When it comes to taking care of Old Lady Zhao, Cheng Shi never fulfilled her filial duty for even a single day.
Tao, on the other hand, served him closely every day, like a maid or servant.
Old Mrs. Zhao knew what kind of person her youngest daughter-in-law was. The reason she was rushing over here was probably to get some benefits from her.
So no matter how nicely Cheng spoke to her outsiders, Old Lady Zhao remained unmoved.
Ms. Cheng talked until her throat was dry, but most importantly, she received no response. After all that effort, she was exhausted.
Turning her head to look at the Tao family, Cheng felt a surge of inexplicable anger.
"Sister-in-law, why are you bringing up the matter of dividing the family property out of the blue? Are you perhaps plotting some benefit?" Cheng Shi said sarcastically, forgetting even the most basic sense of seniority and respect at this moment.
Tao was speechless, and she felt a little regretful.
She couldn't bear the responsibility if she upset her mother.
Seeing that Tao only kept her head down and didn't speak, Cheng continued, "Oh, could it be that my sister-in-law has really found something good and wants to leave our whole family behind to go live alone?"
She suddenly remembered the relationship between Tao and He. That bitch He was involved in that cross-stitch thing. It wouldn't be unreasonable to include Tao in it.
But that wretched woman He certainly wouldn't want to take their whole family with her; she might even be the one who instigated the division of the Tao family.
It must be said that Cheng's mind was exceptionally sharp at this moment. He quickly figured out the trick.
"Was it that bitch He who gave you this idea? Does she want to make money with you but not with us? Is that it?" Cheng was certain of her thoughts and walked aggressively up to Tao.
Every word he spoke made Tao blush and unable to utter a single word in response.
Zhao Xiangbei couldn't stand it anymore. He stepped in front of Tao and said, "Sister-in-law, you're overthinking it. You all know best why your sister-in-law brought up dividing the family property!"
"Look at the good sons and daughters you've raised! They boss their aunt around like she's nothing. My three sons do everything themselves. Why are your kids so precious? They're not helpless!"
Zhao Xiangbei was furious, so he spoke more harshly.
Cheng was so angry her voice was shrill, "What do you mean 'no hands and feet'? How can you curse your nephew like that, elder brother! This family must be divided! We can't live like this anymore!"
As she spoke, Cheng sat down on the ground, looking like a shrew.
"Oh my god, I've had the worst luck in the world! How did I end up with such a heartless brother and sister-in-law..."
Cheng was known for his loud voice, and now that everyone had finished dinner and had nothing else to do, they were all wandering around.
Hearing the commotion at Old Zhao's house, everyone stood outside the courtyard craning their necks to look inside.
Such a gossipy occasion would certainly not be complete without Zhao Yanniang, who was pressed her entire body against the door frame of the Zhao family's courtyard. Several other people were also pressed against her in a row.
"The Zhao family has been having a rough year; why are they causing trouble every day?"
"Who knows? But what can we do when all the awful people in the family are gathered together? We have no choice but to get to work."
In the main room of Old Zhao's house, Cheng's tantrum made everyone in the family, from top to bottom, feel irritable.
Zhao Xiaocao originally wanted to ask her mother about letting her go to school, but she never got the chance.
Her mother is currently at peak fighting strength; if she brings that up again, she'll be lucky to escape with her life.
Based on Zhao Xiaocao's past experience, at this time, the right choice for her is to stay as far away as possible.
So Zhao Xiaocao moved outward little by little against the door frame, her eyes constantly observing her mother's movements.
Then, she moved to the gate of the courtyard. Just as she opened the gate to slip out, several figures rolled in and pinned Zhao Xiaocao down.
"Ouch, ouch, I almost fell to my death!" Zhao Yanniang chattered away, her voice completely drowning out Cheng Shi's shouts in the main room.
"Ah...who's blind and crushed me? Get out of the way!" Zhao Xiaocao's small body was almost crushed, and she flailed her limbs trying to push the heavy object off.
The others who were close to Zhao Yanniang also tumbled and fell on top of her.
However, they reacted quickly and got up immediately. Then they helped Zhao Yanniang up from the ground.
Cheng's crying and tantrums stopped abruptly when she saw the crowd in the courtyard. She wiped away two tears that she had forced out from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.
"Why do you all come to my house? Are you just here to make a fool of yourself?" Cheng's tone was full of hostility.
Zhao Yanniang blushed, nervously rubbing the hem of her clothes, and stepped forward with a smile, saying, "Oh dear, what are you saying, young wife? We were just passing by... just passing by..."
The reason was too weak, and the Cheng family did not believe it at all.
At this moment, Old Lady Zhao heard the commotion outside and finally opened the door to the house.
Her face was ashen, but she seemed to be in good spirits.
"All this arguing all day long is driving me crazy! Cheng, you just said you support dividing the family property, so you'll take care of this old woman, right?"
Old Mrs. Zhao's gaze fell on Madam Cheng, who was taken aback.
It seems... she did just say that.
“Yes, yes, Mother. Even if your elder brother and sister-in-law don’t take care of you, you still have us,” Zhao Xiangnan said, trying to ingratiate himself.
Old Mrs. Zhao glanced at her youngest son again, took a deep breath, and looked at the villagers who had come to join the fun in the courtyard outside.
"Alright, go and invite your uncles, elders, and the old folks by the door, as well as Chief Zhao. Today, this old woman will properly divide up the family property!" Old Mrs. Zhao said, sitting down in the chair in the middle of the main room.
She rested both hands on her cane, staring intently at the ground without saying a word.
These days, it's common for sons to stay together after marriage. But the Zhao family is the first to do so even after their grandsons get married.
Actually, everyone felt that the family could be divided, and even if Tao proposed it, it wasn't wrong.
It seems that this old woman Zhao is taking things too seriously. Could it be that the Zhao family has some kind of deep pockets?
Thinking about it this way, the villagers who had been watching were even less willing to leave. In fact, more and more people gathered, all waiting to see what would happen next.
Such a big thing naturally reached He Tiantian's ears. She basically stayed at home taking care of the child every day and rarely went out.
But when He Tiantian thought about how weak the Tao family was, she was still a little worried.
She feared that her sister-in-law would end up like her, not separated from the family but kicked out.
No, she has to go and check.
Besides, she still has a share of the Zhao family's property.
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