Free Web NovelChapter 110: Chapter 110: Even a Small Mountain Village Has Social Politics
"Honestly, am I the kind of guy who would live off a woman?"
Jiang Xinghai stood rooted to the spot, feeling wronged, hurt, and utterly speechless.
He looked so genuinely distraught that both Shen Lingxue and Su Yanyun actually fell for it.
"Xinghai, Lingxue’s just joking. Don’t take it to heart," Su Yanyun said, trying to smooth things over.
"Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t you planning on mooching off the Du Family just a few days ago?" Shen Lingxue just had to twist the knife.
Jiang Xinghai looked even more aggrieved. "But didn’t I turn them down?"
"If that’s the case, why are you hiding from Boss Cai? An innocent man has nothing to fear. If you haven’t done anything wrong, you should be able to face her without any problem. Why are you avoiding her?" Shen Lingxue was relentless, clearly not about to drop the subject.
Suddenly, Jiang Xinghai smiled. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
He knew Shen Lingxue cared a lot about him.
Otherwise, she never would have said something like that.
"What are you smirking about?" Su Yanyun asked, shaking Jiang Xinghai’s shoulder. freeweɓnøvel.com
Shen Lingxue was confused too. ’What on earth is this guy up to?’
"I think Lingxue has a point. If I let a woman support me, I could skip decades of hard work. Why wouldn’t I?"
Jiang Xinghai’s smile grew even brighter. "It was my fault for being too old-fashioned before. Thinking about it now, it’s a very practical idea. I’ve decided..."
"What have you decided?"
Shen Lingxue suddenly took a step forward. "You’re not really going to let Boss Cai take care of you for the rest of your life, are you?"
"I think it’s a great suggestion," Jiang Xinghai said, scratching his head.
"I was just..." Shen Lingxue started to say, but then stopped herself and clamped her mouth shut.
’If I keep this up, I’ll seem way too...’
"Xinghai, if you really want to be a kept man—oh no, I mean, if you want to marry into a family—there are two gorgeous women right here you could choose from. We’re both your age and easy to get along with. Why are you so set on Boss Cai?" Su Yanyun also took a step forward.
Inside, Jiang Xinghai wanted to burst out laughing, but he couldn’t let it show. He put on a profound expression and nodded. "You’re right. How could I be so blind to the blessings right in front of me? I have two heavenly beauties right here... right, Lingxue?"
After he said that, Shen Lingxue turned slightly, a small smile appearing on her face.
Su Yanyun, on the other hand, looked sour.
...
Sixty kilometers north of Jizhou, a beautiful village sat nestled at the foot of a large mountain.
Su Family Stockade.
This was the small village where Su Yanyun was born and raised.
As the saying goes, those by the mountain live off the mountain, and those by the water live off the water.
Su Family Stockade was backed by the mountains with a clear lake before it, but the area had never been properly developed and remained desolate to this day.
As a result, most of the young and able-bodied people from Su Family Stockade had left to find work elsewhere, leaving the village mostly populated by the elderly, the infirm, and "left-behind" children.
Most of the buildings in the village were blue-brick-and-tile houses, rebuilt in the 1980s and 90s.
But at the eastern end of the village, a two-and-a-half-story house rose up from the ground.
It was quite conspicuous.
This house was the home of Su Yanyun’s cousin, Su Yanmei.
"I heard Yanmei’s boyfriend is here. We brought some free-range eggs."
"Old Su, we don’t have much to offer, but please take this hen. We’ve raised her for three years, go ahead and slaughter her."
"Brother Su, I caught a soft-shelled turtle from the lake."
"..."
Wave after wave of neighbors, upon learning that Su Yanmei had brought her boyfriend home, came bearing gifts to mark the occasion.
The Su family lived in the village’s first modern-style house.
Besides, word had long since spread through the village that Su Yanmei had become very successful, running a big business in Jizhou.
"My dear brothers, old and young, you’re all far too kind! Please, come in and have a seat." Su Maosen, dressed in the new clothes his daughter had just bought him, held a soft-pack of premium cigarettes and enthusiastically greeted his guests.
With such a successful daughter, he, as her father, was beaming so widely that his wrinkles smoothed out.
"Are Yanmei and her boyfriend not home?"
"Yeah, where are they?"
Everyone wanted to meet them in person, hoping to ask Su Yanmei to find a good, well-paying job for their children.
"They went hiking in the mountains. You’ll definitely see them before dinner," Su Maosen explained with a smile.
"Alright then, we’ll come back later. We have to at least say hello to my dear niece."
As some people left, others continued to arrive, gifts in hand.
Su Maosen’s house was a joyous hub of activity, with people constantly coming and going.
Meanwhile, in an old house just behind his, the atmosphere was deathly still.
A couple in their sixties sat in their courtyard, their faces etched with melancholy, listening to the hustle and bustle from Su Maosen’s home just in front.
This was Su Yanyun’s home.
"Wife, our niece is back. The neighbors have all brought gifts. What should we give?" Su Maolin asked, taking a desolate drag from his cigarette.
"Didn’t you see the sour look on Su Yanmei’s face? She saw us and pretended not to recognize us. We’re her own aunt and uncle! We’re not giving her anything!" Su Maolin’s wife, Wang Feng, said resentfully.
"We haven’t seen her in years. It’s only normal that she didn’t recognize us. No need to be so petty," Su Maolin sighed.
Wang Feng retorted irritably, "Years? It’s been less than three years and she already doesn’t recognize us! I’m telling you, she did it on purpose. Ever since our daughter disappeared..."
