Traveling through ancient times to survive

Whenever Liu Xiaocao mentioned this matter in the past, Zhao Chengchuan always looked guilty and agreed to everything she said, but now Zhao Chengchuan sneered.

"Mom, you have been saying this since I was old enough to understand, so I have listened to you in everything over the years. When my eldest brother and third brother were having fun in the village, I was the only one at home helping you with the work. I didn't dare to touch the food and supplies at home. I even found an orphan who didn't want a dowry when I got married. After I started hunting, I gave all my money to you. You didn't give me a penny and spent it all on the first and third wives. I have no complaints about all these. But my son almost died that day! I will consider it as my repayment for your suffering."

Seeing that he could no longer suppress the second brother, Liu Xiaocao immediately changed his mind and started to play the victim in a sad and pitiful manner.

"You are the most sensible among the three children in the family. I know that you love me. How could I give up on you? That quack doctor said he couldn't cure you. He also said that even if you were sent to the county town, it might not work. It's not that I don't want to treat you, but we really don't have money. You still have two brothers. I can't sell the land and let the whole family starve to death, right?"

Zhao Chengchuan was angry and said, "What about my wife and children? Why did you chase them away when I didn't know whether I was dead or alive? If it weren't for the kindness of the village chief, we wouldn't even have a place to hide!"

"It turns out that you, a shameless little whore, are the one stirring up discord behind our backs!" Liu Xiaocao turned around and pointed her spearhead at Wang Mei, "My son used to be so filial, but since you came into the family, he has started to disobey his elders. Our family can't tolerate someone like you..."

"That's enough! Mom, I know how you treated me and my eldest brother and third brother. Don't treat me like a fool!"

Liu Xiaocao was furious when her motherly appearance was exposed: "Okay! I knew you were an unfilial son who would hold grudges but not gratitude. I have raised you for decades and you turned out to be an ungrateful wolf!"

Zhao Chengchuan's face turned pale when he heard this, and he almost gave up. Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhao Yuanmu immediately interrupted his wife's nonsense: "Okay, old woman, stop talking nonsense. Second son, your mother is just angry. The family really has no money to treat your illness, and you two brothers have families to feed, so we simply divided the most valuable land and gave you half, and you two brothers didn't object. There is no such thing as driving you out. It was your wife who took the initiative to move out."

Wang Mei couldn't help but listen to the old man putting the blame on her, "Dad, who has a good house but wants to live in a rotten one? The eldest sister-in-law and the younger sister-in-law are both saying that the second branch has taken advantage of the land and are not satisfied. They are shameless and still want a house. They are not allowed to use the stove at home. Are they waiting to starve to death if they don't move out? And don't say that our second branch took advantage of the land. The money his father has earned over the years is enough to buy more than ten times the land!"

Liu Xiaocao mocked: "Old man, look, the second son got the advantage but still acted ungratefully, and is not satisfied with getting the largest share of the family property, thinking that he got a big loss! It's just a windfall, why are you so proud! Our Cheng brother will become an official in the future!"

Liu Xiaocao snorted coldly and ordered, "Second brother, didn't you just get 70 taels? Give 30 taels to your parents for their old age. Your eldest brother was injured yesterday because of Qingya. You can take another 20 taels to treat his injury!"

Wang Mei was furious: "Mom, don't go too far! Who in the village would ask for thirty taels for their parents' retirement? And what has Qingya got to do with the eldest brother's injury? He overestimated his own abilities, was greedy and unlucky!"

Liu Xiaocao was furious: "How can you have the right to interrupt us when we discuss family affairs!"

"Mother, Mei Niang is my wife, and her meaning is my meaning."

"'Unfilial son, unfilial son, you have a wife and forget your mother! I will beat you to death, you two unfilial descendants!'

Zhao Chengchuan finally gave up the last bit of fantasy he had about his parents. From now on, his family would only be his wife and children.

Zhao Chengchuan said sternly, "That's enough! If you keep making trouble, don't even think about getting another penny!"

Liu Xiaocao's raised palm stopped beside Wang Mei's ear, and the whistling wind from the palm blew her hair. Wang Mei's dodging action came to an abrupt stop, and they both looked back in disbelief at the same time.

"Okay, okay! You're threatening me now! Today I'll let you know that I'm not a pushover!"

"Mom, you don't care about our second wife, what about the first wife? You don't want the teacher at Cheng'er Academy to know that his parents and grandparents forced his disabled second uncle's family to death for him, right?"

Liu Xiaocao's fingers trembled, and she was extremely angry: "How dare you! Do you still want to hinder Cheng Ge'er's future?!"

Zhao Yuanmu's face changed drastically. The eldest son Cheng'er was about to take the exam for the scholar. The chance for their Zhao family to change its status was right in front of them. He would not allow any mistakes!

"Old woman, stop making a fuss. The second son is determined to alienate us! We should not worry about his life from now on. We have worked hard to support you for many years. We accept your disrespect for us, but you are brothers. Now that the eldest son is in trouble, you, as the younger brother, can't just ignore it, right?"

In the old house over the years, it was Sun Xiaocao who openly bullied the second branch, but in reality it was Zhao Yuanmu who hid behind and acted as a protector.

Wang Mei looked at her father-in-law's hypocritical face and finally blurted out the truth that she had been holding back for many years: "Dad, I find it funny that you say this. Who is supporting whom in this family? The land that the eldest son grows is not enough for his family to eat, and his son has to study in the county academy. The third son is idle and does nothing. Only his father has good hunting skills and can often kill some big fish. Otherwise, the old house relies on a bunch of losers. Let alone Cheng'er's study, I'm afraid that several people in the Zhao family would have starved to death long ago!"

Zhao Yuanmu's lung was stabbed, his defenses were instantly broken, and his veins bulged with anger.

Wang Mei ignored Zhao Yuanmu's pale face and continued to speak: "Who did his father get hurt for? Wasn't it because Cheng Geer insisted on asking for money to attend a poetry reunion with his classmates? How did the old house work when his father got hurt? They split up the family immediately, and there is nothing but five acres of land. I don't believe that you two old people don't have a penny, but we, the second branch, are too lazy to care about these things."

Wang Mei became more and more angry as she spoke, "Where are the eldest and third brothers these days while the baby's father is lying in bed? They didn't even come to see him. What's this about brotherhood? I won't even mention that our second branch made the most money, did the most work, and ate the least. Now God bless our second branch and we have made a little money. In addition to paying for the baby's father's medical treatment and buying and repairing a house, it's not enough to spend. Even if there is any left, we won't give it to these cold-blooded people who have no brotherhood!"

Zhao Yuanmu stopped Sun Xiaocao from jumping up and down, and turned his gun around: "Second brother, are you just going to watch your wife humiliate your parents and brothers?"

Zhao Chengchuan: "Dad, Mei Niang's words are harsh. I apologize to you. You can see that this broken thatched house will collapse if there is a slight strong wind. If we don't repair the house, how can our family survive in the winter? Asking for money now is like forcing us to die! If you want our lives, no one will have a good life!"