When Zhang Cui offered such high wages to her brother and sister-in-law, the Zhang family couldn’t have been happier. Her elderly parents praised her more in this instance than they had in the previous decades combined. If the wages were to be reduced now, forget about how her brother and his wife would feel—her parents would be the first to object!
Zhang Cui agreed to call Xia Hong Xia back home, offering room and board for a month, but with minimal wages. And she still had to buy clothes for Xia Hong Xia? Dismissing Xia Hong Xia would save several dozen yuan each month. When earning seven or eight hundred yuan monthly, several dozen didn’t seem like much, but when only earning around 200 yuan, every dozen counted significantly.
“Then let’s reduce Zi Yu’s uncle and aunt’s wages.”
Zhang Cui only wanted to get rid of Xia Hong Xia first, so she verbally agreed to reduce the wages. Since she managed the shop’s accounts anyway, she could officially reduce the wages but secretly compensate them later.
When Xia Hong Xia received notice of her dismissal, no matter how tactfully Zhang Cui phrased it, the message was clear: she was no longer wanted at the shop.
During her months at Zhang’s shop, Xia Hong Xia had grown plump and glossy. With free room and board, she ate to her heart’s content and became noticeably rounder. Without having to work under the village sun, her skin had become fairer. At eighteen, no woman is truly ugly, and Xia Hong Xia had indeed become more attractive. How could she bear to leave such a comfortable life in the county town?
True, Zhang’s business had declined significantly after the New Year, and Xia Hong Xia seemed even more idle in the shop. But why dismiss only her and not Zhang Man Fu or Jiang Lian Xiang?
After spending several months in the shop, if nothing else, Xia Hong Xia could see who the true owners were. She wanted to scream and shout, but after consideration, she realized she couldn’t fight everyone alone. Even someone as bull-headed as Xia Hong Xia had learned something—or perhaps she was simply using her cunning at the right moment.
When Zhang Cui said the shop was overstaffed, Xia Hong Xia obediently agreed to return to Da He Village.
Upon returning home, Wang Jin Gui exploded: “Fine! When it was time to pay for your elder cousin’s education, they said we’re all family and should help each other. Now that your uncle and his wife have a profitable shop in town, they have no use for other family members. They enjoy all the good things in life and won’t even spare a drop of leftover soup for their niece!”
Xia Hong Xia pretended to restrain her mother, but Wang Jin Gui grew more agitated and stormed toward Grandmother Xia’s room.
Wang Jin Gui was genuinely angry. Spring had arrived, bringing more fieldwork. The family had first lost Liu Fen’s old yellow ox, and now Xia Da Jun had disappeared. Xia Chang Zheng was running the shop in the county town, and Zhang Cui had been there for several years accompanying their child’s education. The Xia family had considerable farmland, with over a dozen mouths to feed, and all the fieldwork fell to Wang Jin Gui and Xia Hong Bing.
Wang Jin Gui, accustomed to cutting corners, complained endlessly about having to hoe just two fens of land for vegetables.
Now that Xia Chang Zheng’s family wouldn’t let Wang Jin Gui take any advantage, and they were sending Xia Hong Xia home… what for? To help farm for Xia Chang Zheng’s family? Wang Jin Gui took the matter to Grandmother Xia.
“That snack shop is run by my elder brother and sister-in-law, so why are they being so stingy? I’m not asking them to share their money with the whole family, but they can’t even keep Hong Xia as a helper. Are we just supposed to slave away for my elder brother’s family?”
Wang Jin Gui’s words poured out like machine gun fire, making Grandmother Xia’s head spin.
Xia Hong Bing slowly walked into the room and delivered the final blow: “As the younger brother, I don’t take advantage of my elder brother, but Mother, look how you treat his family. Not just paying for the elder niece’s education, but aren’t you also taking care of Jun Bao? Now that they’ve made money, they look down on their brother. They should at least invite you to enjoy some comfort in the city.”
Grandmother Xia’s lips trembled: “Is that snack shop run by your elder brother?”
Xia Hong Bing nodded, “Word has spread from sister-in-law’s family. She’s very generous to the Zhang family—they say she pays 100 yuan monthly in wages, plus New Year bonuses.”
In an era when even eating meat couldn’t be kept secret, it was inevitable that word would leak about Zhang Cui paying her brother and sister-in-law 100 yuan monthly. The news gradually spread to Da He Village, and Xia Hong Bing had been holding his tongue. But now that they were sending Xia Hong Xia home, why should he keep quiet?
Why should the second brother’s family all leave, the eldest brother and his wife become shop owners in the county town, while he stayed home farming like a peasant!
Grandmother Xia was trembling too.
She favored Xia Zi Yu because of her promise. Grandmother Xia always leaned toward successful grandchildren, hoping they would help her live a better life. She didn’t know how much money “Zhang” made, only that she had given Xia Zi Yu 400 yuan during New Year’s, and Xia Zi Yu had never disclosed anything about the shop’s situation.
Grandmother Xia felt the anger of being deceived.
Did Zi Yu know about this?
Were the third son and his wife making things up, or had the eldest son and his wife fooled the whole family?
Grandmother Xia grabbed Xia Hong Xia’s hand, “Is the snack shop run by your uncle and aunt?”
The spot where Grandmother Xia gripped was particularly painful, showing how much force she was using. Still hoping for Grandmother Xia’s intervention, Xia Hong Xia endured the pain and replied very seriously: “I’ve seen Aunt going to the bank to deposit money several times.”
When helping others, earning just a small monthly sum wouldn’t require monthly bank visits.
Shop owners must earn considerably each month, and keeping money at home wouldn’t be safe, hence the need for monthly deposits. The cunning Xia Hong Xia, always watching others, had not only seen Zhang Cui making deposits but also withdrawing money for Xia Zi Yu.
Xia Hong Xia gestured with her hands: “…Such a thick stack of money, several thousand!”
Several thousand!
Mere helpers wouldn’t have access to thousands.
The sum was so large Grandmother Xia could barely imagine it. If true, Xia Chang Zheng and his wife must be the real owners of Zhang’s.
She had always favored the eldest son’s family, yet they had kept her completely in the dark. Grandmother Xia was naturally furious.
Unexpectedly, her daughter-in-law Zhang Cui, who appeared so honest, was deceitful inside. Grandmother Xia instinctively blamed everything on Zhang Cui. Xia Chang Zheng was her son, and Xia Zi Yu was her precious granddaughter—surely deceiving her wasn’t their idea.
Xia Hong Bing, showing great filial piety, immediately offered to take Grandmother Xia to Anqing County.
But Grandmother Xia was hesitant about going to the country. Last time, those students had become so emotional they almost attacked her.
“Hong Bing, go bring your elder brother and his wife back. Whatever needs to be said can be said behind closed doors. Haven’t we had enough family scandals?”
The Xia family had been going through difficult times lately.
Apart from Xia Zi Yu getting into university, everything else had been embarrassing.
Xia Xiao Lan’s reputation for promiscuity, Liu Fen’s divorce, Xia Da Jun’s disappearance—others were treating the Xia family’s troubles as dinner table gossip, and Grandmother Xia was extremely irritated!
Meanwhile, Xia Xiao Lan hadn’t gone to Yangcheng empty-handed.
She brought many local specialties and gave some to Chen Xi Liang. The boss was quite surprised.
After the surprise came delight.
Among his many regular customers who bought from him, everyone tried to negotiate prices, but Xia Xiao Lan was the first to bring him gifts. Chen Xi Liang found doing business with Xia Xiao Lan very pleasant—she was not only straightforward but also generous in business.
She gave him advice and even helped him make a quick profit last time.
Chen Xi Liang had some conscience, so he reciprocated by asking Xia Xiao Lan: “How well did those goods you took last time sell? We have new styles here. If some styles aren’t selling well, you can bring them back to exchange for something else… but remember, exchange only, no returns!”