Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

Song Xiangmei still looked guilty, clutching the large vase with all her might.

She would take two steps and then look back.

They were afraid that a few red armband-wearing women would rush up from behind and pin them to the ground.

"Third Sister, is this...is this okay? Does this count as speculation and undermining socialism?" Song Xiangmei's voice trembled.

Song Xianglan pulled her scarf up a little.

Shielding themselves from the cold wind, they walked quickly.

"What do you mean by undermining us? This is junk that the recycling station doesn't want. We bought it with our own money to support the country's recycling efforts."

Besides, even Old Tang and the others didn't see how valuable it was; we just found a bargain.

The gold and jade were hidden in various inconspicuous corners, and there was even more hidden under the cushion of the grand master's chair.

There were too many people and too many eyes in that scrap yard just now.

She only gave it a cursory touch.

If it doesn't feel right, you know it's got something special.

It seems I'll have to come to this city often in the future.

The best place to go is the Ghost Market; that's the real treasure trove.

The two of them made several turns.

They arrived at the guesthouse, which was two streets away from Song Xianghe's house.

Song Xianglan skillfully pulled out a letter of introduction. "I need a room, a big one, with a window."

The receptionist was a woman in her forties.

She had her hair permed into fine, wispy curls, and was happily munching on a handful of spiced peanuts.

I heard a noise.

She didn't even fully lift her eyelids.

He glanced sideways at the two people's attire, and finally his gaze fell on the large, dusty porcelain vase in Song Xiangmei's arms.

"Oh, you brought your own belongings to the hotel?"

The receptionist spat out a handful of peanut shells. "Is that a chamber pot or a pickle jar? This is a proper guesthouse, don't bring in any dirty stuff."

Song Xiangmei blushed and was about to explain.

Song Xianglan pushed the letter of introduction forward.

"This vase came with the furniture I bought. The furniture is too big, I'll find a truck to transport it tomorrow, and I'm worried about damaging the vase, so I brought it back first. Hey ma'am, your roasted peanuts smell delicious, where did you buy them?"

The receptionist heard a compliment.

His expression softened a little, and he tossed the keys onto the counter.

"The last room on the left on the second floor. The thermos is at the door, carry it yourself. Don't get the sheets dirty, it costs 50 cents to wash them."

After saying that, he shook his head and muttered something to himself:

"Country folks are so short-sighted; they'll treasure even a broken bottle and sleep with it."

Song Xianglan didn't respond.

Holding the keys and carrying the thermos, he pulled Song Xiangmei upstairs.

We went inside.

Song Xianglan closed the door behind her and then locked it.

This is not enough.

She walked a few steps to the window and pulled the heavy curtains shut with a "whoosh," instantly plunging the room into darkness.

With a "snap".

The light bulb turned on, casting a dim, yellowish light that made the room look somewhat old.

"Quickly, take everything out," Song Xianglan commanded.

Song Xiangmei couldn't hold back any longer and dumped everything she was holding onto the bed.

There were several boxes. There were also a few books I couldn't understand, two bowls and plates, and some other unidentified objects.

In Song Xiangmei's eyes, she didn't recognize any of them.

Song Xianglan deftly pried open the hidden compartment at the bottom of the box and took out the bracelet that was hidden inside her cotton-padded jacket.

The golden light dazzled the eyes under the light bulb.

Song Xiangmei pulled out a hard object from her pocket that had been pressing against her waist. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a solid gold ring, an old-fashioned dragon and phoenix ring, heavy and substantial.

"My dear mother..."

Song Xiangmei swallowed hard, her eyes practically glued to the gold. "Third Sister, this...this is really gold?"

She picked up the ring and took a bite.

"Third Sister!"

Song Xiangmei suddenly looked up, her eyes no longer showing the fear from before, but filled with excitement.

"I wanted to come to the city to collect scraps, but are the city people stupid? They can throw this stuff away as garbage?"

"I'm not going to farm anymore. Can I just squat in front of this junkyard from now on?"

Looking at her eldest sister's expression, Song Xianglan couldn't help but laugh:

"Alright, wipe your drool. This is nothing."

"You don't even know how to look for it on your own."

Song Xiangmei: "..."

The third sister has been smart since she was a child, no wonder everyone dotes on her.

Song Xianglan found a sturdy red rope, strung several bracelets together, and hung them around her neck.

Then I tucked it into my close-fitting thermal underwear; the cool gold felt against my skin, but my heart was warm and at peace.

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket." Song Xianglan then separated the jade pieces and the sandalwood, stuffing some into pillowcases and others under the mattress.

Song Xianglan also strung a few together and hung them around Song Xiangmei's neck.

Song Xiangmei waved her hands repeatedly, "I don't want it. These are all things you found..."

"Everyone who sees it gets a share; I'm the younger sister, so I get a little more, and you get a little less."

Everything is tidied up.

Song Xianglan slapped her thigh.

"Let's go eat! Let's have a good meal today!"

The two tidied themselves up a bit.

After washing the dust off my face, I left the guesthouse and headed straight for the state-run restaurant across the street.

We're almost at the restaurant.

The air was filled with the enticing aroma of pork cracklings and meat.

Song Xianglan didn't even look at the price tag.

He immediately launched into a tirade: "Comrade, a big bowl of pork offal soup, a serving of braised pork belly, taro stewed with pig's feet, and two bowls of rice, piled high!"

The waiter paused for a moment while writing down the bill.

Looking up at the two old women dressed in homespun cotton-padded jackets, I was somewhat surprised:

"So much? Can we finish it all? We need food coupons."

"I can finish it, I have the tickets." Song Xianglan took out the money and tickets.

Waiting for the food to be served.

Song Xiangmei looked at the bowl of braised pork belly, which was glistening with oil and had a bright red color.

The whole piece of pork belly was stewed until tender, and it was stuffed full of chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, and dried shrimp, with a fragrance that wafted straight into your nose.

She had never seen such generous use of oil in her entire life.

"eat!"

Song Xianglan picked up a large piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth.

It's fatty but not greasy.

It melts at the entrance.

So satisfied I wanted to sigh.

Braised pork belly must be served with white rice.

The fats and carbohydrates mingled in my mouth.

The two devoured the food, their mouths greasy with oil, and in the end, Song Xiangmei even mixed the soup at the bottom of the plate with rice and ate it all up.

They ate and drank their fill.

Song Xianglan ordered another serving of braised pork, another serving of lotus leaf buns, and six braised pork ribs.

"I'll take them all, pack them up!"

Song Xiangmei was so frightened that she dropped her chopsticks and quickly grabbed Song Xianglan's sleeve.

"Third Sister! Are you crazy? This meal costs us half a year's worth of food."

You can't enjoy happiness today and suffer tomorrow.

Song Xianglan said as she took out her money.

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a philosophical quality:

"Big sister, remember this. The more you save, the more worthless your life becomes."

Enjoying happiness today means enjoying happiness again tomorrow; the more you enjoy happiness, the more happiness you have.

If you're willing to endure hardship, there's no end to the suffering in this world waiting for you; you'll spend your whole life immersed in bitterness.

Song Xiangmei was stunned.

She reflected on the first half of her life.

They were indeed frugal, but life became increasingly difficult.

On the contrary, the third sister, ever since that incident, has become more successful and her life has become prosperous.

Song Xiangmei still felt sorry for him.

"But... but you can't do it like that."

Song Xianglan took the net bag lunchbox handed to her by the waiter. "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. If I don't have children and grandchildren, I'll enjoy my blessings. Having too many children and grandchildren won't bring me any blessings. In this life, let's take care of our own mouths first."

Several workers waiting to buy steamed buns near the cashier overheard this.

They couldn't help but laugh.

"This lady has a high level of awareness," someone said, giving a thumbs up.

Song Xiangmei remained silent.

Just holding that heavy lunchbox in my hand, the word "poor" that had been weighing on my mind seemed to crack open.

The two were carrying lunchboxes.

I went back to the old lady's house to retrieve the snakeskin bag I had left there.

Song Xianglan knew how to behave; she took out a handful of White Rabbit milk candies from her pocket and stuffed them into the mouth of the snotty-nosed grandson behind the old lady.

"Hey sister, give the child a sweet treat."

The old lady and her family were laughing so hard their eyes were practically closed.

"Oh dear, I can't accept this! You're such a considerate person! From now on, just leave your things here when you come; they won't get lost!"

I came out of my neighbor's house.

It was just a few steps away from Song Xianghe's house.

They haven't knocked yet.

Then I heard that high-pitched voice coming from inside.

It was like a thunderclap.

"What if those two poor relatives refuse to leave our house?"

Our family's food rations are rationed, and Xiao Bao is at the age where he's growing, so there's no extra to feed outsiders.

If you feel sorry for your poor sister, then give up your share of food.

Don't expect me to save money even a little.

Immediately following was the angry voice of the second sister, Song Xianghe:

"Qian Hong, how can you talk like that? Those are my eldest sister and third sister."

They came all this way, and you kicked them out before they even got a sip of water.

I have a pension, and I also earn money by pasting cardboard boxes on the street. Doesn't that money help with household expenses? Have I ever spent a single penny of your money?

Every year I go to the countryside, and every time I bring back two huge sacks of stuff.

"It's your duty to help support your family."

Qian Hong's voice grew louder, even tinged with smugness.

"I gave your Tang family a grandson. What a great achievement that is!"

Isn't it your duty to serve us? Now you're letting those two beggars come over for dinner, what if they scare Xiaobao? They reek of manure!

Song Xianglan stood at the door.

He gave a cold laugh.

"Clap clap clap!"

She didn't hold back and banged on the door loudly.

There was a moment of silence inside, then Xiao Hu's wife came and opened the door.

He said awkwardly:

"Mom, someone is looking for you."

"Auntie, Third Auntie." After saying that, she called her two sons and three daughters over to greet them.

The children greeted each other and then went back to their positions.

Song Xianghe was sitting on the sofa wiping away tears, while Tang's two sons were pretending to be dead inside the room.

She turned around and saw Song Xianglan standing at the door, carrying a snakeskin bag and looking radiant.

His expression changed several times.

She always reported good news to her sisters and never bad news, maintaining the dignity of a city dweller.

She also wanted Song Xianglan and her family to look up to her.

Today, Qian Hong has completely torn this fig leaf to shreds.

Song Xianghe was somewhat embarrassed.

Qian Hong saw that the two of them had returned.

He immediately sprang up from the chair, one hand on his hip.

"Aren't you done yet? Didn't you swear enough just now? You dare to come knocking on my door again?"

Song Xianglan ignored her.

He stepped directly across the threshold.

He slammed the lunchbox on the table with a dull thud.

"Second Sister." Song Xianglan glanced around the room, her gaze settling on Qian Hong's deathly pale face. Suddenly, she laughed. "Did your daughter-in-law sever ties with her son after giving birth to him? Or did she give the child to you for adoption?"

Qian Hong was taken aback.

"What are you saying, you old codger? Who severed ties with their son?"

Song Xianglan rolled up her sleeves, stepped forward, and slapped him across the face.

"You call me an old codger? Let's see if your teeth are strong enough."

"Congratulations, you guessed right. I did cut ties with Yang Jianjun, and I threw him out along with his bedding."

Tang Xiaojun: "..."

Tang Xiaohu: "..."

She looked up at Qian Hong with an expression as if she were watching a joke.

"Since you haven't severed ties with your mother-in-law, what's the point of you saying you 'gave birth to her grandson'?"

"The child was born under my second sister's name as the guardian?"

"You—" Qian Hong choked.

Song Xianglan continued slowly, "Since you gave birth to this child for your mother-in-law, then from now on, this child will only have a house and a tenant relationship with you."

You were just someone else living in your belly for a year.

"Once the baby is born, you should be out of there. After all, your mission is accomplished. Don't you think that makes sense?"

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Qian Hong was so angry that her face turned green.

"You...I am Xiaobao's biological mother."

"Since she is your biological mother, she is the son you gave birth to, the one who will take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days."

The child doesn't have my second sister's surname, Song.

How could you have the nerve to say that she was born to my second sister?

"My second sister still has to raise your son, give you awards, and even worship you and kowtow to you twice?"

"Or perhaps you've done something you're guilty of?"

Qian Hong's pupils contracted sharply, and she instinctively covered her face and took a step back.

That old hag.

...Does she know something?

Nobody saw it.