Cheng Ruhai was convinced that Cheng Fugui had ulterior motives towards Yan Runzhi.

Back in the day, Cheng Fugui’s wife always called Yan Runzhi a seductress.

Cheng Ruhai disagreed with this; while she could be called a landowner’s wife, she was definitely not a seductress.

She was good-looking but very proper, something Cheng Ruhai had witnessed firsthand under the same roof.

If Cheng Fugui dared not to help him, he would use this as leverage!

He got ready and told Liu Honghua to inform the deputy team leader about his work.

He planned to go to the commune, but then he saw Cheng Rushan and Jiang Lin coming with their two children.

“Well, well, if it isn’t an unexpected visit.” Liu Honghua sneered, “Are you here to return the bucket or what…?”

“You really think highly of yourself.” Jiang Lin laughed, “Even an uneducated person knows that phrase is used when asking for help. You’re really giving yourself too much credit!”

Liu Honghua’s face turned red with embarrassment. “We know you’re an educated youth, so what’s the big deal?”

Cheng Ruhai looked at Cheng Rushan, thinking he was here to apologize.

He adopted a superior tone, “So, have you realized your mistake? An elder brother is an elder brother, and a younger brother is a younger brother. You can’t mess with the order and rules.”

Cheng Rushan said, “You’re overthinking. I’m here to take my things.”

Cheng Ruhai was taken aback.

Liu Honghua shouted, “What things? The division was fair and witnessed by the village team.”

Cheng Rushan, not raising his voice, said coldly, “The furniture is mine.”

“We already gave them a wardrobe, a chest, two small boxes, and a lot of tables and benches!” Liu Honghua’s eyes turned red with anger.

Damn it, how could their luck be so bad?

Ten rooms became three or four, and now they wanted to take their furniture too?

Cheng Rushan said, “You used the furniture after you got married and had children, but it was never said to be given to you.”

Back then, the house and old furniture were redeemed by him.

The debt from Cheng Ruhai’s wedding was paid by him, and the new furniture was bought by him.

Since they had separated the family, he wanted to take it back.

“That was before the separation. We were brothers, and everything belonged to the family. How is it yours? Should we split the earnings we brought to the family too?” Cheng Ruhai’s neck was bulging with veins, looking terrifying like varicose veins.

Cheng Rushan, still calm and collected, said, “What you earned, you ate; we didn’t see it. My mother and I didn’t eat what you earned. It’s only right for me to take back my things.”

“Call the village team, call the village team! This is rebellion!” Cheng Ruhai was so angry he jumped up and down, but he knew he was no match for Cheng Rushan.

He had learned this the hard way since Cheng Rushan was nine years old.

Cheng Rushan smiled faintly, “Sorry, but this is a family matter. The village team can’t intervene.”

He wandered around the yard, pulling out a pickaxe, a large hoe, a machete, and an axe, throwing them all into the yard, and then went into the house.

Liu Honghua cried heart-wrenchingly, “Robbery! Robbery! Husband, why aren’t you calling the village team? Where’s the security chief? Call the militia!”

Cheng Ruhai, frantic and unable to keep too close to Cheng Rushan, shouted, “Brother, what are you doing?”

Cheng Rushan said calmly, “You made my mother, wife, and son live in a shed, didn’t you?”

“It was their choice to move out! I just joked about it, and they took it seriously!” He was sure Yan Runzhi and Jiang Lin had complained to Cheng Rushan, so he explained the situation.

In reality, it was just a series of comments.

He and Liu Honghua had said that if living together was so unhappy, then they should move out if they could.

Meanwhile, Cheng Dabao and Cheng Xiaobao were playing a game they had learned from other children, chanting, “Stomp, stomp, stomp the bad guy, stomp the bad guy’s head, stomp the bad guy’s face, stomp the bad guy’s chest, stomp the bad guy’s legs…”

Jiang Lin: “…”

Cheng Xiaobao laughed and pointed at Liu Honghua, shouting, “Dad, she’s the bad guy! She took my eggs!”

Cheng Dabao added, “Cold water in winter, spoiled buns in summer.”

The two children had never spoken up before, but now, with their father backing them, they suddenly remembered all the mistreatment and began talking about Liu Honghua’s cruelty.

Jiang Lin felt a pang in her heart, her eyes stinging with tears.

She wanted to hug the two kids.

Although she wasn’t the one who did those things, the original Jiang Lin knew about Liu Honghua’s actions and did nothing to stop them.

If it had been her children, mistreated in her absence, she would have been furious and blamed the caretaker for allowing it.

She couldn’t look at Cheng Rushan and instinctively started to step back.

Cheng Dabao grabbed Jiang Lin’s hand, looking up at her, “Mom, she curses you behind your back!”

He pointed at Liu Honghua, then at Cheng Ruhai, “And he always spies on you through the window!”

What the children said only scratched the surface.

The adults could understand the deeper implications of Liu Honghua’s insults and Cheng Ruhai’s lewd peeping at his sister-in-law.

Jiang Lin felt a surge of anger.

Liu Honghua rushed over to grab Cheng Dabao, screaming, “You little brat, how dare you lie!”

With a “smack,” Jiang Lin slapped Liu Honghua with all her strength, making her see stars.

Still not satisfied, Jiang Lin swung again.

Liu Honghua shrieked and tried to fight back, but Jiang Lin tripped her, sending her crashing to the ground.

Dizzy and disoriented, Liu Honghua looked up to see Cheng Dabao holding an axe, ready to strike her.

She fainted out of sheer terror.

Cheng Dabao and Cheng Xiaobao were helping their parents gather their belongings.

Cheng Xiaobao was dragging a heavy hoe, while Cheng Dabao struggled to carry an axe, wobbling under its weight.

Cheng Dabao asked, “What happened to her?”

Jiang Lin replied, “She’s fainted from guilt.”

Cheng Xiaobao pointed at Cheng Ruhai, who was trembling under the eaves, almost collapsing, and clapped his hands, “Your turn!”

Cheng Rushan was on the brink of exploding because of his son’s words.

He clenched his fists; if Jiang Lin and the kids weren’t there, he might have killed Cheng Ruhai with one punch.

Reason told him it wasn’t worth it; he needed to support his family now.

He glanced inside the house and saw two well-made, shiny black boxes he had crafted, not the shabby ones Jiang Lin was currently using.

He went over and picked them up.

Cheng Ruhai cried and tried to stop him, “Dongsheng, those are your brother’s! For our father’s sake, don’t bully me like this…”

Cheng Rushan ignored him, his face cold.

He grabbed the small locks, yanked them off with force, and discarded the hinges.

He dumped the contents of the boxes onto the ground with a loud crash.

Cheng Rushan looked down and saw inside the box were small silver bracelets and anklets with bells, which were treasures from his childhood, hidden away by his mother.

There was also a purple copper tobacco pipe used by his grandfather, kept by his uncle, and a gold bracelet worn by his aunt when she hanged herself, which his uncle had kept as a memento, among other things.

“Cheng Ruhai, you’ve really done it this time.” If it weren’t for this confrontation, Cheng Rushan wouldn’t have thought to expose his secrets.

Cheng Ruhai’s face turned purple with rage. “Cheng Rushan, I’m going to fight you!” He charged at Cheng Rushan, trying to knock him down.

Cheng Rushan lifted his foot and kicked Cheng Ruhai in the chest, sending him flying like a ragdoll.

Standing in the main room, Cheng Rushan remained unmoved, his expression icy.

Cheng Xiaobao peeked at Cheng Ruhai, seeing blood at the corner of his mouth. He asked Cheng Dabao, “Do you think he’s dead?”

Cheng Dabao glanced over, “Definitely not. See, he’s still twitching.”

The two little ones ignored him and ran to the main room to pick up the items Cheng Rushan had dumped out.

At this moment, a few village cadres finally arrived.

The village secretary, the security chief, and a few militiamen entered the courtyard, seeing the mess.

They all felt a headache coming on.

“Rushan, Comrade Jiang, what’s going on here?”

Jiang Lin smiled, “Secretary, it’s just a small family matter. Why did it alarm you?”

Cheng Fuyun looked at Jiang Lin, then at Cheng Rushan standing in the main room.

How could this tall, handsome young man look so fierce?

He thought the smiling young man had changed his temper and become easygoing. How could he now be on the verge of destroying his elder brother’s house?

Cheng Rushan stood there, exuding coldness, his face like ice.

Cheng Fuyun didn’t dare to go in.

He stood at the door and asked, “Rushan, why are you so angry?”

If he was angry, why didn’t he show it back at the village office?

Back there, he seemed all smiles and only tripped Cheng Ruhai.

Why this sudden outburst?

Cheng Rushan glanced at Jiang Lin outside, then looked down at the two children, suppressing his anger.

He smiled lightly and said, “It’s nothing, just a family matter. My elder brother said he was sorry and wanted to experience what it’s like living in a shed.”

Saying this, Cheng Rushan walked out of the main room and picked up a wooden stick in the yard.

The security chief’s face turned pale with fear. “Rushan, what are you doing? Don’t be impulsive!”

Cheng Rushan smiled and made a gesture, “Don’t worry, I’m just playing a joke on my brother.”

With the stick in his hand, he pressed it to the ground and jumped up like a leopard, landing on the roof.

He moved on the roof with ease, like walking on flat ground, and started poking holes at measured intervals, one hole with each step.