Chapter 678: Abnormal Qin Huairu

Bangeng, following Qin Huairu's lead, spoke up to advise Qin Huairu a little.

He didn't think about anything else, believing Qin Huairu had been thrown off balance by recent events and had spoken without thinking.

Even Qin Huairu herself didn't know what she had said.

But Qin Huairu's next words left both Bangeng and Xiao Dang stunned.

"Our Bangeng has really grown up, and besides the three melons and two dates you earned, if I don't go to work to earn money, what will you three kids eat? Eat cornmeal? You complain it's bland, drink sorghum porridge, you complain it's harsh on the throat, and together with your grandma we've mixed things up, yet you insist on eating well. Mom is now a first‑class worker at the steel plant, and this is only because they, out of consideration for your father Jia Dongxu's accident, gave the Jia family extra subsidies."

"You're still little; Mom's monthly wage of twenty‑seven point five can support you three little ones, but in a few years, when you're older, Bangeng will need to marry, Xiao Dang and Huaihua will need dowries—without money, how will you marry? How will you prepare the dowries? Even the three turns and one sound must be prepared for you."

"The Jia family has only one room. When I married in, they said they'd buy the neighboring house, and I really believed them, but they've dragged it out until now. After Dongxu met with an accident and passed away, the house matter is still unresolved. If I don't earn money, where will Bangeng live when he marries? We can't all crowd into one room with me and your grandma. Would the bride's parents agree?"

A creepy feeling.

They sought out Bangeng.

Looking at Qin Huairu, who was speaking leisurely before them.

Bangeng really looked like he had seen a ghost.

He earnestly sized up Qin Huairu's expression, initially thinking she was joking with them, but her expression was quite serious, with not a trace of joking.

Suddenly, something came to mind.

He subconsciously turned his gaze to Xiao Dang beside him, thinking he had misseen or misheard, that Xiao Dang shouldn't have misseen or misheard, and wanted to get a definite answer from Xiao Dang.

Where his gaze fell.

It was Xiao Dang's bewildered, blank face, his eyes also showing a hint of disbelief.

The brother and sister were completely dumbfounded.

In his mind rose the few words Jia Zhangshi had said to them yesterday.

"Xiao Dang, Bangeng, Grandma tells you: don't take it as idle wind. Grandma has noticed that your mom Qin Huairu has been off lately, seeming a bit muddle‑headed."

Could it be that Jia Zhangshi really hit the mark?

Qin Huairu is crazy!

Otherwise, how could these words be explained?

The only way to explain it is to say Qin Huairu is crazy.

"Mom, what date is today?" Bangeng was still making a last effort, probing Qin Huairu, "What year?"

"Unlucky child, what date? Of course it's July 8. The day before yesterday was the seventh‑day memorial for your dad; I dreamed of your dad, and he told me to raise you three kids well and let you establish families and careers."

"Which dad?"

Xiao Dang's question meant: is he referring to Jia Dongxu, the biological father, or to Shazhu, the stepfather? From the phrase "the day before yesterday was your dad's seventh‑day memorial," he thought it might refer to Shazhu.

But he didn't expect Qin Huairu's answer to be Jia Dongxu.

"Unlucky child, what nonsense are you spouting? Which dad? Of course it's your biological father, Jia Dongxu."

Jia Dongxu.

How many years has he been dead?

Combined with Qin Huairu's earlier complaints.

A ninety percent chance.

Qin Huairu is crazy.

No wonder last night she brandished a kitchen knife and took Xiao Dang's head for a winter melon; if she were to mistake her own head for a watermelon, the consequences would be unimaginable.

His body began to tremble.

He panicked.

There's a lunatic in the house—what can we do?

Bangeng also saw that Qin Huairu was nervous, but being a man and her being his biological mother, he could only force himself to stay calm.

"Xiao Dang, Mom's going to work; stay home and look after Huaihua properly. When Mom comes back tonight, I'll bring you good food from the cafeteria. Last night your great‑uncle told Mom he'd already talked it over with Shazhu—Shazhu is a cook, not lacking in appetite, so let Shazhu bring a lunch box to help our Jia family. Shazhu is an unmarried bachelor, and I'm a widow with three kids; taking his lunch box would be improper, and a widow's gate invites gossip, so we must not delay Shazhu's affairs."

"Mom."

"Bangeng, after I finish with Xiao Dang, I need to talk about your situation. What's wrong with you? Teacher Ran has told me you've been stuffing mice into female classmates' schoolbags—what exactly do you want to do? You, this kid, can't you let me have a few peaceful days? Your father just met with an accident and passed away, and you're already causing trouble for me. You haven't seen how I've praised Teacher Ran over and over, till I'm hoarse, just so she won't pursue your responsibility. What are you looking at? Do you still have the face to look? Go to school and study properly."

Qin Huairu stepped out of the siheyuan.

Behind her, Bangeng and Xiao Dang stood there, not knowing how to wrap things up.

She went to the steel plant.

She also had to be driven back by them.

What will we do then?

While racking their brains for a solution.

The sound of returning footsteps flew into their ears.

He lifted his head.

He looked in the direction of the sound.

It was their mother, who had gone mad.

"Could it be that she was driven back as soon as she left the siheyuan?"

"Bangeng, Xiao Dang, what are you looking at me for? By the way, have you seen your grandma?"

Bangeng and Xiao Dang.

They shook their heads in unison.

"If you see your grandma, tell him this is what I, Qin Huairu, said: I've done right by the Jia family; after Jia Dongxu's accident, I've acted as both father and mother, raising you three kids from nothing, and I've let your grandma sit and enjoy herself all day. Where could you find a better daughter‑in‑law than me? Just because I said I wanted to remarry, they treat me as if my nose isn't a nose, my face isn't a face, and they say I, Qin Huairu, am shameless. If I were shameless, I would have remarried the year your father died, but I've held off until now."

Xiao Dang and Bangeng.

The panic in their hearts grew worse.

No wonder Qin Huairu's words sounded somewhat familiar.

Think about it— isn't this just the follow‑up to Bangeng coming back from the countryside, unable to find work, and Jia Zhangshi having Qin Huairu go ask Shazhu?

Just a moment ago it was 1961; now it's 1971— after going out for a walk, ten years have passed.

This change.

It's too big, isn't it?

"Don't just stand there— go do what you need to. Bangeng has no job, so just stay at home; go out more, walk around, see which family's girl might take a liking to you. You divorced Tang Yanling— you can't stay unmarried, right?"

"Mom." Bangeng asked Qin Huairu seriously, "What year is it now?"

"It's 1990, what other year? You think your mom is senile, huh? Xiao Dang, check what time it is— you're not going to work, you want to be late?"

Wiggling their buttocks.

Went into their own house.

Behind them, Bangeng and Xiao Dang stared at each other.

Qin Huairu was normal one moment, not the next.

Definitely gone crazy.