Chapter 423: Sending Away the Plague God

"The movie's over today! Tomorrow it's showing again—running all week long, plus we're adding kung fu films! Come early tomorrow!"

The outdoor movie had ended; the projectionist picked up the loudspeaker and shouted at the audience still reluctant to leave, beneath the screen. These days, projectionists constantly faced requests to replay the film—who wanted to suffer through it again in this freezing weather?

"Go on, go on! Came to watch a movie and ended up full of anger!"

"I don't think you're just angry—you cried your eyes out! A grown man crying at a movie, hahaha! Less manly than me, a woman!"

"I didn't cry! Pfft. Pass me some tissue."

"Oh, I used up mine just now."

"You're all focused on crying—didn't you notice the deeper meaning? Chun'er and Huaihua's kindness and generosity—that's what this film truly wants to express."

"Nonsense! Should kind people just be bullied? Director Xu, our whole family is kind—should we suffer our whole lives? We haven't even settled the wage adjustment issue from last time!"

"Absolutely incomprehensible."

"."

Nearly a thousand spectators, carrying their folding stools and benches, drifted away in small groups, discussing the film's plot as they walked.

The crowd clearly split into two factions: a small minority of "enlightened, high-minded" viewers praised Chun'er and Huaihua's generosity, but the majority erupted in curses.

"If I were Chun'er, I'd never support them in old age—I'd rather donate the money to feed dogs!"

"."

These words drifted into Yang Huaihua's ears, bringing her both fierce satisfaction and deep unease.

Yang Huaihua, upright and strong all her life, had never used underhanded tactics against anyone.

Now, watching the Jia family's hunched, humiliated backs from behind, she wondered if she'd been too harsh.

She'd seen with her own eyes how spittle could drown a person.

As for why Yang Huaihua felt uneasy, it was because she worried about her son.

She quietly pulled her son Yang Yumin aside: "Yumin, did you do this? I'm telling you—don't you dare admit it. If you get labeled heartless and cruel, it'll be disastrous!"

Though Yang Huaihua had no formal education, she wasn't foolish. She'd sensed something off during the movie, and after tossing it over in her mind all night, she'd finally caught a glimmer of the truth.

"Heartless and cruel?"

Yang Yumin laughed bitterly: "Mom, what are you talking about? Do you think I have that kind of power? Besides, how could this movie have been filmed so fast?"

Yang Huaihua studied her son suspiciously, then thought it over and decided she'd imagined things.

Though Yang Yumin's novel "The Lonely Garrison Looking Homeward" was being adapted into a film, and he'd now connected with the film industry, that film had been shooting for nearly a year and still hadn't premiered—how many days had passed since the events in this new movie?

Yang Yumin had successfully fooled his mother, but once home, he turned right around and asked Li Yue.

"Xiao Yue, did your brother do this?"

Li Yue looked at Yang Yumin with a smile: "I won't admit it."

Yang Yumin nodded: "Then it's confirmed—your answer is pure Li Ye."

"."

Li Yue was puzzled now, so she asked: "What's my brother's style?"

"Unpredictable. Unconventional. Harmless-looking. Cunning. Honest."

Yang Yumin recalled for a moment, then whispered: "I still remember the first time Li Huai brought Li Ye to the Literature Society—he was humble, easygoing, seemed like a smart, likable kid."

"But later, when someone provoked him, his retaliation was brutal. He had a catchphrase: 'If others don't bother me, I won't bother them. If they do bother me, I'll dig up their ancestors' graves.'"

"."

After a pause, Li Yue beamed: "Of course! I raised my brother from childhood—he's smart and loyal, just a bit reckless. But he'd never dare use his full strength in front of me—not even if he had three sets of guts."

"."

Yang Yumin stared at his smug wife and suddenly felt how lucky her life was.

She'd only suffered a little at their wedding, yet her brother had launched such a massive retaliation against the Jia family—he must have paid a heavy price.

"........"

While Li Yue gloated, the Jia family in the west room was shrouded in gloom.

"What are we going to do? We're utterly humiliated!"

"Keep your voice down! If you don't say it and I don't say it, who'll know we were humiliated?"

"That's covering your ears while stealing a bell! When I came in just now, neighbors were pointing and whispering—they were definitely mocking us! Damn this movie, why did it have to be so realistic?!"

"How dare they insult us? I'll—"

"Enough. Stop arguing."

The Jia patriarch hurled his cigarette butt to the ground and ground it into dust with his shoe, still furious.

"We're leaving tomorrow. We'll pretend we never had this son."

"."

Hearing they were leaving, the rest of the Jia family froze.

These past months had been too comfortable—couldn't they at least stay through winter?

Then the Jia matriarch burst into tears.

"Why? I carried this child for ten months—he's successful now! Why can Yang Huaihua come to Beijing to enjoy life, but I can't?"

This was the Jia family's true grievance: Yang Huaihua was the adoptive mother and got to enjoy the benefits, but they were the biological family—why couldn't they share in the glory?

Yang Yumin's family was clearly wealthy—they owned motorcycles worth thousands—how much could a few more mouths cost?

But Jia's second son was a coward. After hearing his mother, he mumbled: "They gave us eight yuan. If we stay any longer, we might lose even that."

"What's eight yuan worth? Do you even care about eight yuan?"

"I care! You don't know how little we save each month!"

"."

The Jia family bickered all night, but reached no decision.

"........"

But early the next morning, while they were still hesitating, several enthusiastic neighbors arrived.

"Girl, I see your car parked outside—you're home?"

Li Yue was busy in the kitchen; she hurried out: "Yes, Auntie! I'm home! Aunt Sui, you need a ride? Where to? I'll take you."

Since marrying into Zhongguancun, Li Yue had always gotten along well with neighbors—she'd helped them with rides for weddings, moves, and occasionally brought "defective goods" from Pengcheng Factory Seven to build goodwill, so all the aunts and sisters held her in high regard.

Aunt Sui said: "I don't need a ride. We came to tell you something."

Several old women crowded around Li Yue, whispering: "Are your husband's biological parents the ones you've let stay here long-term?"

This was the wisdom of Beijing's gossipy aunts: if Li Yue admitted she'd willingly kept the Jias, they'd turn and leave—no involvement in the Yang family's affairs.

But Li Yue pouted: "We didn't ask them to stay! But they won't leave, and we can't just kick them out—they keep threatening to go to my husband's workplace and complain to his boss."

"The movie last night? It was just like our situation. When we got married, neighbors saw us promise monthly support, but they won't leave—what can we do?"

Which girl isn't a gossip? Spreading rumors was a woman's innate talent—Li Yue just didn't use it until now.

After Li Yue spoke those two lines, the old women's gossip flames erupted.

"I knew it! No poor relatives stay forever in someone else's home—that's sheer nerve!"

"Don't be afraid, girl. You're young and inexperienced—you let them fool you with a few words."

Aunt Sui raised her voice: "Even if they cause trouble at your husband's workplace, the unit will send people to investigate our neighborhood—they won't believe a bunch of outsiders!"

"When the unit comes to investigate, we can all testify what these people are really like!"

"For over a month, we've watched them with our own eyes! The Jia family is lazy, does nothing, wanders the streets like vagrants!"

"Exactly! Even though the crackdown just ended, our neighborhood won't tolerate such freeloaders. If not for your sake, we'd have reported them as vagrants long ago!"

"."

While Li Yue and Aunt Sui chatted gleefully outside, the Jia family inside the west room trembled in terror.

"How could these old women be so cruel? What did we ever do to them? They want to report us as vagrants?!"

"This daughter-in-law is terrible—both a tigress and a fox spirit."

"Mom, let's go! We can't fight her, we can't argue with her. As long as the green hills remain, we'll never lack firewood."

Watching Li Yue and Aunt Sui grow more cheerful, the Jia family grew more terrified—faced with this dire situation, they finally agreed to a temporary retreat.

After Aunt Sui and the others left, the Jia patriarch stomped out, face dark.

"Yumin's wife, I've got something to tell you—we're leaving."

"."

Li Yue's heart leapt with joy, but her face showed surprise: "You're leaving? Aren't you staying a couple more days? There's another movie tonight!"

I'll put your grandma's leg on fire!

The Jia patriarch clenched his teeth: "Since we came to Beijing, we must bring something back for relatives. They're Yumin's elders—help us buy some gifts."

Li Yue's smile vanished—were they going to loot one last time before leaving?

She coldly replied: "What do you want? If it's too expensive, I can't afford it."

The Jia patriarch blushed: "I'm not asking for expensive things—just the same kind of clothes you gave your neighbors recently."

Li Yue instantly relaxed—Pengcheng Factory Seven didn't just make Fenghua-brand clothes; they also made cheap lines. Defective items cost only two or three yuan each.

"Fine. I'll give you two pieces each."

"Two pieces? Not enough. At least three each."

The old man brazenly raised his demand—he'd promised relatives back home, over the phone, that he'd bring each of them a piece of clothing.

"Alright. Three each."

Li Yue nearly laughed—less than ten yuan per person. This plague god? Sent off far too cheaply.

(End of Chapter)