In the entire Jiangjiawan village, who doesn't know that the Jiang family made a fortune selling ducks and duck eggs?
While other families were excitedly discussing how much money the Jiang family had made this year, some women who were returning home for the wedding, unaware of the situation, asked, "Where is Jiang Xu, the second son of the Jiang family?"
The two brothers are, after all, blood is thicker than water. If the older brother becomes rich, the younger brother shouldn't suffer, right?
Then, it was this very sentence that Wang, who had been slinked back from the neighboring Wangjia Village, overheard...
"Pah! Those two old geezers must have given the eldest son some good things when they died, otherwise how could the eldest son be so rich!"
"Mom, let's go home."
"Go home, go home, you good-for-nothing brat! Your older brother can offer twenty taels of silver as a betrothal gift to marry a girl from Wu Family Village, and you're all grown up now, why is no one willing to offer twenty taels as a betrothal gift?"
"Mother, it's me~"
"What do you mean 'you'? Don't call me 'Mom'! It's all because of this money-losing brat that your grandparents favored the eldest son's side. I knew it! The old lady had a backup plan!"
........
Wang grumbled and cursed all the way home, carrying an empty basket, completely ignoring the mocking looks from passersby.
The young woman she called a "money-loser" was Jiang Xue, the eldest daughter of their second wife. She was fifteen years old, but like her mother, she was extremely plain-looking, with many freckles on her face. She wasn't even considered pretty; what young man would be willing to offer twenty taels of silver as a betrothal gift?
When the villagers saw this, they could only say it was a pity for Jiang Xue.
The second wife's family consisted of four people, a son and a daughter. Only the girl was hardworking. Jiang Xu and his wife were lazy and gluttonous, and they favored sons over daughters. They doted on their youngest son like the apple of their eye, and it was common for them to steal chickens and dogs in the village!
If Grandpa Jiang and his wife were still alive, they would probably be furious!
Hey, did you guys see that?
What?
Jiang Yue returned to the village in style today. I saw her; her son was driving an oxcart, and it was full of good stuff!
Wow, our Jiangjiawan has produced a golden phoenix?
Who can argue with that? Jiang Yue used to be a real scoundrel, but who would have thought that things would turn around like this? I hear she's doing quite well in Wu Family Village now!
Tsk tsk, fortunes change every thirty years...
When Wang returned home, the house was still a mess.
She scolded her daughter for not cleaning up, then went back into the room to gossip with her husband.
As expected, provoked, Jiang Xu slammed his fist on the table—
"Bang!"
This is outrageous!
He's also part of the Jiang family, so why does the old man leave all the good things to his older brother and younger sister, while he gets nothing?
snort!
Don't think you can leave him with all the riches; the family fortune is rightfully his!
Blinded by jealousy and provoked by Wang's instigation, Jiang Xu grabbed a wood-chopping knife from the corner and stormed out of the house in a rage...
"Dad~"
"Bang!"
Jiang Xue tried to stop him, but her father kicked her, sending her rolling onto a snowdrift. The pain made her lips turn deathly pale...
Awakened by the loud noise, Jiang Feng rubbed his eyes and poked his head out of the house. Seeing his sister lying on the ground, he didn't even try to help her up, but instead acted indifferently, bossing her around:
"You good-for-nothing! I'm starving, aren't you going to cook me some meat?!"
"Brother, brother~, quick, go stop Dad!"
Jiang Xue clutched her stomach in pain. At this moment, she was still worried that her father's actions were inappropriate and wanted her younger brother to help her catch up with her father and persuade him to come back.
Wang walked out lazily, glanced at her daughter on the ground, and looked indifferent.
In her view, her daughter had only herself to blame!
Facing her beloved son, she put on a smiling face and coaxed him:
“Good son, don’t listen to your sister’s nonsense. Come on, let’s go to your mother’s room. I’ll get you some red bean cake to eat.”
"It's not tasty. Do you have anything else? I'd like to eat some mini fried crispy snacks."
Ignoring his sister on the ground, Jiang Feng heard his mother's words, ran to her side, squeezed in, and began rummaging through the drawers and cabinets...
Jiang Xue silently shed tears. Is this still a home?
No, no, she couldn't just sit and wait to die. Perhaps she really should listen to what her grandfather had said when he was alive...
With that thought in mind, she took one last look at her mother's room, and the words coming from inside made her decide to leave.
"Mom, I want to eat meat!"
"Hey, good son, your dad's home, so we can eat meat!"
"real?"
"Of course it's true. Your dad went to settle accounts with your uncle. Once the accounts are settled, our family will have meat to eat."
"Great! Uncle's family has so many ducks. Catch them all and cook them for me. Oh, and don't give any to the 'money-losing girl' to eat. She's so annoying, always nagging me!"
"Yes, yes, we'll listen to our son. You're such a good son! Your father and I will rely on you to take care of us in our old age."
"I know, that good-for-nothing is such an eyesore at home, you better sell her quickly so I can buy meat to eat!"
"It'll be soon, soon. Once the snow melts and the roads are easier to travel, the young men will come here to pick people. It's all agreed that your sister, oh no, your worthless sister, can be sold for five taels of silver!"
"I have so much money! I need to buy meat and new clothes!"
"Okay, okay, I'll buy them all for you. After all, you're my good son!"
......
There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart. Jiang Xue was numb. She wiped away her tears and limped to her house, the small house next to the woodshed.
With utmost composure, he packed his meager belongings and stuffed them into his stomach. Fortunately, on this day, most poor people stuffed hay into their clothes, so his chubby appearance wasn't too conspicuous...
Meanwhile, Jiang Xu, carrying a machete, was running wildly through the village.
When the villagers saw him, they all thought he was crazy, that he'd gone mad with poverty.
Haha~
The villagers burst into laughter.
Jiang Xu couldn't be bothered with these idiots; his destination was his elder brother's house!
And that heartless little sister, she only sends the good stuff to her older brother's house. Humph, I'll beat her up today too!
However, ideals are lofty, but reality is harsh.
Jiang Nian and his two sons, plus Qingsong and his brother, a total of five men, couldn't defeat a lazy, good-for-nothing man?
That's ridiculous!
Sure enough, when Jiang Xu came to the door shouting, Jiang Nian casually grabbed a carrying pole and effortlessly knocked the man's wood-chopping knife away. The man was so frightened he collapsed to the ground, the knife lying between his legs—he was just a hair's breadth away from being rendered infertile...
Haha~
The villagers who came upon hearing the news burst into laughter, having never seen such a cowardly man as Jiang Lao Er!
Where did that bravado from before, when he brandished a machete?
Coward!
Jiang Nian smiled faintly, his eyes cold as he said:
"We've already severed ties, what are you doing here?"
"Pah! You siblings conspired to swindle me! When the old man died, he must have secretly given you some good stuff!"
"Um?"
Now, not only Jiang Nian, but even Jiang Yue was completely confused.
She only received a jade bracelet from her sister-in-law, a gift from her mother. She wore it on her wrist the whole time, and no one knew about it except her brother and sister-in-law.
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