Fan Jianguo helped them tidy up the room a bit when someone came in from outside.
"Guizhi, Guizhi, why are you back?"
A man and a woman supported an old lady as they entered.
Jiang Xiaoxiao paused and quickly put the two bars of soap and a bag of sugar into a net bag.
Handing it to Song Moting, this was a gift for the production team leader.
Liu Guizhi hurried out to greet them.
"Grandma, Second Uncle, Second Aunt!"
The old lady was helped inside, and upon seeing a room full of strangers, she understood that these must be the people the village had been talking about—those who drove Liu Guizhi back.
Liu Baohe, Liu Guizhi’s second uncle, immediately noticed the net bag in Song Moting’s hand, his eyes lighting up. The bag contained soap, and the package looked like sugar, either white or brown sugar.
These were precious commodities, not easy to buy in their village.
You needed a soap voucher for that.
Ordinary families like theirs, with no workers or soldiers, couldn’t get this soap at all.
And then there was the sugar.
Second Aunt, Zhao Guilan, also lit up.
"Guizhi, who are these people? I heard they drove you back, so they must be county officials. You could have come back alone, why bring such heavy gifts for your grandma and second uncle and aunt?
Your parents just passed away, times are tough, you should save everything for yourselves. Don’t do this next time! Your second uncle and aunt understand your kind heart. We’re family; we shouldn’t do this in the future!"
Zhao Guilan was all smiles, reaching to take the net bag from Song Moting’s hand.
That was just her talking to herself, being quite shameless.
Fan Jianguo was dumbfounded!
What kind of people are they!
Are they real second uncle and aunt?
Liu Guizhi blushed; her second uncle and aunt were always .
While her parents were here, the second uncle and aunt always came to their house to mooch, taking whatever good thing they had their eye on with all sorts of excuses and reasons.
The problem was, this wasn’t something she brought; it was Jiang Xiaoxiao’s.
And now, what they were offering was to help their family affairs.
To settle her household registration, if this was taken, she couldn’t restore her registration, and how would they live?
She looked firm, realizing if she, as the hostess, didn’t stand up to stop it now, what would Jiang Xiaoxiao think of her?
In such situations, with the family this way, what’s left unsaid or undone?
Could she just let her younger siblings starve to death with her?
"Second Aunt, these things aren’t mine, they belong to Mr. Jiang. They came from the county, children of my parents’ fellow comrades, here to see my parents."
Liu Guizhi’s voice was small but firm.
Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded in satisfaction; not bad, a big change indeed.
Otherwise, she really worried for Liu Shuren.
With such a weak older sister and underage sister, how hard it must be for Liu Shuren.
Zhao Guilan was stunned, blocked by her niece’s words.
This niece used to be as quiet as a mouse, just like her mother, easily handled.
How dare she now oppose?
She knew Liu Guizhi couldn’t afford these things.
Everyone knew how poor the Liu family was.
She was saying it out loud, hoping outsiders wouldn’t refuse an elder like her.
Now, being exposed by Liu Guizhi, she had no face to continue asking for things, even with her thick skin.
Her face turned sour immediately.
The old lady glanced at Liu Guizhi, "Guizhi, now that your parents are gone, tomorrow you should go to their graves and burn some paper. Your return is timely because there’s something to discuss. Your younger siblings are still small, and since you’re married, you can’t leave them on their own.
Look at the situation at home, after discussing with your second uncle, maybe your siblings should stay with your second uncle’s family! With a bite to eat, he won’t let your siblings go hungry; it’s better than how they are now.
Furthermore, your brother Wei Guo is getting married! This house should be vacated for his marriage."
The old lady pompously continued, genuinely thinking of her grandchildren. Now that her elder son was gone, leaving only the younger son, her grandchildren would starve without someone like the second uncle to help.
She believed the second uncle was already doing his utmost.
Liu Shuren kicked the washbasin, overturning it with a bang.
Everyone in the room was startled.
"Grandma, we’ll live with our older sister; there’s no need for our second uncle to worry. Even if we starve to death, we won’t trouble him, and this house that my parents painstakingly built, we won’t let others occupy it."
The deep, muffled response displeased the old lady.
This grandson was just like his father.
Never one to mince words.
Look at what he’s saying. It’s as if they are here to seize the house.
Clearly, the second uncle and aunt meant well to help, but he made it sound like she, the grandma, was in cahoots with them to take the house.
"What are you saying? Look at how the county officials might laugh at this. Your sister has her home, husband, children—could she care for you forever?
You’re so young; you can’t earn work points or food. What will you and your sister eat? Air? Your uncle and aunt mean well, wanting to take care of you two, so don’t be ungrateful."
The old lady’s face darkened. Although her son and grandson were her flesh and blood, she was always closer to her younger son’s family.
The elder son’s family had grown distant. They were clumsy and unskilled, neither doing things right nor pleasing the old lady.
Compared to the younger son and his wife, naturally the old lady felt closer to the younger family.
Liu Guizhi understood her situation; the villagers didn’t know yet.
But she realized that today she had to speak up. Otherwise, the old lady and her second uncle and aunt truly intended to bring her siblings to their home.
Once they lost the house, they had no place to stay.
With their nature, once Wei Guo took over, they’d never give it back.
"Grandma, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, my husband is gone, and my in-laws told me to return with the child. From now on, I can provide for my siblings. Rest assured, no matter how hard or tiring, I will raise them, so no need to trouble our second uncle and aunt."
Liu Guizhi’s words changed Zhao Guilan’s expression.
"Guizhi, what do you mean? What do you mean your husband is gone, and your in-laws told you to take the child and return? Explain yourself."
Since the elder couple’s death, they never intended to care for Liu Shuren and Liu Guiqin, the two kids.
They had enough trouble raising their own children.
But their son recently had a marriage proposal, and they needed space for the upcoming wedding. With their children and another wife, it was too cramped, so they eyed the elder couple’s house.
The two little ones could be easily handled, after all.
But just as Liu Guizhi came forward with this...