Chapter 113 - 38: "Bloodline Suppression

Chapter 113: Chapter 38: "Bloodline Suppression

"It’s Zhaozhao. The young lady got a job as a sales clerk at the supply and marketing cooperative and came to tell me and her uncle," Aunt Song said, her face beaming.

"She got a job at the cooperative?" The neighbor looked shocked. "That’s a great place to work! I can’t believe she became a sales clerk so quietly. It’s a good job, a great fit for her."

Just then, a resident from the second floor who didn’t get along with Aunt Song appeared. With a sneer, she made a sarcastic remark, "So what if she’s a sales clerk? It’s not like you’ll get anything out of it."

"That girl hasn’t visited you in years. Now she suddenly shows up, she must be looking to take advantage of you again. Be careful, or she’ll scheme you out of your last pair of underwear."

She had tried to set her own niece up with Song Yuncheng, but Aunt Song refused. Ever since then, she’d been spreading gossip about the Song Family.

The Song family members were hardworking and down-to-earth, so there wasn’t much to criticize. Instead, she used Lin Zhao to attack them, always saying that Old Song and his wife were fools for raising an ungrateful wretch...

For the past few years, many people at the factory had treated the Song Family like a joke, watching their drama for a laugh.

Aunt Song ignored her and walked upstairs shoulder-to-shoulder with her neighbor. As they walked, she said with emotion, "Our Zhaozhao is all grown up. It really warms my heart."

The neighbor played along. "Oh? How so?"

"It was only her second day of work, and the girl eagerly came to see me and her uncle, bringing all sorts of things. She brought dried noodles, two pounds of meat, two big apples, a cured sausage, and about twenty eggs. I almost suspected she’d brought over everything good from her own home! And you know what else she said? She said she’s going to support me and her uncle in our old age..." Aunt Song smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling with the traces of time.

"I have two sons, why would I need a young girl like her to support me? But it’s the thought that counts, and it truly warms my heart."

The neighbor knew better than anyone how well Old Song and his wife treated their niece. They basically raised her as their own daughter.

When Lin Zhao hadn’t visited for a few years, the neighbor had quietly wondered to herself, thinking the girl was heartless.

Hearing that Lin Zhao had brought so many things, she was very surprised, and also happy for Old Song and his wife.

"They say your heart is where your money is, and your affection is where your gifts are. You didn’t raise that niece of yours for nothing."

Aunt Song’s smile grew even wider. "I never felt we raised her for nothing. Zhaozhao is the child Old Song and I watched grow up. We know what kind of person she is. There was a reason she didn’t visit for a few years."

"Back then, the temporary job Old Song found for her fell through. To lessen the burden on her family, she got married. Less than a year after getting married, she was pregnant, and she had four children in two births.

"We’re all women, we know how draining it is to raise children. How could she have had time to come to the county town? But see? Now that the kids are a bit older, Zhaozhao came. There are no ungrateful wretches in our family."

She didn’t lower her voice as she said this, and several people in the family apartment building heard her, nodding in agreement.

"That’s right, that’s right. Raising kids is draining. I can’t believe your niece already has four children. She’s so blessed," an older woman whose daughter-in-law hadn’t gotten pregnant in three years said with envy.

"Old Song’s wife, now that your niece is at the supply and marketing cooperative, it should be easy to get your hands on flawed goods, right? We’re all acquaintances here. If you get a chance, help us out, won’t you?"

...

Aunt Song gave a noncommittal reply and headed home.

When she got home, the smile still hadn’t left her face.

’So satisfying!’

’That pent-up frustration in my chest has finally cleared!’

She put away the things Zhaozhao had brought, setting aside the two pounds of meat and the dried noodles, and took them to the communal kitchen.

A neighbor saw the meat in her hands—a full two pounds of it—and immediately asked, "Is that the meat your niece brought?"

"Of course it is. We’re all out of meat coupons at home. If it weren’t for our dutiful Zhaozhao, her uncle wouldn’t be eating meat today." Aunt Song stood next to her preparing the meat, her eyes filled with a smile.

She then washed some green vegetables, chopped up some tofu and carrots, and sliced off a piece of the meat to stir-fry with them.

In an instant, a fragrant aroma filled the air, wafting through the entire building.

The smell made children start crying, clamoring for a taste of meat.

An adult would snap fiercely, "Meat? What meat? Where are we going to get meat coupons? Keep fussing and I’ll beat you to death!"

"WAAAHHH!!!!" Violent sobs erupted one after another.

Uncle Song, who had just returned to the family apartment building, looked utterly confused.

It wasn’t until someone told him that Zhaozhao had come.

He locked his bicycle and hurried upstairs. Pushing the door open, his eyes scanned the room, a hint of anticipation well hidden.

He was so preoccupied with thoughts of his niece that he didn’t even notice the rich aroma of food filling the room.

Aunt Song said, "You’re back. Let’s eat."

Uncle Song sat down, but less than half a minute later, he couldn’t help but ask, "Just the two of us?"

"Who else?" Aunt Song said as she set out the bowls and chopsticks, trying hard to hold back a laugh while pretending not to know what he was thinking.

Uncle Song finally broke. "Didn’t they say Zhaozhao came? Where is she?"

"PFFT—!!" Aunt Song burst out laughing.

"..." Uncle Song just stared at her, speechless.

After she finished laughing, Aunt Song said, "She already left. She said she hadn’t told her family where she was going and was in a hurry to get home to her kids. I had Yuncheng escort her."

Uncle Song nodded.

"Eat your noodles," Aunt Song said. "This meat and the dried noodles were both from Zhaozhao. You’d better eat a lot today."

Uncle Song’s heart felt warm. But then he remembered that Zhaozhao was in the countryside where even getting a single meal with meat was difficult, and the uncle in him started to worry again.

"I remember we have a few cans of preserved meat. We should send them to Zhaozhao another day."

"You think I didn’t offer?" Aunt Song shot him a look. "Zhaozhao flat-out refused."

She started smiling again as she spoke. "Let me tell you some good news..."