Jiang Aiguo was so angry that he cursed Old Man Jiang with the words his mother often said. He regretted it as soon as he said it, because his mother had repeatedly warned him not to let the people in the old house know what was said at home, otherwise all the good things in the house would be lost.
You have to know that half of the 45 kilograms of food coupon subsidy that Old Man Jiang gets every month is high-quality fine grain, that is, white flour, and almost half of the other half goes into their family's stomach. At the beginning of every month when Old Man Jiang goes to the county to collect the subsidy, Fan Xiaojuan will ask the eldest son to take the youngest son to cry poor, so as to coax the old couple back with the good things they have just received. This trick almost always works, because the old lady wants to adopt her sons, and only a fool would agree without some benefits. These two sons are her money trees, and she will not give them up easily.
Because of this, Jiang Dachuan and his wife did not work hard, but they still ate better than other families. Jiang Aiguo and Jiang Aidang's children, who were only a few years old, went to school with the children in the village, and the money was all paid by the old man and his wife.
In Fan Xiaojuan's opinion, the money of the two old men would be left to her eldest brother in the future. Since her eldest brother had no son, the money would naturally be left to her son. So what was wrong with spending it early?
At this time, Jiang Aiguo and Jiang Aidang ran home crying, and Fan Xiaojuan was checking the food reserves at home.
In the past, thanks to the help from the old house, they always ate until they were full. Fan Xiaojuan would often sneak food back to her parents' home, because she was sure that the old couple would not watch their grandson go hungry. But now that her eldest brother's family had given birth to that little bastard, she was unsure of what her parents-in-law were thinking, and she felt worried when she saw that there was only a thin layer of food left at the bottom of the jar.
At the end of the year, their family distributed a lot of sweet potatoes, but she didn't like to eat them because she felt bloated, so she sent them back to her parents' home a long time ago. Her sister-in-law praised her a lot and fawned on her every time she went back to her parents' home, which made her superior to her sisters. Now she was asked to lose face and ask her parents for food, but she was unwilling to do so.
"Mom—Mom—" Jiang Aiguo ran back into the house screaming.
The house of Jiang Laoer is much bigger than the old house. It was built when he and Fan Xiaojuan got married. It is big and solid. Jiang Lao and his wife thought at first that they would live with their eldest son in the future and give all their personal belongings to his family. So they used their savings at that time to build a big house for their second son, as a share for their family when the family splits up.
The house is made of blue bricks and black tiles, and the lime walls in the house have to be repainted every year. Although Fan Xiaojuan is a bit lazy, she keeps the house spotless. The chickens raised in the yard are all kept in a corner, and there is not a single piece of chicken droppings.
"Calling you soul, didn't you take your brother to school? Did you skip school again?"
Fan Xiaojuan was already in a bad mood, and when she saw her eldest son getting even more furious, she put one hand on her waist, pulled his ear with the other and started cursing.
Jiang Aiguo cried even louder. His younger brother Aidan also started howling when he saw his brother being beaten by their mother. The whole room was filled with the howling of ghosts and wolves, which made Fan Xiaojuan very angry.
"What are you doing? Beating your son in broad daylight."
Jiang Dachuan walked in from outside, shaking his head. Seeing his wife beating their son again, he said something casually, walked to the small water tank in the kitchen, scooped a spoonful of water, and drank it down with a gulp.
He doesn't look like Old Man Jiang, nor Old Lady Miao. He has a thin figure and is not very tall. His eyes are always wandering around, and it's obvious that he is not a decent person.
"Aren't you going to work? Why are you back again?" Fan Xiaojuan yelled at her husband in annoyance.
"What are you yelling about? Do you know how tiring it is to work in such hot weather? I'm just being lazy. Why are you making such a fuss? Anyway, we have our parents here, so we won't starve to death."
Jiang Dachuan was used to being lazy. He usually did women's work, such as pasting matchboxes. Even so, he still said he couldn't stand it. The work points he earned every day were not even as much as a woman who was more dexterous. If he relied on others, his whole family would starve to death.
Fan Xiaojuan didn't argue with him about this. After all, she didn't have the face to argue with Jiang Dachuan. Jiang Dachuan at least went to work. Fan Xiaojuan was lazier than him. She would either make excuses that she was not feeling well or that she was taking care of her son. It was considered good if she could go to work one day out of ten.
"Look at your son, he's skipping school again with his love for the party. I think you shouldn't send him to school, and you can save a few dollars." Fan Xiaojuan rolled her eyes at her son who was crying like a little cat. In her opinion, there was no point in studying. It would be better to wait until her son is older and let her father-in-law use his connections to send her son to the army. It's so cool to be a soldier. Not only is the subsidy high, but it also gives you face.
Didn’t my father-in-law save the old leader? He should at least give him this little face.
"Tell me, why did you skip school again?" Jiang Dachuan ignored his wife's words. Women are always short of knowledge and knowledge. Things are different now than they were a few years ago. It would be a good idea to read more books. What would she achieve if she just worked in the fields like a farmer like his elder brother?
Jiang Aiguo saw that his parents were staring at him. He shrugged his shoulders and sobbed as he repeated what had just happened.
"You bastard, I'm going to beat you to death. Are you trying to kill our family?"
Jiang Dachuan knew his father's temper better than anyone else. He had endured it all these years, but in fact he might have some complaints about them in his heart, but it was his eldest brother who had no son. As long as he disagreed, who could force him to adopt his son to his eldest brother? This was not the old time anymore. Because of this, although he was lazy and gluttonous all these years, his father didn't say much to him, but he knew that some words, once spoken, would get him into big trouble.
Now that the eldest brother has a son, those two idiots actually don't fawn over the old man and dare to say those words. I'm afraid the old man won't give them anything in the future.
Jiang Dachuan looked around, pulled out a stick as thick as his arm from under the stove, and hit his son with it. Jiang Aiguo ran away when he saw this.
Although Fan Xiaojuan loved to scold her son, she had never used such a harsh blow before. If she hit him with the stick, the child would definitely be injured. She hurried forward to stop her husband who was so angry that he lost his mind.
"I haven't come to you to settle the score yet. You usually say these things in front of the children. Now, you have learned to say them in front of the old man. I think you are the one who deserves a beating the most."
Jiang Dachuan turned around and spoke viciously to Fan Xiaojuan while holding the stick.
"Go ahead and hit me. I gave birth to two sons for you. Try to hit me. If you dare to do that, I will take my two sons back to my parents' home."
Fan Xiaojuan was not a coward. She put one hand on her waist and pointed at Jiang Dachuan's chest with the other, and said angrily.
Jiang Dachuan waved the stick but still didn't do anything. He angrily threw the stick to the ground and said, "Take the two little ones back to the old house and apologize to Dad. Dad loves those two children the most. I can't argue with them."
He sat down on a chair and said, "Get some eggs from the cupboard and give them to Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law as a gift. Mom and Dad will feel better if they see these things."
"What are you going to do with the eggs?" Fan Xiaojuan gasped in pain. Those eggs were meant to be sold, and she couldn't even bear to eat them herself, let alone give them to the eldest brother's family.
"Just take it when I tell you to. Do you really think I don't dare to hit you?" Jiang Dachuan roared angrily, bent down and picked up the stick beside his feet, wishing he could beat this dizzy woman severely.
Fan Xiaojuan was shocked, knowing that her husband was really angry. She did not dare to say anything more and took her two sons back to the kitchen. She carefully picked out the six smallest eggs from the cupboard and put them into the basket with heartache.
"Why aren't you going with us?" Fan Xiaojuan was a little afraid of her serious father-in-law and asked Jiang Dachuan.
Jiang Dachuan glanced at her unhappily and said, "I still have to go to work. Your good son has offended the old man. If I don't make some money, do you think your family will starve?"
In fact, Jiang Dachuan didn't dare to see Jiang Cheng who was furious, so he thought of a reasonable excuse to avoid him.
Fan Xiaojuan had nothing to say and walked towards the old house with her two sons.
******
"mom--"
When Fan Xiaojuan brought the children to the old house, Old Mrs. Miao was squatting in the yard washing urine and mustard seeds. When she saw her two grandsons, she hurriedly wiped the water droplets on her hands and came over to greet them.
"What's wrong with loving the country and the party? Your eyes are as red as a rabbit. Did you and Dachuan beat the children again?" Old Mrs. Miao glared and said angrily.
Although she loves her eldest son the most now, she also cherishes the two grandsons of the second son.
"No." Fan Xiaojuan saw that her mother-in-law had a normal expression on her face, as if she knew nothing: "Mom, where is Dad? Hasn't he come back yet?" Looking at Old Mrs. Miao, she asked curiously.
"He has gone to the educated youth camp and hasn't come back yet."
Old Lady Miao waved her hands and said to her two grandchildren affectionately, "My dear grandchildren, come into the house with grandma. Grandma has something good for you."
When Fan Xiaojuan heard about the good stuff, her eyes lit up, and without asking what she was there for, she followed her in.
He placed the bamboo basket on the table in the main hall and said, "Mom, this is a little gift from Dachuan and me. Didn't your sister-in-law give birth to a son? These eggs are for your sister-in-law's nourishment."
Old Mrs. Miao was a little puzzled. The second son's family always brought in money but never gave out money. Why did the sun rise from the west today? But she was always happy to see her two sons getting along. She happily carried the eggs into the kitchen, lifted the blue cloth covering the bamboo basket, and saw six very small eggs. She curled her lips. They were really sent by the second son's family. She was very capable to pick out such small eggs.
Put the eggs away and take out two sets of bowls and spoons from the cupboard.
"Wait a minute, grandma will get you something good." Old Mrs. Miao carried the bowl and happily walked into her and Old Man Jiang's room. As soon as she entered, she carefully locked the door.
You know, all the valuable things in the house are in their room, so Old Mrs. Miao specially asked her eldest son to build a wooden door for her and lock it.
Fan Xiaojuan was just sticking her head out to look, and when she saw the old woman locked the door, she curled her lips in disdain.
Old Mrs. Miao returned to the house and took out the malted milk that her daughter had given her last time from the cupboard. She carefully scooped out a spoonful and poured it into two bowls. After pouring, she covered the jar tightly and put it back.
"This stuff smells really good, but my little grandson can't drink it yet. I'll save the rest for him. He'll be able to drink it when he's older." Old Mrs. Miao used water from the kettle in the house to dissolve the powder, and a rich milky aroma filled the air.
When Old Mrs. Miao opened the door, the two children sitting in the main room immediately smelled the sweet scent and ran towards her.
"Don't be anxious, don't be anxious, be careful not to spill it. This is high-end product, very expensive." Old Mrs. Miao put the bowls on the table. The two children each held a bowl, refusing to spill it.
"Mom, this is malted milk, where did this stuff come from at home?" Fan Xiaojuan's eyes lit up. She had never drunk it in her life, but looking at the look on Old Lady Miao's face, she had no intention of giving it to her. Her eyes rolled around several times.
"Aiguo and Ai Dang have lost a lot of weight these days and have no appetite. I think we should give them some good nourishment." Fan Xiaojuan said tentatively to Miao.
Miao turned a deaf ear to her. Fan Xiaojuan was so angry that she gritted her teeth, kicked her eldest son under the table, and winked at him.
How could the six-year-old child know this? He put down the bowl, with milk still on his mouth, and looked at her innocently: "Mom, why did you kick me?"
Fan Xiaojuan was so angry, but she couldn't lose her temper in front of her mother-in-law. The two old guys didn't give Aiguo and her two grandchildren anything good before, and now they have a new grandson, they refuse to give them even a can of malted milk.
When Da Ni and Er Ni came back after feeding Zhu, they saw their two cousins drinking something delicious. Without saying much, they just called out politely and carried their two younger sisters back to their own rooms.
"Stop right there, you loser."
Jiang Aiguo was beaten today. When he saw his uncle's sisters who were bullied by him every day, his eyes lit up. He put down his bowl, jumped off the chair and rushed towards them, shaking his fists.
Jiang Dani was protecting Si Ni in her arms and didn't react for a moment. She fell to the ground, and the big steamed bun in her pocket fell out and rolled to Fan Xiaojuan's feet.
When Jiang Dani and Jiang Erni saw this scene, their faces turned pale and they froze.
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