To please others? It's better to please yourself.

On the morning of the day before they were supposed to leave, Duoduo and Xu Jianguo left home with their train tickets and large bags.

He was stopped by Xu Jingping as soon as he stepped out of the family compound gate.

"Hmph!" Xu Jianguo was furious and pretended not to see Xu Jingping as he walked past her. Xu Duoduo didn't say a word either.

"Your elder brother and sister-in-law are gone just like that?" Xu Jingping asked gently.

"Second brother, what else do you want?" Xu Jianguo roared at Xu Jingping.

"Hey girl, we lost this fight. We admit defeat and didn't say anything! We can't let this go on forever!" Xu Duoduo grabbed Xu Jianguo and turned to reply.

Xu Jingping smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, I mean you just left your three children behind without a word and quietly slipped away?"

The couple stared at Xu Jingping in surprise.

"Did you think you could get away with changing your ticket and leaving a day early without anyone noticing?" Xu Jingping sized up the two people opposite her.

"Second child, what do you want? State your request," Xu Duoduo had no choice but to ask. Conditions in the Northwest were too poor; how could she possibly raise three such young children? What if they got sick? How would they go to school, find jobs, and even find partners?

Are you suggesting that I learn to plant trees by following adults around, grow up, marry any girl in the area, have kids, and then plant trees again?

"They're my nephews after all, and I love them too."

"But all these years, what about all the benefits you've gained from me, all the blood you've sucked from me?" Xu Jingping asked coldly.

"How many?"

"300 yuan, not a penny less!" Xu Jingping looked at the other person, "Aren't you afraid of breaking your teeth if you use the money I exchanged to get married?" She said through gritted teeth.

"Isn't this how every family does it, using their daughter's dowry to pay for their son's wedding? Why can't you?" Xu Jianguo couldn't hold back any longer and shouted.

"But not with me!" Xu Jingping retorted sharply, not backing down an inch. "You're getting married, not me, so why should I pay for it?"

"You!" Xu Jianguo was so angry he couldn't speak.

"That's a lot too," Duoduo chimed in.

"Consider the extra money as compensation for the trouble you caused me."

Xu Jianguo knew Xu Jingping very well. She might not give you what she promised, but no one could stop her from asking for what she wanted.

Xu Jianguo felt a pang of sympathy for himself. What kind of family was this? His parents weren't biased, and his siblings didn't know how to be considerate. His parents always claimed to love their grandson, but when it came down to it, they still wanted to dump him on his parents. He realized he couldn't rely on anyone.

In any case, the second and fourth brothers did at least do something decent: they included his wife in the letter. Otherwise, he believed he would have been facing a barrage of divorce papers.

Thinking of this, Xu Jianguo felt a strong sense of brotherly and sisterly affection.

"Hiss," Xu Jianguo patted his head, interrupting the strange thought process.

The couple exchanged a glance and realized there was no way to help. As parents, if they had even a shred of love for their child, they couldn't just stand by and watch their four-year-old go to the Northwest to eat sand with them.

Let them live with their parents, leading a life where they can see the end from the beginning.

Xu Duoduo had no choice but to turn around behind Xu Jianguo, take out the money from the inside pocket of her clothes, count out 300 yuan, and hand it to Xu Jingping.

Xu Jingping took the money, her face regaining its gentle and kind expression: "Brother, have a safe journey, sister-in-law!"

"Remember to send a telegram if anything happens. I'll definitely help if I can!"

In terms of interpersonal relationships, Xu Jingping has never stumbled! It's just a matter of whether she wants to or not!

"Yes, I'll write to my family when I get there. Please take good care of them, little sister!" Duoduo replied calmly and politely.

"Jingping, we need to hurry."

Xu Jingping accepted Xu Jianguo's gratitude without hesitation. If only her eldest brother had gone to the Northwest, it was questionable whether he would have returned alive.

After all, he was her own brother, and she never intended to kill him. With her sister-in-law working in the same industry, she didn't need to worry about him much.

Looking at the eldest couple hurrying along, Xu Jingping realized that the grudge between her and them was finally over.

……

If Xu Jingping was scheming to exploit the love of the eldest son and his wife for their son, then Xu's mother, relying on her natural advantage of status, openly and legitimately used her scheme.

Xu's mother waited until 9 p.m. that day, but her eldest son and his wife still hadn't returned. She sensed something was wrong!

He pushed open the door to the eldest son's room and saw several bundles on the floor. When he opened them, he found that they were indeed clothes for the three children.

Xu's mother sneered. They were trying to pull a fast one on her; she'd been prepared for it all along. She pulled out certificates issued by Xu Jianguo's superiors and the street office from her pocket.

The note read, "Xu Jianguo and his wife went to support the construction in Northwest China, but their three children are too young to go with them. They are now being cared for by Xu Jianguo's parents. Xu Jianguo will send 20 yuan per month as child support."

It also has the leader's signature. It is said that they have obtained the consent of the leaders in Xu Jianguo's Northwest region, and the accountant will send the money directly to them every month, and the remaining money will be distributed to the eldest son and his wife.

The next day, since Xu's parents had to go to work, they simply sent their grandchildren to the daycare center at their workplaces.

Xu's mother even took out another account book to record all of her grandson's expenses, so that she could show it to her eldest son later.

Not to mention that the eldest son and his wife, facing the endless yellow sand, didn't even have the strength to cry. After finally enduring a month, they discovered Xu's mother's bizarre actions when they went to collect their wages. And this was something that had been decided before they even took the train here.

The couple was furious; they were so angry they could practically pour sand into their mouths. They could have cursed all the way from the accounting office to their dugout.

Duoduo was also speechless. How did she manage to choose this "lucky nest" to marry into? If she had chosen another family, she wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state!

Xu Jianguo also felt that if it were a different book, even with his intelligence and thick skin, he wouldn't have disappeared so quickly; a truly excellent book would have at least a hundred chapters long. Being born into the Xu family doesn't make him stand out!

……

Xu Jianshe traveled by car, making a lot of noise, all the way to H City. While the other educated youth stayed at the guesthouse, he took Xu Jing'an's address and went there.