The lunar August 2nd, which is August 24th on the solar calendar, the Xu Family was bustling with activity.
Xu Yuchun and his spouse had come over early to help, along with the Cai Family, the Yao Family, and other relatives of the Xu Family.
Even though they were just setting up a few tables for a meal, there weren’t enough tables and dishes at home, so they had to borrow them. The Cai Family, the Yao Family, and Xu Yuchun’s family had all brought their own dishes when they came, and the remaining tables had to be carried by the younger and stronger youths.
The once nearly desolate old house had become vibrant with life due to Xu Nianhua and his family moving in, and now, the courtyard was filled with continuous laughter and joy.
Xu Zhong had thought about it for a long time at home and finally decided to come over to see if there was anything he could help with. Standing at the doorway, hearing the laughter in the courtyard, he found himself unable to take another step. Looking around, he saw that there were people helping with washing and cutting vegetables, but they were all outsiders.
Xu Zhong immediately felt a rush of anger in his heart. Xu Qingjiang had gone to school to prepare for the new term, but Zhao Juxiang was still at home, as was Liu Sanmei, who happened to come out of the house empty-handed.
"Yuchun, why haven’t the tables at home been moved?" Xu Zhong asked, looking puzzledly at Xu Yuchun. Although he was angry with his wife and daughter-in-law for not helping at Xu Nianhe’s house, family disgrace shouldn’t be aired publicly.
"Uncle Xu, Auntie said that the tables at home still need to be used for meals, and there aren’t enough dishes either," replied Xu Yuchun, who also held back his frustration. Originally, he thought, borrowing from anyone but Uncle Xu’s family couldn’t be an issue. Since Qinghe is his real father, tables and dishes should have been prepared well in advance.
But as soon as he entered the house, Auntie Liu, who is Liu Sanmei, made a few cutting remarks under her breath, nagging that Xu Qinghe and his family were being too disrespectful to them.
Xu Yuchun stormed out, and running into Xu Zhong, he couldn’t hold back any longer. He said, "Uncle Xu, I am a junior, and normally I should not speak out, but I really can’t hold it in anymore. Qinghe is your real son, and Nianji is your real grandson. When my son got married, my father both contributed money and effort."
As soon as he finished, Xu Yuchun didn’t allow Xu Zhong a chance to respond. Excusing himself to go borrow more dishes from another household, he hastily left, truly feeling indignant on behalf of Qinghe. When the family hadn’t yet divided up, when Qingjiang and Qinghu were still young, Qinghe had slaved away for the Xu family. Even though he got nothing good out of the family division, and now even when his son was getting married, Xu Zhong, as a grandfather, was also...
Xu Yuchun grew more upset the more he thought about it.
Xu Zhong stood frozen in place, taking a long moment to come back to his senses. Watching the hurried departure of Xu Yuchun, without even a chance to explain, he returned home with a dark face. Seeing Liu Sanmei and Zhao Juxiang cracking sunflower seeds, Xu Zhong’s anger burst forth.
"Where’s Qingjiang? Get him back here. It doesn’t make sense that outsiders are lending a hand, while Qingjiang avoids involvement," Xu Zhong said solemnly, his face dark as the bottom of a pot.
Zhao Juxiang, very adept at reading the room, hurried out immediately.
"What’s going on now?" Liu Sanmei muttered, "Qingjiang has gone to school."
"School doesn’t start for several more days, and this work doesn’t need to be finished today, does it?" Xu Zhong glared at Liu Sanmei with wide eyes as his words took several turns on his tongue before he finally added, "Nianji is my own grandson after all, and you’ve been called grandma for over twenty years."