This child acts like he’s never seen money before!

What’s there to show off about five one-yuan bills? Liu Fang turned her head to see Liang Yu holding five unity notes in his hand.

Liu Fang opened Liang Huan’s red envelope, which also contained 50 yuan.

The Liang family was wealthy, but Liu Fang usually gave no more than 20 yuan as New Year’s money. A 50-yuan red envelope must be from the child of Liang Bing’an’s superior. Had Li Fengmei become so prosperous to be this generous?

Liu Fang took Liang Yu’s red envelope and stuffed both envelopes into Liang Huan’s:

“Your uncle hasn’t given red envelopes for years, so a big one to make up for it is appropriate.”

“Mom, that was from Aunt giving it to me! Why are you giving it to Sister?”

“You’re too young to need this much money. Your sister saw a coat the other day, and these two red envelopes together are just enough to buy it.”

Liu Fang spoke with complete conviction, and Liang Huan became happy too.

Seeing mother and daughter’s joy, Liang Bing’an lost the desire to lecture his daughter further. Liang Huan had been spoiled by Liu Fang, and by the time Liang Bing’an realized it, his daughter’s personality couldn’t be changed. The reason Liang Bing’an couldn’t let his daughter marry into that family was because he knew Liang Huan’s character. If Liang Huan herself wasn’t willing, she would surely cause havoc in someone else’s home – would that be forming family ties or making enemies?

Xia Xiaolan, however, was quite suitable – prettier than Liang Huan and seemingly smarter too.

Her temperament was better than Liang Huan’s, and she was more patient. That once noisy girl had transformed completely after a few years, and the more Liang Bing’an observed her, the more satisfied he became.

Smart people always need more effort to win over.

Liang Bing’an wasn’t concerned about Xia Xiaolan having a boyfriend – dating wasn’t marriage, who said they couldn’t break up?

While driving, he said to Liu Fang:

“Go back to your parents’ home again on the second day of the New Year to visit Huan’er’s maternal grandparents’ graves.”

The Liu family had been driven out, and Liu Yong was still angry about it.

He had been grumbling to himself for quite a while, and the alcohol from lunch had flushed his face, even his neck was red.

Xia Xiaolan said with a smile, “What are you angry about? Though Aunt Liu never does anything without benefit, this time she probably genuinely wanted to help me and mom. They don’t want Liang Huan to marry, yet they can’t let go of the other party’s conditions, so they thought of me as a substitute… We should just ignore them.”

If it weren’t for Zhou Cheng, Xia Xiaolan wouldn’t even bother looking for a boyfriend. Getting married at 18? She’d have to be crazy.

Li Fengmei also advised: “We’re going to Shangdu on the fourth day of the New Year. Even if Xiaofang wants to play a matchmaker, she won’t find anyone. Why bother getting upset with her? That’s just how she is.”

Liu Yong was somewhat drunk, “I know she looks down on me as her elder brother. I’m not capable, so I deserve to be looked down upon. But look at her – after getting married, she acts like she’s not even a Liu anymore. She quarrels with me and doesn’t care about Afen at all. She’s always been the most ungrateful one from the beginning!”

Liu Fen was only a year older than Liu Fang, but she had always doted on her sister, always giving Liu Fang whatever food they had at home.

When Liu Yong was arranging marriages for both of them, Liu Fen was as thin as a withered bean sprout, while Liu Fang had grown up to be quite lovely – otherwise, she wouldn’t have ended up with Liang Bing’an. They were sisters born to the same parents, how could their appearances be so different? Their facial features were very similar, but Liu Fen had foolishly saved her food rations for her younger sister. In those years, indeed, only selfish people could fill their stomachs!

Liu Fen didn’t know what to say, standing there helplessly.

She was used to giving way to others – at home to her sister, and at the Xia family to her sister-in-law. Her original intention was to avoid conflict and maintain family harmony, yet these people took advantage of her kindness, treating Liu Fen’s generosity as something they were entitled to.

“Mom, even if Aunt wants to arrange a marriage for me, it’s not a big deal. I told her I have a boyfriend, so she won’t be able to bring it up again.”

Though Xia Xiaolan didn’t think this way, she still wanted to comfort her mother.

Liu Fen nodded, “She is still your aunt after all.”

What aunt! Li Fengmei regretted the 100 yuan – it was probably gone for good, like throwing a meat bun to a dog.

She had her self-esteem hurt by Liu Fang during their quarrels years ago, and now that she had made money, she wanted to show Liu Fang who would be poor for life. After venting that frustration, she started to regret the money.

Liu Fang had come to her parents’ home empty-handed, not even bringing a package of candy.

She said she came to reconcile with Liu Yong, but thinking about it now, if Xia Xiaolan and Liu Fen weren’t living at the Liu house, Liu Fang probably wouldn’t have set foot in her parents’ home. Liu Fang’s target was Xia Xiaolan, and the divorced Liu Fen was just a pretext. As Li Fengmei helped Liu Yong back to their room to rest, she warned Xia Xiaolan:

“Whatever you do, don’t be fooled by your aunt. I think Zhou Cheng is a fine young man. Your aunt just chases after whatever benefits she can get – if someone offers the right price, she’d have no problem selling off her niece!”

Xia Xiaolan maintained her position – without much interaction, there were no feelings, and no matter how well the other party planned, it would be futile.

Liu Fang’s visit to her parents’ home naturally became a topic of village gossip.

If you asked which village girl had married the best, Liu Fang was the role model for all the village girls. The Liu family was dirt poor, yet Liu Fang not only married a city person but someone like Liang Bing’an, a government official. Through Liang Bing’an, she became a city resident too, didn’t need to work after marriage, gave him a son and a daughter, and held a good position in her in-laws’ family.

“How can the Liang family be so rich? They can’t even spend it all!”

“Liu Fang’s husband drove back in a car, a sedan, parked right at the village entrance.”

“Just offered two thousand yuan to help Liu Fen repair her house – why don’t I have such a brother-in-law?”

“Pah, your sister would need to look good enough to marry a city person first…”

While gossiping and eating sunflower seeds, someone who knew Liu Fang well spoke up.

“They haven’t been in contact for years, and suddenly she shows up being so nice – who knows what she’s planning?”

This truth-teller wasn’t believed; people said they were just jealous. What could she be planning? Two thousand yuan was real money that had to be handed over, and Liang Bing’an was a government official – how could he go back on his word?

Liu Yong didn’t sober up until the next day. It was New Year’s Eve, and everyone had forgotten about the unpleasantness Liu Fang had brought yesterday. Tomorrow would be the first day of the New Year, and the atmosphere needed to be festive.

But at the Zhu household, this Spring Festival was quite terrible.

Zhu Fang, who had been attending closed training until the twenty-ninth day of the last lunar month, returned home to find out his mother had been detained.

“Your mother… might be sentenced to prison.”

Zhu Chengchun’s words were very bitter.

Zhu Fang couldn’t believe it, but Zhu Chengchun couldn’t bring himself to explain that Ding Aizhen had tried to deal with Xia Xiaolan but ended up getting herself in trouble instead – though the matter started because of Xia Xiaolan, even Xia Xiaolan couldn’t help with this mess now. Ding Aizhen’s main charge wasn’t framing Xia Xiaolan or instigating others to engage in group fighting, but embezzlement of state property.

Ding Aizhen kept saying Xia Xiaolan was a shameless vixen seducing Zhu Fang, but it turned out she was the one crying “thief” while being the thief herself – Ding Aizhen had been having an affair with the factory director. Their relationship had lasted for over ten years, which explained why no matter how many people Ding Aizhen offended, her position as director remained rock solid.

Zhu Chengchun prided himself on being a dignified person, yet he had been wearing a green hat without knowing it.

He had little interest in helping Ding Aizhen escape punishment – this was trampling on a man’s dignity.

Zhu Chengchun didn’t plan to tell his son about Ding Aizhen’s affair with the factory director, nor could he explain Xia Xiaolan’s role in it. He didn’t even want to seek revenge against Xia Xiaolan. He had heard that at the opening of Xia Xiaolan’s clothing store, the city leader’s secretary had attended, as had Director Yang from the city’s Public Security Bureau, and Yuan Honggang, who might be the next director of State Cotton Mill No. 3… Zhu Chengchun could only tell Zhu Fang that Ding Aizhen had been detained for embezzling state property.

Zhu Fang’s heart sank like it had fallen into an ice hole.

He wanted to say his mother wouldn’t do such things, but thinking carefully, his mother had always been very generous with money – buying several new clothes at once, and whenever Zhu Fang asked for money, Ding Aizhen had never disappointed him.

Expensive shoes, and leather jackets that few people in Shangdu could afford – Zhu Fang had them all.

This New Year, the Zhu family was clearly in gloom, without any festive atmosphere whatsoever.

Meanwhile, at the Xia family home in Dahe Village, the New Year’s atmosphere was quite lively.