"I can't say anything, old woman. I'm not joking with you. The eldest brother is beyond saving. He's too wicked. We can't count on him."

You know in your heart that the second child hasn't done anything wrong; it's just that we're biased, simply because he's the most obedient.

“He used to be obedient and we could get him to do chores, but things have changed since he got married.”

“If he were still so obedient, he would be our servant for life. Would he have a single penny to his name now? Old woman, he’s married now and has his own family. Shouldn’t he be thinking about his son?”

Li pursed her lips and remained silent. She knew that what the old man said was right, and she also knew that she might only be able to rely on her second son in the future. She just didn't know why, but she had disliked this son ever since he was born. She really didn't like him.

"Let's not talk about him anymore. What do you think we should do about the boss? He seems a bit off. Did he experience too much stress? He wasn't like this before."

I used to be a bit selfish, but I was still quite filial and treated them well.

He looked almost insane tonight.

"What's so exciting about it? He just doesn't want to pretend anymore. He doesn't take us seriously. To put it bluntly, it's because we've been too good to him."

What should we do about his situation?

Zhao Dayong was truly heartbroken; his eldest son always found a way to make him feel more and more disheartened each time.

"Forget about him. I'd rather we move to a new house and let him live in the old one. In any case, I will definitely not farm his land after the New Year, and he won't get a single bite of what we produce."

"Are you just going to ignore him?"

“I can’t control him anymore. Don’t you think I’m useless? If he’s so capable, he can do everything himself. The same goes for you. If you still consider me the head of the household, then listen to me. Otherwise, why don’t you go live with him and I’ll live alone.”

Li opened her mouth, "How about we do what we used to do and wait until he gets married? He's a grown man, how can he take care of himself?"

"Then you can live with him. I'll live on my own. He's just an old man who's about to die. I'll live one day at a time."

"Can you please stop pushing me?"

“I didn’t force you. I’ve had enough of working hard my whole life. If you can’t help me, you can’t help me. No matter how hard we try, it’s useless. If you can’t help me, fine. But I can’t tolerate your disrespect and physical violence.”

"Didn't you not go down?"

Zhao Dayong glared at Li Shi, and Li Shi immediately fell silent.

“If any of us brothers dare to act so recklessly today, believe me or not, we will sever all ties.”

Li fell completely silent. Her eldest son had almost scared her to death; he really wanted to hit the old man. And those outrageous things he'd just said—without a son and money, they'd all have to wait.

"The eldest brother just said he won't give up if things don't go his way. Do you think he might go to the county town and cause trouble? And what about the second brother...?"

Zhao Dayong closed his old eyes. Others might just be saying it casually, but his eldest son was definitely not. He was the kind of person who wouldn't act until he was in dire straits, and he dared to do anything.

“The eldest son is no pushover. Look at Pan Shi and then think about Sanzhuzi. Does he feel even a little bit guilty towards Sanzhuzi? Even Mother said he has no conscience and is a very black-hearted person, and told me to be careful.”

It's not hard to guess why he wanted his second son: it was for the money in the second son's pocket. As long as he didn't give him the money, the child would remain in his hands, and the couple would have no choice but to accept their fate.

When they can't work anymore, the younger ones will take over. Actually, what he just said was what he really thought. That brat is vicious and selfish.

He wasn't just scheming against Erzhuzi, he was scheming against everything we had, wanting us to leave everything to him.

"How could that be? Sanzhuzi isn't even married yet..."

Li fell completely silent. Zhao Dayong sat for a while and then slowly lay down. The little girl huddled on the kang (a heated brick bed). Although she didn't speak, she heard and remembered everything her parents said.

The worst person in the family is the eldest brother; she must stay far away from him from now on.

The next day, Dazhuzi went to his mother and asked her to go to the county town to find Erzhuzi.

“If he doesn’t agree, then make a scene. You and Dad go to his shop and make a scene until he can’t work. If the shop is messed up, Zhao Dashu might get angry and fire him.”

He no longer calls Zhao Dashu "Third Uncle".

"What nonsense are you talking about? He's your brother, your own brother!"

"Your own brother wouldn't even part with his own son? Don't you find that ridiculous, Mother?"

"I'm not going. Don't think about those things. If it really doesn't work out, just adopt one. Listen to your mother, okay?"

Big Pillar looked at Li Shi with a sinister gaze, "You really aren't going?"

Li shook her head, "Neither your father nor I will go. After the New Year, we won't farm your land anymore; you'll have to farm it yourself. We can't support you forever."

Da Zhuzi laughed angrily, "Are you also thinking that I won't get a share of your family fortune in the future, and that it will all belong to San Zhuzi?"

Li felt a pang of sadness. "Your parents aren't even old yet, and you're already thinking about those things? Can't you and Sanzhuzi divide these things up in the future?"

Haha, split it? Why should he split his stuff with someone else? Why should he give half to the third brother?

"Mother, didn't you say you loved me? Is this how you love me?"

"Eldest brother, can't you be reasonable? You don't know how to make money, your third brother doesn't either, and Mom has already abandoned you..."

Before Li could finish speaking, Da Zhuzi shoved her to the ground. "Don't give me any other excuses. You have to give me everything! Give it all to me!"

Last night, Zhao Dashu and Zhao Dawen's words really stung him. Nobody looked down on him, nobody respected him! The disdain and ridicule he received from the villagers were even more obvious. He had had enough, he had had enough!

He fights for whatever is his, and he fights for whatever is not his. No matter what, he is the one who has been by his parents' side all these years, not Sanzhuzi. He has worked hard, even if he has not made any great contributions.

The ground was hard and cold in winter, and Li's coccyx was in excruciating pain.