Chronicle of the 70s
Chapter 36 - 036 Wants money even when dying

Chapter 36: 036 Wants money even when dying

Just a few days after Li Erfu left, the matter of adoption was settled, with many elders from the Li Family’s branch attending.

Li Dafu greeted the circle of elders, then saw his second brother and sister-in-law come in with somewhat listless expressions, followed by the eldest’s family and Jianqing. Jianwen did not come, which made him shake his head - Li Huai Ren’s second brother had been really spoiled. Such an important matter of his sister’s adoption and he didn’t show up, showing how indifferent their familial affection was. And to think that Er Fu’s wife had the children endure the bitterness for his sake.

Everyone sat together, and the Third Uncle was the first to speak: "It has been agreed upon previously that Er Fu’s little girl will be adopted by Huai Ren, and they, as a couple, have also agreed to it. Today we plan to settle it and have everyone here as witnesses."

Looking around to see that everyone had arrived, and seeing that Li Huai Ren was also seated beside Li Dafu’s house, he continued, "Let me lay out today’s terms. Huai Ren said before, whoever gives him a child for adoption will receive 300 catties of fine grain, as a token for nurturing the child. Er Fu, what do you think of this?"

As soon as these words were spoken, various gazes shot towards Li Erfu’s family of five - some envious, some jealous, and some resentful.

Today was the day to discuss the adoption. Originally, Li Erfu and Ge Sanmei alone would have been sufficient, but An Cuicui insisted on tagging along, so Li Jianye followed, and Li Jianqing came along forcefully, while Li Jianwen did not show up.

Li Jianwen made a fuss and fasted at home when he heard his sister was being adopted out, but Mom was unyielding. Plus, his sister told him that even if she were adopted out, she would still be his sister. But once adopted out, could things really remain the same?

Ge Sanmei looked around stealthily from her seat below, then carefully shifted before speaking reluctantly, "Third Uncle, just giving 300 catties of grain might not be enough."

Like a thunderclap in the night, her words stunned everyone there.

Li Xianglu, seated at the corner of the kang bed, curled her lips slightly, watching Ge Sanmei at the lower seat with a somewhat indifferent look. She just knew that today’s matter wouldn’t be so easily resolved.

The Third Uncle frowned and tapped his tobacco pipe, knowing from Ge Sanmei’s words that she probably had more demands.

Li Erfu’s eyes widened, he turned his head and sharply rebuked, "Shut up!" Being a straightforward and reserved man, typically of few words, it pained him to think of giving his daughter away for adoption, let alone misunderstanding his wife’s implication.

Ge Sanmei turned her head, slightly intimidated, but then thought about what Jianwen had said the days before and suddenly felt a surge of courage, "Why not? Xiang has been brought up by me from the time she was a baby, and now at fifteen, she’s almost of marrying age. Giving her away for adoption is like letting someone else harvest the good wheat you’ve grown. Who would be so foolish?"

Turning her gaze to Li Huai Ren who sat nearby.

Li Huai Ren smiled lightly, "Third Uncle will decide on this matter. I’ll do whatever is within my power, but if someone makes an unreasonable demand, then forget about the adoption - I don’t absolutely need one."

Ge Sanmei’s heart skipped a beat. She hesitated over the amount she had in mind. If it was too high and rejected, what then? With the clan watching, how would she face people in the future? But if she asked for too little, she wouldn’t be content. Now that the girl had completely given up on her, if she didn’t get something good out of it, it wouldn’t be worth it!

And at this moment, standing behind Ge Sanmei, An Cuicui spoke up: "If the younger sister gets married, she can still receive a betrothal gift. Although she’s average-looking, there are plenty of older bachelors who can’t find wives. Going to someone else’s family, wouldn’t that be a bargain for them!" Finished speaking, she looked around proudly.

Li Erfu’s eyes widened fiercely as he roared at his eldest son on the side: "Jianye, are you dead or something? What does your wife think she’s doing? Does she run the family now?"

Li Jianye was also stunned by his wife’s words, first snatching the baby from An Cuicui’s arms, then with a flip of his left hand, delivered a slap. It was swift and full of hatred, and after a piercing scream, An Cuicui, completely unprepared, toppled over.

Li Jianye didn’t give An Cuicui a chance to scream, he grabbed the person on the ground and said to his father: "Daddy, I’m going out," then dragged the person on the ground and left.

Ge Sanmei was dumbfounded as she looked at her daughter-in-law being dragged on the ground, spitting with contempt, yet her mind was racing with thoughts. Indeed, that wretched girl would be of marriageable age at eighteen at most. If she got married, she’d surely get a betrothal gift. A common amount for peasants was around one hundred yuan, but if she married an older man, they might even agree to three hundred yuan.

So Ge Sanmei coughed and said: "Well, my eldest daughter-in-law may not understand etiquette, but she’s not wrong about this. Xiang is already fifteen years old. In at most three years, she will get married. How should we calculate the betrothal gift?"

Seated in the middle of the kang table, Third Uncle coughed and coldly said: "Er Fu, you haven’t trained your wife well." After finishing, he knocked his smoking pipe and remained silent.

Li Erfu, sitting below Ge Sanmei, had a face so embarrassed it looked like it might drip water, shaking with anger.

Ge Sanmei rolled her eyes and said nonchalantly: "Third Uncle, what you’re saying, this is a new society now, it won’t do to go around beating up wives."

Third Uncle, without lifting his head, said: "Yes, fortunately, it’s a new society. If it were the old society, you might have been beaten to death already!"

The people sitting in the cave-house started chuckling quietly, and Ge Sanmei’s face turned beet red, taking a long time before saying: "But three hundred catties of grain isn’t enough. We need to give some money too, or else it’ll have to be us who handle her future marriage affairs!"

Third Uncle coldly raised his head and said to the already infuriated Li Erfu: "Er Fu, it seems that in your family, a woman is making all the decisions?"

Li Erfu stood up abruptly and kicked towards Ge Sanmei, but Ge Sanmei, well-prepared, dodged quickly, huffing: "Even if you kill me, I won’t agree. Xiang is my child, I may not run the family, but she is the child I gave birth to. As her mother, can’t I ask for a little compensation for my hard work?"

Li Erfu pointed at Ge Sanmei in disbelief and said: "Are you even human? You know that the child is yours? What are you trying to do? Are you considering selling the child?"

Hearing ’selling the child’, Ge Sanmei felt a surge of acid in her heart. But as soon as she thought of what Jianwen had said, a wave of anger rose within her, and she pointed at Li Erfu and scolded: "Good for you, Li Erfu. I, Ge Sanmei, have toiled for you all these years, reaping no happiness. Now I don’t even have the say over my own child?"

Sitting on the ground, she then began to wail: "Oh, God, look at this, this thunderstruck blockhead, who have I been doing all this for, huh? It’s wrong for me to ask for some money? The second and third have yet to settle down. They need to go to school, to study, to find work, the food in the fields, the little bit of money we make from work-points, how can that be enough for school?" And with that, she started crying hysterically without regard for her image.

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