"No way," Old Mrs. Xie blocked the door to the hall, "You're not allowed to leave without paying."

Then, he looked his daughter up and down.

He frowned immediately upon seeing the old, yellowed plain clothes with patches on the cuffs and back. "Didn't they say the Huang family has become rich? Why are you still dressed so poorly?"

When visiting relatives, they can't even find a decent set of clothes to wear.

Can you really come up with five taels of silver?

After thinking for a moment, he pointed at Huang Lao Er and said, "You go back and get the money. That brat stays here. You can bring the people back whenever you get the money."

Upon hearing this, Huang Lao Er looked at the old woman as if she were a fool, "Did a donkey kick your head?"

She has to listen to whatever she says.

The Xie family members are all quite ill!

"You're the one who got kicked by a donkey!" Old Mrs. Xie said angrily. "I told her not to leave, let her try to leave!"

"Are you trying to fake illness again?" Madam Xie couldn't help but widen her eyes. "You use this trick to torment your daughter-in-law, and you use the same trick to torment your daughter. Can't you come up with some other methods?"

She shouldn't have come today.

Xie complained that Village Chief Huang was meddling in other people's business.

If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have had to make this extra trip.

"Ouch," Grandma Xie said, her mouth twisted and her hands and feet trembling as she lay down. "I can't go on. Help me lie down. My chest hurts terribly. I must have been really angry."

Seeing this, Madam Xie bit her lip hard. "Husband, you should go back first."

"No, we can't let them be so disgusting," Huang Lao Er clenched his fist. "Wait, if the old lady doesn't get up, I'll beat up my older brother. I'll stop when she gets up."

"No," Xie whispered in his ear, "Go and invite Mother over. I'm impatient with them. This time, let's settle things once and for all."

She had absolutely had enough of these people.

Since we're not exactly close friends anyway, why pretend to be so devoted to each other?

“Fine…” Huang Lao Er also didn’t want to get involved with them. He rolled his eyes, grinned, and walked up to Xie Lao Da, giving him a good beating. “If my wife loses a single hair, when I get back, I’ll beat you so badly you won’t be able to get up.”

"What does this have to do with me?" Boss Xie retorted indignantly. "If you're so capable, go beat up your mother!"

“I don’t care,” Huang Lao Er said shamelessly, “as long as my wife is bullied, I’ll beat you up.”

As she spoke, she gave Old Lady Xie a meaningful look, "If the old lady really cared about you, she probably wouldn't have let you get beaten up."

After saying this, he moved a stool to the shade of a tree, settled Xie Shi down, and then left. "Wife, just sit and wait. I'll be right back. If anyone bullies you, bear with it for now. I'll beat him to death when I get back."

“Okay,” Xie waved her hand, “Go quickly and come back soon.”

After Huang Lao Er left, Xie Lao Da lost his temper and slapped Xie Lao Tai across the face, yelling, "You old hag, can't you just behave yourself?"

Grandma Xie looked at her son in disbelief, "Eldest son, you actually hit your own mother?"

"So what if you hit your own mother? Do you want to strangle your own daughter?"

"You little brat, I..."

Slap, slap, two more slaps.

The eldest brother Xie warned, "Your father is dead. You're the only one in the family who freeloads. Behave yourself, or I'll kick you out to beg for food."

"Your mother raised you with her own hands, helped you get married and raise your children. Now that you're useless, you want to kick me aside? Dream on."

As she spoke, Old Mrs. Xie lunged forward and began to fight with her son.

The onlookers turned away as the two started fighting, and no one stepped forward to stop them.

Seeing this, Xie curled her lip, thinking, "What a family of scum."

At this moment, I can't help but feel fortunate that I am a girl, because once I get married, I will no longer be a member of the Xie family.

Huang Lao Er was worried about Xie Shi, so he left in a hurry and returned home in just half an hour.

At this moment, Jiang Nuan was setting up an array in the backyard to see if it would be effective against the plants.

Just as they were about to place the last stone, Huang Lao Er cried out "Mother!" and his hand trembled, causing him to fail.

"Didn't you go to Xiaoxie Village? Why are you back so soon? Where's Jiaojiao?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Lao Er embellished the story and recounted the events.

Jiang Nuan's face darkened instantly. "Are you telling the truth? There are such heartless people in the world?"

No wonder his second daughter-in-law is so hostile to her own family.

If it were her, she might just grab a knife and chop the person up.

“Who says otherwise?” Huang Lao Er felt sorry for his wife. “I don’t know how much suffering Jiao Jiao endured to survive.”

He even wanted to chop the old woman to death with a knife.

“Go over there and invite Doctor Gu, and also call the eldest son, Xiao San, and Duan Lu and An San from the front yard,” Jiang Nuan said coldly, “and then go to the street and hire about ten thugs.”

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Huang Lao Er didn't even ask Jiang Nuan what she wanted to do before turning around and leaving.

He's always been lazy and doesn't like to use his brain, especially when it comes to trusting people to get things done.

Just as the group's patience with the Xie family was about to run out, they arrived at Xiaoxie Village.

Immediately, Huang Lao Er was instructed to invite the Xie family patriarch.

When the Xie family opened the door and saw everyone, they were dumbfounded. "Auntie, why did you bring the clan chief along?"

“Not only the clan chief, but I also brought a doctor,” Jiang Nuan said with a smile. “Didn’t you say that my mother-in-law is sick? Hurry up, don’t block the way here, getting medical attention is the priority.”

Xie Laoda, who had just beaten his mother so badly that she was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), looked extremely uncomfortable. "Mother missed her daughter too much. She's been much better since Yaoni came back and doesn't need a doctor."

"I see. I thought it was because you were so anxious," Jiang Nuan raised an eyebrow. "I heard you couldn't afford the funeral arrangements, is that true?"

"To be honest, we really don't have any money at home," Xie Laoda rubbed his hands. "My brother-in-law originally said he would pay for it, but if my mother-in-law doesn't agree, then we'll just forget about it."

Without batting an eye, Xie Laoda lied in front of so many people without the slightest hint of unease.

This kind of thing is hard to explain; you can argue about the truth and lies, but it's only real once you have the money in your hands.

“Okay,” Jiang Nuan nodded, and had Huang Lao Er hand over five taels of silver. “Is that enough?”

Boss Xie caught the silver, coughed lightly to suppress his laughter, and said, "That's about right, about right."

"You scoundrel! Five taels of silver and you're still not satisfied? Do you want your coffin inlaid with gold or silver?" Chief Xie couldn't help but scold.

He felt ashamed.

The Xie family held the funeral, but the Huang family paid for it.

“Uncle Clan Chief,” Xie Laoda said, feeling aggrieved, “I just wanted to make Father look more prestigious.”

“Just take the money,” Jiang Nuan turned her head, “An San, Duan Lu, have someone take Old Master Xie away.”

"What? What do you mean?" Xie Laoda felt a sense of unease. "Where do you plan to take my father?"

“Exactly,” Chief Xie also found it strange, “Sister-in-law Huang, what are you planning to do?”

“Since ancient times, it has always been the sons who handle funeral arrangements,” Jiang Nuan said coldly. “The Xie family has three sons, who own houses and land, yet they make their married daughters bear the burden. Since they are pushing their own father out, they might as well go all the way.”

Jiang Nuan's meaning was clear: once you've taken the money, you have to give it back.