Chapter 316
“Your partner is quite capable, isn’t he? Does he usually deal in the black market?” Mr. Su asked, furrowing his brow.
Su Xiaoxiao’s smile instantly froze, and she looked at her father with a hint of nervousness. “He mainly hunts wild game in the mountains with a few friends and sells it to people in the black market. He doesn’t wander around the black market himself. And he also sells some to the supply and marketing cooperatives in the village and city, so it’s not easy to trace.”
Su Xiaoxiao was very careful with her words, worried that saying too much might cause more trouble for Jiang Yexun.
Mr. Su nodded in satisfaction. “He’s someone who knows how to navigate social situations and make choices. To raise such a child in the collective, did one of his parents come from a landlord family?”
“Dad, how do you know this?” Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief. It was one thing for the villagers to be uninformed, but her dad seemed too certain.
Seeing her daughter’s bewildered expression, Mrs. Su smiled and took her hand, leading her to sit on the sofa. “People from the collective, if you look back four or five decades, might have managed to gain more experience and skills than children in the city purely based on their own efforts. But what era are we in now? If you’re looking for a partner, those kids are at most sixteen or thirty at the oldest—this is a particularly tough time for our country. Those who are out making waves generally don’t come back to the village; they’re too busy laboring away in the fields, battling the elements just to survive.
That boy can prepare so much for you, and given what you’ve told me, it’s clear he must have an elder in his family who can discuss these matters with him. If both of his parents were wealthy, he’d probably be living in a barn by now and wouldn’t have been able to protect you in the village, let alone come to the city with you.”
Listening to her mother’s analysis, Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but marvel at how insightful her parents were, which explained why they could hold prominent positions.
Unfortunately, her brother and she had passed away in their previous lives so unexpectedly, which led their parents to an early departure due to successive losses.
“Yexun’s mother used to be a wealthy young lady, and she is indeed a very gentle elder. She has never acted superior and always takes good care of me, never letting me do anything,” Su Xiaoxiao said, her cheeks flushing with a vibrant red as she spoke of her experiences.
Seeing her like this, Mr. and Mrs. Su couldn’t help but smile. Mrs. Su even playfully rubbed Su Xiaoxiao’s hand, “You seem even softer now than before you left. It looks like you probably haven’t done any laundry yourself.”
Su Xiaoxiao blinked and didn’t dare to answer directly. But her silence made it clear enough.
“Why would you let others do your laundry? You’re getting lazier,” Mrs. Su said.
“It’s not that much laundry. Jiang Yexun bought a washing machine for his sister in the city. Every week, he takes the dirty clothes there and brings back the clean ones,” Su Hongchen explained from the side.
Mr. and Mrs. Su were somewhat surprised. “He even bought a washing machine? Has he made a lot of money?”
“Well, together we have a few tens of thousands now, and it’s all with me,” Su Xiaoxiao said as she began to dig through her bag.
Mr. and Mrs. Su were a bit upset but seeing their daughter’s innocent and cute appearance, they swallowed their words of criticism.
“You shouldn’t take so much money from Jiang. Even if you’re married, it’s not right to take so much,” Mrs. Su gently patted Su Xiaoxiao’s hand, her tone earnest.
Her daughter was just too innocent, believing whatever others say without question. After all, the Jiang family still had elders, and in our collective, the customs dictate that parents and children wouldn’t separate. With so much money in her hands, how would she navigate the relationships with her sisters-in-law and mother-in-law in the future?
“But there’s also my several thousand in there,” Su Xiaoxiao replied, blinking her eyes. She went on to explain how her Whitening Pills and Moisture Pills had been in high demand in Beijing, making quite the profit. However, she refrained from mentioning her side business of collecting and selling antiques to avoid worrying her parents too much.
Mr and Mrs. Su were taken aback by her revelations but didn’t question her reasoning. From a young age, Su Xiaoxiao had been especially doted upon in their family, and as relatively open-minded parents, they had instilled a sense of honesty in their children, so neither of them had a habit of lying.
Mrs. Su let out a heartfelt sigh. “You’ve always had a knack for finding things. I used to worry so much when you’d go scavenging at the junkyard for books. I never expected you’d turn out to be so capable, even managing to uncover something like this.”
Though Su Xiaoxiao felt a twinge of guilt, she still reached into her bag and pulled out two glass jars containing her capsules.
“Mom, this jar is for the Whitening Pills, and this one is for the Moisture Pills. You can try them out and see how well they work. If you like them, I’ll send you more every couple of months,” Su Xiaoxiao offered eagerly.
“Great, I’ll use them after my bath tonight,” Mrs. Su took the jars and said with a smile. She felt happy to be using products made by her daughter. However, seeing the contrast made her son appear less dutiful in comparison.
Noticing his mother’s disdainful gaze, Su Hongchen quickly retrieved a thick envelope from his bag.
“Mom, this is my bonus for this year’s tasks, two thousand yuan for you. I also received a second-class individual merit and a first-class team merit, and I was promoted from platoon leader to deputy battalion leader.”
Mr. and Mrs. Su’s hearts tightened upon hearing this. Although they were proud of Su Hongchen, the risks associated with such honors made it hard for them to truly feel joy. They could only suppress their worries and smile. “Well done. You’ve finally justified your decision to join the army and the country’s investment in you. But remember, you still have your parents and sister. You need to be a reliable elder brother and support her for a long time.”
“I will remember,” Su Hongchen said as he gave them a military salute.
Mr. and Mrs. Su smiled, then frowned thoughtfully, “Since you’ve been promoted to deputy battalion leader, shouldn’t your wife be able to join you with the troops?”
Su Hongchen’s smile froze instantly. With Su Xiaoxiao’s teasing gaze on him, he cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Mom, that’s only for battalion leaders and above. I’m just a deputy battalion leader now. I need to work harder.”
“Alright, we allow you to be a bit arrogant for a few more years,” Mrs. Su said, giving him a mock glare.
While they were eager for grandchildren, they didn’t want to push their son into dangerous situations for military honors, nor did they want to see him and his future wife separated right after marriage.
Their son’s progress was already rapid; usually, it took about thirty years for someone to become a battalion leader. Given that their son was only twenty-two and had already reached deputy battalion leader, it showed his exceptional capabilities.
“By the way, why didn’t you inform us in advance about your return? Were you worried we’d run into your Yexun at the train station?” Mrs. Su asked as she started to sort through the large bags of items.
Su Xiaoxiao blushed and pretended not to understand, blinking innocently.
Mr. and Mrs. Su couldn’t help but laugh more upon seeing her reaction. However, to avoid making her too uncomfortable, they refrained from further teasing and focused on examining the contents of the bags.
There were six pig ears, eight dried pig trotters, twelve pig tails, cured meats and ribs totaling about thirty pounds each, and more than ten three-pound salted fish. Two goat legs, one beef leg, and two unknown legs, along with two pig legs. Twelve wild chickens, twelve wild ducks, and a total of thirty wild rabbits.
Mrs. Su was astonished. “How did you get so many wild rabbits?”
“Xiaoxiao loves rabbit meat,” Su Hongchen explained.
Mrs. Su shook her head helplessly. “You found such a sincere partner. He prepared so much just because you like it? Even if we can’t eat that much, I doubt even their entire village could finish all this meat in winter.”
“It’s okay, it’s all cured. I can stay until March and if we don’t finish it, Yexun can sell it in Shanghai. We’ll send fresh cured meat back when we return,” Su Xiaoxiao said lazily, lounging on the sofa.
Mr. and Mrs. Su gave her a disapproving look.
“You speak so casually. Do you know how hard it is to get this much meat and its value? Even if you’re in a relationship, you should take your partner’s efforts seriously. If not, even the deepest feelings can grow cold over time,” Mrs. Su said patiently.