My sister-in-law from Qingdao

Seeing that she couldn't persuade me, Lin Moli simply stopped trying.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she asked me again, "Does your sister-in-law know about this?"

I quickly sat up, put my arm around her slender waist, and said seriously, "You absolutely cannot tell her about this."

Lin Moli smiled wryly and said, "Can you really hide fire with paper?"

"I can't keep it a secret for now, but I can't tell her yet. I'll tell her myself after I've gotten used to it."

"You may not be on the right path. I've been there, and I really don't know how to advise you."

Seeing that I wouldn't give up even after hitting a brick wall, Lin Moli felt nothing but regret and helplessness.

Before I knew it, it was dawn. I was about to get up and wash up when Lin Moli hugged me again.

"Why are you in such a hurry? You know what? I'm really worried that you won't come to see me again after you leave this time."

Lin Moli's eyes were filled with sorrow, and she looked very sad.

"You are my sister, of course I will come to see you. In Qingdao, I only have three relatives right now: you, my sister-in-law, and Brother Zhao Yun."

A gentle smile appeared on Lin Moli's face.

"Where am I in the ranking?"

My heart skipped a beat, and after thinking about it carefully, I said, "You're first, my sister-in-law is second, and Zhao Yun is third."

Lin Moli blushed slightly and suddenly pushed me onto the bed.

"I didn't spoil you for nothing. To make you remember me, let's do it again."

It was already 10 a.m. when I left her house.

This woman insisted on giving me a car and a house, but I refused both.

Lin Moli and I are close friends, but I am definitely not a gigolo.

She's been good to me, and I appreciate it. I can't take advantage of her endlessly just because she's been good to me.

When Lin Moli saw that I refused, she didn't press me, only saying that there would be plenty of time in the future.

After leaving Lin Moli, I called Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun said that karaoke bars usually start work at 2 PM, so it's not too late for me to go at 2 PM.

I took a taxi to my cousin-in-law Su Xiaoya's place.

It was late autumn, and my cousin-in-law was wearing a coffee-colored long dress with her hair piled on top of her head.

Perhaps because of her cousin's passing, her face looked somewhat haggard and weathered.

The moment she saw me, she grinned. The instant her smile faded, I felt a pang of sadness; I guessed she was feeling pretty bad too.

My cousin's wife picked up a bottle of purified water from the side and handed it to me.

"Why are you here at midday instead of working?"

"I was worried about you, so couldn't I come and check on you?"

"Okay, now that you've finished watching, go back and get back to work."

"Sister-in-law, tell me your account number. I want my 260,000 yuan back from Sun Wenbin."

I took out my phone and continued.

"You're coming back? Why did you want to come back?" A hint of surprise appeared on my sister-in-law's face.

"Paying back debts is a matter of course. I contacted him, and he gave me the money, gave me his account number, and I transferred the money to you."

My cousin's wife shook her head and said, "I still owe you 200,000 yuan. You can keep this money."

"Sister-in-law, you were in the most financially vulnerable period when you started your business. I can't keep this money. Besides, it's my brother's money. Give me his account number and I'll transfer it to you."

Su Xiaoya's eyes welled up with tears.

"I know it was your brother who lent out the money, but you've sacrificed so much for him. He's gone now, so I'll pay off his debts for him. Give me 60,000 yuan."

I didn't listen to her and leave the 200,000 yuan behind. Instead, I transferred 260,000 yuan into her account.

With red eyes, my cousin's wife said, "Chen Dong, I owe you so much."

"Sister-in-law, look at what you're saying, aren't we family? No matter what difficulties you encounter in the future, just call me anytime."

I chatted with my sister-in-law for another ten minutes or so, but I left because she had other things to do.

On my way to Shuiyunjian by taxi, my mom called me.

"Mom, what made you decide to call me?"

My mother's voice was a little hoarse.

"You're my son, isn't it only right that I call you?"

"That's true."

"Son, have you seen your sister-in-law since you returned to Qingdao these past few days?"

"Yes, I just came out of her company."

My mother paused for a moment before saying, "Xiaodong, now that your brother is gone, you need to keep your distance from your sister-in-law."

I was puzzled. What did my mom mean by this?

"Why? She's my sister-in-law, my brother's wife."

"Don't forget, your brother is gone, so your sister-in-law became a widow. They don't have any children, and your uncle and aunt can't stand her either."

From now on, this relationship is over; she's a stranger to me now.

My mother's words were a revelation; they seemed to make a lot of sense.

Yes, it seems I can no longer call Su Xiaoya "sister-in-law".

After all, she would get married in the future, and her relationship with her cousin would be severed from then on.

Since her relationship with her cousin is over, my relationship with her is even less significant.

At that moment, I suddenly felt a sense of loss, as if something beautiful that originally belonged to me was suddenly about to leave me.

"Son, do you know what the villagers are talking about?"

"What are you saying?"

"People in the village are saying that you and your sister-in-law have an improper relationship, and some even say that your brother was killed by the two of you."

Of course I believe what my mother says, after all, I heard Ma Deqiang say such things to Ma Lili and others at Uncle Ma's house that day.

"Mom, don't listen to those scoundrels' nonsense. Your son is not that kind of person, and my sister-in-law is a clean woman."

My mother sighed softly and said, "Sigh, how could I not know my own son? I gave birth to you and raised you with my own hands, so of course I know what kind of personality you have."

But the villagers said some very unpleasant things, and another thing was that even if your sister-in-law was very beautiful, she was also an unlucky woman.

She was married to your brother for over two years but didn't have a child. Now that your brother has died, people are saying she's a jinx, a bringer of misfortune.

So you should stay away from her.

My mother's words shocked me. I know my mother is kind, but I also know she is just a rural woman.

People in rural areas tend to have a narrower mindset.

She called to remind me to stay away from Su Xiaoya in the future.

After all, if I got together with Su Xiaoya and went back to the village together, we would probably become a laughing stock in the whole village.

However, this is just a hypothesis, because I never thought that a relationship would develop between me and Su Xiaoya.

Although my cousin's last words included that wish, I haven't thought about it yet.

The reason I'm willing to get closer to Su Xiaoya is because I feel she's my sister-in-law, and I feel she's quite lonely and helpless right now.

"Did you understand what I said, kid? From today onwards, you're not to have anything to do with your sister-in-law anymore, understand?"

My mom waited for ages but didn't get a reply, so she raised her voice.

"Mom, what kind of person do you think my sister-in-law, Su Xiaoya, is?"

"She's very pretty, but also quite flirtatious. Anyway, stay away from her and don't have anything to do with her in the future."

I smiled wryly and said, "Isn't that necessary?"

"If you don't listen to me and continue to associate with Su Xiaoya, see how your father and I deal with you."