Su Ying tossed and turned in bed that night, thinking desperately about splitting from the family. But as a girl, bringing it up would only get her thrown out and they were still planning to sell her for four hundred and fifty yuan. From Tian Cuifen’s glee, she knew the man they’d found was no good.
Under cover of darkness, she crept to their window to listen.
“Four hundred and fifty yuan we should at least get her a new outfit,” Su Fugui said. “Tying her up and sending her off in rags doesn’t look right.”
Tian Cuifen nodded. “We don’t have time to make one. Let her wear Xiuxiu’s red jacket from New Year she barely wore it.”
“I just worry… if she finds out he’s ten years older, a widower, and limps… will she kick up a fuss?” He’d seen her change lately she’d even threatened to poison them all if they forced her hand. The thought scared him.
“Let her try. Once it’s done, her in-laws will handle her. Married is married she’ll have to make do.”
Su Ying wanted to rush in and tear their hair out. Monsters. She lay awake fuming, resolving to be vigilant about everything they gave her to eat.
The next morning, as soon as Su Fugui left, Tian Cuifen brought Su Xiuxiu’s red jacket into Su Ying’s room. “Yingzi, your old coat’s too small and full of patches. Xiuxiu doesn’t need this one anymore take it.”
Su Ying glanced at it indifferently. “No need it’ll be warm soon.”
“Just a few more cold days. Wear it.”
Oh, I’ll make sure someone wears it, Su Ying thought. Tian Cuifen held her tongue for the sake of the money, she’d endure anything for two more days.
She’d barely left when Su Xiuxiu burst in. “You little mongrel! Steal my jacket? I’ll cut your fingers off!”
Su Ying leaned against the headboard, eyeing her from face to belly had she put on weight lately? “Cut the thief’s fingers then I didn’t take it.”
Su Xiuxiu lunged for her hair, still bitter about the slap a few days earlier. But this was not the old Su Ying. Before her hand could land, Su Ying kicked her hard in the thigh. She gasped and stumbled back.
“You dare kick me!”
“Kicked you and what? You call me ‘mongrel’ who’s the real bastard here?”
Su Xiuxiu raged, charging again. Su Ying rolled aside, grabbed her ponytail, and yanked hard. Xiuxiu screamed. “Let go, you cur!”
“Who’s the cur?”
“You are!”
Su Ying laughed. When Xiuxiu realized she’d been tricked, she flailed wildly. Tian Cuifen rushed in and pulled them apart, glaring at Su Ying. Good thing we’re selling her to the cripple, she thought. If she’d married Jiang Xiaofei and lived well, I’d have died of rage.
“Mom, she stole my jacket!” Xiuxiu shrieked.
“Be quiet come with me.”
Tian Cuifen dragged her to the opposite room. Su Ying didn’t need to listen to know what they were plotting.
“For heaven’s sake, can’t you behave?” Tian Cuifen hissed. “She’s leaving the day after tomorrow. If you want your dowry, leave her alone. Once she’s gone, this house is yours.”
“Promise me a new outfit when she’s gone?”
“Two meters of dacron and a new pair of trousers happy?”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Soon after, Su Xiuxiu walked out humming.
Su Ying couldn’t stay another minute. She grabbed a basket and found Lin Yan with little work to do this season, they went to dig shepherd’s purse on the hillside. At the gate, Su Dabao was drawing in the dirt with a stick; he scrambled to hide it when he saw her. Looks like last time taught him a lesson.
On the hillside, Lin Yan fumed when she heard the news. “I knew they were no good! A whole family of scoundrels, every last one!”
“Hey leave me out of that.”
Lin Yan grinned and covered her mouth. “Sorry! You’re nothing like them.”
“By the way… your mom made you that red coat recently, right?”
“Yep why?”
“Can I borrow it? I’ll find a way to pay you back.”
“Sure! What are friends for?”
Back at the Su house, the matchmaker escorted by Lu Dongsheng to the village entrance arrived with gifts. Lu Dongsheng had told her to make sure they knew about his military position and seventy-yuan allowance; he wanted them to see his value, knowing how greedy Su Ying’s father and stepmother were. He watched the matchmaker enter the yard, then headed to find Zhang Shengli.
Zhang Shengli’s eyes widened when he saw him. “You’re back? Don’t tell me you actually sent a matchmaker?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
Zhang Shengli beamed and ushered him inside.
Meanwhile, the matchmaker pushed open the Su family’s door and called out, “Anyone home?”