As the elderly couple got older, the amount of farm work they could do became increasingly limited.
A few years ago, the original owner's wife passed away, leaving him as a lonely old man tending to his small plot of land.
Not long after, he fell seriously ill, and his health deteriorated further.
They need to be supported.
However, each of the three children had their own difficulties, and they had a big fight over the issue of caring for their elderly parents.
Zhang Tieniu, the leader, looked troubled.
“Second sister and younger brother, you know your eldest brother. Years ago, his business failed, and he had to support two college students. Your sister-in-law often threatened to divorce me because the family was poor. You also know your sister-in-law's temper. Mom really can't live with us. It will cause unrest in the house.”
The second daughter, Zhang Fangfang, was even more self-righteous:
“Brother and sister, as the saying goes, raising children is for old age security. How could it be my turn, a daughter who has been abandoned, to take care of Mom? Besides, I have four students to support and difficult in-laws to deal with, so it's even less suitable for Mom to live with me.”
The two men both turned their anger towards Zhang Caimao, a city dweller.
“Little brother, your parents have always doted on you the most. My second sister and I both dropped out of school early to work, but you are the luckiest. Your parents supported you through college. Now it’s time for Mom to go to the city with you and enjoy a better life.”
"Yes, little brother. You're educated, have a decent job, and even bought a house in the city. You're an only daughter. Unlike my older brother and me, who have so much financial pressure, Mom should go to the city with you to enjoy a comfortable life..."
How could Zhang Caimao possibly be satisfied with this decision?
He still vividly remembers how his parents favored his eldest brother's family and his second sister.
“Big brother, second sister. You have a lot of pressure, but do you think I don’t? It’s expensive in the city, and I still have a mortgage to pay. Do you know how hard it is for me to raise a child? Besides, Mom is used to rural life and breathing fresh air in the countryside. She’s unfamiliar with the place, how could she possibly adapt to city life? I think your family is the most suitable.”
"Didn't our eldest brother's house get repaired by emptying our parents' pockets?! Second sister, you almost emptied our house when you got married. It's unacceptable that you don't take any responsibility at all!"
Zhang Tieniu's face turned ashen. "That's going too far! ...and then... what a tirade..."
"You raise..."
"You raise..."
In short, everyone has their own reasons, no one is willing to admit defeat, and everyone is afraid of being taken advantage of by their own brothers.
The group argued for a long time but couldn't reach a conclusion.
Does that mean we shouldn't support our elderly parents?
The original owner hid in the room, unable to stop crying.
What terrible things did she do in her past life...?
Sometimes reality is just that cruel; when people get old and useless, they become universally disliked.
She stubbornly told her children that she could hold on for a few more years and that they didn't need to support her.
The group finally quieted down.
Zhang Caimao was a very busy man, so he made up an excuse and left in a hurry.
They were afraid that if they arrived a step too late, they would be extorted by their poor relatives.
Seeing that things were not going well, Zhang Fangfang was the second to slip away, afraid that if she left too late, she would be morally blackmailed.
Zhang Tieniu's face turned ashen, and he cursed loudly:
"My second sister and younger brother are being outrageous! Mom, don't stop me, I'm going to find them and get to the bottom of this!"
The old house is now completely quiet.
Only an old woman remained, weeping silently.
Waaaaah... What am I going to do about her...?
Life goes on.
Farming can only be done within one's capabilities, and the same applies to raising livestock.
She actually lived alone for several years.
At the age of seventy-two, she was knocked down by her own goat, breaking several of her bones. Fortunately, a neighbor happened to be passing by and saw what happened, saving her life.
But he could no longer get out of bed and was unable to take care of himself.
If no one takes care of them, they will starve to death in bed.
Her children pretended not to hear the news.
I always thought that as long as I could harden my heart, I would be the ultimate winner.
The other two, if they don't want to be stigmatized for the rest of their lives, will have to take care of the old woman.
Even if their children don't care, the neighbors and villagers won't just stand by and watch the old woman die.
Those who went through hardship together in that era seem to have a simple and warm heart.
Just like when the third brother went to university, many families came to give him money to help him.
None of the three parties made any move, offering various excuses and claiming they couldn't get away.
Whoever calls to inform them, they will ask that person to look after them.
My kind neighbor looked like she was constipated.
"You three...you're all scoundrels!"
However, we cannot stand by and watch someone die.
It's fine to receive food from neighbors and villagers, but some excrement is simply unacceptable.
Within a few days, the original owner's bed became unbearably smelly, and the person who brought the food dared not stay any longer.
They all dropped their things and ran away.
The original owner had difficulty moving around, but could barely manage to eat on her own.
No one helped her clean up the filth, disgust, and discomfort; she was in constant torment.
He just wanted to die as soon as possible.
But you can't die, and when you're starving to the extreme, it's really hard to control yourself from eating.
No one was willing to help her end it; instead, they advised her to live well.
You're kidding, that's a life! Who would dare?
The original owner was heartbroken and eventually died from exhaustion.
I'm finally free.
The village even helped bury the body, but the traditional rituals were omitted.
After the original owner died, the country was building a highway, and the Zhang family's land and houses were to be expropriated, with subsidies being issued.
The three children eagerly ran back to claim the subsidy.
Fortunately, they didn't move their household registration out; they deserved to make a small fortune.
Anyway, they look down on poor villages, and farming there doesn't bring in much money.
As a result, each family enjoyed a period of comfortable living.
As for the reputation of being an unfilial son, what is that worth?
One got married and the other two bought houses elsewhere, and they'll never come back to this poor mountain village.
...
Yu Shuang had already started roasting a whole lamb in the yard in no time.
A surprised exclamation rang out from outside the courtyard.
"Ah! Second sister-in-law, what's wrong...?"
Then an elderly woman, around sixty years old, came in. She looked at the crime scene with disbelief.
Yu Shuang replied calmly,
"Oh, you're making roast whole lamb. Sister-in-law, you don't need to cook dinner tonight. Go back and invite your whole family to come over for roast whole lamb."
The old woman was still holding onto the evidence, pointing to the whole roasted lamb.
"Second sister-in-law, are you getting senile? This sheep is your lifeline, raised for two years. And you... roasted it?"
Yu Shuang's hands were also busy.
"It's been two years and it's become quite cunning. If I don't bake it soon, it won't be me eating it, it will be eating me."
The old woman hesitated, then stammered, "But..."
"No buts, it's already grilling. Go back and tell them to come back and help. Remember to bring a couple more stools."
Grandma Xu said "Oh" and left quickly with a question mark in her eyes.
I can't figure it out, I still can't figure it out.
No... how did you end up slaughtering a sheep?
A group of people arrived shortly afterward, totaling seven or eight people, including men, women, and children.
He was so shocked by the scene in Yu Shuang's courtyard that he couldn't close his mouth.
Hey... a whole roasted lamb? They actually have that!?
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