novelraw Chapter 429 - 17: Shi Suifeng’s Arrangement
Chapter 429 - 17: Shi Suifeng’s Arrangement
Chapter 429: Chapter 17: Shi Suifeng’s Arrangement
At this moment, Shi Suifeng had already returned to the army.
The leader saw him come back and couldn’t help but call him into the office:
"Didn’t you say you would stay a bit longer? Why did you return so soon?"
This time, Shi Suifeng’s leave was not just a simple visit home.
The last mission was so arduous that two comrades sacrificed their lives. He specifically took an extended leave to find time to settle the affairs of the comrades’ wives, children, and parents...
It’s just that...
Shi Suifeng reported everything in detail: "The affairs of the Gu Family and the Yun Family didn’t go too smoothly, so I temporarily changed my plan."
The two comrades who sacrificed themselves were very capable in their daily lives. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. They had been fighting in the army for many years, rarely going home.
As sons, they hadn’t fulfilled their responsibilities. As husbands and fathers, they also hadn’t fulfilled their responsibilities.
Now, faced with such matters, Shi Suifeng brought the notification of pension from the army, along with a sum of his own savings, to their hometowns.
In his plans, considering they were his good brothers, aside from the pension from the army, he wanted to spend money to use connections, figure out ways to arrange jobs for the families.
Additionally, he planned to save some money.
Gu Family with two children would get a bigger share, while Yun Family with one child would get slightly less...
...
He grew up in such a family, and actually understood well that balancing everything is impossible, but leaving this money and arranging jobs, he didn’t expect anything else. As long as the children could grow up safely and smoothly, it would be enough.
However, it was only after interacting with the two families that he realized there are some parents in this world who not only can’t balance everything but do things even more extreme than Zhao Xiuhua.
Greed was almost nakedly displayed for all to see.
The Gu Family, which had two children left behind, had barely received the notification of sacrifice when the mother-in-law forcefully packed off the daughter-in-law, arranged with her family to quickly remarry, just to openly prevent the daughter-in-law from getting a share of the pension.
And the maiden family?
Upon hearing they didn’t have to return the bride price and could even collect money with a remarried daughter, they readily agreed.
After all, keeping their daughter in the Gu Family wasn’t going to benefit them financially.
As for the two grandchildren?
There are plenty of families in this world that don’t value children.
The two children, one aged ten and the other twelve, at an age where they could earn work points. If their own mother were here, she might still say something about the bullshit of schooling...
For rural children, working till the age of twenty or so, finding a wife, that’s what a fulfilling life means.
As for anything else...
Dear God!
What else is there to hope for? Two elderly, three brothers, being able to give the children a bite to eat is already difficult enough. In these times, even the landlords’ families don’t have extra grain!
...
Shi Suifeng only inquired for two days before he immediately dismissed all his plans.
He also went to find the remarried Gu sister-in-law. She had been arranged by others all her life, even though she felt heartache abandoning her children, she still listened to her maiden family and dutifully married off.
Shi Suifeng went to her, and analyzed step by step:
"Sister-in-law, you are after all the biological mother of the children. It is your freedom to remarry, but could you at least look after the children a bit?"
"I won’t make things difficult for you. Just try to look after them so they can go to school. I’ll send money back every month, just as living expenses and tuition for the kids."
The simple, honest woman hurriedly shook her head:
"No, no, brother-in-law, I’ve remarried, and there are two kids at home. How would it look if I support these older children? My husband’s family would beat me if they found out."
"Brother-in-law, I don’t want your money. The kids have their grandparents, who will give them something to eat... It’s better than staying with me."
"What capability do I have? Remarrying isn’t easy already..."
"These years, it’s almost like being a widow..."
As she spoke, she started to cry.
Shi Suifeng fell silent.
...
The elderly couple in the Yun family were rather kind-hearted. Despite their age, they promised to treat his eldest son’s only child well, even though she was a girl, she was still their eldest son’s only child.
Sister-in-law Yun also washed her face with tears, holding her child crying day and night, the bond between mother and daughter was deep, and they relied on each other for survival...
However...
Shi Suifeng found out that Sister-in-law Yun had always been complaining about not giving her husband a son, now making him childless. Every day at home, she would keep scolding and beating the girl.
Tears would fall over every meal, and her health wasn’t good.
Coupled with two overly shrewd sisters-in-law...
In the end, he said nothing further, bought some sweets and snacks for the girl, and a new set of clothes, but didn’t arrange anything else.
He just secretly slipped a piece of paper to the eight-year-old girl with his contact information, telling her he would write to her every month...