Seeing Wei Yao’s face turn deathly pale, Deputy Director Liu quickly took the child from her arms. It looked like she was about to faint from anger—truly a pitiful fate, having ended up with such a family.
Wei Yao gave a bitter, icy smile and said coldly, “Don’t try to brush me off with that excuse. With four working adults in the family supporting just two children, anyone with eyes can easily calculate how much stuff is in my room. Besides, my husband doesn’t eat a single meal at home all year round—how could we possibly spend that much? I’ll say it again: I want my salary and Song Mingrui’s salary. I don’t dare live in the side room either. If you and Dad truly care about us, convert the side room allocated to us into cash and give it to us. Our family will live far away. Of course, if Song Mingrui wants to support you, I won’t stop him.”
Chang Yongqin was so furious her chest heaved uncontrollably, her lips twitched, and her hands trembled incessantly at her sides.
Seeing her like that, Wei Yao thought to herself, “This is bad.” Just before Chang Yongqin could faint, she pretended to collapse first.
The female officer quickly arranged for Wei Yao and the two children to be taken to the hospital. Liu Chunling, holding the child, glared fiercely at Chang Yongqin.
“You can’t bully people like this. Which of Xiao Wei’s demands is unreasonable? Let me tell you, Chang Yongqin, you’d better have a good discussion with your family tonight. Your son Song Mingrui is never home, yet he sends money back every month. He entrusted his wife and children to your care. If anything happens to Xiao Wei, you’ll have to think about how to explain it to him.”
Under the scrutiny of the neighbors, Chang Yongqin ultimately didn’t faint. It wasn’t until the male officer took Li Ying to the Public Security Bureau that she finally collapsed.
It’s over! It’s all ruined!!
After work, Song Dagui deliberately bought a strip of meat and carried it openly in his hand. But instead of receiving the usual envious glances, he was met with one disdainful look after another.
Fuming with anger, he returned home. Before he could even ask what was going on, Chang Yongqin and Song Liping rushed over, sobbing and wailing. Bit by bit, he finally learned everything that had happened that day.
“Dagui, you have to do something! Li Ying is still locked up at the Public Security Bureau. If anything really happens to Wei Yao, that child might end up in a juvenile detention center!”
“Dad, you have to think of a way! Li Ying is your own grandson—you can’t just stand by and watch him suffer! Wuwu… Who knows how scared that child is, all alone at the Public Security Bureau!”
Mother and daughter cried as they shook his arms back and forth.
Their clamoring made his head buzz. He threw the meat onto the table and slammed his hand down hard.
“What’s all this crying for? Now you know to cry? What did I say yesterday? I told you to take care of things at the hospital, but you wouldn’t listen. And you, Song Liping—today was supposed to be your workday. Why are you back at your parents’ house again? Coming home every single day—aren’t you afraid of what people will say?”
“What’s wrong with me coming back to my parents’ house? When I got married, you told me to come back often. Let people say whatever they want—it doesn’t affect my life. But Dad, now’s not the time to blame this or that. You have to make a decision! That big shit bun Wei Yao has made such a huge scene—she’s trampling all over our Song Family’s face! This time, you can’t just let her off lightly.”
Chang Yongqin stiffened at her daughter's words, never imagining the child could still say such things even at this point.
Song Dagui was so angry he laughed outright.
"Causing Wei Yao such serious injury was Li Ying's fault to begin with. Don't forget, she's the elder, Li Ying's eldest aunt. A nephew beating his aunt so badly she ends up in the hospital—does that sound good when word gets out? And you talk about not letting her off? After making such a huge scene this time, you should be asking whether she'll let our Song Family off!"
Chang Yongqin covered her mouth, wiping away tears. Her poor grandson was still detained at the Public Security Bureau. If Wei Yao insisted on not settling, that child's future would be ruined right then and there.
"Can it really be… can it really be that we have to split the family? Dagui, you don't know how outrageous she is. Not only does she want her and Mingrui's wages from all these years, she even wants us to buy her a house! Where would we get that kind of money? Wuwu… human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. She's just a low-class person."
Song Dagui let out a long sigh. The trouble was that Song Mingrui wasn't home. If he were here, with all these years of upbringing and sibling affection, either could have made him soften his stance. He's the head of the household, the pillar of the family. As long as he spoke up, how could Wei Yao not listen?
"Do as she says. Split the family. Not only split it, but do it clearly in front of all the neighbors around. She wants housing subsidies? Agree to that too. Housing is tight—we'll just give her enough for a side room. Whether she can buy one depends on her own fate!"
Chang Yongqin and Song Liping immediately widened their eyes, looking at Song Dagui in disbelief. This calculation meant four or five years of wages, plus Song Mingrui's share, plus money for a side room—wouldn't Wei Yao burst from greed!
"Dagui, have you gone mad? You really plan to give it to her? Have you forgotten, Mingrui is… after all, there's a layer between him and us. Giving it all away, isn't that like a meat bun thrown to a dog? Besides, where would our family get so much money?"
"If we don't give it, what then? Today she dares to bring the police here, tomorrow she'll dare to go to my workplace, Liping's workplace, Li Ying and the other children's schools to make trouble. If we lose our jobs and our reputations, how will we live? Just give the money to Wei Yao. When Mingrui comes back, what can't be discussed? After all, we have so many years of family ties. Family bonds can't be severed. Just listen to me—we won't lose much. Wei Yao and Mingrui's wages have all been saved with you. Our daily expenses aren't high either. Keep some for living, take out the rest—it should be enough!"
Song Liping abruptly lowered her head, shrinking back behind Chang Yongqin evasively. The latter's face also turned deathly pale.
Seeing mother and daughter like this, what was there left for him to not understand.
"Grandma, Grandpa, I'm hungry, I want to eat, I want to eat!"
"I want scallion eggs, brown sugar millet porridge! Grandma make it for me, Grandma make it for me!"
Li Hua and Li Chun circled the three Song family members like starving ghosts, seeing meat on the table and sniffing at it like dogs.
"Get out! Get back to your own home! Chang Yongqin, Song Liping, I don't care if you sell clothes, sell jewelry, sell the house, or sell grain—borrow it, steal it, rob for it! If you can't come up with that much money by tomorrow, then this life is over! Hmph!"
As soon as Song Dagui left, Chang Yongqin hurriedly chased after him. He was the family's breadwinner—if he truly hardened his heart and refused to provide for the household, how would they manage in the days to come?
Turning around, she quickly grabbed Song Liping.
"Good Child, listen to your mother. Hurry and sell your clothes, fabrics, shoes, and whatever else you can. Gather as much money as possible, quickly! Oh, and your colleagues too—borrow from anyone you can, and do it fast!"
"Mother, but… but those are things I worked so hard to buy. I can't bear to part with them. Why not let Father borrow the money instead? I don’t want to sell my clothes and shoes, waaah…"
"Your son has caused such a colossal disaster, and you still can’t bear to part with a few shabby clothes? Do you still want your son or not? Do you still want your parents or not? Listen to your mother. Just now, your father also said we should hand over the money first. Once your brother returns, the money can still come back to us. As long as we have money, what fashionable clothes won’t you be able to buy later?"
Song Liping, aggrieved and reluctant, finally agreed. Without a second thought for the two children who were starving and dizzy with hunger, she dragged them back home.