Chapter 6: Gossip

"I think what Kaiyue said is right. What, you've already gotten the certificate, and you can't even host a banquet?"

Su Xingye and Liu Suqin were sitting next to each other. Hearing Su Xiayang's words, Su Xingye was dissatisfied. "Brother, we are both remarrying; why be so ostentatious? He's bringing his children, so let's just have a meal as a family."

Liu Suqin also wanted to host a banquet. Back when her sister was pregnant and married Zhou Renqiang, she married without proper ceremony—no banquet, not even wedding candies.

However, she thought more practically. Looking at the melon seeds and candy Shen Kaiyue brought, she echoed Su Xingye's words. "I think we should listen to Xiao Xing. Let's just have a meal and save the money for the children."

A banquet was a huge expense. Even though Kaiyue had a state job and a stipend, there were four children now. The money would be better spent on food for them.

Su Xiayang shook his head. "I already discussed this with Kaiyue. You are leaving the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, we will invite our Second Uncle's family and the Auntie Three next door. Kaiyue will invite a few of his clan relatives, and we'll go to the state-run restaurant in town for a meal. Not many—two tables—just to make it official."

Since he put it that way, Liu Suqin had no objection. After all, it was a marriage. The two families' close acquaintances should meet and share a meal, and eating at the state-run restaurant was respectable.

She decided she would secretly give Xiao Xing some extra money as a subsidy.

Su Xingye saw that her sister-in-law was no longer on her side and knew she couldn't change the decision. She was puzzled. "Brother, just two days ago you were giving Shen Kaiyue the cold shoulder, treating the marriage as optional. How come you two are now as close as brothers?"

She knew Shen Kaiyue must have made some promise. "Brother, was that document Shen Kaiyue gave you some kind of guarantee? What did it say? Let me see it."

Su Xiayang ignored her. "That's for me. Why would you look at it? Go, go, go. Go to bed early. I need to talk to your sister-in-law."

If he won't let me see it, fine. Su Xingye yawned. It had been an exhausting day with getting the certificate and buying clothes. Since he wouldn't show her, she decided to sleep.

Seeing her turn and enter the inner room, Su Xiayang led his wife back to their room. "Winter is fast approaching, and Kaiyue said it will snow soon where he is. Did you finish Xiao Xing's cotton padded jacket?"

Liu Suqin nodded. "Almost. It should be done tomorrow. Time is too short. I couldn't make the children's. I only cut out the lining pieces. She'll have to take the old ones and make the new ones when she gets there."

Su Xiayang nodded. "The children's clothes can be bought or made; it's up to them. I need to discuss something with you."

Liu Suqin laid out the bedding. "What is it?"

Su Xiayang pondered for a moment. "Well, Kaiyue gave us two hundred yuan as a bride price. I was thinking we shouldn't keep this money. Let's give it all to Xiao Xing to take with her."

Liu Suqin smiled. "What is there to discuss? I'm not that small-minded. We won't keep this money."

She voiced her thoughts. "I estimate Kaiyue doesn't have much money left. Over the years, his first wife was sick, and he had his elderly mother and children at home. Whatever money he earned, he surely didn't keep much; he sent it all back. These past few days, he's been treating the children to meals and buying clothes for the four kids and Xiao Xing. He probably doesn't have much left in hand."

"He has four children to raise. That place isn't like ours. At least we have land and don't worry about food, but there, everything costs money. We should let her take it all."

She brought up what she had been considering earlier. "If we eat at the state-run restaurant tomorrow, it'll be respectable, but the cost will be high. My thought is, instead of making furniture for Xiao Xing, let's give her some money. That way, she can buy whatever she needs when she gets there."

Su Xiayang looked deeply at her and suddenly sighed.

Liu Suqin propped herself up. "What's wrong?"

Su Xiayang held his wife's hand. "Nothing. I was just thinking how lucky I am to have married such a good wife."

Liu Suqin's face flushed, and she playfully chastised him. "Stop that."

Su Xiayang rubbed her hand. "I'm serious. From the first time I saw you when you were eighteen, I felt you were the one for me. I wanted to marry you and give you a good life. You married me when you were nineteen. We've been married fifteen or sixteen years, but you haven't enjoyed much comfort; you've only suffered with me."

Liu Suqin disagreed with this. "What suffering? Of my five siblings, who doesn't say I'm blessed? When your parents were alive, they treated me like their own daughter. And you, too—you've never raised your voice at me and you're good to the children. The first few years were tough, but these past few years, the land is in our hands, and you're a skilled farmer. Our life is getting better and better. I'm content."

Su Xiayang looked at the fine lines around his wife's eyes. "You're content, but I'm not. I have to give you a better life in the future."

Liu Suqin smiled. "Then I'll look forward to it."

The couple exchanged smiles. Liu Suqin's gaze met her husband's, and her face turned slightly pink as she looked away. "I was thinking, we should give Xiao Xing an extra fifty yuan, so she has some money to rely on."

Getting back to business, Su Xiayang cleared his throat. "No need. Thirty yuan is enough. Xiao Xing is sensible now, and she knows we don't have much money. Daya is fifteen; she'll be looking for a husband soon, and we need to save some money for her too. Let's give thirty yuan for now, and we'll send more later when we earn more."

Su Xingye had no idea she was about to receive a large sum of money. She had never worried about money; the most important factor she considered when choosing to live with Shen Kaiyue was his economic stability.

The next morning, she woke up and started to get ready.

The original host looked exactly like her in her past life. To put it bluntly, her looks were high-quality. With just a little dressing up, she would be stunning.

Indeed, the two brothers, Zhou Xiaoyang and Zhou Xiaoliu, who got up shortly after, couldn't stop staring at her.

The older brother just watched silently, but the younger brother had already forgotten the hardships when Zhou Renqiang was around. In just a few days, he had developed the normal dependence a child should have on Su Xingye. "Mom, you're so pretty."

Su Xingye was wearing a red woolen coat that Shen Kaiyue had bought, which made her slightly pale complexion look much better. She was naturally fair-skinned, and with a little lipstick, her whole person brightened up.

She smiled, tying her hair into a simple, high ponytail, and smiled at her little brother. "Xiaoliu knows what 'pretty' is?"

Zhou Xiaoliu nodded seriously. "Yes. Yueyue is pretty too."

He really liked little sister Yueyue, even though she never spoke to him.

Su Xingye took his hand, adjusted his collar, and praised him. "Our Xiaoliu is a handsome child too."

She turned to tease Zhou Xiaoyang, who was standing silently. "Brother, tell me, is Mom pretty today?"

Zhou Xiaoyang averted his gaze, turning his head outward, feigning composure. "Pretty."

"Xiaoyang sounds so reluctant. Is he just comforting me? Maybe I should change back. I don't think this is pretty either." Su Xingye pretended to look in the mirror and made a move toward the room.

"Mom is pretty! Don't change!" Zhou Xiaoyang was instantly startled, hurriedly grabbing the hem of her coat.

Su Xingye smiled silently. Now he acts like a child.

She squatted down and hugged this premature child, who had matured early due to too much violence. She whispered to him, "Mom is very happy that Xiaoyang praised me. In the future, Mom will make you and your brother happy too."

Her palm gently stroked Zhou Xiaoyang's back, feeling his protruding shoulder blades, and she felt a pang of heartache.

Zhou Xiaoyang's tense body slowly relaxed. He allowed himself to lean against his mother's chest, lost in thought.

Mom's hug is so warm.

Zhou Xiaoliu suddenly rushed over. "I want a hug too!"

Zhou Xiaoyang looked at his happy little brother and his smiling mother, feeling that something had changed.

Mom was getting better and better, and he had a father just like in his dreams.

Someone who could fight bad guys, take him for good food, and buy him new clothes.

A smile touched his lips, and following Su Xingye's gesture, he leaned into his mother's embrace.

The banquet was arranged through consultation between Shen Kaiyue and Su Xiayang. Both sides invited their close acquaintances, and the atmosphere was naturally cordial, with compliments flying back and forth.

"When you two stand together, how do you say it—a match made in heaven? Yes, a match made in heaven. You're truly well-matched. Our Kaiyue is handsome, and your Xiao Xing is also a beauty. A perfect match, a perfect match."

"Exactly. When Sister Shen passed away, I worried about what Kaiyue would do, but he quietly found such a beautiful wife. Looking at this, Kaiyue is truly blessed."

"We're family, so let's speak plainly. Our Xiao Xing is also blessed. Kaiyue is a soldier, he earns a stipend, and most importantly, his wife and children won't suffer."

The relatives and friends of both families sat together, exchanging kind words one after the other.

But no one knew or spoke of their true inner thoughts.

However, children are often unrestrained.

Shen Dayang looked at Shen Jiabao's beautiful new clothes and then at his own patched trousers. He nudged Shen Jiabao. "Jiabao, you should cherish your new clothes, because you won't be wearing them again."

He was about ten years old. Since they didn't usually play together, Shen Jiabao didn't look kindly at him. Shen Jiabao folded his arms. "That's not true! My grandma said my dad has money and he'll buy me anything I want. I have several other sets of new clothes at home."

Shen Dayang looked at Zhou Xiaoyang and Zhou Xiaoliu, who were playing with Shen Yueyue in the distance, and whispered to him, "That was before. Before, your dad's money was all yours, but it isn't anymore. You have a stepmother now, and the money belongs to the stepmother. Look, your stepmother used your money to buy new clothes for her son."

Shen Jiabao followed his gaze and paused. He didn't understand what a "stepmother" was, but he shook his head blankly. "No, no. Auntie is very nice to me. She..."

Shen Dayang slapped him lightly. "What 'no'? She's nice to you now because your dad hasn't given her his money yet. Wait and see later. My mom said, 'With a stepmother comes a stepfather.' In the future, your stepmother will definitely beat you every day, and your dad definitely won't love you; he'll only love your stepmother's son. You won't have new clothes anymore."

"You're talking nonsense!" Shen Jiabao's small face turned red, and he clenched his tiny fists.

Shen Dayang snickered. "How am I talking nonsense? You're not your stepmother's real son. If she has good food and clothes, she'll definitely give it all to her own son. Who are you to her?"

Shen Jiabao kicked a stone away. "I'll go ask my dad!"

Shen Dayang quickly grabbed his little body, which was about to rush out like a cannonball. "Why are you rushing? I'm your brother, and I'm looking out for you! I'll teach you a way to definitely put a stop to her."

"Really? To stop my dad from becoming a 'stepfather'?"

"Of course, it's real."

"Then tell me."