Tian Qinghua didn’t see Tian Xinhua’s threatening glance and spoke carelessly: "It’s all because Fifth Brother is too shrewd, cleaning off the bones every single ti. Of course, Da Huang doesn’t like him anymore. Unlike , I always leave so at on the bones. Da Huang really likes ; I’m Da Huang’s favorite person in the family."
"Ha ha! How can you be so cunning, Brother Xin Hua? You even hog the dog food and eat it all."
Tian Sisi laughed until her stomach hurt. She hadn’t realized Tian Xinhua was such a miser. No wonder every ti she went to their Granduncle’s house, Da Huang’s expression towards Tian Xinhua seed unfriendly. So it turned out to be because Tian Xinhua had eaten his at—Da Huang was really becoming too clever.
Tian Qinghua was sowhat proud and completely unaware that his fifth brother had already planned to give him a good beating when they returned ho. Seeing Tian Sisi laughing without stopping, Tian Xinhua scolded with a stern face:
"If we don’t finish eating the at, should we waste it like Qinghua? Da Huang is a dog who should be glad to have bones to chew on; many other dogs don’t even have bones to gnaw."
"Yes, yes, yes, Brother Xin Hua, you make sense." Tian Sisi managed to choke back her laughter, already seeing the flas of fury on Tian Xinhua’s forehead. If she didn’t give him a way out now, she feared he might have a ltdown then and there.
The others were also struggling to hold back their laughter. Tian Xinhua snorted arrogantly, too lazy to talk more with them. He needed to go discuss a matter with Grandfather. Tian Qiusheng (Tian Chunfang’s older brother) had lost those three hundred yuan and must be in a hurry. He might co to borrow money from their dad, and Tian Chunfang’s three brothers got along best with their dad. He needed to give his dad a heads up to prepare him ntally.
Tian Xinhua’s prediction was spot on. After dinner, Tian Qiusheng arrived; he ca to see Tian Manmu directly. In fact, the Tian siblings all looked quite alike—dark, plump, and robust in build, and Tian Qiusheng was no exception.
He was not only dark but also very tall and large, like a big black bear. However, Tian Qiusheng was an honest man, willing to endure hardships and value loyalty, and his relationship with the Tian family was quite good, thanks also to the emotional bond they had from Tian Manmu and Tian Shuimiao learning to use the abacus together.
Tian Manmu hurriedly asked his wife Jin Wanming to make tea for Tian Qiusheng, showing great warmth. His son Xinhua had alerted them early in the morning, so he was already ntally prepared. Tian Qiusheng’s dark face was full of embarrassnt; he didn’t know how to start talking. The banquet was in just over twenty days, and here he was, borrowing money—it was truly embarrassing all the way to Sri Town.
"Brother Qiu Sheng, have you almost gotten everything ready for the event? Ti really flies fast; in the blink of an eye, Brother Qiu Sheng is about to get married. Within a year of the new bride entering the ho, she’ll surely bless Brother Qiu Sheng with a grandson. Ah, I wonder when my Chaohua will give a grandson." Seeing Tian Qiusheng’s embarrassed face, Tian Manmu took the initiative to start a conversation.
"Your Chaohua is ant for bigger things, unlike my kid—a re farr without any flair. It’s better to marry off early and contribute more grandsons to the Tian family." After hearing Tian Manmu’s words, Tian Qiusheng’s face broke into a smile, and he seed much more relaxed.
"Grandsons are the most tangible assets; everything else is just fluff. Besides, your kid is not bad at all, smart and willing to work hard. He’s bound to have a bright future. Brother Qiu Sheng, your good fortune is just around the corner," Tian Manmu said very sincerely, making it a pleasant listen.
Tian Qiusheng’s son, Tian Pinggui, was a fine young man. He was handso, not looking like a typical Tian family mber—fair, clean, graceful, resembling his maternal uncle’s side. Sweet-talking and savvy, he was also willing to endure hardships. He found his own bride, who was his high school classmate. Her ho was near Baita Town, about an hour-long tractor ride from Yuequan Village. Her parents were capable people with good conditions and appearances.
Tian Qiusheng was so overwheld by Tian Manmu’s words that he was speechless. But when he thought about the shortfall in funds for the event, his expression fell, and after stamring for a long ti, he finally said with difficulty:
"Man Mu, your Brother Qiu Sheng really had to shalessly co to you today. You must help out this ti, I will be grateful to you for my entire life."
Tian Manmu hurriedly said, "Brother Qiu Sheng, what are you talking about? Just tell your troubles, and I will definitely help if I can. What kind of relationship do we have that you need to say such formalities?"
Tian Qiusheng felt deeply grateful. He organized his thoughts before voicing the purpose of his visit, "It’s just that I need to borrow so money. There’s a bit of a shortfall for the event. Rest assured, as soon as the banquet is over, I’ll be able to pay it back, definitely no delays."
Having stuttered out the opening sentence, Tian Qiusheng felt much more relaxed. The words that followed flowed more smoothly, as he continued:
"Ah, originally I had enough. Chunfang lent three hundred yuan, but who knew that this afternoon Chunfang ca to all bruised, asking for money. Though she said it was for an urgent use at ho, neither your sister-in-law nor I are fools—how could we not see that it was that bastard Gao Yuzhu forcing her to ask for the money? Hmph, I’ve been saying from the start that guy was no good, but my dad and Chunfang were bewitched, absolutely set on this pretty boy. Now they are suffering."
Tian Qiusheng sighed deeply. He didn’t really harbor resentnt toward his sister, although he did feel so resentnt in the past years. After all, she was his sister—how could the resentnt last forever? When he saw Chunfang’s injuries that afternoon, he nearly rushed to the Gao Family to beat that son of a bitch Gao Yuzhu. It was only his wife who held him back, reminding him that they were about to hold a happy event and needed peace at ho.
Moreover, Chunfang was still foolishly devoted to that son of a bitch. If he went to teach the guy a lesson, Chunfang, the fool, might even resent him for poking his nose into her business. He felt his wife’s advice was reasonable, so he suppressed his rage, deciding to let Gao Yuzhu off for now and deal with it after the happy event.
"That Gao Yuzhu really isn’t good for anything. He’s not fit to be with your family, Brother Qiu Sheng. Look at what his little daughter did a few days ago; the secret we’ve been hiding for ten years was blurted out by her big mouth. When it happened, Man Yin in my house was so angry, he wished he could kill Gao Yuzhu. What do kids know? Isn’t it Gao Yuzhu teaching them such things?"
In reality, Tian Manmu wanted to remind Tian Qiusheng to keep an eye on his sister, implying that she wasn’t a good apple either.
Tian Qiusheng’s face was full of sha. Though Man Mu did not say it outright, how could he not hear the implication? Hong i, that wretched girl, was also taught by Chunfang. No wonder Chun Sheng and Dongsheng disliked Chunfang; she really didn’t know how to behave and had nearly offended everyone in Moon Spring Village. Just as he was about to offer an explanation, Tian Manmu stood up.
"Brother Qiu Sheng, wait for a mont. I’ll go get the money from my dad. I only have two hundred yuan on ; it’s a bit less. Is three hundred yuan enough for you?"
In reality, Tian Manmu did have three hundred yuan on him, not just three hundred yuan, but even five hundred yuan he could produce. Recently his son Xinhua and Ah Nan had made quite a bit of money from making wine, and, in addition to one-third of the public funds, there was also one-third that belonged to Xinhua. Gradually, the household savings were growing. Including the previous savings, they had nearly six hundred yuan, not to ntion the one-third in Xinhua’s hands.
He had said what he did on purpose. In this era, one couldn’t flaunt wealth; this was a ti when being poorer was considered more honorable, and he was also in the sensitive position of commune accountant. If people found out that his household had six hundred yuan in savings, wouldn’t that be inviting disaster?
(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welco to Qidian (qidian) to cast your vote for recomndation and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian to read.)
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