Old Su glared at Su Xiaofeng, wishing he could lash out and whip his unfilial daughter to death. Did she understand what it meant to give birth to this child?
"If you're set on keeping this child, then who is the father? If he dares not marry you, I'll kill him with a hoe."
"Right, who is this man? Where is he from?" He Ximei, although a bit disappointed, still asked.
Su Xiaofeng shook her head: "I don't know."
A lump stuck in Old Su's throat as he considered a possibility, that Xiaofeng had been violated.
Whoever the damned culprit was, should he find out, he would definitely attack with a hoe, the man who dared to bully his daughter.
"Dad." Su Xiaofeng called out softly, "Dad, please let me keep it. I promise, I will earn money in the future, and won't let people laugh at our family."
Their family was already the poorest in the village. With her now stirring up the scandal of a premarital pregnancy, the villagers would surely relish in their misfortune.
"Su Xiaofeng." Old Su, holding the bamboo whip, commanded in a most imposing tone: "If you really want to keep this child, it's not... not possible." Seeing his daughter plead with him, Old Su's heart softened after all.
He Ximei pricked up her ears to listen.
"Dad, you were saying?"
"Go away and hide for a while. Once this blows over, you can come back." This was the best solution he could think of. To the outside world, they would say that Xiaofeng had aborted the child and gone to the provincial capital to work.
"I disagree." He Ximei certainly would not agree. She had hoped to have a good talk with Xiaofeng, if Xiaofeng had agreed to marry the younger brother of the Li Family…
"Stop dreaming about marrying Xiaofeng into the Li Family. Over my dead body would I agree to that." Old Su was proud, and he had his own principles on this matter.
Upon hearing Old Su's words, He Ximei felt a blockage in her heart: "I didn't say anything, Old Su. I'm putting my words here; I'm waiting for you to find a bride for Pengzi."
Pengzi was not Old Su's biological son; his own father had abandoned him, and He Ximei had no expectations that Old Su would actually find a daughter-in-law for Pengzi.
Su Xiaofeng: "..."
She rubbed her temples, realizing just how many problems this family really had.
"Dad, Aunt, my elder brother is strong and capable. If our family had money, we could definitely find him a wife. The current problem is that our family is too poor, so no one is willing to marry into it. But what if we had money? Surely, someone would be willing to marry in, don't you think?" Poverty was the root of all problems. To solve these issues, there were only two words—earn money.
"Nonsense." He Ximei snorted coldly. "Your dad's injured hand prevents him from doing heavy work, and light work doesn't bring in money. Right now, the house relies on me raising a few pigs to earn a bit of money. I had hoped to marry you off and possibly get a good dowry, or use you to bring a match for your brother, but now... Sigh, you're pregnant now, and our family's days will only get tougher."
Pengzi wasn't smart enough for outside work; he could help around the house but certainly couldn't earn money. With Old Su's injured hand, he couldn't do physical labor, and only light work for petty cash of a few tens of dollars a month. What good was that?
A family of four living off the two pigs at home, it was no wonder they were poor.
"Life will always get better." If it's come to this, then let it be. She must improve their life now that she was here.
"That's easy for you to say." He Ximei wanted to say more but suddenly noticed that Xiaofeng seemed different today.
Before, when Xiaofeng returned home, she wouldn't speak a word, her silence was frightening.
Su Xiaofeng yawned, having just woken up to confront a group of people, she was truly hungry. Ignoring He Ximei's curious gaze, she went to the kitchen on her own: "I'm going to cook some porridge."
With a wound on her head and a pregnancy, it was best to start with some liquid food.
Watching her enter the kitchen, He Ximei exchanged a glance with Old Su.
"If Xiaofeng wants to keep it, let her. It's the path she chose. If it's tough to walk later on, she can't blame me." He said the child should be aborted, she said she wanted to keep it. When she finds the path unbearable later, she'll know she chose wrong.
Some paths, once taken, must be followed on your knees, bleeding if necessary. Old Su wanted to convey this truth to Su Xiaofeng, but found that she was already busy working in the kitchen.
"You always spoil her," He Ximei muttered disdainfully.
A single woman wanting to give birth, how could such a path be easy to tread?