Ever since Su Qing married into the Xie family, she and Wang Cuifen had hit it off. The two of them spent every day together, whispering about who-knows-what.
Whether it was Cripple Xie or Xie Jianhua and his brothers, everyone in the family suspected the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo weren’t up to any good—after all, Wang Cuifen had already "disciplined" every single one of them at some point.
While Wang Cuifen and Su Qing had plenty to talk about, Cripple Xie and his own son Xie Jianhua could barely muster more than a few stiff words even when sitting together.
"You’re leaving for the station tomorrow. I won’t be seeing you off—just your mother and your wife will go." Cripple Xie had work and couldn’t take time off just to send his son away.
"I know."
"You’ve done well. My old commander even wrote to me praising you." Speaking of this, Cripple Xie felt both pride and bitterness. His son had surpassed him, but that also meant he faced greater dangers. He couldn’t help worrying Xie Jianhua might come to harm.
Cripple Xie had retired from the battlefield not long after liberation. His old comrades who hadn’t been discharged due to injuries had all done well for themselves over the years.
Back in the war, they’d shared life-and-death bonds. So when Cripple Xie swallowed his pride and asked for favors, his old friends were willing to lend a hand—not with special treatment, but enough to ensure Xie Jianhua’s merits weren’t stolen and his promotions weren’t blocked by petty obstacles.
But some of those old comrades had risen too high, only to be sent down to labor camps later.
After hesitating for a couple of seconds, Cripple Xie finally spoke up. "Second Son, I want to ask you to visit someone for me—an old friend of mine."
These days, most people were desperate to cut ties with such individuals. Asking his son to do this was embarrassing, but Wang Cuifen had always spoiled the kids and often scolded him over parenting matters. Cripple Xie never believed being a father gave him the right to order his children around.
He explained, "This friend of mine came from a well-off family back then. I used to tease him for being a 'young master soldier.' But he was smarter than me, better educated, and a skilled tactician—ended up far more successful. He got into trouble because of overseas connections in his family. With the political climate being what it is, I didn’t dare mention him before, afraid of implicating our family. But your mother said last night I shouldn’t be ungrateful..."
Of course, no one else’s life was more important than his own family’s.
In the past, no matter how much he missed his old friend, Cripple Xie had kept his distance. If someone with greater achievements than his own had been sent down, what chance did he have?
He might’ve stayed silent, but Wang Cuifen knew his social circles well. She brought it up herself and even suggested they help while the man was in need.
At the time, Cripple Xie had hesitated. "His own son cut ties with him. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for me to reach out? What if it backfires on us?"
Wang Cuifen shot him a look and said sarcastically, "It’s been years—who’s still paying attention to him? Just send some food and clothes, nothing too obvious. Or have you forgotten who carried you to the field hospital back then? You’d have died years ago if not for him. Now that he’s in trouble, you’re turning away?"
"You were the one who stopped me from helping before! You kept a death grip on the money and ration coupons!" Cripple Xie felt wronged.
Back then, Wang Cuifen controlled the household finances, and with several young children to feed, they truly had little to spare. All he could do was send a hollow letter of concern—no real aid. It had shamed him.
But Wang Cuifen refused to take the blame. "That was then, this is now. Back then, staying low was the only way to survive. But the worst of it has passed."
She didn’t just offer empty words, either—she was willing to spend money and ration tickets to back up her support.
Her words kept Cripple Xie tossing and turning all night.
With his bad leg and work obligations, he couldn’t easily take leave. So he asked Xie Jianhua to visit the man on his way back to the military base.
A letter alone wouldn’t suffice—certain things couldn’t be put into writing, not with the risk of inspection.
After briefly explaining the situation, Cripple Xie waited silently for Xie Jianhua’s response.
Even if his son refused, he wouldn’t blame him. There was indeed some risk involved.
"My return isn’t urgent. Just give me the address and whatever you want me to deliver." Xie Jianhua didn’t mind. If he were the type to worry about such things, he wouldn’t have befriended the crowd Wang Cuifen called his "no-good pals."
"Your mother will handle the items." Cripple Xie didn’t dare pack anything himself—getting scolded for a mistake wasn’t worth it.
Once the father and son settled the matter, Cripple Xie called out, "Cuifen, stop chatting and come pack!"
Knowing it was serious, Wang Cuifen reluctantly patted Su Qing’s hand. "Auntie Zhou next door didn’t just cheat with one man—we’ll continue tomorrow. Come help me pack first."
Wang Cuifen knew all the neighborhood scandals, and it would take more than a day to share them all. Compared to the older generation’s shocking affairs, the Su sisters’ marriage switcheroo was small potatoes.
But such gossip was best kept between them. In front of Cripple Xie and Xie Jianhua, they held back.
The couple’s room doubled as a dining and living area, even serving as the guest reception space. Privacy wasn’t an option, so Su Qing felt no awkwardness being there.
Wang Cuifen kept the good stuff locked in a cabinet. Even when supplementing Su Qing’s needs, she doled things out gradually rather than all at once.
She worried Su Qing, being young, might splurge everything early and end up starving later.
The first thing Wang Cuifen did upon opening the cabinet was grab a handful of sweet potato strips and stuff them into Su Qing’s hands, coaxing her like a child. "Here, snack on these."
With meals so lacking in oil, hunger struck fast. Su Qing immediately started chewing.
The sweet, chewy strips were perfect for gnawing on.
After eating one, Su Qing fed another to Wang Cuifen. "So good! Here, Mom, you have some too."
Xie Jianhua and Cripple Xie glanced at Su Qing, then looked away.
In such a short time, they’d already grown used to this sight.
With an extra 500 catties’ worth of grain tickets in her pocket, Wang Cuifen was feeling generous. She pulled out the hidden treasures from her cabinet. "Take this canned yellow peach, the meat can, some rice—fine grains are nourishing—and some brown sugar too..."
Su Qing’s eyes sparkled with admiration. "Wow, Mom, you’re amazing at managing the household! You’ve saved up so much good stuff."
"These are for the gift. If you want some, I’ll buy you more later," Wang Cuifen clarified, worried Su Qing might get possessive.
"Okay."
In the kitchen, Xie Jiankang and Xie Guiying, hearing the commotion, rushed through washing the dishes and dashed in. "Mom, we want canned food too!"
Wang Cuifen’s expression darkened instantly. "Eat, eat, eat—is that all you think about? How about some dog poop instead?"
