Su Hang went to the provincial capital to study, and this was his first time back. To Su Xi, the provincial capital was definitely much more prosperous than the county town. She had only just finished junior high and was going to the county town for high school. Before that, the farthest she had ever been was to the town, and the dilapidated county town already seemed very prosperous to her. Therefore, she was looking forward to Su Hang's return from the provincial capital with great anticipation.
Previously, she had secretly called Su Hang many times, asking him to remember to bring her gifts when he came back, but her hopes were dashed, and her disappointment was indescribable.
Seeing this, Su Hang gave a mysterious smile and reached out to pinch Su Xi's nose, "My dear sister, how could I forget you? I just didn't know what to buy, and my hands couldn't carry so many things, so I didn't buy anything. But although I didn't bring gifts, I have this."
After saying that, Su Hang reached into his pocket and pulled out a bank card.
"What?" Su Xi snatched it and, seeing it was a bank card, looked at Su Hang with confusion, "Your bank card? For me?"
Su Hang nodded slightly, "I've put 20,000 yuan in it for you. Buy whatever you like."
"20,000 yuan?"
Su Xi exclaimed in surprise. For a family like theirs, 20,000 yuan was a considerable sum. Although she had heard from her family that her brother had made a fortune in the provincial capital and sent 50,000 yuan home, the fact that he was now casually giving her 20,000 yuan made her feel like it was almost unreal.
"What 20,000?"
At that moment, a middle-aged woman in an apron walked in, looking at the siblings with confusion.
Su Hang's mother, Ye Yuzhen, was already fifty years old, short in stature, and slightly plump. Like most rural women, she looked older than her actual age, her face etched with the marks of time. She was hardworking and simple, and these traits were even more pronounced in her.
"Uh, nothing!"
Su Xi quickly hid the bank card behind her back and forced a bright smile at her mother, "I was just telling my brother we'll play mahjong later."
"Play what mahjong? Kids these days don't learn well." Her mother gave Su Xi a disapproving look, "Your brother just got back from the provincial capital. Don't disturb him; let him rest for a while."
Su Xi turned to look at Su Hang and stuck out her tongue playfully.
Her mother then looked at Su Hang, and her scolding face broke into a smile, "Mom has heated water for you. Rest for a bit, then take a shower. Your father and Uncle Three went into the mountains; they might be back late."
"Thanks, Mom." Su Hang nodded, "I bought you a phone. Do you like it?"
"Why spend that money?" Although she was scolding, it was clear that her mother was quite happy, "I'll go to Uncle Three's house to get some beans to make tofu. We can look at it later tonight."
After saying that, her mother scooped two bowls of beans from the cabinet and hurried out the door.
"Mom is really biased, favoring boys over girls." As soon as her mother left, Su Xi pouted.
"If you didn't come home for months, Mom would definitely treat you like a precious gem too." Su Hang couldn't help but laugh and patted Su Xi's head. This little girl was actually jealous.
Su Xi ran to the door to check if her mother had left, then quickly closed the bedroom door and ran back to Su Hang, holding the bank card with an excited look on her face, whispering, "Brother, is there really 20,000 yuan in this card?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
Su Hang shrugged. He had over a million yuan in his account, and 20,000 yuan was nothing to him. Money was no longer a big deal to him; he could earn it back with a snap of his fingers.
"Brother, you're really too good to me." Su Xi jumped with joy, hanging onto Su Hang and giving him a big kiss on the cheek.
"My dear sister, can't you be a bit more reserved?" Su Hang was speechless. This little girl was truly a little money lover.
Su Xi was overjoyed and quickly put the bank card away, "Dad said you got lucky in Rongcheng and won a prize? Dad also said you're not honest, and this money definitely didn't come from a prize. Is that true?"
"Uh."
Hearing Su Xi's words, Su Hang couldn't help but pause. It seemed that Dad was quite perceptive; the story about winning a prize didn't fool him at all.
"Brother, did you rob a bank?" Su Xi looked at Su Hang curiously.
Su Hang was speechless, "Your imagination is quite vivid. Every cent I have is legitimate. You can spend it with peace of mind."
"Yay."
Su Xi didn't delve deeper. To her, it didn't matter where the money came from. From her understanding of her brother, he would never do anything illegal.
Su Hang shook his head and didn't say more, "What did Dad and Uncle Three go into the mountains for? To pick tea?"
"Pick what tea? There's no tea to pick now. Dad knew his precious son was coming back, so he and Uncle Three went into the mountains to hunt wild game. They said they want to give their good son a good treat." Su Xi said.
"Naughty!"
Su Hang gently patted Su Xi's head. However, after hearing Su Xi's words, he couldn't help but feel touched.
He didn't know if it was the same in other families, but in their four-person household, Su Hang's relationship with his father wasn't particularly close. His father had always been strict with him, and when he called home, he rarely called his father's phone, preferring to call the home landline, which was usually answered by his mother.
On the contrary, his little sister had a good relationship with their father. She was afraid to call her mother and usually called her father. For Su Hang, it was a strict father and a kind mother, but for his little sister, it was a strict mother and a kind father.
...
โ
In the evening, after her mother had made the tofu, the sky gradually darkened, but her father still hadn't returned. The mother and son stood by the roadside, looking worriedly up the mountain path.
"Why hasn't he come back yet? Su Hang, call your father."
"I've already called. His phone is off."
Before this, he had called several times. Su Hang took out his phone again and dialed his father's number, but it was still off.
"Mom, why don't you and Su Xi eat first? I'll go into the mountains to check."
After thinking for a moment, Su Hang suggested to his mother. The mountain behind Su Xi Village wasn't a famous one, but it was still a large mountain. In the deep mountains, there were many venomous snakes and wild beasts, and the mountain paths were dangerous. With the darkness and poor visibility, anything could happen. It was already so late, and they couldn't help but worry.