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

"Great, that's great."

Brother Song stared at her, his eyes filled with expectation, "Will the government assign you a job?"

In their eyes, getting a job in a government agency is a secure, stable career.

That is the greatest blessing.

"It was assigned," Song Tingting answered affirmatively.

Upon hearing this...

Brother Song managed a slight smile on his sickly face.

He turned his head to look at his younger siblings in the room and let out a long sigh.

"Among the descendants of the Song family, Tingting and Xiangdong are the most successful." The eldest brother Song's tone was filled with obvious satisfaction. "Third sister, your life has been worthwhile. You've raised your children to adulthood, and now you can enjoy a comfortable retirement."

Song Xianglan almost burst into tears.

He quickly turned his head away and pretended to fiddle with the charcoal in the brazier.

"Brother, once you're feeling better, Tingting and I will take you to Beijing for a visit," Song Xianglan said.

宋

Sister-in-law Song came out of the kitchen carrying an empty bowl; her temples were almost completely white.

She placed the bowl on the edge of the table.

Tears streamed down her face.

"Your eldest brother didn't sleep a wink last night, he kept talking nonsense." Sister-in-law Song wiped her tears with her sleeve. "He said he heard his parents-in-law calling him from outside the door to come with him. He also said that his parents-in-law were riding a big yellow ox and stopped outside the courtyard wall."

No one in the room made a sound.

A deathly silence.

He shouted out the window that he couldn't leave now.

Sister-in-law Song burst into tears: "He said that the New Year is approaching and there are many messy things at home. He said he has discussed it with his parents and will go over there to take care of them after the New Year."

As Sister-in-law Song finished speaking, she slumped down on the stool.

She covered her face and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Why come to pick him up so early? Your older brother has suffered his whole life, and he's finally able to enjoy his retirement. Why can't we let him live a few more years? Why are we in such a hurry?"

Brother Song, lying on the recliner, opened his cloudy eyes and weakly turned his head.

"Don't cry, it's all fate."

Brother Song spoke calmly, showing no sign of fear.

"I've already made arrangements with Song Qiang. Once I'm gone, you'll live with him. Song Qiang has money now and can provide you with a stable life. Song Fei is a good kid too, but he's staying in Beijing where the winters are too cold, and you won't be used to it."

He rested for a while, catching his breath, and continued explaining:

"If you feel uncomfortable living with the second and third sons, Yuting is married in the county. You can live with Yuting."

The older sister-in-law cried even harder and shook her head repeatedly.

Brother Song laboriously raised his withered hand and pointed to Song Xianglan and Song Laosan standing to the side.

"Your sister-in-law has never enjoyed a single day of happiness since she married into our Song family."

Brother Song looked at his younger siblings' faces and said, slowly and deliberately:

"After I'm gone, you younger siblings must treat her well. I'm entrusting your sister-in-law to you. If your children are unfilial and give her a hard time in the future, you, as elders, must step in and take care of her. We can't let her have nowhere to eat when she's old."

Song Laosan nodded with red eyes.

"Why are you saying such discouraging things during the Lunar New Year?"

With his neck stiff and eyes red, Song Laosi rushed out of the main room like a gust of wind.

Song Xianglan watched the fourth brother's retreating figure without stopping him.

Everyone just thought he was having a tantrum and no one took it to heart.

When it was lunchtime, Song Laosi limped into the yard.

He was using a tree branch, as thick as a child's arm, as a walking stick.

The trouser legs were covered in mud.

Song Xianglan stood at the door with a bowl of rice in her hand:

"What happened to your leg? Where did you get into trouble?"

Old Song threw the branch on the ground and plopped down on a stool in the yard.

"I went to my parents' graves on the mountain." The fourth brother rubbed his knee. "I bought five yuan's worth of joss paper at the village store and went up the mountain alone to burn it."

Song Xianglan frowned:

Why did you go burn paper money?

The fourth brother said angrily, "I told my parents that I've always loved taking advantage of others. I'll never do that again. I'm begging them to leave my eldest brother here and not take him away."

Everyone, holding their bowls, was stunned.

The fourth brother became increasingly angry as he spoke:

"When those two old folks were alive, they only knew how to bully the older brother and sister. Good heavens, they're still bullying them even after they're dead."

I pointed at the grave and cursed, "Why don't you dare to provoke Third Sister?"

"If you think it's too deserted over there and need someone to serve you, I'm fine with going instead. As long as you don't take my older brother, either of us is fine."

Even the eldest sister-in-law inside the house forgot to cry.

She stared at him blankly.

The fourth brother pursed his lips: "But then I thought about it, and what I said earlier about having my third sister and me serve them doesn't count. I bought two large paper figures, burned them down specifically to serve them, and I guarantee they'll be served very comfortably."

"You're really something." Old Song shook his head.

"I also warned them."

The fourth brother raised his chin and said, "If they really take the eldest brother away, I won't burn a single piece of paper for them during Qingming Festival or Chinese New Year."

After cursing, the fourth brother patted his butt and went down the mountain.

As a result, he stepped into a ditch and fell in, almost breaking his leg.

Song Xianglan listened.

He was holding his rice bowl and laughing heartily.

"You deserve it!"

Song Xianglan mocked mercilessly, "You went and threatened a dead man, and he's already taken care of you right away."

Old Song rolled his eyes dramatically and muttered resentfully:

"Your parents have never been able to handle you. I bet they wouldn't dare to appear in your dreams."

"Besides, you've threatened Yang Dashan countless times and even turned his grave into a cesspool. I've never seen him dare to come looking for you."

"nonsense."

Song Xianglan snorted coldly:

"Of course they wouldn't dare come looking for me. They know how bad my temper is."

If I were to turn against them and do something disrespectful, it would damage my good karma, and they would be held responsible.

Even their parents wouldn't dare to confront this tough opponent.

The older brother just smiled, said nothing more, and closed his eyes to rest.

Everyone in the room fell silent.

Even the eldest sister-in-law stopped crying.

The fourth brother opened his mouth, but was completely speechless.

Song Xianglan, who has been arrogant and domineering since childhood, is still a tough nut to crack even at this age.

The fourth brother stirred things up.

The oppressive atmosphere in the room dissipated considerably.

……

The Lunar New Year is approaching.

One happy event after another occurred in Xiaoquan Village.

Liu Yukun and Sheng Ruzhi were on vacation and finally had time to rush back to Qingyang.

The two pushed open the courtyard gate and froze on the spot.

The yard was cleaned spotlessly.

Pushing open the door to the main room, you see a TV cabinet and a complete set of mahogany furniture arranged neatly and securely.

Entering the bedroom, the brand-new wardrobe exuded the fragrance of wood, the bed was covered with a bright red dragon and phoenix quilt, and even a bright red lacquered bucket for fertility was prepared in the corner.

The kitchen is fully equipped with pots, pans, and utensils.

Liu Yukun put his luggage on the ground, his face full of disbelief.

They originally planned to buy things gradually after getting married.

I didn't expect that it would be all set up like this.

Song Xianglan came over when she heard the commotion.

"Godmother," Liu Yukun stepped forward, "Did you do all this? I haven't even transferred the money for the furniture to you yet."

"Look around, where do you see a newlywed couple getting married with their house all empty? I'll take the lead and buy everything you need."

Sheng Ruzhi hugged Song Xianglan. "Aunt Song, thank you."

Her thanks went beyond just buying furniture and wedding supplies.

"We're all on the same side, no need for thanks."

Koizumi Village was in an uproar.

Two couples are to hold their wedding banquets on the same day.

This was the first time such a thing had ever happened in the surrounding area.

What's even more amazing is that Zhou Fang announced that villagers and neighbors could come and eat as they pleased, and neither family would accept a single penny of gifts.

The night before the wedding.

The courtyard of Song Xianglan's house was crowded with people, and the bright incandescent lights made the courtyard as bright as day.

Huang Ronghua and Wang Zhihe rushed back. The Song brothers, Song Qiang, Song Nan, Song Bei, and Song Fei, also sat around the square table.

Song Qiang leaned back in his rattan chair, a cigarette between his fingers.

His business has been thriving these past few years.

I've been all alone since my divorce.

Seeing his expression, Song Xianglan couldn't help but kick the leg of his chair.

"Song Qiang, I'm warning you."

Song Xianglan spoke sternly, "Now that your business has grown, don't go out and find some young woman to have children with. What did that blind fortune teller say about you back then? He said you were destined to have no sons. If you keep causing trouble, you'll squander all the good fortune you have now."

Song Qiang flicked his cigarette ash and gave a wry smile:

"Third Aunt, do you think I'm stupid? I stopped thinking about my son a long time ago. People say I'm destined to have seven phoenixes. I already have seven phoenixes. A person's fate really is predetermined."