Shen Heng stood to the side with his hands in his pockets, secretly amused by what Li's mother said. His mother-in-law had passed away after giving birth to her last daughter, so where would he find a few more daughters-in-law?
Bai Jiaojiao and Bai Shiqing went back to their room to talk. She told Bai Shiqing about what happened last night when she went to Widow Zhou's place. Bai Shiqing said, "Widow Zhou is pitiful, but she can't take advantage of her pitifulness to bully others."
As she said this, she unconsciously touched her lower abdomen; yesterday had really frightened her.
"Sis, are you sure you haven't offended her in any way?"
“I don’t work with her, and I’ve never spoken ill of her to anyone. Where would I have offended her?”
The two were a generation apart in age, and Bai Shiqing's group did the heavier work that was typical for women, so Widow Zhou couldn't get in and they didn't have any contact with each other.
Widow Zhou was a low-key person in the village, and people wouldn't talk about her unless there was a reason. Bai Shiqing couldn't figure out where she had offended her, let alone Shen Hui.
"Heng said that Shen Hui is just a bad seed, which is why he deliberately touched you, but I don't think that's the case at all. Even if he is young and doesn't know that you can't touch a pregnant woman, everyone's attention was on the pigs when they were slaughtering pigs that day. Why would someone deliberately choose a pregnant woman to bump into?"
The timing and the occasion were wrong; Shen Hui had clearly planned to run into Bai Shiqing.
"Now that you mention it, it's true. Our village only slaughters a pig once every few years, and even the naughtiest kids gather around to watch."
After Bai Shiqing became pregnant, her mind wasn't working very well, and coupled with the fright she experienced, she really didn't think about it in that direction.
"Sister, don't think about it. If they don't want a peaceful life, then let's see who can make more trouble. When their own homes are in chaos, they won't have the energy to think about harming others."
Bai Jiaojiao comforted Bai Shiqing for a few words, and Bai Shiqing said, "I was scared by that kid Chen Hui, but my appetite has improved a bit. Compared to two years ago, I can eat a little more."
Bai Jiaojiao then smiled and said, "That's good."
After talking for a while, Bai Jiaojiao and Shen Heng went home. They waited at home until after dinner, but Shen Guangsheng did not come to find them.
"It seems they didn't take what I said seriously!"
Shen Heng was getting impatient. Just as he was about to leave, Bai Jiaojiao stopped him: "Your uncle probably thought that we're short of money right now, so he wouldn't really go all out and report them, which is why he dared to delay you. If you can bring yourself to do it, we'll just expose this whole thing."
"What is there that I can't bring myself to do?"
Although the Bai family didn't say anything last time, Shen Heng could roughly guess that the group surnamed Shen thought he was dead and didn't intend to collect his body.
If he weren't too lazy to change, Shen Heng would rather not have the surname Shen. He doesn't need to have any pity for people who have nothing to do with him.
"Then let them expose it, let them make a scene, let them make a scene, and let's see how Shen Guangsheng deals with his sister-in-law when things get really chaotic."
The couple shared the same goal and planned to report the matter to the village chief the next day. However, before dawn, Shen Guangsheng arrived.
On a cold day, Shen Guangsheng brought a lot of cold air into the house.
“You’ve come at just the right time. I was just about to go to the village chief’s house.”
Shen Heng sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) leaning against a pile of folded quilts, looking at Shen Guangsheng's somewhat nervous face with a half-smile.
"Something came up last night and I was delayed." Shen Guangsheng looked a little awkward, wondering what shady things had happened last night.
"So what do you mean by coming here now?"
After Shen Heng finished asking, he saw Shen Guangsheng take out a stack of money from his pocket: "I was afraid something would happen, so I burned the family division list a long time ago. Your grandfather's belongings and house were all given to me. I am the eldest son, so I should take care of him in his old age. It is only right. Your father and your two uncles each received two two-tael gold peanuts, a total of eight. Your two uncles can also testify to this."
As he spoke, he handed the stack of money to Shen Heng again: "Your aunt sold that gold nugget a long time ago. We sold them together for 500 each back then. This is 500. What your wife said yesterday about giving you all of your mother's share is unreasonable. There is no such saying in our Shili Village. It's 500, you two brothers can split it equally."
Shen Heng looked at the money Shen Guangsheng handed him. He only knew that his father had left behind some valuable things, but he didn't know they were so expensive.
One thousand yuan.
Many people in Shili Village have never seen this in their entire lives.
But seeing how easily the money had ended up in his hands, Shen Heng looked at Shen Guangsheng with some suspicion.
"Alright, let's just leave it at that. We've given you everything we were entitled to. We won't hold your father's grave a taboo either. Your mother was here first, so it's only right that they be buried together."
Shen Guangsheng kept making concessions, and Shen Heng felt that there was something fishy going on.
Shen Guangsheng didn't seem to want to stay at their house any longer, and left after saying that.
"Is this even right? I don't think they're up to anything."
Shen Heng took the stack of money in his hand and patted it in his palm.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily fair to us. Your uncle looked off today. It seems like something really bad has happened to his family. He’s not in the mood to argue with us. Anyway, he’s not the one who paid for it. He’s just here to act as a middleman.”
"So, according to you, the one who got into trouble should be that widow. Otherwise, how could the money have been so easily squeezed out of her?"
Shen Heng was right. The two discussed it at home, and Shen Heng decided to go to Widow Zhou's house that evening.
This time, Shen Heng didn't let Bai Jiaojiao go over. When Bai Jiaojiao heard this, she knew he was planning to make a scene.
Bai Jiaojiao didn't want to hold anyone back, so she stayed home and waited obediently.
Widow Zhou was still wiping away her tears on the kang (a heated brick bed), but a man was sitting next to her, comforting her: "Alright, stop crying. Didn't my brother say he would keep it a secret from us?"
“I told you from the beginning that it wouldn’t work, but you insisted. Now look what’s happened, how am I supposed to face my older brother now?”
Widow Zhou had fair and delicate skin, and her tears flowed like dew without restraint, which made Shen Jiawen feel extremely sorry for her.
"Don't cry, my darling. You only see your older brother a few times a year. With me here, no one will bully you."
Shen Jiawen put his arm around Widow Zhou, comforting her while pinching her arm.
Widow Zhou, looking pitiful, leaned against Shen Jiawen, half-heartedly resisting, and said, "I only stayed with you because I had no shame. If you don't care about my daughter and me anymore, I'll just kill myself."
"How could I not care about you? Didn't I bring you all the money?"
Widow Zhou had already spent almost all her money and couldn't come up with the five hundred yuan. However, after being upset by Shen Heng and under pressure from Shen Guangsheng, she had no choice but to ask Shen Jiawen for help.
She and Shen Jiawen had been together for over ten years. Shen Jiawen always thought his wife was stout and ugly, and had a domineering and unreasonable personality. He was so captivated by Zhou Widow's gentleness and affection that he forgot his own surname.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
