Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Coming to Demand Money

Su Qing was being inexplicably dragged along by Aunt Cuihua and hurriedly asked, "Aunt Cuihua, what’s going on? What’s all the excitement about?"

Aunt Cuihua turned her head with a wide grin and said to Su Qing, "Things are really lively over at Zhang Erlai’s place right now."

"Huh?" Su Qing was a little surprised to hear that. It was the New Year holiday, and Zhang Erlai’s household was just him and his mother. What kind of commotion could there be?

’Could it be that Zhang Erlai and his mom got into an argument?’

In any case, Su Qing felt that even though Zhang Erlai and Er La Niang were mother and son, their values were completely different. She had no idea how Er La Niang, with her incredibly skewed moral compass, had managed to raise a son as decent as Zhang Erlai.

Even before they reached Zhang Erlai’s house, Su Qing could hear shouting coming from the yard.

’Is someone there to cause trouble?’

The voices sounded unfamiliar to Su Qing, so she couldn’t help but ask Aunt Cuihua, "Aunt Cuihua, is someone making a scene at their door?"

"You bet. I heard it’s Zhang Erlai’s two maternal uncles, Er La Niang’s older brothers. Both families came over to cause a ruckus. Not sure what for. Come on, let’s go watch the show. That Er La Niang always loves to pick on you, so this time we can have a good laugh at her expense." Aunt Cuihua was now as protective of Su Qing as a mother hen with her chick. She had no patience for the Old Su Family or Er La Niang, who had bullied Su Qing in the past, and couldn’t wait to see them become a laughingstock.

By now, a crowd of villagers had already gathered outside Zhang Erlai’s yard. His house had a wicker fence, so at least no one had to peek over a wall.

"Over here, over here." Just as Su Qing and Aunt Cuihua arrived, the sharp-eyed Aunt Tao waved them over. "There’s a spot right here."

As she spoke, she said to the people next to her, "Squeeze in, everyone squeeze in. Let that girl Su Qing come through to watch the fun."

Hearing Aunt Tao’s words, Su Qing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Why was everyone so eager for her to watch the drama at Zhang Erlai’s house?

Inside the yard, Zhang Erlai was staring furiously at his mother. "Mom, you promised to pay for my older cousins’ betrothal gifts? And you’d cover the ’Three Rounds and a Sound’ too?"

Er La Niang never imagined that her brothers and their families would actually take her bragging seriously. Now they had really shown up at her door demanding money and goods. Zhang Erlai’s question left her at a loss for words.

A while back, thanks to a few deals Zhang Erlai made with Su Qing, he had earned a good bit of money in the provincial capital. So, before the New Year, besides his regular income, A Cheng had given Zhang Erlai a special bonus of a full two hundred yuan. Adding that to the money Zhang Erlai had saved up over the past two years, he now had nearly one thousand yuan on hand.

Zhang Erlai knew his mother had a habit of helping out her two brothers’ families, but he thought it was mostly with food. He hadn’t dared to leave the money he earned with her, so Er La Niang didn’t actually have much cash.

This year, after receiving his bonus, Zhang Erlai wanted his family to have a prosperous New Year. He not only brought home a lot of meat and grain but also gave Er La Niang fifty yuan and some ration coupons. Zhang Erlai’s intention was for his mother to buy herself some nice clothes or something she liked. Who would have thought that as soon as she got the money, coupons, and meat, she would turn around and send it all to his two uncles’ families?

Giving away the money and goods wasn’t enough. She even made a sweeping promise to cover the betrothal gifts and the "Three Rounds and a Sound" for her two nephews. As a result, before the first month of the lunar year was even over, his two uncles’ families had come knocking to demand the money and items.

"Er Lai, is that any way to treat your mother?" Er La Niang’s eldest brother, Niu Dashun, scowled at Zhang Erlai. "Look how scared you’ve made her. This is unfilial."

"You shut your mouth. You won’t provide for your own sons, you expect my mom to do it for you? Have you no shame as a grown man?" Zhang Erlai had never liked his two uncles. It was actually heartbreaking for him to see how much his mother doted on his two cousins. In his entire life, she had never doted on him like that.

"Er Lai, we are your own flesh-and-blood uncles. How can you speak to us like that?" Zhang Erlai’s second uncle, Niu Ershun, said with displeasure.

Zhang Erlai shot Niu Ershun a cold glance before turning back to his mother. "Mom, say something. Did you really promise to provide the betrothal gifts and the ’Three Rounds and a Sound’ for my older cousins?"

A deep sense of disappointment in his mother washed over Zhang Erlai. He had given her money, coupons, meat, and grain in the hopes that their own family could have a good New Year. But his mother had given it all away, leaving them with only half a catty of meat and a bit of grain. He was already simmering with anger over that, and now today, his two uncles’ families had actually come to demand more.

At this, the surrounding villagers all began to whisper among themselves. They thought Er La Niang must be out of her mind. Her own son’s marriage wasn’t even arranged yet, and she was promising to pay the betrothal gifts and the "Three Rounds and a Sound" for her nephews from her maiden family. And for two nephews at that! If she really paid for it all, my goodness, how much money would that be? Never mind the betrothal gifts, just two sets of the "Three Rounds and a Sound," even if they weren’t top-of-the-line, would still cost at least eight hundred to a thousand yuan.

Looking at the dilapidated yard and shabby house of the Zhang Erlai family, could they even afford it?

Even if they could, what family wouldn’t prioritize their own son first? It made no sense to be paying for nephews. They have their own parents, what business was it of hers to meddle?

Any normal person would take care of their own child first, but Er La Niang actually...

And so, the way everyone looked at Er La Niang became rather thought-provoking. She used to always go around the village bragging about how good she was to her son, but now... tsk tsk!

Er La Niang felt uncomfortable under Zhang Erlai’s stare and said, "I was just saying it, just making a joke. How was I supposed to know your uncles would take it seriously?"

"What!" The moment Er La Niang finished speaking, her eldest sister-in-law’s eyes went wide as she stared at her. "Little Sis, you personally promised to give the betrothal gifts and the ’Three Rounds and a Sound’! You beat your chest and swore you would. And now you’re saying it was a joke? Your eldest nephew has already found a girl. You’re going to back out now? Let me tell you, that’s not how things are done!"

Er La Niang had always been one to grant any request from her two brothers’ families; she had never failed to deliver on a promise. This time, when she delivered money, coupons, and meat to their homes before the New Year, she bragged about how much money her son was making. After being showered with praise by her brothers and sisters-in-law, Er La Niang got carried away. One thing led to another, and she ended up promising to cover the betrothal gifts and the "Three Rounds and a Sound" for both of her nephews’ weddings.

After hearing Er La Niang’s promise, the families of Niu Dashun and Niu Ershun didn’t waste a moment. They immediately started searching for partners for their sons, promising the betrothal gifts and the "Three Rounds and a Sound" to the potential in-laws. Then they rushed over in a panic to make Er La Niang deliver on her promise. After all, it was safest to have the goods and money in their own hands.

"Eldest Sister-in-law, where would I get that much money?" Er La Niang said in a small voice. Anytime she got her hands on anything good, she sent it to her maiden family right away.

"But you’re the one who said Er Lai is successful now, that he’s making big money," Er La Niang’s second sister-in-law immediately shouted. "I don’t care! You, their own aunt, made a promise. Now you’re going back on your word? That’s a rotten thing to do!"