These words hit Xie Sui where it hurt; he had indeed been as bad as He Liang before.
Xie Min was not one to take insults lying down, and she immediately defended her younger brother, "He Liang, shut your mouth. Xiao Sui has changed for the better now. Stop bringing up old history. If you want to go back, you go back by yourself. My children and I will eat and drink at my parents' home, won't we be saving your family's provisions?"
He Liang was displeased, "If you don't come back, who will do my laundry and cooking for me? It'll be as if I have no wife, and people will laugh at me."
Xie Min sneered, "Don't you have your mother to look after you? Why do you need me? Have you forgotten how your mother secretly gave you eggs while our daughter watched longingly, and you wouldn't even give a bite to the child? He Liang, I don't care to say much, but don't push your luck!"
Xie Sui was speechless; this guy was even worse than he used to be.
He Liang stammered, "That's not true."
Xie Min showed no mercy, "Wenwen told me everything. She watched from outside the window. Your mother said she's just my little girl and doesn't deserve an egg. As a father, could you stomach that? I held the child and cried for three days. I'll remember this for the rest of my life!"
Xie Sui touched his nose. Women, indeed, remember small matters for a lifetime.
As they were arguing, they went to find Lin Wanwan to watch the show together. "Wanwan, is there anything you remember about me for a lifetime?"
Lin Wanwan said, "Plenty. Do you want me to tell you one by one?"
"No, I shouldn't have asked."
Lin Wanwan pursed her lips and smiled. This guy had truly changed now, with a face full of remorse. The hardships he had endured were now in the past.
"Hey, why aren't you trying to mediate? Are you just going to let them argue!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the fight broke out on the other side. Xie Min made the first move, slapping He Liang on the back of the head. Lin Wanwan quickly intervened, "Stop fighting."
Xie Sui sneered, "Don't stop them. Let's see if this second brother-in-law dares to fight back?"
He Liang certainly wouldn't dare. This was his wife's family home; he would only dare to fight if he truly wanted to end their marriage.
"Xie Min, don't go too far. Father, Mother, aren't you going to discipline her? What kind of woman is she? Not only can she not give birth to a son, but she also hits people. How can we continue living like this?"
Xie Sui interjected, "Not having a son is the man's responsibility; you can't blame the woman. If your seed is no good, don't blame the land!"
"Look at me, two sons at once. That's my capability. If you're incapable, don't blame my second sister."
Xie Sui's greatest regret in his past life was not raising his twin sons. Countless times, drunk, he had thought that if his sons had grown up, he would have sons to inherit his vast fortune and would have trained them well. Now that his sons were still alive and Wanwan was by his side, Xie Sui couldn't help but show off.
This argument was quite novel. People of this era generally blamed women for not bearing sons, but Xie Sui was overturning their perception. Of course, there was scientific evidence, they just didn't know it.
He Liang was so cornered that he couldn't speak. He squatted on the ground and acted shamelessly, "Anyway, I'm not leaving. If I go home, I'll just get scolded. It's too annoying."
Xie Sui smiled, "Become a live-in son-in-law, and let us support you? That's fine, you can stay."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I guarantee you'll have meat for every meal, beer for every meal, and I'll cover your children's education."
He Liang became wary, "Are you really that kind?"
"Why wouldn't I be? My old house needs to be renovated, the crops in the fields need tending, and we need people to collect mushrooms from the back mountain and pick prickly ash. You'll be here, just in time to work."
He Liang was displeased, "You want me to be your hired hand?"
"Who gets to eat if they don't work? Do you think you're coming here to be treated like an ancestor?"
He Liang put on a shameless expression, I'm not leaving, and I'm not working. What can you do to me?
Xie Min was so angry she wanted to cry. He had disgraced her completely.
Lin Wanwan pulled her back into the house, telling Xie Sui to deal with him. Lin Wanwan could understand Xie Min's feelings. Xie Sui had been like this before. Every time people came to their door to scold him, demand money, or criticize his unethical deeds, Lin Wanwan felt utterly ashamed. Fortunately, he had changed. Lin Wanwan hoped He Liang would also change, and that her second sister would find happiness.
Xie Sui offered He Liang a cigarette. As He Liang puffed away, Xie Sui said, "Second brother-in-law, let's talk seriously. I'll give you a chance. If you can earn money, you can stand tall, and live as a decent person. Isn't that better than just drifting along like now?"
He Liang was delighted, "Really? You're still my brother-in-law. Brother-in-law will definitely listen to you."
Xie Sui said, "You know that Lu Tianxing and the others are buying village specialties, and people can make a small fortune now. You can do that too. If you can do this well, I have more profitable opportunities for you. But if you can't do it well, don't ever step into my house again. Don't say I didn't help you make money."
He Liang nodded repeatedly, "Okay, I'll definitely do it. We're agreed then."
Xie Sui smiled slightly, "Of course. However, while you're busy building your career, my second sister and daughter will stay at my place for now. You have a large family at home, and my second sister won't be happy if she goes back. When you earn money, build a new house like mine, and start your own family, won't that be much more comfortable and enviable!"
He Liang was hooked, "I can build a new house too?"
"You definitely can."
Xie Sui painted a rosy picture for him. He Liang, riding a borrowed old bicycle, pedaled away with a clatter.
Xie Min was puzzled, "Xiao Sui, why is he being so obedient?"
"It's only temporary. We'll see how he performs later. Second sister, don't think too much about it. Your brother will back you up. I'll support whatever you want to do."
Xie Min hugged him emotionally, "Thank you, Xiao Sui."
Xie Sui felt a little awkward, "I'm more used to you slapping me twice. You're suddenly so sentimental, and I'm not quite accustomed to it."
"You're asking for a beating!"
Xie Min chuckled. He Wenwen and He Qingqing ran back with Dou Dou and Ding Ding, each holding something in their hands. They showed it to Xie Sui, "Uncle, look what we caught! For you, Uncle."
"You're so good to your uncle? Uncle loves you. Let me see what good things you have."
The two girls opened their hands, and with a croak, it was a green frog. Xie Sui: "..."
They really were his nieces!
Dou Dou and Ding Ding giggled, "Dad, surprised? Unexpected!"
It turned out to be the idea of these two little rascals. Xie Sui beckoned them over, "Dad will give you a surprise."
The two boys ran quickly, "No! We're going to catch loaches to play!"
"Come back, Dad will go with you."
"Really?"
"Of course, it's true. Remember from now on, you're not allowed to go near the river without an adult. There are water ghosts in the river. They'll catch children and treat them as their own, and then you'll have to live in the water and never see Mom and Dad again."
Xie Sui told them stories of water ghosts taking lives, scaring the children into hugging him tightly and trembling, which elicited a mischievous chuckle from Xie Sui.