But Tan You wasn’t about to give him a chance to explain. Her voice remained calm and measured. "Second Grand-uncle has emphysema. He shouldn’t be anywhere near tobacco or alcohol, and his diet needs to be plain. Should I also bring up how Uncle Shanyun gives him expensive cigarettes and liquor? Is he trying to harm him?"
"I’m not!" Tan Shanyun finally managed to get a word in. "Tan You, it’s completely unfair of you to accuse us like that."
"Alright, we’ll say I’m wronging you, then," Tan You said, tapping the instrument panel of her electric scooter. "Let’s get back to the point. You and your wife got so much money from Second Grand-uncle, but my parents didn’t get a single cent. The way things are, you’d think he was *your* flesh-and-blood grand-uncle."
"Since he’s so close with you two, you should go and pick him up later. ’Those who receive the benefits must do the work.’ There’s nothing wrong with that saying, right? Or are you planning to just take the money and not lift a finger?"
Put on the spot by Tan You, what could Tan Shanyun do? He could only grit his teeth and agree. "Fine. I’ll go get Second Uncle and take him to my house this afternoon. You can rest assured, I’ll take excellent care of him."
Tan You scoffed. "Why would I be worried? He’s your uncle. He’s much closer to your family than he is to ours."
The nearby aunties and grannies couldn’t help but chuckle. How could they not understand the implication?
Tan Lin, who had been left with no role to play, could only blink as he watched Tan You offload Tan Desheng in just a few sentences. ’He thought he’d have to get into a brawl with Tan Shanyun today, but he never imagined Tan You would resolve everything with just a few words.’
Tan You shot him a glance. "We’re heading to school. Aunties, Grannies, please continue your chat."
One of the aunties waved her cattail fan. "We’re done chatting. We’re going over to Shanyun’s house to take a look. Shanyun, you won’t turn us away, will you?"
Tan Shanyun wanted to tell them they weren’t welcome, but what could he do? He could only put on a fake smile. "Of course not."
’Inwardly, he already despised Tan You for causing him to lose so much face. Now, with everyone watching, he had no choice but to fetch Tan Desheng from Tan Deming’s house. Not only that, he had to host him properly and couldn’t show a hint of complaint.’
Tan Deming was still a bit confused when the crowd of people swarmed into his home. But as the aunties peppered him with questions all at once, Tan Deming told them the truth, plain and simple. After all, he was an honest old man.
"Yes, he did give them 1,000 yuan. And no, he didn’t give any money to Tan You or Tan Yue, even though he gave some to all the other kids."
An old granny clicked her tongue. "And he’s your own full-blooded brother, yet he treats you like this. Tsk, tsk..."
"If you ask me, Tan You wasn’t wrong. He treats you so poorly, yet you still entertain him with the best food and drink..."
Tan Deming smiled bitterly. "He’s my own brother, what else can I do? I’m powerless. My health isn’t good, and I need someone around. My wife’s cooking is...not the best. It’s better for him to eat at Tan Deji’s place."
"If you ask me, Tan Deji’s family is just too greedy..."
Tan Deji’s home was also a lively scene. These aunties and grannies seemed to thrive on chaos. With so many eyes on them, Wu Yunzhen had no choice but to clear out a room for Tan Desheng.
As for Tan Shanyun, he had to promise Tan Desheng that he could stay for as long as he wished and that the couple would never drive him away.
Tan Desheng reluctantly agreed, but his opinion of Tan Deji’s family had already plummeted. ’At that moment, he actually found himself thinking of his own brother.’
Leaving the village’s commotion behind them, Tan You and Tan Lin leisurely headed toward town. Tan Lin pedaled Tan You’s bicycle. "Guess we’ve finally pushed that problem onto someone else."
Tan You replied, "But of course. I couldn’t stand Tan Desheng long ago. His staying with us was just dirtying up the place. I’ll tell Grandma later to give the house a thorough cleaning."
Tan Lin said, "Aren’t you afraid Tan Shanyun will turn on you? I had my bicycle raised, ready in case he tried to start a fight."
Tan You replied, "What’s the point of getting physical? We’re civilized people; we use civilized methods."
"Come back and visit when you have time, but don’t you dare let Tan Desheng back into our house."
Tan Lin grinned. "I’ll make sure of it! But... he is your second grand-uncle, after all. Isn’t this a little harsh?"
"What’s harsh about it?" Tan You said, unfazed. "We don’t rely on him to put food on the table, and he’s never treated us well. With a bastard like him, it’s useless no matter how nice you are."
Tan Lin thought about it and nodded. "That’s true. It’s not like we depend on him, and we couldn’t even if we tried."
For the rest of the ride, Tan You was forced to listen to Tan Lin’s sob story about the old days. ’Honestly,’ she thought, ’if the family hadn’t been so desperately poor, who would have been able to swallow their pride and flatter others like that?’
"I know you had a hard life," Tan You said after a long silence. "Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. From now on, what matters is that you and Mom are happy."
Tan Lin blinked, forcing back a wave of emotion. "See? This is why they say daughters are the most thoughtful."
Tan You didn’t answer him. ’She knew Tan Lin hadn’t had an easy life, but was her own childhood any easier? In the end, if he was a novice parent, she was also a first-time daughter.’
’When she was bullied and ridiculed as a child, Tan Lin and Cheng Wenhui never stood up for her. They only ever scolded her, put her down, or resorted to violent forms of discipline.’
Taking a deep breath, Tan You quelled the storm inside her. ’To avoid dredging up these memories, it’s probably best to spend less time with them in the future.’
「At the teachers’ dormitory.」
Once they arrived, Tan Lin didn’t have a moment to spare. He started by checking all the electrical appliances, then inspected the gas canister, and finally took inventory of their supply of rice, flour, and cooking oil.
Tan Yue wrung out a rag and helped Tan You wipe down the tables, buzzing about like a little bee. Tan Lin rambled on, "Now that your second grand-uncle is gone, your mom can go back to the house after work."
Tan You just gave him a vague response. As she was boiling water, a knock came at the door. "Tan You, are you in? My dad bought a watermelon today, so I brought half for you."
Tan You glanced at the watermelon in Tan Ying’s hand, then at the fruit her father had just brought back. She grabbed two bunches of grapes. "Here, in exchange."
Tan Ying waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, no need..."
"Then I can’t accept the watermelon," Tan You said, her smile slowly vanishing as her expression grew serious. ’Was she really going to let herself be indebted to Tan Ying? Over half a watermelon? It wasn’t like she couldn’t afford one herself.’
’Besides, things from Tan Ying’s family always came with a hidden cost. For instance, back in the ninth grade, Tan You had eaten a meal with Tan Ying and her dad, Tan Dehai. She’d had just two extra bowls of fish head soup, but Tan Dehai’s family made sure everyone knew about it.’
’If she accepted the watermelon for free today, who knew what kind of story Tan Ying’s family would spread.’
"Tan Yue, take this bunch of grapes to Tan Ying’s dorm," Tan You instructed, taking precautions. "See if her father is still there. If he is, you know what to say, don’t you?"
Tan Yue nodded. "I know. Don’t worry, Sis."
Tan You had confidence in her. ’The members of the Tan family were all inwardly sharp. Take Tan Yue, for example. She understood things perfectly but kept her thoughts to herself, just as she was doing now, carrying the two bunches of grapes as she followed Tan Ying to her dorm room.’
Just then, Tan Yue, carrying two bunches of grapes, followed Tan Ying to her dorm.