Chapter 141: Deadly Bite

Li Taohua was happily eating hotpot, but a shrew came to the next door to cause trouble.

"If you hadn't stolen my vegetables, would they have been able to get away?" Grandma Zhang scolded, "Zhou Zhaodi, our eldest brother wouldn't dare to do such a thing. You did it, didn't you?"

"Grandma, even if my mother had ten hands, she couldn't have pulled out all the vegetables overnight, right?" Zhang Dazhu said, "Your vegetables are gone, we can only say that they were stolen, but we can't say that the thief is us. If we don't want to give them to you, you can ask the village chief to make the decision for us. Everyone in the village knows that we were driven out without asking for anything. According to the rules of the village, no one can divide the family property like this. If we go to the village chief, let alone the vegetable plot, the silver and the house that originally belonged to us must be given to us."

"You wish. You learned my old man's craft and got a great deal, and now you still want money and a house?" Grandma Zhang pouted, never thinking that she was pooh-poohing her own descendants.

"My father was willing to teach my uncle the craft, but my uncle couldn't stand the hardship and didn't want to learn. How can it be that we took advantage of him? We have paid off our debts over the years."

Carpenter Zhang was always submissive, and Grandma Zhang scolded him for a long time, but only Zhang Dazhu could stand her scolding. Zhou suddenly burst into tears and rushed out.

"If you insist on forcing me to death, then I will die in front of you..." Zhou ran out crying.

"Mother, what are you doing?" Carpenter Zhang hurriedly chased after her.

Zhou shouted loudly: "Everyone, listen, my mother-in-law really doesn't leave us any chance to live. We don't want anything anymore and leave everything to my uncle, but she wants to force us to death. Anyway, living is so painful, it's better to die. I want to see which girl from a good family is willing to marry her precious little son after she forces her own daughter-in-law to death?"

"Stop scaring me. It was obviously you who stole my vegetables. If you are not guilty, why don't you tell me what you were doing last night?" Grandma Zhang put her hands on her hips and cursed.

"Oh, Zhang Lei's mother, please don't ask. What old woman would ask about what happened in her son and daughter-in-law's room? If you don't sleep at night, what else can you do?"

It was dinner time and everyone in the village was eating. When they heard the noise, they all held their bowls and watched the show.

When Widow Wang said this, everyone burst into laughter.

"It's really interesting today. Grandma Tang made a fuss and then Grandma Zhang did the same. You are so old, can't you just calm down and stop causing trouble for us young people?"

"Old ladies nowadays are not easy to mess with. If they are not satisfied, they will use filial piety to pressure their sons and daughters-in-law. If they are still not satisfied, they will try to commit suicide. Push them until they die and have to beg for food."

"What's going on with the old woman in the Tang family?" Several neighbors were discussing outside with their bowls in hand.

"What else can I do? A few little kids didn't want to play with Tang Baoyu, so Tang Baoyu went back to complain to his grandmother, and then he made trouble for those little kids!"

"How shameless. She even wants to meddle in the affairs of little kids. Does she really think that everyone in the village should give her face? From now on, let my monkey stay away from Tang Baoyu."

Grandma Zhang was very angry when she saw that Zhou was not as easy to discipline as before, and her son and grandson were not as obedient as before. In addition, the villagers were watching the fun and making sarcastic remarks.

"One hundred coins." Grandma Zhang said her ultimate goal. "If you give me one hundred coins, I won't care about the dishes."

Zhou looked at Grandma Zhang and said, "Mom, did you give us any money?"

"You must have hidden some money. I saw you buy new carpentry tools. Where did you get them if you didn't have money?"

“We borrowed money to buy it.”

“Who will lend you money?”

"Me!" Li Taohua stood at the door holding a bowl. "They have nothing, not even a pot. If they don't lend me money to buy things, will they just starve to death at home? I made the decision to lend them the money, and when the time comes, they just need to pay me back according to the rules of lending money in the city."

"In short, you have to give me a hundred coins." Grandma Zhang insisted.

"Grandma, if you continue to be so unreasonable, we will split up the family property again." Zhang Dazhu said coldly, "You must give us at least half of the money we have earned over the years."

"impossible."

"Then don't bother us anymore." Zhang Dazhu looked at Grandma Zhang coldly. "If you think my father is your son and must listen to you, and if my father is willing to be a filial son, then I will give him to you."

Carpenter Zhang: "...I have a wife and a son. Dividing the family means dividing me away. There is no way I can go back to the old house. Mom, please stop making trouble, or I won't give you the 500 coins you promised me."

Grandma Zhang burst into tears.

Carpenter Zhang held Zhou and said, "Mother, you are tired today. I will go to cook. Let's go home!"

Zhang Dazhu waited for his parents to enter the house, then followed them in. When he reached the door, he said to Grandma Zhang, who was sitting in the yard and crying loudly, "Grandma, if you bang the door again, I will call the police. We have separated and live our own lives. If you break into my house again and something is lost, it will be treated as a thief. Grandma, please save your face!"

Grandma Zhang’s crying and cursing lasted for a while and then disappeared.

Zhou leaned over the crack in the door and looked outside. Seeing that no one was there, she trotted into the kitchen and said to Carpenter Zhang who was making corn tortillas, "Dad, she's gone."

"Dad, Mom, it's not that hard to resist her, right? From today on, we're going to start a new life. From now on, our whole family will work hard to make money and save the betrothal money as soon as possible."

"Dazhu, your uncle has fallen in love with Chunni, and your grandmother has money and can afford a higher gift. If the Xiao family agrees to your grandmother's proposal, what will happen to your brother?" Zhou said.

"Don't worry about that for now, let's just do what we have on hand. If it really comes to that, we must do our best to protect Miss Xiao. I will go to the Xiao family tomorrow to inquire about the situation."

"It's not convenient for a grown man like you, so you'd better let your mother go," said Carpenter Zhang.

Zhang Dazhu looked at Zhou: "Mom, do you want to go?"

"I'm alone... I'm afraid..." Zhou said timidly.

"We didn't protect our second brother well before. What happened cannot be changed, so we should compensate him as much as possible. If we can save Miss Xiao, our second brother will definitely be very happy."

"I will go and ask Sister Taohua for advice tomorrow." Zhou said, "It would be great if she could accompany me. She is so powerful. If she comes forward, the Xiao family will definitely agree to our request."

"You suddenly rushed out and threatened to die today. Was it Huiyin's mother who taught you that?" Carpenter Zhang asked.

Zhou said awkwardly, "Sister Taohua said that she would never admit it. If she keeps pestering me, I will cry, make a scene, and even hang myself. Let's see if she dares to force us."