Chapter 16 Sending Cheng Jiantong Away
"Sister, you're amazing! You subdued Uncle in no time and left Grandpa and the others speechless. With you at home from now on, let's see if they can still be so arrogant." Cheng Xue stood at the door of the second house and witnessed the whole thing. When she saw Cheng Ying return with a full basket of tender white bamboo shoots, her eyes were full of admiration as she looked at her.
Cheng Ying reached out and patted her head, saying, "You need to learn this. Always remember that kindness is often taken advantage of. Only when you become self-reliant and toughen yourself up will others stop bullying you. Only then can you take control of your own life and live the life you want. Don't always be soft-hearted and easily swayed. Don't believe everything others say and do everything they say, becoming a pushover and ruining your life. If you don't stand on your own two feet, what will happen if I go off to be a mail carrier and leave home, and others come to bully you and Mom and Dad? You can't expect me to come back and deal with it, can you?"
Cheng Xue nodded solemnly, "Sister, I remember. Starting today, you will teach me military boxing and the combat martial arts taught in your army. I will study hard and practice diligently to become as good as you, so that no one will bully us!"
Cheng Ying smiled with satisfaction, "It's great that you have this idea. After breakfast, once the courtyard wall is repaired, I'll teach you."
To avoid being bullied, besides having a strong mental fortitude, you also need the skills to protect yourself and others. Physical fitness is just one step in self-protection.
In her past life, Cheng Ying had mentioned teaching Cheng Xue fighting techniques countless times, but Cheng Xue always made excuses to refuse, thinking that as a woman, learning fighting techniques was useless and that she wouldn't encounter any great danger, so she absolutely refused to learn.
As a result, Cheng Xue was subjected to domestic violence by her first husband. She was powerless to fight back and often suffered bruises and swelling without daring to utter a sound or tell her family. She endured it all silently.
Her second husband was being harassed by Wei Muchen's men, and she was too weak to push them away, so she could only watch helplessly as her husband was killed by Wei Muchen's men.
Cheng Xue's willingness to learn military boxing and combat techniques to protect herself and her family is a kind of awakening.
Smoke curled from the chimney, and the meal was quickly prepared. The two sisters carried the cooked noodles and minced meat into Wan Shuhui's room and placed them on the small table inside.
Four bowls of noodles, the two with the largest and most generous portions, were placed in front of Wan Shuhui and Cheng Jiantong respectively. Cheng Ying picked up the bowl containing fresh bamboo shoots, diced cured pork, and minced meat sauce, and used a spoon to scoop the sauce into their bowls. Wan Shuhui's bowl clearly had more minced meat sauce than Cheng Jiantong's.
In the past, no matter what delicious food the family made, Wan Shuhui would always save the best and most delicious food for Cheng Jiantong, while the three of them would eat the leftovers.
Now that Cheng Ying is in charge of the household, Wan Shuhui saw her actions, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled helplessly: "Xiao Ying, now you are in charge of the household. From now on, our family will rely on your salary to support us. You do the most work, so you should eat the most noodles and minced meat."
Cheng Ying put down her spoon, sat down opposite her, and pushed the mouthful of noodles that Cheng Xue had secretly shoveled into her bowl back into her own. While eating her noodles, she said, "Mom, I know what I'm doing. I won't skimp on myself. You should eat quickly, or the noodles will clump together and won't taste good."
Wan Shuhui didn't say anything, and lowered her head to eat her noodles. When the Cheng sisters weren't paying attention, she habitually scooped a large spoonful of noodles into Cheng Jiantong's bowl, afraid that Cheng Jiantong wouldn't have enough noodles and would go hungry.
The Cheng sisters pretended not to see her actions and buried their heads in eating the noodles in their own bowls.
The noodles were hand-kneaded and pulled by Cheng Ying. The flour used was described as refined flour, but according to the technology of modern flour processing plants, it was far less white and delicate than the flour of later generations. The wheat used to make the flour in those days was milled before it was fully hulled, so the flour was somewhat yellow and had a somewhat coarse texture.
However, it is precisely because of this that the handmade noodles have a unique wheat aroma and chewy texture. Paired with the crispness of summer bamboo shoots, the saltiness of diced cured pork, and a small spoonful of lard melting in the broth, along with various seasonings such as salt, MSG, Sichuan peppercorns, and chili powder, and then some blanched tender green vegetables and sprinkled with fragrant chopped green onions, a bowl of tempting summer bamboo shoot and cured pork noodles is ready. It is fragrant, smooth, chewy, and very flavorful. The whole family ate to their heart's content, not even leaving a drop of the broth in the bowl.
After eating and drinking her fill, Cheng Ying put down her bowl, breathed a sigh of relief, and said to Cheng Jiantong, "Dad, I'll take you to Grandpa and Grandma's room in a little while. We agreed on this yesterday. Now that you're injured and have become paralyzed on one side, Grandpa and Grandma can't afford to support you. For the first fifteen days of each month, they should take care of your eating, drinking, toileting, and sleeping."
Cheng Jiantong leaned against the bed, his head lowered, and remained silent.
Cheng Ying ignored his thoughts and continued, "Dad, please don't blame me for being heartless. For so many years, you've been blindly filial, helping Grandpa, Grandma, and your siblings. Now that you've had such a big accident, they can't just wash their hands of it and leave Mom and my sister and me to take care of you all the time. We're constantly tied up and can't do anything but watch over you. That would be extremely unfair to us. They've received so much kindness from you over the years, they have to take care of you! I have to take over your work and don't have time to stay at home. My younger sister has to study for the college entrance exam and doesn't have enough time to take care of your every need. My mom has to work in the fields during the day and comes home exhausted. She can't be with you all day long. We've already done our best to take care of you every month. I hope you can understand the difficulties we face."
Cheng Jiantong slowly raised his head, his somewhat aged, dark face filled with helplessness and hurt. "Xiaoying, Dad understands. I was sorry for you and your mother before. Now you're the head of the household, so whatever you say goes."
Cheng Ying nodded in satisfaction, and together with Cheng Xue, they cleared the table and prepared to take Cheng Jiantong to Old Cheng's house.
Wan Shuhui ultimately softened her heart and quietly pulled Cheng Ying aside outside the courtyard, whispering in her ear, "Are you really planning to send your father to your grandparents to take care of? Can they take good care of your father?"
Cheng Ying tucked a stray strand of short hair behind her ear. "Mom, I know what you want to say. You're just worried that my domineering grandparents won't take good care of Dad, and you don't trust him. Don't worry, even if they really can't take good care of Dad, or mistreat him, he's a grown man. With just a wall between them, wouldn't he cry out? You've worked so hard for him and us sisters your whole life. Dad is now partially paralyzed. We can't keep burdening you and making you take care of him all the time, ruining your own health in the process."
If my grandparents can't take good care of my dad, then let my uncle and aunt take care of him. If they can't take good care of him, then let my third uncle and aunt take care of him. If they still can't take good care of him, then there are still all my nephews and nieces who can take care of him.
In short, don't worry about my dad going to the Cheng family's place. If they dare to mistreat him, I'll go around the village making a scene, letting everyone know how my dad has been supporting the Cheng family for so many years, and how they've repaid him! If they dare to do such a thing, I'll make sure the Cheng family loses all face and their reputation is ruined in the village. Then we'll see which girl dares to marry into their family!
The Cheng family is very concerned about their reputation. No matter what happens in the family, they will not allow anyone in the family to spread the word, for fear of ruining the Cheng family's good name.
Cheng Ying's actions were not only to retaliate against those who annoyed the entire Cheng family, but also to let her blindly filial father see clearly what kind of faces his parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces really were.
The main purpose was to avoid tiring Wan Shuhui out, because once she took a job as a postman, Cheng Xue would go to study for the college entrance examination, and the two sisters would not be at home. The responsibility of taking care of Cheng Jiantong would fall on Wan Shuhui, and Cheng Ying really did not want her to take care of Cheng Jiantong all year round and make herself sick.
Therefore, Cheng Ying repeatedly instructed: "My father will be sent to Old Cheng's house at the beginning of each month and brought back to our house on the fifteenth of the month to be taken care of by us. If anything happens during this period, whether it's Old Cheng's family not giving my father food, water, or a bath, etc., Mom, just pretend you didn't see or hear it, and come directly to me to resolve it. You can't take Dad back home to take care of him on your own. If you are soft-hearted and don't listen to me, I will take Cheng Xue and run away from home, never to come back. You will then have to stay with my blindly filial father and live out your life in Old Cheng's house!"
Wan Shuhui, though lacking in assertiveness and reliant on men for survival, regarding her husband as the head of the household and always revolving around him, has, after so many years of experience and trials, surpassed her husband in the importance of her two daughters, Cheng Ying and Cheng Xue.
She knew that Cheng Ying was the kind of person who kept her word, so she could only nod helplessly and promise that she would not interfere in the affairs of the Cheng family while Cheng Jiantong was being sent to the Cheng family.
Soon, Cheng Ying carried the injured Cheng Jiantong into the main room of the Cheng family home.
At that time, the Cheng family was still angry about Cheng Ying taking away Huang Cuizhi and her mother-in-law in the morning, causing bamboo shoots to fall, and was also angry about beating Cheng Jianli. When they saw her carrying Cheng Jiantong into the house, the Cheng family, who were having breakfast, were all stunned.
Huang Cuizhi was the first to jump out, pointing her finger at Cheng Ying's nose and scolding, "You unfilial daughter, you actually sent your father to us to raise? Aren't you afraid...?"
"What am I afraid of? I am a soldier of the Republic who has been trained in the new era ideology of the military. I do not believe in any ghosts or gods, nor am I afraid of any monsters or demons pointing fingers at me. I don't care what others say. If they piss me off, I will beat them if they want to, and scold them if they want to. Nobody will get the better of me! Grandma, can't your family use some fresh words?"
Cheng Ying placed the fairly tall Cheng Jiantong on a recliner in the living room, a cold smile playing on her lips. "Yesterday, we already agreed in front of the deputy county head and all the other leaders that for the first fifteen days of each month, my grandparents, uncles and aunts, third uncles and aunts, Chun Gui, Gou Dan, and your family would take care of my father. After all, you've received so much kindness from him over the years; it wouldn't be right not to support him. If you don't want to, you can pay, fifteen yuan a month, not a penny less, not a penny more. You can transfer the money at the beginning of the month, and then we won't need to send my father over. A whole night has passed, and you haven't shown any intention of paying or coming to pick him up, so I had no choice but to bring my father over myself. You'd better take good care of him. If he's mistreated or poorly cared for in your house..."
A cold, enigmatic smile appeared on her face. "You know my personality. If you piss me off, I'm capable of anything. Remember, you have two days to pay me back. If you don't pay by then, just wait and see. A fight to the death is just the first step."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
