Chapter 133 Wang Xiaocui Vents Her Frustrations

Chapter 133 Wang Xiaocui Vents Her Frustrations

With her children back home, Wang Xiaocui seemed to have been reborn, looking visibly rejuvenated, with a faint blush on her once pale cheeks.

After washing off the mud, she carefully slipped on the coat her children had bought for her.

Su An picked out a light purple coat with red checkered patterns and buttons, a style that was all the rage in the city.

She had on a pair of black trousers that Su Jianjun had left behind, which Wang Xiaocui had tailored to fit her. Since they were rare and patch-free, she had always hesitated to wear them.

Once ready, Wang Xiaocui called out to Su An and her brother, "Which presents are for your eldest uncle's family? And which are for your youngest uncle's family? We’ll head to your eldest uncle’s place first, then go to your youngest uncle’s together."

Su An's grandfather, Wang Kaifu, had passed away the year Wang Xiaocui and her kids moved to the city.

Wang Kaifu was a soldier who’d been wounded in battle and retired. When he came back home to get married, he was already nearly thirty. Because of his lingering injuries and the stress of raising four kids, he died at sixty-five.

But her grandma, Li Yulan, who was a good ten years younger than Wang Kaifu, was still going strong and lived with her youngest son, Wang Yongzheng.

Wang Kaifu and Li Yulan had brought up two sons and two daughters: the eldest, Wang Xiaocui; next, Wang Yongshun; then Wang Yongzheng; and the youngest, Wang Xiaofen.

The youngest uncle, Wang Yongzheng, had wed Zhang Shuangshuang, and they’d had two sons and a daughter: the eldest, Wang Jianbing; the second, Wang Jianrong; and the youngest, Wang Xiuyun.

The youngest aunt, Wang Xiaofen, had settled down in town and had two sons and three daughters.

Wang Yongshun, Su An's eldest uncle, had married Liu Xiaomei, and they’d had a son and a daughter: the eldest, Wang Xuanying; and the youngest, Wang Jianyong.

Liu Xiaomei was ambitious and a bit sharp-tongued, and she didn’t get along well with her sisters-in-law, in-laws, or her two sisters. She kept to herself most of the time.

Just a month before Wang Yongshun’s wedding, in the middle of a downpour, he had gone up the mountain to deliver a raincoat to his father, Wang Kaifu, but fell and broke his leg.

The Liu family was reluctant to let their daughter marry into such a situation, but Liu Xiaomei did not back out and still married Wang Yongshun. After the family split, she shouldered most of the household responsibilities and gave birth to a son and a daughter.

Because of this, not only Wang Kaifu and Li Yulan but also Wang Xiaocui and her siblings were grateful to her.

Before Wang Kaifu passed away, he specifically instructed that as long as Liu Xiaomei did not commit any unforgivable mistakes, the Wang family should be tolerant and help her whenever possible.

For this reason, Su An, who had never received a kind look from Liu Xiaomei, still brought her a scarf and bought ointment for her uncle.

Due to the limited medical conditions at the time, Wang Yongshun's leg was permanently disabled. He could only walk with a crutch and was unable to do heavy labor, so he had little say in the household, and everything was decided by Liu Xiaomei.

Wang Xiaocui discussed with Su An and decided to include a pair of woolen gloves she had bought for herself in Liu Xiaomei's gifts, explaining to Su An, "Buying things for your aunt is a way to show respect to your uncle. If your aunt is happy, your uncle will be happy too."

Su Ping pouted, "I don't like my aunt at all. When I went to wish her a happy New Year, she ignored me. When I met her in the village and called her, she didn't respond."

"She even scolded me and Grandma when I took Jianyong to play by the well!"

Su An tugged at her brother's sleeve, "Brother, do you like our uncle?"

Su Ping nodded, "Yes, he secretly gives me peanuts and roasts sweet potatoes for me. When I fought with Er Gou and cried, he immediately came out with his crutch to help me. He even waited under the tree to pick jujubes for me."

Su An sighed, "That's it then. Although our uncle rarely speaks, he has always cared for us. If our aunt is happy, our uncle will be happy too. Even though our aunt isn't kind to us, she takes good care of Xuanying and Jianyong. And look at our uncle, even though he has difficulty moving, he is always clean and tidy."

"When we go to our uncle's house later, no matter how our aunt treats us, you must not get angry. Just show respect for our uncle's sake. Be polite, and if necessary, we can leave after a short visit, okay?"

Su Ping seemed to understand but nodded obediently.

The mother and her two children walked towards the east end of the village, Wang Xiaocui holding her head high, deliberately passing by people's doors, tugging at her sleeves and patting her clothes as she went.

News travels fast in the countryside. Although the Su family lives at the end of the village, by midday, most of the village already knew that Wang Xiaocui's children had returned from the city.

At this moment, seeing Wang Xiaocui and her children, everyone craned their necks to get a good look, "Hey, Xiaocui, where are you off to? It's been years, and Su Ping has grown so big!"

"City living really agrees with people. Su An’s looking more and more handsome."

Su An wore a smile on her face, kept greeting everyone, "Auntie, hello, Uncle XX, hello, sister-in-law, hello..."

Su Ping just followed his sister’s lead; whatever his sister called out, he echoed.

Wang Xiaocui dramatically held up her sleeves to inspect them, modestly saying, "Not at all, my An An has always been good-looking since she was young, she just hadn't fully grown into her looks before..."

"Oh, Xiaocui, this new dress is really beautiful, the color really suits you."

Wang Xiaocui's eyes lit up, finally getting to the point.

"Indeed, isn't it beautiful? This is the new style from City A. My An An told me that only the rich folks in the city can afford this. This one piece costs almost fifty!"

"Gasp~"

As soon as Wang Xiaocui finished speaking, everyone gasped.

"Fifty? No way! Let me see, is it embroidered with gold thread?"

"Fifty? What kind of precious material is this? So expensive?"

Wang Xiaocui proudly rolled up her hem to show off to everyone, "Indeed, it's double-layered. Look, there's fleece inside, said to be cashmere, goods from Shanghai."

"Oh my, it breaks my heart. I said I'm too old to wear such nice things, but my kids insisted I wear it. Previously, Zhang Xiuqiong was everywhere saying that my children were raised in vain, humph, now I’m reaping the rewards of raising my kids, I wonder what good things her children have bought for her!"

"Oh, you don't know, my kids have done well for themselves, brought back two big bags, not only for me, their mother, but also didn't forget their uncles, aunts, and grandmother. It's not like what others have been saying, that once they went to the city, they looked down on their poor relatives in the countryside. My Su Ping and Su An are filial children, always thinking of home. Look, what my son is carrying, that's roast chicken bought from City C, very expensive, and the gloves and scarf for his aunt, the liberation cap for Jian Yong, and even bought ointment from the city for their uncle...."

Wang Xiaocui has been the subject of gossip in the village for years, unable to hold her head high. Now seizing the chance, she must vent all the resentment she's held in her heart, bragging to anyone who’ll listen, repeating the same words over and over.

Su An understood her mother's inner frustration, squeezing out a smile, standing obediently beside her mother.

Su Ping, after all, followed his sister; whatever his sister did, he did the same.