nt and nearing childbirth. With us here, even Xiao won't dare to attack you.”"O Ripple God, please forgive my selfishness. I only wish to prove Vi's innocence and not raise this child."He, after all,...Since the decision had been made, Old Xing took Lian'i with him and began to act. After all, time waits for no one. They both remained low-key, claiming that Lian'i was going to the county town to have a physical checkup.
With the help of a teacher at school, Ripples rented a small courtyard. There were only two main rooms, and even the kitchen was crammed into a corner of the yard under a makeshift shed. The courtyard itself was very cramped.
The only thing Old Xing valued was its proximity to Ripples' school. It was just an eleven or twelve minute walk away. This meant their daughter could have her meals at home three times a day and wouldn't have to walk home in the dark after school. Having a yard would also be great for their stroller.
So the Xing family paid a year's rent all at once, which also shows that the two of them came to take care of their child while they were studying and there wasn't anything suspicious about them.
The landlord, seeing the elderly couple's simplicity and clear eyes, and with the teacher vouching for them, waived the security deposit and only collected one year's rent upfront. After both parties signed the rental agreement, the Xing family began moving their household items and also bought pots, pans, and other cooking utensils for their small business.
This time, they didn't hide it from the villagers. They just said that Lianyi wasn't well and couldn't farm. To better their future prospects, they decided to send their child back for a year of review, and try again for university next year.
The villagers only thought that the Xing family really loved their youngest daughter. This made those girls who weren't favored at home envious and jealous again. However, Xing's three sisters-in-law were extremely unhappy about this. They began to whisper in the men's ears, making it seem like Lianyi was spending their family's money on her studies.
The three of them had been scolded by their father once before, although they were unwilling, they didn't say anything. After all, the money was paid by the Li family to their younger sister, and they didn't care about it. But this time, their younger sister was studying, and the money came from their parents. They were not happy about it.
Three people discussed it and went to Xing Lao's house the next evening. They claimed they were there to visit their parents, but in reality, they subtly told Xing Lao not to spend too much money on his daughter. After all, she would eventually get married and her parents-in-law would have to rely on their son for support in the future.
Old Xing tapped his pipe on the table leg and said in a deep voice:
"Since the family has already split up, you three should just take care of your own families. As for how much money I give to my youngest sister, it's none of your business. She didn't spend any money from your three brothers' pockets on her education."
"Little sister's body is like this now, and who knows what will happen in the future. Her reputation has also been tarnished because of Li Xiangjun. Besides studying to find a way out for herself, do you want to support Little sister forever, or just casually find someone to marry her off"
"Dad, we didn't mean it that way."
Elder Xing said sheepishly.
"What do you mean"
Old Man Xing lifted his eyelids and coldly scanned his three sons, disappointment in his eyes.
Everyone says that raising children is for your old age, but now when I look at my three sons, after they have their own families, they all try to take things back to their homes, afraid that they haven't taken enough advantage of me.
The youngest daughter still knows to spare her aging parents the hard work of farming, wanting to take them to live in the county. Her three sons, however, would happily drain him dry, leaving not a drop of marrow in his bones. Looking into their calculating eyes, he felt a chill run down his spine.
All three of them felt a bit uncomfortable under their fathers' stares, so they found an excuse to leave the small courtyard of their parents' home.
"Big brother, Father has made up his mind to live with the youngest sister!"
Xing Lao Er said unpleasantly.
"Now they have money in hand, when they run out of money, they will have to obediently return to the village."
Xing Lao Da said disdainfully.
"Big brother, do you mean that our parents have money Where did the money come from"
Xing Lao San chimed in, "After all, how much can a year's harvest bring They just need to calculate it, plus their parents are getting older and can't work anymore. With only two mu of land, how much money can they make It's enough for them to eat and drink, and save a dowry for the youngest sister, that's all there is to it. How could there be any surplus money"
"Didn't the Li family lose money!"
That's enough money to buy several doses of medicine.
Xing Lao San curled his lips and said.
"If you drink a few less cups, wouldn't that save you some money"
Xing La'er, being quite shrewd, spoke.
"Then let's go find Yaomei"
Xing Laosan hesitated and said.
"What's she going to do Make her give us money She's not stupid, why would she agree"
Xing Lao Da snorted coldly.
Then just watch your parents and younger sister go to the county
Xing Lao San unwillingly said.
"Do you think it's good to stay in the county Everything costs money. How long can they stretch their savings Once they run out of money, they'll naturally come back. Then we'll take turns visiting them and showing concern. Our parents' hearts will always be with us. Our youngest sister will eventually get married and leave. We are sons, so the belongings of the Xing family belong to all three of us."
Xing Lao Da's analysis is insightful.
"Alright, then let's listen to Big Brother. Anyway, we've already tried persuading him. If our father wants to throw his money away, there's nothing we can do about it. When the old couple gets too tired to manage things themselves, they'll naturally remember us."
After they had made their plan, the three of them stopped visiting. The three sisters-in-law also thought it was funny to watch Lianyi's downfall. They believed that Lianyi had gone to the county because she was ashamed to stay in the village and would return dejectedly after failing the exam again. Then, they would mock her when that happened.
The three Xing brothers couldn't even control their own parents, ultimately Ripples brought the elderly couple successfully to the county to study.
After school started, Lian Yi's life became very regular. She got up at 5 a.m. every day, first practicing a set of punches in the yard to exercise, then helping Mr. and Mrs. Xing prepare what they needed for their stall. At 6:15 a.m., the three of them left home.
When they reached the school gate and set up their stall, Xing's mother started making pancakes. The first pancake rolled with vegetables was Riyue's breakfast. Riyue sat on the bench beside the stall, eating and sipping hot soup, which made people feel warm just watching her. Many students came to eat just for this bowl of hot soup.
The Xing family's soup isn't always the same. They have egg drop soup, rice porridge, millet porridge, corn and hazelnut soup, and spicy hulu soup, taking turns to give every child who goes to school in the cold winter a warm bowl of soup.
The most important thing is that the prices are fair. A plain scallion pancake costs only 25 cents, and if you want it with meat, it's 35 cents. A bowl of soup is just 2 cents. It's economical and affordable, and many students like to buy breakfast at Xingjia's stall.
Of course, the elderly couple also paid great attention to food hygiene under Lian Yi's reminder. Both of them were wearing a deep blue coat, a gray apron, and a gray hat that covered their hair. They also wore masks sewn by Lian Yi for the two of them. It looked very formal.
Mrs. Xing only focused on making pancakes and stuffing them with vegetables, while Mr. Xing only collected money. He never touched the food after handling money, which gave people peace of mind. Even the teacher who led morning readings at school would buy a pancake roll from Xing's place for breakfast.
In general, when this kind of situation occurs, the elderly couple will have their hot soup made free of charge for the teacher, and they also ask the teacher to take good care of Lian'yi.
Liàn yī didn't think there was anything shameful about her parents setting up a stall at the school gate. They were earning a living by their own ability, and she even proactively helped classmates bring breakfast, doing quite well in business.
Of course, there are always a couple of snobbish students in every class who sneer at Ripples' family for running a small business and think they're beneath them.'ll tell you, see how you want to handle it."Chun Xiao said calmly."Don't worry, aunt. I won't do anything rash."We accidentally discovered that Zhang Xuetou has a very amiable confidante, named Yunsi...