"He doesn't look as handsome as Liu Nian, nor is he as capable as Liu Nian. What makes you think you can compare to Liu Nian?"
"Let's be realistic. Not everyone is as lucky as Liu Nian, having an uncle who gifts them a motorcycle."
"..."
Old Man Zhang and Zhang Hao rushed over when they heard the commotion and happened to overhear the envious and jealous remarks.
The villagers couldn't be entirely blamed. After all, the uncle Zhang Liu Nian had recognized was incredibly generous.
A gift of a motorcycle worth tens of thousands was something that couldn't be found anywhere in the village, or even the entire South City.
How could people not be envious?
Fortunately, not everyone in the crowd was consumed by jealousy; many were genuinely happy for Zhang Liu Nian.
"Liu Nian, is that motorcycle easy to ride?"
"Can Liu Nian teach us how to ride motorcycles?"
"Someone who's never even touched a bicycle wants to learn to ride a motorcycle? That's hilarious."
"Hahaha..."
Everyone burst into laughter. Only Zhang Wenjun and his wife, hiding in the crowd, looked displeased. Why did Zhang Liu Nian have such good luck, getting a tens-of-thousands-dollar motorcycle just by recognizing an uncle, while their family lacked such fortune?
If only their son had such luck, what else would they need to worry about?
Just as they were thinking this, Zhang Wenjun, with his sharp eyes, spotted his elder brother and sister-in-law approaching. He immediately composed himself, anticipating Zhang Liu Nian's embarrassment.
"Third brother, what's going on?" Zhang Wenxue and his wife, upon arriving at their youngest son's house, saw the yard and the area outside filled with people, and in the center of the crowd, they spotted their youngest son.
"Nothing much," Zhang Liu Nian replied, stepping forward.
"Nothing much? Then why is everyone gathered here?"
As soon as Zhang Wenxue finished speaking, he understood the reason. Seeing the motorcycle behind Zhang Liu Nian, he exclaimed in surprise, "Whose motorcycle is this?"
"This is the motorcycle given to Brother Liu Nian by the uncle he recognized," Zhang Liusha answered for Zhang Liu Nian before he could speak.
Zhang Wenxue and his wife exchanged glances, both revealing their astonishment.
A motorcycle gifted by a recognized uncle? Was this a joke?
A motorcycle worth tens of thousands at the drop of a hat – who could be so generous?
"Did someone really give you this motorcycle?" Yu Xiaohua looked at her youngest son with disbelief, unable to fathom how he would come to own a motorcycle.
Zhang Liu Nian nodded. "Mmm."
Yu Xiaohua swayed slightly, and Zhang Wenxue's hands trembled. He pointed at the motorcycle, saying, "This bike must be worth at least tens of thousands! It's several times more expensive than a tractor."
"So what?" Zhang Liu Nian's tone was casual, sounding less like a conversation with his parents and more like one with a stranger.
The onlookers also noticed this but, considering the family's interactions over the years, found it unsurprising.
Ever since Zhang Liu Nian's second brother had left the countryside, Zhang Wenxue and his wife had focused solely on their second son, paying little attention to their other two.
Especially their youngest son, whom they had truly neglected.
Given their current relationship, it was understandable.
"Third brother, what's going on?" Zhang Wenxue swallowed hard, still finding it hard to believe that someone would give away something so valuable so readily.
"It's a long story. Did you come here for something specific?" Zhang Liu Nian, unwilling to elaborate, inquired about their purpose.
If they were here to borrow five hundred yuan, he was willing to have a proper discussion with them.
Reminded by his question, Zhang Wenxue and his wife finally recalled their reason for coming.
They were here to demand money and the formula, to persuade him to stop being a self-employed individual, and to question why he had allowed their younger sister to register her marriage with the mute.
Once these matters were settled, they could report back to their second son and live by his side in South City.
Then, they wouldn't have to face their eldest daughter-in-law's disdain.
With this thought, Yu Xiaohua blurted out, "Was it you who decided about Little Sister and the mute?" She chose to accuse before demanding.
Zhang Liu Nian readily admitted, "It was."
"You stubborn fool! Don't you know your little sister is part of the Tie family? What you've done is pushing your sister to a dead end." In Yu Xiaohua's mind, her daughter belonged to the Tie family in life and death, how could she marry another man?
This was terrible for their second son's reputation.
"Mom, Little Sister is a person. She has the right to decide the path she wants to take."
"She's the Tie family's daughter-in-law, how can she remarry?"
"According to you, women whose husbands have passed away can never remarry, and they should stay in their deceased husbands' families and suffer, is that right?"
There were no remarried women in their village, but that didn't mean there weren't any in other villages.
This situation was rare, but it did happen.
After all, not everyone was lucky enough to marry a husband who would stay with them until old age.
"That's not what I meant. Your little sister is different from others."
"How is she different? They both lost their husbands and have no one to rely on."
"She still has a 'golden phoenix' of a second brother. Even if she doesn't think for herself, shouldn't she consider her second brother? What kind of reputation would it be for the family to have a sister who remarries?"
"It's always about the second brother. Mom, I think you really need to go out and ask around. See which families, after having a university student, forbid their siblings from divorcing and remarrying?"
"..." What did her youngest son mean by that? Could it be that this wasn't a big deal for their second son? Yu Xiaohua's mind was in a jumble, and she couldn't retort.
Zhang Wenxue sighed silently and said, "Third brother, your second brother has gone through a lot. We should be considerate of him."
"We are all considering him, but who is considering us? Dad, you weren't like this before. How have you changed so much after just a few years?" Zhang Liu Nian felt that his father was unrecognizable.
Zhang Wenxue met his youngest son's unfamiliar gaze and found himself unable to speak.
"Third brother, if you give us the formula and promise not to be a self-employed individual anymore, we can agree to let Little Sister marry the mute. How about it?"
Yu Xiaohua recovered and realized that perhaps Little Sister's situation could be used as a bargaining chip.
After saying this, Yu Xiaohua secretly congratulated herself, thinking her plan was brilliant.
It would not only resolve Little Sister's issue but also Zhang Liu Nian's, and help their second son – a true win-win-win.
However, her words cast a silence over the entire scene, and everyone looked at her in disbelief.
They were truly stunned. They never expected to hear about their younger sister remarrying, nor did they expect to hear about them preventing Zhang Liu Nian from being self-employed and stealing his formula.
Previously, they had thought Zhang Wenxue and his wife were not foolish, but rather quite clever. How could they say such shameless things today?
"Auntie, please don't be offended if I say a few words. I recall that being self-employed is permitted by the state. On what grounds do you prohibit Liu Nian from being self-employed?" Old Man Zhang, upon hearing Yu Xiaohua's intention to make Zhang Liu Nian give up his self-employment, could no longer hold back.