Chapter 29: I Have to Go Find Her

Chapter 29: I Must Go Find Her

Liu Sanjin finished work early in the afternoon. She sat by the entrance of the main hall waiting for Xie Jinghao. For the past two days, the third son's wife had been running over to the eldest branch's house with the children whenever she had free time. Don't think she didn't know; the old gossips at the village entrance had told her today that her eldest daughter-in-law had gone to the county town and brought back two large bags of things. She guessed right away that she had gone to collect the items her son had sent back. As for what exactly they were, she would have to investigate thoroughly.

When Xie Jinghao returned holding Xiaogang, she locked eyes with Liu Sanjin as soon as she opened the door, causing her to freeze in her tracks.

"Mother, you're off work so early. I'll go make dinner right away."

"Wait, come sit here first. I have something to ask you."

Xie Jinghao glanced at her and then walked over, leading Xiaogang with her.

Liu Sanjin wasn't kind to her daughter-in-law, but she was quite good to her grandson, Xiaogang—though, compared to Lu Mingkai, the difference was like heaven and earth.

"Come here, Xiaogang. Let Grandma hold you."

"I want Mommy to hold me. Xiaogang wants Mommy."

Liu Sanjin's expression shifted, and she glared at Xie Jinghao with a sour face. Since her grandson wasn't close to her, she was convinced her daughter-in-law was badmouthing her behind her back.

"Hmph, don't try to turn my grandson against me behind my back. My grandson is closest to me. Xiaogang, you're closest to Grandma, aren't you? Hehehe," she said, casting a sharp look at Xie Jinghao. "You just came from your sister-in-law's house; didn't she say anything?"

"Oh, Sister-in-law... Sister-in-law gave the monthly support money and even reminded you not to work too hard!" Having just returned, Xie Jinghao was afraid of being scolded and rushed to make dinner, momentarily forgetting about the money.

"Hmph, even if you don't mention it, you didn't bring it out. Is it just money? What about the coupons? Food coupons, cloth coupons, kerosene coupons... and your eldest brother sent such large packages; didn't she give you anything from them?"

Xie Jinghao licked her lips and gave a sheepish smile. "Mother, those weren't sent by Big Brother. I read his letter; there was only a remittance slip. The packages were sent by soldiers in the army to Mingyang and the other children. It was just vermicelli, dried mushrooms, and things like that."

Upon hearing this, Liu Sanjin's eyes widened in fury. The old woman, with her small feet, nearly jumped up. In her view, as long as the family hadn't officially split, anything the eldest son sent back should be under her control; not a single thread or needle should fall into Shen Meng's hands.

She knew it! She had told them not to build the house, not to build the house, and now look—the things her son sent back were all being hidden away by that black-hearted Shen Meng.

"Don't cook for the eldest branch tonight. Let her go hungry for a few meals. Hmph, no, I have to go, I have to go! Those were sent by the army to Mingyang and the children. If they fall into that dead weight Shen Meng's hands, she'll probably smuggle them all to her own maternal family."

Before Xie Jinghao could even try to stop her, she saw Liu Sanjin waddling quickly toward the courtyard gate with her small feet. It was the first time she had ever seen her mother-in-law move so fast!

Once she saw no one was watching, Xie Jinghao took Xiaogang back into the room. She untied a piece of cloth that Shen Meng had wrapped around her waist, revealing a large handful of Golden Silk Monkey milk candies and a bag of brown sugar. She quickly packed them away in her bedside cabinet and locked it before letting out a long sigh of relief.

Xiaogang sensibly leaned into her embrace, but his mind was on Shen Meng's words: *"Living in your own courtyard is so much more comfortable."* She also dreamed of such a comfortable life; if she could live independently, she wouldn't have to sneakily feed her child good things.

Inside the house, Shen Meng watched Mingkai and Mingfang happily trying on their new things when she suddenly heard a loud, frantic knocking at the door. Her brow furrowed.

"Mingfang, quickly put everything away. Watch your brother in the room. I'm going to see who it is."

Mingfang's face turned pale with fright. She scrambled off the bed and hurriedly hid the clothes and shoes in Shen Meng's cabinet. She didn't know why, but if Mother said so, there must be a reason.

The knocking was so loud that the neighbors poked their heads out, thinking something had happened.

"Third Aunt, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Liu Sanjin wiped the corners of her eyes and sobbed a few times. "Oh, Daqing's mother, Zhenping wrote a letter back, but I haven't even known what it says all day! Zhenping's wife is clutching it and won't let me see. I'm just so worried!"

Daqing's mother, Wang Lianhua, rubbed her hands together and looked at Liu Sanjin with pity.

"That's true, Third Aunt. Brother Zhenping hasn't been home in years, though he does send a letter every month. Don't get worked up. Mingyang's mother isn't feeling well. Just wait a bit; she'll come out in a moment to explain."

Wang Lianhua had expected her to join in cursing Shen Meng, but instead, she was offering kind words. Feeling frustrated, Liu Sanjin pounded on the door even harder.

"What's wrong with you, Sister-in-law? Did Zhenping's wife make you angry again? If you ask me, she should be beaten a few times; once she's disciplined, she'll listen. Look at Lianhua and Xifeng; they listen to me. You're just too soft, like dough, which is why your daughter-in-law thinks she can walk all over you."

Hearing her mother-in-law's words, Wang Lianhua shuddered and hurried back to her courtyard to work.

Chen Zhaodi watched her second daughter-in-law's retreating back and spat on the ground.

Liu Sanjin brushed back her hair and said, "I don't have luck like yours. It's just that the eldest branch isn't very filial. Xianglan and Jiaojiao are very filial; whenever they have something good to eat, they think of me. Even after Jiaojiao and Jiaxuan moved out, they let me stay in the big house. Oh, it's so pitiful."

Her daughter-in-law was a good person, but her son was too protective. Earlier, Jiaxuan had mentioned wanting to build a courtyard. Ever since he became the production team's warehouse manager, he had never taken any of the money he earned. Building a courtyard would cost a fortune. The money she held was her own coffin fund—she couldn't touch it. This money would have to come from Zhenping. It made no sense for the eldest brother to live in a brick house while his younger brother lived in a mud hut!

Besides Chen Zhaodi, several other families came out to watch the commotion. Shen Meng stood behind the door with her arms crossed, listening for a while before finally opening the door. Her face was deathly pale, looking like a ghost that had just crawled out of a grave in the dim light.

"Oh my god!"

"Good heavens, you scared me to death!"

"Zhenping's wife, what happened to you? Why do you look like this?"

Liu Sanjin was also startled. Seeing Shen Meng leaning against the doorframe, she instinctively took two steps back, fearing Shen Meng might suddenly collapse onto her.

"Auntie, I... *cough, cough*... I received Zhenping's letter and was so happy. I wanted to ask someone to collect the package, but I was afraid of missing work, so I went by myself. After I came back, I felt unwell all over and could only get up after lying down all afternoon."

"Tsk, where are Mingyang and Mingliang? You're sick like this, and the children aren't even looking after you?"

Shen Meng shrank her neck back as if frightened and said, "Zhenping's comrades sent some mushrooms and vermicelli from the Yunnan area. Our whole family didn't eat lunch, and we couldn't wait until evening. The children don't know how to prepare those things, and since they were worried about me, they had Mingfang watch me while the two of them went to catch fish. They haven't come back even this late; I'm truly worried."

Liu Sanjin had a belly full of words ready to go, but she was blindsided by Shen Meng's blatant slander. Seeing the suspicious glances from the neighbors, she felt a surge of indignation in her chest, unable to even vent it.