to the door, her expression making it clear—leave, or I’ll beat you out.
Sun Jiandang glared resentfully. “If this place won’t keep me, I’ll find somewhere else! Don’t regret it!”
Regret? Liu Guiying almost wanted to applaud.
After all those years of schooling, he hadn’t learned much—but he’d fully mastered the art of getting girls pregnant.
Thinking of her previous life, when the Zhu family had come to cause trouble… her eldest son’s family had fled to his in-laws’, leaving her alone to face everything.
Sun Jiandang had watched her get beaten without lifting a finger.
She had been terrified the Zhu family would report him and get him jailed.
While she begged and pleaded with them, she also scraped together money to settle things—only for that ungrateful brat to happily go marry into their family as a live-in son-in-law.
Thinking of her past foolishness, she again felt like slapping herself.
“Why are you standing there? Eat. Have the chickens been fed?”
This was directed at Sun Xiuju and Sun Jiancheng.
Sun Xiuju quickly replied, “Mom, I’ll feed them after I eat.”
“The chickens haven’t eaten, so what are you eating for? When you’re eating eggs, I don’t see you waiting. Eat after we’re done.”
Hearing that, the two—ranked lower than chickens—resigned themselves and headed to the backyard.
..
After breakfast, those who needed to work went to work, and those who needed to go to school left for school.
Everyone went their separate ways.
After receiving her assignment and picking up her tools, Liu Guiying headed toward her plot of land—while keeping an eye on what she considered her “treasure spot.”
“Ahh! Heavens above! Someone’s stolen from the cornfield! Everyone, come look!”
A villager working that plot shouted loudly, drawing everyone over.
Someone quick-witted had already run to call the production team leader. Before he arrived, people were already buzzing with speculation.
“Old Bi, this doesn’t look like theft—it looks like someone was… making babies here!” someone joked, pointing at a pair of short underpants lying nearby—the ones Liu Guiying had thrown there.
“What’s all this noise? Don’t you want your work points? Finished your work already? Look how idle you all are!”
The team leader tried to disperse the crowd, but the gossip-lovers pretended not to hear him.
Helpless, he stepped forward to inspect the scene—and was momentarily speechless.
At first, he also thought it was theft. But then he realized—the corn hadn’t even matured yet. What could thieves possibly steal?
When he saw the discarded underwear, he awkwardly coughed into his hand.
“Get a couple of people to see if this can be fixed. Probably some young folks fooling around and trampling it by accident. Alright, disperse—get back to work.”
After speaking, he hurried off to report to the brigade leader.
The crowd remained, all wearing knowing expressions.
What kind of courting would lead young people to sneak into a cornfield in the middle of the night?
The women present all had the same thought—the first thing to do tonight would be to check if their husbands were missing any underwear.
That evening was bound to be lively in every household.
Meanwhile, the mastermind stood among the crowd, chatting enthusiastically with everyone as if she were just another spectator.
After a while, Liu Guiying, thoroughly satisfied, returned to work.
..
While things were peaceful on Liu Guiying’s side, chaos erupted in Wang Xiaofeng’s family.
That day, when the Wang family returned from work, they found that their youngest son and his wife hadn’t come back.
They were about to send the eldest to check—after all, they had agreed to return that day.
Before he could leave, the younger daughter-in-law stumbled in, crying out for help.
After questioning her, they learned that Wang Xiaoming hadn’t gone to visit relatives—
He had gone to the city with his brother-in-law to resell train tickets and had been arrested by the police.
At that time, train travel didn’t require real-name registration. There were “scalpers” who hoarded tickets and resold them at high prices.
Wang Xiaoming’s brother-in-law had gotten involved in this business by chance. After making money, he started acting arrogant.
Wang Xiaoming, tempted, repeatedly begged to join him.
But luck wasn’t on his side—the police had been watching this group for a long time.
He had just joined and hadn’t even made any money before getting arrested.
There was a saying: The emperor favors the eldest son; common folk spoil the youngest.
Wu Xiuxiu was exactly that kind of mother.
Now that her “precious son” had been arrested, she felt like the sky had collapsed. Her legs went weak, and she didn’t know what to do.
“Dad, Mom, think of something! Xiaoming can’t stay in there!”
Wu Xiuxiu suddenly slapped her younger daughter-in-law.
“You shameless woman! A walking disaster! Don’t you know what kind of person your brother is? And you still encouraged my son to get involved with him?”
“Hanging yourself at your age—have you lost the will to live? Get back to your parents’ house! If Xiaoming can’t get out, I won’t spare your whole family!”
After venting her anger, Wu Xiuxiu calmed down and began thinking.
She reviewed all her connections—but her family had been poor farmers for generations. They knew no one who could help.
Then her gaze fell on Wang Xiaofeng.
Suddenly, she remembered—her daughter’s in-law’s elder brother worked at the police station.
What a stroke of luck!
Wu Xiuxiu pinched her own thigh hard and let out a cry, tears streaming down her face—half real pain, half acting.
Clutching Wang Xiaofeng’s hand, she sobbed:
“Xiaofeng, please save your brother! If something happens to him, I don’t want to live anymore!”
Wang Xiaofeng was completely stunned.
“Mom, it’s not that I don’t want to help—I just can’t!”
Wu Xiuxiu cursed her inwardly for being slow, then turned to her son-in-law.
“Jianguo, Mom knows you’re a good man. Ever since you married Xiaofeng, I’ve treated you the best.”
“I remember your uncle works at the police station, right? Could you ask him to put in a good word for your brother? Jianguo… you’re all I have now. You’ll help me, won’t you?”
Since marrying into the family, Sun Jianguo had never received such trust from his mother-in-law.
Instantly, he felt incredibly capable—like he could take on anything.
Patting his chest, he said, “Mom, don’t worry. Xiaoming is my brother too. Leave it to me—I’ll go home and talk to my mom right now.”
“I knew I didn’t misjudge you. Good son-in-law. Xiaofeng, go back with him and apologize to your mother-in-law. There’s no overnight grudge between mother and daughter.”
“Mom…” Wang Xiaofeng hesitated, unwilling to go back. Her mother-in-law hadn’t apologized to her yet.
Wu Xiuxiu pulled her aside and whispered, “At a time like this, stop being stubborn. Go apologize—your brother is more important.”
After sending the couple off, Wu Xiuxiu prepared to check if there was a bus to the city.
If there was, she could bring some food and visit her son.