Splendid Twins

Si Yao walked over and helped Si Lao Er up, protecting her parents behind her, with a cold voice:

"You want compensation? What about my parents working like slaves for this family all these years?"

"Listen to me, this is what a junior should say? Doesn't he, an outsider, have to eat and drink? Isn't it enough for me to marry him a wife and give him children?"

Old Man Si hated Si Yao completely in his heart. If it weren't for this bitch who started trouble as soon as she came back, he would never have been able to split up the family today!

"You are so polite to say that."

Si Yao spoke in a light tone. After she finished speaking, she looked at Lu Yuan and saw him grabbing the Taoist priest and dragging him over.

"You, you really made me suffer. You have to give me ten taels of silver, or I will ruin your grandson's reputation!"

At this time, the Taoist priest had disheveled hair and untidy clothes. He pointed at Old Man Si and threatened him viciously, saying that he did not get a penny and was beaten. He was originally promised two taels of silver after the matter was done, but now he did not agree!

"You're a master? I think you're just a liar. I'm lucky I don't sue you."

Old Man Si was angry that the Taoist priest was useless. He confessed everything after just a few hits. The boss still said that this man was capable!

"Humph, you won't feel any pain unless I punch you. I'm telling you this. If you don't give me ten taels of silver, I'll go straight to the academy to find your grandson and ask the elders of the scholar's family if they are human traffickers."

The Taoist priest's words were very serious. Si Yao was already a registered scholar in the imperial court. If his family was suspected of breaking the law, their titles would be revoked and they would not be allowed to take part in the imperial examinations for three generations!

Mrs. Si was so angry that she wanted to pounce on the Taoist priest and grab his face, but was pulled back by the village chief. He looked at the old man Si who was in a dilemma and his face was extremely ugly:

"Alright, Taoist priest, you guys handle this matter yourselves. As for crossing out the second brother's name, Changsheng, you should think about it again. As long as your whole family agrees, I have nothing to say. We will open the ancestral hall at noon tomorrow to handle it!"

Old Man Si knew that the village chief was angry, but he was concerned that Yao Ge'er had not yet torn his face with him, so he sullenly reached out and took out five taels of silver and threw it to the Taoist priest:

"You can take the five taels or not. The man who hit you is a lunatic in our village. If you can beat him, you can give it back. The one next to you is my granddaughter. She has money on her, so ask her for it!"

Si Yao was so angry that she almost laughed. It was not her order for Lu Yuan to hit anyone. She looked coldly at the Taoist priest next to her, with an unprecedented severity between her brows:

"If you have evil thoughts, burning incense will do no good!"

As soon as these words came out, the Taoist priest broke out in a cold sweat, and was almost breathless due to the overwhelming pressure from her. This girl was much more sophisticated than him!

Si Yao wanted to teach him a lesson, but seeing that he looked like he was going to be jailed, she kept quiet.

The Taoist priest knew that staying any longer would lead to bad results. He took the five taels of silver, straightened his robes, and said to Old Man Si:

"You are such an unlucky old man!"

Old Man Si was so angry that his face turned blue as he watched the Taoist priest walk away. Why didn't Lu Yuan beat him to death?

Seeing that the five taels of silver were gone again, Mrs. Si yelled at Si Yao:

"You shameless little bitch, you were born with a bad luck, like a jinx. I raised your father, so he should work like a slave for me..."

Old Man Si reached out and pulled the scolding old woman aside and said to the village chief:

"Brother, you have seen it too. We have to divide this family. We have discussed it and we have to trouble you to do justice."

"Okay, then you should notify your eldest and third sons to come back as soon as possible, and the other children won't participate. After all, Brother Yao is still on the scientific examination."

The village chief nodded in agreement. Seeing Si Laoer's frustrated face, he felt a little sorry for him and tried to comfort him:

"Don't think too much. Even though they are not your biological parents, it was great that they gave you something to eat during the famine. We have seen your hard work over the years, so we'll just consider it as repaying their kindness in raising you."

The tears that Si Lao Er had been holding back for a long time finally fell. He lowered his head, sniffed, and said in a muffled voice, "I know, uncle."

Old Man Si snorted coldly, then glanced at Si Yao and said:

"Leave my house now. I will notify you when my own son returns."

Si Yao sneered: "You call this a family split? You might as well just call it kicking them out!"

"It's not that we are cruel, it's just that my brother Yao can't stand being dragged down by you at this critical moment."

Wang, who was supporting Mrs. Si from the side, interrupted and said that she hated Si Yao's coldness the most and that she didn't try to curry favor with her as her aunt.

"Now that I've told you, you're not qualified to live in the nursing home anymore. Get out."

Old Man Si immediately cut off Old Man Si’s last thoughts and turned into the house without caring about the presence of the village chief.

"Get out of here now, don't even think about taking anything away, everything here belongs to me!"

Mrs. Si knew what her old man meant. She put her hands on her hips and yelled at Liu Niang. Looking at the indifferent Si Lao Er, she spoke again:

"You've been a loser since you were little, not as capable as my own son. I raised you and made you work for several years, and yet people still say that I'm not a virtuous mother. You're able to survive because you've eaten the food my own son eats. What's wrong with letting you do some work..."

Si Yao's eyes darkened and she said to Mrs. Si: "Yes, yes, yes, whatever you say is right. Our family of three will no longer be a hindrance to you."

He turned to Liu Niang and asked, "Do you have anything to take?"

"I only have a few pieces of clothes, nothing else. Yaoyao, your clothes have been cut into pieces..."

Liu Niang felt more and more guilty as she looked at Si Yao who was protecting her. She couldn't even protect the child's things.

"Then let's go. Don't take anything, or else people will accuse us of taking advantage of his family."

Si Yao walked out holding Liu Niang with one hand and supporting her father with the other. Lu Yuan carried the roe deer and followed behind. The people who were watching the excitement at the door dispersed.

"Village chief, please let us live in the thatched hut again. I, I will pay the village."

Si Lao Er slowed down and stood up and spoke to the village chief, his eyes were a little red and his voice was nasal.

"It's okay, you can go and live there. When you don't want to live there anymore, just clean it up."

The village chief knew Si Yao's plan, and he was happy to do this favor.

"Thank you for your help, village chief. I just happened to kill a roe deer in the mountains. If anyone wants to buy some meat, please come to the thatched cottage. The price is the same as the pork last time. Aunt Huang and Aunt Liu, I'll have to trouble you to comfort my mother."

Si Yao was really happy in her heart. She was finally going to get rid of this family. The new house would be completed soon and she could move in. When the time came, once the door was closed, no one would care how she lived!

"That's too polite. I was wondering how Yao girl could possibly be unlucky."

"That's right. Mr. Si and his wife are honest people. They have suffered a lot in recent years."

"Mrs. Liu, your blessing is yet to come."

"You are too polite, Yao girl. If you need any help in the future, just tell me."

"Hey, why aren't Si Qing and Si Yang here? I don't think I've seen these two brothers recently."

"Mrs. Si said that the two children went to help out at a relative's house. They are not her own grandchildren, so she doesn't feel sorry for them."

"Yao girl, your parents are pitiful people. You should be filial to them in the future."

"I understand, Aunt Six."

Si Yao listened to the discussions of the aunts around her with her eyelids drooping slightly. If Si Yao didn't come back, her brother would certainly not come back either. As for when he would come back, they would have to finish the family business first!

In order to buy some meat, the villagers all went to the thatched hut. They talked and laughed along the way and it was quite lively. The village chief's wife was an old lady with good sense. She took Liu Niang's hand and comforted her in a soft voice. When they arrived at the thatched hut, several aunts took the initiative to help light the fire and boil water. They suddenly became quiet when they saw Lu Yuan holding a knife to divide the meat. The aunts were a little afraid of the knife in Lu Yuan's hand. What if he went crazy and didn't get to eat the meat, and got hurt!

"Let me do it, you collect the money on the side."

Si Yao knew that the villagers were avoiding Lu Yuan, so she took the meat and chopped it off with the knife. Lu Yuan stood beside her and listened to her. Aunt Huang was the first to ask for a large piece of fat and lean meat, and handed the money to Lu Yuan carefully. Lu Yuan took the money and put it away expressionlessly, and stood quietly beside Si Yao.