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

The old Party Secretary didn't even lift his eyelids, his hands behind his back, just staring at Yang Jianjun.

"Secretary, you're also a member of the Yang family. By seniority, you should call this bastard Yang Dashan 'brother.'" The old secretary pointed his pipe at Yang Jianjun on the ground. "Tell me, shouldn't this son take his father back?"

Brigade Party Secretary Yang Guoqiang also looked gloomy.

But he is, after all, an official, and he can't ignore this matter.

He stepped forward and flicked Yang Jianjun on the forehead.

"What are you standing there for? Do I have to find you a sedan chair to carry you back? Get out of here now. Don't embarrass yourself by blocking the road; everyone will laugh at your family."

Yang Jianjun clutched his forehead, wincing in pain.

Chen Xiuqin refused, saying, "Let them laugh at me. Do you think I'm afraid of being laughed at?"

The Party Secretary glared at her.

Chen Huiqin wiped away her tears, "I can't live like this anymore."

The captain over there wasn't idle either.

His surname is Wang, so naturally he keeps an eye on the Wang family.

"Wang Cong, take your mother back." Wang Changgui said with a dark face, "And give Yang Jianjun thirty yuan, don't let your wife complain about being poor here."

Mei Fang, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, let out a howl and pounced on Wang Cong, grabbing his wrist.

"Why should we pay? Thirty dollars is enough for our family's living expenses for several months. Can you, as the father-in-law, still go back to running boats like before?"

Why should our family's money go to that guy surnamed Yang? He's not Wang Cong's biological father. His son is a high-ranking official; he can have as much money as he wants. Why would he care about our pittance?

Mei Fang's eyes were so wide they looked like they were about to pop out.

Spit flew everywhere.

"Yang Dashan is Wang Cong's stepfather," Chunxia added coolly, "just like your mother-in-law Zhang Mahua. You're allowed to have a stepmother-in-law, but Wang Cong isn't allowed to have a stepfather? You can't be so hypocritical."

Mei Fang was so angry that her chest heaved violently, and she pointed at Chunxia and cursed:

"You live by the sea, huh? Why are you meddling? This is a matter for the Wang family; what right do you, an outsider, have to interfere?"

Chunxia rolled her eyes: "Oh my, you're right, our Xiaoquan Brigade is by the sea, and I live right by the sea."

Mei Fang, you're so petty, you're always doing ungrateful things.

Zhang Mahua used to be so good to you, she even gave you her secret stash of money, and yet you turned around and stabbed her in the back.

I think even that heartless bastard has more conscience than you; at least wolves know how to repay kindness.

Yang Dashan got into trouble because he was with Zhang Yujuan, and even in death, she couldn't let go of him.

Zhang Mahua, who was hiding behind the haystack, heard everything clearly, and his triangular eyes instantly turned sinister.

He stared intently at Mei Fang's back, wishing he could bite off a piece of her flesh.

Seeing the situation was turning against her, Zhang Yujuan desperately shrank behind Wang Cong, the coughing and gurgling from her throat growing louder: "Cough cough cough... Cong... save Mom..."

Wang Cong felt his scalp tingle from the captain's glare and forcefully pried Mei Fang's hands off.

He tossed the thirty yuan to the brigade leader.

Yang Jianjun felt a little better after watching the thirty yuan go into the brigade accountant's hands for bookkeeping and then be handed over to him.

His eyes lingered greedily on Song Tingting.

"Tingting, you have to pay for this too." Yang Jianjun held out his hand matter-of-factly. "And Xiang Dong gets a share as well. He's a high-ranking official outside, so his share should be doubled."

Song Tingting sneered, took out a few ten-yuan bills from her pocket, but instead of handing them to Yang Jianjun, she held them in her hand and shook them.

"Song Xiangdong has nothing to do with my dad."

These words were spoken.

The entire room fell silent.

Song Tingting's clear voice carried far, "Song Xiangdong is the adopted son my parents brought home back then, and all the old people in the village know this."

However, Sister-in-law Huijun said that out of consideration for Xiangdong's more than ten years of calling him "Dad," she would give him twenty yuan to fulfill this nominal father-son relationship.

As for me, I'm a student with no income, so I shamelessly asked my mom for twenty yuan. That made forty yuan in total.

Upon hearing this, Yang Jianjun's eyes turned red.

"You're talking nonsense. Xiang Dong is clearly..."

"What is it?"

Song Tingting interrupted him directly, "Our dad made a lot of muddles when he was young. He only said Xiangdong was his biological son because he was afraid my mom would kill him. Look at him yourself, does Xiangdong look even a little bit like someone from the Yang family?"

The villagers immediately began to whisper among themselves.

Upon closer reflection, Song Xiangdong was tall, handsome, and a man of exceptional talent.

Yang Dashan was handsome when he was young, but he was too effeminate.

Uncle Yang paused for a moment, then puffed on his pipe.

"Tingting, before your father went to the labor camp, he insisted that it was his child."

"Uncle, you're confused."

Song Tingting sighed, looking helplessly like she couldn't wash her dirty linen in public. "If my own daughter can be left to suffer, then even if Xiang Dong is really his son, I wouldn't let him change his surname just to carry on the family line."

He told that huge lie because he was afraid my mother would kill him if she couldn't find her biological son.

That's the logic.

Something just doesn't feel right.

Song Xianglan, seizing the opportune moment, added insult to injury, rushing forward to scratch Zhang Yujuan while shouting:

"Zhang Yujuan, you're inhuman! You'd have taken my own son! Luckily, Xiangdong is a promising young man... Waaah, where is my son?"

This commotion left everyone confused.

Some people muttered, "Wasn't it supposed to be a swap between Song Xiangdong and Yang Jianjun? Could there be some kind of love triangle involved?"

It's such a mess.

Zhang Yujuan was terrified.

She had no idea whether Song Xiangdong was her biological son or not; all she knew was that Song Xianglan was about to kill someone.

"It's none of my business! Cough cough... That was Yang Dashan's doing... I didn't touch it... Cong, take Mom away quickly." Zhang Yujuan coughed as she burrowed into Wang Cong's arms, her withered, claw-like hands gripping her son's collar tightly.

She looked at Yang Jianjun in despair.

Yang Jianjun clutched the thirty yuan he had just received, his eyes blazing with murderous intent towards Zhang Yujuan.

If this woman hadn't shamelessly seduced Yang Dashan after switching the child, Yang Jianjun would still be living in a two-story villa, enjoying a life of luxury, instead of ending up in this predicament.

"...Jianjun..." Zhang Yujuan's voice was shrill and piercing, "I'm your mother..."

"Pah! Damn it!"

"I don't have a shameless mother like you. You old slut, you ruined my whole family and you still dare to come and claim kinship with me."

Yang Jianjun roared, "Get out of here with this pile of garbage!"

Wang Dahai, who had been silent all along, finally turned his face to the side.

He had been observing Zhang Yujuan.

The image of the alluring woman in his memory, the one who haunted his dreams, was shattered completely.

The old woman in front of him, who smelled terrible, had a wrinkled face, and had hair like dry straw, made him feel physically nauseous.

When beauty fades, who would want to be a sucker?

Wang Dahai turned and left with a dark expression.

As soon as Wang Cong saw his father leave, he grabbed Zhang Yujuan's arm and pulled her back.

Mei Fang followed behind, cursing filthy things, "What kind of filthy thing dares to think it can be our Wang family's ancestor? When we get home, I'll build you a shack. Don't even think about entering the main house. It's disgusting."

"Cong, you've been in poor health since you were little, I..." Zhang Yujuan was about to recount how she had awakened Wang Cong's filial piety back then.

"Mom, just shut up already," Wang Cong said impatiently. "You're already at an age where water and electricity are cut off, how can you still be so dependent on men? How are Rongbao and I supposed to face people in the village now? You've made us lose all face."

Zhang Yujuan was completely heartbroken.

She couldn't survive in that harsh, cold Northwest, so she risked her life to come back, thinking she could finally enjoy a better life.

She had nowhere to stay in her hometown either.

The old Party Secretary was a very insightful person.

He understood what Song Tingting had just said.

This is to completely remove Song Xiangdong from the picture and protect the child's future.

The old Party Secretary walked up to Song Xianglan and offered words of comfort:

"Xianglan, since this child isn't from the Yang family, we need to get things straight. Raising a child is a debt of gratitude, and once this money is paid, we'll be even."

After saying that, he looked at the fifty yuan in Song Tingting's hand.

Song Tingting didn't give the money to Yang Jianjun, but instead stuffed it directly into Yang's uncle's hand.

"Uncle, here's the money. I'm afraid if Jianjun gives it to him, he'll just give it to Chen Xiuqin and take it back to her parents' home. I'd appreciate it if you and my uncles could help keep an eye on his funeral arrangements."

I only have one request: let him pass away peacefully and stop tormenting the living.

He did so many bad things in his life, so keep the funeral as simple as possible. Use the remaining money to buy cigarettes for your uncles and aunts.

Uncle Yang held the thick wad of money in his hand.

Their eyes lit up.

How much does a thin-skinned coffin cost?

Keeping things simple, let Yang Jianjun procure a thin-skinned coffin.

What's left is all their hard-earned money.

"Tingting, you can trust your uncle to handle things." Uncle Yang stuffed the money into his pocket, immediately changed his expression, and turned to shout at his brothers, "What are you all standing there for? Don't let Dashan suffer here."

Yang Jianjun watched as the money went into his uncle's pocket.

He was so angry his face turned green: "That's my money, I'm the eldest son."

The Yang family's sisters-in-law, who had been watching the commotion, immediately perked up when they saw their husbands take the money, and rolled up their sleeves to help.

"Take it away, take it away. Don't delay the time."

Uncle Yang directed his nephews to lift Yang Dashan off the ground like a dead pig.

"Ouch, be gentle! This meat is all rotten."

Yang Dashan was lifted up and left suspended in mid-air, his head drooping limply.

He's still alive.

But he couldn't shout it out.

The excruciating physical pain had numbed him, but the despair in his heart overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

He heard those people say that Song Xiangdong was not his son but Song Xianglan's adopted son, even though Song Xiangdong was clearly his most promising son.

He wanted to go back to the home where Song Xianglan was.

That house was bright and clean, with hot meals served.

No one paid attention to his gaze, nor did anyone notice the faint "hoarse" sound coming from his throat.

Several strong men from the Yang family carried him.

I jogged all the way to Yang Jianjun's dilapidated courtyard at the west end of the village.

"Hurry up. Throw him at Jianjun's house before he dies, otherwise we'll have to call his soul back on the way." Uncle Yang urged.

Yang Dashan closed his eyes in despair, a murky tear sliding down his cheek and mixing with the rotting flesh on his face.

He was still breathing, but they were already thinking about how to bury him.

Not only will he not change his name to Yang Xiangdong, but his name will not even appear on his tombstone.