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

"It's only peaceful now that the beggar woman is gone. Aunt Hong is so kind; she made me new shoes."

Yan Lanlan smiled happily.

Yan Ergou: "Your mother is a jinx, she'd rather beg than have a good life. Lanlan, take this 50 cents and buy some fried dough twists at the supply and marketing cooperative, it's a reward from your dad."

"Thank you, Dad. I must have accumulated a lot of good karma in my past life to be your daughter. That old hag doesn't deserve to be in our family!"

A burst of laughter erupted inside the room.

There was also a woman's sweet, ingratiating voice.

Standing at the door, Nie Dahua was trembling with anger.

That was flesh that fell from Erhua's body.

The result is that we raised such an ungrateful wretch who can't distinguish right from wrong!

Nie Dahua raised her big foot, which was covered in thick soles, and kicked open the already loose wooden door.

The laughter inside the room stopped abruptly.

"Who's blind...?" Yan Lanlan jumped up, about to yell.

Nie Dahua rushed inside.

He pointed at Yan Lanlan's nose and started criticizing her:

"You heartless little beast. Your mother carried you for ten months and gave birth to you, she cherished you like the apple of her eye."

Now you'd even curse your own mother for five cents?

"Was the Yan family's ancestral grave buried in a den of beasts, giving birth to a litter of heartless wolves like you?"

Yan Ergou narrowed his eyes when he saw who it was.

"What are you doing running around in my house, you shrew? This is the Yan family home, it's none of your business to tell us what to do."

Nie Dahua started wailing at the top of her lungs:

"Erhua, my poor sister. You died such a tragic death."

That shout.

The howling left everyone in the room completely bewildered.

Nie Dahua howled as she stared at Yan Ergou, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Erhua appeared to me in a dream last night. She said she didn't run away, but was killed by you, Yan Ergou."

You beat him to death.

What are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty? Aren't you afraid of her vengeful spirit haunting you?

Yan Ergou's face turned pale instantly.

"You...you're talking nonsense! She ran away on her own!"

Nie Dahua waved her hand at Song Nan and Song Bei behind her, "Smash it! This is the property Erhua bought with her life-saving money. We can't take it with us, and we can't let these bastards get it!"

Song Nan and Song Bei, who had long been unable to contain themselves, descended like tigers from the mountain.

Song Nan grabbed a carrying pole from behind the door and swept it across the table full of bowls and chopsticks.

"Splash—"

Dishes and bowls were broken all over the floor.

The unfinished braised pork was placed on top of the widow's new shoes.

The widow screamed.

She covered her face and shrank into the corner.

Seeing the things in her house smashed, Yan Lanlan rushed over like a madwoman and tried to grab Song Nan's face.

"You bunch of bandits. This is my home!"

Song Bei didn't adhere to the rule of not hitting women, and slapped her across the face.

"Snapped!"

"Are you feeling any more awake?"

Song Bei spat, "If you're still not sober, I'll loosen your skin a bit more."

Yan Lanlan covered her face.

Now he was truly terrified, cowering beside the cabinet, not daring to utter a single word.

Seeing this, Yan Ergou grabbed a stool and prepared to fight.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

Song Bei threw down the carrying pole, rushed forward, and kicked Yan Ergou in the stomach.

Yan Ergou dropped the stool, which landed on his foot.

He screamed in pain.

Song Bei grabbed Yan Ergou by the collar and slapped him twice across the face. "Where did your bullying spirit go?"

The widow looked at the scene.

They had no time to care about Yan Ergou.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he slipped along the wall to the door and disappeared in a flash.

She didn't want to get involved in such messy affairs.

It's not worth getting beaten up.

Such a commotion had already alerted the neighbors.

The walls of the Yan family compound were not high, and a group of villagers gathered outside to watch the spectacle.

"Oh dear, why has the Nie family come knocking on our door?"

"Didn't you hear? Da Hua said that Yan Er Gou killed Er Hua."

"I knew Erhua was too soft-hearted. How could she possibly abandon her child and run off with someone else? It might really be..."

People pointed and whispered among themselves.

Yan Ergou was a mean-spirited person with extremely poor relations with his neighbors.

Now that the wall is crumbling, everyone is pushing it down, and surprisingly, not a single person came forward to break up the fight.

Yan Ergou, who lives next door, was about to come out with his rice bowl when his wife pulled him back inside.

Where are you going?

"My second son's house was vandalized, I'm going to check it out..."

The eldest sister-in-law slammed the door shut. "Yan Ergou is getting his just desserts! He still hasn't paid back the twenty catties of rice he borrowed from us last time. He's the kind of person who can kill his own wife. Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble if you go up to him?"

"Look at those two young men from the Nie family, their fists are like sandbags. You'd be nothing but easy prey if you went there."

Boss Yan shrank back.

He squatted back down by the stove and remained silent.

Yan Ergou collapsed to the ground, his face covered in snot and tears. He was no longer the arrogant man he had been just moments before; all he could do was whine and beg for mercy.

Nie Dahua didn't even look at him.

He rummaged through boxes and cabinets with practiced ease.

"This malted milk powder is good, take it."

"This bag of flour is also a refined grain. Erhua didn't get a single bite; it all benefited that wild woman. Take it with you!"

"Two more cans of food? Da Chao, pack them both!"

Nie Dahua emptied all of the Yan family's valuable food and drink into sacks, as if she were buying goods for her own home.

She remembered her aunt's words and straightened her back.

This isn't robbery; this is taking back Erhua's hard-earned money!

After a thorough search.

The Yan family didn't even have a complete rice bowl left.

Nie Dahua had several people carry the sacks, then turned back and spat as she reached the door:

"Yan Ergou, you just wait and see, this isn't over. If you dare to mess with another woman again, I'll break your other leg too!"

The group left in a grand procession.

Yan Ergou's family was left crying and wailing in the ruins.

Nie Dahua had her son, Zhuang Erchao, deliver the things directly back to Niejiazhuang to help her mother recover. She finally felt relieved after holding back her anger for so many years.

I used to think that once a daughter is married, she's no longer considered part of her family and shouldn't interfere in her parents' affairs.

After her aunt's explanation, she felt like her blood was boiling.

……

Time flies, and it's already December.

Song Xianglan was drying vegetables in the yard.

A person from the brigade headquarters came and said that Shen Huijun had called.

On the other end of the phone, Shen Huijun's voice was filled with undisguised joy:

"Mom. They all passed the exam. My brother, sister-in-law, and younger brother all passed the cutoff score."

Song Xianglan held the microphone, feeling a surge of emotion.

The Shen family truly has a deep-rooted foundation; millions of people are vying for a single spot, yet this family managed to get through it all.

"And you? Which school did you apply to?"

"Mom, I've made up my mind. I'm not going back to Haishi."

Shen Huijun said firmly, "I applied to Xincheng University, which is next to Qingyang and close to home. I've already received my acceptance letter."

Song Xianglan smiled:

"Great, the new town is great. The school there is beautiful, nestled against the mountains and facing the sea, and it's only a two-hour drive from home. When are you coming back?"

"I'll definitely go home for the Spring Festival. I'll go back with Xiangdong. School will start again in March."

I hung up the phone.

Song Xianglan was overjoyed.

With less than a month until the Spring Festival, things are getting busy at home.

She made a special trip to Liu Dahua's house.

Liu Dahua's wallet was bulging, and as a result, her voice became three times louder when she spoke in the village.

"Dahua, prepare extra fish balls and taro balls for me for the Lunar New Year."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of all your seafood. Ever since Haiyan finished her postpartum confinement, she sends the baby to her parents' house every day and then follows along with the seafood deliveries; you can't stop her."

Zhang Haiyan smiled and continued:

"That's because I want to earn more money. Aunt Song, I'll prepare some extra mantis shrimp for you this year."

"Haiyan still remembers that I love to eat mantis shrimp."

After giving her instructions, Song Xianglan turned and walked back.

The gate to their own yard opened.

Song Xianglan's heart skipped a beat, and she took a few quick steps.

In the courtyard, the three brothers, Song Qiang, Song Xiang, and Song Dong, were washing their faces around the well. They were all unshaven, with dark circles under their eyes, and their cotton-padded jackets were slicked back and shiny with oil, looking almost like they had just returned from fleeing famine.

"Third Aunt!"

Song Xiang, with his sharp eyes, spotted Song Xianglan immediately, threw the towel into the basin, and called out.

"Are you starving?"

Looking at her nephews, Song Xianglan felt a warmth in her heart.

"I'm starving. Xiangzi, light the stove." Song Dong chuckled.

Song Xianglan rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen.

Heat a large pot, sauté ginger slices in oil until fragrant, add a few pieces of washed pork ribs and stir-fry, then pour in a large ladle of water.

Once the soup turns whitish, add the clams that have already expelled all the sand and the diced blue crabs. Let it simmer for a while, and the sweet and fresh aroma will fill the kitchen.

Sprinkle in the thin noodles, stir gently with chopsticks, and finally push the dozen or so large prawns into the pot.

The shrimp shells turned red instantly, and the noodles soaked up the broth, making your mouth water just looking at them.

Song Xianglan then fried a few runny poached eggs in a small pot next to her.

Each person has a large bowl, topped with two golden poached eggs and buried with a thick layer of seafood.

"Eat!"

Song Dong and his brothers didn't stand on ceremony and started eating as soon as they picked up their bowls.

"Huffing and puffing—"

The only sounds in the kitchen were slurping and swallowing.

After drinking the hot soup, beads of sweat immediately rolled down his forehead.

Song Qiang drank the soup in one gulp.

He put down his bowl and let out a long burp.

"My third aunt's cooking is still the best."

Song Dong wiped the grease from his mouth, pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and greedily sniffed it under his nose, but didn't light it. He tucked the cigarette behind his ear, his eyes shining frighteningly, and patted the tattered canvas bag that he always carried with him.

"Third Aunt, close the door tightly. Let's check the accounts."