As Xie Sui was thinking, Zhao Tiegang walked out. In just half a year, he looked ten years older.
He glanced at Xie Sui, his greeting devoid of warmth, "Little Sui, you've made it big, come back to your hometown in glory. But don't be too ostentatious in your dealings, you might just run into bad luck one day."
His words were laced with sarcasm, making Xie Sui very uncomfortable. "Uncle Zhao, do you have a problem with me? Is it because of Zhao Tielin? I always thought you were a reasonable elder, but it seems I overestimated human nature. I'll ask you one thing: did you let Zhang's mule run away today? What are you trying to do? Get revenge on me, avenge Zhao Tielin?"
A complex emotion flashed through Zhao Tiegang's eyes, "I did want to use the mule, to cart some manure..."
"Don't lie to me. Manure in the middle of the New Year? The ground is frozen solid, who carts manure at this time? Don't let me find any evidence of this, or I'll deal with you too. If you have an issue with me, you can target me. But if you dare to harm my son, I won't spare you."
Zhao Tiegang's face contorted, "I didn't. I watched you two kids grow up and fed you plenty. Ask them if you don't believe me. Adult conflicts shouldn't involve children. I'm not that despicable."
Xie Sui looked at his eyes, which showed no fear, not like he was lying. He said coldly, "It's best if that's the case, or don't blame me for being heartless."
Zhao Tiegang had his own grievances but could not express them. He watched Xie Sui's retreating back, sighed deeply, and as he opened the door, he saw his youngest son, looking at him with worry.
"Now you know you've caused trouble, right? Think before you act next time. This time, your father will go to great lengths to cover for you, but it won't be this easy again. I know you're still resentful, but you're not a child anymore. You should know right from wrong. Your uncle's family did wrong, and Xie Sui retaliated. He's not in the wrong."
This was Zhao Tiegang's youngest son, who was closest to Zhao Xuefei, mainly because Zhao Xuefei always gave him good food. At eight or nine years old, food was more important than his own mother. Zhao Xuefei's family was driven away by Xie Sui, and with the villagers' gossip, he thought Xie Sui was a bad person and grew to hate him. The child was quite bold and dared to sneak out the livestock to play. He didn't originally intend to get revenge on Xie Sui, but when he saw Doudou alone, his dark thoughts surged, and he wanted to bully Doudou. He never expected Doudou to chase him away with a firecracker.
When Xie Sui returned home, he still felt uneasy. He stopped doing any chores and just played with his son. Young men from the village invited him for drinks, but he declined them all. They all said he had become rich and looked down on the villagers. Xie Sui didn't care. When you reach a certain position, what certain people say becomes unimportant, because all they can do is utter sour remarks and nothing else.
In the blink of an eye, it was Chinese New Year. After a lively New Year's Eve dinner, they cracked melon seeds, chatted, and kept vigil. Xie Sui wondered if he should buy a TV. But he thought that as soon as he bought one, the entire village would come to watch, and his parents, being shy, would have no peace. Those villagers were notorious for taking advantage of kindness.
"Xie Sui, what are you thinking about?" Lin Wanwan nudged him. His grandmother was talking to him.
Xie Sui snapped back to attention, "Nothing much. I was thinking about buying a TV, but I was afraid you'd find it bothersome. The villagers would all come to watch, and we'd have to serve them. Unhygienic people would mess up the house, and we couldn't even scold them. Thinking about it, it's better not to." Let's just live a peaceful life.
Xie Chen was displeased, "Xie Sui, you're wrong to think that way. They're all fellow villagers. You've become successful, shouldn't you do something good for the villagers? You're so stingy about just watching TV. This is not good."
Xie Chen's family would definitely come to accompany Xie Grandma for the New Year's Eve vigil. As for Xie Chen, Xie Sui couldn't praise him. He was good at studying, but his emotional intelligence was worrying. What's more, he had learned to guilt-trip others, which Xie Sui found highly contemptible.
Seeing their disagreement, Xie Grandma first defended Xie Sui, "Xie Chen, you're wrong to say that. Xie Sui earning money is his own ability; it has nothing to do with the villagers! You speak so lightly, as if you're the one who worried and toiled to earn it! I, this old woman, have seen how hard Xie Sui and Wanwan have worked. You don't feel bad, but I do. Of course, our Xie Sui is not ungrateful. Look at Uncle Xu, the Zhang family, and our neighbor the Wang family; they all helped him, and aren't they living well now? We remember those who are good to us, but if anyone treats us like a fool, I, this old woman, will be the first to object."
Xie Sui was delighted, "Grandma is indeed wise. Having an elder at home is a treasure. We'll buy a TV for Grandma to watch and relieve her boredom, a color one, the largest size."
Xie Grandma happily said, "That's good, but Grandma won't indulge those people's bad habits. Anyone who wants to watch has to pay. Even one cent must be paid. We can't let them get used to taking advantage of us." Sudan Novel Network
Xie Sui gave her a thumbs-up, "I admire you. If you were twenty years younger, and followed me to open a factory, you'd definitely be a factory director. The most formidable old lady."
"Haha... Grandma is still capable now."
This was a bit of bragging. Xie Sui appeased the elder, "Yes, you're still capable now. Didn't you teach me well? My ability to earn money is inherited from Grandma's skills."
Lin Wanwan couldn't stand it anymore. Xie Sui's mouth was so skilled at flattering people.
Xie Chen's family's faces turned grim. They thought that with Xie Chen's return, their family would rise again and be the most respected family in the village. But Xie Sui had opened several factories, earning money like flowing water, and the villagers still fawned over him. No one knew how much money Xie Sui had made. Some said ten thousand, some said a million. They all guessed, and their guesses were more confident than each other, as if it were true. In fact, they were all wrong. Xie Sui hadn't made money this year; he had lost money because of the investment in the new factory, and all the previous profits had been spent. Xie Sui said this, but no one believed him. However, when Xu Siman said it, people believed him. Xu Siman did not draw a clear line with the villagers like Xie Sui. He still had to interact with them. When others asked about Xie Sui's income, he would say so. The villagers felt balanced. He wasn't making money? And he was so arrogant? They thought he had made a fortune. Xu Siman left some things unsaid. Xie Sui wasn't making money now to make even more money in the future. But the villagers were envious. The worse they described Xie Sui, the more sympathy they could gain from the villagers, and their popularity would actually increase. This was reality. Xu Siman was old and not just eating dry rice. He understood more than Xie Sui and indirectly helped Xie Sui. When visiting relatives on the first day of the New Year, Xie Sui noticed that the villagers' attitudes had improved. They were warmer, and some even pitied him. Knowing the truth, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was also grateful for Xu Siman's help. This was the elder who truly cared about him.