Chapter 80 This family must not fall apart
After settling it in, the two sisters straightened up and breathed a sigh of relief.
But they didn't notice at all that there was a pile of broken chicken bones scattered on the ground where Hei Zi had just fallen.
The bones were dark in color, some with suspicious white powder, and mixed in with the soil, making them inconspicuous.
Lu Zhonghe and Lu Zhongping walked around the village but couldn't find Lu Weidong, so they went straight home.
The two walked along the village road and asked several households, but none of them had seen Lu Weidong.
He has always been honest and never runs away.
This disappearance cast a shadow over the two brothers' hearts.
But they didn't take it too seriously, assuming their father had just gone out for some peace and quiet and would come back once his anger subsided.
Both of them felt that it was normal for Lu Weidong to run away.
If a family has a crazy woman who beats people all day long, it's no wonder they run away.
Shen Cuifen has a temper; she can turn on you in an instant.
Last time, because Lu Zhong and the bowls weren't washed properly, I grabbed a broom and started hitting them, leaving them covered in bruises on their backs.
Lu Weidong tried to persuade her, but she pointed her finger at him and accused him of "betraying her own people."
Who could endure such a life?
If they weren't poor and incompetent, they wouldn't be suffering here.
Lu Zhongping had long harbored deep hatred for this family.
He was seventeen years old and had never left the county town.
Even the thought of going out to work was met with a scolding from his mother who called him "unfilial."
Lu Zhonghe wasn't much better off; he was over thirty and still single, and Shen Cuifen constantly berated him as a "useless thing."
The two brothers secretly plotted this countless times.
If it weren't for my elderly father, I would have moved out and lived alone long ago.
Keeping it means being scolded by Shen Cuifen every day, which is incredibly frustrating.
You'll get yelled at if the dishes in the kitchen aren't washed properly.
You'll get scolded if the floor isn't swept clean.
Even a simple burp while eating can be interpreted by her as a sign of "lack of manners."
This is not how you live a normal life.
It's like being in jail.
The two brothers became increasingly agitated as they thought about it, and their steps grew heavier and heavier.
"Zhongping, go cook! I'm starving!"
Lu Zhonghe wiped his sweat with his clothes while giving orders to his younger brother.
He had just returned from the fields, covered in dirt, his shirt soaked through with sweat.
My stomach was growling, and my temper was rising.
He plopped down on the doorstep, kicked off his shoes, and started yelling.
"Don't just stand there! The rice's in the jar, the vegetables's in the basket, hurry up and get to work!"
Lu Zhongping frowned, looking displeased: "Whoever eats it should cook it! I'm not some maid you can order around!"
He stood in the courtyard, holding the letter he had just retrieved from the village entrance, his face grim.
He had been putting up with it for a long time. He always did the cooking and laundry, while his brother only knew how to boss him around.
"When Dad comes back, we'll separate and each live our own lives!"
He felt he had been wronged for seventeen years, and the family had to be separated.
From as far back as he can remember, he had to do the dirtiest and most tiring work, eat the least amount of food, and wear the most tattered clothes.
Now that he's grown up, he has strength and his own ideas, and he'll never let anyone manipulate him again.
Separating from the family was a solution he had long planned.
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhonghe immediately stopped in his tracks.
His voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed anger.
"Lu Zhongping, what exactly do you want? The wedding isn't even over yet, and you're already making a fuss about separating the family? I just asked you to cook a meal, and you're already yelling about separating the family? Do you really think you're some kind of emperor? Who gave you the audacity to act so wildly here?"
Lu Zhonghe is about to go to Mu Xiang's house to propose marriage.
Once the marriage is settled, the dowry of 666 will be a huge burden.
But if the family were to split up at this time, each living their own lives...
Where will we get this money?
Can he do it all by himself?
Forget about scraping together money, even getting food is a problem.
He's not stupid!
He knew that the most important thing right now was to settle the marriage, raise the dowry, and not lose face or substance.
Even if Shen Cuifen and Lu Weidong really did get divorced.
He also preferred to live together rather than be separated.
As long as the home is still there, people's hearts will not drift apart.
With Lu Zhongping around, the family can lend a hand, do some work, like washing dishes, chopping firewood, and repairing the roof.
It's better than having to shoulder all the burdens alone.
If they were to separate, he feared that life would become even harder and he wouldn't be able to get married.
"What do you want me to do? Don't you have hands? Can't you cook for yourself if you want to eat? The kitchen stove is clean, the rice is in the jar, and the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar are all there. Do you think I'm a servant raised by your parents?"
Lu Zhongping got angry as soon as he heard this, and retorted directly, his face turning red.
"You're always ordering me around, and you seem to be having it all done for you? Dream on!"
Stop pretending!
Lu Zhonghe slammed his fist on the table, furious.
"Don't I know what you're thinking? Aren't you just afraid that after your parents divorce, no one will help you with the debt from the dowry? Do you think I can't see through you? That's exactly what you're planning! You want to wash your hands of this and live a carefree life?"
"I'm telling you right now, don't even think about taking advantage of me again, or you'd better give up that idea!"
Lu Zhongping gave a cold laugh.
"You think you can make me a sucker? Dream on! Lu Weidong is your father, but he's not related to me by blood. If she really divorces me, she won't bring a single penny into this family! Who do you expect? Me?"
Lu Zhongping understood perfectly well that Shen Cuifen would never give Lu Weidong the betrothal gifts for her two daughters, Lu Guizhen and Lu Guizhi.
That money was her dowry for her biological daughter, money she had painstakingly saved up over several years through frugality.
How could we possibly use it to fill this bottomless pit?
Moreover, the two have fallen out to this point, and their relationship has become so strained.
She would never use her daughter's money to help them make a living; that would be like cutting her own flesh with a knife.
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zhonghe immediately exploded, his face turning bright red.
He punched Lu Zhongping hard in the face, so hard that he staggered.
"Lu Zhongping! Stop spouting nonsense! Who do you think you are, daring to point fingers at me? Believe me or not, I'll break your legs!"
He was like a dog whose tail had been stepped on, so angry that he just kept biting people indiscriminately, his mind a complete mess.
It was all shame, anger, and panic from having one's vulnerabilities exposed.
He didn't actually think that much about it.
He hadn't really thought carefully about who would pay off the bride price debt.
But Lu Zhongping's words only made me feel that way more.
This family absolutely cannot fall apart now!
The moment the family split up, he collapsed!
Caught off guard, Lu Zhongping was punched in the face, and immediately saw stars.
He was knocked to the ground, his head hitting the threshold with a dull thud.
He grimaced in pain, his ears ringing.
But he gritted his teeth and forced himself to get up.
He clenched his fists, his face contorted in a fierce expression, and lunged forward, grabbing Lu Zhonghe by the collar.
The two instantly became entangled in a tangled mess.
They exchanged blows, one punch and one kick, knocking over the woodpile by the door and trampling the basket of pickled vegetables drying on the bamboo pole.
Pots and pans clattered and rattled, dust flew everywhere, and the yard was in complete chaos.
Just then, Li Fangfang was searching the whole village for her son, carrying a small cloth bag containing cloth shoes she had made overnight.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
