Chapter 809: A Bitter Pill to Swallow
In Suzhou and Hangzhou, the Lin family wasn't particularly wealthy or prestigious, barely qualifying as a decent middle-class family.
Su Ruochu's maternal grandmother had 5 children in total, 2 sons and 3 daughters. Su Ruochu's mother, Lin Wanxiu, was the 4th child. Su Ruochu had an elder uncle, 2 aunts, and a younger uncle.
Among these relatives, the elder uncle ran his own small business, the 2 aunts were ordinary employees at companies, and the younger uncle worked for a state-owned enterprise.
Since Su Ruochu's family was the most well-off financially, even though Lin Wanxiu was the youngest daughter, the family often listened to her opinions.
For instance, after their mother passed away, the daughters waited for Su Ruochu's family to arrive before discussing the funeral arrangements.
After discussing for an entire evening, everyone proposed different ideas.
The elder uncle suggested keeping it simple, just inviting close relatives for a small memorial service.
This was also what Su Ruochu's grandmother had wanted when she was alive, as they had done the same for Su Ruochu's grandfather when he passed away.
However, Lin Wanxiu disagreed.
As the youngest daughter, she had a very close relationship with her mother.
So she proposed having a grand and solemn funeral for her mother.
The elder uncle had no choice but to look to the other 3 siblings for their opinions.
The 2 aunts seemed hesitant, only the younger uncle supported Lin Wanxiu's idea.
Su Xuecheng seemed to understand everyone's thoughts, so he voluntarily offered to cover all the expenses for the memorial service.
Hearing this, the 2 aunts and their husbands looked somewhat embarrassed.
After all, among those present, only their 2 families were in relatively ordinary financial situations.
The elder uncle waved his hand, "How can we let your family bear all the costs?"
"Mom is all of our mother. Let's do it according to Third Sister's suggestion, and we'll split the expenses among our families."
Hearing this, the expressions of the 2 uncles-in-law became troubled.
Su Xuecheng, being very perceptive, immediately understood their awkwardness.
So he spoke up again, "How about this? We'll split the cost of buying the tombstone and burial plot among our families, and I'll cover the expenses for the memorial service and the banquet."
The elder uncle looked at Su Xuecheng.
"Let's split it between us two. It's settled then."
As the eldest son, he naturally couldn't let Su Xuecheng bear all the costs alone.
With the matter decided, the family began making phone calls to arrange everything.
They contacted the funeral home, the motorcade service, friends and relatives, restaurants...
Because they hadn't expected their mother to suddenly pass away, they hadn't yet purchased the tombstone they had picked out earlier.
So the younger uncle hurriedly called to arrange signing the contract.
Meanwhile, each family contacted their acquaintances.
The elder uncle and Su Xuecheng had wider social circles, being businessmen who interacted with many people regularly.
After making a round of calls, close friends clearly stated they would definitely attend tomorrow, while most people replied they would come if they didn't have any other commitments.
They could only express gratitude for such responses, as one couldn't force people in such situations.
After a busy morning, everyone had no time to rest.
Since tomorrow happened to be an auspicious day, the Lin family set the memorial service for tomorrow.
Su Ruochu's family accompanied the elder uncle to the funeral home to book the memorial hall.
They chose the best hall in the funeral home, which was naturally the most expensive.
But Lin Wanxiu was willing to spend the money.
In her view, her mother had worked hard all her life, so she must have a grand funeral.
Su Xuecheng didn't object to his wife's wishes, but fully supported her, paying the deposit on the spot.
After a busy morning, they finally settled all the arrangements. The family then found a restaurant to eat, which also served as a simple welcome for Su Ruochu's family.
Just as they were catching their breath for less than 2 hours, at 2:30 in the afternoon, the Lin family suddenly received a call from the funeral home, saying there was a small issue with the memorial hall they had booked. They hoped the family could come over.
So the group drove to the funeral home again.
Upon arrival, the person in charge told them apologetically that there was a small problem with the memorial hall the Lin family had booked, which was the best one called the Crane Hall, and it couldn't be reserved for them anymore.
Hearing this, the Lin family naturally asked for the reason.
The person in charge had to explain that the Crane Hall had been booked by someone else, and that party also needed to use the hall tomorrow morning.
At this, the Lin family became upset.
They directly questioned what the person in charge meant.
We booked it first, you've taken our money, and now you're telling us the hall is given to someone else?
What does this mean?
Are you looking down on us?
Already in a state of grief, encountering such a situation, no one could maintain a good temper.
Lin Wanxiu and Su Ruochu's two aunts immediately got into an argument with the staff on site.
Su Ruochu's younger uncle even grabbed a display board at the entrance and nearly became physical.
Just as the person in charge was retreating awkwardly, not knowing what to do, a group of people walked out of the Crane Hall.
Seeing this group, the Lin family knew they must be the ones who had taken over their booking.
Lin Wanxiu rushed over to reason with them, but a woman dressed in flashy jewelry simply sneered, completely unconcerned.
"The Crane Hall has already been booked by my family. You should choose another one."
"Is paying money such a big deal? I could say I had already called and reserved it with the person in charge long ago."
The person in charge hurriedly explained sheepishly, "It was a mistake made by the staff below who weren't informed..."
"You're lying. I saw with my own eyes yesterday when the staff checked and said the Crane Hall hadn't been booked yet," Su Ruochu's second aunt cursed loudly, directly exposing the lie.
The person in charge's face reddened in embarrassment.
But the bejeweled woman just sneered.
"So what if we took it? Go ahead and make trouble for my family."
"Isn't it just about money? I'll compensate you 3 times the price."
Hearing this, Lin Wanxiu couldn't stand it anymore and pointed at the woman, cursing loudly.
"Is being rich so great?"
"I'll give you 10 times the price, now get lost!"
The woman snorted, "If that's the case, you won't get a single cent back. I'm taking this hall, and I'd like to see who dares to cause trouble."
"Let's go," she said, leading her group out of the hall.
Lin Wanxiu wanted to continue arguing, but Su Ruochu's elder uncle quickly stepped forward to stop her.
"Sigh, let it go."
"Let it go? Brother, what are you saying?"
"They're already walking all over us, and Mom hasn't even been laid to rest yet. If she knew about this, how could we, as her children, face her?"
Seeing his wife's agitated state, Su Ruochu stepped forward and grabbed Lin Wanxiu, then looked at Su Ruochu's elder uncle and asked in a low voice.
"Are they very influential?"
The elder uncle hesitated, then nodded with a bitter smile.
"Sigh..."