Chapter 26: I Don’t Like Her
Er La Niang’s expression became even more uncomfortable. "They’re your uncles. After your father passed away, they helped us out a lot."
Zhang Erlai snorted. "You call that helping? After Dad was gone, how much stuff did their two families come and plunder from our house? That was all stuff Dad saved up. Then they toss you a few scraps and that’s ’helping us’? If they hadn’t taken the money Dad left behind, you and I would be living much better lives now."
Before Er La Niang could reply, Zhang Erlai continued, "Even the other villagers have helped us more than my two uncles have. Mom, do you even understand who the people truly helping us are?"
"But they’re your uncles, after all..."
Before Er La Niang could finish, Zhang Erlai snapped angrily, "With uncles like that, I’d rather have none at all."
"You kid, how can you talk about your own uncles that way?" Er La Niang said, unhappily swatting Zhang Erlai. But deep down, she doted on her son, so she didn’t use any force, just tapping him lightly.
Finally, Er La Niang sighed and said to Zhang Erlai, "Er Lai, I know you resent me. You resent me for letting your uncles take our family’s money back then. You resent me for giving them the meat and other food you’ve brought home these past two years. But they’re my brothers, my family. They’re the only two brothers I have left. Of course I have to treat them well."
Every time Zhang Erlai heard his mother say this, he would get angry. "I’m your only son! Why don’t you treat me a little better?"
"How am I not good to you, you ungrateful brat?" Er La Niang said, swatting him again in anger. "I’ve been thinking these past few days about finding you a wife."
"I’m not in a hurry." Zhang Erlai was fuming. ’He had to admit, his mother did dote on him. After all, he was her only son; she would go hungry just to make sure he ate. But her affection for him would always come second to her two uncles. No matter what good things they had at home, she would definitely think of giving a share to them.’
’That was why, for the past two years, he had hidden the money he earned from his mother, only bringing back some food and daily necessities. Otherwise, if his mother found out about the money he had, there was no telling which uncle would end up benefiting from it.’
"What do you mean, you’re not in a hurry?" Hearing Zhang Erlai’s words, Er La Niang said quickly, "You’re already in your twenties! In our village, guys your age pretty much all have kids. Even the ones without kids are already married. You’re the only one left who doesn’t even have a girlfriend."
Then, Er La Niang added happily, "Speaking of which, I’ve already picked someone out for you. Do you remember Erya from the Old Su Family in our village?"
"Su Qing?" Zhang Erlai was, of course, aware of Su Qing’s situation. However, he had never really interacted with her. He only knew that she had a hard time with the Old Su Family.
"Yes, that’s her, Su Qing," Er La Niang said cheerfully. "You haven’t been home for a couple of days, so you don’t know yet. That girl Su Qing has split from the Old Su Family. The Old Su Family bought her father’s job for five hundred yuan, so from now on, she and the Old Su Family are two separate households."
"What does that have to do with me? I don’t even like her." Zhang Erlai remembered that Su Qing had a rather large scar on her left cheek. ’Even though he wasn’t much to look at himself, he still wanted to find a pretty girl to be his wife. Even if she wasn’t gorgeous, she should at least have decent features. He definitely didn’t want to marry a girl with a scar on her face. Waking up in the middle of the night next to that would scare him to death.’
"Oh, but it has everything to do with you!" Er La Niang said hurriedly. "Son, didn’t you hear me? That Su Qing has five hundred yuan right now! Five hundred yuan!"
Zhang Erlai pursed his lips. ’He might not have five hundred yuan on him right now, but he had at least three or four hundred.’
"Hey, son! Five hundred yuan! Did you hear me?" Er La Niang emphasized again.
"I heard you, Mom," Zhang Erlai said. "You said Su Qing has five hundred yuan."
Er La Niang smiled and said, "Exactly! I was thinking, you should go marry that Su Qing. Once you do, won’t her five hundred yuan belong to our Zhang family? If you two don’t get along later, you can just separate. With five hundred yuan, what kind of good girl couldn’t you marry?"
Then, Er La Niang thumped her chest and said, "Son, don’t you worry. When the time comes, you let me hold onto that five hundred yuan for you. I guarantee that little bitch Su Qing won’t be able to take that money with her when she leaves our family."
"Mom—" Zhang Erlai looked at his mother with a sense of helplessness. "That’s her money. Besides, do you think I can just marry whoever I want? Even if Su Qing and I really did get married, if you were holding the money, who knows which uncle’s pocket it would end up in."
"You kid, how can you talk about your uncles like that?"
"I’m just telling the truth," Zhang Erlai said stubbornly. "Anyway, I don’t want to marry Su Qing. I don’t like her."
"Oh, but I already told you..." Er La Niang wanted to keep persuading him. ’This child, why is he so stubborn? Wasn’t she doing this for his own good? If the family had money, not only could she help out her two brothers, but their own lives would get better too.’
"It’s no use, Mom, whatever you say. I am absolutely not marrying Su Qing. I know what I’m doing with my own marriage, so you can stop meddling."
"Why won’t you listen to me?" Er La Niang was getting anxious. ’This was such a great marriage prospect. Why couldn’t her son see it?’
"If you want to marry her, you can do it yourself. I’m not doing it." The food in Zhang Erlai’s mouth suddenly tasted bland. He stood up, ready to leave.
"Hey, where are you going, kid? You just got back," Er La Niang said quickly when she saw him about to leave.
"I have things to do. I won’t be back for the next couple of days. Mom, take care of yourself. I’ll bring you back a piece of meat in a couple of days." Zhang Erlai mumbled and walked out of the courtyard gate.
"Hey, you—" By the time Er La Niang chased him out the gate, Zhang Erlai was already far away. She couldn’t help but stomp her foot and say angrily, "The older he gets, the less he listens!"
After saying that, Er La Niang sighed and went back into the courtyard. She finished her meal alone, the food tasting bland. ’But then she had another thought. Even if her son didn’t agree, she had to figure out a way to make Su Qing her daughter-in-law. Five hundred yuan!’
’Thinking about the money Su Qing had, Er La Niang felt a fiery excitement burn in her heart.’
Su Qing had no idea that Er La Niang was already coveting her money. She was joyfully eating the first fragrant braised meat she’d had in years, so delicious she nearly swallowed her own tongue.
Delicious!
So, so delicious!
The faint sound of angry shouting came from over the earthen wall again. Su Qing glanced in that direction, the corners of her mouth curling up. ’If the people of the Old Su Family were unhappy, then she was happy!’