Chapter 19: Looking for Life
Song Zhenping knew that if he went back now he would definitely be beaten again.
Then you must go back.
The second sister was alone at home and didn't know what had happened. Although the village head said someone was watching her, he was still worried.
Seeing Song Zhenping being so sensible, the village head's wife burst into tears: "Good boy, don't say anything. It's hard work for you to collect firewood. You should take care of your health and don't get sick from working yourself to death at such a young age."
The other people in the room either lowered their heads or looked around and averted their gaze.
At most they expressed sympathy for the Song Zhenping brothers, but as for being as thoughtful as the wife of the village head, they were unable to do so.
A few people cursed Song Laoer's family for a while, but in the end they couldn't come up with a specific plan, so they had to disperse.
Song Li was planning to keep Song Zhenping for dinner and then send him back personally.
Although he said that nothing would happen to the second girl, he still felt uneasy.
At this moment, the youngest grandson ran into the house and shouted to Song Lizheng: "Grandpa, there is a sister outside who wants to see Brother Zhenping."
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As soon as Song Liyun entered the room, she was stared at with astonishment by the people in the room, feeling as if she had escaped from a dangerous place.
Song Zhenping had half of his face swollen. He looked Song Liyun up and down, and was relieved to see that she had no scars at all.
But he was not good at speaking. Before, when he was in a hurry, he knew to shout "Go away" to Song Liyun, but now he just had red eyes and was silent.
Song Liyun didn't have time to talk to her elder brother, so she first respectfully bowed to Song Lizheng.
If the village head hadn't led his men into the yard today, something big would have happened.
In his excitement, he would probably kill Mrs. Gu and the others.
Killing the bad guy is certainly satisfying, but it will ruin your plan to lead a good life with your two brothers. It is not worth sacrificing your happy life for trash.
The village head's wife took Song Liyun's hand and said, "Don't be so polite, second girl. Your fifth uncle is the village head, and this is his job.
It was because he couldn't control Mrs. Gu that you three siblings were harmed."
These words made Song Lizheng's face turn red, but he had no way to refute it. He could only cough a few times and puff on his cigarette.
Song Liyun came to the headman's house, of course not to condemn him for dereliction of duty, she had something important to discuss.
Seeing that they wanted to talk about serious matters, the wife of the village head took her daughter-in-law to the kitchen to busy herself, and also sent her grandson to guard outside the door, for fear that Mrs. Gu would come to the door.
"Yun girl, you ask how to divide the family?" Song Lizheng hesitated while chewing on his pipe.
"Yes, the village head has also seen it. That house can't accommodate three of us brothers and sisters. My brother is an adult, and it's time for him to set up his own household and live on his own." Song Liyun stated her purpose without hesitation.
Song Lizheng nodded: "Daping is nineteen years old. At his age, he is indeed worthy of being the head of the family. However... Yun girl, your family was divided when your grandfather was alive. How can we divide it now?"
"Divide the family? It has been divided a long time ago?" Song Liyun looked at Song Zhenping in surprise and saw him nod.
Your family has been divided for a long time, so why just live alone? Why stay here and work like a slave?
Seeing that she didn't understand, Song Lizheng explained, "After your parents died, Xiao An was only a few months old, and the village asked Song Laoer, the uncle, to take on the responsibility of raising him. Naturally, your family property was handed over to Song Defu to manage.
Now, if we want to divide the family business, all he needs to do is to produce the land deeds and house deeds, without the village having to intervene."
The house deeds and land deeds are with Song Laoer!
No wonder Song Lao Er refused to divide the family property. Song Liyun snorted in her heart, knowing that the property would definitely not be returned.
Although she had no hope, Song Liyun still wanted to ask about the specific situation.
Song Zhenping replied dully, "The house was demolished a long time ago and my second uncle turned it into a pigpen.
Five years ago, my younger brother had a fever and my second uncle refused to give me money for medicine, so I said I wanted to sell our land.
My second uncle gave me one ounce of silver to buy the land, and even accused me of being unfilial and a wastrel.”
It was also during that time that his second uncle injured his leg and left him disabled in order to get money to treat his younger brother who had a high fever for several days and was unconscious.
Song Zhenping's impulsiveness had passed, and the village head and others had been discussing the issue for a long time without any result, and they were already full of despair about the future.
In his opinion, as the eldest son of the eldest wife, he had neither raised his younger brother well nor protected the family property, and was completely useless.
Song Lizheng sighed. Xiao An was very ill that time and had a high fever. The village doctor was helpless and had to send him to the town clinic.
Daping knelt for a whole night to beg Song Laoer, but the village still took the initiative and exchanged the deed of the eldest house for money for the medicine.
Two acres of land were exchanged for two sets of medicine, and the remaining silver was taken away by Mrs. Gu.
Song Liyun's face was gloomy. "Second uncle took all the 200 coins I paid back every month from working as a helper outside, and he even refused to pay for the medicine?"
Song Zhenping lowered his head, too embarrassed to face his second sister, and even wanted to die.
Song Liyun didn't want to say anything more. Just looking at the brothers' bodies, she knew that they had no money for medicine, and they didn't even have enough food to eat.
Song Liyun narrowed her eyes slightly, looked at the village head Song and said calmly, "Mr. Village Head, is there any way to make things easier for my brother and the others?"
Song Lizheng shook his head helplessly. He had thought of every possible solution over the years, except for expelling Song Laoer's family from the village.
How could they expel someone if they hadn't violated the imperial laws?
Song Liyun saw him shaking his head and snorted in her heart again.
On one side are helpless children, and on the other side are rough men and shrews. At all times, children are at the bottom of the food chain.
As the head of the village, it's not that he has no other options, he just wants to keep things quiet and it's better not to have such a village.
Song Liyun said calmly, "Since there's no other way, then let my brothers move out of this village."
Move household?
As soon as she finished speaking, Song Lizheng's face changed, one of disbelief and a little anger.
In the countryside, expelling a family from the clan is the most severe punishment for committing a crime.
Migrants are equivalent to refugees.
If you move out, you become a stranger. Without roots and relatives or friends, you will always be bullied and feel inferior to others no matter what you do.
Besides, the ancestral tomb of the eldest branch of the Song family is in Xiaoshi Village, and it would be unfilial for the children and grandchildren to move away.
Besides, how can we explain to the government if we have to move the households out of the village for no reason?
Others will only say that I, as the village head, am incompetent in governing the village.
"Yun girl, you have been living in the city restaurant all your life, and you don't know the hardship of digging for food in the soil. It's easy for people to leave, but without land, how can you make a living?
Song Lao Er went too far this time, so as the village head, I naturally have to scold him.
If the Daping brothers were moved out of the village, they would freeze to death in the middle of winter." Song Lizheng explained patiently, suppressing his annoyance.
No matter how smart Yun is, she is still a woman. She will get married anyway, so she doesn't need to worry about what will happen if she moves out.
The Song brothers had no roof over their heads and no land to live on. Where could they go if they left Xiaoshi Village? If they left the village, they would only wait for death.
Song Liyun said seriously: "A tree that is moved can survive. As long as you are willing to give it a try, you will have a chance to survive."
After saying that, he turned and stared at Song Zhenping to see what he meant.
It doesn't matter how many reminders you give. If a person is willing to be enslaved, even thunder and lightning cannot wake him up.
Next to him, when Song Zhenping heard his second sister mention the word "relocation", his dull eyes suddenly lit up.
Thank you Sister Bing for your shadow, muah!
(End of this chapter)
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