"It's almost the New Year, and you're taking all the money, leaving these dozens of people starving? Can you afford to take responsibility if something goes wrong?"
"That's right. Even beggars have their ages. It's impossible that the box is full of stolen silver. Apart from other things, one hundred taels is the silver given by the fourth brother to sever the marriage. There are letters of severance in the government office, so this can't be fake!"
"It's not easy for farmers to save money. Who doesn't earn it by scratching out every penny? Don't be too cruel, or you'll get punished!"
…
The villagers all spoke up for Old Ding's family. It wasn't because his family was more popular, but mainly because dozens of people in his family, young and old, all came out to defend the family's property accumulated over the years to the death. The effect was very good. Now that it was the end of the year, everyone's mood was naturally aroused.
Seeing that the crowd was furious, the leading yamen runner was unable to resist the public outrage, so he finally confiscated only the bag of gold beans and ten taels of silver as stolen money.
If someone really died, they would be afraid of taking responsibility.
Although they didn't recover all their losses, they were able to keep their original property, so Mrs. Meng and Old Ding breathed a sigh of relief. But then Mrs. Meng remembered the stewed chicken that Yang Wuqi had eaten, and just as she got up, she sat down on the ground and burst into tears.
Lost, still lost, she was so angry that she slapped her legs and cursed Yang Wuqi. After cursing, she cursed Lao Wu. I wonder what she would think if she knew that Lao Wu was no longer in this world. Would she be sad?
In the family, only Fang thought of standing up to thank the villagers. If everyone had not come forward to speak for their family today, it would be hard to say whether they could get their rights back.
Old Ding and Mrs. Meng didn't think so. They just thought that everyone was saying a few words to help because they felt relieved after seeing their golden beans were taken away. It didn't cost them much and they got to watch the fun for free. If they were in their place, they would also say a few words to help.
So, thanks, there is no such thing. The two of them closed the door and hugged each other and cried bitterly!
It gets dark early in winter, and it is already dark at the hour of You. Villagers start to go out with their families, carrying lunch boxes, towards the ancestral hall.
Ding Gui still remembered the task assigned to him by his fifth uncle. He went to the ancestral hall and looked everywhere for Dabao but couldn't find him. Because Jian Ning was injured, Ding Youtian told the clan leader that this year their family would not go to the ancestral hall for the La Festival, but would hold it at home.
After having lunch, Tian brought the Ma brothers to Jian Ning's place. Since their family was from a different family, Ma Fuquan suggested that the two families celebrate the La Festival together. Jian Ning then asked him to call Wei Dong and Huo Jincheng over.
With Weidong around, Blind Liu naturally refused to come. Ding Youtian went to invite him, but he refused because he was not feeling well.
After Wei Dong arrived, he mobilized his internal energy to treat Jian Ning and Guo Guo. Jian Ning felt better than in the morning. Tian led Qiao Feng and Mei Xiang to make butter cakes in the dining hall, and she also went to help.
Tian told her what happened in Old Ding's family as a joke. A group of women were busy making butter cakes in the dining hall, talking and laughing, while Ding Youtian, Ma Fuquan, Huo Jincheng and others were drinking tea and chatting in the main room.
Dabao was studying in the east room, while the three Ma brothers were playing in the yard with Erniu and Sanniu. Their hands and faces were red from the cold, but no one was willing to stay in front of the charcoal brazier.
"Jia Jia, do you want to hold our daughter? If you want to hold her, can I hold her for you?" Ma Xiaodou hugged Ma Qianjin and moved close to Erniu, saying with a smile.
Erniu was a little overwhelmed by his sudden show of goodwill and even rubbed her hands vigorously on her body. "Okay, thank you, little bean, but...it won't bite me, will it?"
"Let me ask." Ma Xiaodou put his mouth close to Ma Qianjin's ear and muttered for a while. He looked at Erniu and said, "Qianjin said that if you don't hit Yaoyao in the future, she won't bite you. She will also let you hold her for as long as you want."
"Hmph! You're lying! It can't talk at all. I don't want to hold it anymore!" Erniu had already stretched out her hand, but after hearing what he said, she decisively retracted her hand and glared at him angrily.
She is not stupid. If she agrees to Ma Xiaodou, what if Sanniu beats her one day?
She won't do it!
Ma Xiaodou's face turned serious, and he said seriously, "If you hit Yaoyao again, I'll beat you up! Look, you scratched her face, it's ugly. I hate you."
"Then I hate you too." Erniu said, then she used her hands to pry open her mouth and stuck out her tongue at him and made a face.
Jian Ning and Tian Shi heard their conversation from inside the house and were amused. Tian Shi laughed and said, "My little Douzi is really weird. Erniu and Sanniu are obviously similar in appearance, but he likes to stick close to Sanniu and doesn't like Erniu at all. I don't know what's going on."
"There are still differences." Jian Ning also smiled and said, "Jia Jia looks more like her father, and Yao Yao looks more like me."
Tian looked at the eldest girl who was diligently learning how to make butter cakes and said, "The eldest girl looks just like you, gentle and kind. The two younger ones are more like my Tian brothers. The same goes for Dabao."
When she mentioned Dabao, Jian Ning thought of asking Da Niu, "Shu'er, your brother is still reading. It's bad for the eyes to read all the time. Go tell him to stop reading and relax."
"Well, okay, I'll go tell my brother."
After a while, the eldest girl came back and said, "Mom, my brother said he doesn't look out the window all the time. He does what you taught him, and gets up every half hour to look out the window. Don't worry, he won't damage his eyes."
"Oh, isn't it good to love reading?" Tian said this without stopping her work. She pinched off a small piece of dough and rolled it into a pancake while saying, "Xiaomi is the only one in my family who is good at studying and likes to read. As for those two, you'd kill them if you asked them to read!"
Jian Ning smiled and said, "Everyone has different strengths. I was thinking of asking you for advice. Look at your three boys, they never fight. How do you usually teach them? My two little ones fight like they're fighting based on class, like they're mortal enemies. It really gives me a headache."
"Hey, what brothers don't fight? Sisters are the same. You didn't see it, but my two brothers used to fight to the death when they were little. The more they fight, the better their relationship becomes. Don't worry, they'll naturally stop fighting when they grow up."
"As for these three in my family, firstly, Xiaomi has a better temper and follows me. Secondly, he always listens to the eldest brother and knows he can't beat him, so he simply doesn't fight. Xiaodou is much older than the eldest brother, so naturally they won't fight. Xiaomi, on the other hand, did fight with Xiaodou once or twice, but was beaten by the eldest brother. My eldest brother is still very much like an elder brother, otherwise, do you think they would keep quiet? Besides, the three brothers are afraid of their father and dare not fight."
"My dad also beat my second and third sisters today." said the eldest girl.
"Oh, your father is so hot-tempered that he can beat people?" Tian tutted twice. "That's really a new thing. He beats two people at once. But then again, if the man in charge of a family can't control his children with his power, the family will be in chaos!"
Meixiang, who had been silent the whole time, took over and said, "If you don't obey, you'll be beaten. What's so new about that? In the future, they..."
Meixiang said the following words to herself in her heart. After she got things done tonight, those two little girls, especially the bad-mouthed Erniu, would have plenty of time to be beaten.
snort.
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