Song Lizheng coughed and changed the subject: "Daping, I just went to your house and told those three scoundrels that the matter of corvée labor needs to be decided as soon as possible. The town will come to collect people the day after tomorrow. If the list is submitted but the people don't show up, they will be punished."
Upon hearing about corvée labor, Song Zhangping nodded blankly: "Village head, my second uncle and grandmother are in charge of my family."
Song Lizheng sighed; he had only said this to make conversation out of boredom.
Even he, the village head, dared not interfere in the affairs of Song Lao Er's family, so how could these two children possibly care?
Feeling guilty, he wanted to show more concern, but seeing that the little "pile of firewood" next to him was already too tired to stand, he could only wave his hand and say, "You guys should go back now! Don't tire yourselves out!"
"Why!"
Song Zhangping responded softly, lowered his head, tightened his grip on his own carrying rope with one hand, and used the other hand to help his younger brother lift the hook rope on the woodpile, wanting to save his brother some effort.
The two brothers staggered back towards their home.
Watching the two figures leave, Song Lizheng sighed again and shook his head helplessly.
It is said that even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes.
The Song family has a history of petty misdeeds but no major crimes, so they can't be reported to the authorities or be subject to the law.
Unfortunately, she ended up with a shameless stepmother who kept saying she had an "ambiguous relationship" with her.
If he, as the village head, paid any more attention to Song Lao Er's family, he would be drowned in the villagers' spittle and would be too busy avoiding them to dare to interfere.
The two children have an uncle and a nanny, a house and land, yet their lives are even harder than those of beggars in town. It's truly pitiful for the eldest branch of the Song family.
As soon as the Song brothers left, those who had been spying reappeared. They dared to joke with the village head, but they didn't dare to mess with the shameless and reckless Granny Gu.
Over the years, whenever anyone tried to speak up for the eldest branch of the Song family, Old Madam Gu and Young Madam Gu would rush to their doorstep, cursing, making a scene, throwing excrement, and urinating on them—doing whatever they pleased.
People like this, who are like dog shit, can't be hit or scolded, so everyone avoids them.
Even though Xiaoshi Village felt sorry for them, they had to hide whenever they saw the two brothers from the eldest branch of the Song family, for fear of provoking the shrewish women's curses.
Seeing that the village head was still there, someone mustered up the courage to ask, "Fifth Uncle, did Song Defu's family say who would be going to do the corvée labor this time?"
Everyone knows that Song Defu is the only one in the whole village who hasn't put his fingerprint on the document, clearly intending to renege on his promise and not go.
Song Lizheng was already annoyed when he heard the man ask about this again. He glared at him and said, "This is doing business for the imperial court. Even the Emperor himself can't escape it. If you don't send people, you'll have to spend money. Someone will always deal with him."
After saying that, he spat on the ground again, put his hands behind his back, and started to walk away, but was stopped by someone who asked him other questions, so he had to stop.
In the Song family courtyard, the Song brothers, Zhangping and Zhangping, found the main house door tightly closed, so they quietly went to the woodpile, afraid of disturbing their family.
Second Aunt hates her younger brother Song Zhang'an the most; she'll hit him whenever she hears his voice.
Song Zhenping first helped his younger brother unload the firewood before untying the rope on his own shoulder.
His spine, bent from carrying heavy loads, suddenly relaxed, and the resulting soreness made his vision go black. He almost fell, but managed to grab onto the pile of firewood to steady himself.
"Brother, brother!" Song Zhang'an, who was panting heavily, supported him and called out softly, his face pale with anxiety.
Song Zhangping sat down to calm himself down, then shook his head at his worried younger brother and said, "It's nothing, I'm just tired. I'll rest for a while and then go inside."
Yesterday morning, Grandma only gave me two hard cornbread buns, then sent me and my younger brother out to chop firewood, saying we weren't allowed to come back until we had chopped ten loads of firewood.
The firewood around the village has been almost completely harvested; to find good firewood to sell, one has to travel a long way.
It would take at least five days to chop ten loads of firewood.
Two days have passed now. I gave the dry food I brought to my younger brother, and I haven't eaten for three meals and I'm so hungry I can't stand it anymore.
Then someone brought a message saying that something had happened at home and that he should come back immediately. The message said that it was his grandmother who had sent it, so Song Zhenping quickly packed his things and returned.
He was filled with unease. He hadn't had enough firewood yet, and if they called him back now, it couldn't be anything good.
It's already getting chilly at night now, and I wonder how long my little brother and I will have to kneel like that.
As the two brothers were talking, the main door opened, and Old Madam Gu rushed to the woodpile like a whirlwind, carrying the door bar.
Before Song Zhangping could even get up from the woodpile, Granny Gu had already started cursing: "You cripple, did you steal a cornbread yesterday morning?"
Song Zhang'an trembled with fear and huddled silently next to his older brother. He remembered that his older brother had secretly given him half a cornbread bun when he left home yesterday morning.
Song Zhangping said weakly, "Grandma, two cornbreads aren't enough for Xiao An. He's still young and can't stand being hungry. He still has to go up the mountain to gather firewood, so I gave him half a cornbread to eat."
Old Mrs. Gu glared at her and cursed, "Bullshit! You little beasts, talking nonsense! If you ever go hungry, you'll steal from the house!"
"I'm not your biological mother, yet you deliberately tarnish my reputation. I'll beat you two jinxes to death!"
As she spoke, she swung the door bar and aimed it at Song Zhangping's head.
At this moment, Song Zhangping was exhausted and had no strength left, let alone the strength to dodge or even get up to move aside.
He could only watch helplessly as a thick wooden stick came crashing down on him, raising his arm to protect his head and face.
Just then, Song Zhang'an, who had been standing nearby, suddenly lunged forward without a word, shielding his brother with his body and muttering, "It was me who ate the cornbread, don't hit my brother!"
"Bang!"
"snort!"
Song Zhang'an's thin back was struck, and his face instantly turned pale. He couldn't catch his breath and slumped to the ground.
Old Madam Gu had long harbored the intention to beat Song Zhangping severely. After all, he was a nineteen-year-old young man, and if he fought back, she, an old woman, couldn't afford to take the blow. So she chose to strike when he was exhausted and had no strength to resist.
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