NOVPUB
Chapter 532: Chapter 522: 30 Years on the East of the River, 30 Years on the West of the River
"What, what are you doing?" Qiu Shuping was thoroughly frightened by her son-in-law’s demeanor; she had never seen him this fierce before. Whenever the son-in-law came to their house, he always wore a smile, speaking in agreement with them, an elderly couple. In her heart, the son-in-law was nothing more than a powerless, inexperienced country bumpkin.
"Oh, so it’s the kid’s grandma, is it? I thought someone was here starting a fight or something," Liu Jianjun said coldly, his irritation evident, a usually smiling person suddenly changing face was indeed frightening.
"You’re back, did you ask for leave from the team leader?" Li Xianglian went up to take the shovel from her husband’s hand, seeing that he had brought home the team’s tools, she knew he must have run back as soon as he heard the news.
"I did," Liu Jianjun took off his coat and sat down at the other end of the kang, looking directly at Qiu Shuping and asking, "I heard the kid’s grandma had come, so I hurried back. Mom, did you have something you wanted to do today?" Liu Jianjun really disliked having to call her "Mom," but he knew as long as his wife was Xianglian, he had to keep using the term.
"Oh, it’s nothing major..." Qiu Shuping didn’t want to borrow money in front of her son-in-law, she also remembered the time her son-in-law had knelt before her to borrow money.
"No big deal, huh? Then Xianglian and I won’t keep you company. It’s not easy to get leave from the team, and they deduct points for it. If you have no business, then you should head home. We need to get back to work too." Liu Jianjun’s words were rather impolite, nearly tantamount to kicking her out directly.
Li Xianglian didn’t say anything when she heard this, which amounted to agreeing with her husband’s approach.
"No, it’s just that I missed my daughter, so Xianglian, you stay, Mom wants to talk to you," Qiu Shuping said quickly, trying to keep her daughter behind as the two really started to get up.
"Mom, you know our family is poor, relying solely on earning these work points to pay off debts. When Jiajia was sick, our family borrowed a lot of money. Now, the two of us wish there were forty-eight hours in a day, that we could grow three heads and six arms to earn more points. If you miss my wife, then wait until the team has a day off, and I’ll let Xianglian go home to see you." Liu Jianjun brought up the topic of borrowing money when Jiajia was sick, hoping his mother-in-law would remember how they had been treated back then and not come looking for more now. What was the point?
"Mom, you should go back first, and I’ll come home to check on Dad on Saturday. If you leave now, you can still make him lunch." Li Xianglian also echoed the sentiment, urging her to leave.
"What, what are you doing? You’re trying to kick me out, aren’t you? You’re so heartless, aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?" Qiu Shuping was livid, never expecting to be practically kicked out of her eldest daughter’s house before she’d even warmed her seat.
Liu Jianjun scoffed, "I’m drowned in debt, and now I’m thinking of working hard to earn money. What’s wrong with that? If Heaven really wants to strike someone, it should strike those who are truly heartless, right, Mom?"
"You, you, I’m not talking to you anymore," Qiu Shuping, a bit afraid of her son-in-law, could only turn to her daughter, "Xianglian, come here, Mom has something to ask you."
"Mom, there are no strangers here, just say whatever it is you have to say," Li Xianglian said without moving, suggesting that Qiu Shuping should speak openly.
Qiu Shuping looked at her daughter and then at her son-in-law, knowing that they were still holding a grudge against her and realizing that today’s trip was probably in vain. However, thinking about her youngest son and the grandchild in her daughter-in-law’s womb, even though she was almost certain she wouldn’t be able to borrow the money, she had to try.
"This situation is quite serious, you didn’t know since you didn’t come home for the New Year, but your younger sister-in-law is pregnant again..." Qiu Shuping went on and on, explaining the matter of her younger daughter-in-law’s hospitalization.
"Your father and I are really out of options. The neighbors already lent us money when your brother got married, we simply can’t borrow anymore, so we thought of coming to you. Xianglian, your mother knows she did wrong in the past, but isn’t Jiajia alright now? This time, your sister-in-law’s situation is really dire, the doctor said if she loses this baby, it will be hard for her to conceive again in the future," Qiu Shuping said, and as she spoke, she began to cry, perhaps because she thought that her youngest son might really end up childless. Her tears this time were genuine.
Li Xianglian, moved by her mother’s words, softened her expression. She remembered how difficult it was to borrow money when her own daughter was sick and felt empathetic. She turned to look at her husband, silently asking what to do.
Although Qiu Shuping was crying, she didn’t miss observing her surroundings with her sharp eyes, noticing her daughter’s changing expression. She sensed hope, but also knew that her son-in-law would be key to borrowing the money.
Ah, wasn’t that why she hadn’t wanted to bring this up while her son-in-law was around? If it had been just her daughter, and she had said a few nice words, maybe the money would have been lent.
"Jianjun, I know you still resent me, but your mother really had no choice, I truly had no money back then. Your sister-in-law really needs the money now to save her life. If by tomorrow there’s no money for the hospital, your sister-in-law will have to be sent home," Qiu Shuping explained through her tears, hoping it would have some effect.
Liu Jianjun snorted. He remembered clearly how his mother-in-law had looked down on them, "I don’t have money, why come to me to borrow money? Jiajia belongs to your Liu family, if she gets sick, isn’t it your Liu family’s responsibility to pay for the treatment? And now expecting us, the Li family, to foot the bill? I’m not afraid of your resentment. I don’t have a penny, and even if I did, I wouldn’t give you any. I married off my daughter to your family, but that doesn’t mean you can pin your hopes on the Li family’s wealth. How could your parents be so shameless to send you to make this request?"
Liu Jianjun thought to himself that at the time, his mother-in-law probably never imagined that she would have to ask him for money one day. This situation truly reflected the saying "fortunes change with time." No one can ever be sure of the future.
Liu Jianjun was very firm when he said, "I don’t have money. Mother, are you mistaken in asking me for money? Your sister-in-law was brought into the Li family, if she is sick, isn’t it the Li family’s responsibility to pay for her treatment? Why expect me, an outsider and son-in-law, to provide the money? I’m not afraid of your hatred. I don’t have a penny, and even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you. I married your daughter, not your entire Li family. Why is it that the Li family is eyeing the Liu family’s money? Tell me, why do Li Hongqi and his wife have the audacity to send an old mother like you to beg from us?" Liu Jianjun echoed the words his mother-in-law had spat at him back at her unapologetically. After saying it out loud, he felt as if the frustration bottled up inside had been released, bringing him some relief.
"You, you..." Qiu Shuping became red and then white in the face, eventually turning to look at Li Xianglian, "Xianglian, are you just going to stand there and watch your husband speak to your mother like this? You really are a good daughter."
Li Xianglian lifted her head to look seriously at her mother and said, "Mother, I thought that as long as you had a son, everything would be fine. Whether I’m doing well or not shouldn’t matter too much."
Qiu Shuping, feeling utterly frustrated with her daughter’s retort, feeling like both her daughter and son-in-law had utterly embarrassed her, pointed at them both and shouted, "You, you’re really something! Fine, from now on I’ll pretend I never gave birth to you. And don’t you ever set foot in my house again."
