novelraw Chapter 394 - 6: This Can’t Go On
Chapter 394 - 6: This Can’t Go On
As soon as these words were spoken, the dinner table suddenly fell into silence.
The old lady, Zhao Xiuhua, wiped her eyes:
"Little Three, how can you look down on your brothers? Out of the three brothers in the family, you are the only one who joined the army. Earning an allowance every month... it’s such a good life. If it weren’t for your brothers working at home, you wouldn’t be enjoying this good life."
Shi Suifeng was puzzled and said, "I didn’t look down on them... Mom, you just stay in the village all day with a narrow mind, thinking too much."
"Besides," he explained earnestly, "Didn’t my brothers not get selected for enlistment back then? What does that have to do with me?"
Oh my.
A few years in the army, year after year, he became more annoying.
They all say the army is a melting pot; how does it turn a good person into someone so hard to deal with year after year?
The old lady didn’t believe it.
She even got a little angry:
"Xiao San, listen to yourself talking with barbs; doesn’t this mean you have some grudges? I’m just telling you to save a bit more so that you won’t have trouble coming up with money when marrying... and you, spending so many years in the army, are still just a private. What good is that little allowance?"
Shi Suifeng put down his chopsticks.
"Mom!" He looked at the old lady with shock on his face, "I get twenty-two yuan a month as allowance, and you told me to send twenty yuan home for you to save for my marriage."
"All these years, I didn’t dare to spend any money, mending socks again and again to save money, all to save up for a train ticket home... Mom, how could you now say that I should save money to get married myself?"
"Six years, twenty yuan a month, now there must be about fourteen or fifteen hundred!"
"With fourteen or fifteen hundred, who couldn’t I marry? Mom, I know you are used to being frugal, don’t worry, I know how much our family has saved, so I feel confident."
He had a look of [don’t worry, don’t overthink, I’m confident] on his face.
The old lady was completely choked up.
...
The two brothers saw that the situation was not right, so they quickly tried to smooth things over: "Little brother, look at you, you just got back and now you’ve upset Mom... Why nitpick like that when a man? She’s just saying to be thrifty, not to waste money, there’s no other meaning."
The one speaking was the eldest brother, Shi Weiguo.
The second brother, Shi Shengnian, also sighed: "Your brothers and I don’t have much skill; this family will have to rely on you in the future. If you have something on your mind, just say it."
Bearing grievances with a heavy heart, full of tolerance.
Shi Suifeng also sighed.
"I know, I understand what everyone means... also, just that bit of money a month, still having to save for travel expenses, and having to buy things for nieces and nephews, it’s really not proper."
He took up his bowl again, picked up a piece of cabbage for the old lady: "Mom, I understand, I won’t buy anything for the family anymore."
He then apologized to his eldest brother: "Big brother, I really didn’t mean it, saying in front of the kids that you all are incompetent, it was really hurtful."
"Second brother, you’re right. This family will have to rely on me in the future, you all at home eating and drinking, I won’t say anything, we’re all one family."
...
He also looked at his two sisters-in-law, who were silently drinking their thin porridge, and humbly admitted his mistakes: "Big sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, please don’t mind, my brothers are both honest, in the future, the family will be my responsibility."
The two sisters-in-law’s faces flushed instantly, looking around awkwardly, unable to say a word.
Normally, they weren’t this meek, but the problem was—how do you respond to that?
Oh, so their husbands are lying around at home doing nothing, and the whole family relies on the youngest, Little Three supports the nephews and nieces, also supports the mom and two brothers, and ultimately both sisters-in-law must be supported too...
This...
This is outrageous!
Shi Weiguo and Shi Shengnian also realized and instantly flew into a rage:
"Little Three, what kind of bullshit are you talking?!"
Shi Suifeng still appeared innocent and puzzled: "Isn’t that what you meant?"
The old lady Zhao Xiuhua felt dizzy in front of her eyes, it seemed like holding onto this youngest son was getting harder and harder.
Forget it, forget it, twenty yuan a month to support the whole family, just go along with it for now, so Little Three doesn’t become self-centered.
She hurriedly smoothed things over: "What does it look like for a family to be quarreling non-stop, hurry up and eat. Little Three, since you’re back, Mom specially made some meat for you, eat more."
Shi Suifeng glanced at the dish bowl, then at his large bowl, feeling wronged: "Mom, you only sliced two pieces of meat from beginning to end... it’s not enough to fill the gaps in the teeth of my nephews and nieces, what can I eat more of?"
Everyone subconsciously looked at the two kids in front at home.
Oh my, the two kiddos were just changing their teeth, with big black holes next to their front teeth, such big gaps!