Chapter 51: Afternoon’s Loss, Evening’s Drift

The sunset blazed, the sun slowly descending, painting the sky with a golden glow.

Qiao Jiangxin’s family didn’t work in the fields today; the harvest was mostly complete.

Liu Afang, pregnant, was picking vegetables in the courtyard.

Qiao Jiangxin, wiping her wet hair with a towel after showering, came out of the bathroom and saw the exhausted Lei Honghua and Qiao Jiuwang entering the gate.

Neither of them spoke, their spirits completely deflated.

Qiao Youfu and Qiao Youcai were chopping wood.  The brothers exchanged a glance, both having made up their minds.

After all, Jiangxin had already analyzed the situation for them.  Their appearance clearly showed they’d suffered a setback, both mentally and physically.

Qiao Jianguo, who had been hiding in his room, saw his parents return through the crack in the door. He removed the bolt, opened the door, and greeted them with a surprised expression.

“Mom and Dad, you’re finally back.”

He acted as if he hadn’t seen his beloved parents in ages.

Lei Honghua forced herself to smile at Qiao Jianguo.

But her heart was too heavy, and the smile didn’t come.

Qiao Jianguo wasn’t stupid.  Seeing their state, he knew something was wrong.

After the couple entered the house, he quickly hobbled over, “Mom, what happened? Did things go badly?”

His son’s concerned question brought tears to Lei Honghua’s eyes.

Recalling her daughter’s pitiful state, her heart ached.

Without thinking, she grabbed her son’s arm and cried, “Wuwuwu, Jianguo, your sister was ruined by that good-for-nothing Daya!

Wuwuwu, if I’d known the Deng family were like this, I would never have agreed to your sister’s marriage! Wuwuwu, my Fangfang!”

Lei Honghua wiped her nose and continued to complain, “Jianguo, you don’t know. That old shrew beat your sister mercilessly. That useless Deng Ming just watched. The whole street was filled with your sister’s cries, wuwuwu!

When we tried to stop them, that wicked Deng Shuibing stopped us! He even dared to push your father, making him stumble. If I hadn’t caught him, he might have fallen! Wuwuwu, they bullied us!”

Qiao Jiuwang listened to Lei Honghua’s crying without speaking. The Chen family was more domineering than the Deng family, and the Deng family was a level above the Qiao family.

In the end, the Qiao family, at the bottom, was the one who suffered.

Besides, he was sixty, while Deng Shuibing was only in his forties or late forties, a strong man.

In this society, whoever had the stronger fist was the boss.

With a heavy heart, he solemnly lectured his son, “Jianguo, I’m old. The Deng family dared to beat your sister in front of us because they knew our family had no one to stand up for us.

Your sister has four brothers, yet they were treated like this. Look around; which wife’s family with many brothers dares to bully her?

Sigh, you must be more sensible and capable in the future.”

Lei Honghua cried, “My Fangfang doesn’t have four brothers. Are those two ingrates considered brothers?

Today, the Deng family yelled at us in the courtyard. Did those two ingrates say a word?

Only you treat them as your sons. They don’t treat you as their father. Maybe they’re secretly happy seeing Fangfang in this state.”

Qiao Jianguo hadn’t figured out how to broach the subject, but the opportunity presented itself.

He quickly said, “Mom, aren’t they clamoring for a family split? Let’s kick them out.”

“A family needs to work together to have a better life. Look how much trouble we’ve had lately! It’s all because of them. First, it was my brother, then me, now my sister, and who knows who’s next.

To tell you the truth, while you were out today, I kept the door bolted and didn’t dare go out. Even then, they pushed the door several times. I didn’t even dare to breathe loudly.

If this continues, Mom, don’t bother finding me a wife. Just find someone for me to marry into another family. I don’t dare stay in this house anymore. If you can’t bear to part with them, then just abandon me.”

As soon as Qiao Jianguo finished speaking,

Lei Honghua, who had just stopped crying, started again.

“Wuwuwu… Jianguo, your words are breaking my heart…”

At this point, Qiao Jianguo pressed on.

“Mom, do you know how that crazy Daya threatened me?

This afternoon, while you were out, she stared at me menacingly from the window. She said she would throw me into the river while you were away.

She even sang… a terrifying song.”

Qiao Jianguo, imitating Qiao Jiangxin’s dramatic tone, sang, “Afternoon’s loss, evening’s drift, morning’s haul, noon’s feast, mountain’s extra bundle after dark!”

Qiao Jianguo’s voice trembled. He grabbed Lei Honghua’s hand, “Mom, listen! Listen! If you were me, wouldn’t you be scared?

I’m still injured! If I hadn’t bolted the door this afternoon, preventing them from attacking, there would be an extra bundle on the mountain tonight, burying me…”

Outside the courtyard, Liu Afang heard the sobbing from the main house and nudged Qiao Jiangxin with her elbow.

“She’s crying again. It seems they suffered a significant loss.  When your grandmother cried before, it was partly an act.  This is genuine crying, like the time she thought your uncle was going to die.

It seems your aunt was badly beaten by the Deng family.”

Qiao Jiangxin nodded, “Wasn’t that expected? Let’s eat quickly. They’ll probably come looking for us soon. We need to be well-fed and rested to deal with them!”

Sure enough, just as Qiao Jiangxin’s family finished eating and were about to clear the table, Qiao Jiuwang came out calling.

“Stay a while after you finish eating. I have something to talk to you about.”

Liu Afang subconsciously glanced at Qiao Jiangxin, her eyes saying, “Look, they’re here.”

Qiao Jiuwang saw Qiao Youfu and his brother looking at Qiao Jiangxin and became even more annoyed with her.

“I’m talking to you, why are you looking at Daya? What?  Have you lost your eyes? Now you’re even looking to a child for guidance?”

Qiao Youfu and Qiao Youcai blushed, “Dad, what are you saying in front of the children?”

Qiao Jiuwang, preoccupied, didn’t beat around the bush, “Haven’t you always wanted to split up? You’ve made such a mess trying to split up, causing so much trouble that no one can live in peace.

Before, I was wrong. I always thought a family should be harmonious and work together.

But I forgot that big trees have many branches, that you’ve all grown up and have your own ideas, and that the older people get, the more annoying they become.”