Chapter 14: Severing Ties

“Chen Jianjun! Come out here right now!” Chen’s father was pounding loudly on the main door.

Inside the courtyard, Uncle Chen was playing with his grandson Tie Zhu. Hearing the noise at the gate, he stood up and opened the door.

Seeing it was his younger brother, he said, “Oh! Second brother, what brings you here? Weren’t Mom and Dad going to your—” Before he could finish, Chen’s father’s fist struck Uncle Chen’s face.

“You bastard!” The punches kept landing on Uncle Chen’s face. “Second brother! What are you doing?!”

Hearing this, Uncle Chen’s wife rushed out the door. Seeing the scene, she yelled loudly, “Help! My younger brother is beating my elder brother! Is there no law anymore?” She grabbed a nearby stool and charged forward.

Big Brother Chen hurriedly stepped in to stop her, fuming, “How dare you! You’re the one bullying our parents!”

Uncle Chen’s son Chen Leiluo and daughter-in-law Zhao Cuicui also rushed outside, shouting, “Dad! Mom!”

Chen Leiluo angrily pushed forward to pull Chen’s father away, but Lin Shuhe stepped up and blocked him with a domineering look. Chen Leiluo immediately felt a chill.

Uncle Chen’s wife cried, watching Chen’s father keep hitting her husband, “Damn it! My brother is bullying his brother’s family! This is injustice! Somebody help!”

It was dinner time in the village; at her cries, many neighbors came out with bowls in hand to watch.

Seeing more and more people gather, Chen Manman spoke loudly, “Uncles and aunts, please hear me out. Today I took Grandpa and Grandma to our house for dinner and learned that Aunt Chen usually only lets them eat one bowl of thin porridge a day. The clothes of eight or nine people are all washed by Grandma. Grandpa broke his leg and has trouble walking, but Aunt Chen makes him go up the mountain every day to chop wood and carry water!”

“The old couple in the Chen family are pitiful. That eldest daughter-in-law is so cruel to the elders!”

“Exactly, no wonder the team leader hit his brother!”

“That Chen family is really rotten!”

Aunt Chen shouted back, “Nonsense! Those two old folks want to work! I never forced them!” Zhao Fang threw out her neck arrogantly, completely unaware of her wrongdoing.

Chen Manman continued, “Aunt Chen even calls Grandpa and Grandma… sob sob… She also threatens them not to tell us! If I hadn’t taken Grandpa and Grandma away today and seen how skinny they are, none of us would have known!” To make it more convincing, Chen Manman pretended to wipe tears.

Lin Shuhe took a handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it to her.

Chen Manman: “…Wow, that’s considerate.” She accepted it, sobbing as if heartbroken.

Chen’s father stopped hitting and grabbed Chen Jianjun by the collar. “Big brother! You let Zhao Fang bully our parents? Are you still human? Our parents loved you most since childhood, never lacking food, and now you treat them like this! This is the last time I call you ‘big brother’!”

He turned to the watching crowd, “Everyone, Chen Jianjun lets his wife mistreat our parents. As their son, I cannot stay silent. From now on, I will take care of them myself, without him! I’m taking them back today! I sever all ties with Chen Jianjun!”

“Team leader! We support you! I’ve seen Grandma Chen washing clothes by the river alone many times, clothes piled high!”

“Yeah! With such a son and daughter-in-law, the old couple must be cursed for generations!”

“In our village, when families split, the elders usually live with the eldest son. When they split, the old couple was supposed to live with Chen’s eldest son, but his wife refused. The team leader’s family offered to take care of them, but again the eldest daughter-in-law disagreed. They finally compromised to alternate half a year each. Clearly, this is the eldest daughter-in-law’s scheme!”

“Right! With her sharp tongue and sour attitude, the old couple really suffers!”

People kept talking back and forth, making Chen Jianjun’s face turn red with anger. He had never endured such humiliation!

Hearing his younger brother wanted to sever ties, he panicked, “Second brother! I’m your big brother! How can you disown me? Listen! It’s your sister-in-law making me do this! I’m telling you, it’s Zhao Fang! Apologize to Mom and Dad and my second brother, or go back to your mother’s house!” Uncle Chen got up and slapped Zhao Fang.

“Chen Jianjun! Do you have any conscience? I do this for someone else! Heartless!” Zhao Fang was stunned; since their marriage, Chen Jianjun had never hit her! But now…

“I’m not done with you!” Zhao Fang lunged forward, pulling Chen Jianjun’s hair.

Chen Jianjun had only been pretending to scare his brother into changing his mind. But now, as Zhao Fang yanked at his scalp, his temper flared and he slapped her again, “You shrew! Bully our parents and don’t apologize yet?”

Chen Jianjun’s son immediately stepped up, grabbing his father’s hand, “Dad! What are you doing? Mom’s not wrong; the problem is with their family. Get it straight!”

Chen Leiluo pointed at Chen Manman, blaming her for all the trouble. Before the family split, he had always disliked his uncle’s daughter Manman. Being the eldest grandson, he resented how Grandpa and Grandma favored her.

He blamed today’s events on Chen Manman. If she hadn’t spoken ill of his mother, why would his uncle want to sever ties? His uncle’s family loved that girl, but how could Grandpa and Grandma be so unreasonable? He even started to hate Grandpa and Grandma along with them.

If Chen Manman knew Chen Leiluo’s thoughts, she’d probably slap him twice to wake him up!

Chen Xiaoli, who had been secretly listening from inside the house, saw the crowd outside her door. She pinched herself hard and tears immediately flowed. She rushed out shouting, “Mom! Apologize to Second Uncle’s family! Apologize to Grandpa and Grandma!”

Her words stunned everyone, even Chen Manman. What was she up to now?

“Chen Xiaoli, what are you doing? How useless you are!” Chen Leiluo snapped at his sister, furious.

But Chen Xiaoli didn’t care. “Brother! It’s all Mom’s fault! Grandpa and Grandma are so old, and Mom still makes them work every day, washing clothes in cold water during winter, not letting them eat! If anyone’s to blame, it’s Mom! Second Uncle’s family is so good. Tell Mom to apologize to Grandpa and Grandma quickly!”

She was about to get married and wouldn’t live at home after, so she didn’t care. But her second uncle was the team leader. If he was in a good mood, maybe he’d find her a job or arrange an easy position for her fiancé—just like Lin Shuhe, with light work and high credit points.