Xu Zifan looked at Song Xin in surprise, "You want me to teach you how to deal with my granddaughter? Why did you even think of asking me? Most people wouldn't do something like this, would they?"
Song Xin said definitively, "Because you don't like Xu Shengnan, I could tell that day. Actually, I don't want to do anything to her, I just want to get rid of her so she won't bother me anymore. She can make money and live a good life on her own, I don't want to benefit from her, I just want to have nothing to do with her."
Xu Zifan leisurely tied the sparrow, and said with a smile, "You have a sharp eye, kid. Most people say they don't care about their descendants, but they still care about them in their hearts. But me, when I say I have nothing to do with them, I really don't care what happens to them."
My eldest granddaughter is really annoying. Even though you two have gotten your marriage certificate now, aren't you afraid she'll sue you for indecent assault?
But I think your family is kind-hearted and won't hurt anyone. At most, you might hit or scold her, but she's not the type to take it lying down. If she fights with you every day, it will turn your family upside down, and you might even make two of them faint from anger. It's not worth it.
Besides, if your family openly mistreats her, even those who were originally on your side will have to change their minds. After all, she's bringing a dowry of a few hundred yuan and is practically throwing herself at you, plus she's so pretty. In other people's eyes, your family is getting the better deal.
Song Xin's face was grim. "Yes, I think so too. It's like we can't do anything, and nothing we do is of any use. We just end up making a mess of the house."
That's not just my home; there are my parents, my brother, and my sister-in-law too. I don't want them to be upset every day because of this little thing of mine; otherwise, life would be unbearable.
I want to separate from the family. If I'm the only one who feels uncomfortable, my family won't have to see me and be bothered. The only problem is that it will be inconvenient for them to take care of my parents in the future.
"Isn't this inconvenience temporary? If you can get rid of her, you can take care of her however you want in the future. If you can't get rid of her, at least your family can live a good life without seeing her. Young man, you have a good idea. Come with me to get something to eat?" Xu Zifan tied up the sparrows, carrying two rabbits in one hand and a string of sparrows in the other, and walked down the mountain.
Song Xin hurriedly took the things from him. "Grandpa Xu, let me carry them. I know how to roast sparrows, and I'm really good at it. Shall I show you my skills later? Grandpa Xu, can you teach me how to make Xu Shengnan walk by herself? I still don't know why she's targeting me. She's so shameless, I can't find any weakness to exploit."
That's true. Xu Zifan chatted with Song Xin for a while and felt that the young man was quite quick-witted, but he hadn't seen much of the world in the village and was still rather naive.
How could he deal with someone as shameless as Xu Shengnan, who had no idea of his intentions or weaknesses? Even if he tried to probe and test her, it would take some time. After all, the economy wasn't open yet, and business wasn't allowed. Xu Shengnan wasn't in a hurry; Song Xin's wealth was yet to come, and she wouldn't be able to reveal her true intentions for the next few years.
The two returned to the courtyard. Xu Zifan watched as the young man deftly dealt with the sparrows, cleaned the yard inside and out, and chopped all the firewood. He seemed honest and kind. Xu Zifan felt sorry for the young man, wondering how he had been targeted by such a creature.
He couldn't understand how Xu Shengnan had obtained the spatial spiritual spring. Normally, one needs considerable good fortune and merit to acquire it. Letting Xu Shengnan get it was a terrible waste; he was blind.
Xu Zifan and Song Xin chatted casually. After the sparrows were roasted, Xu Zifan took a bite and praised, "Not bad. You must go into the mountains quite often, right?"
Song Xin scratched his head sheepishly, "I occasionally try my luck to make a little extra money for the family, but I'm not as good as Grandpa Xu. Grandpa Xu, can you teach me how to hunt? I'll pay tuition, and you can have half of what I hunt, then you won't have to go into the mountains anymore. What do you think?"
Xu Zifan chuckled, "Why do you want to learn everything? Hunting is bad, too dangerous, there's nothing to learn there. Our country is getting better and better, we definitely can't let people hunt freely in the future, otherwise they'll all be eaten, right?"
"Be patient and wait to see what opportunities arise. Don't rush. The main thing is that if you want to get rid of Xu Shengnan, you absolutely cannot be so capable."
Song Xin was taken aback, "Can't be capable?", all for five yuan and fifty cents.
"Yes, what would a pretty girl want from marrying you? First, she'd want your good looks; second, she'd want your good family background; third, she'd want your good character. But you dislike her so much, yet she still insists on marrying you, and is so eager to marry you as if she's afraid of losing you. So it can't be for those reasons."
Song Xin nodded thoughtfully, feeling as if a tangled mess had been untangled and become more organized. He listened even more attentively.
"If, as some rumors suggest, she's lost her innocence and is desperately looking for someone to take her place, that's highly unlikely. She's not afraid or guilty at all, because she hasn't wronged you except by clinging to you. Besides, if she really wanted to find someone to take her place, she'd look for someone with a simple family, someone weak and easy to manipulate, and preferably someone who likes her. Wouldn't that be much easier?"
Song Xin nodded repeatedly, "Yes, if she did something wrong, making such a fuss wouldn't do her any good. Besides, I have a rather strong personality, and I can't possibly listen to her. If something like that really happened, I couldn't accept it."
But then, what's the point of her marrying me?
All the reasons Song Xin could think of were rejected, and they were all quite reasonable. He was even more confused. Why was Xu Shengnan targeting him? Did she have a grudge against him? He had never been to the fourth team before.
Xu Zifan put down the sparrow, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and continued his analysis, "Besides these, another purpose of marriage is to value the other party's potential and believe that they will definitely have a good life in the future. For example, in ancient times, the daughter of a local gentry might marry a good scholar and pay for his education, just so that the scholar would pass the imperial examination and become an official, you understand?"
Song Xin exclaimed in surprise, "How could that be the reason? What future could a country bumpkin like me have? At best, I could smuggle some things on the black market, but how much money could I make? I couldn't even afford a bicycle. She gave me a dowry of only a few hundred yuan. Could she really see my potential?"
Xu Zifan chuckled and said, "What's impossible about that? Maybe she's dreaming that you'll be a tycoon in the future, so she's rushing to claim the title of your wife. Otherwise, why is she in such a hurry? She's resorting to slander and threats. Why doesn't she try to slowly win your heart? Isn't it because your family is looking for a partner for you? She's afraid someone will snatch you away. The way she's going all out is definitely like she's fighting for a treasure."
Song Xin shook his head helplessly, "Grandpa Xu, please don't joke with me. It's impossible. What kind of treasure am I? What potential do I have? I don't even know myself. How could she see it? Does she have eyes of fire? Besides, she earns at least a thousand or so. She's much more successful than me."
Xu Zifan shrugged. "I think that's how it is. If you don't believe me, I'm out of ideas."
Xu Shengnan can earn a little over a thousand now, but that's from tickets she got from who-knows-where; you can only make money by reselling them in this day and age. In a few years, when everyone starts doing business, what will she do? In her previous life, she was a nanny, then she became dependent on Song Xin's family, got a job at the company but was essentially left idle, and has no skills whatsoever. Even if she's reborn, it'll be a waste.
In the end, it all comes down to her own incompetence. Even with the spatial spring, she can only use it herself. She doesn't know how to make medicine or cosmetics, and she hasn't learned much. She simply can't use her cheat ability to make money.
Besides, she's just not into striving. No matter how many opportunities she's given, she'd always think it's easier to marry a rich man, where she doesn't have to do anything and just sits around making money. Maybe they can even each have their own lovers and keep younger men in their lives. That's definitely Xu Shengnan's thought process.
But this is something he can't say. He can't very well say that Xu Shengnan won't be able to make money in the future, can he?
Song Xin went over Xu Zifan's words in his mind, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I... I believe you, Grandpa Xu. So you mean... I should pretend to be a good-for-nothing scoundrel, make her disappointed in me, and think that I'm incompetent, so that she'll leave?"
"Of course, neither men nor women want to live with a piece of trash. If you are too bad, how can she stand it? Actually, after you separate from the family and move out, it's just the two of you at home. You can do anything that she can't stand, and maybe you can even make her go back to her parents' house. Anyway, she has a house at her parents' house."
Whether you believe it or not, you can try it and see her attitude first.
A brilliant idea flashed through Song Xin's mind, and he laughed, "Grandpa Xu, your idea is brilliant! No matter why she's targeting me, I can find a way to annoy her and drive her crazy. If she can stand it, I'll change my surname to hers!"
Xu Zifan patted him on the shoulder with a smile, "Young man, take your time, don't rush. There's a solution to everything. The more you rush, the less you'll understand. It's better to calm down, think it through carefully, and analyze it properly."
"Yes, Grandpa Xu, I remember. Thank you, Grandpa Xu." This was the first genuine smile Song Xin had shown in days. His eyes were filled with admiration as he looked at Xu Zifan. He had never met such a wise old man before!
Having learned from Xu Zifan, Song Xin returned home feeling relieved. On the way, he kept thinking about how to make Xu Shengnan hate him as soon as possible.
There must be a reason for turning into trash, otherwise it's obviously an act. Also, the division of the family property must be done at the right time, so that the villagers don't think that his family got a good deal and is now acting innocent.
When Song's parents saw him come home, they breathed a sigh of relief. Song's father advised, "It's already like this, but life still goes on. Try to think more positively."
Song's mother looked grim, but she only gave one instruction: "You must wait two months before having sex. We need to find a doctor to examine her first. Our family can't be cowards."
Not wanting to cause them any more trouble, Song Xin smiled and said, "Dad, Mom, I know what I'm doing, don't worry."
He went to fetch water to wash his face, and when he looked up, he noticed his sister-in-law staring at Xu Shengnan's room. He followed her gaze and saw a sewing machine inside the window. Seeing his sister-in-law bending down to sew, he understood what she was thinking.
That won't do. If the family members receive benefits from Xu Shengnan, things will only get more complicated and uncontrollable in the future.
He made up his mind to act decisively. After wiping his face, he called Song's parents into the house and whispered his plans to them, not wanting them to see him so dejected and heartbroken in the future. However, he also instructed his elder brother and sister-in-law not to tell them, just in case; only the three of them should know about this.
Mr. and Mrs. Song thought it was unreliable. Although they disliked Xu Shengnan, they were already married. They just wanted to test Xu Shengnan for a while and see if she could make a good living with them. What kind of woman would pretend to be useless? Would she not make a living with them? What woman would run away for this? Where would she run to?
But now that Song Xin had suddenly suggested this plan, the two of them, though unsure of the outcome, knew their son was still angry, so they agreed. They had to at least get their revenge first.