“Wah wah… why don't you believe me? I saw you tying your hair with a grass rope, unwilling to buy candy, unwilling to buy sour plum powder. I bought you a hair tie, and you still hit me?”
Xie Dabao cried with such injustice. An eight-year-old child simply couldn't understand what he had done wrong. To be beaten and accused of stealing was too tragic; he didn't even want to live.
Cai Jinhua thought about it. It was true. She had gone to the drawer to get money, and two yuan were missing. Just then, Xie Dabao returned with the hair tie, so she assumed he had stolen it. Their family was not wealthy to begin with, how could they afford him to waste it like this?
Filled with rage, she beat him first to calm her anger. Parents treated their children this way, beating them even when they hadn't done anything wrong, and even more so when they made mistakes.
Xie Sui said, "It was me who gave the money to Doudou and Dingding. Dabao’s money was also earned legitimately. He collected cicada shells and sold them to Doudou and Dingding, three for a cent. The children must have worked hard to save money, and it was all for you.
Grandma Jinhua, with such a good son, you should be smiling in your dreams.”
"Is that so? Cicada shells are worth that much?”
"Of course, they are medicinal herbs, and they have always been valuable."
Cai Jinhua remembered her son leaving early and returning late recently, sometimes with dew on his body. She felt a little touched, but she wouldn't admit her mistake verbally: "You didn't tell your mother earlier, which made me misunderstand. I'm going home.”
Xie Dabao lowered his head, his hair strands exuding a sense of injustice.
"Grandma Jinhua, wait a moment. You should apologize to the child."
Xie Sui couldn't bear to see the child wronged and asked for justice for Xie Dabao.
"Who apologizes to a child? I didn't hit him that hard. I hit him, and I need to apologize?”
Cai Jinhua thought it was ridiculous. There wasn't a single parent in the whole village who apologized to their child.
Xie Sui said seriously, "You don't have to apologize, and the child can't do anything about it, but you have hurt the child's loving heart. You misunderstood him and hit him, and you didn't even say a word of apology. Will the child still buy you gifts in the future?”
Cai Jinhua was shaken. She knew she was wrong, but she was too proud to admit it. Many adults didn't treat children as real people, merely raising them roughly. Being able to raise a child to adulthood was already considered good parenting.
"Children also have self-esteem and deserve respect. If you chill your child's heart, they will remember it for a lifetime."
Cai Jinhua squatted down and saw Xie Dabao's tear-filled eyes, stubborn and wronged. She said with guilt, "Son, I'm sorry."
“Wah wah…”
Xie Dabao started crying again, but this time it was tears of joy.
"This is much better; mother and son are at peace.
Let's not compete with them for the job of collecting cicada shells. I want to buy some scorpions. Whoever catches them will get a high price, two yuan per catty, as much as you have, I’ll buy it. Whoever wants to earn money can go catch scorpions.”
"Scorpions can also be sold for money?"
"All scorpions are medicinal herbs, but be careful not to get stung; they are poisonous."
"Of course. I was stung by a scorpion once, and it swelled for several days."
"Xie Sui, are you serious? I'll go catch them tonight. There are many on the back mountain."
"Of course, it counts. Payment on the spot."
Scorpions needed to be caught at night, usually under rocks in shady places. A large one could weigh an ounce, and ten or more would make a catty. The older generation had all caught them before, but later, when everything was collective under the communal farming system, they dared not catch them.
Since they could sell them for money, they agreed to go together at night to catch them, so they could help each other if anyone got stung.
The crowd dispersed. Zhao Tielin lingered at the end, giving Xie Sui a deep look. Xie Sui nodded at him. Zhao Tielin snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Xie Sui was puzzled. He hadn't provoked this old man!
If it were in his past life, Xie Sui would have been afraid of Zhao Tielin. When Zhao Tielin was the team leader, he had often made things difficult for Xie Sui, withholding his work points and always having a dark expression. Xie Sui wasn't afraid of his parents, but he was afraid of the stern-faced Zhao Tielin.
However, after being reborn, he saw many things clearly. Zhao Tielin was not a competent team leader. Many villagers had been bullied by him. Now, he still acted like a lord, very cynical, wanting to scold everyone he saw.
This type of person was the least likely to want the land to be contracted to households, as it represented the end of their good days.
Xie Sui also snorted coldly, even louder than Zhao Tielin. "I didn't provoke you, so why are you putting on a long face?
I'm not going to take this kind of mistreatment.”
Because Xie Sui could bring wealth to everyone, Zhao Xiue walked through the village with unprecedented enthusiasm, her smile never leaving her face.
For the first thirty years, a son's fortunes reflected his father's; for the next thirty years, a father's fortunes reflected his son's. When people got old, they lived for their sons.
When they arrived at Xie Dajiang's house, his sister-in-law Wang Xiuju pouted, "What good news is there? Your mouth is so wide it's almost reaching your ears. Are you here to return money?”
Zhao Xiue's smile faltered. She had borrowed two yuan from her sister-in-law, and because of these two yuan, she had always felt inferior to Wang Qiuju.
But they were siblings; there was no need to constantly bring it up, was there?
Zhao Xiue said, "I'll get it for you when I go home later. This is fried sugar cake for mother. It's soft. Xiao Sui specially bought it for her. I'll leave it here and go get the money for you.”
Wang Xiuju was surprised. Had Xie Sui really made money?
In the past, when two yuan were mentioned, her sister-in-law would practically bury her head in the ground, meekly not daring to utter a sound. But now, she was so confident!
She was reluctant to even eat the fried sugar cakes. Brown sugar, oil, and white flour were all precious ingredients. Each one sold for two mao. And she had brought four?
Grandma Xie stood at the entrance of the main hall, seeing everything clearly. She sneered, "Look at you, getting your face slapped! Don't be too harsh. If brothers are so petty, how will the children get along in the future?”
Grandma Xie took the sugar cakes and happily went inside to eat them. Her grandson was so filial. He had sent egg cakes a few days ago, and he hadn't even finished them when he sent fried sugar cakes again. It was too wasteful. She would lecture him later about not spending money carelessly.
Zhao Xiue returned home, her face still somber. She reached out to Xie Sui, "Give mother two yuan to return your uncle's money?”
"I'm so angry! It's just two yuan, as if we owe her a fortune! If she has the guts, don't come begging me in the future.”
"My son, you've succeeded. Mother is counting on you to hold your head high and no longer suffer these indignities."
Xie Sui gave her three yuan. "The extra yuan is interest. Mother is right; your son will never let you suffer like this again.”
"Ah, good. Mother can finally enjoy a good life.”
Zhao Xiue wiped her eyes and went to return the money valiantly, as if going to war.
In the past, she would have spent every penny twice. Now, she threw a yuan of interest in her sister-in-law's face, and Zhao Xiue didn't feel any heartache.
As expected, Wang Xiuju, holding the extra yuan, was at a loss for words for a moment.
"Thank you, sister-in-law, for lending me money before. I've always remembered this kindness. The interest was given by Xiao Sui, so you can't be at a loss, elder sister-in-law.”
Wang Qiuju smiled awkwardly. "No need. It's enough that the money is returned. What's the point of talking about interest between brothers? It makes people laugh!”