Read Novel Full Chapter 96.2 – How to Handle Annoying Relatives (II)
Chapter 96.2 – How to Handle Annoying Relatives (II)
Xia Mian stayed at home, discussing preparations for visiting Xia Chun’s grave. “Hong Juan’s already working on the offerings,” her aunt-in-law said. “Once those are ready today, we’ll just buy some joss paper, fruit, and wine, and we can go straight there.”
The mention of Xia Chun made everyone’s mood heavy. While the atmosphere was still somber, a fair-skinned elderly lady in a blue floral shirt pushed the door open. Before she even spoke, she was smiling. “Xiang’e, I heard Mianmian came back?”
It was Grandma Xia.
Xia Chuan glanced at Xia Mian, eyes speaking: See? Here she is already.
Eldest Aunt-in-law’s brow furrowed slightly as she sighed inwardly.
Xia Mian quickly wiped her eyes and eagerly went to greet the ‘guest.’ “Grandma! You’re here!”
Grandma Xia sensed something was off, but still looked at her lovingly. “Haven’t seen you for two years, Mianmian’s grown into a big girl. No one’s bullying you over there, right?”
“Of course.” Xia Mian grabbed her hand excitedly. “Grandma, I was just about to come find you—didn’t expect you to come first. Remember last time you said you wanted to come to Yan City with us, to cook and do laundry for us? This time you should just come along!”
As if worried the old lady might refuse, Xia Mian added sweetly, “Grandma, I bought you a pretty silk scarf the other day, but I forgot to pack it. Anyway, since you’ll be going to Yan City with me in a few days, I can just give it to you then.”
Although Grandma Xia had come with exactly that in mind, Xia Mian’s overly enthusiastic invitation made her hesitate. “What’s going on?”
“Grandma, you don’t know how hard it’s been for me and Xiao Feng this year,” Xia Mian said pitifully. “I can’t even pick him up from school, so he’s been staying with a neighbor. That’s not a long-term solution.”
“And with no one to clean or cook, we’ve been eating takeout every day, and my money’s almost gone.”
Grandma Xia frowned. “The Ning family isn’t helping you?”
“They did last year,” Xia Mian sighed, “but this year, even if they wanted to, they can’t.”
“Their company seems to be in trouble. You know that real estate bubble in Hainan? So many people lost their fortunes, and some even ended up killing themselves. The Ning family also lost a lot of money, so they can’t take care of us right now.”
“But they did arrange schools for me and Xiao Feng and even rented us a place for a year, so that’s already more than generous.”
Looking troubled, Xia Mian continued, “But I’ve got one more year before I graduate high school. If it’s just me and Xiao Feng, I don’t think we’ll make it through.”
“Grandma, please come with us this time,” she said, clinging to her arm like a spoiled child. “Just one hard year, then when I get into college, things will be easier.”
“It’s not even much work—both me and Xiao Feng will be at school most of the day. You’d just need to tidy up the place, cook, and pick him up once a day. With how strong you still are, it would be no problem.”
Then she clapped her hands suddenly. “Oh! Right! There’s a street-sweeping job right outside where we rent. I asked the Ning family to help arrange it for you—it’s super easy, just a couple swipes with a broom each day.”
“Think of it as exercise, and it even pays two hundred yuan a month. That way, the three of us would have our expenses covered.”
The calculation was laid out clearly. Grandma Xia immediately frowned and sighed. “It’s not that Grandma doesn’t want to help. Two years ago I could’ve, but now… Now I’m seventy-five, and my legs aren’t so good anymore.”
Xia Mian said regretfully, “If you can’t sweep, that’s fine too. That’s not a big problem, really. You don’t need to move fast to clean and cook. Just doing household work is already plenty; mainly, I want someone to be home watching Xiao Feng so he won’t be alone after school.”
“Please, Grandma, come with us. Once I get into college, I’ll make sure you enjoy a good life.”
Frightened by Xia Mian’s ‘persuasion,’ Grandma Xia didn’t even sit for a few minutes before saying she needed to leave.
But Xia Mian grabbed her tightly, looking ready to keep persuading her. “Grandma, didn’t you come to see us? Xiao Feng isn’t even back yet.”
The old lady insisted she had something to do and had to leave, so Xia Mian changed her request.
“Grandma, I really don’t have any money left.” She clung to her pitifully, refusing to let go. “Can you lend me a little? Once I get Zhang Qiming’s house and sell it, I’ll pay you back. That house could sell for fifty or sixty thousand.”
“I came back this time specifically to sell the house because I’m out of money.”
Grandma Xia said warily, “You can’t sell a work-unit house, can you?”
Xia Mian’s gaze flickered. “Sure you can. They’re in high demand—what work-unit housing isn’t in short supply? There’s no such thing as one that won’t sell.
“Even if a murderer had lived there, at worst I’d just sell it cheaper…”
The more she said, the less the old lady believed her. But Xia Mian wouldn’t let her go, forcing the stingy woman to part with twenty yuan before she was allowed to leave.
Once Grandma Xia was gone, Xia Chuan and the others laughed until they were doubled over. “Where do you get all these crazy ideas?”
Xia Mian grinned. “Aren’t they the ones who push me to it? I just want to live comfortably.”
Xia He chuckled. “Well, both problems are solved now. Finally, we can all live in peace.”
Unfortunately for Xia He, peace was impossible for his family. Getting rid of the scheming Second Uncle and Grandma meant less trouble, yes, but his mischievous nephew was another matter—no matter how much Qiangqiang infuriated them, they couldn’t possibly drive him out.
By evening, the offerings for sweeping Xia Chun’s grave were nearly ready, and the family was bustling about preparing dinner. Suddenly, a child burst in, breathless. “Uncle Hai, Aunt Ma told me to tell you—Qiangqiang fell into a pit.”
“What?!” Xia Hai’s face instantly turned pale.
It was wheat irrigation season, and many places had dug water pits for storage. There were some deep ones by the western ridge where a child had drowned before, so adults constantly warned the children to stay away.
Xia Hai assumed Qiangqiang had gotten bold with Xiao Feng around and gone there. “That damn kid!” he cursed, running out.
Xia Mian’s mind buzzed. She quickly asked the child, “What about his little brother? Are they together?”
“His new little brother?” the child said. “Yeah, they’re together—his brother was trying to save him.”
The whole family rushed out in a panic—only for the child to shout once they were outside, “Not that way, it’s east!”
Xia Hai was baffled. “How could it be east? The fields there are already irrigated—no water pits!”
“It’s not a water pit,” the child said. “It’s a mud pit.”
“Mud pit?” Xia Hai’s tense expression eased. “Is Qiangqiang okay?”
“He’s now a mudboy! You can still tell it’s Qiangqiang, but he’s rolling around in there and won’t come out. There are a bunch of others, too. Aunt Ma sent me to tell the grown-ups.”
Turned out it was nothing more than a passerby warning the parents about their children’s mischief. Everyone exhaled in relief. Li Fang’s knees nearly buckled, and Hong Juan rushed to steady her.
Xia Mian also realized belatedly that she was drenched in cold sweat.
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Translator’s Note:
Extra chapter on Sunday!