CHAPTER 125: CHAPTER 124: CATCHING A THIEF

Yu Xiaolian glanced around the doorway, when the old man Sun from next door came over, inviting Yu Xiaolian and Little Tiger to his house for breakfast.

This old man Sun is the clan leader of the Sun Family, previously village folks called him Old Sun Five, but now that he’s older, everyone changed their way of addressing him, respectfully calling him Sun Five Lord.

Though his role as clan leader doesn’t hold as much authority as the Village Chief or River Bend leader, he still carries a certain prestige and sway in Upper River Bay Village.

Yu Xiaolian twisted her thoughts, immediately putting on a sorrowful face, and exaggeratedly recounted last night’s events to the old man Sun.

Listening to the whole story, old man Sun blew his beard and glared with rage, even his eyebrows trembled, "Your aunt is really something intolerable, her heart is downright malicious.

From the start, I never thought well of the Xu Family, back in the day I knew Old Xu was rotten to the core.

If the roots are bad, how good could the offspring be?

But your grandpa wouldn’t listen, what’s this he brought back as a wife?"

Yu Xiaolian agreed, "My grandma is such a good person, all these years she’s never used her position to oppress Xu, even gave her management rights, yet she still hasn’t won her over."

Old man Sun put his hands behind his back, pacing at the courtyard gate, "Xu is like a cold stone, how can you warm it up?"

It’s just his old sister-in-law is kind-hearted, anyone else wouldn’t have let Xu reach this point.

Truth be told, it’s because of his saintly old cousin’s sister-in-law that Xu has been indulged.

Daughters-in-law, as soon as they enter, must have rules set.

They say, children must be controlled when young, daughters-in-law must be managed early.

All these years his old cousin’s sister-in-law hasn’t disciplined Xu, instead, she’s ended up being managed by Xu.

Old Sun sighed, the world turned upside down here.

Wonder if the old sister-in-law can pull through this time?

Old man Sun dashed home in a few strides, "Daji, Daji..."

Sun Daji was waiting for his dad to come back for breakfast so they could plow the fields, he was just waiting without success, then he heard his dad calling him loudly, he immediately ran out, "Dad, what’s wrong?"

Old man Sun said, "Go find out which section Fengshou is serving now, once you find him, have him come back.

Your aunt might not make it, if she doesn’t pull through, as her son, he must return to mourn, isn’t that right?"

Sun Daji is two years younger than Sun Fengshou, but they get along well, often going fishing in the river together.

Upon hearing his aunt might not pull through, Sun Daji didn’t dare delay, packed a few clothes, took a handful of copper coins, and marched off.

Old man Sun told Yu Xiaolian and Little Tiger to come to his house for breakfast.

It was an offer hard to refuse, they had to go.

Unable to refuse his kindness, Yu Xiaolian had to take the just-awoken Little Tiger next door.

Sun’s family cooked rough rice porridge in the morning, Sun Daji’s wife served both Yu Xiaolian and Little Tiger a big bowl each.

Yu Xiaolian dared not scorn the coarse grains, she held up the bowl and drank.

Last autumn, the harvest was low, probably every household has been saving their food.

Sun’s family hasn’t split up, there are four sons, three of whom are married, during meals sons and daughters-in-law fill the large table, even missing the third son serving in the army and Sun Daji who just left.

Old man Sun’s grandchildren total seven, all these little ones, squatting in a row at the doorway, holding bowls drinking porridge.

While drinking porridge, they secretly eyed Yu Xiaolian.

Little Tiger also holding his porridge bowl ran to the doorway, squatting with those little fellows about the same size as him.

Yu Xiaolian: "..."

Do all the children here squat to eat?

There are plenty of trees in the mountain, making a wooden dining table is not that difficult, why not make another table?

Squatting to eat is so uncomfortable!

Though Yu Xiaolian found this big bowl of rough rice porridge a bit much, wanting to avoid wasting food, she finished it all.

Seeing Yu Xiaolian drank all the porridge, Sun Daji’s wife wanted to serve her more, but Yu Xiaolian declined.

Old man Sun tilted up and drank a bowl of porridge, put down the bowl, instructing Sun Daji’s wife to cook more for lunch, to include portions for Yu Xiaolian and Little Tiger.

Then he turned to his eldest grandson Mancang, telling him to fetch a couple of salted fish hanging in the storage, to make them for lunch as an extra dish.

Mancang hearing they could eat salted fish for lunch, gulped quickly, ran towards the storage, afraid his granddad might change his mind not to stew the fish.

You could tell these salted fish in Old Sun’s family are rare items, kept for entertaining guests.

Yu Xiaolian was just about to say to old man Sun not to spend unnecessarily when noises came from the neighboring courtyard.

Old Xu slammed a straw mat onto the ground, "Go check if your mother-in-law breathed her last?"

Xu didn’t move, "Big brother, I’m a bit scared, you go..."

It’s understandable for one’s sister never having seen a dead person to be scared, Old Xu didn’t force her, strode into the house.

Calling Little Tiger’s name as he walked.

Once inside he looked around, no one was there, Old Xu furrowed his brows, came out and told Xu, the room was empty.

Xu didn’t believe it, rushed into the room to see for herself, truly no one was there.

Where’s the dead old lady? Where’s her kid?

She can die but her son can’t be lost.

Xu panicked a bit, stumbled and ran outside, shouting Little Tiger’s name as she ran.

Little Tiger had been squatting in Sun’s courtyard, playing stones with a few buddies, hearing Xu call him, hesitated, got up.

Because the mud wall between the two families was rather high, Little Tiger couldn’t see his own yard, he didn’t respond, glancing at Yu Xiaolian, seemingly torn whether to answer Xu.

Like rural neighbors, walls between houses generally aren’t too high, theirs is over a person’s height, due to old man Sun.

In the past, old man Sun often crossed the low wall, to visit Sun Fengshou’s yard for chats, sometimes couldn’t stand Xu berating his old sister-in-law, crossing over to defend.

Later Xu scolded old man Sun as a nosy neighbor, saying his real interest wasn’t drinking but pursuing his old cousin’s sister-in-law.

Both Sun Granny and Sun Five Lord are widowed, Xu maliciously spread this openly and secretly in the village, gossip increased, popular opinion shifted, Sun Granny felt embarrassed, she approached Sun Five Lord, told him not to visit casually, her matters required no intervention.

Sun Five Lord felt rage, taking good intentions as donkey’s liver.

Thus, overnight he had his three sons build up the yard wall between the two families, the higher the better.

Lower wouldn’t do, fearing if Xu scolded, he’d impulsively cross the wall again.

As a result, the yard wall between them became absurdly high.

Since then when the two elders meet on the road, to avoid scandal, they seldom speak, another reason nobody knew about Sun Granny’s illness these days.

Yu Xiaolian held Little Tiger’s hand, went back to the neighboring courtyard.

Sun Five Lord followed behind with hands behind his back, and his group of grandchildren, also tagged along.

Upon entering the courtyard, Xu’s gaze stiffened, revealing a trace of guilt that quickly vanished.

Xu chuckled, "Well, if it isn’t my eldest niece, how come you’re back? Where are your parents? Did you come back alone again?"

Xu’s familiar and intimate demeanor made Yu Xiaolian shiver with disgust.

Through the open window, Yu Xiaolian saw Old Xu flipping through her grandma’s chest.

She ignored Xu, shouted at Sun Five loudly, "Five grandpa, there’s a thief in the house stealing my grandma’s things!"

Due to Sun Granny being sick for many days, the room went uncleaned, not only was there a strong medicinal smell, but also a strange stench, so before Yu Xiaolian went next door for breakfast, she opened the window for ventilation.

Even if Yu Xiaolian didn’t say it, Sun Five also saw, and he guessed the person inside was Xu’s brother Old Xu, yet he pretended not to know, gladly cooperating with Yu Xiaolian.

So, he called out all of his sons and daughters-in-law.

Catch the thief.