For ten years, a full ten years, Song Zhenping never stopped thinking about escaping that courtyard.
Even if it means digging a snow pit in the mountains to survive, even if it means freezing or starving to death, I still want to enjoy a few days of carefree living.
But he's the older brother, he can't do whatever he wants. It doesn't matter if he dies, his younger siblings still have to live.
For the sake of his younger siblings, he had to endure it.
Now that my second sister is going to be sold, things will only get harder for me and Xiao An.
My second sister is right. Staying at home is worse than death. If we take a gamble, even if we die outside, it will just end sooner.
Song Zhenping looked at Song Lizheng and said, "Lizheng, I am willing to leave the village and live in the old forest."
"Nonsense!"
Seeing that Song Zhenping was also getting involved, Song Lizheng's face darkened.
"Do you think it's so easy to get into the old forest? Just because you've gathered firewood in a few mountains doesn't mean you can live in the forest."
It's going to snow soon, and those wolves and leopards, having nothing to eat, will still come into the village. How many days can they survive in the mountains?
Daping, you're sensible too.
Think about Xiao An's health; without walls or a heated bed, how can he withstand the cold? Don't say things like that again.
Song Lizheng strongly opposed Song Zhenping's idea of going to live in the forest.
If people from other villages knew that the children of his Xiaoshi Village were forced to live in the woods in the dead of winter, where would he, as the village head, put his face?
Anyway, he's already being laughed at in the village, so even if he has to endure the scolding, he'll still go back a few more times to teach Song Lao Er a lesson.
After being refuted by Song Lizheng, Song Zhenping remained expressionless, muttering to himself without saying a word, while Song Liyun was in a good mood.
Wolves, insects, tigers, and leopards are nothing to her; sometimes, people are more terrifying than wolves and tigers.
Song Zhenping had the courage to leave the Song family; she had her own way of surviving.
Song Liyun didn't blame Song Zhenping for his indifference at this moment. If he had a strong personality, he would probably have died with Xiao An long ago, having survived for ten years under the tyranny of Granny Gu and others.
People are not afraid of weakness, but of stupidity. As long as there is still a spark of fire in Song Zhenping's heart, he can ignite it for him as long as there is an opportunity.
No one willingly allows themselves to be bullied; they are simply powerless to resist.
As for Song Lizheng's opposition... Song Liyun didn't take it to heart.
If the village head agrees, that would be a good thing; if he doesn't, it won't affect her plans.
She doesn't have the habit of leaving her fate to be controlled by others.
Song Liyun still agreed with the village head's wife's statement that Song Lizheng's tolerance of Song Lao Er Gu Pozi over the years was actually aiding and abetting evil, and was a dereliction of duty and incompetence.
The suffering caused to the Song brothers was not limited to the Song family; the villagers' tolerance and indulgence were also accomplices.
Bringing up old grievances now won't help; it will only ruin your plans.
After all, Song Lizheng was an important part of his and his brothers' plan to leave.
As Song Liyun was considering how to reveal her plans, Song Lizheng asked, "Yun'er, I heard your second uncle has arranged a marriage for you? What do you think?"
He shouldn't have asked that question, or at least he shouldn't have asked the girl.
Marriage is a matter of parental arrangement and matchmaker's words, and the decision is made by the elders in the family, so outsiders should not interfere.
But since things have escalated to the point of someone jumping into the water, even he, as the village head, has to ask about it.
Before, at the Song family's house, there were too many people, too much noise, and too much fighting and commotion, so he didn't have time to ask questions. Now he has the perfect opportunity.
If Yun girl is unwilling, I will still take care of her, but it's hard to say how far I can take care of her.
Upon hearing the word "marriage," Song Zhenping, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, looking anxious: "Village head, they're not arranging a marriage for Yun'er, they're going to sell her to Xue the Skinflint. Village head, that's a hellhole, we can't let Yun'er go there."
Song Lizheng stood up abruptly, gritting his teeth as he asked, "Really?"
“Village Head, with my elder brother and younger brother here, I have no choice but to agree to the marriage.” Song Liyun did not reveal the truth about her willingness to go to the Xue family, since it was none of Village Head Song’s business anyway.
"well!"
Sure enough, Song Lizheng slumped down.
The matter has come full circle. With the two brothers in that room, Yun was indeed being controlled.
If the two brothers didn't want to be kept under Song Lao Er's control, they would have to separate and live separately, which just happened to fulfill Yun Ya Tou's wish to move her household registration.
Song Lizheng was torn between his inner turmoil and his own thoughts. He picked up his pipe, put it in his mouth, and remained silent with a gloomy expression.
That bastard Song Lao Er is constantly challenging the bottom line of him as the village head.
Back then, the eldest son of the Song family died unexpectedly while performing corvée labor. His wife was so frightened that she went into premature labor, and the mother and child survived by the skin of their teeth.
However, due to damage during childbirth, Xiao An's mother died when Xiao An was six months old.
The eldest son's family only had three children left: the eldest, Song Zhenping, was nine years old; the second daughter was seven years old; and the youngest was still breastfeeding.
Looking at the crying baby, Song Laohan discussed with himself, the village head, about sending seven-year-old Yun'er to a restaurant to earn money, and then gave five taels of silver as compensation to Granny Gu before she was allowed to stay.
But Song Lao Er always claimed to others that he raised the two brothers and that they should repay his kindness by working like oxen and horses for the rest of their lives.
Seeing that Xiao An has grown up and Yun is of marriageable age, the eldest branch of the Song family is about to make their mark, but that scoundrel Song Lao Er still won't let Yun go.
Marrying such a fine girl to Xue the Skinflint, it's a wonder Song Lao Er doesn't have a conscience.
The Xue family was a living hell. Master Xue had a strange habit: he married three wives, all of whom died in his bed.
This isn't a marriage; this is going to kill Yun'er.
But... Song Li was taking deep drags on his cigarette, pondering how he should solve this problem.
After a long while, Song, the village head, finally spoke: "Yun girl, don't be afraid. Even if it costs you your old life, I, the village head, will not let the Xue family take you away."
Even he, as the village head, could no longer tolerate it.
Even if Yun is to be betrothed, she has to wait for Da Ping to get engaged first. How can a brother marry off his sister before he is married?
Tomorrow I will report Song Lao Er's name to the town government office and make sure he performs corvée labor.
Without Song Defu at home, Granny Gu couldn't get up and find Xue Rong to cancel the engagement herself.
Upon hearing Song Lizheng's words, Song Zhenping's purplish face immediately lit up with joy: "Lizheng, you must tell Second Uncle that Yun'er has just returned and that she should help with chores at home. We can also find her a husband later."
With my second uncle away, my second sister's wedding can be postponed, and the village head can even help refuse it.
Song Liyun did not laugh, but instead put on a serious face and said, "Village head, Second Uncle has already accepted Master Xue's deposit, so it may not be easy for him to break off the engagement. I have other arrangements."
I just wanted to ask if it was possible to arrange for my older brother to perform corvée labor?
"What?"
"ah!"
Song Lizheng and Song Zhenping exclaimed in surprise, hardly believing their ears.
Labor service is a tough job, and everyone tries to avoid it; nobody wants to go.
Moreover, Song Zhenping was physically weak and had a leg disability.
You wouldn't notice it normally, but he'll limp when he walks quickly, and he'll definitely be at a disadvantage if he has to lift heavy objects on a construction site.
They couldn't understand why Song Liyun wasn't in a hurry to get married, and instead wanted her older brother to go and die, since her own father, Song Laoda, had died in an accident while building a road.
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