Chapter 6: Okay, Let's go to the City Part 1
Su Min immediately recognized the plump woman as her aunt, Zhang Guihua, who was over a decade younger than her mother.
Zhang Guihua wiped her hands on her apron and smiled, "Oh, it's Quifang and her family. Come inside and have a seat."
Although Sun Qiufang didn't get along well with her sister-in-law, she had a favor to ask today and felt a bit awkward. They followed Zhang Guihua into the house.
"I was just about to go out to work. If you come back later, I won't be at home," Zhang Guihua said as she poured water for them and served peanuts to Su Min. "Here, Min, have some. My Qiangqiang and Yanzhi, love these boiled peanuts with salt water the most."
"Thank you, Aunt," Su Min accepted the peanuts. While eating, she couldn't help but think that Zhang Guihua's smiling face wouldn't last long. When her mother mentioned leaving her here, she was sure that Zhang Guihua would react with a cold expression.
Zhang Guihua and Li Yulan were quite similar—both were a bit petty and didn't easily tolerate others. However, Zhang Guihua was smarter; when she was outside, she put on a polite façade that made people think she was easy to get along with. Su Min used to think the same way about her, but after experiencing the complexities of human relationships at home, she had heard enough of Zhang Guihua's sarcastic comments. So, when she saw Zhang Guihua smiling like this, she knew it was just a surface act.
Mrs. Sun also entered the house, looking extremely happy to see her daughter. "I thought you were too busy with farming to come here."
Zhang Guihua chimed in, "Exactly, Mom was just complaining yesterday that you haven't visited for several days. Why don't you stay? I'll go to the town later to buy some meat, and you can have a meal here."
"No need to trouble yourself. We'll be leaving soon," Sun Qiufang quickly declined. She knew that her sister-in-law wouldn't really cook a meal for them. If they did stay, it would be quite impolite.
Mrs. Sun, unaware of her daughter's thoughts, saw them and didn't want them to leave so soon. "Stay for a meal, we don't need meat. I'll pick some vegetables from our garden and make a simple meal for you."
"Yes, I'll pick vegetables later," Zhang Guihua smiled, but the warmth in her eyes was diminishing.
Su Min noticed this and deliberately said to her mother, "Mom, weren't we going to discuss something with Grandma? Shouldn't I stay here?"
"What do you mean, 'stay here'?" Zhang Guihua's smiling expression froze on her face.
Sun Qiufang had originally planned to bring up the topic later, but her daughter had unintentionally blurted it out. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she forced a smile and explained, "We've separated from our family, and we haven't found a house yet. So, we thought of letting Min stay here for a while until we settle down and can come to get her."
"You've separated from your family?" Mrs. Sun was surprised. "How did this separation happen? You don't even have a house yet; what's the point of splitting up?"
Sun Qiufang hesitated for a moment, then said, "We wanted to separate and live independently. Since we only have one daughter and don't need a big house, we didn't ask for one. Besides, both my husband and I can work, so it won't be long before we can build our own house."
"What's going on here?" Mrs. Sun sighed, feeling frustrated. She was actually in favor of her daughter and son-in-law living separately, but she didn't expect them to split up without even having a house. This didn't make sense for a family separation.
She continued, "You know your situation better. If you don't want a house, then don't worry about it."
Sun Qiufang blinked back tears and said, "Thank you, Mom."
"But, how can we?" Zhang Guihua suddenly smiled and questioned, "I understand your situation, but you see, my husband and I also have two children to take care of. Sun Hai has leg problems and needs care at home. Bringing Min over here, how does that make sense? Furthermore, with your parents still around, isn't it their responsibility?"
She wore a smile on her face, but everyone could tell she didn't agree with having Su Min stay with them.
Sun Qiufang tried to explain, "Sister-in-law, I know you're busy, but it's just for a short while."
"Just for a short while?" Zhang Guihua's smile widened. "How long is 'a short while'? You said you plan to build a house, which will require money. It's estimated that it will take one or two years at least. So, is Min supposed to stay with us for several years?"
"Guihua, I'll take care of her. I'm not asking you to," Mrs. Sun frowned.
Zhang Guihua sneered, "Mom, I hate to say this, but how much can you take care of? You can't even properly look after your own grandchildren. Being so biased, don't be surprised if Qiangqiang and Yanzhi disown you in the future."
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