Chapter 239: Feeling Indebted

Chapter 239: Absence

It wasn’t until evening that the last of the visitors coming to have their spring couplets written finally left.

The next day, Ye Xiaoxiao and the others got up early to put up the new couplets.

Once the new couplets were up, the house felt like new.

Over the next few days, though it was windy outside, it didn’t snow.

If a sudden snowstorm had come, no one could’ve left.

This year’s New Year’s Eve dinner was the fullest family reunion in a long time, and it was especially hearty.

The absence of a certain someone was left unmentioned by everyone.

Those who had once been so close had ultimately grown distant.

Because the wind was too strong, no one went outside to set off fireworks.

Ye Xiaoxiao lit several handheld sparklers.

After setting them off, she hurried back inside—it was just too cold.

The days at home passed in a flash. After the New Year, the children began leaving one after another.

Ye Changsheng could stay a few more days since his vacation wasn’t over yet.

Ye Changyuan and Ye Changan were on military leave to return home, so they had to leave immediately after the New Year.

Ye Changning, meanwhile, had work to get back to.

Ye Changqing was due back at the mines. Zhang Xue and the children could stay a bit longer—there was no hurry to go back to the county town until Ye Baocheng’s school started.

Ye Xiaoxiao was heading back to the capital, as both Song Guangjing and matters in Beijing needed handling.

Miao Cuifang hated to see them leave. She felt that the years were passing too quickly—before she knew it, the children had all grown up, started families, and left their hometown.

On the third day after the New Year, Miao Cuifang got up early to prepare some things for the children to take with them.

She made several pancakes for the road—the cold weather would keep them fresh, though they’d need to be warmed up in hot water before eating.

As usual, Ye Xiaoxiao left some money at home.

Afraid that Mom might refuse it, she secretly tucked it into the heated-bed cabinet in her room.

Ye Xiaoxiao left together with Ye Changning, Shen Qiuyu, Ye Changan, and Ye Changsheng.

Since they were going the same way, Ye Xiaoxiao thought they might as well give Ye Changan and the rest a ride to Shenyang.

As for Ye Changsheng, after asking about his return date, she suggested he go all the way to Beijing first and then return to Tianjin from there—it would be more convenient.

Traveling in a larger group was also safer, so they wouldn’t have a repeat of last time.

Mom told them, “Be careful on the road.”

Ye Changning stepped forward and hugged her. “Mom, no need to worry. We’re not kids anymore—we can take care of ourselves.”

Of course she still worried. No matter how old they were, they were still her children.

Miao Cuifang and Ye Jianguo walked the children to the village entrance, watched them ride off in the village oxcart, then slowly made their way back home.

Ye Changqing first took Xiao Xiao and the others to get the car, then returned to the mining area himself.

When parting, he hugged each of his younger siblings, telling them to be safe on the road.

...

Back in Baishi Village, after those who had come to see them off returned home, Ye Changsheng handed Miao Cuifang an envelope.

"Ma, Pa, this is the money Third Brother and Second Brother left behind. They asked me to give it to you."

Miao Cuifang almost burst into tears when she saw the money: "These kids, really..."

But she held back—her son was still there, and she didn’t want him to see her upset.

Later that night, when Miao Cuifang went to fetch bedding, she spotted the money hidden in the heated-bed cabinet and couldn’t hold back her tears.

"This must be the money Xiao Xiao slipped in."

It was wrapped in a checkered handkerchief, the kind a young girl would carry.

Ye Jianguo comforted his wife, "What's there to cry about? Our children are all doing well—that’s a good thing."

Miao Cuifang: "It’s just heartbreaking. They’re still so young, yet they’ve been out there working so hard to earn money. It’s not easy for them."

She gathered all the money together, and when she counted it, the amount the children had given added up to more than two thousand.

"Dear, this won’t do. We should find time to put this in the bank—it’s too much. Plus, there’s the money we made selling marinated tea eggs before. If we combine it all, we could even buy a house in the city."

Miao Cuifang took some comfort from this. If the eldest wasn’t in urgent need of the money, they could first buy a house in the city for the second son.

"Do you think the eldest might feel upset if we buy a house for the second son?"

Ye Jianguo said firmly, "The eldest wouldn’t."

Miao Cuifang: "I know his temper too—he’d definitely want to look after his younger brothers. But it still bothers me. Back when Xiao Xue came into our family, we were so poor, we couldn’t prepare anything properly. She's put up with so much all these years."

"If we’re buying a house, we should buy one for the eldest first."

Zhang Xue had been standing at the door of the east room just then—she hadn't meant to overhear her in-laws’ conversation.

Ye Changqing had also left money for the family before leaving, asking her to give it to his parents.

If he had handed it to them directly, his parents would've refused.

Ever since Ye Changqing started working at the mine, the family truly hadn’t lacked for money.

Flush Foreman Liu had even given Ye Changqing a twenty-thousand bonus last time.

Ye Changqing hadn’t spent any of that money, originally intending to give the funds for Miao Cuifang’s surgery to Xiao Xiao.

But his younger sister had flat-out refused.

So Zhang Xue had set the money aside instead.

Their parents were getting older, and if an emergency ever arose at home, they’d have money set aside for it.

(Mother, Father, are you asleep? I’m coming in.)

Miao Cuifang: "Come on in, Xue. We're still up."

Zhang Xue entered the room.

"Mom, Dad, I heard what you were talking about earlier. When it's Changning's turn to marry, naturally we'd get him a place first. Although Changqing and I are renting right now, it's convenient, and we don’t need to buy a house for the time being. Besides, we've got enough put aside—we can afford one ourselves."

Miao Cuifang hadn't expected Zhang Xue to hear their conversation.

"My dear, my heart aches for you. You’ve given so much since marrying into our family."

Zhang Xue just smiled at that. She and Ye Changqing had chosen each other freely—he was the man she had picked herself.

Moreover, over the years, even though the Ye family was poor, they had treated her no different than their own daughter.

Everyone pitched in together.

Though she had to cook and do laundry at home, her in-laws never once put her to work in the fields, saying she was too young and would wear herself out.

In truth, many newlywed brides in the village had to carry sacks in the fields the very next day after marriage.

She had seen young wives in the village hunched over from the backbreaking work.

But no matter how hard the work in the Ye family’s fields was, they never asked her to join.

So Zhang Xue never once regretted her choice.

She wanted the family to thrive and the brothers to get along well, working together for a better life.

Besides, she had watched the younger brothers grow up.

As the eldest sister-in-law, she had been like a second mother to them.

She never gave it a second thought.

"Mom, I know how well you’ve treated me. If you keep saying things like this, it’s like you’re treating me as an outsider."

Miao Cuifang: "I’ve long considered you my own daughter."

Seeing her chance, Zhang Xue took out the thousand yuan Ye Changqing had left behind. "Then shouldn’t your own daughter's token of appreciation to you and Dad be accepted?"

Miao Cuifang couldn't refuse. It wasn’t until after Zhang Xue left that she realized—she shouldn’t have taken it.

...

Meanwhile, Ye Xiaoxiao and the others checked into a nearby motel after dark, figuring they'd continue their journey the next day.

They would reach Shenyang tomorrow. If the roads weren’t so winding, they wouldn’t have had to travel so slowly.

This time, they didn’t run into any trouble on the road—the ride had gone without a hitch.

Ye Changning joked, "It’s all thanks to Xiaoxiao’s car. Nowadays, so many wheelers and dealers drive Santanas—they probably mistook us for big shots around here."