Before the New Year was over, Feng Qiaoxiang had to go to work, so Ji Huaizhi took Shengkai down the mountain.

He goes to the city every day; the villagers noticed his frequent trips.

He openly collects vegetables and mountain products in the village. When people ask him who he's buying them for, he just says he's buying them for others.

Someone asked him if he had visited Huang Zhaodi since he went to the city every day. They said it had been so long and they still hadn't come back, and wondered if something had happened to them.

Ji Huaizhi didn't say anything, he just refused to accept the things they sent.

That person had no idea how he had offended Ji Huaizhi and his wife.

When he refused to accept it, she said, "Fine, don't take it. I'll keep it for my own family."

When Ji Shichui returned, he saw many people next door, all carrying things, including chickens and ducks.

He felt heartbroken thinking about how Ji Huaizhi and his wife hadn't inquired about their situation at the hospital for so many days.

They were driven crazy by Huang Zhaodi at the hospital. She could have been discharged long ago, but she insisted on having aches and pains here and there, and feeling uncomfortable in this and that.

He felt that she was taking revenge.

She doesn't care about the family's money, but he does.

She simply brought the money back with her, knowing the hospital would kick her out if she didn't pay.

"Old Ji, you came back alone?"

When people saw him, they asked with concern, "How's your wife? Are you taking care of the kids at home?"

Ji Shichui nodded: "Yes, it's almost done, so I came back first."

Looking at what they were holding, he asked in confusion, "What's this?"

“Your son collects these things for people and makes money from them, so he can earn extra income.”

Ji Shichui frowned: "Isn't that just reselling?"

"Is this something we should do? It's utterly absurd!"

He wanted to go in and talk to them, but then he remembered that he had never been able to step into their house before.

If so many people get criticized, it will be embarrassing for them.

“Your son explained to us that it was done through proper procedures, so don’t ruin it.”

"That's right. Farmers work hard to earn a few bucks, and even those foul-mouthed Ji Huaizhi won't take them anymore. Stop doing this. Nobody cares about it anymore."

"Some of them are already doing business outside."

Ji Shichui opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing and turned back.

Looking at this desolate and chaotic home, I sighed.

Huang Zhaodi was carried back by the two Ji brothers, and the two daughters-in-law did not look too good.

It looks like this illness is very expensive.

Having experienced something like this, Huang Zhaodi is terrified of death.

She said in the hospital that she has two sons and that she would not do anything else in the future, but take good care of her health so that she could live out her old age in peace.

It's no wonder the two daughters-in-law were happy to hear this.

I'm not even old yet, and I'm already waiting for my son and daughter-in-law to support me; they're all a burden.

When they returned, they heard about the neighbor's delivery, and Huang Zhaodi immediately got excited and decided to report it.

Ji Shichui scolded her, asking if she wanted to offend the whole village.

After delivering two batches of goods to Ji Huaizhi after the New Year, he temporarily stopped delivering more goods because he needed to farm.

This land cannot remain empty forever; the most important thing for farmers during the spring planting season is to cultivate the land.

The others were somewhat disappointed, but there was nothing they could do.

The Ji family felt uneasy every day when they looked at their neighbors' lives, even though their own life was getting better and better, and their dog had even been sent to school.

The construction worker's wife felt resentful looking at her own child, who wasn't even in school yet.

But now nobody dares to mention it.

Ji Shichui starts cursing whenever someone mentions the neighbors next door.

After spring plowing, there is a lot of rain. Ji Huai often wears a raincoat and travels in the mountains with others. He never comes back empty-handed.

Besides the abundance of mushrooms and wood ear fungus on its back, there were also many mountain products and medicinal herbs, all of which were valuable.

"You went out again? There's no need to go into the mountains every day in this heavy rain."

Ji Huaizhi took off his raincoat, his body was soaked.

"There's not much to do on a rainy day, so I might as well go up the mountain. It's been raining all night, so it's the best time to pick mushrooms and game in the mountains."

Feng Qiaoxiang quickly poured him hot water so he could wash himself near the fire.

"I'll kill that pheasant first, and we'll have something hot to eat tonight."

Ji Huaizhi deftly bled and scalded the feathers, while Ji Shengkai collected the beautiful feathers beside her; she wanted to make shuttlecocks.

Feng Qiaoxiang roasted the chicken over a fire and then chopped it into pieces. While squatting in the pot, she peeled the taro and soaked the vermicelli.

The delicious aroma of taro and chicken wafted to the neighbor's house, making them so hungry they cried and complained incessantly.

Jianguo's wife impatiently slapped her children a few times: "Eat, eat, eat! Why are you all so greedy?"

"How many able-bodied people are there in the family now? And they still want to eat meat!"

Huang Zhaodi knew that she was making veiled accusations against her. After cursing a few times, she took out an empty bowl and asked Ji Shichui to bring her a bowl.

"You want me to go over there and ask for it? I can't afford to lose face like that."

Ji Shichui turned around and continued weaving his bamboo basket: "You look down on others but want to take advantage of them? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"I'm too ashamed to go there now."

In the past, they only brought shame upon themselves.

Huang Zhaodi was so angry that she cursed loudly, making sure the neighbors could hear: "Aren't you my biological father? But when people eat meat, they don't even think of you!"

"I knew he was an ingrate! I knew it all along!"

"Useless old hag, what's the point of you living? You might as well die with your unfilial son and stop bothering people."

Ji Shichui remained silent, ignoring the situation.

"You're still not going to say anything? Anyway, I've seen through your Ji family. Neither you nor your son are any good."

"You still feel ashamed? Don't you ever think about the children? What's the point of you living? You useless old woman, why did I ever marry you?"

Huang Zhaodi's mouth kept twitching: "Don't you love your son and grandson?"

"They're all starving and you didn't even offer to bring them a bowl. And some people are even more shameless—do they deserve to eat meat?"

"I've eaten myself into a pig's belly, I don't think I'll live past tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Qiaoxiang called out towards the direction where Ji Huaizhi was taking a bath: "You caught so many fish yesterday, don't send them all to the city, leave one for my family so I can visit them later."