Her Cultivation Diary
Chapter 857 - 847. The child is not filial

Chapter 857: 847. The child is not filial

A layer of salt, a layer of sweet potato stalks, the jar is filled and then topped with a sprinkle of salt, finally pouring in the cooled boiled water...

Mid-morning, Qiaoqiao was pickling vegetables and quite enjoying himself, even taking the time to neatly align all the sweet potato stalks—it was clear he found this type of repetitive mechanical work very satisfying!

By the time he sealed the last jar, the old men and women in the yard had already gone for a stroll in the mountains, and that’s when he started to feel a bit annoyed:

"I forgot to teach the kids— they haven’t learned this. When we have the class reunion at pig-slaughtering time, what if they all fail the test?"

Zhang Yanping thought to himself that he’s indeed learned from Xin Jun; as a teacher, his sense of responsibility is second to none!

But class reunions, sometimes, aren’t about the grades.

"No problem!" he offered generously: "When the time comes, I’ll do the assessment in the live stream, someone will definitely pass."

Innocent Qiaoqiao did not realize the underhanded nature of the underworld boss, and obediently agreed, not forgetting to offer considerately:

"Brother Yanping, don’t worry, you’ll be the proctor and you’ll be the first one to do the test!"

Zhang Yanping: "Hmm... Huh?"

...

By afternoon, Brother Xiaozhang had come over again in his van.

Opening the trunk, there were three whole boxes of dedicated packaging for fermented rice sweet wine—a tranny plastic box usually used for storing jewelry or beads, but at Lao Song’s family, used for packaging fish bait.

Brother Xiaozhang methodically tearing tape and sticking boxes while feeling blue said, "This road construction is really holding things up. I have to take a detour through several villages from the town side. What usually takes half an hour to town now takes a whole hour."

Zhang Yanping also sighed: "Tell me about it. Never would have guessed the road work would start so suddenly. We didn’t even stock up enough construction materials, and now that Tantan’s grandfather’s family is building a house, the transportation cost went up a lot."

And they couldn’t let Song Youde know about this talk, otherwise the old man would start fretting about the money again.

Brother Xiaozhang was directly involved in the family disputes of the Song Family and now curiously inquired:

"Eh, the old man’s eldest son, really won’t even contribute a dime?"

That’s so unreasonable!

Who heard of a father building a house and the eldest son and grandson not giving a penny? Brother Xiaozhang was also from a nearby village, wasn’t he clear on how villagers used to split money and property?

Normally, being the eldest son or grandson, got you some advantages, they always got the bigger share of the family property.

Why? Wasn’t it because they bore the responsibility of caring for the elderly? But look at it now, they take the benefits and then find an excuse to wash their hands off it...

Tsk tsk tsk!

He sighed inwardly: "Clever, indeed!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yanping also wore a complicated expression: "That side won’t contribute."

"Not only do they not contribute, but they’re like gobblers trying to shake loose every last feather to take back with them."

"Go on, tell me more!" Brother Xiaozhang taped down a box with a "pop" and his spirit instantly perked up.

Zhang Yanping also had a gossip-hungry face—it was embarrassing to discuss these things at home, and now that he was the one talking about it, he had been holding it in for days!

But after all, he was Tantan’s elder, so he cleared his throat and put on a show: "It’s a simple story really... So let me keep it short."

Brother Xiaozhang was looking at him with eager eyes.

It was indeed a simple affair.

On the days when the road construction team was setting up their site, nobody knows where Song Dafang got his news from, but he called the old man in such a hurry, and his first question was:

"Will the road construction take over our farmland? How much will they compensate?"

This sudden question left Song Youde completely bewildered.

As an old man, he didn’t have any other sources of news. What could he possibly know?

He didn’t even have a clear grasp of the road planning map. When his eldest son suddenly called, he wasn’t keen on answering but held a sliver of hope—what if the kid had come around and was willing to spend some money?

But now, hearing this, the layers of disappointment piled up, and he was at a loss for words.

In the silence, Song Dafang on the other end became anxious first, and Mao Li’s voice could faintly be heard—

"We must make it clear to the old man! Our family is the eldest son and grandson, Qiaoqiao can’t be relied upon! Our Ziyi is also several years old now, if Yanping has another, it won’t delay things, that would be the golden grandchild of Lao Song’s family!"

"We’re talking about passing on the lineage, we can’t break their old generation’s traditions—old man, we’re not after your money out of greed, but you need to pay attention, in a few years, you’ll have a golden grandchild!"

And when the golden grandchild comes, the grandfather can’t be without money, right?

Song Dafang wholeheartedly agreed and quickly instructed: "Dad, that compensation money can’t be spent on Sancheng’s Home. According to the law, I have a share too."

Well, isn’t that something!

Song Youde was not stupid; he understood instantly and burst out cursing:

"The law, huh? Whose law?! The money of Lao Song’s family is the law! What I say goes!"

"And compensation... first tell me, when I’m building a house, how much money are you planning to contribute?"

The village fixing roads, when was there ever any compensation? If one side lacked, we’d make it up on the other, and only if there wasn’t major encroachment, could it be like in the city where even an inch of the land requires a negotiated compensation scheme?

Besides, their village’s existing road wasn’t even changing its path! If the road wasn’t wide enough, it was just a matter of digging into the hillside next to it, how would that hinder anyone’s affairs?

That’s all public land!

The old man huffed and puffed as he hung up the phone, recalling the layout plans he saw the other day, and feeling a bit uncomfortable when Tantan mentioned not reserving a room for his eldest son...

Now, rethink it:

Pah!

Raising children to secure one’s old age, raising children to secure one’s old age, secure against what kind of old age?!

In fact, after muttering and grumbling, he suddenly felt at peace about the house issue.

If it’s a new house, then it’s a new house; if they’re to enjoy, then they’ll enjoy. If there’s no room for the eldest, then so be it!

He and his wife had struggled for half their lives; what’s wrong with living comfortably now? His granddaughter is capable, and he’ll just enjoy it!

He glanced at the small cloth bag of dried chestnuts—these were collected from the squirrels’ mouths and carefully picked and dried after Tantan’s Chestnut Garden was all cleaned up, obviously meant for someone special.

He hardly meddled with Damei’s affairs since Tantan and the others were there to worry about it!

Thinking about it now...

The old man huffed and puffed, tied the cloth bag securely, and thought, once the house is built, when Damei brings back the fridge and air conditioner, he’ll give her these chestnuts!

...

Saying that he would keep it short, yet Zhang Yanping, just by observing the old man’s expressions over that period, had pieced together most of the story. Discussing it now with Brother Xiaozhang, it was like finding a kindred spirit.

And Brother Xiaozhang, who had been chatting enthusiastically, suddenly had his eyes reddening and his voice breaking with a sob: "What if the child my wife’s carrying is a boy and he’s just as unfilial? What will I do when I’m old?"

Zhang Yanping: ...

What the? I’m single and I have to worry about whether your kid will be filial?

"It’s alright." He said emotionlessly, leaning in. "Discuss it with your wife, if this child doesn’t work out, let’s have another. You’re capable enough, right? If not, come to me, I have medicine!"

He gave a "you know what I mean" look: "This medicine is really expensive."

Brother Xiaozhang: ...

His sudden sadness was overcome by skepticism, and he retorted angrily, "I don’t need it!"