Going to the city to pick up goods was not only tiring but also dangerous. In those years, the legal system was not perfect, and robberies were common. The last trip was fraught with twists and turns, so Xie Sui didn't want his wife to take the risk.
The family needed to prepare for the housewarming banquet, and the factory needed him to oversee new products. He was also in a constant power struggle with Yan Xiaoliang. Xie Sui truly had no time and planned to go after these matters were settled.
Chen Weimin could only wait. It was no use even if he went to the city himself; without connections, he couldn't get the goods. He just visited Xie Sui frequently, reminding him not to forget about the clothes.
Xie Sui might not care about the money from opening a factory, but Chen Weimin relied on it to support his subordinates and maintain his black market business.
Soon, the day of the housewarming banquet arrived. Xie Sui had already instructed everyone that they wouldn't be going to the county town today but would be busy at home entertaining relatives.
More than half of the village came to help. The Xie family hadn't been this lively in a long time.
Xie Dahe and his wife beamed with joy. Their son had become successful, which made the elderly couple the happiest. They hadn't even properly held Xie Sui's wedding ceremony, nor had they held a banquet for the children's full moon celebrations. Finally, they could have a lively housewarming banquet.
Xie Sui didn't let his father overwork himself, only asking him to entertain guests. Being a simple rural man, he couldn't say elegant words. He just offered cigarettes to people, invited them to have tea, and listened to everyone's praise. Xie Dahe felt that this was the most glorious day of his life.
"Xie Min, do you even know how to come home? How many days has it been? Have you forgotten your husband?"
Just as Xie Sui was entertaining partners from nearby villages, Xie Min's husband, his second elder brother-in-law, showed up.
Xie Min was busy washing vegetables and stewing meat, her feet barely touching the ground. Seeing her husband enter, she began to complain. Her tone wasn't pleasant either, "Have you forgotten your wife and daughter? So I can't forget my husband?"
Xie Min's husband's surname was He, and his name was He Liang. He was the youngest son in his family, with two older brothers. He was idle and skilled in drinking and gambling, almost on par with Xie Sui.
Both brothers were doted on by their parents. He Liang was the youngest, so his parents loved him. He Liang lived off his parents, leading a rather carefree life.
But it wasn't the same for Xie Min. While her parents-in-law doted on their son, they didn't necessarily favor their daughter-in-law. Moreover, Xie Min had demanded a high bride price back then with no dowry. After entering the family, she consecutively gave birth to two daughters, making her in-laws' expressions uglier by the day.
Even her two sisters-in-law looked down on her. Fortunately, Xie Min had a fiery personality and could barely survive in her in-laws' home. However, the daily arguments and petty squabbles exhausted her.
Since returning to her maiden home and working with Xie Sui, Xie Min seemed to have found another way of life and didn't want to go back at all.
A whole family, more than ten people crammed into one courtyard, felt incredibly stifling just thinking about it.
Xie Sui squinted at his second brother-in-law and stepped forward. "Second brother-in-law, are you here to give us a housewarming gift? Welcome, welcome! The accountant is over there. I see you came empty-handed. A red envelope is expected, isn't it?"
He Liang's face turned red. He didn't even have money for himself, let alone a red envelope for Xie Sui.
According to custom, housewarming banquets typically involved bringing steamed buns. Wealthier guests would bring red fabric for quilts, wine, or fruit for good luck, but no one came empty-handed.
Xie Sui was sure he hadn't prepared anything and wasn't going to give him any face upon his arrival.
He Liang stammered for a moment, "I'll make it up to you later! I'm going to see my daughter!"
Xie Sui sneered. If people have no shame, they are truly invincible.
Xie Min was also embarrassed. Her husband's lack of success made her lose face. The aunts helping out winked at each other, full of mockery.
She got up, went into the room, and took out a prepared red envelope. It contained fifty yuan. After some thought, she kept only ten yuan and found He Liang, handing it to him. "Go and pay the gift money. You might not care about your reputation, but I do!"
He Liang grinned and was about to open it, "Oh my, you have money? How much is it? Let me see!"
"See what? This is the money I earned from selling blood! If you dare to touch it, I'll beat you to death."
He Liang shrugged, "Got it. Am I that kind of person?"
Xie Min sneered, her eyes telling him, "Aren't you?"
He Liang pocketed the red envelope and went to present the gift. At the accountant's desk, he took out five yuan and handed the rest to the accountant. "He Liang, Xie Sui's second brother-in-law. Five yuan, that's not bad, right? Your brother-in-law is generous, isn't he?"
The accountant said, "The gift money is just a token of one's regard. There's no need for comparison. I've noted it down for you."
He Liang glanced at the gifts and his pupils contracted. There were several ten-yuan gifts. When did his brother-in-law make so many rich friends?
Generally, when visiting relatives, people brought steamed buns. Giving one yuan was already a lot. So many ten-yuan gifts indicated wealthy families.
He looked at his brother-in-law's red brick and cement courtyard, the ceramic tiles, glass, electric lights, furniture, and decorations – all the best. This courtyard must have cost a lot to build.
He Liang felt he needed to reacquaint himself with his brother-in-law.
Some young people were playing cards under a tree. He Liang went over and inquired about his brother-in-law's situation. The more he asked, the more astonishing it became. His brother-in-law had become rich and even owned a factory in the county town.
He Liang had an idea. He immediately went to Xie Sui's side, helping to serve tea and water, and entertain relatives, as if he had transformed into a different person.
Xie Sui glanced at him but didn't acknowledge him. It was a family affair today, so it wasn't appropriate to deal with him.
For Xie Sui's housewarming banquet, they brought back an entire pig. They stewed the pig's head, made large pots of dishes, braised pork knuckles, and braised pork belly. The entire courtyard was filled with the aroma of stewed meat, making mouths water.
Although people could eat their fill in those years, meat was still a rarity, eaten only a few times a year. Today, they would feast. Xie Sui was truly generous; no one else prepared so much meat for their celebrations.
While some were happy, others were not. Zhao Tielin's family was plunged into gloom. Zhao Youfang had returned, his face full of worry. He had invested a thousand yuan in a factory partnership with Yan Xiaoliang. However, Yan Xiaoliang no longer needed him and had directly kicked him out. Zhao Youfang was back to square one.
Zhao Tielin was helpless and resigned himself. "Let's go home and farm properly. We're not cut out for business. People in the city are too cunning; we're no match for them."
Zhao Youfang was indignant. "I thought about it for two days. It must be Xie Sui's doing. Yan Xiaoliang was supposed to confront Xie Sui that day, but after he came back, he changed and targeted me directly. It must have been Xie Sui!"
Zhao Tielin lowered his slack, triangular eyes and said sinisterly, "This brat has crossed us several times. We really need to teach him a lesson."
"Dad, what do you think we should do? I've seen it clearly. As long as he's around, we'll never have a good life."
Zhao Tielin took a couple of puffs of his pipe, stood up, and said, "He's having a celebration at his house today, a housewarming. Let's go and take a look."
"I don't want to go. Are we supposed to add to his joy?"
Zhao Youfang was displeased. Zhao Tielin said, "Our presence alone will be enough to annoy him. Adding to his joy? More like bringing him bad luck. It's his celebration; can he drive us out?"