"Chief, are you sure it's this family?"
Huang Youquan looked at the tightly closed door and silently turned his head away.
"This is the one."
Huang Shi's voice was deep.
He did come after all.
"Let's knock on the door," Brother Huang sighed. "We're already here, we can't just stand here like idiots."
However...
The three called out for a long time, but no one answered.
"Could we have come to the wrong place?" Huang Youquan became uneasy.
“Impossible. I’ve seen the land deed, and it says this is the exact location,” Huang Shi said with certainty. “Perhaps the yard is too big to have realized it yet. Let’s wait a bit.”
A cup of tea had passed, but there was still no response from the courtyard.
Upon realizing this, the three of them looked embarrassed.
"Could they have already moved away?" Huang Sige speculated. "They might have moved to the county seat or the prefectural city. Anyway, they're not short of money."
"Go to the school and see if you can find Xiao Si. That will tell you what happened."
Just as the three were about to leave, someone suddenly spoke up, "Are you looking for the Huang family?"
Brother Huang looked up and saw a young man in a fine blue cotton-padded jacket walking towards them. He immediately smiled and said, "Yes, young man, do you know where they went?"
"They shouldn't be home. I saw a group of women and children going out in an oxcart early this morning."
"They all went out? Not a single person was left behind?" Huang Shi was skeptical. "There are still elderly people and children at home; they can't have gone very far."
“They’re all in the car,” the young man waved his hand. “If you don’t believe me, fine, I’m going home.”
After saying this, he opened the gate to the courtyard opposite the Huang residence and went inside.
"Should we still go to school?" Brother Huang hesitated. "Or should we come back this afternoon?"
He absolutely did not want to go to a school, a place where scholars gathered.
Despite being illiterate, he had an innate reverence for schools.
Huang Shi hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and decided, "Let's go. We have to find the person first."
Suddenly, Huang Youquan asked, "What happens after we find the person?"
Advising others to return to Huangjiakou? And from what standpoint?
Are we to directly accuse them of being greedy for the orphaned children of their second wife and of being extravagant with their money?
Upon arriving at this grand mansion, Huang Youquan suddenly realized something: they, these peasants, were no longer in the same world as Huang Chuan's family.
The house that others can buy so easily is something they could never obtain even after several lifetimes of hard work and sacrifice.
Huangjiakou is indeed the ancestral home of the second wife, but it has long since become a burden.
Especially these kinds of people, no matter how nicely they speak, they are actually still thinking about taking advantage of others.
But during the years that the second wife lived in Huangjiakou, Jiang's reputation was completely ruined by the women in the village, and her sons did not receive any help. So what face did they have to ask others to do this or that?
Huangshi has not dared to tell the truth to this day.
The two families have already separated into two branches, so people can completely ignore them.
He dared not, yet harbored a sliver of hope that the childish division of the clan would not count.
They can go back to how things were before, where even though they each had their own little schemes and occasional conflicts, they could still live in harmony.
"Let's try to persuade him first," Brother Huang said, rubbing his head in exasperation. "If it really doesn't work, there's no way to force it."
We absolutely cannot afford to become enemies!
“That’s true, then let’s go to the school to look for it first.”
Meanwhile, in Jiangjiazhuang, Jiang Chao was immediately chased and beaten by his own father with a broom as soon as he returned. "You brat, you're finally back! We even prepared two new brooms, just waiting for you."
"Father," Jiang Chao said helplessly, "What's wrong now? Why are you acting crazy all of a sudden?"
"Am I crazy?" Jiang Xu was furious. "You didn't even come back to tell us about such a big thing as the Huang family branching out. Are you sure you're not just asking for a beating, you brat?"
"I..." Jiang Chao glanced around guiltily.
He really was in the wrong.
He understood that the reason he was in Huangjialang was partly because he intended to learn something, and partly because he was afraid that his aunt's family would be bullied without anyone reporting it to him.
It seems he didn't do well in either aspect.
After coughing twice, sounding unsure of himself, Jiang Chao decisively changed the subject, "Dad, have our rice seedlings been planted yet? Do you need my help?"
"Waiting for you?" Jiang Chao glanced at his son disdainfully, exhaling two puffs of hot air from his nostrils. "Will the whole family eat chaff together?"
After saying that, he menacingly raised the broom.
"Dad," Jiang Chao said, quickening his pace. He pointed decisively into the inner room, "Grandpa and Grandma are still waiting for me. I'll go in first."
After saying that, without waiting for her father's reaction, she slipped under his broom.
"You little brat!" Jiang Chao swung the broom at him, but missed, which only made him angrier. "I'll get you sooner or later!"
"Grandpa and Grandma, I'm back," Jiang Chao said obediently, her words sweet. "I've missed you so much these past few days."
"What are you doing back here?" Old Mrs. Jiang asked, displeased. "You don't have a single penny to your name!"
They can't even deliver a message when it matters. I've raised them for nothing; they've been good for nothing.
They suddenly realized that it was better if this kid didn't get married, so he wouldn't have a simpleton son who would ruin the reputation of the Jiang family.
"This is for you," Jiang Chao immediately took out a copper coin, "Grandma, don't be angry."
Seeing this, Old Lady Jiang felt a lump in her throat, unable to swallow it. "If I said a thousand taels, would you still be able to bring a thousand taels?"
“That’s impossible…” Jiang Chao continued obsequiously, “However, your grandson can lend you a thousand-tael silver note to satisfy your craving for a look.”
"You," Old Mrs. Jiang clutched her chest in anger, "the door is right there, good riddance."
This grandson was born to collect debts; he's becoming increasingly shameless and unscrupulous.
“Alright,” Old Master Jiang said, “Stop fooling around, let’s get down to business.”
After saying this, he frowned and scolded Jiang Chao, "And you, when will you ever be able to behave yourself!"
No wonder his son always beats people; even he thinks his grandson really deserves a beating.
"Forget it," Old Mrs. Jiang waved her hand dejectedly, "Why should I bother arguing with a stinky rock in a latrine?"
I've known all along that my grandson is a complete scoundrel, so why won't he accept it now?
Constantly demanding the same standards of a normal person from him not only makes things difficult for his grandson but also for himself.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chao silently lowered his head.
Sure enough, the Huang family is much more comfortable; everyone there truly loves me. Unlike now, I always feel like I'm not even as good as a rag.
"What exactly happened? Why did they suddenly separate into different branches of the family?" Grandpa Jiang asked anxiously. "What are your aunt's plans for the future? Will she stay in town?"
“This story begins when my uncle passed away,” Jiang Chao said with a look of disgust. “Old Master Jiang had no good intentions toward my cousins and the others. He had been plotting something disgusting, wanting them to become Huangshan’s supporters. Just a few days ago, he even wanted Da Niu to inherit both branches of the family line. Everyone knows what he was scheming.”
"You shameless old hag," Old Mrs. Jiang said coldly, "You have no shame at all!"
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