Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Paying the Pension

"Hmph!"

Seeing Su Qing and Zhao Youcai enter the room, Old Su shot Su Qing a vicious glare and snorted coldly.

Su Qing pretended not to hear and got straight to the point. "Grandpa, Grandma, I’m here today to give you your support payment. The total for this year is twenty-four yuan. It’s all here. You can count it."

As she spoke, Su Qing placed two ten-yuan bills and four one-yuan bills on the kang table.

Seeing Su Qing arrive empty-handed with only the twenty-four yuan, not a single cent more, Old Su was so furious she was about to pass out. "You’re a junior! How can you visit your elders empty-handed like this? Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at if word gets out?"

Old Su felt she was completely in the right, so her tone was harsh. She was an elder; what was wrong with asking a junior for some New Year’s gifts? It was a perfectly normal thing. ’I refuse to believe,’ she thought, ’that Zhao Youcai could possibly find fault with what I’m saying.’

Su Qing’s expression was placid. "Grandma, the separation agreement states it very clearly. The monthly support payment is two yuan, which makes twenty-four yuan for the year. This is exactly twenty-four yuan. There’s no issue with this year’s payment."

"What about the New Year’s gifts?" Old Su glared at Su Qing. "You just came empty-handed?"

"The separation agreement doesn’t mention them," Su Qing said with a shrug and a raised eyebrow.

Su Qing’s words infuriated both the grandfather and Old Su. The grandfather didn’t say anything. He had long since realized that Su Qing wouldn’t be giving them any New Year’s gifts. However, he didn’t stop his wife. ’What if her scolding makes Su Qing eventually bring over the gifts? It wouldn’t be a loss for us, would it?’

Old Su turned to Zhao Youcai indignantly. "Brigade Leader, you see this? This is how Su Qing treats us two old folks! She comes to visit without bringing a single thing. She doesn’t see us as her elders at all! Where in the world is there such an unfilial granddaughter? Aren’t you going to do something about it?"

"Aunt Su," Zhao Youcai said, "I came here today to be a witness for Su Qing, to certify that she has given you two the support payment for this year. This is to avoid any disputes later on. As for whether Su Qing brings New Year’s gifts, that’s not something I can manage. However, you say she doesn’t treat you as elders. I’d like to ask, during those years you were abusing her, did you ever treat Su Qing as your own granddaughter?"

Zhao Youcai’s words left Old Su completely speechless.

Old Su gritted her teeth. ’This Zhao Youcai, his bias is just absurd.’

Before Old Su could say anything more, Su Qing gave a faint smile. "Grandma, the only reason I’m giving you this support payment today is because of the separation agreement my mother signed with you. I am following that agreement to the letter. I’ve said it before: besides what’s written in the agreement, you can forget about everything else. I won’t give you a single cent more."

Old Su was so angry she yelled at Su Qing, "When I was in the hospital, I didn’t see you pay a single cent of the medical bills! It was all paid by your First Uncle and Third Uncle! As a separate branch of the family, shouldn’t you contribute something? Let me tell you, this twenty-four yuan isn’t enough. You’re going to give me another hundred yuan for my medical and nutritional expenses!"

Old Su felt her demand was perfectly reasonable. ’That damned girl has enough money to go travel in Yun Province and only came back after two months. Why shouldn’t she pay my medical bills?’

Zhao Youcai frowned and was about to speak when he heard Su Qing give a cold laugh. "Grandma, do I really need to spell out how you ended up in the hospital? I made it perfectly clear to Grandpa back then: I am not paying a single cent of your medical bills. Whoever put you in the hospital should be the one to pay. There’s nothing wrong with that logic. As for First Uncle’s family wanting to be the suckers, that’s their business. I, for one, won’t be played for a fool. And as for the real culprit who put you in the hospital... if you’re still upset about it, I can help you report them to the police. After all, causing bodily harm is a crime. The person who hurt you would get at least three to five years behind bars."

As soon as these words were spoken, Tian Aixiang, who had been squatting under the window eavesdropping, could stay put no longer. She rushed into the room. "Erya, how can you be so vicious? What did I ever do to you that you want to send me to prison? It wasn’t intentional! Besides, I’m the only one doing all the work inside and outside the Old Su Family’s house now. I’m the only one taking care of the old woman. You’re her granddaughter, living right next door, yet you don’t even offer to help. How can you be so malicious as to plot against me?"

"Third Aunt, who’s plotting against whom? Wasn’t it you who brought your brother and sister-in-law to block my door and try to swindle me out of my money?" Su Qing showed Tian Aixiang no courtesy whatsoever.

"You!" The mention of this incident filled Tian Aixiang with resentment. To this day, her sister-in-law still hadn’t forgiven her. The last time she went back to her maiden home, her sister-in-law had locked her out, shouting that she no longer had a sister like her. It made her absolutely livid.

Su Qing ignored Tian Aixiang and spoke only to the grandfather and Old Su. "Grandpa, Grandma, please count the support payment I gave you. See if it’s twenty-four yuan. I don’t want you to claim I didn’t give enough after I walk out that door."

"That’s right, Uncle Su, you should count it," Zhao Youcai said blandly. "Let’s all be quick about this. It’s almost New Year’s Eve, and every family has a lot to do. We don’t want to keep your family from preparing for the holiday."

Old Su was left speechless by Su Qing’s and Zhao Youcai’s words. The grandfather shot Su Qing a gloomy look, picked up the money from the kang table to count it, then placed it back down. "That’s right. It’s twenty-four."

"Alright," Su Qing said with a faint smile. "Since there are no problems, the Brigade Leader and I won’t disturb you two any longer. Oh, and by the way, there’s no need to call me over to the Old Su Family home for New Year’s Eve dinner. Our families aren’t that close."

With that, Su Qing and Zhao Youcai prepared to leave the Old Su Family’s home.

The grandfather’s face was grim as he said to Su Qing, "Erya, you treat your own grandparents like this. Aren’t you afraid your future in-laws will find out? If your husband’s family learns how unfilial you are, what will they think?"

Su Qing looked at the grandfather and gave a brilliant smile. "That’s not something for you to worry about, Grandpa. As long as you and Grandma stop having such filthy thoughts and stop thinking about selling me, everything will be fine. We’ve already separated the families. You two should take care of yourselves and worry less. Otherwise, you’ll age much faster."

"You wretched girl..." The grandfather was so angry he slammed his long-stemmed pipe on the kang table. But Su Qing and Zhao Youcai paid them no more mind and left the Old Su Family’s home, leaving the people inside fuming.

But there was nothing they could do. The separation agreement was written in black and white; no amount of fussing would change it. Moreover, Zhao Youcai had personally come with her today. This left Old Su, who had planned on putting on airs and making things difficult when Su Qing came to deliver the support payment, powerless to do anything.

「Soon, New Year’s Eve of 1979 arrived!」