The old lady’s cloudy eyes were fixed directly on him, unable to move anymore. What did Eldest just say?!
He bought a house in the town? Has he eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard? How dare he buy a house behind our backs!!
The others were also dumbstruck, unable to believe that Eldest had actually bought a house in the town and was going to become a real city person!
Regaining her senses, the old lady immediately pointed at Jiang Changhai’s nose and scolded, "Eldest, have you lost your mind? We have a place to live at home, why would you go and buy a house in the town? Do you know how expensive the houses in the town are? With that money, you could have built a big house in the village; why spend it in vain? I think you, with a little bit of money in your hands, have lost sight of your own weight!"
Facing his mother’s accusations, Jiang Changhai argued adamantly, "Mom, what do I need to build a house in the village for? Can’t you feel sorry for me? I travel such a long way to work every day, and after working all day, sometimes I have to work night shifts too. Even if I were made of iron, I couldn’t endure it."
Zhang Guihua’s voice grew louder, "Doesn’t your factory provide you with a dormitory? Just sleep there, who told you to walk back and forth every day?"
Jiang Changhai was insistent, "That dormitory is too small, and it’s not comfortable. It also doesn’t block any sound; if someone next door farts or snores, I can hear it all."
This response almost made the old lady so angry she couldn’t catch her breath.
She gasped heavily and cursed, "You—you bastard, do you think you’re some young master? It’s just about sleeping, and you’re being so picky about it."
Just then, the always silent Jiang Dashan asked in a displeased, deep voice, "Changhai, are you trying to split off and live on your own?"
He was more displeased with his eldest son’s act-first-report-later behavior than the issue of money.
Jiang Changhai held his ground, looking at him firmly and said resolutely, "Yes, Dad, I don’t want to be a countryman all my life."
This statement hit Jiang Dashan’s chest like a hammer, and he watched his eldest son silently for a while before rolling up a tobacco leaf and began puffing away.
The atmosphere in the house grew heavy, and with him not speaking, the old lady was too angry to say a word, leaving the younger generation even less willing to speak up.
Only Jiang Changhai continued to talk to himself, "Dad, Mom, you both have worked hard your whole lives; now that your son has made a success of himself, it’s time for you to enjoy life. If you’re willing, you can come and live with us in the town."
After Jiang Changhai finished, seeing that the elderly couple had no intention of responding to him, he didn’t say any more and turned around to go back into his room.
"Alright, everyone go back to sleep," Jiang Dashan said as he saw both the Second Branch and Third Branch still standing around in the main house, waving them off.
Once everyone was gone, Zhang Guihua suddenly started cursing loudly again.
"This rascal Eldest, his wings are truly hard now; he doesn’t consider us old folks anymore. As soon as he has a bit of money, he dares to buy a house in the town. Is city life that easy to live? Huh?! In the city, what doesn’t cost money? Even eating a leaf of vegetable, drinking a mouthful of water—you have to pay for it. How long will that bit of money he has last him?"
"A family of three, and only he is earning money; he really thinks working at the transportation company is impressive. He’s just a temporary worker who could be fired at any moment. When he loses his job and can’t make money anymore, how will he survive in the city?"
Jiang Dashan still sat in silence, smoking his dry pipe.