CHAPTER 124: CHAPTER 123: IF YOU STARVE TO DEATH GUARDING RICE AND GRAIN, YOU’RE JUST USELESS

Xu Laoda responded sullenly and tied the straw mat with a rope.

He always felt that his father’s and sister’s actions were too ruthless. It’s normal for couples to argue; there’s no tongue that doesn’t touch the teeth. Moreover, he and Laoer had already beaten Sun Fengshou up, avenging his sister.

He never expected that just after they beat up their brother-in-law, the government officer arrived, and Sun Fengshou, injured, went off to serve. He felt somewhat guilty, thinking they had beaten Sun Fengshou too severely.

The family hadn’t separated, and this year it was Laoer’s turn to serve. Before Laoer left, Xu Laoda advised him to take care of their brother-in-law.

Although he was angry about him hitting his sister, he couldn’t just watch Sun Fengshou die. If he did, wouldn’t his sister become a widow?

But just a few days after Laoer left, his sister returned, bringing with her a lot of things for the family—fabric, food, and even good tobacco for their father.

He thought his sister was just visiting, but to his surprise, she showed no intention of leaving for several days.

Out of curiosity, he asked tonight and learned what his father and sister were plotting.

Although Xu Laoda didn’t agree with his father’s and sister’s plans, he still heeded his father’s advice and weaved the straw mat overnight.

"Dad, if the mother-in-law really dies without Sanni sending her to get treated, wrapping her in just a straw mat doesn’t seem right, does it?"

Xu Laotai hesitated for a while, couldn’t help but speak up, "Sending off the elderly, the villagers are all watching..."

"What’s there to be afraid of?"

Xu Laohan glared at Xu Laotai, then turned to Xu Shi standing aside, "Just say we have no money. If anyone has objections, let them provide the money for the coffin!"

Xu Shi crossed her arms, her voice sharp, "How many of the elderly in the village are buried in coffins? In my opinion, to be wrapped in this newly woven straw mat is already a proper burial for her."

Xu Shi had long suspected that after last autumn’s harvest, Yu Xiaolian brought a sum of money to her mother-in-law, but over the past few months, after demanding many times, openly and secretly, her mother-in-law hadn’t handed over the money like before.

Even when she said there was no money to enroll Xiaohuzi in school in spring, her mother-in-law remained indifferent.

Later, she threatened her mother-in-law, saying she would report to River Bay’s Yu Family, and only then did her mother-in-law give three taels of Silver.

Sun Laotai’s guilty look made Xu Shi increasingly suspect that Sun Shi’s money came through illegitimate means.

If there wasn’t something shady, what were they afraid of Yu Family for?

After discovering this method worked, Xu Shi felt like she found a useful leverage.

Subsequently, she threatened several more times, finding this approach repeatedly effective, and gradually extracted fifteen taels of Silver from Sun Laotai’s hands.

But Xu Shi, insatiable in her greed, repeatedly demanded, thoroughly angering Sun Fengshou, who had long been resentful of Xu Shi. The two quickly turned to physical violence after disagreeing.

Sun Fengshou not only beat Xu Shi but also demanded she return all the Silver and sought Ma Tongsheng from the village to write a repudiation letter.

Xu Shi, feeling guilty and scared, returned to her natal home, having already sent the more than a dozen taels extorted from her mother-in-law back home, fearing Sun Fengshou might actually repudiate her, Xu Shi considered demanding the money back.

But why should one return their spoils?

Xu Laoda comforted Xu Shi not to be afraid, saying if the coward Sun Fengshou dared to think of repudiation, they would use the old method and have his two sons beat him again.

When Xu Shi returned to Upper River Bay with her two brothers, Sun Fengshou had already found someone to write the repudiation letter. As soon as Xu Shi entered, Sun Fengshou tossed the letter in her face and shouted for her to get lost.

The Xu family brothers never expected the seemingly meek Sun Fengshou would dare to repudiate his wife; they promptly restrained him and beat him up.

Sun Fengshou, beaten until he couldn’t get out of bed, had the repudiation letter torn up by Xu Shi.

A few days later, Sun Fengshou was taken away to serve.

Xu Shi resented the time Sun Fengshou wanted to repudiate her; her mother-in-law, who usually supported her, merely watched indifferently, not intervening as she usually did.

After Sun Fengshou was taken away, Xu Shi no longer bothered to keep up appearances, clashing with Sun Laotai at every turn.

The fifty taels Yu Xiaolian had given them was partly spent on buying food, fabric, and cotton last winter. Sun Laotai had spent some intermittently on medicinal decoctions, plus the fifteen Silver she’d given Xu Shi, leaving not enough for service fees.

Sun Laotai felt deeply regretful, blaming herself for her son’s predicament.

Already worried about her son serving while injured, Xu Shi, intent on making trouble, further aggravated her, causing Sun Laotai to fall seriously ill in just a few days.

Xu Shi’s thoughts began to change.

If Sun Fengshou returned from service, he might revisit the idea of repudiating her.

Since Sun Fengshou was determined to repudiate her, why should she care for his sick mother?

Consequently, Xu Shi lied to her son, saying she was returning to her parents’ home to get the remedy for his grandmother’s treatment.

Xu Shi had been hesitant and undecided, but once home, her father wouldn’t let her leave.

Her father said her mother-in-law was already old and frail; even her sudden death wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

Coincidentally, with Sun Fengshou serving away from home, by the time he returned, the person would have been buried long ago, even if Sun Fengshou suspected something, there would be no evidence.

Getting rid of the burden of Sun Laotai was best for his daughter.

Xu Shi pondered over this and felt it was a rare opportunity.

Xu Laoda had different intentions: Ideally, Sun Fengshou would also die elsewhere; then the Sun family’s house, land, and money would belong to Xiaohuzi, Xiaohuzi’s would be his daughter’s, and his daughter’s would be his.

Xu Laotai worried, "I wonder how Xiaohuzi is doing."

Xu Laoda glanced at the old lady, knocked the ashes out of his tobacco pipe on the sole of his shoe, "There’s rice and grain at home; how could he starve? In times of famine, plenty of people gnaw on wild roots, yet they all survive. If he’s surrounded by food and starves to death, then he’s incompetent, just like his useless father."

Xiaohuzi struggled fiercely in Yu Xiaolian’s arms, and Yu Xiaolian held him tight, dragging him away.

Once out of Dajing Village, Yu Xiaolian carried the silently weeping Xiaohuzi on her back.

Xiaohuzi lay on Yu Xiaolian’s back, his tears soaking the clothes on Yu Xiaolian’s shoulder.

Though young, Xiaohuzi somewhat understood the difference between right and wrong.

From struggling full of resentment, to silent tears, eventually, he couldn’t help but burst into loud sobbing.

Yu Xiaolian maintained a bitter expression, "It’s late at night—crying like that is eerie."

Exhausted from crying, Xiaohuzi’s voice grew quieter until he finally fell asleep, buried against Yu Xiaolian’s back.

By the time Yu Xiaolian carried Xiaohuzi back to Upper River Bay, it was already past eleven at night. The round trip took her four hours, making her legs feel wooden.

Placing the sleeping Xiaohuzi on the kang, covering him with a quilt, Yu Xiaolian lay down next to him, falling into a sleep without even taking off her clothes.

The next morning, the sound of a rooster’s crowing woke Yu Xiaolian from her sleep.

She took out her watch and checked the time; it was only four in the morning.

She wondered how her grandmother was doing?

Yu Xiaolian spaced out for a while, then got up to look out from the courtyard gate.

At this time, during spring plowing, although the sky was just turning light, smoke was already rising from chimneys in every household in the village.