Chapter 45: 45. Sister-in-law of the Great Hall_1
Song Tan, with Qiaoqiao in tow, spotted the grey-haired Song Dafang from a distance, sitting at the store entrance, his eyes glued to his cell phone:
“You play your cards too well…”
Caught in the midst of busyness, Song Dafang looked up and was instantly surprised, “Tantan? How come you’re back?”
Then, glancing at Qiaoqiao, “Qiaoqiao’s here too? Have you eaten—”
“Hurry up, I’ve been waiting so long I’m withering away!” The loud voice from the cell phone blurted out without hesitation.
Song Dafang was immediately embarrassed and fumbled to exit the game, but Song Tan stopped him, “It’s okay, uncle, we’re all family here; we’re not in a hurry, you finish your game first!”
The uncle hesitated for a moment before carefully playing a card, then he quickly slapped his thigh happily, “Nice one! I lured out your joker!”
Curious, Qiaoqiao leaned in, and then their heads were together, both engrossed in the world of playing landlord.
Song Tan also took this opportunity to take a closer look at this hardware store—
This shop, acquired many years ago, was quite outdated in decor, and its current clientele were all regulars, hence everything was arranged in a rather carefree manner.
Just looking at the hardware materials piled haphazardly on the shelves, she believed that no one except her uncle could find anything accurately!
Luckily, perhaps the opponent in this game of landlord was too weak, and in less than two minutes, the round ended, with the landlord shedding tears of sorrow.
Song Dafang then remembered to ask, “Wasn’t Tantan in Ning City? How come you’re back?”
Song Tan smiled, “Uncle, I quit my job, and this year I’m farming at home—this is the milk vetch my mom told me to bring. We’ve been selling it at the riverside veggie market. I saved some especially for today!”
Reluctantly pulling her gaze away from the cell phone, Qiaoqiao puffed up her chest and displayed her QR code once more:
“Twenty yuan a pound!”
He looked at the small basket of vegetables in his hand, estimating about three to five bunches… Twenty yuan a pound?
The poor kid, could it be worth twenty?
This milk vetch, who hadn’t eaten it as a child? All added up, twenty would be considered too expensive!
He picked up his cell phone, pretending to scan the code, “Oh, you silly child, still can’t count? How about two yuan a pound, haha! Come on, uncle will give you money for the vegetables!”
Song Tan was immediately embarrassed.
She was embarrassed to take the money, but if her uncle really paid two yuan a pound, it would probably be the two of them who’d be embarrassed in the future.
At that moment, she quickly pulled Qiaoqiao over with a dry laugh, “Sweetie, we’re not taking money now.”
Qiaoqiao blinked and then said, “I also want the flowers to wither away!”
It took her a moment to realize that he wanted to play the game of landlord they were just watching, so she deftly pulled out her phone and set up a single-player game.
Watching Qiaoqiao sit on a small stool and blindly tap at the phone, a hint of regret appeared in Song Dafang’s eyes:
“Look at how good the child is, and so handsome.”
“Your parents have taken good care of him, it hasn’t been easy these past few years.”
Then he looked at the Milk Vetch in the small basket and couldn’t help but feel a surge of nostalgia, “Haven’t had it in so many years… I used to pick this stuff when there was nothing to eat.”
After saying that, he remembered, “What did you just say? You’re back to farm the land?”
Before Song Tan could answer, a voice came from beside them, “Who’s coming back to farm?”
The newcomer was Song Dafang’s daughter-in-law, Sun Yanyan.
Song Tan greeted her with a smile, “Sister-in-law.”
Sun Yanyan’s eyes lit up, “Ah, Tantan’s back? Look how well Ning City nourishes people, made you so stylish and beautiful! Just like a star—Who did you say is coming back to farm? Isn’t it you, haha…”
Song Tan nodded with a smile, “It’s me.”
Sun Yanyan’s laughter came to an abrupt halt at that moment.
Song Tan was used to this reaction and casually explained, “The work pressure in Ning City was too high, it was wearing me down. My parents are getting older too, so I decided to come back and rest for a couple of years and spend time with them.”
As for whether the other person accepted this reason, that was beyond her control.
Sun Yanyan laughed awkwardly, “That works, you’re a young lady after all, none of the family property concerns you, and with Qiaoqiao in this condition, there’s no way to manage the family’s land. It just so happens that when the time comes, we’ll divide the land to him, and you can help look after it, won’t be a loss.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Qiaoqiao suddenly lifted his head and glared at her, countering, “Qiaoqiao can farm by himself! Qiaoqiao doesn’t need anyone to take care of him! Qiaoqiao will plant corn and support sister! Humph!”
But Sun Yanyan’s face showed even more amusement, “Oh my, listen to him talk, sounds quite serious! Tantan, when you’re looking for a partner, you must tell them they can’t mistreat Qiaoqiao.”
Although the words seemed well-intentioned, saying them out loud made people unhappy, and Song Tan didn’t remember her sister-in-law being this kind of person from her memories.
Song Tan couldn’t be bothered with her anymore.
At that moment, she nodded towards Song Dafang, who was awkwardly silent on the side, “Uncle, we still have to deliver some vegetables to Aunt’s house, we’ll be going now.”
Then she patted Qiaoqiao on the arm, “Let’s go, my treasure.”
Qiaoqiao had already forgotten his anger, and now he was handing back the phone, “Why didn’t he say: ‘I waited until the flowers wilted away’?”
Song Tan thought to herself, you play your cards so quickly, even the computer can’t keep up, when would he have the chance to say that?
But before she could say it out loud, she saw Qiaoqiao remember something else, turn back and take two steps, then puff out his chest with exceptional proficiency:
“Scan here! Twenty yuan per catty!”
Song Tan almost laughed out loud!
If they really let him scan that, her uncle would lose all face, but that wouldn’t happen.
After all, she remembered her kindly Uncle Dafang, even if Sun Yanyan was just Sun Yanyan!
So she quickly explained, “Uncle, Qiaoqiao is just playing. But you should eat the Milk Vetch soon before it’s no longer fresh. I’m selling at the riverside market, indeed for twenty yuan per catty.”
Once the hardware store returned to quiet, Sun Yanyan finally withdrew her probing body and remarked as if having a major revelation:
“Dad, did you see? Tantan and her folks came by car today. That can’t be a car that Little Uncle bought himself, right? Doesn’t look new, hope it’s not a secondhand one!”
Song Dafang’s face darkened, “You’ve said just about everything there is to say.”
As a father-in-law, he didn’t think it proper to criticize his daughter-in-law. But today was an occasion for Tantan’s vegetable delivery, she could have said anything nice, why pick those words?
Of course, being an old-fashioned patriarch, Song Dafang indeed felt that country land had nothing to do with daughters, but he had never voiced such thoughts!
Besides, with his nephew in such a condition, wasn’t his daughter-in-law’s comment like a stab to both their hearts?
Sun Yanyan pursed her lips, “Qiaoqiao’s been simple for twenty years now, still afraid of people talking? Wasn’t I just well-intentioned in giving them a warning? Tantan is pretty, if she finds someone from a good family background it’s better to say it upfront, to save them from having to choose!”