“Then it must be that my clothes were sold, or given away to someone else.”
Su Xiaoqi’s clothes had been brought with her before going down to the countryside.
In 1967, Professor Su had been investigated and purged because of his overseas background in his youth and a student’s accusation against him.
He was sent to a remote place for re-education.
Most of the family’s property was confiscated or destroyed, though some clothing remained.
Wang Xiulan did not dare to respond.
She still had to live in the educated youth compound.
Offending Xia Wenjie would bring no good outcome—he looked refined, but his mind was sharp and calculating.
Su Xiaoqi already knew who had taken her clothes.
She returned to the dormitory and organized the items in her box.
Then she carried the box to Xia Wenjie’s dormitory door.
“Xia Wenjie. Come out.”
A voice inside replied, “He’s not here.”
“Tell Tian Yihang this: the sweaters and wool coat must be converted into cash and returned to me. I’ll come tomorrow to collect it. If not, I’ll beat his dog head in.”
With that, Su Xiaoqi turned and left without waiting for a response.
On the way, she ran into Zhou Ye.
He took the box from her.
“Why didn’t you wait for me at the educated youth compound? It’s heavy carrying this alone.”
Seeing her expression, he asked, “Who bullied you?”
Su Xiaoqi told him everything about Xia Wenjie opening her box and taking her clothes.
“I would never give my box key to someone like that. I’m not that careless… but how did he even get the key?”
She was puzzled.
Zhou Ye considered saying that Xia Wenjie had a bad reputation and liked spreading rumors that Su Xiaoqi was interested in him.
But fearing she would be upset, he instead said, “I’ll go get it back for you.”
“You will?”
“Yes. I’m your man. It’s only right.”
He was afraid she might be too soft-hearted to collect the money herself.
Su Xiaoqi sighed, holding back something bitter in her chest.
“Alright. Then you go get it back for me.”
“Mm.”
They returned home together with Zhou Ye pushing a bicycle.
At the courtyard, Yang Huaihua was scolding her daughter-in-law. Hearing the gate, she paused.
“You two didn’t even come home for lunch. Where did you go eating secretly?”
Her eyes landed on the basket tied to the bicycle.
She rushed forward to check it, but Su Xiaoqi shoved her away.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m just looking at what you bought!”
Yang Huaihua’s teeth ached from anger, her words coming out in sharp hisses.
Su Xiaoqi covered her nose.
“Don’t come too close. Your mouth stinks.”
“…”
Xu Meizhen’s face was even more bruised than yesterday, smeared with green medicine, making her look ridiculous.
“Su Xiaoqi, how can you say Mom’s mouth stinks?”
“Then come smell it yourself.”
She rolled her eyes.
“You really have no manners. You should call me sister-in-law.”
“You’re not,” Xu Meizhen snapped.
“True. The Xu family is all one family anyway,” Su Xiaoqi said casually, instructing Zhou Ye to take the things into the room.
“Lock them in the cabinet.”
Zhou Ye complied without hesitation.
From inside the room, Yang Huaihua shouted through the window:
“Zhou Ye! Where do you place me in your heart?”
Zhou Ye stepped out again.
“Where do you want to be placed? You’re not my only mother. Besides, you still have that old man who looks like a dead branch.”
Yang Huaihua froze in disbelief.
Her son had grown distant from her.
She stormed into the inner room in anger.
Xu Meizhen looked at Zhou Ye in shock.
“Big brother, you’ve changed.”
“You’ve got the wrong brother. My surname is Zhou.”
Yang Huaihua refused to give up.
“Zhou Ye! Even if you’re unfilial, Tianzhen is still the eldest grandson of the Xu family. Didn’t you even buy him anything?”
She was unhappy that all the food went to an outsider like Su Xiaoqi.
“Mom, Xu Tianzhen is the Xu family’s grandson. What does that have to do with me, Zhou?”
Zhou Ye shook his head and ignored her.
He truly felt fed up.
People always said, “With a stepmother comes a stepfather,” but in this household, it was reversed.
With a stepfather, there came a stepmother.
She was always afraid that Xu Yetian would abandon her.
If Zhou Ye hadn’t brought home a wife, Xu Yong’an might have married earlier than him.
As for the Zhou family, Zhou Zheng was even older than Xu Yonguo, and already had a five-year-old daughter.
To Zhou Ye, Zhou Zheng was his real brother.
At the window, Yang Huaihua shouted:
“I raised you for nothing! You don’t care about your sister or your nephew—your heart has been taken by that vixen!”
She regretted letting Su Xiaoqi into the house.
Su Xiaoqi tapped the window frame with a stick.
“His sister is Zhou Cao. As for nephews…”
“You didn’t even arrange a marriage for Zhou Zheng. Where did the nephew come from?”
“Or did you already fool around with Old Xu before Zhou Ye’s father died? Are those three Xu kids actually bastards born from your affair?”
Yang Huaihua panicked and lowered her voice.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“You were the one calling them nephews. If there’s no blood relation, how can they be nephews?”
Just then, Zhou Ye pretended not to hear anything.
Zhou Zheng and Zhou Cao returned.
Zhou Cao excitedly shouted before even entering the yard, “Mom! Second brother caught a wild chicken!”
Yang Huaihua immediately hissed at her.
“Keep your voice down!”
Wild game belonged to the production team.
Small game like wild fruit or vegetables was tolerated, but wild chickens still needed to be hidden.
As for wild boars—they belonged entirely to the collective.
Even wild chickens had to be handed in if there were too many, though people might get a verbal praise.
She took the wild chicken from Zhou Zheng; its head had been smashed.
“Why did you smash its head? Hurry up and cook it. Send half to the Wen family.”
She treated Wen Anning especially well, unlike her own daughter.
The children were already excited at the thought of meat.
Even little Xu Xiaocui sat at the kitchen door drooling.
“Chicken meat!”
“You worthless girl, you only get chicken butt,” Xu Tiansheng mocked her.
Xiaocui didn’t mind at all. Even chicken butt was still meat.
Su Xiaoqi waved at Zhou Zheng and Zhou Cao through the window, signaling them to come in.
Zhou Cao hesitated, glancing nervously at Yang Huaihua in the kitchen.
Zhou Zheng washed a few peaches and said, “Sister-in-law told us to go over.”
“I’m scared,” Zhou Cao whispered. She refused the peaches.
Zhou Zheng still carried them inside.
He knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
The room was clean and tidy.
Su Xiaoqi sat in a chair. Zhou Ye lay on the bed with his arms behind his head.
Zhou Zheng placed the peaches on the table.
“Sister-in-law, these are for you.”
“Thank you.”
She gave them some pastries. Each of them took two pieces.
They squatted and finished eating before speaking again.
“Thank you, sister-in-law.”
At that moment, Xu Tianzhen pushed the door open.
“Big aunt, I want egg cake! Grandma said you bought egg cakes!”
Su Xiaoqi pressed her temples.
She wasn’t stingy—but she disliked spoiled children.
Especially those connected to the people who had caused the original owner’s death.
“I did buy egg cakes,” she said calmly.
“But I’m not giving you any.”