The things she wanted, Brother Gu Zi had someone deliver them. Unexpectedly, Brother Gu Zi, even as a big man, was quite meticulous and even brought her a thermos: "Sis, for these things, I won’t charge you, just forty-two bucks in total."
Xinyan was very grateful: "Thank you, Brother Gu Zi."
The people over there with Brother Gu Zi worked efficiently and quickly weighed the goods, loaded them onto the vehicle, and prepared to leave.
Xinyan counted the money Brother Gu Zi handed over, deducted the price of the items she wanted, and made a total of four hundred and fifty-eight bucks: "That’s right, payment settled."
Brother Gu Zi looked at the items on the ground: "Need any help?"
Xinyan waved her hand: "No need, someone will come to pick me up later."
Upon hearing that someone was picking her up, Brother Gu Zi didn’t say more, greeted her, and quickly left with his people.
Once they were far away, and after confirming the coast was clear, Xinyan placed the double-ear pot and small stove into her basket, and stored everything else in the space.
Then she crossed the small woods and climbed up from under the bridge, walked a bit further, and waited there for the bus back to the Mechanical Factory.
Thinking to herself that she shouldn’t do the transaction here next time.
*
When He Jinxuan brought Ye Silai and Ye Siyan home, the house was in an uproar.
No other reason, it was Sunday, and it happened to be Big Brother He Jiefang’s day off. Second sister-in-law Gao Yumei started nagging early in the morning about the house, making no one in the family happy.
The Second Brother, seeing Second Sister-in-law making a scene, also got angry: "Gao Yumei, isn’t everyone in this lane living like this? Why can’t you? If you think this home can’t handle you, then let’s get a divorce, and I will set you free."
Gao Yumei wanted to buy the house next door, but didn’t intend to divorce He Jian Country. Instantly, she dared not make any more noise, but she kept saying that Young Brother-in-law He Jinxuan clearly could help the family, but refused to, being so selfish, and that the family hadn’t even split yet.
These words angered the He Family patriarch He Sanqiang: "Since you said that, today we’ll split the family."
Just as he was about to have someone go out and call He Jinxuan, he saw him walking in with the two children. This saved the need to call; with the exception of the married-off Fourth, He Yanqing, the family was complete.
That day, Mother He, Zhang Guizhi, came back from the Mechanical Factory and told her husband He Sanqiang about what the Second Daughter-in-law had done, and the couple had already had thoughts of splitting the family. It was just that the third son, He Jinxuan, and the fourth son, He Yuejin, were not yet married, so they thought to wait a bit. But unexpectedly, the Second Daughter-in-law started acting up again early in the morning.
He Sanqiang didn’t care about what the Second Daughter-in-law thought now; since the matter of splitting the family was mentioned, it had to be done today.
He Sanqiang told his eldest son, He Jiefang: "Go invite Director Sun from the front street to witness for the family."
Second Brother He Jian Country panicked: "Dad, why split the family when everything is fine? This is all my fault for not managing Yumei well enough. Rest assured, she won’t act up again in the future. The third and fourth sons aren’t married yet; how can the family be split?"
He really didn’t want to split. Even if the family had to split, not at this time, otherwise, how would the neighbors perceive the couple? However, Mr. He, He Sanqiang, was stubborn and wouldn’t relent.
In the end, with the witness of the neighbor and colleague Director Sun and several other neighbors, the family was split.
He Sanqiang previously worked at the steel plant, and now the eldest and second sons are working there.
Previously, he was ill and never fully recovered, plus to let the second son, He Jian Country, who had been sent to the countryside, return to the city earlier, he let the second son return to take over his post, as a form of compensation.
He Sanqiang had three older sisters, he was the youngest in the family, and when his mother was alive, she decided everything in the family. Having the third son sent away was his greatest regret.
But at that time, the family situation was really dire. Without those funds, the whole family might not have survived the year of famine, so he felt most guilty towards the third son, He Jinxuan.
Now, the second daughter-in-law was eyeing the money in the third son’s hands, which was something he could not tolerate.