"They're really going too far. They've only been quiet for a few months, and now they're causing trouble again. Are you out of your mind, sir?"
As Lin spoke, she looked at Chen Zhanshan with a worried expression.
“Once you open this door, their family will be a bottomless pit, clinging to you like bloodsuckers. We can’t afford to get involved in that kind of trouble!”
"Xiumei, don't worry, I'm not as stupid as you think. Do you think I don't know what kind of people they are? If they were even slightly decent, they wouldn't be living like that. I won't cause trouble for our daughter."
"Really? You're not kidding me? I just saw that old couple grinning from ear to ear."
Lin was genuinely frightened; she knew Old Mrs. Chen's character all too well.
Taking an inch and wanting a mile, insatiable greed, selfishness.
As long as she gets a good deal, she'll keep demanding more.
Knowing her worries, Chen Zhanshan quickly recounted what had just happened, and then spoke up...
“Even if beggars come to our house, I can’t just kick them out, can I? They’re all so old, I can’t really say anything, so I just let them take it.”
“You’re right. Even if I were at home, I couldn’t say anything. It’s really unlucky to have such shameless parents.” Madam Lin couldn’t help but sigh. “They’re getting more and more senile and inhuman as they get older. If the third son is any better, that’ll be fine. But if he doesn’t turn out well, how will his family survive in the future?”
"Alright, Xiumei, you walk your own path, and you get the blisters on your feet yourself. Everyone should live their own life, so let's not worry about it."
"What you said makes sense, but I'm just worried that you'll do something foolish and then soften your heart."
"No, my heart turned to ice the moment they planned to send me to the palace to become a eunuch and sell my daughter. If I forgive them, how can I face you and the child?" Chen Zhanshan felt an overwhelming sadness as he recalled the past.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about other people's business." Lin couldn't bear to see her husband upset, so she quickly changed the subject.
"Honey, Qing'er will be back soon. Shouldn't we hurry up and prepare something to eat?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhanshan quickly counted the days on his fingers. "It'll be the end of the month in a few days. She said she was bringing Xiaohan back with her last time, so we need to prepare a few more dishes that our daughter likes."
"Yes, yes, both children are back. They love my stir-fried gourd strips with pork slices. I need to soak the gourd strips in advance!" Lin said, turning around to busy herself.
Qingshui Town.
Jishetang has gotten on the right track, and patients are coming in droves. Fortunately, Li An's medical skills are good, so Chen Qingqing is basically not needed to make house calls.
Everyone in town knew that Ruyi Restaurant was protected by the Fan family, so no one dared to cause trouble anymore, and business boomed.
Chen Feng also realized the importance of knowledge and has enrolled in the Confucius Academy, where he spends time studying every day.
Although Qingfeng Restaurant's business is not as good as before, Wu Duoduo's time at Ruyi Restaurant was not wasted. He figured out 80-90% of the hot and sour noodles, and the taste of the noodles he made was pretty good, which attracted many diners.
Early that morning, Chen Qingqing planned to pick up Chen Han from the Confucius Academy to go home and visit her parents, and also to check on the growth of the sugar beets in the field.
If the beet harvest is bountiful, she will consider whether to further expand production.
Chen Qingqing stood expectantly in front of the Confucius Academy. She hadn't seen that brat for months and missed him terribly. She wondered if he had grown taller or heavier.
Suddenly, a familiar figure came into view. It was Chen Han. He had grown noticeably taller in the few months since I last saw him. His blue robe had reached above his knees. Although the clothes did not fit him well, they could not hide his upright posture.
Chen Han spotted Chen Qingqing immediately, his eyes lighting up instantly. He quickly ran over, exclaiming, "Sister, I missed you so much!"
Chen Qingqing wanted to reach out and pat his little head, but realized that he had unknowingly grown to be as tall as her, so she quickly patted his arm gently.
"I miss you too, let's go home."
The two boarded the carriage, which slowly headed towards Nanshan Village.
******
As the saying goes, "It's not that there are no good things, it's that there are no good people."
Ever since Old Lady Chen got the benefit, she's been sticking to Chen Zhanshan like a leech.
The elderly couple did nothing all day but wait at the door, following closely behind Chen Zhanshan whenever they saw him return home.
Upon entering the house, they acted recklessly; as soon as they saw food, they would spit on it, then grab and eat it all over the place.
Mr. and Mrs. Chen were utterly disgusted. Faced with the elderly couple's almost shameless behavior, they had already said their piece and accepted the insults.
But the two of them were so thick-skinned that not even a needle could pierce them; no matter how much they were mocked, they continued to do as they pleased.
The Chen couple were extremely troubled by this and, having no other choice, had to keep the door tightly shut as if guarding against thieves...
As the saying goes, "Old ginger is spicier, young loach is slippery, and an old rabbit is hard for an eagle to catch."
They completely underestimated Old Lady Chen's abilities.
Seeing the gate tightly shut, Old Mrs. Chen merely smiled faintly, thinking to herself,
You have your brilliant strategies, and I have my countermeasures.
The devil may be one foot tall, but the righteous will be ten feet tall.
You're too green to mess with me!
The elderly couple remained waiting outside the door, and whenever they saw Chen Zhanshan and his wife enter their home, they would shamelessly squeeze in if they could.
If you really can't squeeze in, just pretend to be someone from the sugar shop and knock on the door; it always works!
That day, the elderly couple were chatting in the courtyard when they saw a horse-drawn carriage drive past the gate.
"Old woman, it looks like that brat is back." Old Chen craned his neck and glanced out the gate.
Old Mrs. Chen curled her lip in disdain, "So what if he's back? What does it have to do with us?"
"Oh my old woman, this is a big deal! That good-for-nothing Chen Zhanshan will definitely complain to this brat. And that brat is no pushover. What if she really causes us trouble?"
“Look at your pathetic self. Even if that brat finds out, what can she do? Don’t forget, we are the parents of a scholar. If she dares to cause trouble or make me unhappy, I will immediately go to the county government to file a complaint. With my son’s status and position, if the county magistrate doesn’t beat her to a pulp, she’ll be lucky.”
"Yes, yes, old woman, you're right. I doubt they'd dare cause us any trouble. But we'll have to eat cornbread and coarse grains for the next few days."
"Yes," Old Mrs. Chen sighed, "This brat is not as easy to deal with as those two softies. If she really throws a tantrum, I really can't handle her."
Old Chen nodded in agreement, "Then let's not go guard outside the door for the next few days."
"What are we still doing guarding this place? Let's wait until that brat leaves before we talk about it!"
Old Mrs. Chen was self-aware; she knew that it was easy to bully the weak but difficult to deal with the strong, so she decided to avoid them if she couldn't afford to offend them.
Her idea was good, but she couldn't resist her cravings.
Having gotten used to sweetness, I couldn't stand sourness; after only a couple of days, I couldn't stand it anymore.
Looking at the mixed flour buns in front of him, he complained to Old Man Chen, "This stuff is inedible, it's too rough on the throat."
......
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
