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

Song Xianglan worked quickly and efficiently, dividing the items into five portions.

"Erhua, here are your two portions." Song Xianglan pushed two piles of "big yellow croaker" and porcelain in front of Nie Erhua.

Nie Erhua shook her head vigorously, then pushed the porcelain and calligraphy back to the center, saying, "This thing is making it hard for me to breathe."

I'll keep this gold. So that whenever I see it in the future, it will remind me to dig up that bastard Yan Ergou's grave.

She was as stubborn as a mule.

Song Xianglan was at a loss, so she rolled her eyes.

He pulled out a large, blue-and-white porcelain vase from the pile of antiques and shoved it into Nie Erhua's arms.

"I don't want the calligraphy or paintings, but you have to keep this vase. You can use it to put flowers or as a chamber pot, it's up to you."

Nie Erhua was about to refuse when Song Xianglan glared at her.

"If you keep nagging, I'll slap you."

Nie Erhua clung to the bottle, refusing to let go.

After dividing the spoils.

Zhou Fang first found an old cotton quilt, rolled it up, and stuffed it into the hidden compartment under the bed.

Song Tingting looked at her own portion.

Then, looking at Song Xianglan's case, he was stumped:

"Mom, how are we going to take this back? Granny Yu is watching you all the time."

"Don't take them back," Song Xianglan decided immediately. "Leave them all here with Zhou."

"Godmother, why are you putting so many here?... "

Song Xianglan glanced at him, "There are too many people around my hometown, and besides..." She paused, not saying it outright.

That room contained her savings from before.

If we take this pile of gold bars back and someone finds it, it'll be like mud falling into our pants—even if it's not shit, it'll still look like shit.

"Dig a deep hole and bury it under your bed," Song Xianglan decided. "Keep Erhua's share here too, we won't need it for the next few years anyway."

The group busied themselves with other tasks.

After hiding the items thoroughly, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Song Xianglan drank a large glass of water before saying she was going home.

They left Zhou Fang's house.

A cold wind blew, and Song Xianglan felt as if her bones had become two ounces lighter.

"Zhou Fang, don't cook tonight. Bring Da Bao and Er Bao to my house for dinner," Song Xianglan called out. "Tingting, Erhua, let's go."

"Godmother, Yu Kun has been staying at my house for the past few days. Let him come with us."

"OK."

Song Xianglan returned home.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Shen Huijun sneaked out of the kitchen.

"Mom, there was another big show at Granny Yu's house just now." Shen Huijun's eyes gleamed with gossip. "Tang Xiuhe brought a bunch of her family over and they were arguing with Granny Yu at the gate. Their spittle was flying all over the wall."

Song Xianglan raised an eyebrow:

"What's the point of this whole thing?"

"Yu Xiujuan tearfully recounted that once a daughter is married, she is like water spilled from a cup. She said that Tang Xiuhe had forced her to the point that she could no longer even return to her parents' home."

Shen Huijun pursed her lips, "The villagers say that Tang Xiuhe, as the sister-in-law, is intolerant. I think it's all because of the old woman's favoritism."

Song Xianglan gave a cold laugh.

"There will be more trouble to come."

Shen Huijun hugged Song Xianglan's arm and rubbed her head against her mother-in-law's shoulder.

"Mom, thank goodness I have you. If I had a mother-in-law like Granny Yu and a sister-in-law like Yu Xiujuan, I wouldn't be able to live like this."

"Stop flattering me, go and stew the pig's trotters." Song Xianglan poked her daughter-in-law's forehead, but her eyes were full of smiles.

……

Yan Fangfang stayed here for two days.

These two days.

Nie Erhua didn't go anywhere; she just stayed with her daughter.

The mother and daughter squeezed into one quilt, sometimes whispering to each other all night before finally going to sleep.

Nie Erhua touched the old, centipede-like scar on Yan Fangfang's forehead, her hand trembling slightly: "Fangfang, Mom regrets it. Mom really regrets not having the guts to fight that beast Yan Ergou back then."

Yan Fangfang pressed her face against her mother's rough palm.

Her eyes welled up with tears: "Mom, if only I could have helped you back then..."

"Silly girl, how old were you back then? You helped me." Nie Erhua lifted Yan Fangfang's clothes and ran her fingertips along a coin-sized burn scar on her lower back.

"You took all the beatings for me. That time Yan Ergou tried to burn me with hot tongs, you rushed in to shield me."

"And the scar on your forehead is also evidence that you left for me."

Yan Fangfang didn't say anything.

He simply held Nie Erhua tightly.

"Mom, am I dreaming? You've really changed for the better?" Yan Fangfang's voice choked with emotion.

"All done, all done."

Nie Erhua's eyes were clear, and she gritted her teeth, "If anyone dares to bully us again, Mom will fight them to the death. Fangfang, how exactly does your man treat you?"

Yan Fangfang's eyes flickered, and she lowered her gaze.

"He... he's a quiet type, not good at saying nice things, but he's a very kind person."

Nie Erhua stared at her daughter for a while.

"Fangfang, remember what I'm saying," Nie Erhua whispered in her daughter's ear, "If you can't take it anymore, don't endure it. Run away quickly."

"Life is all about pride. Don't end up like your mother did, dying a pathetic death. And don't let yourselves be bullied."

Yan Fangfang's body stiffened.

He then nodded vigorously.

Early the next morning.

Yan Fangfang is going back to her husband's family home.

Song Xianglan got up early to get busy.

Five pounds of fatty pork, two pig's trotters, fried meatballs, braised pork with vinegar, fried oysters, and fried sweet potatoes. Two boxes of high-end biscuits, a rarity in those days, and two packs of White Rabbit milk candy.

There are also some dried mackerel, dried shrimp, dried razor clams, and female squid.

On top of that were two sets of cute pink cotton-padded jackets.

Nie Erhua insisted on giving her daughter twenty yuan, saying that she could ask her for help if she needed anything in the future.

Yan Fangfang accepted it.

She went to the room again while they were talking.

When they came out, Song Xianglan was loading things into the car.

"These are for my two little sisters." Song Xianglan stuffed the bags into the car. "Don't worry about them being heavy, take them with you."

Yan Fangfang's eyes welled up with tears, and she bowed deeply to Song Xianglan.

"Third Aunt, thank you. My mom... thank you for taking such good care of her."

"We're family, no need for formalities." Song Xianglan waved her hand. "Tingting, Yukun, you two take Fangfang home in your tricycle. Be careful on the way."

Liu Yukun readily agreed.

After watching the tricycle drive away, Nie Erhua went back to her room to make the bed.

Lifting the pillow, two brand-new "Big Unity" bills lay quietly there.

Nie Erhua was stunned.

He forced twenty yuan on Fangfang, hoping she would have some savings.

"This silly child..." Nie Erhua grabbed the twenty yuan, tears streaming down her face. "If I had been more assertive back then, Fangfang wouldn't be suffering like this now, and Lanlan might not have become that ungrateful wretch..."

Shen Huijun walked in and sighed:

"Second Sister Hua, some people's badness is something they were born with, it has nothing to do with whether they are taught or not. Lanlan inherited the Yan family's traits, and Fangfang inherited yours."

……

Liu Dahua's luck was off the charts this time when she went to sea.

They got a lot of good stuff.

In my own backyard.

Zhu Zi sneakily picked through the crabs in the basin, putting the fattest ones into another basket.

"What are you doing?"

Liu Dahua, carrying a fish-killing knife, appeared behind him at some point.

Zhu Zi's hand trembled, and he almost got pinched by a crab claw.

"Mom! Why are you walking so quietly? I... I was just thinking of taking these to my mother-in-law."

Haiyan's family is large, and her sister-in-law is a gossip. As her son-in-law, I need to help her more so that Haiyan's life will be easier.

Liu Dahua stared at her son.

Those eyes seemed to see right through you.

"Is it really for your mother-in-law?"

Zhu Zi's eyes darted around. "Then who else could I give it to? Mom, I wouldn't lie about something like this."

Liu Dahua gave a cold laugh.

She can tell what kind of poop this kid is just by the way he sticks his butt out.

"Fine." Liu Dahua slammed the knife down on the cutting board. "If we're going to give it as a gift, let's do it properly. Don't make the Liu family look stingy."

She pulled out a bright red grouper, several pounds of still-jumping mantis shrimp, and even two large, meaty bones, stuffing them all into Zhu Zi's basket.

"Take it."

Liu Dahua roared, "Send it to your mother-in-law. You must hand it to her personally. If I find out this thing has gone somewhere else, I'll break your legs."

Zhu Zi looked at the basket full of good stuff.

My heart is bleeding. If only I could give this to Grandma.

He'd already said it all, so even if he had the guts, he wouldn't dare to disobey. He could only leave with a bitter face, carrying his basket.

He sent his son away.

Liu Dahua also packed a basket of seafood and rode her bicycle straight to the commune.

When they arrived at Liu Yidao's house, Liu Dahua knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came Liu Yidao's muffled voice from inside.

As soon as the door opened, Liu Yidao, wearing a dirty apron, said, "Hey, Big Flower Girl. What brings you here?"

"Yesterday you told Tingting you that you had some seafood saved for her." Liu Dahua pushed the car into the yard, frowned and looked around. "Yidao, why is your yard such a mess? It's almost Chinese New Year, anyone who doesn't know better would think it's been burgled."

Liu Yidao blushed.

"Well... I've been busy these past few days and haven't had time to tidy up."

Liu Dahua put the seafood basket on the stone table, rolled up her sleeves, and went inside.

Upon entering the house...

Unwashed bowls were piled on the table, sunflower seed shells were scattered all over the floor, and a layer of dust had accumulated on the windowsill.

"My goodness, this is no place for a human to live!"

Without saying a word, Liu Dahua picked up a broom and started sweeping. "Yidao, go and kill that fish, and steam the crabs. Leave this house to me. If you don't clean it up, the God of Wealth will avoid your house next year."

Liu Yidao wanted to stop him but didn't dare to.

Finally, scratching his head, he had no choice but to obediently go and kill the fish.

It must be said that Liu Dahua is a very capable worker.

In less than two hours, the room was spotless, and even the dust in the cracks in the floor was picked out.

She went to the backyard and picked a few scallions to wash and prepare for steaming crabs later.

With a creak.

The courtyard gate was pushed open.

Chen Yuhuan walked in, carrying a basket and swaying her hips, with a deliberately affected smile on her face.

"Brother Yidao! Zhixin went beachcombing today and got some oysters. I specially fried some oyster pancakes for you. That kid is so filial; he insisted you try some..."

Before he could finish speaking...

She spotted Liu Dahua squatting by the well washing scallions.

Chen Yuhuan's smile froze instantly, and her gaze pierced Liu Dahua like a needle.

He then adopted a wary and sarcastic expression.

"Who are you? What are you doing in our house?"

Liu Dahua slowly turned around.

"Your home?" Liu Dahua looked at Chen Yuhuan with a half-smile. "How come I didn't know Liu Yidao had a mistress?"

Chen Yuhuan tightened the basket around her chest and raised her chin.

"Yidao is my son's godfather, so we're family. But you, running around in a bachelor's house during the New Year, have you no shame?"

Liu Dahua shook the water off her hands. "Trying to pass off a bunch of broken oysters as high-end goods? Do you really think no one can see through your cunning?"