Chapter 28: Every Household Has Its Own Difficulties (6)

"How am I not your own mother? You should think about the fact that your third sister-in-law is carrying your third brother's child, the blood of our Zhang family. As a daughter of the Zhang family, your third brother's sister, and your nephew's aunt, what harm would it do to just let her have her way?"

"Heh, I don't agree with that." Su Qiao had been watching the entire scene from the side and recognized the crying girl as the same one who had previously bought loungewear from her. She had originally intended to remain a bystander, a qualified passerby. However, sensing that the mother was clearly gaslighting the girl, and being a mother of a daughter herself, she couldn't help but speak up.

"Ma'am, you keep mentioning blood relations. Well, let me tell you something: even if you gave birth to your son, his children aren't necessarily related to you by blood. A daughter is different; as long as she is your biological daughter, the children she gives birth to will always share your bloodline."

"How can you say such a thing?" Zhang Xiaofei bristled at Su Qiao's words, his eyes turning red as he glared at her.

"Don't shout. I am speaking of the nuances of kinship. Between a son's offspring and a daughter's offspring, which one's biological connection to the grandparents is harder to question?"

The four members of the Zhang family were left confused.

"Think of it simply: between someone born of yourself and someone born of them, which bloodline is beyond doubt?"

"The one born of myself," Mother Zhang answered the fastest this time.

"Exactly. So, don't use your theory of bloodlines to morally blackmail your daughter. No matter who the father is, a daughter's children will always share your blood." Su Qiao left the rest unsaid, letting them ponder it themselves.

"Auntie, you said that so well!" Zhang Xiaoyu grabbed Su Qiao's arm, her red eyes fixed on her. "Auntie, does your relative have any more of that loungewear?"

Even if there weren't any, there had to be. Su Qiao was pragmatic and replied, "Yes, there is one set left."

"Sob, but I have no money left."

Seeing their youngest daughter truly heartbroken and crying in front of strangers, Father and Mother Zhang felt uneasy.

"Old Zhang, how much money do you have in your pocket?"

"I think I have a little over a yuan, the pocket money you gave me."

"Take it out and give it to me."

"Ah!"

"Third son, how much money do you have?"

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"This is all caused by your wife; you think you can get away without paying? In your dreams!"

"Mom, stop fussing, I'll give it to you, okay?"

Between his pockets, Zhang Xiaofei scraped together three yuan and eighty cents and handed it to Mother Zhang. "Mom, that's all I have."

Zhang Xiaoyu didn't care about the formalities. Seeing that her mother was already demanding money from her third brother, she unceremoniously crouched down, launched a surprise attack, and yanked off Zhang Xiaofei's right shoe. She deftly pulled out the insole, revealing a five-yuan note hidden underneath.

"..." Zhang Xiaofei hadn't expected his sister to find his secret stash.

Zhang Xiaoyu used the five-yuan note to threaten him, "Keep your wife in check. If she snatches my things again, I'll snatch yours."

"I have no money left."

"If you don't have money, you still have clothes and shoes, don't you?"

"You! Mom, look at what Little Sister is doing."

"I can't control it anymore. Who told your wife to be so unreasonable?"

Zhang Xiaoyu took the nine yuan and ninety cents her parents and brother had scraped together and handed it to Su Qiao with a serious expression. "Auntie, please go buy me another set!"

"Alright, wait for me for half an hour." Su Qiao helped Fang Xiaoying sit on a bench in the shade, gave her a few instructions, and hurried out of the hospital.

The penniless Father Zhang and Zhang Xiaofei had no desire to stay and left as well. Zhang Xiaoyu sat down next to Fang Xiaoying with her mother, quietly chatting about daily life.

Once outside the hospital, Su Qiao headed straight for the supply and marketing cooperative. From a distance, she saw a long line. Being someone who enjoyed a bit of excitement, she walked faster and caught a glimpse of what looked like sea fish being sold.

She heard people discussing: "Those *qingpizi* are twenty-five cents a jin, and the *youkou* and *taban* are twenty-eight cents. No ration coupons needed; it's quite a bargain."

"It's meat, after all. Perfect for a meal in this season."

"Smelly fish and rotten shrimp, the bane of a good meal."

"Hahaha~"

Su Qiao recognized the names as three types of small sea fish. They were small, about the length of a palm, and when cleaned and fried until crispy, they were perfect for eating with rice. Intrigued by the chatter, she wondered if the *youkou* fish might be in her supermarket. She needed to check what the fish looked like; if they were similar, she could "cheat" and bring some out.

When she arrived, she saw three piles of small fish on a cement platform outside the cooperative, with seven or eight baskets filled with the same fish nearby. She had seen *youkou* and *taban* before, but the *qingpizi* was new to her.

These small fish looked fresh, though generally smaller than the ones in her supermarket. Su Qiao circled the crowd and noticed an insider from the cooperative picking out sea shrimp mixed in the baskets.

Satisfied with her scouting, she turned back. She returned to that secluded corner and entered her supermarket. She went to the second floor, found the loungewear in the discount section, and chose a bean-green set with a cluster of daisies printed on the front for Zhang Xiaoyu.

Back on the first floor, in the seafood section, she found the *youkou* and *taban* fish. They were clearly a size larger than the ones sold at the cooperative.

"Sigh!" She glanced at the four-finger-wide hairtail and the two-pound mackerel, wishing she could take some out. But recalling the "special supply" labels she'd heard about at the cooperative, she decided not to risk it. As for the mackerel, fish of that size required ration coupons.

She looked at the abalone, lobster, king crab, salmon, rockfish, oysters, and sweet shrimp, wondering if people of this era had ever seen them.

"..." Lingeringly, she looked away from the seafood. She weighed out two pounds each of *youkou* and *taban* fish, put them into two net bags, and headed out of the supermarket.

...

Zhang Xiaoyu waited patiently, worried that the loungewear would be snatched up. Sensing her anxiety, Fang Xiaoying comforted her, "Xiaoyu, don't worry! My mom promised you, and she will get it done."

"Oh, I see Auntie coming back!" Zhang Xiaoyu stood up and ran toward Su Qiao.

"Auntie~"

"Here, isn't this pretty?"

"It's beautiful." Looking at the vibrant green and the little flowers she loved, Zhang Xiaoyu finally smiled.