Old Mrs. Zhao sat on the bed, smiling as she counted the gift money. After finishing, she put the money away. In the next second, her expression changed drastically, and she stormed out of the house.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, quickly call everyone out."
"Mom, what are you doing?"
"I've been so busy these past few days, I forgot. Let's go settle the score with that Xie woman. She guaranteed your father wouldn't have any accidents. Now that something has happened, she has to be responsible and compensate us."
"Oh, okay, if you say so."
A group of people marched towards Aunt Xie's house.
"Xie the swindler, you damn, rotten, wicked woman. Open the door for me! If you don't open it, I'll have someone smash it down. You are worse than pigs and dogs, and you dare to cheat my Zhao family's money! Give me back my old man's life!"
Neighbors: "What's going on? It's so noisy this early in the morning."
"What else could it be? That old Zhao family's Xie woman is here to settle the score. She took money from them and a rooster, and then that old Zhao man drowned in the pond."
"No, I have to go and see."
"You lazy woman, you're so quick to run for this kind of thing. Wait for me! I'll come back after watching to boil water and cook."
"Hurry, hurry."
Aunt Xie had already anticipated this. She pretended to be asleep inside and refused to get up.
She was too old to run off anywhere else. If the Zhao family dared to hit her, she was prepared to extort them.
"Fine, you're feigning death inside. Eldest grandson, you all come here and kick down her broken door."
"Hey, alright."
With a few bangs, the old wooden door collapsed. The Zhao family members filed in, almost filling Aunt Xie's courtyard.
Old Mrs. Zhao led her daughters-in-law into Aunt Xie's bedroom. Aunt Xie rubbed her eyes and pretended to have just woken up.
She said with a stern face, "Why have you all barged into my house? Get out! Otherwise, I'll report you to the authorities."
"Go ahead and report us, report us! Old woman, I'm not afraid of you. Let's see who the constables will arrest. You swindler, give back my old man's life!"
Old Mrs. Zhao went mad and lunged forward to scratch Aunt Xie's face. Her two daughters-in-law held Aunt Xie tightly, preventing her from moving.
"Is there no justice? Why are you hitting me? Your old man brought it upon himself by going to the pond. Who can you blame?"
"That foul thing definitely didn't leave. My old man couldn't even get out of bed a few days ago. How could he have gone so far? It's all your fault, you useless trash."
"Old Mrs. Zhao, we'll see. You're the one who came to provoke me. When the heavens send their punishment, don't come begging me."
Old Mrs. Zhao slapped her several times. "Do you think I'm scared? If you have gods, why couldn't they protect my old man?"
"That was his own doing!"
"Is that all you can say? I was foolish before and fooled by you. If you had gods, why would you be a hunchbacked blind woman? This is your retribution for deceiving people, your retribution!"
"You're talking nonsense, you'll regret this."
"Regret? I'm not afraid of that. Second daughter-in-law, third daughter-in-law, teach her a lesson properly."
Old Mrs. Zhao got up and smashed all the clay figurines that Aunt Xie had mockingly enshrined. The men outside, following her orders, began to smash things in the kitchen.
Old Mrs. Zhao took out all the money she had initially saved and also took Aunt Xie's hidden savings.
At this moment, Aunt Xie had been beaten into a pulp and was unable to even open her mouth to stop them.
"What's with that look? Is this money not enough to compensate for my rooster?"
After saying this, she continued to rummage through the house, stuffing anything she liked into her arms, although they were all worthless items.
Zhao Xiao Ba: "Wow, this is chicken soup! They say it's for the Buddha, but that old woman is just enjoying it all by herself."
"Let me see, let me see. So much meat! We didn't even slaughter this much for our New Year."
"We can't let that old woman have it cheap. Let's heat it up and eat it ourselves."
Zhao Xiao Ba eagerly took a spoon and drank some of the cold chicken soup. "Ah, it smells so good. Delicious, delicious."
He narrowed his eyes, looking extremely satisfied, which amused everyone around him.
"You greedy little thing."
Brother Zhao Wu took the spoon from him, covered the chicken soup with the lid, and asked Zhao Xiao Qi to get something to start a fire.
A small crowd had already gathered outside. Old Zhao Da explained the situation, fearing that outsiders would misunderstand their family.
"They deserve to be beaten. This is a matter of life and death, how can you joke about it? If you can't handle it, tell people clearly. Are you not ashamed to take that money?"
"Ashamed of what? She happily slaughtered a rooster to eat. I used to have reverence for her, but this kind of swindler really corrupts the village's atmosphere."
"Shaming our village. Aunt Xie and Wang Da Bao, I look down on these two the most."
"Who isn't saying that? By the way, it's been a long time since we've seen Wang Da Bao out and about."
"It would be better if that brat died outside. He's been idle all day, stealing and swindling. No one cares about him after his parents died. His skin is so thick that nothing can penetrate it. If you encounter him, you can only lose."
"That brat even steals things from children. I heard he's sick and lying at home."
"Serves him right, retribution. His family fortune is all gone, and no one is bringing him any herbs or anything. He's probably done for."
"Although that child is not well-liked, you shouldn't curse him to death. I'll go and see him tomorrow."
"Heh, that's because he hasn't visited your house yet. In the past few years, no one was well-off. He'd sit in your house and refuse to leave. He couldn't tell good words from bad, and he'd fight with my three-year-old nephew for food."
"It's just a few mouthfuls of food, why are you so petty?"
"You're crazy. If you pity him, then take him to your house to live. Think of it as raising a bigger son, heh, I'm sure he'll be filial to you."
"Why are you talking like that? You're really infuriating."
After saying that, the person left dejectedly.
"Pah, you talk without feeling the pinch."
"Old Zhao family, you guys be careful. Don't end up beating someone badly, and then have to support them in their old age."
"Sister-in-law, don't worry. My mother and daughters-in-law know what they're doing. The weather is a bit chilly, you all should go back quickly."
They had all come to witness the excitement, and they knew the chicken soup wouldn't be shared with them. The crowd dispersed in twos and threes.
The Zhao family members drank the soup, ate the meat, smashed the bowls, and took their belongings home. Upon arriving home, Old Zhao Da proposed dividing the family.
Old Mrs. Zhao slammed the table heavily. "Divide the family? Eldest, say that again!"
"Mom, as the tree grows, branches spread, and as the family grows, it should divide. It's time for our family to divide. Second brother and third brother agree."
Old Mrs. Zhao looked at her sons with grief and indignation, as if she had been betrayed.
"You are stabbing me in the heart with a knife. You are causing trouble as soon as your father leaves. Do you still have any regard for me as your mother?"
"Mom, don't worry. We three brothers will take turns caring for you and will jointly handle your funeral, ensuring you have a grand send-off."
Old Mrs. Zhao was so angry that she hit Old Zhao San several times. "Beast, you're cursing me to death!"
"Mom, I didn't mean that."
No matter how much Old Mrs. Zhao cried or made a scene, it was useless. She saw all her children and grandchildren standing firmly before her.
Forcing her to divide the family and hand over all her money, she suddenly lost all her strength and could no longer struggle.
The three daughters-in-law accompanied her inside to get the money, not daring to leave her, and subtly asked if she had any money elsewhere.
Old Mrs. Zhao's heart turned cold. She cursed them for being ungrateful and shameless, unleashing all her skills in making a scene.
However, the three daughters-in-law remained calm and unconcerned, which made Old Mrs. Zhao feel even worse.
When it came to dividing the money, land, and houses, another problem arose. The eldest and second sons advocated for dividing based on the number of male heirs, while the third family naturally disagreed.
When they couldn't reach an agreement, they started fighting. Old Mrs. Zhao, with a heart of despair, sat aside and watched the farce.
Uncle Zhao Er, for the sake of Zhao Xiao Hua's dilapidated room, cursed more nastily than anyone could imagine. The entire family had no one who wasn't bruised.
When they couldn't agree, they dragged on the matter, and no one could stand the sight of anyone else. The family, which was once very united, instantly fell apart into chaos and quarrels.