The mother of the era is reborn to support her cannon fodder children!

Chapter 196 "Serious Injury"

Li Song froze, his cold eyes fixed on him. "Who are you?"

Huang Kang: "..."

Huang Kang was furious. "I'm Yuan Xiang's childhood sweetheart. We've known each other since we were little, and we know each other inside and out. You stole my wife! If you know what's good for you, give her back to me!"

Li Song looked down at him and scoffed, "Idiot."

He made a sarcastic remark and strode towards the Yuan family's residence.

"What did you say—" Huang Kang was furious and reached out to grab Li Song's collar, but before he could touch him, Li Song grabbed his wrist and twisted it hard.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Huang Kang cried out in pain, his face turning pale. He leaned forward, afraid to exert any force in the opposite direction, saying, "Let go, let go, my arm is broken..."

Li Song let go and gave Huang Kang a hard push, causing Huang Kang to stagger backward.

"roll."

Ignoring the strange person, he turned and entered the Yuan family courtyard.

Before the Yuan family could react, the new son-in-law had already dealt with the troublemaker.

Fearing that Li Song might have some reservations, he explained a few things about the Huang family.

Li Song: "...I didn't think much about it. I know what happened before, Comrade Yuan told me. I don't mind that she was engaged before, and it wasn't her fault that the engagement was broken off. It won't affect our ability to start a family."

Hearing this, the Yuan family breathed a sigh of relief, especially Aunt Song, whose eyes welled up with joy, but whose chest was held high.

She said that a blessed woman does not enter the door of an unblessed one.

Aunt Song gave the Huang family a disdainful look and snorted coldly. When she looked at her new son-in-law, she was not too satisfied. Her son-in-law was not affected by the bad things. Good job.

"...Never mind all that nonsense, let's go home."

He greeted his son-in-law and, seeing the villagers standing there dumbfounded, said irritably, "What are you standing there for? Let's have some fun as usual. Nobody is allowed to upset me today. Have some sweets and sweeten your mouths."

She was reluctant to part with the candy, but it was prepared by her son-in-law, and he was doing it to give his family face. As the bride's mother, she certainly wouldn't embarrass her child; the engagement ceremony had to be beautiful.

The adults wanted to save the candy for the children, so they put it in their pockets and put it away. But the children didn't care so much and had already started eating it. Their cheeks were slightly puffed out, and they didn't dare to say a word, for fear that the sweetness in their mouths would fly away.

"Sweet, isn't it?" Aunt Song smiled as she looked at the dark-skinned, skinny children, and said, "If it's sweet, when my Xiangxiang gets married, you can say a few more auspicious words so that my daughter's future life will be as sweet as sugar."

The children are all clever; they know that if there's candy at an engagement, there will definitely be some at a wedding. Their eyes light up, and they immediately pat their chests in assurance.

"Don't worry, ma'am, leave it to us."

"Can I ask you now, can I have one more piece of candy?"

Do you get candy for saying auspicious words?

"Wishing Sister Xiangxiang a happy engagement, a blissful marriage, and a bright future." Some of the "rollers" had already begun to offer auspicious words.

Aunt Song's cheeks ached from laughing so much.

The villagers crowded into the Yuan family's courtyard, flattering the Yuan family members and saying only nice things. Old Man Yuan stood up straight, feeling that his own courtyard was still too small.

Yuan family: "..."

Decorating the house to a festive atmosphere.

Lin Zhao saw Yuan Xiang dressed in new clothes, her hair neatly combed, with a plastic red flower in her hair, and her cheeks flushed, as if she had applied makeup.

“…Zhaozhao, you’re here.” Yuan Xiang said, blushing.

"Sister Xiangxiang looks so radiant and beautiful today," Lin Zhao complimented after sitting down.

Before Yuan Xiang could speak, her cousin squeezed in front of Lin Zhao, staring at her clothes with a gleam in her eyes, "Sister, where did you buy your clothes? They look so good."

"...I made it myself," Lin Zhao replied dismissively, clearly disliking the girl's gaze.

"Huh?" The little girl covered her mouth, trying to make a cute and surprised expression, but her eyes were too lively. "Sister, you are so skillful. My mother doesn't let me do anything."

Yuan Xiang casually retorted, "That's because your family is short of fabric."

"..." The little girl couldn't save face and pretended to be annoyed: "Sister Xiangxiang!"

Yuan Xiang didn't want to bring bad luck to such a joyous occasion, so she stopped saying anything unpleasant and started talking to Lin Zhao.

Seeing her cold face, the little girl was unhappy and left with a pout.

"Is that your cousin?" Lin Zhao asked in a low voice.

"Hmm." Yuan Xiang smiled sheepishly. "Kids like to compare themselves to others, and sometimes they say hurtful things. Zhao Zhao, don't pay any attention to them. If she comes to you looking uncomfortable, tell me, and I'll scold her."

She was the eldest daughter in the Yuan family and always gave way to her younger siblings, generally not arguing with them. However, ever since she discovered that some people didn't deserve her kindness, she started to speak her mind. This made her feel good, and she could see the blue sky and clear water, and everything felt comfortable.

Lin Zhao raised her eyebrows.

Sister Xiangxiang has changed a lot.

Yuan Xiang noticed her confusion and said with a smile, "I used to think that being jilted would implicate my sisters in the family, and I would just bear with whatever they said to avoid making things difficult for my mother. Who knew..."

She paused for a moment, then said, "I've figured it out. One shouldn't be too humble."

That would make people take advantage of you.

Lin Zhao patted Yuan Xiang's arm and gave her a look of unwavering agreement. "That's the right way to think."

Yuan Xiang smiled brightly, "Yes, this is something I learned from you; it makes people feel refreshed."

"There's still so much I can learn from you, Sister Xiangxiang. Feel free to learn from me, I'm not stingy." Lin Zhao straightened the red flower in Yuan Xiang's hair and pinned a beautiful star brooch to her chest.

Yuan Xiang looked down and asked, "What is this?"

"It's just a brooch, a simple accessory. Do you like it?" Lin Zhao glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction. She had excellent taste; the moment she saw the brooch, she knew it would suit Yuan Xiang.

"It must be very expensive, right?" Yuan Xiang gently stroked the star, her eyes brightened by the starlight.

"It's not appropriate to talk about this. No matter how expensive it is, it's just a gift now," Lin Zhao said gently.

“…Thank you, Zhaozhao,” Yuan Xiang said with a smile.

The engagement gift from both the Lin and Song families greatly enhanced Yuan Xiang's and the Yuan family's reputation. Aunt Song was beaming with pride, her smile never closing.

See? This is the advantage of having a capable person in your wife's family.

Today is just the engagement ceremony; no banquet has been prepared. After all, it's too expensive, and people from poor families can't afford it.

The Yuan family were a simple, honest family who wouldn't try to impress others by spending more than they could afford. They hired a chef to cook a large pot of stew.

The vegetables were donated by various households in the village. They bought a lot of tofu and vermicelli, and there were many large slices of meat in the dishes. The meat was bought and delivered by Li Song. Everyone could eat several slices, and everyone was very satisfied, even more so than if they had attended a banquet.

You might not even get to eat this much meat at a banquet.

Even the twins, who are used to good food, enjoy it. They sit on small stools with the village children, eating without even looking up.

Seeing Hengbao eat the carrots that he usually doesn't like, Lin Zhao couldn't help but smile.

The second child really likes it.

Lin Shih-chang: "What are you laughing at?"

"Yu Bao and Heng Bao were looking forward to the banquet, but they didn't get to eat today. I was really afraid that Heng Bao would complain and embarrass the Yuan family. But I didn't expect him to hold back. He just pouted unhappily."

I thought he would throw a tantrum and refuse to eat, but he just took one bite and smiled. He seems to really like it. Why didn't I mention Yu Bao? Because his older brother has high emotional intelligence, speaks tactfully, and never says anything that makes people feel awkward.

Lin Zhao tasted the tofu in the big pot of stew, and the taste was indeed very special. After eating one piece, she wanted to eat a second one.

“The stew cooked in a large pot tastes better than the banquet dishes,” Lin Shichang said. “They’ve never eaten it before, so they’re curious. They’ll know once they taste it. My nephew may be young, but he’s not stupid.”

Lin Zhao: "..."

……

Harvest Brigade.

Gu Chan appeared at the village entrance, her face ashen.

She stopped at the door of the third room of the Gu family and saw an iron lock hanging in the middle of the door. Her legs gave way and her body fell down.

Kneel and sit on the ground.

"A-Chan?" Wang Chunhua saw Gu Chan, paused for a few seconds, then went over to help her up. "What happened?"

Glancing at the lock on the Gu family's door, he hurriedly said, "Yu Bao's mother took her four children to a banquet; her cousin is getting engaged today."

Are you alright? Why don't you come to my place for a bit?

Gu Chan's face was deathly pale, her lips were dry and cracked, and her eyes were vacant. She had come for help with a breath she was holding, but when she saw the lock, she lost all her strength and could only stand up by leaning on Wang Chunhua.

"Auntie, could you please take me home?"

Wang Chunhua didn't know what had happened to Gu Chan, but she did exactly what she was told and called her daughter-in-law to help take Gu Chan to the Gu family's old house.

"Mother Chenghuai!"

When Gu's mother heard the noise, she went outside and saw the Wang family's mother and daughter-in-law supporting their eldest daughter as they rushed forward.

"Achan, what happened to you? Did you fall? Where did you fall? Are you alright? Why do you need help? Sit down, sit down and let me see..."

Very loud sound.

The rest of the Gu family members came out of the house one after another.

"Mother, I'm fine, I just tripped and fell on the way." Gu Chan shook her head, her fingers digging into her palms, looking nervously at her family, her heart pounding, her voice trembling, "Mother, I want to, I want to borrow money, do we... have any at home?"

She was already married. The Gu family had prepared a dowry for her back then, and the division of the family property had nothing to do with her. Gu's parents didn't think it was a big deal, so they didn't ask anyone to tell her.

"Borrow money? We don't have any money at home!" Gu Xing'er was afraid that Gu Chan would borrow her dowry money, so her eyes were wary and her tone was very unpleasant.

“My family just separated, and my parents don’t even have a hundred yuan left. They still need to prepare my dowry. How am I supposed to lend it to you? Sister, you can’t be so selfish. You’re like water spilled from a cup; don’t keep coming back home…”

Her words became increasingly outrageous. Gu Chan lowered her head and remained silent, her eyes filled with tears.

Gu Xing'er's words showed no sisterly affection whatsoever, which infuriated Gu's mother. She swung her arm and slapped Gu Xing'er across the face.

This time, he infused his anger with all his might.

Five finger marks appeared on her fair face.

"Get out of here!" Gu's mother's face was flushed, and her eyes were red, full of disappointment and heartache. "Achan is your own sister. What happened to her? Why did she borrow money... You didn't even ask. You only care about your dowry. How could I have given birth to such a heartless wretch like you? Get out of here. Go wherever you want. Go far away."

Gu Xing'er covered her burning face, "Fine, I'll get out! I don't want a mother like you!"

After saying that, he glared at Gu's mother resentfully, went back to his room to pack his things, and then rushed out of the house.

Gu Yucheng made a move to chase after him, but was stopped by his mother.

"Ignore her! Let her do whatever she wants! Your father and I will just pretend she was never born!"

What she didn't know was that after Gu Xing'er left, she angrily went to the newspaper and published a statement severing ties with the Gu family.

Zhao Liuniang grabbed the man's arm and whispered, "Listen to your mother."

Gu Yucheng didn't really want to pursue her; he pretended to be reluctant and stayed behind.

Gu Chan: (ω‖)
Gu's mother sat down next to Gu Chan and turned to look at her. "Chan, how much do you want to borrow? Your father and I don't have much money on hand, but we can scrape together eighty for you. Is that enough?"

“…It’s not enough.” Gu Chan said with shame, explaining why she needed the money. “Xiang Dong is injured, seriously injured. He’s still in the county hospital. The doctor said it will cost over four hundred yuan to treat him. I took out all the money I had at home, and it only amounted to a little over one hundred yuan. My parents-in-law added thirty-five yuan, but it’s still far from enough. I had to come back to borrow…”

Upon hearing that her son-in-law was seriously injured, Gu's mother's face changed, and she guessed, "Did he head east into the deep mountains?"

"No." Gu Chan felt an indescribable resentment in her heart. Even though she knew her emotions were wrong, she couldn't help but feel resentful. "...It was to save people."

The person rescued in the mountains was blown away by a wild boar and nearly died when they were brought down the mountain.

What's infuriating is that...

The rescued man was taken away by his family, and they didn't even mention medical expenses or say thank you.

It's really not worth it.

Gu Chan felt sorry for her husband.

Mother Gu couldn't say that her son-in-law's act of saving people was wrong, so she sighed and went inside to get the money.

After coming out, he looked at Gu Qingzhou and said, "Qingzhou, you still have a few years before you get married. Lend the money to your older sister first. Your older sister and brother-in-law are both hardworking people. As long as you get through this difficult time, they will pay it back."

If you can't get through it... you won't be unable to get through it!

"Fine, I'll lend it to you. I'm not Gu Xing'er, I don't care about these things." Gu Qingzhou sarcastically remarked to Gu Xing'er, then turned and went into her room. She took out the fifty yuan she had received from the family division, plus the two yuan she had saved, totaling fifty-two yuan, and stuffed it into Gu Chan's hand.

"Big sister, take this. Your husband's injury is important. You can pay him back whenever you want. Don't put too much pressure on yourself," Gu Qingzhou comforted her.

Gu Chan's lips moved a few times, but she couldn't utter a single word.

She sniffed hard, wiped her eyes, and smiled through her tears.

“I feel like Qingzhou has suddenly grown up… In my memory, he is still that quiet child who always works hard. He can even tell me not to put too much pressure on myself…” Gu Chan’s voice choked up, as if a wad of cotton was stuck in her throat.

Father Gu patted his youngest son's shoulder and said proudly, "Qingzhou is a real man now, well done, my son is great."

Cough... Gu Qingzhou blushed.

Gu Yucheng went back into the house to get the money and came out when he heard this. He immediately said sourly, "What about me? Dad, I'm your son too."

Before Gu's father could answer, he also gave Gu Chan the family's share of the inheritance money.

"Fifty yuan, we'll pay it back slowly. We have food and shelter, so we're not in a hurry for the money."

Gu Chan couldn't bring herself to give him the money. Gu Yucheng had a family, and they had already separated. She was afraid that Zhao Liuniang would cause trouble for him if she took the money.

Zhao Liuniang quickly realized what her sister-in-law was hesitating about, so she helped Gu Yucheng out.

“Take it. I trust you to lend me the money. You’re not Gu Xing’er. If you were Gu Xing’er, I wouldn’t lend you even a penny, let alone fifty.” Zhao Liu Niang said frankly.

Gu Chan could tell that she genuinely wanted to borrow the money, so she accepted it.

They took out paper and pen, wrote down IOUs, and handed them to the "creditors" one by one.

Her husband was still in the hospital, and the borrowed money was enough for the time being, so she didn't delay any longer. Her parents were worried, so they asked Gu Yucheng to deliver the money.

Lin Zhao was worried that the old house might need the bicycle, so before leaving, she had Bangbang push the bicycle to the old house, which would come in handy now.

(End of this chapter)