Free Web NovelChapter 114: Chapter 114: Have a Listen
Cao Qiu hadn’t been there that night, so she didn’t believe Gu’er would actually hit her. Besides, she was Jia Ming’s mother. ’Since Gu’er wants to marry my son, she wouldn’t dare lay a hand on me,’ she thought. So, she prepared to lunge forward and start a fight.
But Sun Zhuzi pulled her back. Cao Qiu glared at him.
"L-Let’s just go outside for now. Let Mom rest a bit."
Sun Zhuzi, long cowed by his wife’s tyrannical presence, had trouble speaking clearly. But he could see that his mother was not in good shape, which was the only reason he’d stopped his wife.
"Look at you, so pathetic."
Cao Qiu cursed at him but left the room anyway, joining Sun Zhuzi in the main house. Her mind was made up this time. It wouldn’t matter even if Jia Ming came back. If all else failed, she would just throw a fit—and keep throwing fits until her son followed her to the city. She refused to believe she couldn’t make him leave.
Seeing the two of them go, Gu’er quickly put down the stick and hurried over to Grandma Sun.
"Grandma, Grandma, are you alright?"
Gu’er called out worriedly.
Grandma Sun shook her head but couldn’t get a single word out.
Gu’er looked closely at Grandma Sun. Her complexion was pale, likely from anger, but she hadn’t fainted. This showed that Grandma Sun had some resistance to her daughter-in-law. It also showed just how heartbroken she was by her.
"Help me sit up."
Grandma Sun felt completely drained of strength. Just a few days ago, she could sit up by herself, but now her body felt weak and limp. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Gu’er gently helped Grandma Sun up, then slowly rubbed her back to soothe her breathing.
"Ah, Gu, I’m sorry you had to see that."
Grandma Sun tried to smile but couldn’t. Instead, she closed her eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Grandma, what are you saying? How could I laugh at you? You never laughed at me when I was in such a state."
Gu’er’s heart ached. In that moment, she felt a sad kinship with Grandma Sun, as if they were fellow sufferers.
"It’s not that I don’t want Jia Ming to go to the city. I know this old body of mine is holding him back. I’ve thought about it before. I’ve lived for so long; one day more or less doesn’t matter. If it were really for Jia Ming’s good, what would it matter if I gave up this old life of mine? But... but you saw her. You saw what Cao Qiu is like. If she finds Jia Ming a wife just like her, what will become of him for the rest of his life? He’s the only filial grandson I have. I don’t want him to follow Cao Qiu. I just... I really..."
Grandma Sun couldn’t go on. She took out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. freeweɓnovel.cøm
Gu’er knew that no one would air their family’s dirty laundry to an outsider if they could help it. An outsider might listen and offer sympathy, or they might secretly laugh. But afterward, you still had to live your own life; an outsider couldn’t help you one bit.
Grandma Sun was just so terribly stifled. She had no one to talk to, and after what Gu’er had just witnessed, it was only natural for her to confide in her.
"Grandma, please don’t say things like that. They say an elder in the home is a treasure. Having an elder around gives the family a backbone. Don’t let your mind wander. Let’s wait for Brother Jia Ming to come back. I’m sure he won’t abandon you. Please don’t think about such nonsense. You have a long life ahead of you! You’ll live to be a hundred."
Gu’er tried to console Grandma Sun, worried she would get overwhelmed by this and do something foolish.
Grandma Sun gently patted Gu’er’s hand. ’It would be so nice if she were my granddaughter,’ she thought. ’But having her as my grandson’s wife would be great, too.’
’Cao Qiu said she found someone for Jia Ming in the city. What kind of good person could Cao Qiu possibly find? Look at the wife the eldest son married. Didn’t Cao Qiu push for that match too? And what’s the result? They’re fighting every other day. I hear their eldest daughter-in-law has tried to kick them out several times already. It’s only because Cao Qiu is so shameless that she insists on staying there.’
’And now she wants to control Jia Ming’s marriage? No way! As long as I’m alive, she can forget about it.’
’But Cao Qiu is Jia Ming’s mother, and I’m paralyzed in bed. I just don’t have the energy to fight with her. How can I help my grandson?’
’I’m sure my grandson will refuse to go to the city when he gets back, but if Cao Qiu makes a scene, it’ll be ugly.’
’Besides, if Cao Qiu decides to stay here and lock horns with Jia Ming, throwing a fit every day for the whole village to see, that won’t solve anything either.’
’How can I resolve this once and for all?’
Grandma Sun thought hard.
"Gu’er, go and listen. See what those two are talking about."
Grandma Sun pointed to the door, telling Gu’er to eavesdrop.
Gu’er nodded and tiptoed to the doorway. She also wanted to know what Sun Jiaming’s parents were saying.
"Qiu... I think... I think maybe we should just forget it. Mom really can’t be left alone here. I think... I think..."
Sun Zhuzi’s words came out in a stammer, but from the sound of his voice, it was clear he couldn’t bear to abandon his own mother in the village.
"Think what! Think, my ass! Let me tell you something, Sun Zhuzi, if you dare change your mind, I’ll take Jia Ming to the city myself. You can stay here and serve your mother. After she’s gone, don’t even think about coming to find us. You can live all by yourself."
Cao Qiu immediately started cursing in a low voice.
"But we can’t just leave Mom here all alone. If people in the village say we’re heartless, how could we ever show our faces here again?"
Sun Zhuzi had gotten used to listening to Cao Qiu over the years. He was accustomed to her making all the decisions and had long since lost his own backbone.
"Say what? Who would dare! Besides, we’ll all be living in the city from now on. Who do you think would want to come back to this dump of a village? Let them talk if they want to. It’s no skin off our backs. If we make it big in the future and come back, they’ll have no choice but to suck up to us. If anyone dares to run their mouth, you just treat it like a fart. If you dare to contradict me this time, don’t blame me for what I do to you. You won’t see your son or your granddaughter again. I’ll leave you with no one."
Cao Qiu showed no respect for her husband. For years, she had him wrapped around her finger, and she was used to being domineering.
Sun Zhuzi took a couple of sharp puffs from his cigarette. He had no real skills of his own; for years, he had relied on Cao Qiu to manage everything. Sometimes he felt she was in the wrong, but he could never win an argument with her, so he always ended up listening to her. This time, Cao Qiu had spent the whole day "working on him," insisting he listen to her. He felt she wasn’t entirely wrong, so he had let her do as she pleased.
Seeing how heartbroken his mother was just now, he couldn’t bear it. But Cao Qiu had said if he didn’t listen to her, he would have to stay behind to take care of his mother, and he wouldn’t be able to go back to the city or see his son and granddaughter. He didn’t want that. So, he could only choose to abandon his mother.
’I don’t know how Mom will manage in the future,’ he thought with a sigh. ’Well, I’ll just have to come back and visit more often. I’ll talk to Sister-in-law Zhao and hope she treats Mom a little better.’
Sun Zhuzi thought this to himself, never once considering what kind of logic it was to have someone else take care of his own mother.
Gu’er was both heartbroken and furious as she listened. How could Grandma Sun have raised a son like that?
’But then again, I raised a daughter like that too.’
When children weren’t filial, the elderly were truly pitiful.
Her heart heavy, Gu’er turned and walked back to the edge of the kang bed.
