When Wei Yao returned home with the child, Song Liping’s family was still there. Song Dagui sat to the side, smoking contentedly, while Chang Yongqin held Li Hua, gently wiping her mouth from time to time.
“Eat slowly, eat slowly. Your grandpa bought plenty of apples. Once you finish, Grandma will peel more for you.”
“You, you’re just spoiling them. The whole family is like a bunch of debt collectors, never satisfied. This time, the eldest sent quite a bit of money and coupons. Later, let Liping take them back and get two sets of clothes made for them. The children are growing up—without a couple of decent outfits, how can they go out?”
Song Dagui’s smile faltered for a moment. After a long pause, he said, “Old woman, let’s save a little this month and have Xiao Wei get some fabric for Song Yang and Song Hui. The eldest hasn’t been back for a long time. If he returns and sees his wife and children wearing so many patches, he’s bound to throw a fit. Besides, I promised Xiao Wei last month.”
As soon as Song Dagui said this, Chang Yongqin immediately grew unhappy.
“Oh, you’re quite good at doting on the children, aren’t you? Yangyang is still young. When can’t we get fabric for clothes? Why does it have to be this month? What is Xiao Wei trying to do? Clearly, she’s going against me, an old woman. The moment I want to make clothes for my grandchildren, she brings up Yangyang. Don’t you worry about it—I’ll handle this.”
“Mother, let’s just forget it. It’s my fate to suffer—widowed at such a young age, with no ability of my own, not even enough money or coupons to get fabric for the children’s clothes. It’s all my fault for not taking good care of them. I don’t want the fabric coupons from my eldest brother’s remittance. Leave them for Yangyang. For us, mother and children, to come back and get a sip of hot water is enough to satisfy me.”
These words immediately swayed Song Dagui’s already uncertain heart toward Song Liping. His daughter’s fate was bitter—raising three children alone, living a difficult life. It was just fabric coupons, after all. If there were none this month, the eldest would send more next month. Yangyang was still young and could wear his clothes a little longer. They could make new ones next time.
“Daughter, don’t say such things next time. If your father didn’t care about you, would he have told your mother to help you out often? Look, whenever there’s something good to eat at home, isn’t it always saved for when you bring the children over? Take all the fabric coupons. And Yongqin, take twenty from my wages and let Liping get two sets of clothes made too. Even though she’s widowed, life must go on. In a couple of years, she can find someone else.”
Chang Yongqin raised her hand and playfully punched him, pretending to be upset. “You, you really don’t know the cost of running a household. With a single word, you give your daughter so much money. How are we supposed to manage? If the eldest’s wife finds out, she’ll turn the world upside down!”
“As if she could! That’s our own daughter, Song Mingrui’s younger sister whom he watched grow up. Would he stand by and watch Liping suffer?”
These words were truly heartwarming. Song Liping pursed her lips, hesitating as if wanting to say something. After much back-and-forth and reluctance, she finally accepted the twenty yuan and a stack of coupons.
Song Dagui tapped his old pipe against the leg of the table.
“Liping, remember this: no matter what, your eldest brother and you are siblings. What’s his is yours. He should help you out like this for the rest of his life. Outsiders are always outsiders—they’re not blood relatives. We are family.”
Wei Yao, listening outside, shook her head, a wave of sorrow rising in her heart.
How blind must she have been in her past life to have worked herself to the bone for the Song Family, to have slaved away like a beast of burden for them, allowing the Song Family to cling to her and suck her dry.
"Mom!"
Wei Yao's gnashing hatred was interrupted by Song Yang's call. She had returned—fortunately, there was still a chance. Steadying herself, she revealed a corner of the things she had bought and hurriedly pulled Song Yang toward the house.
The moment the Song Family saw her, the smiles faded from their faces. Chang Yongqin frowned and called out to her, but when Wei Yao ignored her, she stopped speaking as well.
Song Liping, however, found it strange. Wei Yao wasn't crying or making a scene, which was entirely unlike her personality. Especially since she had just caught a glimpse of an oil-paper package.
No sooner had Wei Yao put Song Hui down and taken an Egg Cake from her bag for Song Yang than the door was pushed open by Song Liping.
"Well, no wonder you're not causing trouble today—you're here eating alone! Good heavens, I'm still the Song Family's eldest daughter. When I come back to my parents' home, I get treated like this? Let me tell you, Wei Yao, I, Song Liping, have my pride. You don't need to hide things from me—I don't even care for your measly food."
"If you don't care for it, why do you keep coming back to sponge off us? Your three children eat till their mouths are greasy, while my children are locked in the room starving. What's the deal? Are Li Ying, Li Hua, and Li Chun the Song Family's grandchildren, and aren't my Song Yang and Song Hui the real grandchildren? I've never seen elders so biased, doting on their grandchildren and constantly kissing their daughter's feet."
"Wei Yao, if you say one more word about my parents, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
As soon as Song Liping said this, Li Ying, who was behind her, charged in like a cannonball, crashing headfirst into Wei Yao's stomach. Staggering backward a few steps, Wei Yao seized the moment and knocked her head against the corner of the table.
Seeing her fall to the ground, Li Ying grew even more brazen, shouting for Li Hua and Li Chun. The three children began kicking Wei Yao where she lay. After a few kicks, Li Chun turned and shoved Song Yang, snatching the Egg Cake from his hand and stuffing it into his mouth.
In an instant, the room descended into chaos.
Song Liping froze for a moment, then tried to pull the children apart a few times. Seeing it was futile, she simply let them be. Chang Yongqin pretended not to see what was happening. Song Dagui, who had been sitting in the main hall for a while, hurried into the room when the commotion showed no signs of stopping.
What he saw shocked him: Wei Yao had already passed out, blood oozing from her head. He let out a frightened "Ah!" and rushed out to call for help, sending Wei Yao to the hospital.
Only when she saw the blood did Chang Yongqin grow anxious. Entering the room, she quickly pulled Song Yang, who was crying on the floor, to his feet and placed him on the bed.
Then she grabbed Li Ying and the other two children and began hitting them.
"You wretched little brats! What have you done? Look at what you've done to your aunt—her head is bleeding! When she wakes up and makes a scene, do you think you'll get off easy? Hurry up, take these three and leave right now, or there'll be no peace in this house!"
"Alright, alright, I'll take them and go. But, Mom, I… I…"
Seeing her like this, Chang Yongqin was furious. She pulled thirty yuan from her pocket and shoved it into Song Liping's hand.
"Spend it wisely. Buy more food for the children, and less clothing, understand?"
"Understood, understood, Mom. We'll be off then."
Wei Yao woke up again, and it was already noon the next day. There was no one by the hospital bed. She opened her mouth, her throat terribly dry. She silently murmured something, and a cup of warm water appeared out of thin air in her hand. After drinking it, she felt much better.
She lay there for quite a while before Chang Yongqin arrived carrying a thermal lunchbox.
"Yangyang's mom, you're awake! Mom specially made you some brown sugar millet porridge. Drink it up quickly to nourish yourself. You've really suffered this time. Don't worry, I've already given Li Ying, Li Hua, and Li Chun a beating. When you're discharged from the hospital, I'll have Liping bring them over to properly apologize to you, okay? They're just children, after all. As their aunt, don't take it to heart, alright?"