Liu Guiying took the 600 yuan from the Wang family but didn’t actually do anything.
She felt no guilt whatsoever.
Sun Jianguo came to ask several times, but each time she brushed him off with a simple, “Just wait.”
Five days later, Sun Jianguo came again. This time, he refused to leave until he got a definite answer.
Before he could start causing trouble, Liu Guiying told him to go back and inform Wu Xiuxiu to prepare money in the afternoon and go to the police station to pick someone up.
“Why do we need more money? Didn’t we already give 600?”
Sun Jianguo was unhappy. These past few days at his in-laws’ house had been miserable—he wasn’t allowed to eat his fill, and at work, they treated him like an ox.
It was all his mother’s fault for not helping—otherwise, his in-laws wouldn’t treat him this way.
“That was for pulling strings. Now that he’s getting released, you think he can walk out without paying a fine? Is your brain full of crap? It’s practically overflowing.”
After being mocked, Sun Jianguo slunk away.
..
After hearing the news, Wu Xiuxiu and Wang Datian took the afternoon bus to the city.
They paid a 50-yuan fine, and when they saw their son, Wu Xiuxiu’s eyes filled with tears.
Don’t get it wrong—she was crying because of the smell.
“My son, you’ve suffered so much!”
Look at him—he even smelled sour.
“Mom—ahhh! You’re finally here!” Wang Xiaoming cried so hard he started hiccuping.
“Alright, alright, stop crying. Come write a statement. Cry at home after that.”
The young officer had long grown numb to scenes like this.
After leaving the station, they headed home—now three people instead of two.
Thanks to Wang Xiaoming, the bus wasn’t crowded at all. Everyone else kept their distance.
On the ride, Wu Xiuxiu wasn’t thinking about anything else—just how to get back that 600 yuan.
From the start, she had never intended to truly give that money—it was just a delaying tactic.
Now that her son was out, the money should be returned.
After all, she had five sons—getting money back should be easy, especially since it was “hers” to begin with.
As the saying goes, the one who knows you best is your enemy.
Liu Guiying knew exactly what kind of person her in-law was—she could part with her daughter, but parting with money was like cutting flesh.
She had already made up her mind:If they didn’t come, fine.If they did—she’d make them bleed.
..
After work, Liu Guiying returned home holding ration coupons and cash, taking her grandson Xiaobao out to buy candy.
She saw him staring longingly at White Rabbit candy, but he pointed instead at fruit candy.
“Grandma… candy.”
Gritting her teeth, she bought half a jin—not because she minded the money, but because sugar coupons were hard to come by.
She handed over the coupons and sixty cents, then decided to take him for meat buns.
Now that she had money, she wanted someone to share the joy with.
Sharing with adults wasn’t suitable—a small child who couldn’t even speak clearly was perfect.
At the state-run restaurant, she bought four big meat buns.
Next year, ration coupons would gradually be phased out. Only grain coupons would remain for a while.
By then, with money in hand, she could buy whatever she wanted.
The grandmother and grandson happily finished the buns, walked home hand in hand, and she even got a sweet kiss from him.
That evening, while feeding her son, Ma Lijuan noticed something strange.
Her usually ravenous child showed no interest in the egg custard.
“That’s odd—why doesn’t he want to eat?”
Liu Guiying raised her eyes guiltily. “Skipping one meal is fine. It’s getting hot—he’s not the only one without an appetite.”
She stood up to leave.
After eating three big meat buns, she couldn’t eat another bite even if it were dragon meat.
“Mom, the fifth hasn’t come back these past two days. Should we go look for him?” Sun Jianjun asked worriedly.
“Look for what? If he dies, someone will notify you to collect the body.”
Sun Jianjun: …
He really couldn’t understand his mother anymore.
“Oh right, Mom—the pig’s blood you asked for this morning is in the kitchen.”
“Tell Lijuan to cook it and save it for tomorrow morning. And remember to buy more.”
Sun Jianjun: …
Why the sudden craving for pig’s blood?
He didn’t understand—but he would do as told.
Liu Guiying added, “Tomorrow, bring me two packs of pastries from your workplace. I’ll go visit Xiuju—she’s about to give birth, why hasn’t she gone to the hospital yet?”
“Oh, and buy half a jin of candy for Xiaofang.”
After handing him the money and coupons, she added—
“Pack some honey-fried pastries and maybe some candied oranges.”
“Alright, whatever you say.”
Meanwhile, Sun Xiuju had already started clearing the table and washing dishes.
Sun Jiancheng, seeing her glance, quickly went to prepare chicken feed.
See? They could work just fine.
In her previous life, she had done everything herself and never let them help.
Later, when Sun Xiuju got married, she worked tirelessly at her in-laws’ house.
All because her husband had a handsome face.
So why had she acted useless at her own home?
“From tomorrow on, wash your own clothes. Your sister-in-law is not your servant.”
Since they were capable, they could do more.
After all these years, this was the first time Liu Guiying felt any joy in raising children.
..
But plans never go exactly as expected.
The next morning, just as Liu Guiying was about to head out, two groups of people arrived at her door at the same time.
Sun Xiumei arrived with Xiaofang, hesitating when she saw a crowd gathered outside.
Looking around, she spotted her younger brother, Sun Jianguo.
“Jianguo, what are you all doing here?”
He turned. “Second sister, why are you here?”
Wang Xiaofeng glanced at the heavily pregnant Xiumei, then at the bag she was carrying. Her eyes flickered.
“What else? She’s obviously back to freeload from her parents’ home.”
Xiumei flushed red.
Because… she did come back for something.
That morning, while cooking, her mother-in-law had told her that her brother-in-law was bringing a girlfriend home.
A pregnant woman at home would just be in the way—so she was being sent back to her parents’ home “to wait for childbirth.”
Before Xiumei could refuse, her things had already been packed.
She thought it made sense—her due date was near, and the hospital was close to her parents’ home.
But now, hearing her sister-in-law’s words, she felt embarrassed.
“I… I’m about to give birth, so I thought I’d stay near the hospital, just in case.”
Wang Xiaofeng rolled her eyes.
“Since when do women go to the hospital with another kid in tow to give birth? At least lie better. If you want to go to the hospital, go—but this isn’t a hospital. You’re already married off—running back to your parents’ house all the time, aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”
Xiumei’s face turned crimson.
Kind-hearted and gentle by nature, she didn’t know how to respond.
The last time she had stood up for herself had already taken all her courage.
Now she felt the backlash.
She knew her mother-in-law was making things difficult for her—but was there really no room for a pregnant woman in that house?
..
Inside the yard, Liu Guiying heard the conversation outside.
This is bad.
How did Xiumei run into them?
The Wang family had clearly come to cause trouble—this wasn’t part of her plan.
Seeing her daughter about to be forced away again, fearing history would repeat itself—
Liu Guiying could no longer hold back.