Chapter 28: Unwelcome

“What are you here for? Last time you came to our house, didn’t you say that unless you died, you’d never step through our door again?” Zhang Ailian saw Shen Guodong and wished she could leap up and slap him hard twice. Her gritted teeth and furious expression made her hatred clear.

Shen Guodong managed a bitter smile.

That time he’d come for money, but Zhang Ailian had refused him outright. Years of pent-up resentment erupted afterward, leading to a fierce argument. That was all before his rebirth, and now, looking back, it seemed a little absurd.

“Mom… Guodong has really changed. He hasn’t gambled in ages, and not long ago he was named an outstanding employee. He’s now a supervisor at the factory and even got a bonus of a thousand yuan. He was immature before, please forgive him just this once!” Liu Yueru hurried to explain.

Her husband on one side, her mother on the other—both equally precious to her. She was caught in the middle, torn between them, surely hoping to resolve their conflict.

“Is everything you said true?” Zhang Ailian softened, seeing her daughter’s anxious face, yet she spoke with suspicion.

“Mom, it’s all true! Guodong really has changed. Today I brought him of my own accord. He really isn’t here for money, just to see you,” Liu Yueru pleaded.

But as soon as she finished, a discordant voice rang out.

“Mom, you actually believe that? A dog can’t change its ways. Little sister’s been brainwashed by this guy. How many times has he come before and she always said Shen Guodong would change. But did he ever? All he’s ever done is wear down our patience, time and again.”

“The eldest sister-in-law is right. If Shen Guodong can really change, then the sun must be rising in the west. You believe it if you want, but I bet he’s just found another way to ask for money. Haven’t we helped enough over the years?”

The two women speaking were about twenty-seven or twenty-eight—wives of Liu Jianguo and Liu Jianjun, the eldest and second sons.

Their dissatisfaction with Liu Yueru was nothing new. Before she married, she was their parents’ favorite. Afterward, the family savings were nearly emptied out for her. If she didn’t come to borrow money, those funds would eventually end up in their hands. So their resentment wasn’t just idle talk.

Every time Liu Yueru visited, the two would find ways to criticize her, hoping to destroy the image of the married daughter in their parents’ eyes completely.

Zhang Ailian’s expression, which had just softened, now changed again as she looked at Shen Guodong and asked coldly, “Tell me honestly, is that why you’re here? Let me tell you, we have no money left. Over the years, how much have you taken? Don’t you have any sense of it?”

“Mom… you misunderstand. This time, we really just came to see you and dad with Yueru. I truly have no intention of asking for money,” Shen Guodong replied with a wry smile. With so many people around, it wasn’t the right time to take out the money.

“Then I’ll trust you one more time!” Zhang Ailian saw her daughter’s pitiful look and couldn’t bear it, choosing to believe Shen Guodong again.

Liu Yueru’s sisters-in-law, Chen Xuehong and Zhang Mulan, were clearly displeased. How many times had they heard the same lie? Zhang Ailian and Liu Chuanji kept believing it again and again—when would they ever learn?

It was all so obvious. Shen Guodong said nothing. Words belonged to others; what they chose to say was their business. What could he say? True change wasn’t shown in words but in actions.

“Mom, what happened to your leg? How did you fall? It doesn’t look like a simple accident—how did you end up hurt?” Liu Yueru asked.

“It’s nothing, just a fall. A little rest and I’ll recover, nothing serious.” Zhang Ailian’s face changed, then quickly returned to calm; she clearly didn’t want her daughter to worry.

She might fool Liu Yueru, but Shen Guodong, sharp as he was, wouldn’t be deceived. Even if Zhang Ailian wouldn’t say, he knew it wasn’t a simple fall—there must be more to the story. He’d dig deeper when fewer people were present.

They sat inside and chatted for a while, until the call for dinner sounded from outside.

Liu Yueru and Shen Guodong helped Zhang Ailian outside and seated her.

The table was laden with dishes, most of them wild game from the countryside—crucian carp, shrimp, wild rabbit and the like. Meat was limited to these, a treat for the family. The vegetables were home-grown, mostly cabbage and other common greens; the lettuce and romaine so common in later generations were nowhere to be seen. At least for now, those were a rare luxury.

Perhaps because of Shen Guodong’s presence at the table, the lively atmosphere suddenly grew quiet. Everyone ate in silence, no one speaking, and the air grew strangely tense.

Knowing his place, Shen Guodong ate quickly, finished in a few bites, and set down his chopsticks. “Dad, Mom, big brother, I’m done—please enjoy your meal.”

In this family, the three of them—though displeased with his past—were relatively friendly and never too harsh, so Shen Guodong spoke to them deliberately, making his intentions clear. Just then, the sound of a motorcycle echoed from outside.

In these days, owning a motorcycle was the mark of a local tycoon. Most people couldn’t afford it; a machine costing thousands was a fortune.

A man around thirty walked in—Liu Yueru’s cousin, from her aunt’s family, who had made good money outside. His name was Chen Gantian.

His arrival immediately enlivened the scene, especially the two Liu sisters-in-law, Chen Xuehong and Zhang Mulan, who greeted him with great enthusiasm.

“Cousin, you’re finally here! We waited over an hour for you and only started eating when you didn’t show!”

“That’s right. I’ve prepared your bowl and chopsticks. Just take your seat.”

The others chimed in as well.

Chen Gantian, flush with wealth, strode in with confidence.