Chapter 20

Liu Ye was quick-witted and immediately understood Liu Yu’s intentions! He cozily approached Chen Shi and said, “Grandma, my sister and I will help you to the crooked-neck tree!”

Liu Yu dusted off her coat, brushing off the dirt, eager to get started. “Let’s go! Little brother, let’s help grandma outside!”

Chen Shi wasn’t having it. She wasn’t ready to leave yet; she hadn’t even seen her beloved younger son become successful! With her legs pushing back, she muttered, “No, no, it’s too sunny outside! I’ll be roasted alive. I’m not looking for death!”

With that, Chen Shi broke free from Liu Yu and her brother, quickly scampering back into the house, slamming the door behind her with a bang.

She had planned to act up and force the big house to obey her, but a surprise, unorthodox move by Liu Yu threw her off guard. She couldn’t do anything but change her approach.

The villagers watching from outside the mud wall burst into laughter: The old lady who wanted to die was now complaining about the sun being too strong!

Inside, Chen Shi’s face flushed red with embarrassment at the sound of their laughter.

Liu Yu wasn’t afraid of making a scene. Stretching her neck, she said, “Then you just stay in and rest, but little uncle, don’t you want to help grandma back inside? We need you and aunt to keep an eye on her day and night, don’t let grandma find a way to cause trouble!”

After all the ruckus, they didn’t get to eat the lamb, and now they had made a scene. From now on, Liu Laosan’s name would be famous in the village. Liu Jianjia was embarrassed and felt slapped in the face. He dragged Liu Li and stormed into the house, slamming the door shut behind them.

Liu Ye looked at his sister with a gaze full of admiration. “Sis, you’re amazing! You managed to control grandma!”

Hmph, Liu Yu put her hands on her hips. She was known as the “master of quarrels.” If you wanted to cause trouble with her, you’d better make sure you had enough guts and weren’t afraid of losing face!

Nie Xiaocui felt even more proud of her daughter. Not only did her daughter have a face full of fortune, but she also had such clever tactics. Wherever she went, she would never be taken advantage of.

After cleaning up, the family of the big house returned to their room.

Liu Yu specifically gathered the whole family in one room. Today’s little incident was just a small matter, but with that troublesome grandmother and that troublesome little uncle’s attitude, things would only get worse. The real solution was to split the family. She thought it was time to bring it up.

Liu Jianjia had been beaten with Chen Shi’s cane several times and now slouched on the bed, feeling defeated.

Nie Xiaocui pulled out a bottle of red flower oil, a dowry item she had brought with her years ago. After all this time, the bottle was nearly empty, with just a tiny bit left.

She pulled some cotton from the bedding and began to apply the ointment to her husband.

Liu Yu seized the moment to speak up. “Mom, today we offended little uncle. There will definitely be more trouble. Why don’t we split the family? It’s better than living in this chaotic mess together.”

Liu Ye, who had become inseparable from Liu Yu, eagerly chimed in, “That’s right! Other families are living separately, so why are we the only ones stuck like this?”

Nie Xiaocui paused, surprised by what her children had said.

Liu Jianjia, with his head in his hands, muttered, “Split the family? That’s not going to happen!”

“Why not? Look at how they’re treating us!” Liu Yu asked, puzzled, but her father didn’t answer. Instead, he walked outside, and it sounded like he was drawing water from the well.

Nie Xiaocui placed the almost empty red flower oil back, letting out a long sigh. “Daughter, I’ve talked to your dad about this. But it’s not your grandma causing the trouble; it’s your grandfather! If he doesn’t speak up about splitting the family, even if we try to force it, we won’t be able to take anything with us. We won’t even have a place to settle outside.”

The root of the problem was still old man Liu. Liu Yu nodded thoughtfully.