"Auntie, I… well… I saw Su Yun come back carrying a big bundle of something, so I wanted to help her. Since you're back, I'll go home and cook…"
With that, He Hua turned and ran back to her own house.
Chen Xiue shook her head at He Hua's retreating figure and then turned to Su Yun. "That girl never tells the truth. She's been at odds with you since childhood—how could she possibly come to help you on her own? And just now, she was lurking at our kitchen door all sneaky. She didn't look like she was here to help; she looked guilty, like a thief."
"Forget her. I'll start cooking. Xiao Yun, you've worked all day, you must be tired. I'll make dinner tonight."
Since Su Yun had something on her mind, she didn't argue.
It was the usual dinner hour in the courtyard, and the noise from each household cooking filled the air.
Su Yun walked to the east side room where Su Baoguo lived and knocked on the door. "Xiao Wu, your second sister is coming in."
When she pushed the door open, Su Baoguo was lying on his desk doing homework. The moment he saw her, he scrambled onto the bed and buried himself under the blanket. A muffled childish voice came from beneath it. "Second Sister, I'm fine!"
Without a word, Su Yun walked over and pulled off the blanket. The moment she saw his face, her pupils shrank sharply.
"What happened?"
At that moment, Su Baoguo's once neat little face was bruised purple and blue, and his forehead was scraped open. The mix of red and bruised skin looked frightening.
Su Yun's heart ached instantly.
Seeing that he couldn't hide anymore, Su Baoguo lowered his head in defeat and confessed honestly, "It's nothing. I just lost a fight. Second Sister, don't worry. I was careless today and got ambushed. Tomorrow I'll definitely win it back and make that big fat pig run away crying!"
Big fat pig?
Hearing that description, Su Yun immediately thought of only one person. "Jiang Yaozu?"
"Was it Jiang Yaozu who ambushed you?"
Su Baoguo looked embarrassed and lowered his head, annoyed.
Su Yun was furious. "This is too much! The Jiang family just won't go away—they're endless! Xiao Wu, don't be afraid. Tomorrow your second sister will go to Jiang Yaozu's school and teach him a proper lesson. Let's see if he dares to touch you again!"
In her previous life, after Su Yun married into the Jiang family, Jiang Yaozu had bullied her plenty. In this lifetime, she had only wanted to settle all grievances with the Jiangs and have nothing more to do with them. Yet they still dared to bully her family.
This couldn't be let go. Jiang Yaozu had to learn his lesson!
While she was still angry, Su Baoguo protested, "Second Sister, this is a matter between us men. Don't interfere! That fat pig Jiang Yaozu dared to ambush me—I won't let him off. You're a girl; don't worry about this stuff."
As soon as he finished speaking, he clutched his forehead. "Ow! Second Sister, what are you doing?"
Su Yun withdrew her hand and raised an eyebrow. "I was testing whether a 'man's' head is easier to knock. No wonder Mom likes tapping your head—it feels pretty good."
"Listen to me. I'll handle this matter. Don't have any more contact with Jiang Yaozu. He's much older than you. What if he brings a few middle schoolers to beat you up? How would you fight back?"
"He's bullying you because he's older. Then I'll bully him once because I'm older. That makes it even."
"Su Baoguo, did you hear what I said?"
Under her stern instructions, Su Baoguo didn't dare say no and quickly nodded.
Only then did Su Yun feel satisfied. "Alright, tidy up and come out for dinner. I brought something good back for you today—you're guaranteed to like it."
At the mention of something good, Su Baoguo's eyes lit up!
But then he remembered his injured face and immediately wailed, "Oh no. When Mom sees this, she's definitely going to beat me again. Second Sister, save me!"
It had to be said—Su Baoguo understood his mother very well.
At dinner, the moment Chen Xiue saw the bruises on his face, she didn't say a word. She grabbed her chopsticks, pinned Su Baoguo onto the kang bed, and gave him a thorough beating!
"Su Baoguo, have you lost your mind? I spend good money sending you to school, and instead of studying, you're out fighting?"
Her posture was exactly like Su Yun's earlier when she had chased someone away with a broom.
The head of the household, Su Wenshan, shrank his neck and didn't dare make a sound.
Coincidentally, the Wang family in the back row house was also beating their children. The three Wang boys' cries were no weaker than Su Baoguo's. The wails of several children echoed across the entire courtyard…
The moon reached its peak, and then dawn arrived.
After being beaten the night before, Su Baoguo woke up the next morning as lively as ever.
After breakfast, Su Wenshan left with the steel factory workers from the courtyard.
Su Baoguo, sporting a bruised face like a painted cat, leaned toward Su Yun, who was tidying up the dishes, and whispered, "Second Sister, can you give me another piece of sugarcane from yesterday?"
Su Yun turned around, pulled a short piece of sugarcane from the cupboard, and handed it to him. "Here. Take more after you finish. I bought it for you in the first place. If you want to eat anything in the future, just tell your second sister."
She had money now!
Su Baoguo cheered and quickly stuffed the arm-length piece of sugarcane into his schoolbag. But Chen Xiue, who had just walked in, saw it.
Her face darkened immediately. "Su Baoguo! Didn't I just give you an apple? Why are you so greedy? Apples and sugarcane too? Go outside and see if any family can afford to eat like this! Why don't you just fly to the sky while you're at it?"
As she spoke, she grabbed the broom by the door and pretended to beat him. But Su Baoguo had already darted out like a monkey—
"Second Sister, I'm going to school!"
Chen Xiue grumbled, threw the broom aside, and handed Su Yun the clothes draped over her arm. "Xiao Yun, I've altered your work uniform. Try it on quickly."
"Alright!"
While Su Yun changed clothes, Chen Xiue couldn't help but say, "Xiao Yun, you've only just started working, and you're already buying meat, apples, and sugarcane—those are all items that require ration coupons. Especially sugarcane—I heard it's usually sent to factories to make sugar. You can't even buy it at the supply and marketing cooperative! It wasn't easy for you to get this job. Don't spend money so freely. You need to save for the long term."
"You may not be in a hurry to go on blind dates now, but in a few years you'll still have to get married. When that time comes, having money in your hands will give you confidence. I've been through this—I wouldn't lie to you. Do you understand?"
Su Yun nodded obediently as she listened. "Yes, I understand. Mom only wants what's best for me."
She put on the altered uniform. It fit perfectly now. Although it was still loose and didn't show her figure, for this era it looked very impressive.
"Mom, your craftsmanship is amazing! The stitching is so neat it looks machine-sewn!"
Su Yun's praise pleased Chen Xiue greatly.
Smiling, she waved her hand modestly. "How could it compare? When I used a sewing machine before, I could alter four or five outfits in half an hour. Now that I'm older, my hands are slower. This one outfit took me almost two evenings. I'm really getting old…"
When Chen Xiue mentioned her sewing machine, a trace of reluctance still lingered in her eyes.