Seeing that Wang Mao remained silent, Uncle Cai was the first to smile and try to establish a family connection.
“Behind closed doors, we’re relatives too. Whatever the matter is, we can discuss it.”
Xiao Yuanming snorted.
“Who said we’re relatives with the Wangs?”
Uncle Cai had no way to argue with that, so he pretended not to hear it. He smiled and greeted Xiao Ganju.
“Auntie, how have you been feeling lately? Still in good health?”
“Thanks to heaven.”
Xiao Ganju was someone who clearly distinguished between right and wrong. She hated Wang Liansheng, but she wasn’t the kind of person who would take her anger out on the children of his younger sister.
Uncle Cai then greeted Xiao Laoda before finally looking at the pretty young woman sitting beside Xiao Ganju.
“This must be Hongyao, right? About your job… your… grandfather has already spoken with Director Chen at the First Factory. You can return to work in November.”
Before Xiao Hongyao could respond, she noticed her eldest brother, Xiao Yuanyang, whispering something to her second cousin at the doorway.
A moment later, Xiao Hongmin hurried out.
Xiao Hongyao guessed that her eldest brother had sent her to Director Chen’s home to confirm whether the information was true.
The thing that comforted Xiao Hongyao most about this world was that the Xiao family members were all dependable.
The negotiations began.
The three members of the Pan family sat off to the side, too frightened to say anything.
The main reason was that even Wang Mao had to go along with whatever the Xiao family said when dealing with Uncle Cai.
They were negotiating on the Xiao family’s territory, and the Xiao family had the advantage in numbers and attitude.
As a result, the entire negotiation was completely one-sided.
Uncle Cai knew very well that the Wang family had money and was also in the wrong. Since bargaining wasn’t getting him anywhere, he pretended to be troubled and pulled Wang Mao outside to discuss things quietly.
In the end, they came back with one request.
The Xiao family had to write a statement promising not to pursue the matter any further.
Writing such a statement wasn’t difficult.
The Xiao family members hesitated slightly.
Xiao Hongyao was about to stop them, but her eldest brother spoke first.
Xiao Yuanyang said quietly, “We can’t write that statement.”
Once Wang Jing and Pan Yunsong got married and had a child, there would no longer be any leverage against them.
What if the Wang family turned around and accused the Xiao family of extortion?
What if they shamelessly used their connections with higher-ranking officials?
The Xiao family could potentially end up in prison.
It was a very reasonable concern.
Seeing that the negotiations were almost settled, Uncle Cai, growing slightly impatient, thumped his chest and guaranteed,
“I’m the mediator here. I guarantee my elder brother won’t come after you later.”
Pan Yunsong’s mother also thumped her chest.
“Our family definitely won’t cause you any trouble either.”
Xiao Yuanming rolled his eyes.
He was quick-witted, so he decided to use their own argument against them.
“If thumping your chest and giving your word is enough, then I’ll do the same. I guarantee that we won’t cause you any trouble later either. Why don’t we all just make guarantees like this? Why bother writing anything down?”
The people on the other side were left speechless.
The two sides argued back and forth without reaching an agreement.
Finally, Xiao Ganju spoke.
“As long as they settle everything they’ve promised to settle, our Xiao family won’t pursue this matter any further.
“When your elder brother Wang Liansheng wanted to divorce me and marry into a more powerful family, he promised that his son would stay with me and that he wouldn’t have to spend a single cent raising him.
“Life was incredibly difficult afterward, but I never once went looking for him.
“My name is Xiao Ganju. When I give my word, I keep it.
“Go back and tell Wang Liansheng this. If his family still refuses, then so be it. I’ll naturally find someone to stand up for my granddaughter and seek justice for her!”
Seeing that Xiao Ganju had made herself perfectly clear, Uncle Cai gave an awkward smile.
“Of course I trust your character, Auntie.”
Xiao Laosan immediately retorted,
“If you trust her, why are you asking us to write a statement?”
“I’m only here to mediate and pass messages. What else could I do?”
As he spoke, he looked at Wang Mao.
“Why don’t we go back and discuss it first?”
The two said they were going back to discuss things, but in reality, they were going back to get the money.
At this critical moment, the Wang family was indeed afraid of letting the matter become public.
The three members of the Pan family remained at the Xiao residence while Wang Mao and Uncle Cai returned home.
After they had been gone for quite some time, Xiao Hongmin still hadn’t returned from checking with Director Chen.
Xiao Yuanyang went out to look for her.
A few minutes later, the brother and sister returned together.
But the moment they entered, everyone saw that Xiao Yuanyang’s face was livid, while Xiao Hongmin’s face was flushed and her head hung low.
Her eldest aunt, Tang Yueying, was clearing coal ash in the courtyard. She straightened up and asked,
“What happened? Why do you both look like that? What did Director Chen say? Didn’t Wang Liansheng speak to him?”
Only then did Xiao Yuanyang answer.
“Director Chen said there’s no problem with Third Sis returning to work in November. Tomorrow, Third Sis just needs to go for a physical examination. After that, she can take the medical examination form to the factory office and fill out the application to resume work.”
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Xiao Hongyao was looking through the window at the courtyard.
She immediately noticed something was wrong.
It was possible that her eldest brother had caught her second cousin together with her ex-boyfriend.
Xiao Hongyao sat beside the window and handed a threaded needle to Xiao Ganju.
Grandma was embroidering a pair of insoles with a large red “double happiness” character on them. They were probably intended as part of Xiao Hongmin’s wedding preparations.
The courtyard gate opened.
Looking up, Xiao Hongyao saw Uncle Cai walk in.
He hurried into the house.
Because he didn’t see Xiao Ganju, he asked,
“Has Auntie gone out?”
Xiao Laoda casually answered, but didn’t mention that the old woman was in the bedroom.
Uncle Cai didn’t know whether Xiao Ganju was home or not.
He avoided the Pan family and pulled Xiao Laoda aside, speaking quietly as though he wanted credit for his efforts.
“I spent a long time persuading them again. I finally convinced my elder brother to agree to the 3,000-yuan compensation.
“They don’t have enough cash at home, and the credit union is closed today. They’re trying to find a way to gather the money.”
As long as they had agreed, that was good enough.
Xiao Laoda instructed his younger son,
“Make some tea for your Uncle Cai.”
Then he stood up and went into the old woman’s room to report the situation to his mother.
Pan Yunsong’s mother, who had just poked her head over to listen, smiled.
“They’re going to get the money? That’s good. That’s good.”
Uncle Cai gave an awkward smile, forcing himself not to roll his eyes at the Pan family.
Around three-thirty in the afternoon, Wang Mao and another Wang family relative brought over three thick bundles of cash.
Each bundle contained 1,000 yuan, packed in three kraft-paper envelopes.
Every bill was a 10-yuan note, commonly known as a “Big Unity.”
The Wang family had proposed a compromise.
“We won’t require you to write a statement saying you won’t pursue the matter again. But at the very least, we need a receipt.”
“What should the receipt say?”
Wang Mao glanced at Xiao Hongyao, who was standing beside the table.
“Just write: ‘Received 3,000 yuan from Wang Jing.’ Then sign Xiao Hongyao at the bottom.”
“No.”
Xiao Yuanyang immediately objected.
“My sister has no direct financial dealings with your sister. If she signs a receipt like that, things will never be clear later.
“To put it simply, this is money you’re lending to Pan Yunsong. There’s no reason for my sister to write a receipt.”
The implication was clear.
The Wang family could have Pan Yunsong sign an IOU instead.
Xiao Laosan, who clearly didn’t mind making matters worse, said,
“Let Pan Yunsong write it!”
Wang Mao actually turned toward his future brother-in-law.
“Then why don’t you write an IOU?”
Uncle Cai immediately changed his tune as well.
“This whole mess was caused by you, Yunsong. Once you’re married, just slowly repay your father-in-law and brother-in-law.”
Three thousand yuan.
Who knew how many years it would take to pay that off?
Pan Yunsong’s parents were deeply unwilling, but they didn’t dare openly refuse.
Pan Yunsong had no choice.
He took the paper and pen Wang Mao had prepared and bent over the table to write the IOU.
Standing silently nearby, Xiao Hongyao saw through the Wang family’s scheme.
They had already anticipated that the Xiao family wouldn’t provide any written documentation.
So they were using the Xiao family to force Pan Yunsong to sign an IOU instead.
They were all cunning old foxes.
Once Pan Yunsong finished writing the IOU, Xiao Hongyao said,
“Pan Yunsong, the Wang family is really good to you. They were too embarrassed to ask you themselves, so they deliberately used us to force you to write this IOU.
“From now on, you should obediently take 50 yuan from your salary every month to repay the debt. That’s 600 yuan a year. You’ll have it completely paid off in five years.”
If Pan Yunsong paid 50 yuan from his salary every month, he wouldn’t have enough left to live on.
More importantly, the Wang family had refused to say it themselves and had instead used the Xiao family to pressure their future son-in-law into signing the IOU.
Their behavior was hypocritical to the extreme.
Xiao Hongyao’s seemingly casual remark was like a needle driven straight into the Pan family’s hearts.
What a vicious little provocation.
Even Uncle Cai secretly drew in a breath.
After both the Pan and Wang families had left, Xiao Ganju said,
“Keeping this much money at home isn’t safe. The credit union opens tomorrow morning. Go deposit it first thing.
“Third Sis, this money was left for you by your father, and you’ve earned it yourself. Keep it safe.”
Everyone in the Xiao family had been incredibly supportive today.
Xiao Hongyao wanted to repay them, but not yet.
She needed the money for now.
She could think about repaying them once she had accumulated enough.
Besides the 3,000 yuan, she had a little over 30 yuan in spending money from the original owner’s wallet.
Grandma had also said that the original Xiao Hongyao had previously deposited 200 yuan with her.
3,230 yuan.
That was all the money she could currently control.
For this era, it wasn’t a small amount.
Xiao Yuanming had to work the next day.
After dinner, he would have to ride his bicycle for more than an hour to return to Shanyang Town, so dinner was served early.
The duck they had killed that morning was made into blood duck.
The pork belly they had specifically bought to entertain the Pan family was turned into braised pork and steamed pork with rice flour.
There was also stir-fried chives, braised tofu, and other dishes.
Seven dishes filled the table.
Xiao Laosan’s family of three had also been invited to dinner.
The table was a little too small for everyone, so Third Aunt told her son, Xiao Yuanli, to eat standing up.
“You’re the youngest. Standing while you eat will help you grow taller.”
Ever since Xiao Hongmin had been brought back by her eldest brother, she hadn’t said much.
She held her bowl and stood awkwardly instead of sitting down.
“I’ll eat standing too.”
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuanyang had a stern expression as he poured wine for Grandma.
Xiao Hongyao could roughly guess that another dramatic scene was about to unfold tonight.
Without saying anything, she quietly scooped a spoonful of blood duck into her second cousin’s bowl.
Whatever happened, they should eat first.
Having a full stomach was the most important thing.
Especially since all the dishes on the table were spicy and delicious.
She had to eat well and eat slowly.
She couldn’t disrespect such delicious food.
Sure enough, when Grandma put down her chopsticks and took a sip of tea, Xiao Yuanyang finally confronted Xiao Hongmin.
“Tell us. Didn’t you say you’d explain everything to the family after dinner?”
Xiao Yuanyang looked at Xiao Hongmin.
Everyone looked at one another, completely unaware of what was going on.
Tang Yueying asked in confusion,
“What happened?”
Xiao Hongmin put down her bowl and chopsticks and lowered her head without saying anything.
“Speak! Xiao Hongmin!”
Xiao Yuanyang suddenly raised his voice.
Tang Yueying hurriedly hit him lightly.
“Talk to her calmly.”
Third Aunt also asked,
“What happened?”
Xiao Ganju knew the personalities of her grandchildren well.
She guessed something bad had happened.
She took out five cents and handed it to Xiao Yuanli.
“Li, go to the little shop and buy Grandma two candles.”
Xiao Yuanli was thirteen years old and already understood some social cues.
He knew something interesting was happening at home and didn’t want to leave.
But in the end, his parents forced him out.
Once Xiao Yuanli had left the courtyard, Xiao Yuanyang pressed again.
“Are you still not going to talk?”
Xiao Yuanming also urged her.
“I have to get back to town. If something happened, say it quickly. You’re driving me crazy.”
Tang Yueying was already standing beside her daughter.
She lowered her head and asked anxiously,
“Second Sis, what happened? Don’t scare Mom.”
“I want to break off the engagement.”
Xiao Hongmin spoke very softly, but her voice was firm.
She said she wanted to, not that she was being forced to.
Everyone was stunned.
“Why do you want to break off the engagement?”
“Song Kuoyang is such a good match. Are you crazy for refusing him?”
Xiao Hongmin said,
“What makes him such a good match?
“His ancestors were capitalists. He has no parents and no one to rely on. His salary is nothing special. He’s arrogant, difficult to deal with, and stingy.
“Huang Peiqin said that aside from being handsome, he doesn’t have a single good quality.”
Third Aunt clicked her tongue twice.
“How can you say he has no good qualities?
“Who isn’t careful with money when running a household? If you find someone who spends money recklessly, that’s what you should be afraid of.
“Besides, how does Huang Peiqin know he’s stingy? Could she have her own intentions?
“Song Kuoyang is a technical backbone. He has a very promising future.
“Before Liberation, the Yangcheng Firecracker Factory was originally owned by the Song family. Times are different now. If someone comes from a wealthy family and their descendants are capable, sooner or later they’ll become successful again.
“Besides, their ancestors must have been buried in a good place.”
Xiao Hongmin muttered,
“Their ancestral graves were already dug up. How could they have been buried well?”
Third Aunt was rendered speechless.
Tang Yueying pinched her daughter’s arm.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Xiao Laoda slammed his chopsticks onto the table and scolded her angrily.
“Isn’t this ridiculous?
“We already reached an agreement with Song Yanzhen. Once her nephew returns from the Northeast, you two will get married.
“Song Kuoyang is about to come back, and we’ve been waiting for him so you can get married and receive a factory-assigned apartment.
“How can you suddenly say you don’t want to marry him?
“Aren’t you ruining his life? How are we supposed to explain this to their family?!”