"He said whatever he wanted, he deserved it."

"I heard that spreading rumors is illegal. If you keep arguing, we'll send you to the police station."

There weren't enough power lines. If they gave electricity to those who were talking nonsense, other households would definitely be without power. Nobody wanted to be one of those households, so naturally they stuck to Captain Huang's arrangement.

Another old woman, who had also spread rumors, said, "Didn't the team always arrange these things based on the number of family work points? How come the priority for powering up the electricity has changed?"

"You still say you have nothing to do with that stinking woman? Who are you trying to fool? I demand that the brigade leader arrange the electrification in the previous order."

Huang Guihua spat and said, "So what if we have fewer people in our family? Does having fewer people mean we're breaking the law? Does having fewer people mean we should suffer? Did I steal from you or take your things? Why should all the good things go to your family before it's my turn?"

"In my opinion, the priority should be arranged according to performance in the future, so that some people will not dare to do anything just because they have more people. You have made our brigade lose face."

Huang Guihua's parents-in-law were reasonable people. In order to maintain harmony in the family and reduce disputes, they would prepare a new house for their son when he got married, and after the marriage, they would move out and give him a monthly allowance.

Although she didn't live with her parents-in-law, Huang Guihua got along better with them and her sisters-in-law than those who did.

Families like theirs are a minority in the team. In the past, good things in the team were always given to families with more work points, and families like theirs with fewer members were always left out. Huang Guihua had long been dissatisfied with this.

Because her family was small, consisting of only two adults and two children, they were outnumbered and Huang Guihua had no choice but to accept the arrangement, even though she was unhappy.

Now that Captain Huang intends to arrange the power-on sequence according to usual performance, she naturally wants to try.

With this start, they can use this example to explain other good things in the future, and they will no longer have to watch others get the good things just because there are fewer people in their family, as before.

Other families with fewer members also spoke up, saying, "The brigade leader's arrangement is correct. Those who spread rumors should be taught a lesson so that they won't take advantage of their numbers to bully others."

"In my opinion, in the future, we should allocate tasks based on performance. The team evaluates outstanding individuals every year, so when there are good opportunities, those who perform well should be given priority."

"Captain, it's good to prioritize based on performance. It teaches a lesson to those who cause trouble all the time, so they don't make a mess of our brigade and ruin its reputation."

"Those gossipy women should be sent to the police station..."

Enraged by the crowd, the twenty-odd households that had been spreading rumors and causing trouble all shut up, fearing that if they continued, they would be beaten to death or taken to the police station.

Since the incident happened yesterday, Gao Shujing was worried that Yu Rujia would hear more gossip if she went to collect the meat, so he told her to stay at home while he went to collect the meat.

Captain Huang naturally wouldn't let Gao Shujing waste his time waiting in line. He spoke to Gao Shujing kindly, saying that he would deliver the meat and guarantee to pick the best cuts. Only then did Gao Shujing return to his work.

Carrying two or three pounds of the fattest meat, Captain Huang also brought a few bones and some offal to deliver to Yu Rujia.

Captain Huang said, “Yu Zhiqing, I’ve explained the matter to everyone in the brigade. Those who talked nonsense have been punished. If anyone dares to gossip in front of you again, tell me, and I will not let them off easily.”

Yu Rujia brought over a wooden basin to take the meat: "I'm fine with it, but I'm worried about the children. They're young and can't tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. If they take these things seriously, they'll inevitably be hurt."

Captain Huang: "This is indeed a problem. Fortunately, they are still young and don't understand these things. As long as no one talks nonsense in front of them, it will be in time."

"Erdan plays outside every day. I'll tell him to keep an eye out for anyone gossiping behind his back. I'll deal with it promptly and make sure Duofu and the others don't hear it."

Yu Rujia: "Thank you for your help, Captain."

When Li Cuiniang returned home, the eldest and third wives of Huang Dawei's family started arguing again.

Jingdong's wife said, "We can't live like this anymore. We can't get through a day without gossiping about others. The whole brigade has electricity, but only a few of our households don't, all because of the gossip."

“If people find out, which girl would want to marry into this family? Da Niu might as well stay a bachelor for life. Having a son? With your family’s situation, no matter how many sons you have, you’re destined to have no descendants.”

Jingxi's wife said, "We must separate the family. After we separate, you can say whatever you want. If we continue to live with you, we will be dragged down to death sooner or later."

Li Cuiniang made such a mistake and was scolded by her daughter-in-law. If it were before, she would have already scolded and beaten back.

After being paraded through the streets and taken to the police station, she became more apprehensive and didn't want to be sent there again. Since she was the one who caused this whole thing, she felt guilty for the first time and hid behind Huang Dawei, refusing to come out.

Huang Dawei took a puff of his cigarette and said, "Jingdong, Jingxi, you just let your wives curse your mother like that?"

Huang Jingdong was the eldest son in the family and the person who won Li Cuiniang's heart the most besides Huang Jingbei. But no matter how much she won his heart, it couldn't compare to Li Cuiniang's decades-long devotion to Huang Jingbei.

In addition, Huang Daniu, who is eighteen years old, has not even been engaged. Eighteen years old is not the legal marriage age in the city, but in the countryside, not having a marriage partner means being considered an old bachelor.

Jingdong's wife would nag him about these things every day, and Huang Jingdong, who only had one son, Huang Daniu, naturally valued him.

Huang Jingdong: "Dad, Da Niu's mom is worried. Da Niu is eighteen years old. At his age, his children are already crawling on the ground. He hasn't even had a marriage proposal yet. Now that this has happened, there's even less chance that a girl will marry into the family. How can she not be worried?"

"Don't hold it against Da Niu's mother. Once Da Niu gets married, she'll be able to relax, and these things will naturally disappear."

Huang Jingxi was the third child. With two older brothers, his birth did not make Li Cuiniang feel much. With a highly valued older brother and a doting younger brother, Li Cuiniang mostly ignored him.

Huang Jingxi, at such a young age, already knew how to plan for himself, which made him a reckless and protective person. Of course, the people he protected were his own family. He was very good at calculating and never let his family suffer a loss.

Huang Jingxi: "Dad, Erniu's mother is also thinking about the family. She causes trouble outside every day, and we still live together. Sooner or later, we will become the family that my sister-in-law said will die out."

"After the family is separated, if Mom causes trouble again, it won't affect Erniu and Sanniu, and they won't be restricted from getting married in the future."

“Raising children is all about carrying on the family line. Erniu’s mother meant well, but she was a bit too blunt. Don’t take it personally.”