Grandma Tian finished her words and suddenly her eyes lit up. Her gaze fell on Meng Shuyan, and she said with exaggerated interest, "Sangsang, is this your son? Oh my, I’ve never taken a good look before. He’s so handsome. I think his name is Yanyan, right? Yanyan, I’m your great-grandmother! Come here, little one, let great-grandma hold you."
Meng Shuyan had never been close to her, and he didn’t even quite understand what their relationship was. He clung tightly to Tian Sangsang’s neck, shrinking into her arms with a bit of fear. He still remembered how fierce this old lady used to be. Back then, she’d even tried to hit his mom.
Tian Sangsang thought Grandma Tian was acting a little out of character today, but recalling her usual behavior, she patted Meng Shuyan’s back reassuringly and cautiously took two steps back. She said, "Grandma, is there something you need?"
"What’s the matter? You won’t even let me hold him? I’ve never gotten the chance to hold him, not even once," Grandma Tian said with a trace of grievance, her extended hands frozen mid-air. She beckoned again, "Come on, little one, let great-grandma hold you. I’ll give you some candy."
Meng Shuyan was never the type of child to be enticed by candy. He stayed nestled in Tian Sangsang’s arms, not even sparing her a glance.
"Grandma, if there’s nothing else, Yanyan and I are heading home now." Other than being related by blood, she really wasn’t familiar with this person.
"Stop right there... cough, cough, cough!" Grandma Tian thumped her cane on the ground several times and suddenly had a bout of harsh coughing. Her face turned pale. She spat on the ground and continued, "Tian Sangsang, you’ve really grown bold. But don’t forget, I’m the one who gave birth to your father. Heartless... all of you are heartless. Your cousin is always playing the part, and now that Chen Guilan has an iron grip on your second uncle, they’ve separated and don’t bother with me at all... Luckily, your third uncle is still filial, although your third aunt is a shrew. But even she’s no match for me! And you, you’re heartless, too! Never mind, this old woman doesn’t expect much from you... Granddaughters belong to others anyway... If only I’d had a daughter, daughters are always one’s own. Cough, cough..."
As she muttered, she hunched her back and walked away.
Tian Sangsang furrowed her brows, somewhat taken aback at how she wasn’t being her usual unreasonable self. Watching the old woman’s stooped figure, Tian Sangsang let out a sigh.
"Mom, who is she?" Meng Shuyan asked inquisitively.
"Her?" Tian Sangsang stroked his soft curls and gently said, "She’s a stranger who happens to be family."
The house had been unoccupied for quite some time, and the courtyard was eerily quiet. Next door lived Aunt Zhong’s family. Tian Sangsang recalled what Chen Ying had mentioned about Tian Yi. As she was lost in thought, she heard the clatter of pots and pans from the neighboring house, followed by Tian Yi chasing Li Xiaoqin outside.
Focusing her gaze, she saw Tian Yi’s weathered face. One eye was sunken, surrounded by a murky shadow, and when he looked at people, it was from a tilted angle. His liquor bottle had fallen into the courtyard.
Tian Sangsang put Meng Shuyan down and hurried over. Li Xiaoqin quickly hid behind her.
"Big Brother Tian, Sister Xiaoqin, what’s going on? Can you talk things over calmly? Don’t argue or fight, especially with the kids around." The young boy nicknamed Gou Sheng stood quietly to the side. When he saw Tian Sangsang, he too hid behind her.
Tian Yi stared at her for a few moments and said, "Sangsang, it’s you. You’re back. I heard you’ve been doing pretty well in town."
"Not bad," Tian Sangsang replied, unwilling to elaborate further.
"That’s good. Keep it up." Perhaps because there were other people present, Tian Yi didn’t continue to cause trouble and staggered back into the house, reeking of alcohol.
Li Xiaoqin couldn’t hold it in any longer. She buried her face in Tian Sangsang’s shoulder and began wailing loudly, "Sangsang, I can’t go on living ."
"Sister Xiaoqin, don’t be upset. Big Brother Tian is just going through a phase. He’ll change back. You have to believe in him." People in pain often just want some encouragement, and this was all Tian Sangsang could offer. That’s why life is full of uncertainties; many times, you can’t fully empathize with someone else’s experience. Some people crumble, while others rise stronger. But the latter are rare. Most people are just ordinary. They can only wear down over time. Take Tian Yi—he’ll come through this eventually. But how many years will it take? One year? Two years? Five? Or ten? The length of time depends on his surroundings and his own willpower. In the end, he’ll realize that what matters isn’t the people around him but himself.
All said and done, life can be summed up in four words: rely on yourself.
No one can replace that, not even the closest of kin.
At dusk, Second Aunt Tian came looking for her. She had heard that Tian Sangsang had returned to the village and had specifically come over. As soon as she entered, she began her tirade, "Sangsang, you know how things are. Your grandma is old and sick, and our family alone can’t support her. Your second uncle’s family refuses to chip in, so now the old woman has fixated on us. By all rights, caregiving should be equally shared between everyone. Your dad’s not here anymore, so shouldn’t you take on his share? You’re making good money in town, aren’t you? You should be able to afford your grandma’s portion, right?"
Second Aunt Tian no longer dared to look down on Tian Sangsang like she used to. After all, what had happened with Tian Sangsang recently was beyond belief, and she herself had suffered losses at Tian Sangsang’s hands before.
"Second Aunt." Perhaps because of what had just happened with Tian Yi, Tian Sangsang felt a bit sentimental. "Each month, I’ll send Grandma a bit of support money. It won’t be much—just enough to keep her from starving."
Excitement sparkled in Second Aunt Tian’s eyes, unable to be concealed.
"But I’ll give the money directly to Grandma, not to you," Tian Sangsang emphasized. "What she chooses to do with it is her own business. At that point, I will have done my duty. Considering how you’ve treated me in the past, I’d be justified in not giving her anything. But I’m willing to contribute, and I hope we can draw clear boundaries moving forward." This was her final concession.
Second Aunt Tian snorted, "It’s easy for you. You hand over the money each month and walk away. The rest of us are still the ones taking care of her."
"Since you married into the Tian Family, you’re part of it. As a daughter-in-law, isn’t it your duty to care for my grandma? Honestly, Second Aunt, your obligation is greater than mine." Tian Sangsang gazed at her calmly. "If you can take proper care of her, then you should. After all, we’re all family."
"Don’t look at me like that," Second Aunt Tian sighed. "If I didn’t have a conscience, I’d have abandoned her long ago. Giving her a meal is already doing plenty. Your second uncle’s family is the truly heartless one. You, out of everyone, are the most kind."
Tian Sangsang smiled faintly and said nothing. Things had already turned out as well as they could. Their affairs didn’t concern her much, and she didn’t want to dig deeper. Ultimately, they would all become distant strangers in the future.