Chapter 42 : Demolition of the Wall

After dinner, the adults and children scattered, leaving only Wu Meili at the table to clean up.  

“Fourth brother’s wife, in our family, chores like cooking and washing dishes are done in turns. Since it’s your first day here, I’ve made it easier for you. I fed the chickens and pigs this morning and even washed your clothes. But from now on, you’ll need to prepare dinner and wash the dishes yourself,” Wu Meili said with a smirk.  

“I haven’t even eaten yet, and now you’re asking me to wash dishes?” Jiang Hongmei protested.  

Zhao Xiangyu snorted coldly. “What, you think you’re too special to do what everyone else does? In this house, you follow our rules. I’m the one who calls the shots. Now hurry up and get to it!”  

Jiang Hongmei glanced at Zhuang Guoliang outside the house, hoping for support. But he didn’t even look her way. Exhausted from working at the slaughterhouse through the night and then fetching Jiang Hongmei that morning, he had already gone inside to sleep.  

Tears streamed down Jiang Hongmei’s face as she bent over the sink, her stomach growling from hunger. She washed the dishes with red, swollen eyes, muttering through clenched teeth.  

‘Just endure it,’ she told herself. ‘Wait until Zhao Xiangyu dies and Guoliang gets rich. Then we can legally split the family assets and move out to live a better life.’  

—  

Dashuping Production Brigade, Jiang Household  

Wang Juhua lay on the bed, her body covered in bruises, groaning in pain. She perked up when she heard the door open.  

“Mom, I’m back!”  

It was her son, Jiang Tianci. Overjoyed, Wang Juhua ignored her pain, got up, and greeted him warmly. “Son, why are you back?”  

Jiang Tianci, a tall and sturdy man, dropped a bag of dirty clothes into her arms. “Do you even remember you have a son? I was nearly starving to death at school! My food coupons and money ran out, and you didn’t even bother to send me anything!”  

Wang Juhua slapped her thigh in regret, her heart aching at the thought of her son suffering.  

“Son, I’m sorry. I forgot. It’s all my fault. Let me make it up to you. I’ll kill a chicken, stew it with some potatoes, and make fresh noodles for you,” she said, flustered.  

“Hurry up and roll the noodles, Mom! I’m starving,” Jiang Tianci demanded impatiently.  

“Alright, sit down and have some water while I prepare.”  

As he rummaged through a drawer, he frowned. “Where are the biscuits?”  

Wang Juhua’s expression darkened. “That little wretch Jiang Li went crying to the captain, accusing us of abuse and taking her pension! I didn’t have the money to buy biscuits after that.”  

“What? She dared to ask for money? Isn’t it enough that she eats and drinks here every day? I’ll teach her a lesson!”  

Furious, Jiang Tianci knocked over a stool and stormed toward the woodshed in the east wing, only to find it empty.  

“Mom, where’s Jiang Li?”  

“That little wretch married your sister Hongmei’s fiancé today. The injuries on my face are from that old hag in Qi Shaoqiang’s family.”  

“What? How much was the bride price? Where is it?”  

Wang Juhua’s face twisted in anger and pain as she recounted. “The bride price was 188 yuan, along with three major household items. All of it went to Jiang Li’s in-laws. That ungrateful girl!”  

“Why did she take the bride price? If we hadn’t raised her, she wouldn’t even be alive! I’m the only male in this family. Everything here should be mine! What will I use when I get married?”  

Jiang Tianci rolled up his sleeves, ready to lash out. “She married into Bailutang, didn’t she? I’ll go and settle this now!”  

“Don’t go, son,” Wang Juhua cautioned. “That girl has help now. Qi Shaoqiang’s family has plenty of people in Bailutang. You’ll only suffer if you pick a fight.”  

“We can’t let her get away with this!”  

“Be patient,” Wang Juhua urged. “The captain is siding with her for now, but she’ll be back in three days. We’ll deal with her then. For now, the east wing is vacant. You can use it as your study.”  

Wang Juhua served her son noodles while tearing a chicken leg off lovingly for him.  

“Look at you, so thin. You must have had such a hard time at school,” she cooed.  

“Why is there only one chicken leg? There’s barely any meat!” Jiang Tianci complained, fishing around the soup pot with his chopsticks.  

“I only cooked half a chicken,” Wang Juhua explained. “I was saving the rest to fry for you later.”  

She licked the chicken grease off her fingers and picked up the leftover bones from Jiang Tianci’s plate, gnawing on them herself.  

“I can’t even bear to part with a chicken!” complained Jiang Tianci. “Put more chili in the stewed chicken tonight, and I want white steamed buns to go with it.”  

“Alright, alright, I’ll make white steamed buns for you,” Wang Juhua said hurriedly.  

“And don’t forget to wash my clothes. I need them for school tomorrow!”  

“Got it,” she replied, massaging her aching back. She accidentally pressed on her bruises, wincing in pain.  

Oblivious, Jiang Tianci continued slurping down the chicken soup.  

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted from the other side of the courtyard wall. Wang Juhua peeked outside and saw people crowded on the west side of the neighboring courtyard, tearing down the wall.  

“Zhao Jingui, are you out of your mind? How dare you tear down our courtyard wall!” Wang Juhua yelled.  

Hearing the noise, Jiang Changyi rushed out. “Li Youtian, we’ve been neighbors for years! Why are you tearing down our wall and turning against us like this?”  

Zhao Jingui, flanked by a group of his uncles and nephews, stepped forward. “Jiang Changyi, the two rooms on the east side were sold to my family. We’ve got the captain’s approval, and now we’re creating a proper path. We’re dismantling our own courtyard wall, what does that have to do with you?”  

“That’s nonsense! This house belongs to us! How can a girl like Jiang Li sell it off without our permission?”  

Wang Juhua rushed forward to snatch a tool from one of the workers, but she was shoved to the ground.  

“Wang Juhua, are you losing your memory?” Zhao Jingui sneered. “You and the second branch of the family separated over ten years ago. These two blue brick houses were earned by Jiang Li’s father, Jiang Changsheng, and his wife Xu Shuzhen. They built them with their own hands!”  

Wang Juhua knew the truth. After Jiang Changsheng married Xu Shuzhen, Old Mrs. Zhou grew displeased with her daughter-in-law for giving birth only to a daughter, Jiang Li, and constantly made life difficult for her.  

Eventually, Jiang Changsheng became fed up and demanded to split from the family. He took his wife and child, leaving behind everything except two old mud houses that had been used as kitchens.  

The blue brick houses and the courtyard wall were built later by him and Xu Shuzhen.  

While Wang Juhua fumed with anger, Jiang Changyi remained calm. It was clear Zhao Jingui wasn’t acting alone, behind him stood a group of Li family brothers and nephews, ready to back him up.