Could it be that old Jiang was right after all?

"Is that your brother-in-law? I heard he's hooked up with a wealthy woman, didn't I?"

"True, true, it's definitely an older woman!"

"Otherwise, why would she look twice at him? You don't know this, Old Jiang, but a car came to pick him up just a while ago!"

"Was that older woman in the car? Did you see her?"

"Pr-probably, I guess so."

Jiang Wan-shui was utterly shocked. Without another word, he hurried home. After delivering the pork to the market, he anxiously pulled Su Xiao-yan aside and whispered a few words to her.

"What?!" Su Xiao-yan's face instantly went cold. "Jiang Wan-shui, do you have nothing better to do? Why are you spouting nonsense? How could my little brother..."

Looking up, she noticed many people in the bustling market glancing over suspiciously. Su Xiao-yan hurriedly squeezed out a smile and greeted them, then glared fiercely at Jiang Wan-shui. "A-chen already said he went to the city for fortune-telling."

"If you dare talk nonsense again, see if I don't tear your mouth apart!"

"I'm really not talking nonsense! A car came to pick him up this morning, and everyone at the station saw it. That's what they said—the older woman was right inside the car."

Jiang Wan-shui looked completely aggrieved. He glanced left and right, then lowered his voice to explain, "Wife, think about it. The blind old man who came here to tell fortunes last time—how much did he charge per person?"

Su Xiao-yan paused in her neat slicing of the pork, frowning. "Five yuan?"

"Right!" Jiang Wan-shui slapped his thigh. "Now tell me, how many people did that blind old man read fortunes for after walking around our town all day?"

"Five or six, I suppose."

"I remember it being around that much. That means he only made thirty or forty yuan all day, right? And he was a respected old master with real skills."

"Are you implying..."

Jiang Wan-shui blinked repeatedly. "You told me earlier that your younger brother said in the morning he'd save some money, but by evening he came back and handed you five hundred, with still some extra left in his hands. Even if he told fortunes from dawn till dusk, he couldn't possibly make that much! So tell me, where did the money come from?"

Hearing his seemingly logical analysis, Su Xiao-yan couldn't help but harbor doubts in her heart.

Could it be that her little brother really went to sleep with a rich woman, just like Old Jiang said?

And because such a reputation sounds shameful, he claimed he was telling fortunes for people in the city instead?

Oh no, her little brother had lost his mind!

How could he do such a thing? If that wealthy woman had a husband, they'd definitely come back and break his legs!

Jiang Wan-shui carefully observed his wife's expression and lowered his voice. "Wife, you really need to take charge of this. You know your younger brother's reputation wasn't good after his wife passed away, and now he's pulling stunts like this. How terrible does that sound to outsiders?"

Su Xiao-yan gave him a sidelong glance. "Is it terrible to outsiders, or does it make you lose face while drinking?"

"Well, well, aren't those pretty much the same thing?"

Su Xiao-yan slammed her knife onto the chopping board. "Go hack your pork!"

She untied her apron. "I'm heading home to ask mom and dad."

Jiang Wan-shui nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, talk some sense into mom and dad and let them have a word with him. Your younger brother has five children and is already thirty; he can't keep acting so improperly."

"Shut up!"

"Oh, oh, I won't say another word."

Naturally, Su Xiao-yan didn't return home empty-handed.

She brought along some braised pig large intestines she had prepared herself.

However, just as she reached the doorstep, she heard a familiar voice coming from inside—none other than her eldest sister-in-law, Lin Chun-jiao.

She froze, instinctively taking a step back to inspect the house closely.

That's right, this was her parents' home, not her eldest brother's house.

Wait, haven't her eldest brother and his family been estranged from her parents for years? How come? Did the sun rise from the west today? Or could it be...

Did her eldest brother and his wife also remember that their father's sixtieth birthday is coming up this year and plan to throw a big celebration? As children, they must have lowered their pride first to come over and admit their faults?

Thinking of this, Su Xiao-yan couldn't help but smile.

As the sibling who considered herself the most successful among them, she naturally hoped for family harmony so she wouldn't always find herself caught in the middle, feeling awkward on both sides.

Upon entering the house, she saw not only Lin Chun-jiao but also A-liang.

"Third Aunt," A-liang greeted her obediently.

"Oh, A-liang, it's good you're here. Auntie brought some pig intestines back today. Once we heat them up later, they'll make a great snack for your drinks."

A-liang awkwardly rubbed his hands. "Auntie, I don't drink."

Alcohol cost money.

"Hey, you're already a twenty-year-old young man, how can you not drink? Dad, is there any liquor at home? If not, I'll go buy some at the grocery store."

"A-liang was frightened and caught a cold just yesterday, and he's still running a nose now. What liquor is he supposed to drink?" Liu Chun-hua couldn't help complaining as she turned to look at Lin Chun-jiao. "Take these egg noodles back and cook them well for my eldest grandson to nourish him."

Su Xiao-yan was surprised. "Wait, Mom, how did A-liang get frightened?"

At the mention of this, Liu Chun-hua couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"Isn't it because some people clutch their money too tightly to spend it, and A-liang thought the family was poor, so he planned to follow others into the mountains to trap wild boars and sell them?"

"Grandma, I already said it was my own idea. Don't blame Mom," A-liang hastily explained.

"How can I not blame her? Last night, she knew very well you had walked mountain paths all night to get back, yet she didn't even know enough to put an extra quilt on you! Your younger uncle brought an outer jacket when he went to look for you guys, so how come you ended up catching a cold?"

A-liang shrank his neck. "Grandma, it's just that I couldn't sleep soundly at night, kept having nightmares, and my stomach felt uncomfortable..."

Hearing this, Liu Chun-hua slapped her thigh. "Oh dear, you stubborn old man, why didn't you remind A-chen to check on A-liang? Who knows how much dirt this child swallowed and whether he vomited it all out. What if he falls sick?"

Lin Chun-jiao also grew somewhat nervous.

What on earth was going on?

Su Xiao-yan listened in a daze.

Old Man Su dismissively muttered, "Why are you making such a fuss over nothing? A-chen knows what he's doing; he's definitely fine. If there were really something wrong, he would have stepped in long ago."

Hearing this, Lin Chun-jiao relaxed slightly.

Liu Chun-hua nodded. "Right, right, A-liang is his own nephew, how could he not care? Oh, my poor brain... A-yan, why did you come back to your maiden home again? Was it because earlier..."

With that, she cast a wary glance at Lin Chun-jiao and pulled Su Xiao-yan behind the house. "Was it because A-shui found out about the money you gave Mom?"

"No, no, it wasn't," Su Xiao-yan quickly waved her hand.

Instead, Liu Chun-hua burst into a smile and winked at her. "A-yan, Mom will give you some money in a moment."

"...Huh?" Su Xiao-yan was stunned.

"Huh what huh? Earlier you gave Mom quite a bit of money... Oh, right, A-chen hasn't taken less money from you over the years, has he? Let's add it all up together to see the total, and Mom will pay you back later."

Su Xiao-yan was utterly shocked. "Wait, Mom, where on earth did you get money?"

Since the family split up, this entire household had been living off about two mu of farmland, and making three to five hundred yuan a year was already a struggle. Plus, her little brother had several children, and growing kids could eat a household out of house and home. In the past, her little brother used to be immature and frequently asked Mom for money. No matter how she calculated it, Mom shouldn't have any money on hand.

Suddenly recalling Jiang Wan-shui's words, Su Xiao-yan lowered her voice and asked, "Mom, did A-chen give you money?"

Liu Chun-hua beamed with joy. "Of course! A-chen is so capable; as soon as he came back last night, he handed me two thousand."

To emphasize, she even gestured with her fingers. "A-yan, it's two thousand!"

While Su Xiao-yan gasped inwardly, her heart simultaneously sank.

Could it be that Old Jiang was right after all?