The Song family's three adobe houses were decorated with large red double happiness characters.
There were uneven floors, walls of mud and straw, a dilapidated bed, and a broken old wardrobe.
Nothing else.
It could not be more fittingly described as having bare walls.
Xǔ Qiāoběi was shocked by this dilapidated scene. The original book had described the male protagonist Sòng Huáinián's family as poor, but that was only to highlight the male protagonist's resilient will, and had nothing to do with the cannon fodder original wife.
The original book described the cannon fodder original owner as backward and uncivilized, rude, unreasonable, and always disrupting the love between the male and female protagonists, leading to harsh criticism from readers in the comment section.
Mother Song came out of the west room, still holding a blackened, dirty towel, "Qiāoběi, you're here?"
"Auntie, I brought you money."
Xǔ Qiāoběi took out the salary she had settled more than half a month ago. She saw Mother Song's shrewd eyes light up immediately.
"You are such a likable and sensible child."
Mother Song happily reached out to take the money with a smile.
"When you come in tomorrow, I'll give you all the money to manage. You'll be the mistress of our house from now on, and the whole family will listen to you. If my son dares to upset you in the future, just tell me, and I'll deal with him!"
"Auntie, you're so good to me, I don't know how to thank you."
"Don't mention thanks between family. When you marry into our family, you're one of us. I'll treat you like my own daughter from now on. You don't have to do anything. Just enjoy your life."
As Mother Song counted the money, preparing to put it in her pocket, Xǔ Qiāoběi stopped her.
"Auntie, tomorrow Song Huáinián and I are getting married, and many guests will come. With so many people around, it's not safe to keep money at home. What if it gets stolen?"
Mother Song heard this and thought it made perfect sense.
Just this morning, she heard from a neighbor that two of her chickens were stolen last night.
There were quite a few incidents of thieves in the village at night.
Some people had sticky fingers, stealing chickens or dogs. This money couldn't be stolen.
"It's safer to deposit the money," Mother Song said. "I'll get all the money at home, and we'll go to town to deposit it now."
Xǔ Qiāoběi followed Mother Song into the west room.
The room had a strange smell.
Sòng Huáinián's father lay on the bed. When he saw Xǔ Qiāoběi, he greeted her weakly, "Is that Qiāoběi?"
"Father Song," Xǔ Qiāoběi called out politely.
Mother Song turned around guiltily and smiled at Xǔ Qiāoběi, "Qiāoběi, it smells in here. You go wait outside for me. I'm afraid you'll find it unpleasant."
Xǔ Qiāoběi sensibly stepped out.
Mother Song reached out and closed the door to the west room.
A few minutes later, Mother Song came out with an ID card and a bulging small cloth bundle.
She unfolded the old cloth layer by layer, revealing the money inside.
"This money is what you left with me last time, plus the money you just gave me. Auntie will help you deposit it in town, and I'll give it all back to you when you get married."
"Auntie, I'm not good with money. I'll have you help me deposit it from now on. You're so good to me, I trust you."
"Qiāoběi, you're so sensible. It's a blessing for our Song family that my son can marry you."
Mother Song was secretly smug. This fool was so easy to fool.
"I'm going to town now. Someone needs to stay home. Qiāoběi, help Auntie look after your Father Song. I'll be back in an hour at most. Depositing money won't take an hour."
"Yes, Auntie, you can go with peace of mind. I'll take good care of Father Song."
Xǔ Qiāoběi was very obedient. Mother Song felt even more that the girl was easy to manipulate.
"Auntie, if someone comes looking for you and sees me here taking care of Father Song, what should I say if they ask why I'm here?"
"I'm not married yet. If the villagers see me, won't they gossip about you?"
Mother Song was taken aback.
Qiāoběi was young, and many unmarried girls like her didn't understand things and were easily fooled.
But married women in the village, the experienced ones, were not easy to fool.
Because Qiāoběi's money was with her, many people in the village had already whispered behind her back, saying she was scheming to get hold of her future daughter-in-law's money.
Now, if villagers saw her letting Qiāoběi, who wasn't even married into the family yet, take care of her paralyzed old husband, she didn't know what people would say behind their backs.
"I'll call Huáinián to come back and take care of his dad."
Mother Song went into the west room and took out her old phone to make a call.
"That's strange, why isn't anyone picking up?"
"What's going on with Huáinián?"
Xǔ Qiāoběi said at the right time, "Auntie, why don't I go find Sòng Huáinián and go to town with him to deposit the money. We can deposit it in his name, and then you can stay home to take care of Father Song."
"How can that be?" Mother Song was unwilling. "Huáinián is a young man, he's even worse at managing money. After you get married tomorrow, I'll have to lead you in your daily life. This money should only be deposited in my name. I'll give it to you personally tomorrow. Huáinián can't manage the money. Even if he's my own son, I won't be biased towards him."
Xǔ Qiāoběi's face showed deep emotion.
"Then Auntie, I'll take your ID card to town to deposit the money in your name. I'll bring it to you after it's deposited."
Mother Song was a little uneasy.
She was afraid Xǔ Qiāoběi would take the money and not give it back to her.
Xǔ Qiāoběi looked at Mother Song with eyes so innocent they seemed foolish, "Auntie, are you afraid I'll be robbed if I go to town by myself with the money?"
"You're such a smart child. Auntie doesn't distrust you, but I'm afraid you'll be robbed if you, a young girl, carry so much money." Mother Song went along with it.
Xǔ Qiāoběi: "Then I'll try calling Sòng Huáinián again to see if he'll come back to take care of Father Song, so you can go to town to deposit the money."
Mother Song was reluctant to trouble her son.
"Huáinián, as a young man, wouldn't know how to take care of someone. He can't do this job."
"Then let Sòng Huáinián and I go to town with your ID to deposit it in your name. After it's deposited, Sòng Huáinián can bring it back."
Mother Song became even more uneasy.
Her own son wasn't stupid. She was afraid her own son would scheme for her money.
Just a few days ago, when Qiáo Èrmín came to her door with a cleaver demanding money, her son had advised her to return the money.
Wasn't that siding with outsiders?
Mother Song looked at Xǔ Qiāoběi's clear, foolishly innocent eyes. Tomorrow was her son's wedding, and with many people around, the money definitely couldn't be kept at home.
It had to be deposited into a savings book and hidden well.
"Qiāoběi, Auntie trusts you. You call Huáinián to go with you. The password is ****. Absolutely do not let Huáinián know this password. No matter what he tells you, do not tell him. After the money is deposited, you two come back together. Auntie has more to tell you."
Xǔ Qiāoběi obediently nodded.
-
A group of idle old ladies and village women sat under the old locust tree at the village entrance, cooling off and gossiping.
They gossiped about every big and small matter in the village.
Things like Zhang San's wife having an affair with someone, Li Si's mother and daughter-in-law fighting again last night over a boiled egg, and Wang Ermazi's wife running off with someone the day before yesterday.