Cheng Rushan said, “In our family, the eldest son is Big Brother Cheng Ruzhou. Even if the commune returns the big yard, it belongs to Big brother Ruzhou, and you have no say in it.”

Cheng Yunzhi understood that Dongsheng was saying this to save face for him.

In the past, Dongsheng would have outright said Cheng Ruhai was an outsider and should leave.

Now, Dongsheng was mature and mindful of their father’s dignity.

Cheng Yunzhi knew that despite their outward harmony, there was likely tension between the brothers, so he remained seated and did not interfere.

Cheng Ruhai said, “Dongsheng, the way you put it…”

Cheng Rushan’s remarks effectively blocked Cheng Ruhai’s argument, leaving him with no room to retort.

“But, Big Brother Ruzhou doesn’t understand. Now that everything’s been settled, the commune returning our property should rightfully be given to us,” Cheng Ruhai argued.

Cheng Yunzhi intervened, “Eldest son, Dongsheng is right. When the commune returns our property, most of it should go to your uncle. If your uncle isn’t here, then it goes to your big brother(Cheng Ruzhou). If your big brother is inexperienced, we’ll help him manage. Whatever we want, we have to earn it ourselves.”

“But… we earned this place ourselves, we bought it back for 200 yuan,” Cheng Ruhai insisted urgently.

Cheng Rushan scoffed, “I bought this place back. My wife manages it now, it has nothing to do with you.”

He gave Cheng Ruhai a cold glance, and Cheng Ruhai immediately understood: today, Rushan was letting him in out of respect for Dad, but next time, if he dared enter without permission, he’d be in big trouble!

Even though Cheng Ruhai had treated Jiang Lin and them a bit unfairly in the past, as long as he gave them shelter, Cheng Rushan wouldn’t have turned hostile.

Living in such a courtyard and kicking Jiang Lin and his mother out to live in a shack was something Cheng Rushan couldn’t accept and would never forgive.

At this moment, Liu Honghua arrived with Cheng Tiegang, Cheng Jingang, and Dabang, entering the courtyard.

She exclaimed, “Dad, you’re finally back! We missed you so much. If it weren’t for someone stopping us, we would’ve come to pick you up early yesterday.”

The three children quickly stepped forward to greet their grandfather warmly and respectfully.

Cheng Yunzhi asked them to get up quickly and inquired about their ages and other details.

Daobao, Xiaobao, and Cheng Ruzhou had just returned with some things.

Upon seeing this, the two of them asked Cheng Ruzhou to put the things on the screen wall and pulled him aside under the porch to whisper.

Daobao said, “Big Brother, those people are really bad, they want to come and take our home.”

Cheng Ruzhou’s face turned serious, “Take our home?!” This was his deepest fear and the thing he hated the most.

Xiaobao nodded, “Yes, really bad. They steal our eggs, give us spoiled food, and even tried to make me live in the cowshed!”

The cowshed?

Cheng Ruzhou had heard countless horror stories about the cowshed at the labor reform farm.

It was a terrible place.

He crossed his arms, “That’s awful!”

He glanced around, grabbed a stout copper stick leaning against the wall, and strode over, angrily swinging it at Liu Honghua and Cheng Ruhai, who were talking incessantly with Cheng Yunzhi.

“You bastards, bullying my brother, I’ll beat you to death!”

Despite his lower intellect, he had great strength.

His strikes were forceful and immediate, causing Liu Honghua to cry out in pain as Cheng Ruhai quickly wrestled the stick away from Cheng Ruzhou.

Cheng Yunzhi hurriedly intervened, “Eldest son, you can’t hit your big brother!”

But in the midst of his words, Cheng Ruhai also received a few blows, which were excruciating.

Originally, Liu Honghua had planned to bring the children to cheer up their grandfather, stay for a meal, and move back in.

However, she ended up getting a solid beating from Cheng Ruzhou and hastily ran off with the children to avoid further confrontation.

Dabao and Xiaobao stood at the entrance of the southern room, munching on melons and chuckling softly as they watched.

They clapped and cheered, “If you bully our grandma and mom again, we’ll beat you!”

Cheng Ruzhou also shouted after them, “If you bully our grandma and mom again, we’ll beat you!”

Cheng Rushan paid no attention, busying himself with packing things up and ignoring Cheng Yunzhi’s protests.

Cheng Yunzhi sighed deeply.

Dabao and Xiaobao ran over to him, smiling, “Grandpa, don’t be angry. With Dad back, they can’t chase us to live in the shack again!”

Cheng Yunzhi felt a pang in his chest and held their hands tightly. “Why would they chase you to live in a shack?”

Dabao explained, “We used to live here, but the bad guys chased us to live in the shack. We lived in the small courtyard, but now that Dad’s back, we’ve moved back here.”

The children couldn’t explain clearly, but Cheng Yunzhi pieced together a rough idea from their words.

Yan Runzhi handed him a towel wrung from water to wipe his face and hands, worried he might be uncomfortable. “It’s nothing serious. Let’s leave the old folks’ business to them. The kids are all grown up now, married with children. They can manage their own lives.”

Cheng Yunzhi squeezed her hand, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Yan Runzhi replied softly. “Without you, could I have such good children? From now on, just do what you can do. If you can work, then work; if not, just relax and enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about the kids.” She handed him a persimmon to snack on. “We’ll eat soon.”

Cheng Yunzhi stood up, “We had our first meal at the farm, and now that we’ve come all this way back, we should have our first meal at Eldest’s house.”

With pursed lips, he suppressed years of pent-up frustration, and walked out with hands behind his back.

Yan Runzhi asked, “Where are you going all of a sudden, getting stubborn again?”

Cheng Rushan replied, “Mom, let Dad take a stroll.”

Cheng Yunzhi strolled out and said to Dabao and Xiaobao, “Good grandsons, lead the way for grandpa. Show me where your Uncle lives.”

The boys cheerfully ran out to guide him.

Jiang Lin ran into the courtyard, “Is this okay? Don’t let the old man get upset. Although I’ve only just started knowing with Cheng Yunzhi, I can tell he’s not easily angered, but when he does get angry, it can be serious.”

Yan Runzhi laughed, “Why not? We can’t stop him from paying respects to his own father, and we don’t want him bouncing around the house all day. Whenever he wants to see his father, we’ll let him go and show his respect, isn’t that perfect?”

Jiang Lin chuckled. “That makes sense.”

Yan Runzhi said, “I’m hungry. Let’s not wait for them. You go ahead and eat.”

She served the old man hand-rolled noodles, soup noodles, and whatever else he wanted to eat.

Jiang Lin said, “Let’s wait. It’s the first meal back home. We should eat together.”

Cheng Rushan went to get wine. “You and the kids go ahead. Dad doesn’t care about that.”

Jiang Lin replied, “I’ve had a few pieces of rice cake and a few peaches. I’m not hungry.” She looked outside and wanted to watch the excitement.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yunzhi went to Cheng Ruhai’s house.

Liu Honghua was crying and yelling, “This is too much. We’ve been vindicated, the houses returned, why not give you the eldest?

Giving it to that fool?

What does he know?

Isn’t it just Second’s family taking over? Dad’s back, and he doesn’t let us be close, why so aggressive?

His mother was obviously plotting! A bunch of black-hearted people, that old witch and that young witch…”

Cheng Ruhai said, “Stop talking. Tomorrow when they’re not at home, Dad and I will have a talk.

Dad values feelings most, he’s sure to understand our difficulties, and he’ll help us.

If Second’s family wants to live in that small courtyard, let them. Isn’t it better to give us the big yard when it’s back?”

Cheng Yunzhi, then at the door, sent Wensheng, Dabao, and Xiaobao outside, out of his hair.

Since it was getting dark, the two of them had been busy making a ruckus, making food, so they didn’t see Cheng Yunzhi.

Cheng Yunzhi walked straight to the hall’s entrance, and said, “You all want to get close with Dongsheng, he won’t let you get close? Give me something to eat, a long journey, hungry.”

Cheng Rushan and Liu Honghua met at the door, “Dad, how did you get here?”

Cheng Yunzhi said, “I’ve come back from the labor camp, and I don’t even have a place to stay. Shouldn’t I seek refuge with my eldest son?”

Liu Honghua angrily retorted, “Dad, look at where we live? Mud-brick thatched huts! Second Brother even let the roof leak on us, and it leaks so badly when it rains. It’s really impossible to live like this. Second Brother and his wife are like village bullies. If this were a few years ago, they’d be paraded through the streets!”

Cheng Yunzhi furrowed his brow tightly, years of habit making him not easily angered.

He didn’t judge right from wrong, but Liu Honghua’s words genuinely upset him.

However, as a father-in-law, he couldn’t interfere with his daughter-in-law.

If anyone had to interfere, it would have to be his wife or the men.

He said to Cheng Ruhai, “Eldest, you must act right. How could your younger brother not respect you? Why would your younger brother let your house leak? Although Dongsheng is tough, he’s not unreasonable.”

Liu Honghua interrupted, “What else can it be? Second Brother’s wife is a sent-down youth who looks down on Second Brother and even tried to sell her son and elope with someone.

They wanted to go live in a hut by themselves, so why blame us? As soon as Second Brother returns, these women would complain to him and have him intimidate us, wuwuwu~~” She started crying and wiping her tears, “Why won’t you take our side when you’re back? Are we just to be bullied?”

Cheng Yunzhi said, “Eldest, I’m generally easy-going, but am I stupid?”

He glanced at Jiang Lin approvingly, who was wise and had borne Dongsheng two fine children.

She was filial to her mother-in-law and had no faults.

The wife of the eldest actually accused someone of selling her son and eloping, which was creating enmity.

If the eldest sister-in-law(his elder brother’s wife , mother of Cheng Ruzhou) had been present, she would have been made to kneel and reflect in the temple.

Cheng Ruhai knelt in front of him. “Dad, your son didn’t do anything wrong. Aren’t all these policies? Isn’t it all society?”

Cheng Yunzhi replied, “Why did you drive your mother and sister-in-law out to live in a hut?

What does that have to do with policies and society?

When your mother took you away, didn’t she treat you well?

I don’t know about other things, but I know exactly what kind of person your mother is.”

Liu Honghua sneered, “Forget it, Dad is obviously confused. He was drugged and is now back to find fault with us, not supporting us.”

Yesterday, they were on the farm.

Who knows how Yan Runzhi complained?

Of course, she wouldn’t say anything good about her own family.

Now that the old man has come back and is asking for food here, what is his intention?

Didn’t Second Brother bring back so much good food?

Why didn’t he invite them over?

This is too much!

Cheng Yunzhi was so angry at Liu Honghua that he trembled.

Cheng Rushan was still kneeling and crying, “Dad, as the elder, you should treat everyone equally. You can’t just look on while your eldest son has no mother to care for him and no one to support him, only paying attention to your younger wife and my younger brother…” (Note: Cheng Yunzhi have two wifes — 1. Mother of Ruhai and 2. Mother of Dongsheng )

With a “slap,” Cheng Yunzhi slapped Cheng Ruhai.

“You unfilial son, that’s your mother! Not only are you not calling her mother, but where did this ‘young wife’ come from?”

Cheng Ruhai immediately apologized, “Dad, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He slapped himself a few times, “Dad, please don’t be angry.”

He said to Liu Honghua, “Quickly make dinner, kill a chicken, let Dad eat here.”