Before they knew it, it was the seventh day after Old Sun's death, and the brothers gathered together again.
Zhao Dawen asked Zhao Dayong for money as soon as they met.
"Second brother, I heard you want to keep my mother's house. Where's the money? When are you going to give it to us?"
His wife was urging him; if he didn't bring money back soon, they wouldn't be able to make ends meet and she threatened to make him sleep in the woodshed.
Because she didn't believe the second son would refuse to pay the money; she insisted that he had secretly hidden it.
He now deeply understands what it means to be more wronged than Dou E.
Zhao Dashu also looked at his second brother. Yes, his second brother only told him that he wanted to keep the house, but he didn't give him any money.
They haven't sent any money these past few days. Are they trying to renege on their debt?
That won't do. He's already suffered a huge loss; we can't let the house continue to go to his second brother at a lower price.
What must be fought for must be fought for.
Seeing that the two of them were staring at him, Zhao Dayong felt a little annoyed. Did he look like someone who was trying to renege on a debt?
"When your second sister-in-law comes over later, you can ask her for the money. All the money in the house is in her hands."
Oh ho, so the couple hasn't reached an agreement yet?
"Second brother, what do you mean? Is your sister-in-law willing for you to buy the house? Have you reached an agreement? If not, we won't buy it. Mom's house is easy to sell."
What do you mean by "no agreement reached"? What does the third brother mean by this? Who does he look down on?
“Of course we’ve reached an agreement. If she doesn’t agree, I can come to you. I’ve been busy with things at home lately, but I’ll talk to her about it in a bit and send the money over tomorrow.”
Zhao Dayong was a little angry. How could they renege on this kind of money? What did they take him for?
"Okay, I'll trust you one more time."
Zhao Dawen said without any backbone, "When your sister-in-law arrives later, tell her that the second son really didn't give her the money."
Tsk tsk tsk...
Zhao Dashu shook his head. Look at his elder brother's cowardly appearance, how could he be the kind of person who would dare to keep a woman in the prefectural city?
"Brother, life's tough these days, isn't it? I've told you before, women can tolerate all of our men's flaws, but they can't tolerate you having an affair. Once you do, they'll remember it for life, thinking you're unclean and feeling disgusted."
You deserve your current situation. Look how well I'm doing. Wildflowers can't compare to the fragrance of home-grown flowers. Only our own wife truly cares for us.
Tell me, what could she possibly want from you? Can't you take a good look at yourself? If she's going to be with someone, it'll be her nephew, not you. Does she need a father? She hasn't served enough people in her life, is she going to take care of you in your old age?
They're just after your money, you know? Once you're broke, they'll kick you to the curb. Look at you now, getting your comeuppance, huh?
Zhao Dayong's lips twitched. The third brother's mouth was really something. Would the eldest brother be furious?
Zhao Dawen clutched his chest, "Third brother, I've done you no wrong, can't you watch your mouth? What good will it do you to kill me on the seventh day after my mother's death?"
"It's not good for me, but it might be for your sister-in-law. Only if you kill her can she find someone who truly cares for her. At your age, there seem to be quite a few old men in the village whose wives have died, right?"
Zhao Dawen turned around, his back to Zhao Dashu.
Seeing that only the back of his elder brother's head was visible, Zhao Dashu shut his mouth in boredom.
At his age, why is he getting more and more petty? He dares to do things himself, yet he's afraid of what others will say? When his sister-in-law comes over, she definitely won't defend him. He'll get a beating when he gets home!
The Sun family had already gone up the mountain during the day for the seventh day after their death, and now they just needed to keep watch at night. Tonight was the last long night they would spend together, and who knew when the three brothers would be able to reunite again.
We won't be gathering for Chinese New Year at least this year, and we certainly won't be gathering for any more holidays in the future.
"Third brother, you're going back to the prefectural city after the New Year, right?"
"No, I'm a dutiful daughter. I can't bear to leave her so soon after she passed away, and I'm afraid she'll be lonely. She said if I don't go to see her, she'll have no one else to go to. If I don't burn paper money for her, she and Dad won't even have cornbread to eat in the afterlife."
As the most filial son in the county, I plan to stay in the village with my mother for a year and leave next year.
Everyone was stunned. They never expected him to stay in the village for a year. Had this guy lost his mind?
"Isn't Xiao Lei going to take the imperial examination?"
Zhao Dawen couldn't understand it. If he were a son-in-law who married into the family, he would leave before the New Year and after the seventh day after the death of his wife. Going to the academy earlier would give him a better chance of becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).
He didn't believe Zhao Dashu didn't understand this principle.
So what are their true feelings towards Xiao Lei? Do they really raise him as a son?
It doesn't seem so.
"Go ahead and take the exam. There are still three years left, aren't there? Nothing is more important than fulfilling your filial duty, don't you think, brother?"
Zhao Dawen's voice caught in his throat, unable to come out. What did this bastard mean? Was he saying he was unfilial?
If we're talking about the second son being unfilial, there's someone who's the same as the first son. Both of them live in the village, but the second son visits his father less often than the first.
"Forget it, I can't be bothered with your family's affairs."
It would be best if they didn't pass the exam. If Xiao Lei did, they'd be so smug.
He was already consumed by envy and jealousy over the fact that the person had passed the provincial examination; if the person had passed the imperial examination, he feared he wouldn't have been able to bear it and would die.
How many years of schooling has Xiao Lei had?
Zhao Dayong remained silent. He couldn't bear to hear the words "studying," because hearing them would remind him of the stupid things he had done.
The root of the discord among the three sons began with their schooling. This may have caused their family to be poor for a lifetime, and later it may have caused their children to fight amongst themselves.
Sending them to the academy was the thing he regretted most in his life.
He shouldn't have overestimated himself and insisted on competing with others. If he can't compare, he can't compare, not even by flattery.
"Third brother, can I ask you for a favor? I haven't asked you for anything in all these years, can you grant me this time?"
Zhao Dawen began to watch the show with a half-smile on his face.
"Whatever Second Brother asks, Third Brother will definitely help. He's an official now, what can't he do? Don't you agree, Third Brother?"
Zhao Dashu wanted to refuse, but he didn't ask for anything. Last time he went home, he asked a doctor, who found out that his son was sick, but he didn't look at his daughter-in-law.
His second brother's busy schedule was never anything good, and he didn't want to get involved.
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