In recent days, Cao Erlang has been thinking about going to the grassland.
The pros and cons are clearly laid out before us, and it is difficult to make a decision.
Another busy and meaningless day.
He took advantage of the situation and his brother reported it to his parents.
Before his father, Mr. Cao, could do anything, his mother, Mrs. Cao Xu, started scolding him first.
He stood at the door of the main hall and cursed from the afternoon until the evening, and until it was dark for dinner.
He continued to curse at the dinner table.
Her words are sharp and her face is ugly, she is a typical selfish old country lady.
Are you just scolding Cao Erlang?
That’s definitely not possible.
Cao Xu caught Cao Laoer's wife and children, and did not let any of them go. She scolded them all over and over again with the most vicious and vulgar language.
Mr. Cao remained silent.
Although he could understand the second brother's attempt to take advantage of the situation, as a man should always have some private money, he also thought the second brother deserved to be scolded.
So he tacitly agreed to Cao Xu's behavior of cursing.
The third and fourth brothers' families gloated over the other's misfortune and added insult to injury.
There were all kinds of witty banter at the dinner table, accompanied by Cao Xu's unbearable curses. The scene was so embarrassing that I wished I could find a place to hide.
No matter how honest and obedient Cao Erlang's wife was, she couldn't stand it.
It’s fine to scold the couple, but why scold their child?
This meal is inedible.
She dropped her chopsticks and forcibly took the child away.
"Is this her attitude? Ah, what kind of attitude is that? Who gave her the guts to be so rude? I think she deserves to be punished..."
Cao Xu was furious.
Throwing down chopsticks and taking the child away, is this a protest?
Today she will let the second son's wife know how powerful she is as a mother-in-law.
Before he could finish his words, he was about to chase after him with a broom in hand.
Bang!
Cao Erlang threw the dishes and chopsticks, shocking everyone in the room.
Cao Xu was also shocked. She turned around and looked at Cao Erlang in disbelief. "How dare you smash the bowl? I gave birth to you and raised you, and this is how you repay me. Oh my God, what sin did I commit to give birth to an ungrateful person like you..."
Cao Xu was best at crying, making a fuss, and then hanging herself.
When she was a daughter-in-law, she relied on this skill to defeat her mother-in-law.
Everyone in the surrounding area knew that Cao Xu was a powerful woman. She would cause trouble even if she was unreasonable, and even more so when she was right.
Cao Xu was very proud of this.
She can even control her mother-in-law, let alone her daughters-in-law.
If a mother-in-law can't even control her daughter-in-law, she might as well just kill herself.
The second son's wife dared to show her disdain, so today she must let her know how powerful she is.
However, she did not expect that her own son would ruin her plan, smashing dishes and making a fuss.
She immediately burst into tears.
There are two different ways to deal with your own son and daughter-in-law.
This is a summary of Cao Xu's many years of experience and cannot be wrong.
Cao Erlang was a dull person and he would keep his unhappiness to himself without saying anything.
Since he doesn't say it, others naturally don't know whether he is happy or not, and just treat him as a wooden man with no feelings.
Who cares about the feelings of a wooden man?
No one!
But once a dull person gets angry, it can be very scary.
At this moment, Cao Erlang was very scary.
The whole family was shocked by him.
He didn't have to say a word for everyone to know that he was on the verge of a rage.
Seeing the opportunity, Master Cao immediately scolded Cao Xushi, "Stop howling! It would be embarrassing if the villagers heard you."
In her life, Cao Xu only obeyed the rule of her husband, Mr. Cao.
She felt aggrieved.
Mr. Cao turned a blind eye.
Cao Erlang stood up and walked out of the hall without saying a word.
As soon as he left, everyone was visibly relieved.
"Just now, I thought he would hit me." Cao Sanlang's wife was still frightened.
"I thought he would do it, too."
…
When Cao Erlang returned to his room, his wife Cao Ping was still crying bitterly. The children were all very sad.
He patted his children's heads and said to his wife, "How about we all go to the grassland. With the scholar here, the children can also study. If we work hard for a few years, maybe we can earn enough money to buy a house."
Cao Erlang's wife stopped crying and looked up at him. "Have you thought it through? I'm afraid you won't be able to come back for many years."
Cao Erlang nodded heavily, "It doesn't matter whether I return to this home or not."
"But will my parents agree?"
"They disagreed, so I proposed a separation."
Cao Erlang's wife was a little nervous, "If we divide the family now, I'm afraid we won't get anything."
"I'm sorry to see you and the child suffer. You're right. If we propose a separation at this time, our parents might not give us a penny. Are you still willing to follow me to the grasslands?"
Cao Erlang's wife bit her lip, weighing the pros and cons. "Even if my parents don't give us a penny, I'm willing to go to the grassland. I really can't stay in this family anymore. I'm worried that one day my mother-in-law will set her sights on my child's marriage."
Her worries are not unfounded.
With Cao Xu's temper, she would really do something like exchanging her granddaughter's marriage for benefits.
My eldest brother and his wife saw through all of this, so they tried every possible way to leave this home, go to the capital, and secretly buy a house to settle down.
Cao Erlang looked at her and asked, "Is this settled?"
His wife Cao Ping nodded heavily, "Let's go to the grassland!"
…
The next day, Cao Erlang found Li Zhu and confirmed the trip to the grassland.
Li Zhu told him, "Our boss has already secured the loan, recruited personnel, and obtained the map. He's probably already out of the border. We need to hurry too. Including your family, there are twenty of us in total. I'll ask Sanhe Express to rent two carriages. We'll meet at the city gate in three days and leave to reunite with the boss after crossing the border."
Things knock.
Cao Erlang did not come to work on time and could not be found.
Mr. Cao vaguely felt that things were going to get bad.
When Cao Erlang said that his family was going to the grassland to make a living, he knew that his worries had come true.
Cao Xu cried and made a fuss.
He stopped Cao Erlang and didn't let him leave.
With him gone, who would do the heavy work at home? It was like losing two hard laborers.
Cao Erlang's wife is also a heavy laborer.
Moreover, if their family left at this time, the villagers would definitely make up gossip about her, saying that she forced her son, daughter-in-law and her family away.
Cao Xushi was also a person who cared about her reputation, although she had never cared about her reputation in this family.
Cao Erlang was very determined and insisted on going to the grassland.
He even said that he would leave the house with nothing and take his wife and children with him.
Cao Xu was stunned.
"I really gave birth to a stupid son."
There are many cases of brothers fighting each other to the point of losing their minds over the family property.
Before the family split up, everyone was trying to take advantage and make money.
When the family business is divided, it is normal for brothers to become enemies and haggle over even a needle or a grain of rice.
If Cao Erlang said something like "I'll be kicked out of the house", what else could he be but a fool?
Honest people will also fight for family property.
In Cao Xu's eyes, those who don't fight for the family property are no different from fools.
Master Cao was much calmer. "Have you made up your mind? Do you really have to go to the grassland to make a living?"
Cao Erlang hummed, "I've thought it through!"
"Is the grassland better than home?" asked Mr. Cao.
Cao Erlang thought for a moment and said, "No matter how hard and tiring life is on the grassland, at least what you earn is your own. Whether you eat meat or drink porridge, it all depends on your own ability."
The implication is that even drinking porridge on the grassland is better than at home.
Master Cao sneered, "Then go!"
"About the division of the family?"
"You will leave the day after tomorrow. I will take care of the division of the family tomorrow."
Mr. Cao no longer stopped Cao Erlang.
A forced melon is not sweet.
The child has grown up and I can’t keep him!
Cao Erlang felt relieved and left with light steps.
Cao Xu got up from the ground, brushed the dust off her clothes, and asked, "Old man, are you really going to send him away? Just watch him go to the grassland? Once he's gone, who will do the housework?"
Master Cao glanced at Cao Xushi, "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place. The second son's family worked the hardest, and just because they used a little more firewood to boil water for a bath, you withheld their food. Even rabbits bite when they're angry, let alone a sullen person like the second son. Once he gets angry, you can't stop him. If he wants to leave, let him go. At least this is still his home. If you try to stop him, I'm afraid this family will really fall apart."
Cao Xushi didn't think that deeply, "I gave birth to him and raised him, so what if I withheld some of his food?"
"That's enough! You, hey..."
Mr. Cao was also extremely annoyed.
He had a rough idea of what the eldest brother's family was doing in the capital.
Now the second brother and his family are leaving too.
What's wrong with this world?
How come people these days are so brave that they dare to go out and make a living?
When he was young, everyone was scared when they heard that he was going out.
Afraid of being cheated, afraid of having money stolen, afraid of being robbed on the road, afraid...
No matter how difficult life is at home, it is still a hundred times better than being bullied outside.
Now, the situation appears to be reversed.
People are no longer afraid to go out, but instead think that staying at home is useless.
absurd!
Mr. Cao went out with his hands behind his back and inspected his own fields along the ridge.
He saw the young girls and wives in the village coming back from the village road laughing and giggling, each carrying a basket in their hands.
Are you back from the market?
He also saw people going to the early morning market, carrying their loads on their shoulders.
The Sanhe Express vehicle was still parked at the intersection of the village road, and it took the passengers and left.
Pooh!
Mr. Cao spat.
"Ever since the Sanhe Express horse-drawn carriages started going to the countryside, there's been a lot of weird stuff going on. All the young people are just itching to go out, and none of them are doing their jobs!"
Mr. Cao believes that young people are not working hard in the fields and are always thinking about going out. The culprit is Sanhe Express.
Even his second son, such an honest man, had to go to the grassland to make a living.
Sanhe Express is the greatest evil in the world.
Mr. Cao thought about it for a whole night, but he didn't bring himself to ask Cao Erlang and his family to stay.
He called the clan elders and the village head and silently completed the procedures for dividing the family.
Mr. Cao still had some conscience and gave twenty taels of silver to Cao Erlang's family.
This matter was secretly kept secret from Cao Xu.
"If you go to the grassland, you might not be able to come back for several years. Even if we give you a house and land, you won't be able to use them. Twenty taels isn't much, so take it. If you can't make it out there, come back. Then you can rent some land at home or work as a helper in the oil mill."
"Thank you, Dad! If I can't do anything, I won't come back."
Brat!
Mr. Cao was very angry and sad.
"You have a good relationship with your eldest brother. Keep in touch with him. Let him help you when you are in trouble."
Cao Erlang was astonished, "Dad knows about my elder brother's situation in the capital?"
"Humph! I've eaten more salt in my life than you've eaten rice. I know what the eldest couple is up to. I don't mind him, but when the family is in trouble, he has to help out. Write to him and tell him so. Tell him it's my intention. Also, tell him to come back and worship his ancestors when he's free! Even if he becomes successful outside, he can't forget his ancestors!"
Mr. Cao was furious and sounded harsh, but one could also sense a hint of concern from his tone.
Compared to Cao Xu's arrogance and unreasonableness, the family members actually respect Mr. Cao more, and the relationship between father and son is deeper.
Cao Xu's unreasonable behavior seemed to have gained her all the advantages, but she lost everyone's hearts.
Even her own sons and daughters were reluctant to get close to her. They felt annoyed by the sight of her.
If it weren't for the suppression of filial piety, no one would be able to survive in this family.
…
One bright morning, Cao Erlang brought his wife, children, and all his belongings.
Don't leave any pots, pans, or utensils behind, and don't forget to carry even a needle and a foot of cloth with you.
When you get to the prairie, even if you want to buy a needle, you have to find a place to buy it.
With their family, they boarded the Sanhe Express's four-wheeled carriage and slowly left Xihe County.
The scenery that is disappearing is a familiar scenery.
The further we get, the more melancholy I feel.
I just left home, but I start to miss home again.
What are you thinking about?
Is there anything else at home worth remembering?
Human emotions are really strange.
It is obviously a home that is not worth remembering, but it is still missed.
His wife Cao Ping secretly took his hand, imitating her elder brother and sister-in-law.
She whispered, "We will get better and better. Don't think about that home."
"I'm just thinking about it, it's okay!"
"We have no way out."
Yes, there is no turning back.
Then let’s fight!
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
There are elderly patients at home with chronic geriatric diseases. They can’t be cured and can only be taken care of. Once they get sick, they have to go to the hospital.
I have been hospitalized three times this year, and each time I had to go back to the hospital just half a month after being discharged.
So tired!
What’s even more worrying is that we may not survive this year.
Why……
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