Chapter 98 - A Treat
“You!”
Fong Yuemei had assumed this time would be no different from the rest.
She believed they would comply with any demand she made, holding an IOU as her trump card.
She was aware that Su Tao and his spouse had racked up considerable debt for Su Ming's wedding.
Burdened by debt, they had no spare funds to settle their dues.
She had it all figured out.
Yet, reality begged to differ.
She didn't even make it past the front door.
How dare they refuse me entry!
Such a thing had never occurred before!
They'll regret this, I won't let it slide! Fong Yuemei seethed internally.
With fury, Fong Yuemei spun on her heel and stormed off.
Lee Sumei lingered at the doorway, her discomfort and indecision palpable.
Now that her family was affluent, the years of poverty still weighed heavily on her, making it hard to shift her mindset.
“Son, she is your aunt, after all. Are we being too harsh?”
Lee Sumei faltered.
“Mom!”
Su Ming responded with a sense of resignation, “You and Dad are well aware of Fong Yuemei's treatment towards us. She's keen on making snide remarks and bossing you around. Out of 365 days a year, you spend 360 working for them without pay. Every harvest season, after you and Dad have toiled away at our own chores, she comes knocking, expecting you to labor in her fields.”
“If it weren't for the endless work you do for her, neither you nor Dad would be worn out. Sure, she lent us money, and helping out is one thing, but she's crossed the line. What's worse, she only lent us fifty thousand, but then she tacked on an extra clause, inflating it to a hundred thousand. She's just malicious!”
Lee Sumei wanted to interject, but she couldn't deny her son's logic.
“Mom.”
Su Ming offered a reassuring smile. “Things are different now. We're no longer in need of loans. Our situation is far better than theirs.”
It was then that Lee Sumei had an epiphany—her son was wealthy. The days of hardship were behind her.
They chatted for a bit before heading back inside.
Fong Yuemei drove home, fuming as she stormed out of the car.
Lying on a lounge chair in the yard was a middle-aged man, squinting slightly with a cigarette between his fingers. It was Su Tao's older brother, Su Hai.
“Why are you back alone? Where's the Third Brother?” Su Hai opened his eyes a bit more, noticing his wife had come back by herself.
“Humph!” Fong Yuemei let out a cold snort in response, “They've come into money now.”
“Hmm?” Su Hai perked up, “What happened?”
“Su Ming has returned.” Just mentioning Su Ming made Fong Yuemei seethe with anger. She plopped down furiously onto a nearby chair and said, “I don't know what kind of stroke of luck he's had, but he's suddenly flush with cash. He's even paid back every penny he owed.”
“Paid it all back?” Su Hai was taken aback. “How much? One hundred thousand or fifty thousand?”
“One hundred thousand.”
“What?” Su Hai was utterly astonished.
He knew all too well the state of the Third Brother's finances. They were dirt poor. To afford Su Ming's wedding, his parents had scraped together 500,000 yuan by borrowing from wherever they could.
“Could it be that the kid's wedding fell through? Did the bride's family return the dowry?” Su Hai speculated with a blink.
“I don't know,” Fong Yuemei shook her head, “But it doesn't seem likely. Think about it, that five hundred thousand was cobbled together with great difficulty. He wouldn't just hand over an extra fifty thousand. They're honest folks, but we're talking about fifty thousand yuan here. Yet, Su Ming didn't even hesitate to hand over the money.”
Su Hai found it strange too. Su Ming had been working in the city, but he'd been laid off, as far as he knew. How did he suddenly strike it rich? A lottery win, maybe?
Fong Yuemei found the idea incredulous. She often played the lottery herself and hadn't heard of anyone hitting a jackpot in the city.
Fuming with pent-up rage at Su Ming's place, Fong Yuemei had no outlet for her frustration. She clenched her teeth in anger for a good while before storming back into the house.
At that moment, the Su family of three was cozily gathered around the television.
“Mom.”
A thought suddenly struck Su Ming: “The uncles in the village have been a huge support to our family. I'd like to reserve a hotel in town and invite everyone over for a meal.”
“That's a great idea.”
Su Tao was on board: “I've been meaning to do that for a while, but we just didn't have the funds. Now that we're financially able, it's definitely time to show our gratitude.”
“We should invite anyone who's been good to us or has lent us money. They all deserve to be treated to a meal.”
Lee Sumei nodded in agreement.
“How about the day after tomorrow?”
Su Ming glanced at the calendar; it was conveniently a weekend.
With no work or school, everyone should be available.
The more, the merrier.
“Sounds good!”
Lee Sumei nodded. She walked over to a cabinet, opened it, and pulled out two worn, thick notebooks.
Flipping through the pages, she found the ink faded with age, a testament to the years gone by.
“This is our family's ledger. I've kept a detailed record of everyone who's lent us money over the years.”
Lee Sumei perused the ledger, line by line.
While Su Ming remained engrossed in the TV show, Lee Sumei and Su Tao took on the task of finalizing the guest list. Night fell, and they all turned in for the night.
At the crack of dawn, Lee Sumei set out to notify the neighbors.
Meanwhile, Su Ming hit the road for town.
The town was sizable and bustling with activity.
Its prosperity was largely due to the main road that cut through it, a vital artery connecting two cities, bringing life and commerce to the area.
Having spent three years in junior high there, Su Ming knew exactly which hotel was the best.
He drove straight to the establishment.
Parking in front of the restaurant, Su Ming stepped out and entered.
“Here for a meal?”
The proprietor, a robust middle-aged man with a bare chest, a sweat towel over his shoulders, and an apron tied around his waist, approached with a friendly, sweaty smile.
“Boss, I'd like to book your place for tomorrow. I'm planning a big feast.”
“You've got perfect timing, young man. We've been slammed lately, but today and tomorrow we're wide open!”
The boss chuckled, “Young man, what's your budget?”
“The priciest dishes you have.”
Su Ming offered a smile.
The boss paused, taken aback. This guy must be loaded. “Look, you don't really need to splurge on the expensive stuff. Naturally, I'd love for you to—after all, it means more profit for me. But I get it, earning money is tough. There's no need for you to go all out on the high-end dishes.”
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