Chapter 344 - 127: Why Are You Still at Home?
Xu Chunyan wasn’t wearing a coat. A cold draft blew in, so she quickly shut the door.
She saw Granny sitting by the bed, looking lovingly at the sleeping Jie You. "My precious great-grandson, you’re sleeping so soundly."
Because of the incident with Zhang Hongyan, Jing Er also held a grudge against Granny. He wasn’t as hostile as Jing San, but he kept his distance. This, however, didn’t affect Granny’s affection for Jie You in the slightest.
Granny doted on Jie You, partly due to her preference for boys, but more so because he was currently the eldest son’s only grandson. She had many grandsons and granddaughters, and many great-grandchildren as well. In the grand scheme of things, one more or one less like Jie You wouldn’t make a difference.
"Granny, it’s so late. Did you need me for something?" Xu Chunyan stood to the side, watching as Granny reached out to stroke Xiao You’s cheek. She grew anxious, afraid Granny would wake Xiao You up. "Granny, Xiao You has a bit of a temper. If he’s woken up when he’s fast asleep, the little guy will throw a fit."
"Don’t worry, I won’t wake him." Granny patted the little one’s flushed cheeks, then pulled her hand back and looked at Xu Chunyan with a benevolent gaze. "Jing Er’s wife, lend me some money."
Xu Chunyan’s heart skipped a beat. ’Just as I expected.’ She was stingier than anyone; asking her for money was a fool’s errand. Facing Granny, she didn’t dare say that outright, nor could she refuse as directly as Jing Si had. "Granny, how much do you need to borrow?"
Granny recalled Qin Mei’s words—a prescription was a hundred, but the medicine was even more expensive. She thought for a moment, then held up three fingers.
"Thirty?" Xu Chunyan raised an eyebrow. To her, even thirty was a lot.
Granny shook her head and said plainly, "Three hundred."
"What?" Xu Chunyan gasped. "Three... three hundred?"
"That’s right, three hundred." Granny nodded.
Xu Chunyan took a deep breath to calm herself, then put on a troubled expression for Granny. "Granny, you’ve come to the wrong person. I can’t come up with that much."
Granny didn’t believe her, and she fought the urge to lose her temper. "Jing Er’s wife, you and Jing Er earn over a hundred a month. In this house, you don’t pay for food or clothes, and the eldest son’s wife even covers Xiao You’s expenses. You’re telling me you can’t come up with that much? Who do you think you’re fooling?"
’Damn old hag, she actually calculated everything so clearly. Qiao Yanqiu is the one supporting my family of three, and even she has never settled accounts with me. Yet this old hag has the nerve to come here and do it.’
"Granny, you’re wronging me. I’m not lying to you, I really can’t come up with that much." Xu Chunyan’s face was a mask of misery. Her eyes reddened as she worked up her emotions.
Granny’s expression darkened. She glared at Xu Chunyan and demanded, "You can’t come up with that much? Don’t tell me you’ve been sending it all to your maiden family?"
Xu Chunyan’s breath hitched for a moment before she hastily denied it. "I haven’t."
"You haven’t?" Granny’s face was full of scorn. "Jing Er’s wife, ever since you married into the Jie Family, your mother and brother have caused plenty of trouble here over the years. My eldest daughter-in-law has given them quite a bit of money."
Xu Chunyan gritted her teeth, furious. ’Damn old hag, is she trying to settle old scores now?’ "Granny, my mother and brother have paid the price for their actions. My mom is on the verge of a mental breakdown, my brother is crippled, and my dad was sent to the Northwest for labor reform. And all that money was paid back to the Fourth Wife of Jing, with interest..."
Granny couldn’t be bothered to listen to her excuses and cut her off. "Enough, don’t tell me all that. Your family ended up this way because they deserved it."
Those three words—"they deserved it"—stabbed deep into Xu Chunyan’s heart. No matter how heinous their crimes, one would never admit they got what they deserved. Xu Chunyan suppressed her rage. "Granny, I really don’t have any money. I gave it all to the Fourth Wife of Jing. Everyone knows about this. If you don’t believe me, you can ask anyone to confirm it. Aunt Qiao has money, and the Fourth Wife of Jing has money. You don’t ask them, you come to me, but I don’t have any money either."
Granny glared at Xu Chunyan. ’Did she think I hadn’t tried? I went to the Fourth Wife of Jing to borrow money, but Jing Si blocked me at the door. He didn’t even let me inside. I never even got to see his wife.’
"Jing Er’s wife, I’ll ask you one last time. Are you lending me the money or not?" Granny’s attitude was forceful, her tone thick with threat.
"Granny, I really don’t have it." Xu Chunyan insisted she had no money.
"Hmph!" Granny snorted. "Fine. Very good. You won’t lend it to me, is that it? I’ll go find my eldest daughter-in-law."
Xu Chunyan let out a sigh of relief, but Granny’s next words made her face drain of color. The tension that had just eased in her mind snapped taut again.
"You and Jing Er have been married for many years, and Xiao You is already eight. Jing Er was also allocated a house from the machinery factory. It’s about time I told my eldest daughter-in-law to have your family of three move out. After all, Jing Si’s branch of the family moved out less than a year after he got married."
"Granny." A venomous look flashed in Xu Chunyan’s eyes. ’Never mind the cost of food and clothing for our family, how could the apartment from the factory ever be as comfortable as this house?’ "Granny... I’ll lend it to you."