After hearing what his wife said, Chen Hao felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. His wife was from the next village, so she didn't know the situation, but anyone from Chenjia Village...
Everyone knows that Chen Ming paid for his and Chen Liang's betrothal gifts and the house.
In the first year or two after getting married, Chen Hao was very grateful to his older brother and sister-in-law, because he only realized how difficult it was to support a family after he started supporting his own.
It was especially difficult back then, as the eldest brother was still a child himself and had to support four younger siblings.
However, under the constant instigation of Chen Hao's wife, Chen Hao gradually began to feel that he didn't owe Chen Ming anything.
But after Xu Fang said that, Chen Hao also felt that he and his wife might have gone a bit too far.
But since he had already said it, and since it was his wife he was going to spend his life with, he acquiesced.
But what his wife said next really put him in a very difficult position!
Let's not even talk about Chen Ming's family. Most people in Chenjia Village are lucky if they can earn enough work points to make enough food for themselves.
The land in Chenjia Village is not fertile, and the rice yield is generally mediocre. After paying the grain tax, there is usually very little left. Most households mainly eat sweet potatoes and potatoes.
With these conditions, how could I possibly save enough work points to get married and build a house?
Sure enough, as soon as Chen Hao's wife said those words, Xu Fang didn't even need to say anything; the uncles and aunts watching nearby couldn't hold back any longer.
"My God, if you had been born a few decades earlier and gone to the battlefield to fight the Japanese, you would definitely have survived to the end, right? After all, with such thick skin, you would definitely be invulnerable to bullets and blades!"
"I thought Chen Ming would finally have a good life after his younger siblings got married, but who knew he would raise a few ungrateful wretches."
"Chen Hao, tell me yourself, how could you let yourself be bullied by talking about your older brother and sister-in-law like that?!"
"Who in the entire Chenjia Village doesn't know that the houses and dowries for you two brothers were earned by you and your wife carrying heavy loads at the docks during the off-season for farming?"
"Chen Liang at least contributed to building his house; it took him three years of marriage to build it. What about you? On the second day of your marriage, you let your wife make a fuss, saying she wanted to start her own household."
"Have you forgotten how your older brother and sister-in-law sold most of their own grain and went up the mountain every day to dig for wild vegetables in order to build a house for you?!"
"We told Chen Ming to leave you guys alone back then, because we were afraid we'd end up doing all the work for nothing. But now it's all clear, we weren't overthinking it!"
"Yeah, pshaw! What kind of people are these!"
Regardless of whether they had a good or bad relationship with Chen Ming and his friends, everyone could see how Chen Ming treated his younger siblings.
Perhaps people's anger stems not only from feeling sorry for Chen Ming. Chen Ming's current situation inexplicably reminds others of their own lives in old age.
Chen Ming is still able to take care of himself and is relatively young and strong, but he is currently facing difficulties and needs his two younger brothers to help him. It's astonishing that they have been treated this way.
What about them?
When they get old, will the children I raised with such care treat me the same way?
Chen Hao was so embarrassed by everyone's words that he could only lower his head and apologize repeatedly: "I'm sorry, my wife didn't understand the situation and said things she shouldn't have. I definitely won't abandon my brother and the others!"
Then she turned to Chen Ming and pleaded, "Brother, sister-in-law, you can stay at my house as long as you want. Let's go home first and talk about it then."
Chen Hao felt that if he didn't leave, his reputation in the village would be ruined. He knew that if the villagers isolated him, he would be helpless when he needed help.
Chen Ming looked at Chen Hao and realized that he didn't really feel guilty; he was just afraid of being criticized by others.
"No need, I won't bother any of you. But since you all think I'm a burden and are afraid I'll cause you trouble, let's have less contact in the future."
"There's no need to visit each other during holidays. I, Chen Ming, believe I've done right by you all. For so many years, I've devoted myself to raising you and helping you get married and have children."
“I did these things voluntarily, and I don’t ask for anything in return. This fire wasn’t a complete loss, at least it made me see what kind of people my two younger brothers, whom I raised with such care, really are.”
"That's settled then. Let's leave each other alone from now on."
He turned to the other uncles and aunts, bowed, and said, "Thank you all for speaking up for us. Chen Ming will remember it."
"Everyone should go back to work. There's no need to let this affect your earning of work points, right?"
"That's right! Ming is right, nothing is more important than earning work points."
"Alright, Chen Ming, don't be too sad. It's better to see them clearly now than to wait until you're old and can't move to see them clearly."
"That's right, that's right. Your Fang is a good woman. She's been through so much hardship with you all these years. From now on, you two will support each other, and you'll definitely have a good life!"
After everyone else had left, only the three Chen brothers and Xu Fang and her brother remained at the scene.
After everyone else was gone, Chen Liang and Chen Hao felt somewhat dissatisfied with Chen Ming. Why did he say he wanted to cut off all ties with them in front of so many people?
Didn't he ever think about how they would establish themselves in the village in the future?
That's what he was thinking, and that's what Chen Liang said aloud: "Brother, I think you've gone too far. How could you embarrass us in front of so many people?!"
"How will they see us in the future! Haven't you thought about us at all?!"
At that moment, Xu Weiguo suddenly understood Zhang Yumei.
He finally understood why Zhang Yumei looked at him like he was mentally challenged whenever he was with Xu Weimin.
The way he looks at Chen Ming now is as if he's looking at someone with an intellectual disability.
Because after listening to Chen Hao's words, Chen Ming actually started to reflect on himself!
That's outrageous!!!
It's clearly their fault, so why should Chen Ming care about their feelings?
At this moment, Xu Weiguo deeply reflected on his actions and realized that he had been somewhat mentally unstable in the past. His family's situation was actually quite similar to Chen Ming's.
It's clearly Grandma Xu and Xu Weimin who wronged their family, so why does he automatically defend them in his heart every time things have calmed down? It's really wrong of him...
To avoid Chen Ming actually apologizing to them, even though he shouldn't have spoken in his position, he had to say it anyway: "What? Are people who do wrong things this arrogant these days?"
"I'm asking you all, was there anything Chen Ming said that was wrong? Was there anything he exaggerated?"
Chen Liang and Chen Hao looked at Xu Weiguo with displeasure and asked, "Who are you? What business is it of yours what we brothers have to do with each other?! Why are you being so nosy?!"
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