Chapter 116: Chapter 116: So Poor That All I Have Left Is Money

As the spicy hotpot came off the stove, Xu Huai’an returned home with the two kids.

“Mom, we went to the temple fair with Dad today. There were so many people!” Beibei chirped loudly before even stepping inside.

“Really? Then I want to go next time too!” Ming Ruxue greeted them eagerly.

When the two kids saw her, they shouted excitedly, “Auntie Ruxue!”

Ming Ruxue was a child at heart and easily bonded with them.

“Beibei, Dabao, guess what tasty treat I brought you?”

“Is it candy?”

“Nope, it’s chocolate! Haha!”

“What’s chocolate? Is it good?”

“You’ll know once you try it!”

Ming Ruxue took the two kids outside to play.

Xu Huai’an naturally washed his hands and came over to help set the table.

“Huanhuan, you’ve worked hard.” He deliberately leaned in to whisper to Gu Qinghuan.

Gu Qinghuan was busy with the vegetables in the pot and didn’t have time for him. She grumbled, “Move over!”

Xu Huai’an could only accept his fate and go serve the dishes.

Gu Lanting, seeing him rebuffed, stifled a giggle. He didn’t mind Xu Huai’an as much anymore—now he just found it amusing when Xu Huai’an got put in his place.

Gu Qinghuan had already steamed the shrimp in advance. Now, with just the spicy chicken, stir-fried greens, and seaweed egg drop soup left, the meal was almost ready.

The table was packed with dishes—so much that the Eight Immortals table could barely hold it all.

“Thank you for all your hard work, Sis,” Ming Ruxue said sweetly.

Lanting rolled his eyes. “If you have time to sweet-talk, why not help my sister out more? All talk, no action.”

Ming Ruxue grabbed Gu Qinghuan’s arm and pouted, “I’m learning, aren’t I? Sis, look at him!”

“Alright, both of you, enough. Ruxue always brings things when she visits, and you eat them too, don’t you? By the way, next time, don’t bother bringing anything. We’re all friends here, no need to be so formal,” Gu Qinghuan mediated.

“Okay, I’ll listen to you, Sis.”

“Ahem, the reason we have such a big meal today is to celebrate some great news—our little Western-style house is coming back to us!” Gu Qinghuan announced, pausing deliberately to let everyone process the news.

Ming Ruxue, ever the hype-woman, immediately started clapping, almost jumping up in excitement.

The two kids joined in, clapping enthusiastically.

Gu Lanting and Xu Huai’an were a beat slower, but soon caught on.

“Didn’t you say it would take a few more days to sort things out? How did it get resolved so quickly?” Gu Lanting asked in surprise.

“Because we had help from someone important! Can you believe it? When I went to report the case today, I happened to meet a police officer who was Mom’s old classmate.

He said Mom even helped him with his schooling back in the day. With connections in high places and the fact that we were in the right, everything went smoothly.”

“Well, that’s great!” Lanting said excitedly.

“Congratulations on getting your house back, Sis,” Ming Ruxue said, cupping her hands in a mock salute.

Xu Huai’an didn’t say much, but he took it all in.

“I checked it out today. The basic furniture is all there and in good condition—probably what Mom bought before. The walls and floors are fine too, no need for major renovations.

In the next few days, we’ll tidy up, buy whatever’s missing, and then we can officially move in.”

Gu Lanting was visibly happy. He’d gotten used to living alone, and sharing space with his brother-in-law lately had made him a bit uncomfortable—not that he disliked him, just not used to it.

“Can we move in too?” Dabao and Beibei looked at Gu Qinghuan expectantly.

Gu Qinghuan nodded without hesitation. “Of course! Who else would you move in with if not me?”

“We’re definitely sticking with Mom!” Beibei grinned.

Xu Huai’an smiled helplessly. Looks like he’d have to rely on his wife for a living—so be it, he’d follow her for the rest of his life anyway.

At the same time, he felt a growing urge to make money. As a man, he should provide for his family—not just depend on his wife for everything.

Only Ming Ruxue looked glum. “You’re all moving into a new house. I wish I had a place to call home too.”

Since coming back, she’d been staying at the Overseas Chinese Hotel for days. The hotel was nice and free, but it wasn’t the same as having a home.

“You can move in with us! There are plenty of rooms in the house.

Or, if you’d feel more comfortable, you can stay in the other house—we got two back this time, and they’re right across from each other,” Gu Qinghuan reassured her.

“Really?” Her eyes visibly brightened.

“Of course! Let’s talk details tomorrow. For now, let’s eat—can’t let good food go to waste!”

All this conversation only took a minute or two.

Everyone picked up their chopsticks, and soon the table was filled with the sound of eating.

Today’s dishes were all hearty, spicy fare—perfect with rice. Gu Lanting and Xu Huai’an kept refilling their bowls.

Good thing she’d made plenty of rice.

Even Ming Ruxue had two bowls—she couldn’t stop eating despite her lips swelling from the spice.

The kids had boiled shrimp, veggies, mild fish fillets, and seaweed egg drop soup, and ate happily.

“Burp—so full!” Gu Lanting belched without a care.

After this meal, Ming Ruxue was even more determined to stick with Gu Qinghuan for food and fun. Even if they’d all leave eventually, she’d enjoy it while she could.

“Sis, make sure you save one of those two houses for me. I want to rent it at the highest market price.”

She wanted to mooch meals, but she wasn’t shameless—living together wouldn’t be right, and she’d feel awkward.

Better to rent from them, then she could come over for meals whenever she wanted. Just thinking about it made her happy.

“What’s this about rent? Just stay there—it’s not like anyone else is using it. I’d have to hire someone to clean it anyway. If you live there, you can help keep an eye on the place,” Gu Qinghuan insisted.

Afraid Gu Qinghuan wouldn’t accept money, Ming Ruxue declared, “Sis, you have to take my money, or I’ll feel uncomfortable living there. Seriously, I’m not short on cash! I’m so poor, all I have left is money. If you don’t take it, you’re looking down on me.”

She wasn’t kidding. Her family had always been wealthy, and though her parents were devoted to their research, they’d never let her want for anything. She’d never lacked money her whole life.

Gu Qinghuan knew she was a little rich girl—her clothes, her spending, everything showed it.

Alright, she thought, I’m the real clown here.

When would she ever be able to say, “I’m so poor, all I have left is money”? Just imagining it felt great.

“Fine, whatever. You can stay there. I’ll get someone to clean both houses in the next couple of days. When you’re off this weekend, we’ll go shopping for household stuff and move in officially.”

“Great! Let’s go to the Overseas Chinese Store. I have lots of foreign exchange coupons I haven’t used yet, and the uncle who brought me here gave me a bunch of other ration tickets too.”

“That’s perfect! I was just worrying about ration tickets!”

“Don’t worry, if I don’t have a ticket, I can get someone to find it for me. Whatever you want to buy, just buy it.”

The two women got all fired up talking about shopping, leaving the two men to shake their heads and helplessly clear the table.

—

Xu Family Village

Ever since Chen Jianghe broke his leg, the Xu family had been up to their old tricks again.

The new house was finished, the heated brick bed was built, and with a bit of tidying and a few more pieces of furniture, they could move in.

But Xu Meiling didn’t want to move.

There were three reasons. First, lately, she felt nauseous at the slightest smell, barely able to take care of herself, let alone Chen Jianghe.

She’d been pampered her whole life, and now, suddenly having to run her own household made her anxious—she was afraid she couldn’t handle it.

Second, as long as she stayed at home, she ate the family’s food and spent their money. If she moved out, she’d have to spend her own, and she couldn’t bear it.

Third, Chen Jianghe needed extra nourishment for his recovery, and she was pregnant and needed good food too—she wanted to mooch off her parents’ kitchen.

Xu Huaizhi got meat coupons from the factory every month and often brought home some pork, bones, or liver—there was always some meat.

And her sister-in-law Lin Xiaomeng would occasionally bring home treats, so everyone got a share. Xu Meiling didn’t want to give up these perks.

Chen Jianghe had two hundred yuan, but after building the house and buying things, half was gone. His broken leg had cost another few dozen. Now he barely had any money left and refused to ask his family for more. Xu Meiling didn’t want to be penniless when she gave birth.

So, she planned to stay at her parents’ as long as she could, and only move out when she had to.

Her parents wouldn’t say anything—just turn a blind eye.

But Lin Xiaomeng, her sister-in-law, had had enough.

Before the house was finished, it made sense for Xu Meiling to stay. Lin Xiaomeng tolerated it, thinking it was just for a little while.

But now the house was done, the bed was heated, and the furniture was in place—why weren’t they moving out?

Her frustration grew by the day.

Today, she’d brought back a clutch of wild eggs from the mountains and secretly hid them to give her son a treat.

When she was cooking dinner, she boiled two wild eggs in the porridge pot, planning to hide them and give them to Dacheng later.

But when she went back to her room for a moment and returned to fish out the eggs, they were gone.

No need to guess—it had to be Xu Meiling. And it wasn’t the first time. Xu Meiling seemed to have a sixth sense for finding her hidden treats.

Lin Xiaomeng exploded, all her old and new grievances boiling over as she shouted, “You can guard against thieves day and night, but you can’t guard against a thief in your own family! Stealing even from your own nephew—why doesn’t the heavens strike her down with lightning?!”"

"Chapter 117: Hard to Guard Against Family Thieves, A Choice

As soon as Xu Mingshan and Liu Guifang heard the commotion, they immediately understood what was going on. Inwardly, they cursed, “That damn girl, what a disgrace. Has she never eaten before?”

Dacheng also realized that his wild eggs had been stolen by his aunt—again. It was always like this. After spending time with Lin Xiaomeng, he now looked down on this aunt of his, glaring fiercely at Xu Meiling’s bedroom door.

Meanwhile, the culprit, Xu Meiling, was inside her room, sharing the freshly stolen wild eggs with her man, Chen Jianghe.

She even said smugly, “See? I’m good to you, always thinking of you whenever there’s something nice.”

Chen Jianghe didn’t say anything, but at least he didn’t snap at her like he used to. These days, lying in bed, she’d been taking care of all his needs, and anything good she got would go to him first. Even a heart of stone would soften.

To be fair, aside from being a bit ugly, Xu Meiling really did treat him well. Now that she was pregnant, Chen Jianghe couldn’t help but feel a bit of tenderness toward her and the child she was carrying.

The two of them were eating, one egg after another, when suddenly they heard a shrew’s shrill voice cursing outside.

Chen Jianghe almost choked, an egg stuck in his throat, neither going up nor down.

Seeing this, Xu Meiling quickly patted his back to help him swallow, and finally, he managed to get it down.

Chen Jianghe glared at her in anger. “Didn’t you say you found these eggs?”

No matter how down and out he was, he wouldn’t allow himself to lose his dignity. He couldn’t accept that Xu Meiling had stolen food.

Xu Meiling, however, was completely unconcerned. “That’s right, I found them—found them at home! My sister-in-law is always sneaking extra food for her son. Don’t think I don’t know. What’s wrong with me taking a couple of eggs?”

Xu Meiling’s shameless justification for stealing completely shattered Chen Jianghe’s worldview. He wasn’t exactly a good person himself, but this was something he’d never do, nor would he stoop so low.

With a mother who’s a thief, what kind of child could she possibly raise? He was so furious he wanted to strangle her, his eyes practically spitting fire.

Xu Meiling was dissatisfied with his look. “What’s with that face? I only stole for your sake, to help you get better, and now you’re blaming me?”

“If I didn’t steal, would you ever get any of the good stuff in this house?”

“Let me tell you, everything I’ve given you lately has been stolen. If you’re so disgusted, spit it out!”

Since getting pregnant, her temper had gotten much worse. Seeing Chen Jianghe’s open disgust, she couldn’t control herself.

Chen Jianghe hadn’t realized this wasn’t the first time. Thinking back on how touched he’d been by the things she’d given him, he suddenly felt sick.

He leaned over the bed, trying to force himself to vomit up what he’d just eaten.

Xu Meiling, furious, heard Lin Xiaomeng still cursing outside and stormed out the door.

“Lin Xiaomeng, you eat my family’s food and drink our water, and I take two eggs and it’s a problem? I haven’t reported you for stealing from socialism—you should count yourself lucky!”

Don’t think she didn’t know—Lin Xiaomeng was always going up the mountain to find things, and she must have kept some for herself.

Hadn’t that crazy Second Brother’s wife said before that Lin Xiaomeng had found a hundred-year-old ginseng and must have hidden it to sell?

Recently, Xu Mingshan and Liu Guifang had also been unhappy with Lin Xiaomeng, especially since she’d been stirring up talk of splitting the family. Seeing their daughter confront her, they decided not to intervene, just to watch the show.

Hopefully, Meiling could teach that woman a lesson and make her think twice before defying her elders!

Lin Xiaomeng had never seen anyone so brazen after stealing—shouting “thief” while being the thief herself.

“I’m stealing from socialism? Every time I bring something back, you eat the most! Go ahead and report me! If I can’t live well, neither can you!” Lin Xiaomeng wasn’t about to be intimidated.

Actually, when it came to things from the mountains, whether wild goods or game, the unspoken rule was: whoever found it, kept it. You just couldn’t be too blatant.

Dacheng saw his aunt not only eat his eggs but also bully his mother, and he couldn’t take it anymore. In a burst of anger, he charged forward and rammed his head into Xu Meiling’s belly.

The whole family was startled.

Xu Mingshan and Liu Guifang, peeking through the crack in the door, almost cried out in alarm—Meiling was pregnant, after all!

Lin Xiaomeng was also shocked, worried that if Xu Meiling got hurt, she’d be blamed for it later. Just the thought made her sick.

Luckily, Xu Meiling was an adult, sturdy and strong. She grabbed Dacheng and tossed him to the ground, snarling, “You little pest! You’re just as bad as your mother!”

Dacheng hit the ground hard, scraping his face and bursting into loud sobs.

“Mama, it hurts!” The child, both hurt and wronged, cried uncontrollably.

It wasn’t actually that serious, just a scrape, but his cries only fueled Lin Xiaomeng’s anger.

“Xu Meiling! I’ve had enough!” Lin Xiaomeng lunged at her, and the two started fighting.

Xu Mingshan and Liu Guifang, who’d been watching from inside, couldn’t sit still any longer, afraid something would happen to Meiling.

“What are you doing, eldest daughter-in-law? Meiling’s pregnant!” Liu Guifang flung open the door and rushed to help.

Lin Xiaomeng couldn’t possibly win against the two of them. Liu Guifang took the opportunity to pinch her several times, making her cry from both pain and frustration.

No one had come to help her when her things were stolen and she was wronged, but the moment Xu Meiling got hit, the two elders rushed out to scold and hit her.

Truly, a daughter-in-law is like a weed—easy to bully, not their own flesh and blood, so they don’t care.

Thankfully, Dacheng, seeing his mother getting hit, rushed over and hugged his grandmother’s leg. “Grandma, don’t hit my mom! Grandma, don’t hit my mom!”

In her previous life, this child had been spoiled by Liu Guifang, always siding with his grandmother, believing everything she said.

Thinking of this, Lin Xiaomeng found new strength. She suddenly shook off Liu Guifang, sending her sprawling onto her backside.

Mother and son clung to each other tightly.

“You wretched little thing, you dare hit your mother-in-law? Oh, my poor back!” wailed Liu Guifang.

Xu Meiling rushed to help her mother, and the two glared at Lin Xiaomeng, united in their anger.

Xu Mingshan knew that if he didn’t step in now, the family would fall apart.

“All right! Enough! It’s not that big a deal. Everyone, just calm down.

Meiling, you shouldn’t take your sister-in-law’s things without asking.

Eldest daughter-in-law, you shouldn’t have hit Meiling. If she got hurt, people would laugh at us.”

This was his usual way of handling things—scold both sides and call it even. Of course, deep down, he still favored his daughter.

But Lin Xiaomeng wasn’t about to let him brush things off so easily.

“Dad, are you saying my things are just gone for nothing? This isn’t the first time!

The food I make isn’t just for myself—it’s for your eldest grandson. If Huaizhi knew about this, how disappointed would he be? He always cared so much for Xu Meiling.

And this is how she treats her nephew—stealing from him, even pushing him to the ground. Just look at the injury on his face!”

Xu Meiling shot back, “He’s the one who rammed into me! I’m pregnant—if something happened, could you take responsibility?”

“You’re the one playing the victim! If you hadn’t stolen, none of this would have happened!”

“Who says it’s stealing? This is my own home—I can eat whatever I want! Why should I have to report to you?”

That hit a nerve for Lin Xiaomeng, and she retorted, “Your own home? You’re a married woman, yet you and your husband live here in your parents’ house—what a joke!

You’re married, but still living off your parents? Did you marry a man or bring home a live-in son-in-law?

You laze around all day, never do any work, but you’re first in line to eat. Everything you eat was earned by your big brother, and you still bully your nephew. Have you no conscience?

I want an answer today—when are you moving out? And give back everything you stole from me!”

After saying this, Lin Xiaomeng felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders. She’d been holding this in for so long.

Back when she was a girl, she’d always tried to be the peacemaker, wanting to be the good person, never knowing how to say no, and always suffering for it.

But motherhood had made her stronger. She was finally breaking free of those bad habits and learning to stand up for herself.

Xu Mingshan sighed. What had to come, had come. There was nothing wrong with what Lin Xiaomeng said, and he couldn’t argue.

After all, daughters were supposed to marry out and make their own way. Besides, they already had a house, and his wife had secretly given their daughter some money for her dowry. She could manage on her own.

But Liu Guifang was shameless. To her, all her children were treasures, and she couldn’t stand her daughter-in-law bullying them.

“Lin Xiaomeng, what did you say? I’m not dead yet—this house isn’t yours to run!

Meiling can stay here as long as she wants. This is her home!”

Xu Meiling shot Lin Xiaomeng a triumphant look.

“Oh my god! This is too much! What kind of family keeps supporting a married daughter and her husband?” Lin Xiaomeng was on the verge of breaking down, tears streaming down her face. It was like reasoning with a brick wall.

No wonder the elders always said, “Poor mountains breed troublesome people.” Life here was unbearable.

She had thought that, given a second chance at life, she could escape these chains, but it seemed impossible. Her sadness was overwhelming.

A mother and child are connected at heart. Dacheng hugged his mother’s leg, glaring fiercely at his grandmother and aunt. “You’re all bullying my mom! I hate you! When I grow up, I won’t give you a single cent!”

At these words, Xu Mingshan and Liu Guifang were stunned. They wanted to take care of their daughter, but never intended to lose the hearts of their son and grandson.

Children learn from what they see and hear—how terrifying. When adults act badly, it only brings harm to the children.

Xu Meiling didn’t realize the seriousness of it, and said dismissively, “Who wants your money? My son will take care of me in the future.”

Xu Mingshan was actually very traditional and valued family legacy, which was why he’d always refused to split the family and insisted on staying with his eldest son.

But now, hearing his grandson say such things, he and his wife had to reconsider.

Xu Meiling might have her own son to rely on, but in their old age, they’d still need their son and grandson’s support.

Comparing the two, their hearts naturally shifted.

Even Liu Guifang didn’t dare to say anything to defend Xu Meiling anymore, shrinking back in silence.

“Meiling, your sister-in-law is right. You’re married now, it’s not appropriate for you to keep living here. You and your husband should move out in the next couple of days,” Xu Mingshan said, taking a deep drag on his pipe.

“Dad! Are you crazy? You’d rather help that wicked woman than your own daughter? Are you even my father?” Xu Meiling cried out in shock."

"Chapter 118: Moving Out—So Be It If We Divorce