Chapter 251 Sleep Where You Want
Her voice trembled so much it was almost incoherent, and she cried out as she questioned, "Look at me! I'm your own mother! I raised you with my own hands, fed you, carried you to the doctor, and sent you to school! Now your mother is about to be kicked out of the house, and I won't even have a place to stay. And you...you won't even say a word of justice? You won't dare to speak up for me?"
The three sons lowered their heads, clutching the money and agreement they had just received tightly in their hands, their knuckles turning white.
They were afraid that the division of the family property would fall through, that Zhou would renege on his decision, and even more afraid that they would suffer the same fate as their mother.
So they all lowered their heads and frowned, their voices barely audible, like mosquitoes humming: "Mother, this was Father's decision, we can't interfere. Please don't make things difficult for us, we're the younger generation, it's not appropriate for us to interrupt... it really isn't appropriate for us to interrupt..."
Zhou Liguo held the money and the agreement, his palms sweaty, but a smug smile appeared on his face.
He turned to the village chief, Yun Zhonglei, and nodded respectfully, his tone resolute: "Uncle Yun, rest assured, I'll leave right now, without any hesitation. I will never set foot in this yard again, and I will have no further connection with this family!"
Zhao Lin stood there, watching helplessly as his second son, carrying the money, stepped out the door without looking back.
The wind whipped up scraps of paper from the ground, scattering them at her feet.
Just as he was about to disappear through the courtyard gate, he sneered and uttered a harsh threat: "I'm buying a ticket to the South right now! Just you wait and see, I'll be rolling in money in less than three years! You can all beg me to come back then, but I won't even turn back!"
Zhou Jianguo was even more ruthless. Afraid of being stopped by his mother or held back by emotions, he quickly packed a tattered canvas bag, stuffed the money into his inner pocket, and rushed out.
Just before leaving, he spat and cursed with disgust, "This wretched place is so poor and suffocating, I can't even get a clean drink of water! I feel disgusted if I stay here for even a second longer! My life is ruined here, and if I leave too late, I'll be dragged down with it!"
Seeing his two older brothers run away so quickly, leaving him all alone at home, Zhou Anguo was furious. He stood in the yard cursing and yelling, "You guys are so fast! You took the money and ran away like rabbits! Leaving me with this mess? Aren't you afraid of your consciences being punished?"
He had just rushed back into the house to grab his bundle, not even having time to change his shoes, when his wife, Caiju, grabbed his arm.
Caiju's face was ashen, her eyes filled with anxiety: "What are you still standing here for? Don't you want to live anymore? Get out of here! Don't wait for Dad to change his mind! We won't get the house, don't lose our lives too!"
She dragged him out of the yard, practically half-carrying and half-pulling him.
Yun Zhonglei stood under the eaves, silently watching all of this, feeling as if a stone was pressing on his heart.
He knew how much Zhao Lin and Shen Cuifen had suffered; one was a mother abandoned by her husband, and the other was a second wife who had been bullied.
But this is a family matter, and even an upright official can't easily settle family disputes. As the village chief, he couldn't forcefully interfere.
He sighed, shook his head, and turned to leave.
In the blink of an eye, the once noisy courtyard became empty and deserted, with only the creaking of the wind blowing through the doors.
Zhou Xiuli crossed her arms and coldly surveyed the empty room before turning to Zhao Lin, her voice sharp and sarcastic: "Zhao Lin! Don't think you can turn things around by playing the victim! When I married into your family, I ate your food and drank your water, and I didn't dare take an inch of extra cloth! But what about you? I still remember your condescending, disdainful look so clearly! You treated me like a servant, treated me like an outsider, and today you've come to this!"
"This house is mine now. I told you to get out, so don't wait for my older brother to come and kick you out!"
Zhou Xiuli stood in the center of the main room with her hands on her hips, her voice so shrill it almost pierced eardrums.
Her eyes revealed smugness and disdain, as if she had finally reached the day when she could turn the tables. Her tone carried an undisguised sense of rejection, as if these people in front of her were nothing more than stumbling blocks on her path to a new life.
"And you, Chen Cuifen, you jinx! Pack up those tattered books and get out of here. Don't leave them here to harm people. Aren't you afraid of dragging down Zhao Lin, that cripple?"
She pointed at Shen Cuifen's nose, her face filled with disgust and contempt.
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, as if mocking the other person's weakness, or as if venting years of pent-up resentment.
The phrase "jinx" was harsh and heavy, each word like a knife, piercing straight to the heart.
This time, Shen Cuifen didn't shed a single tear.
She stood quietly in place, her gaze neither averted nor angry, but steadily fixed on Zhao Lin, her eyes revealing a calm determination.
Her fingers twitched slightly, as if she wanted to grasp something, but she restrained herself and pulled them back.
She said softly, "Mother, wait for me. I'll pack up and we'll leave right away. I'll take you away from here."
The sound was soft, yet exceptionally clear, like a clear spring that washed away the noise and malice in the room.
Seeing how readily they agreed, Zhou Xiuli felt as happy as if she had drunk honey.
She stood in the center of the room, her mouth wide open in a wide, undisguised smile.
She looked around at the two-story house, which had countless rooms. Sunlight streamed through the windows and shone brightly on the floor.
She was thinking to herself: the master bedroom is mine, the second bedroom will be for the children in the future, and the study will be converted into a walk-in closet...
She can sleep wherever she wants!
It was as if the huge house now belonged entirely to her, and even breathing felt easier.
The thought of sleeping on a broken table in the kitchen when she was a child, cold in winter and hot in summer, with even the blankets getting moldy, makes her grit her teeth in hatred.
Back then, she was always the last to eat, and she only got leftovers and cold soup, not even a piece of pork skin.
Now the tables have turned, and she has finally gained the upper hand.
She glared fiercely at Chen Cuifen, venting all the grievances and resentment she had accumulated over the years on her, as if only in this way could she soothe the resentment in her heart.
She wasn't even allowed to take a scrap of old cloth with her.
Zhou Xiuli stood at the door, blocking the way like a gatekeeper, her eyes scanning every corner like a hawk.
She forbade Shen Cuifen from taking away anything that belonged to the family, not even a used towel, an old schoolbag, or even a yellowed photograph in a drawer.
She wanted to leave the other party with nothing, in a sorry state.
Fearing that Zhao Lin would argue with Zhou Nuli outside, Shen Cuifen hurriedly packed a few clothes and books, her movements light and quick.
Her fingers trembled slightly, but she forced herself not to stop.
She pulled out several medical books with worn-out edges, materials she had painstakingly compiled over countless nights; then she put away her mother's often-worn gray-blue sweater, folded it carefully, and placed it in her bag.
Then, she ran to help her mother tidy up, her movements gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the old woman's fragile nerves.
Zhao Lin waved his hand, sat in his wheelchair, and calmly looked out the window.
Her fingers rested lightly on the armrest of the wheelchair, her tone as indifferent as if she were talking about something trivial: "Don't accept it. I don't care for anything in this house."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resolute coldness, as if this house, this family, and everything from the past had nothing to do with her anymore.
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