Chapter 249 The Man in Charge
But I only want one thing—half of that three hundred yuan. I'll move out, and from now on, we'll each live our own lives, and we'll be even.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Anguo exploded. He jumped up like a cannonball, rushed forward, and shoved her hard, roaring, "Third brother! Are you crazy? That's my mother's hard-earned money! Are you deaf? Didn't you hear what she just said? That money is for Cuifen! You dare to lay a finger on her!"
Caught off guard, Zhou Liguo staggered a few steps after being pushed, his back hitting the dining table in the corner, causing a clattering sound of dishes.
He suddenly sprang to his feet, his eyes blazing with ferocity, and he launched a counterattack without showing any weakness, grabbing Zhou Anguo's collar and the two instantly wrestling.
They punched and kicked each other, hurling insults and pushing and shoving, kicking up clouds of dust.
Zhou Jianguo remained standing to the side, his hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent, and a faint, almost imperceptible sneer even appeared on the corner of his mouth.
His gaze slowly shifted from his fighting brothers, turning away from the courtyard to look at the mottled earthen wall in the distance, as if the farcical scene of their falling out had nothing to do with him.
He had no intention of breaking up the fight, and didn't even blink.
Zhou Nuli turned pale with fright and hurriedly pulled his younger sister Zhou Xiuli behind him, retreating until his back hit the wall.
His voice was trembling uncontrollably, and he spoke haltingly: "Stop fighting! Stop it, both of you! You two, stop right now! If you keep fighting, someone will die!"
Zhao Lin could no longer hold on. He felt all his strength drain away, his legs went weak, and he sat heavily on the rickety bench.
With trembling hands, she reached out and handed the polished cane beside her to Shen Cuifen, who was standing to the side with a pale face.
Tears silently slid down her cheeks, landing one by one on the dusty muddy ground, spreading into small dark dots.
She looked at the village chief, her voice choked with sobs but clearly audible: "Village chief, this life... I really can't go on anymore. This family is falling apart."
Yun Zhonglei couldn't stand it any longer. His brows furrowed, veins bulging on his face, and he roared, "Stop it! Are you crazy? Fighting in your own living room! What kind of behavior is this?!"
Upon hearing the roar, several relatives rushed in from outside and scrambled to pull Zhou Anguo and Zhao Lin apart.
Both of them were injured, with obvious wounds on their faces and bodies.
The brothers fought like mortal enemies, showing no mercy and neither of them held back at the last moment.
Zhou Anguo's eye was swollen and bruised, almost unable to open; while Zhao Lin's nose was still bleeding profusely, the bright red blood dripping onto the ground, and no amount of pressing could stop it.
Yun Zhonglei stood in the center of the main room, his face ashen. In front of everyone, he spoke in a deep voice, "Everyone's here, so let's get this straight—how should this three hundred yuan be divided fairly?"
Caiju immediately squeezed next to Zhou Anguo, took out a worn, faded handkerchief from her pocket, and carefully handed it to him, muttering softly, "Anguo, don't be impulsive, wipe the blood first... I've told you several times, that five hundred yuan is rightfully yours. Jianguo spent two hundred yuan a few months ago, so the remaining three hundred yuan should rightfully be yours."
Upon hearing this, the wives of several relatives nearby immediately changed their expressions, turned around in unison, and stood on Zhao Lin's side, chiming in with their own opinions: "Sister Zhao works hard selling fried dough sticks, getting up early and working late to earn money. She wants to spend it on her own daughter. Why can't she? Who's it to bother with this? Who are you to tell her what to do?"
Seeing this, Zhou Xiuli immediately stepped forward and stood in the middle of the main room. Her voice was clear and neither humble nor arrogant as she said, "What do you mean by 'earned by oneself'? Every month, my elder brother hands over every penny of his salary to the family without fail. The money my sister-in-law earns from selling fried dough sticks, the oil, flour, pots and pans she uses—aren't they all bought with my elder brother's money?"
She became more and more agitated as she spoke, her tone growing increasingly firm: "If it weren't for my older brother supporting this family, where would you have gotten the capital to sell fried dough sticks? Now that you've made the money, you're claiming it's her private savings? What kind of logic is that!"
The men and women, young and old, of the village gathered around the main room, talking amongst themselves. The noise grew louder and louder, and it looked like things were about to descend into chaos.
Finally, someone in the crowd shouted, "Stop arguing! Stop fighting! Let's just split it in half, so no one loses out and no one has to worry!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Anguo's eyes widened, his face flushed red, and he roared at the man, "Five hundred yuan! They've already spent two hundred yuan! This debt can't be forgotten! The remaining three hundred yuan must first cover the two hundred yuan shortfall! Only after that can we talk about splitting the money!"
Zhao Lin leaned against the door, coldly watching the group of people arguing heatedly, but inwardly he sneered.
How amazing! A mere three hundred yuan has so easily torn a family's face to shreds, destroyed their kinship, and turned even the closest brothers into enemies.
It's laughable, but it's worth it!
She finally couldn't hold back and let out a cold laugh. Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "Uncle Zhou, can you use your brain before you speak? Bringing up 'dividing the money' now is tantamount to 'dividing the family'! Have you really thought this through? When has our Zhou family ever divided the family, from our ancestors to the present day? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at us if word gets out?"
Seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense, Zhou Xiuli quickly reached out and tugged at Zhou Nuli's sleeve, desperately trying to wink at him, afraid that he would say something he shouldn't.
Zhou Nuli kept his head down and didn't say a word, but his eyes were unusually clear.
He knew that three hundred yuan sounded like a lot, but if it were divided up, each person would only get a few dozen yuan.
But if we really open this door and separate the family, what will happen to this family in the future?
Who will support this large family?
Who will take responsibility?
He slapped his thigh and jumped to his feet, his voice so loud it seemed to shake the roof beams: "I'm still alive! My bones aren't broken, my hands can still move, and my eyes can still see! What's this talk of dividing the family property?! If we divide it now, what kind of man am I?!"
Zhou Xiuli became anxious, her eyes reddening. She stepped forward and questioned in a trembling voice, "What about the orchard? What about the house? And those valuable plots of land? If you don't divide the family property, how will these be divided in the future? Does that mean no one in the family will work and you'll have to shoulder the burden all by yourself? Can you afford to support this family? There are more than ten mouths to feed!"
Zhou Nuli's gaze suddenly froze, fixed on Zhao Lin, then slowly slid down to the lonely crutch lying at her feet—that crutch was like a cold verdict, declaring that she would never again be able to push her cart out in the morning and make a living by hawking fried dough sticks.
He slowly raised his head and looked around at the people in the room—Zhou Jianguo, Zhou Anguo, Zhou Xiuli, Shen Cuifen…
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