Chapter 20 Sun Shan wants clothes
By the time Aunt Sun distributed the things, it was already late at night and the oil lamp was running out of fuel.
The second and third wives were all smiles, taking their gifts home in large and small bags. Hehe, it was better to go back later, so that the villagers wouldn't see the gifts they received, and wouldn't have the chance to ask for money.
Sun Shan yawned loudly. Children tend to feel sleepy easily, and his head began to fall down little by little.
Su carried Sun Shan to the kitchen and fetched hot water for him to wash his feet and face. Other children's feet were hot and fiery, but Sun Shan's were cold. The doctor said it was best to soak his feet before going to bed.
Sun Boming and his wife followed the instructions carefully. As there was only one incense burner in their home, they did whatever they wanted.
He also ordered his eldest daughter Guyu to fetch hot water for grandma and eldest aunt to wash their faces, while Sun Boming was to serve Uncle He and Brother Yu.
Huang saw that only Sun Shan and his three daughters were in the kitchen, so she whispered, "Shanzi, save the candies for later use. Don't be so generous as to give them to others. Do you understand?"
Sun Shan hummed, adhering to the principle of humbly accepting criticism and education, and not changing after repeated admonitions. Su agreed to everything he said, and would do it according to his own ideas next time.
Mrs. Su was very satisfied with her son's obedience and continued, "You must try to please your eldest aunt and uncle. You know, your future depends on her."
There are many male descendants in the Sun family, and the competition is fierce. Haven't you seen that the second and third wives are trying to please the eldest sister? We can't fall behind.
Then he said to his three daughters, "You too, be more diligent, have better eyesight, and help your aunt more."
It would be best if the eldest sister-in-law could help the four daughters find good marriages, like Yu Niang from the village chief’s family. She is having a good life now, with fine clothes and delicious food, and I heard that she even has maids to serve her.
The three sisters nodded. They knew they had to please their eldest aunt without their mother telling them. Apart from anything else, their new clothes every year made their friends in the village envious.
At this time, Guyu also came in and helped Su boil water, as the sisters and their parents would also need to wash their faces.
After helping Sun Shan wash up, Su looked outside to see if there was anyone, and said to her four daughters, "Bring the purse given by your aunt, I'll keep it for you." In name only, she kept it, but in reality, she took it for herself. The four sisters were used to their mother's behavior, so they handed over the purse obediently.
The third sister Xiaoman pouted, feeling very aggrieved. It was obviously the red envelope given to us by our aunt, not to our mother. But if she didn't give it to us, she would have to eat a meal of braised pork with rattan sticks.
The Su family really knows how to fight, and they hit hard.
Su took the four money bags with satisfaction, opened them and saw that each bag contained one penny of silver, so four bags were worth 4 coins in total, and she was very happy.
He asked Sun Shan for it again.
Sun Shan refused. Su continued to ask, and Sun Shan continued to refuse.
Su was a little anxious, but she didn't want to be harsh on her son, so she coaxed him, "Shanzi, I'll keep it for you. You're still young, and if it gets lost, you'll suffer a great loss."
Sun Shan said innocently: "It won't be lost. Just put it in my treasure chest."
Su choked. The box was made by Sun Boming, who even gave it a key.
The key was hanging around Sun Shan's neck, which meant that if one wanted to get the things inside, one had to go through Sun Shan.
Alas, my son has been difficult to coax since the beginning of this year. He is especially tight-lipped about money. According to my eldest daughter, Shanzi saves all the pocket money that his mother-in-law gives him and puts it in a box.
What a miser! I wonder if it’s good or bad?
Su asked again, "Are you really not going to give it to A Niang for safekeeping?"
Sun Shan shook his head. At this time, Sun Bomin came in holding a washbasin and asked with a smile, "What do you mean by safekeeping?"
Su also brought up the matter of Sun Shan trying to hide the money secretly.
Sun Bomin laughed: "If he wants to take it, let him take it. He is better at hiding things than us."
Su had no choice. She only had one son, and everything would be his in the future anyway, so she just took it herself. She specifically reminded him, "You must hide it well, and don't let anyone take it away."
Sun Shan nodded and said with a smile, "Don't worry, mother. I will take good care of it."
Su picked up Sun Shan and put him on the crib in Huang's room. Seeing her elder sister and mother-in-law sorting out old clothes, she quickly turned around and said, "Sister, mother..."
He said to Shanzi, "Go to sleep and don't disturb your aunt."
Sun Shan sat on the small bed and said seriously, "I won't make any noise. I want to sleep."
Tonight, Aunt Sun and Huang slept together, while Uncle He and Brother Yu slept in a guest room. The Sun family had many houses, so they didn't have to worry about having no place to sleep.
Su said a few words and then left. Only Aunt Sun, Grandma Huang, and Sun Shan were left in the room.
Aunt Sun smiled and said, "Shanzi sleeps in his own bed now?"
Huang smiled and said, "This year he insisted on sleeping on his own, so let him do it. The little bed was made by Bomin."
Sun Shan walked up to the two of them and saw a pile of clothes he had brought from the city. He said, "Aunt, I want two cotton-padded jackets for grandpa and grandma."
You can't ask for too much. After all, the Su family is an outsider, and the Sun family is your own family. In this ancestral society, only when Sunjia Village is good, will the Sun family be good. So the eldest aunt will do her best to give back to Sunjia Village.
When Aunt Sun heard this, she was surprised and asked, "Who asked you to ask for it?" Could it be Su? Normally, a child would never think of asking for two pieces of clothing as a tribute to his parents-in-law.
Sun Shan shook his head and said, "I want it because my grandparents are poor and have no clothes to wear."
The Su family is much poorer than Sun Shan's family and has to rely on the Su family for support.
Fortunately, Sun Boming and Huang were kind-hearted and turned a blind eye.
For example, when there was a shortage of food, the Su family would have run out of food long ago. At this time, the Sun family would always come to ask for help. Su was the eldest daughter, and she would definitely be anxious when she saw her family members crying for food.
They shamelessly asked Huang to borrow grain. They said they were borrowing, but in fact they were asking for it. The Su family couldn't afford it.
Su gave birth to four daughters in a row, and the Su family did not dare to come to their house. They could not bear it any longer, so they had no choice but to come to ask for money. Later, Sun Shan was born, and he became a little bolder, but not the best. He came to borrow food when there was a shortage of food.
The Su family didn't dare to give too good a treat, they only dared to give rice bran, sweet potatoes and the like. The Su family didn't mind, as long as they could eat and not starve to death.
Sun Shan asked Aunt Sun for a cotton-padded jacket because he saw Su's eager eyes and mustered up the courage to ask.
Aunt Sun hugged Sun Shan and said with emotion: "Oh, my Shanzi is a good and filial son."
Huang also went on to say: "My son Shan is more filial than other children. Whenever he has something good, he always thinks of his family."
Huang took a cheap embroidered handkerchief from the bedside and said with a smile: "In my life, apart from your father, my dear grandson has always bought me gifts. This handkerchief was bought for me by Shanzi with his own pocket money on my birthday."
Among the many grandchildren he raised, Shanzi is the most caring one.
Aunt Sun hugged Sun Shan even tighter and called him "darling".
Sun Shan raised his head and asked sincerely, "Aunt, when is your birthday? I'll buy you a birthday present. I have money."
He jumped out of Sun Dagu's arms, opened the treasure chest, revealed a purse, and handed it to Sun Dagu to see.
Aunt Sun laughed so hard that tears came out of her eyes. She didn't even open the purse to see how much money was in it. She kept saying, "Oh, my good nephew, you bought me a gift."
Huang also smiled and said, "Shanzi, you must be filial to your aunt in the future. Your aunt treats you the best."
Sun Shan nodded desperately and said seriously, "I know, my aunt has always been very good to me."
Aunt Sun and Huang picked out two sets of cotton-padded jackets and trousers from a pile of clothes, handed them to Sun Shan, and asked him to keep them for Su and deliver them to Shu's in-laws.
Since Shanzi is so filial, we should not let him down.