Chapter 25 These Days Are Too Hard
Chen family old house.
Liu Fengjiao's headache was about to explode when she faced the powerful Old Lady Chen.
In the past, when she returned to the countryside, she did not have to serve her parents-in-law, cook, or feed chickens and ducks in the name of taking care of Chen Zhancai's studies.
Naturally, these tasks were done in turns by Lin and Sun.
Who would have thought that this year Old Lady Chen would go crazy, split up the family of the most capable eldest son, and even wrote a letter of severing ties with the family.
Now she and that rough woman, Mrs. Sun, are asked to do a whole day's housework each. She is really going to be mad at her.
She used to accompany Chen Zhancai to study in the town. Although they were not well off, they still hired a nanny to do the housework. She was pampered and never had to do any housework.
Now her delicate hands have become rough and her face has been tanned. She no longer looks like a future scholar's wife.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She sat on the edge of the kang, rubbing her temples and sulking.
Chen Ruolan was bored and was playing with the thimbles in the basket on the kang. Suddenly, the thimble wheel was thrown to the ground.
She immediately drooped her face and said unhappily, "Mom, when are we going back to town? Eating brown rice every day has pierced my throat. I don't want to eat that stuff anymore."
Liu Fengjiao was already in a bad mood, and after hearing her daughter's complaints, she said angrily,
"Why are you in such a hurry? Just bear with it. When your father's academy starts classes, we'll move back to town."
"Bear, bear, bear, bear, how long will it take for us to endure this? If the academy never opens, will we have to live here forever?
In the past, we had meat for every meal in town, but now, after more than ten days of eating brown rice, I've been having acid reflux. I've had enough of this hard life."
Liu Fengjiao sighed softly, "You kid, the food you eat these days is a little poor, but it's not bad for you. Doesn't your grandma always cook for you and give you all the eggs in the house? Why are you still not satisfied?"
Although she tried to comfort Chen Ruolan, she was already feeling annoyed.
The ground was covered with chicken shit, flies were flying everywhere, and there was a foul smell in the air that was disgusting.
Anyone with a little money would want to live here.
But I don’t have a penny now. I have to rent a house and eat in town without spending any money.
It’s all that damn girl’s fault. If she hadn’t refused the marriage, maybe the four of them would have been in the town now.
At this moment, she had the urge to strangle Chen Qingqing to death, completely unaware that her family were the truly greedy people.
Chen Ruolan curled her lips in disdain, "Mom, you still think those broken eggs are good things? They made my burps smell like chicken shit. Now I feel sick just looking at eggs. It's so disgusting. I want to eat refined rice, white flour buns, and stir-fried dishes and stews from restaurants."
Chen Zhancai frowned, threw the book in his hand hard on the kang, and scolded loudly,
"Shut up right there! You're getting more and more outrageous. You even dislike eggs. What era is this? In the entire Nanshan Village, only our family can eat eggs. No one else can afford to eat them and they save them to sell. And you actually say eggs are not tasty? You really don't know how to appreciate what you have."
Chen Ruolan's eyes were red with grievance, and she was crying.
“When Daddy was on holiday from farming, didn’t we also live in town?
Why do I have to go back to this godforsaken place this year? There's nothing in this broken village. I just want to go back to town."
Seeing his daughter crying, Chen Zhancai's heart instantly tightened, "Okay, Ruolan, don't cry. It's all Dad's fault. Dad shouldn't have said such harsh words.
But you also know that this year is not a good year, and there is no surplus food to sell at home. Your grandparents can't come up with that much money. If you don't stay here, do you really want to follow your father and wander the streets as a beggar?"
"My daughter doesn't want to." Chen Ruolan shook her head vigorously. "Dad, doesn't my grandma have fifty taels of silver? I'll give it to you sooner or later. Go and ask for it. If we have the money, we can go to the town."
Liu Fengjiao nodded in agreement, "Zhancai, I think what Ruolan said makes sense. In fact, I've had enough of this kind of life. You guys are fine, you can eat and drink ready-made, but I have to take turns doing housework with my second sister-in-law, serving such a large family. Look at how rough my hands are."
Seeing the aggrieved look in his wife and daughter's eyes, Chen Zhancai felt irritated and said to them in a negotiating tone,
"I know the food and accommodation in town are good, but the problem is we don't have money. Just be patient. In a few days, when your uncle's family can't make it out there anymore, they'll naturally come back and ask your grandmother to take them in. Then, just send that damn girl to Butcher Li's house, and we'll go back to town to eat delicious food and drink spicy drinks, okay?"
Liu Fengjiao's eyes flashed, "Zhancai, to avoid any more trouble at night, I think we should leave as soon as possible, the sooner the better."
"What do you mean?" Chen Zhanshan was a little confused.
"You're so stupid! I have fifty taels of silver in my hand now. I got that from selling the maid. But your mother is such an old fool. She's splitting up the family and breaking off relations with the eldest wife's family. I think this marriage will fall through sooner or later. When that happens, I'll have to return the silver to Li the butcher. So, you have to get the money out as soon as possible."
Chen Zhancai shook his head and smiled indifferently, "Fengjiao, you think too much. Our mother is a shrewd person among shrewd people. Isn't she absolutely sure that she can drive the boss's family out?
Nowadays, with only half a bag of rice bran, how long do you think the big house can last?
So, don't worry, those fifty taels of silver will be ours sooner or later."
Liu Fengjiao thought so at first, but from the moment the eldest brother's family moved out, she felt uneasy.
What if Chen Zhanshan insists on not agreeing to marry Qing Yatou to Li the Butcher? All the efforts will be in vain!
She stamped her feet in anger and said, "You nerd, have you become stupid from reading so much? Your brain is not working at all. Use your brain and think about it.
As the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry. What if the eldest wife's family would rather starve to death than admit their mistake to my mother?
Or what if the eldest brother led his family to escape famine with the help of a wooden stick?
Have you ever thought about this? If you lose your money, you won’t even be able to go to school.”
Chen Zhancai slapped his thigh, with an expression of hindsight, "You're right, why didn't I think of this?"
"You've been oblivious to the world outside your home, absorbed in reading the sages' books. How could you possibly have thought of these things? Only a good wife and mother like me would have thought of such thorough considerations."
Chen Zhancai felt that he really couldn't delay too long. If he returned the fifty taels of silver, there would be no hope. But he was also a little embarrassed.
"What you said is all true, but how can I tell my mother this?"
…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
