“Haven’t Xing Zi’s relatives left yet?” Kang Er Zheng returned home to find Xing Zi’s relatives still there.
“No, Ah Yao took them out for snake soup today.” Kang Bo spoke with a sour tone.
“Snake soup?” Kang Er Zheng was startled. He seemed to have heard the bitterness in Kang Bo’s voice.
“He raised such a big son, and he never bought anything back for his old dad and mom. He’s so generous to outsiders.” Kang Bo sarcastically criticized Ah Yao. “They say that a son forgets his mother after he gets married. Look, I told you to have a daughter. Why did you have so many sons?”
As Kang Bo spoke, he grumbled at the old lady standing beside him.
The old lady glared at Kang Bo.
“You think I wanted this?” The old lady retorted.
“Cough cough, Big Brother, Big Sister, don't get angry.” Kang Er Zheng quickly intervened to prevent a fight.
“Humph.” The old lady snorted coldly and turned her head away.
Kang Bo did the same.
Kang Er Zheng shook his head.
He knew they were jealous. Ah Yao was too, why was he being so nice to Xing Zi’s relatives?
He’d been hearing them brag about where they’d been every day recently.
It was all Ah Yao’s money.
You, Ah Yao, were raised by us. We’ve never seen you be so generous with us, your parents. Now you’re being so generous with those relatives of Xing Zi's.
It was natural for Kang Bo and the old lady to be jealous.
“When Ah Yao comes back, let him pay for a meal for us, and we’ll have hairy crabs this time.” Kang Er Zheng reassured them.
“Hairy crabs? Who bought them?” Ah Yao came back just in time and heard them talk about hairy crabs. It immediately stimulated his appetite.
When Ah Yao came back, both the old lady and Kang Bo ignored him.
No one answered Ah Yao’s question. The atmosphere immediately became awkward.
“Mom, Dad, what’s wrong?” Ah Yao sensed something was wrong.
However, Kang Bo and the old lady both looked away, avoiding Ah Yao’s gaze.
Ah Yao realized something was amiss.
“Little Uncle, what’s wrong with my parents?” Ah Yao had to ask Kang Er Zheng for help.
“Well, this problem is quite complicated.” Kang Er Zheng hesitated to answer.
Could he say, “Your mom and dad are jealous that you’re too good to others?”
“How was the snake meat, good?” Kang Er Zheng asked deliberately.
“Snake! What snake?” Ah Yao tried to act innocent.
“Humph, still trying to act innocent. You took your relatives from Shanghai out for snake soup, didn’t you?” Kang Bo asked.
“No, no, not at all.” Ah Yao said nervously.
“No? You’re lying to your old dad? You grew up eating at our expense. Forget snake, you’ve never even bought us a mud loach!” Kang Bo said, displeased.
“Dad, I only treated them to a little bit.” Ah Yao minimized it.
“A little bit? Over a thousand yuan, and you call that a little bit? Those Shanghai relatives of yours said it when they came back today. They were still wiping their mouths and said it was good, very fresh, so much that I almost drooled.” The old lady said sarcastically.
“Dad, Mom, you think I want this? I’m so heartbroken paying for all this. They eat here, they play there, they don’t want to spend a penny. I’m the one paying, and I’m stuck with these relatives. I’m so unlucky.” Ah Yao was also feeling the sting of his wallet.
A thousand yuan!
Its purchasing power was equivalent to six to seven thousand yuan now.
Now, a lunchbox with meat and vegetables costs at least fifteen yuan.
In 2000, it was five yuan.
“See, I told you not to marry an outsider. Now you regret it, don’t you? If you’d just married Wan Ling, nothing would have happened.” Dad seized the opportunity to teach Ah Yao a lesson.
“Forget it, Dad, let’s not talk about it. I’m going to go take a shower.” Ah Yao was impatient. He was already heartbroken over the money, and now he had to be scolded by his parents.
“You little rascal, you’re getting angry.” Kang Bo also realized Ah Yao was getting angry.
“Ah Yao, you’re back.” Xing Zi came home from work.
“Xing Zi.” Ah Yao looked at Xing Zi with displeasure, but he didn’t dare show it. “I called your office just now.”
“What’s up?” Ah Yao immediately became alert.
“My aunt said…” Xing Zi was about to speak.
“Wait.” Ah Yao, hearing about Xing Zi’s aunt, immediately panicked and interrupted. “I’m sick. The doctor just said I can’t be in the sun, can’t be exposed to the wind, can’t go anywhere, and need to rest.”
“Hmm?” Xing Zi immediately saw through Ah Yao’s little trick.
She didn’t rush.
She sat down on the sofa and poured herself a cup of tea.
“Since you’re not feeling well, then forget it. My aunt and the others were going to ask you to buy them tickets to leave tomorrow. Since you’re not feeling well, just let them stay a few more days.” Xing Zi deliberately said.
“What?!” Ah Yao immediately became agitated. “They’re leaving? I’ll go buy tickets now.”
Xing Zi watched Ah Yao leave to book tickets and shook her head.
She also knew what her relatives had been doing.
It was all Ah Yao’s money.
Although they were her aunt, cousins, etc., Ah Yao was her husband. Ah Yao’s money was her money.
The next day.
With their ‘farewell’s’, Xing Zi’s relatives left Guangzhou.
“Finally, it’s peaceful.” Ah Zong and Ah Chan came out right after they left.
“We should be able to sleep well tonight.” Ah Guang and Xiang Lan came out and said.
“Have some melon seeds.” Xiang Lan opened the box on the table that contained candy and melon seeds. “How come there’s a letter here?”
“Let me see.” Ah Guang took the envelope. “It’s for Ah Yao.”
“Ah Yao? Ah Yao, you have a letter.” Ah Zong called out from inside.
Ah Yao walked out from inside.
“I was just about to rest for a bit, so you called me?” Ah Yao yawned.
He’d been exhausted for the past few days and hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep.
He’d been sleeping on the wooden sofa in the living room, which gave him a sore back and neck.
He hadn’t even been able to consummate his marriage.
He planned to rest for a while now that it was early, and make up for it tonight.
“This is a letter for you.” Ah Guang handed the envelope to Ah Yao.
“Who’s it from?” Ah Yao said as he opened it. “It’s pretty thick.”
“I don’t know, it was in the candy box.” Ah Guang shook his head.
“Huh? Why is there so much money?” Ah Yao opened the envelope and saw a stack of money inside.
“Money?” Everyone turned to look.
The second sister-in-law took the money and started counting it.
Ah Yao opened the letter inside the envelope.
The letter wasn’t very long, and Ah Yao finished reading it quickly.
After reading it, Ah Yao smiled.
“Who wrote it?” Seeing Ah Yao’s smile, Kang Er Zheng asked. “Don’t tell me it’s a love letter.”
“How could it be a love letter? It’s from my Shanghai aunt and the others.” Ah Yao explained.