"Mom, I've been on leave for several days since Dad passed away. What era are we living in? You can't be superstitious." Wang Baojun was still stunned by Tao Ying's slap. He couldn't remember his mother ever hitting him before. He was pinched by Zhao Shuangfeng and started yelling at Tao Ying unhappily.

Wang Baojun never cared about Wang Chunni, and it should be said that he never cared about any of his younger siblings.

"I've said my piece, I'm leaving in a bit. If any of you three don't come, you're no longer my sons, and I'll pretend I never had you." Tao Ying said coldly and went straight back into her room to look for her identification.

The factory hasn't paid the compensation or the funeral expenses yet, but they've already received the money from the factory as a token of their gratitude, plus their savings from all these years.

Grandma Tao didn't have the habit of depositing money in a bank; she kept it all in a box, totaling just over 1,200 yuan.

This money was intended for Wang Baomin to get married.

Sun Caixia was beautiful, and although she didn't have a job, she was quick and efficient. Wang Baomin was determined to marry her.

The Sun family is asking for a bride price of 500 yuan, three gifts and a job in addition.

Tao Ying went into the room, leaving her three sons outside looking at each other in bewilderment. Li Guiying hurriedly went to find her husband, as this was no small matter.

It's obvious that my sister-in-law is biased; she's no different from those other families in the village who leech off their daughters. The fact that she brought up going to Chunni shows that my brother's dream was real.

“Mom, I’ll go with you.” Wang Baomin immediately agreed.

Wang Baomin was raised by Wang Chunni. He was often bullied by Wang Baojun when he was young, and Wang Chunni always protected him.

Soon, Li Guiying returned with her husband, Wang Dashuan.

“Sister-in-law, Guiying and I will go with you. It’s not appropriate for you to take care of three children. My eldest brother just passed away, and the family still needs you.” Wang Dashuan said to Tao Ying.

"That's fine then. I'll trouble you to come with me. Chunni's place isn't too far from here." Tao Ying wiped away her tears.

The place where Wang Chunni was sent to the countryside was found for her by Grandpa Tao through someone he asked; it was only a day's drive away.

"We're family, why be so polite?" Wang Dashuan was used to Tao Ying's unreasonable behavior, so his sudden politeness was a bit unusual.

Tao Ying took the money and went out. "Baomin, go buy six train tickets."

"Mom, can you please stop making a scene? Baojun can't keep taking leave from work." Zhao Shuangfeng looked at Tao Ying angrily.

From the very first day she married into the family, Zhao Shuangfeng looked down on Tao Ying. She was quite old, yet she was still pampered by her father-in-law. All she did was go to work every day; she couldn't do any chores, not even cook a proper meal.

“If you can’t ask for leave, then don’t go. His father is dead, and his sister hasn’t come back. As the eldest son and the head of the family, if he can’t live up to his position, then get out of here. I’ll just consider all these years of raising a dog.” Tao Ying looked at Wang Baojun angrily.

"Mom, what are you saying?" Wang Baojun was a little unwilling to listen.

"I'm just asking you, are you going or not to bring Chunni back?" Tao Ying stared at Wang Baojun, her face dark.

“Mom, Chunni is married now…” Wang Baojun was startled by his mother’s gaze, but he still muttered a sentence out of habit that he had developed over the years.

"Second brother, third brother, kick them both out. From now on, consider them as your eldest brother who died with your father." Tao Ying stopped looking at Wang Baojun.

Five children are still too many. Let's get rid of one first, and then we'll get rid of the rest slowly.

"We don't need you to rush us, we'll leave on our own." Zhao Shuangfeng also got angry and pulled Wang Baojun out.

“Mom.” Wang Baomin was somewhat stunned.

My eldest brother is the apple of my mother's eye. Normally, not only Chunni, but even Baoshan would scold him. What's wrong with him today?

"Buy five tickets," Tao Ying said, pulling Wang Chuntao out.

An elderly couple in their early seventies sat there sadly outside.

"Dad, Mom, I'm going to visit Chunni with my second son and his wife. You two can stay at home for a few days to keep Chuntao company," Tao Ying said to the elderly couple.

"Go ahead." Old Mrs. Wang wiped away her tears.

Wang Baomin quickly bought the tickets and also bought some food.

Tao Ying left Wang Chuntao twenty yuan and then left with the others.

Because I was in a hurry, I only managed to buy three hard seats and two standing tickets.

Tao Ying leaned back in her chair, her mind blank.

Grandma Tao is 45 years old this year. She works at a chemical plant as a lab technician and will retire in three months. However, she gave this job to Wang Baomin's fiancée. Wang Dazhu sold his factory job to buy a house for Wang Baojun. The courtyard where Grandma Tao lives will be demolished in another ten years or so, and a large sum of compensation will be paid then.

The demolition compensation was divided among the three sons. Wang Baojun took the lion's share, Wang Baomin only received 100,000 yuan, and Wang Baoshan received 500,000 yuan.

Tao Ying didn't want to think about it at all. Just thinking about it made her want to lie on the railway tracks. What a terrible life this was! When other people transmigrate, they are younger than themselves, but she transmigrated into a widow whose husband had just died, and she was twelve years older than him.

In the 1980s, a 45-year-old was truly considered an "auntie," not to mention having a troublesome extended family.

"Sister-in-law, don't be too sad. Although your brother is gone, you still have your children." Li Guiying couldn't bear to see Tao Ying like this.

My sister-in-law is lucky; she hasn't suffered any hardship all these years.

Tao Ying didn't say anything. She only ate one egg and drank some water along the way, as she really couldn't eat anything else.

Wang Baomin and Wang Baoshan dared not speak; to be honest, Tao Ying's sudden outburst had truly frightened them both.

Wang Dashuan and Li Guiying sighed and said nothing more.

After getting off the train, Tao Ying hired a car and went directly to Daqingshan, Kaoshantun.

Wang Baomin knew who Wang Chunni had married, so he led his group directly there.

"What are you doing? Why are you barging into someone's yard?" A thin, frail old woman stopped them at the gate.

Before Li Guiying could speak, Tao Ying pushed the old lady away, and she fell to the ground.

"Sister!" Only then did the two notice that in the corner of the pigsty, there was a withered and thin woman lying there, with a small, mud-like figure curled up next to her.

"Who are you... what are you doing here?" A young man in his twenties walked out of the house. He looked guilty at first, but then became angry.

"You're having an affair and trying to kill my daughter! Baomin, beat him up! Baoshan, go to the town police station and report this!" Tao Ying shouted, glancing at Li Aijun and the woman standing close behind him, a dark-skinned woman in a Dacron floral shirt.

At this point, we cannot solve the problem with normal thinking; we must approach it from the highest moral standpoint.

Only by amplifying the problem can we achieve our intended goal.