Chapter 5

Sang Ran really waited outside for half an hour.
Of course, she didn't just wait idly. With the change of over ninety cents, she wandered around the area, trying to find some way to make money.
As a girl, Sang Ran really didn't want to do manual labor like moving bricks, it was dirty and exhausting. Even though she was strong, she had no desire to do it.
If there were another way to earn money, that would be ideal.
The main issue was that she had no capital. Otherwise, she could have gone to Shenzhen to buy goods and resell them. As long as she was careful, it would be fine. With her forty years of foresight, she could definitely pick out good clothing.
What a pity, it all came down to having no money.
Of course, after wandering for half an hour, Sang Ran didn't find anything. Although individual businesses were allowed now, most were just selling small snacks, and the skills weren't particularly great, mostly just home-cooking level.
Sang Ran didn't have a watch, so she estimated the time and returned to the hospital entrance.
After standing there for a while, she saw Zhu Chang’an return with a sullen face, full of reluctance. He gave her a somewhat resentful look and said lazily, "Let's go, let's go. Just say we bought a lot of food, got tired from shopping, and spent all the money, got it?"
"Okay," Sang Ran nodded, cooperating fully.
Zhu Chang’an looked at her in surprise. Although he hadn't interacted much with girls, he knew they could be delicate and hard to deal with, prone to crying and tattling.
Why was this one so easygoing?
He glanced at her again. Her profile was clean and fair, with a high nose bridge and long eyelashes like two little fans.
In the morning, the pale golden sunlight fell on her face, as if she were surrounded by a halo.
Zhu Chang’an hurriedly averted his gaze, pressing a hand to his chest. His heart was thumping much harder and faster than usual.
He rubbed his ears, which had somehow grown warm.
Sang Ran tilted her head slightly in confusion as she watched his series of actions.
Her big eyes blinked, and her small mouth pouted slightly.
Damn it, Zhu Chang’an quickened his pace, suddenly feeling his heart beat heavier. He couldn’t look at her!
By the time Zhang Cuixia and Grandpa Sang had talked themselves hoarse, she saw her son, who had entered first, and her eyelids twitched immediately, fearing that her son might have lost his temper and left the young girl outside, making her disappear.
Fortunately, the next moment, the girl came in.
The young pair, the man handsome, the woman lovely, didn’t fit the current preference for sturdy and robust aesthetics, but they were undeniably good-looking.
Zhang Cuixia couldn’t help but smile like a doting aunt. Sharp-eyed and familiar with Zhu Chang’an, she noticed his unnatural expression after a couple of glances and smiled even more happily, saying softly, “Did you have fun?”
Oh my, her son had finally come around.
Was it because the girls he had met on previous blind dates weren’t pretty enough?
Zhu Chang’an nervously glanced at Sang Ran, worried she might complain.
Instead, he saw Sang Ran obediently nod and say, “I had fun.”
Zhu Chang’an couldn’t help but smile and said, “Don’t you trust me?”
Zhang Cuixia’s lips twitched, thinking to herself that he was the last person she’d trust, but she decided not to say it out loud, wanting to save her son some face.
The Zhu mother and son took their leave.
As soon as they were gone, Grandpa Sang took Sang Ran’s hand, his tone inexplicably pained and heartbroken, “My dear girl, you’ve been wronged.”
As someone who had seen much in life, Grandpa Sang could tell at a glance what kind of person Zhu Chang’an was. But now, the money for his hospitalization had been borrowed from them, and his granddaughter had been saved from drowning by Zhu Chang’an.
Her reputation was compromised, so she had no choice but to marry into their family.
The thought that this was now a settled matter, and that his granddaughter would have to marry such a person, made him unbearably sad.
Sang Ran chuckled lightly, “Grandpa, I’m fine. I’m not wronged.”
Zhu Chang’an might not fit the aesthetic standards of this era, but in her eyes, he was still acceptable. A nineteen-year-old boy, in her original world, he might have still been a high school student or a freshman in college.
At such a young age, it was understandable that he was a bit playful.
Once they were married, she would make sure this silly boy learned what it meant to be obedient.
Everything he was doing to her now would have to be repaid in the future.
But she couldn’t say these things to Grandpa Sang. The original host wasn’t this kind of person, and saying such things would only raise suspicions. So, she could only offer comfort.
Grandpa Sang sighed, trying to find a silver lining in their predicament. At least there was some benefit: Zhu Chang’an was useless, so his mother wouldn’t have high expectations for Sang Ran and would always feel a sense of guilt, treating her well as a result.
Sometimes the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is even more terrifying than that between husband and wife.
Zhang Cuixia liking Sang Ran so much is a good thing.

Grandpa Sang’s leg surgery took half a month. His condition turned out much better than expected, and his recovery was quite good. As a result, the hundred yuan wasn’t entirely used up, and there was some left to buy him some nutritional supplements.
On the day of his discharge, because of his leg surgery, Sang Ran went to find the village chief. After discussing for a long time, she managed to get permission to use the tractor and arranged for someone to bring Grandpa Sang back home.
During Grandpa Sang’s hospitalization, his three sons came to visit him, but they only stopped by briefly before leaving. None of them left any money, and if Sang Ran hadn’t been vigilant, they might have even expected her to pay for their meals.
Grandma Sang came several times, hitching rides to the hospital. Though she was old and wanted to take care of her husband, the family needed her more at home. After visiting a few times and seeing how well Sang Ran was taking care of him, she didn’t worry too much.
After spending so much money, how could he not be well taken care of?
So, on the day he returned, a crowd of villagers came to see him, all envious that he had such a filial child. Grandpa Sang kept holding Sang Ran’s hand and praising her, over and over.
He praised her until her face turned red, while his other sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren looked somewhat ashamed.
Little Tiedan, seeing the milk powder in Sang Ran’s hand, immediately ran over with sparkling eyes: "Third Aunt, I want some!!"
In the past, Grandpa Sang would have given any good things to the children first. But this time, before Sang Ran could say anything, Tiedan’s mother pulled her son back and said awkwardly, "This is for your great-grandpa. You can’t have it."
"No" Grandpa Sang was about to speak, the familiar words on the tip of his tongue.
Sang Ran cut him off: "Yes, this is for your great-grandpa. You can’t have it. If you drink it, you’ll get sick."
Grandma Sang immediately fell silent.
He couldn’t contradict his granddaughter and make things difficult for her.
"It’s not that serious. A little sip wouldn’t hurt," Tiedan’s mother muttered under her breath.
Sang Ran scoffed, clutching the items tightly. She had originally planned to take them to Grandpa Sang’s room, but now it seemed that wasn’t a good idea, it would be like throwing meat buns to a dog.
She decisively went back to her own home and placed the items in her room.
But she found her room filled with clutter. What was once a relatively spacious room was now so cramped it was hard to even find a place to step. Sang Ran had no choice but to temporarily put the nutritional supplements on her bed. Frowning, she went out and called, "Mom, why is there so much stuff in my room?"
Over the past half month, Sang Ran had been taking care of Grandpa Sang in the hospital. Since she had brought enough supplies on her first trip back, there was no need to return for anything else. If she did need something, she could always ask someone to bring it, or one of Grandpa Sang’s sons could deliver it when they visited.
So she hadn’t been back home at all.
She had no idea her room had undergone such a change.
Mother Sang, who was washing vegetables and cooking, didn’t even turn her head as she replied, "We ran out of space, so we put some things in your room. It’s fine, you’ll be leaving soon anyway."
Sang Ran: "…"
She forced a smile, patted her cheeks, and told herself not to mind it.
These people weren’t her family.
But she still felt a little angry.
These people really didn’t make her feel any warmth of family. Was the original host just a piece of goods? Like a pig, raised well until it was plump and ready to be sold for money?
Since they had unilaterally decided to cut ties with her, she would simply repay them in kind.

Sang Xiuxiu was lounging lazily in her room.
She didn’t want to go out anymore. Every time she stepped outside, she was reminded of what had happened that night. Even though no one else had seen it besides Sang Ran and Zhang Cuixia, and Zhang Cuixia wasn’t even from their village, she just couldn’t get past it in her heart.
What’s more, whenever she thought about Sang Ran’s current situation, she felt even more frustrated. She had only just learned how miserable Sang Ran was, and before she could even savor that bit of happiness for long, she saw how well Sang Ran was getting along with her future mother-in-law.
Everyone knew Zhang Cuixia, she was notoriously sharp-tongued and difficult to get along with. Her previous daughters-in-law had never received a kind word from her, yet now she was eagerly bringing soup to Sang Ran?
Sang Xiuxiu knew she shouldn’t feel this way, but she couldn’t help but grow even more jealous. What kind of charm did Sang Ran possess that made everyone praise her so much?
Even now, hiding in her room, she could hear the visitors chatting at home, and their conversations were all about Sang Ran.
“How did Old Sang end up with such a good granddaughter? A hundred yuan, just like that, she lent it to him for his medical treatment. It’s truly heaven’s will that he didn’t die.”
“Well, it’s all thanks to the good family she’s marrying into. That hundred yuan was borrowed from her in-laws. Once she’s married, won’t she not have to pay it back?”
“Are you stupid? That’s a hundred yuan we’re talking about, how could she not pay it back? Zhang Cuixia isn’t someone easy to deal with. None of her previous daughters-in-law even had a bride price of a hundred yuan. Do you think she’d let it slide? Most likely, that money counts as the bride price.”
“But would Sang Ran’s mother agree?” Everyone knew that Sang Ran’s mother had always intended to marry her daughter off for a high price.
If that money was indeed considered the bride price, she would be the first to object.
And since there had been no word about it for so long, it probably wasn’t the case.
“Definitely not. That money is just a loan, and it will have to be repaid someday.”
Someone clicked their tongue in amazement. “That girl Sang Ran really has guts.”
“Right? And she’s such a filial child. If it were my son, he might not have been willing to part with that money. A hundred yuan is two years’ worth of work points!”
After that, everyone just kept praising Sang Ran.
Sang Xiuxiu desperately covered her ears, trying to block out the voices. But the small farmhouse wasn’t soundproof, and the middle-aged women’s chatter was loud and clear, forcing her to hear every word.
Frustrated, Sang Xiuxiu sprang up like a carp leaping out of water, glaring resentfully at the wall as if it were Sang Ran herself.
Just then, a girl knocked on the door. “Xiuxiu? I’m here to play with you.”
“The door’s unlocked. Come in,” Sang Xiuxiu replied listlessly, traces of resentment still lingering in her eyes.
The girl was Sang Yue, two years younger than Sang Xiuxiu. They hadn’t been particularly close before, but after Sang Xiuxiu fell out with Sang Ran and had no one else to play with, she had no choice but to turn to Sang Yue.
The young girl was full of energy and said with a smile, "I just saw the matchmaker going to Sang Ran's house to propose marriage. They brought so many things with them."
This again.
Sang Xiuxiu replied listlessly, "Oh."
Sang Yue didn't notice Sang Xiuxiu's indifference and kept chattering, "I'm so envious of Sang Ran. She's getting married. I heard the Zhu family is really well-off."
Sang Xiuxiu bit her lip, feeling a sour ache in her heart, and couldn't help but say, "What's so great about them? Sure, they're well-off, but have you seen Zhu Chang’an? Is he even decent? He's already nineteen and still hasn't managed to get married. If it weren't for this situation, would Sang Ran be marrying him? What's so good about that?"
Sang Yue frowned and hesitated, "But I heard Zhu Chang’an's mother really likes Sang Ran. She even lent a hundred yuan for her grandfather's medical treatment. My mom originally thought this family wasn't good either, but yesterday she changed her tune, saying she envies Sang Ran. No mother-in-law is as generous as Sang Ran's."
"That's because Zhu Chang’an is just trash!" Sang Xiuxiu sneered.
Just a petty thug. Sooner or later, Sang Ran would cry over this. Who told her not to listen to her advice?
Sang Yue suddenly didn't want to talk to her anymore, she was such a killjoy. But since she had made the effort to come over, she rolled her eyes and said, "How about we go join the fun? I heard they give out candies during engagements."
"Alright." Sang Xiuxiu nodded hesitantly. She wanted to see for herself. Only by witnessing Sang Ran's unhappiness with her own eyes could she feel a little better.
Sang Yue immediately pulled her along.
The two families weren't far apart, and they arrived after a short walk.
Sang Xiuxiu walked over with a tense face, not daring to get too close, afraid that Zhang Cuixia might be there. But as soon as they approached, she saw Sang Ran and a tall, lanky young man, a head taller than her, coming out of the house.
The young man happened to be facing them, and Sang Xiuxiu could see his delicate features, accompanied by a somewhat roguish smile. His eyes held a hint of fierceness, yet it was strangely captivating.
Was this Zhu Chang’an?
Sang Xiuxiu clutched her increasingly sour heart, gritted her teeth, and her eyes turned red.
It couldn't be. How could Zhu Chang’an be this good-looking? Wasn't he a thug?
Shouldn't he be ugly?
Just then, the young man's expression suddenly turned fierce, as if he were threatening Sang Ran.
Sang Xiuxiu felt a wave of relief. At least there was something bad about him. Thugs were always like this, aggressive and unpleasant to look at!
But suddenly, a suppressed squeal came from beside her: "Oh my god, Xiuxiu, look! I thought he was bullying Sang Ran when he looked so fierce, but he was actually feeding her something! It looks like pastries? I've never had any"
Sang Xiuxiu immediately looked up and focused her gaze. The pastry in the young man's hand looked soft, sticky, and delicious. She muttered under her breath, "What's there to get excited about? Hmph."
But as she lowered her head, she silently swallowed. She had never tasted it either!