Chapter 61 There is only one way
Chen Zhancai pretended to be sincere and genuine, and even forced out a few tears when he was moved.
Mrs. Chen was deeply moved by what he said, tears welling in her eyes. She stepped forward and held his hand.
"Son, my good son, I believe in you. I have really wronged you over the years."
"Mother, no matter how much suffering my son endures, no matter how much pain he suffers, I will always be glorious and bright. You and father can rest assured that my son will pass the imperial examination next year."
"Good, good, good, you are really a good son to your mother."
Old Mrs. Chen raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of Chen Zhancai's eyes.
"Third brother, others may not believe in you, but I do. Study hard in town and don't worry about family matters. As long as I'm here, I'll sell everything I have to support your studies."
"Thank you, mother. When I pass the imperial examinations in the future, I will be very filial to you and bring you endless wealth and glory."
Chen Zhancai’s acting was so brilliant that even he felt sick. But forget it, it’s not shameful to act like a spoiled child in front of his parents just to have money to spend.
Chen Zhanliang felt nauseous when he saw this scene and rolled his eyes in disgust.
"Third brother, you've been saying these things for over twenty years, and every time you said them, you made promises with all your heart, but all you've gotten in return is failure after failure. Stop making these promises, I'm tired of hearing them."
Sun chimed in, "Yes, Zhancai, our family used to be considered a wealthy family in Nanshan Village. We had surplus grain every year, and we even had an ox cart at home, and the food was the best.
But in order to support your studies these years, you have ruined our family. Don't you feel any guilt?"
Chen Zhancai remained silent.
What Sun said was true. His family was indeed well off before and they lived in a house made of blue bricks and tiles. But ever since he married Liu, his expenses in the town increased, and his property was sold one after another until they moved into the thatched house they live in now.
Although he made big promises every year, his parents loved to hear these words, so he naturally only said the nice ones.
What's more, I have been working hard, but I just failed the exam due to bad luck. It's not his fault!
"Alright, shut up." Old man Chen shouted, glanced at Chen Zhanliang and his wife, and sighed softly.
"Second brother, I know I've wronged you all these years. It's all my fault. But don't worry, Third brother also said that he will definitely pass the exam next year. If he still fails to pass the exam next year, I have decided not to let him study anymore and let him come back to farm with you."
"Dad, why don't you trust your son?" Chen Zhancai almost jumped up on the spot. He said that he would definitely pass, but he didn't say that he would stop studying if he failed. He didn't want to be a peasant.
"You old fool, what are you talking about? Why can't our third son pass the exam?" Old Mrs. Chen glared at Old Man Chen fiercely. "I believe my son will definitely pass the exam next year."
Old man Chen was originally a henpecked husband, but he immediately stopped when Old Mrs. Chen scolded him.
Chen Zhanliang frowned. "We'll talk about whether to take the exam next year. Right now, our family is in dire straits. The third son has spent all his money. If we don't get the full fifty taels, what will happen to Li the butcher?"
Sun's eyes were filled with disdain. "That's right, talking is useless. The knife is at your neck. You should think about how to solve the problem at hand!"
"You two should stop talking nonsense, as if Zhan Cai is not in a hurry. You are also members of the family. Don't just sit there and eat. Think of a solution quickly." Old Mrs. Chen said with a sullen face.
Sun sneered, "Mom, are you kidding me? I asked you to leave some money, but you didn't listen and gave it all to the third brother. Now you think of us, what do you want Zhan Liang and I to do?"
"That's right. You are the one who holds all the money in the family. Now you ask us to find a solution. How can you say that?" Chen Zhanliang's face was full of anger and his tone was filled with resentment.
Sun felt aggrieved and said angrily, "It's not that there is no way, it just depends on whether you agree or not, mother."
"What method?" Old Mrs. Chen became excited.
Sun raised an eyebrow and glanced at Chen Zhancai, then said slowly, "The solution is to let Ruolan from the third family marry Li the butcher. This way, we won't have to pay the lawsuit and we won't have to pay back the money."
"What? Let Ruolan marry a butcher?" Old Lady Chen's expression suddenly turned ugly. "What a rotten idea! My Ruolan is so delicate, how can she marry a beast? This is just pushing her into the fire pit!"
Sun also got angry and refused to indulge her. She put her hands on her waist and said, "You are really heartless. You are the good person, but how can you be so cruel as to marry Qing girl to him? But not Ruolan? They are all the same, how can you treat them differently?"
I see that you only have the third brother's family in your eyes. They are your sweethearts and treasures. We are unloved and unloved, just like annoying dogtail grass. We work so hard, but we are not as good as a few nice words from others.
I'm going to say this today. If the Chen family gets into trouble, I won't take the blame for you. I'm going back to my parents' home tomorrow. Even if you guys get beaten to death, it won't have anything to do with me."
"Hey, wife, please talk nicely if you have something to say. Don't be angry!" Chen Zhanliang was anxious and pulled Sun over. "You can't leave. What will I do if you leave?"
"Look at your dead look. I was just saying it casually to scare them." Sun whispered.
Old Mrs. Chen was so angry that she was gasping for breath and couldn't speak.
Chen Zhancai gritted his teeth, his eyes full of hatred, "Second sister-in-law, how can you talk to our mother like that? What mother said was right. Ruolan is still young. She looks big, but she still has a childish temper. She is not sensible at all. How can she get married? Aren't you mistreating her?
Besides, we are all family, we are all on the same boat. If we are ever involved in a lawsuit, the authorities will be able to arrest you even if you run to the ends of the earth."
"You, you, you're talking nonsense! I haven't broken any law, why are you arresting me?" Sun was panicked. She was afraid of getting into trouble. If she really ended up in court, she would be skinned alive if not killed.
Old Man Chen's head ached from the noise, and he couldn't help but yell, "All of you, shut up! Instead of wasting time, think about what to do!"
"What can we do? There's nothing we can do." Chen Zhanliang snorted.
Chen Zhancai sneered, "Look at what you're worried about. Isn't it just fifty taels of silver? Is it really that much of a bother?"
"Old Third, what do you mean by that?" Old Man Chen couldn't help but ask, "Did you come up with a solution? Tell me quickly."
"Dad, don't worry. Things have already come to this. Even if you and Mom are worried to death, you won't be able to get any money!" Chen Zhancai said seriously, "In my opinion, there is only one way to get out of this predicament, and that is to sell the land."
Old Man Chen was startled and quickly waved his hands, "No, no, we only have a little over ten acres of land. If we sell it, what will our whole family eat? It will be a disaster!"
"Dad, look at what you're saying. I'm not asking you to sell all your land. Just pick a few acres of good farmland and sell it for fifty taels of silver. The rest of the land will be enough for us to eat!"
"Nonsense, this land has been passed down from our ancestors from generation to generation. How can we sell it for money? Wouldn't that make us a spendthrift?" Old man Chen frowned and pounded his head.
......
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