Grandma Lu naturally wasn’t going to indulge her either. She kicked out with her foot, sending Grandma Jiu sliding backward until she hit the threshold of the courtyard gate. Unable to keep her balance, she rolled right out of the doorway and fell into the alley.
Everyone couldn’t help but suppress their laughter.
“If you’ve got nothing better to do, go to town and get your brain checked!”
Grandma Jiu was so humiliated and furious that her face turned red. At this moment, Ninth Uncle’s eldest son also ran out of the house. He hurriedly helped Grandma Jiu up and said in embarrassment, “Mom, stop making a scene. This has nothing to do with Tenth Aunt.”
He had simply been hurt by what his own younger brothers had done, which was why he didn’t want his own children to send anything back home anymore.
Knowing that she couldn’t beat Grandma Lu, Grandma Jiu vented all the anger in her heart on Ninth Uncle’s eldest son instead. She raised her hand and slapped him hard on the back.
“Now you know how to feel sorry for me? Where were you earlier? Your wings have grown strong now, haven’t they? You actually dare disobey your own mother! Heavens above! I might as well die! What’s the point of me staying alive with such an unfilial son? What am I even living for…”
Grandma Lu frowned.
“If a mother doesn’t behave properly, who else can she blame?”
Grandma Jiu: “…”
Ninth Uncle’s eldest son was so angry that his face flushed red.
“Mom, if you keep making a scene, I’ll go get Eldest Uncle and the others right now and have them judge who’s right and who’s wrong!”
Eldest Grandpa was the brigade’s captain. If he found out that Grandma Jiu had caused another scene, especially over Lu Da not sending things home, he would definitely give her a harsh scolding. Then Ninth Grandpa would lose face in the brigade, and Grandma Jiu certainly wouldn’t get off lightly.
Grandma Jiu obviously knew this too. She looked at her eldest son in disbelief.
“You really want to treat me like this?”
Ninth Uncle’s eldest son said tiredly, “Mom, I’m begging you. Stop making a scene, okay? I’ve been filial to you all these years. Isn’t that enough?”
Their branch had already been subsidizing the family for so many years. No matter how one looked at it, that should have been more than enough!
Clearly, their family was about the same as Tenth Uncle’s family. But look at Tenth Uncle’s family, then look at theirs.
In Tenth Uncle’s family, after each household had separated, every branch had its own large courtyard.
Eldest Uncle Lu, Grandpa Lu, and Grandma Lu belonged to one large courtyard, but one-third of it had been separated off for Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu, while the rest belonged to the eldest branch. They had also expanded backward quite a bit. Whenever one of the sons got married, there was still room to build another house.
Second Uncle Lu and Father Lu’s families each had their own independent large courtyards. Each had its own main gate, as well as a smaller gate for coming and going between the two families. Likewise, when the children grew up, there were already designated areas where they could build additional courtyards.
In short, the courtyard areas of each branch were more or less the same.
Only their family was different.
Clearly, he was the eldest son of the eldest branch. In the future, he would have to live with Ninth Grandpa and Grandma Jiu and support them in their old age. Yet when the family had originally divided the houses and land, Ninth Grandpa and Grandma Jiu had used the excuse that their two eldest grandsons from the eldest branch were promising, and given much more of the old residential courtyard to Ninth Uncle’s second and third branches.
As a result, not only was the courtyard of Ninth Uncle’s eldest son’s family half the size, but they also had to give half of what remained to Ninth Grandpa and Grandma Jiu.
And their family still had three sons who hadn’t gotten married!
Their fifth son—actually the third son of Ninth Uncle’s eldest son—was about the same age as Lu Yuwei, only one year younger. He was eighteen this year, already at the age when he should be getting married, but they didn’t even know where they were supposed to build a house for him.
During the previous busy farming period, Ninth Uncle’s eldest son had asked Eldest Grandpa about it. Eldest Grandpa’s idea was to have them claim a plot of homestead land at the foot of the mountain at the edge of the village, on some unused land. That would make it easier to build a house.
Otherwise, if they expanded based on their old house, they could only build farther backward—which meant expanding into their own private plot.
To be honest, Ninth Uncle’s eldest son didn’t want his child to live so far away. But there was no choice. They were unwilling to expand into their own private plot either, so they could only do this.
He hadn’t even had the chance to tell Grandma Jiu about it when that fight happened, leaving half of his heart completely chilled.
After all, he was about the same as Eldest Uncle Lu, or rather, even worse off than him. At least Eldest Uncle Lu had a job at the agricultural machinery station. Just his salary alone allowed him to save quite a bit each year, and no matter what, he could afford to add another room to the house for his children.
But Ninth Uncle’s eldest son only farmed at home, relying on those work points.
Previously, when his eldest son was serving in the army, they had simply cleared out a room, whitewashed it, and used it as a new bridal room when he got married. It wasn’t until Lu Da obtained a military-family housing spot that Lu Da’s wife took their child to join him.
Before that, she had shared a room with Ninth Uncle’s eldest son’s wife, while Ninth Uncle’s eldest son himself shared a room with several of his sons.
Later, Lu Er had married Second Sister-in-law Lu from town as a live-in son-in-law precisely so that after getting married, he wouldn’t have to continue squeezing into this cramped house where there was barely enough room to turn around.
Now that Lu Wu was also getting married, Ninth Uncle’s eldest son had long since decided that he absolutely had to build another room.
But after today’s incident, to be honest, Ninth Uncle’s eldest son didn’t even want to stay here anymore. It might as well be better to claim a plot of unused land at the foot of the mountain, build a house there, and move the whole family over!
Grandma Jiu had clearly also heard the disappointment in her eldest son’s words. The anger in her heart grew even stronger, and she felt extremely aggrieved.
“What did I do? What did I do? All these years, I raised all of you. Have I ever treated you badly in the slightest? Isn’t it just that I dote on Fubao a little more? Have you forgotten? Back then, I almost died. It was Fubao who saved me…”
“If it weren’t for her, how could I still be alive now? You’re unfilial! You’re unfilial…”
Grandma Jiu cried and shouted as she repeatedly beat Ninth Uncle’s eldest son on the back.
Everyone fell silent for a moment.
Lu Yuning was stunned.
What? What was this now?
Lu Yuting was several years older than her, so he had heard the adults in the brigade talk about it before. He lowered his voice and said, “Before Third Aunt Ninth was pregnant with Fubao, Grandma Jiu got sick. She suddenly became so ill that she couldn’t even get out of bed. They said she couldn’t even drink rice soup. Later, after Third Aunt Ninth became pregnant with Fubao, Grandma Jiu suddenly recovered. So Grandma Jiu has always said that Fubao, her granddaughter, was the one who saved her.”
Lu Yuning: “…”
Was this the female lead’s halo?
This was way too outrageous!
But clearly, Grandma Jiu really believed this. She genuinely thought that Fubao had brought her good fortune, allowing her to survive after nearly passing through the gates of death.
Whenever this matter was brought up, the people in the brigade and Ninth Uncle’s eldest son didn’t know what to say. After all, this really was quite a strange and almost mystical thing.
But Ninth Uncle’s eldest son had truly had enough.
“Mom, even if that makes me unfilial, so be it. Tomorrow, I’ll move over to Second Uncle’s place.”
He was referring to Ninth Grandpa’s younger brother, Eleventh Grandpa.
Eleventh Grandpa had never married when he was young. Now he had neither children nor a wife. He had previously said that he wanted Ninth Grandpa to transfer one of his children to him so that someone could provide for him in his old age, but Ninth Grandpa had naturally been unwilling.
Now that Ninth Uncle’s eldest son was saying this, it was obvious that he truly didn’t want to continue working like an ox and horse for the Ninth Branch, constantly being drained by the other two branches.
Grandma Jiu cried even louder, repeatedly saying that her eldest son was unfilial!
Only then did Ninth Grandpa run out. He shouted coldly, “Enough! Hurry up and go back inside! Isn’t this embarrassing enough?”
“Oldest, you don’t need to say anything more either. Don’t mind your mother. She’s getting senile. Tomorrow, I’ll come back and build the wall for you. After that, if you want to expand backward a little more and build another room for Fifth Brother…”
“You’ve suffered grievances all these years. I, as your father, haven’t done a good enough job.”
Seeing Ninth Grandpa’s eyes redden as he spoke, Ninth Uncle’s eldest son immediately felt guilty again.
“Dad…”
“We’re family. Our hearts have to work toward the same place, and our strength has to be used toward the same goal. That’s how a family can prosper. You’re the eldest. If there’s anything wrong with your second and third brothers, you should tell them and teach them. I’m old now, and I really don’t have the strength to handle everything anymore…”
Ninth Uncle’s eldest son was even more moved.
“Dad, I’m the one who’s been unfilial. I won’t do it anymore. I really won’t. Next month, I’ll have Eldest Brother send things back home.”
Ninth Grandpa waved his hand and said seriously, “No need. Eldest Brother isn’t having an easy time in the army either. You should let him save some money for himself. We won’t starve to death here in the brigade. There’s no need for him to keep worrying about us…”
Ninth Uncle’s eldest son immediately covered his face and cried.
“Okay. Thank you, Dad…”
Grandma Jiu was completely stunned. She even forgot to cry!
The people around them nodded one after another. Ninth Grandpa really was the reasonable one.
Grandma Lu sneered inwardly.
As expected of Old Ninth. Every time, he came over at the very end to play the good guy. Tsk.
Lu Yuning was completely dumbfounded!
Ninth Grandpa’s move was really something!
What a talent!
Farming in the countryside was seriously wasting his abilities!
With such a way with words, no wonder Lu Er had managed to become a live-in son-in-law in town!
In the end, Ninth Uncle’s eldest son still went back crying. Ninth Grandpa then apologized to Grandma Lu.
Grandma Lu only said calmly, “Take good care of Ninth Sister-in-law from now on. Next time, I won’t be this polite.”
Looking at Grandma Jiu, who was covered in dirt and looking utterly miserable, Ninth Grandpa was speechless for a moment.
This counted as being polite?
But nothing showed on Ninth Grandpa’s face. He remained as warm and courteous as ever, his face still filled with guilt.
“Yes, yes, yes. Tenth Sister-in-law, you are magnanimous. There won’t be a next time. I’ll definitely teach your Ninth Sister-in-law a good lesson.”
Grandma Lu nodded and raised her hand to close the courtyard gate.
Seeing this, everyone dispersed.
Sixteenth Grandma also returned home while smiling and shaking her head, clicking her tongue as she cracked sunflower seeds.
But as soon as she got home and saw that the two large basins of dirty clothes still hadn’t been washed, Sixteenth Grandma immediately became furious.
“Where the hell have you been, you from the eldest branch? Hurry up and come out to wash the clothes! Are you waiting for me to serve all of you?”
She immediately launched into a string of scolding. Sixteenth Uncle’s eldest daughter-in-law came out of the room with an embarrassed smile.
“Well, Mom, Rainping isn’t here, so I was feeling a little tired and went back to lie down. I’ll come right away, right away…”
Sixteenth Grandma immediately raised her brows.
“What? Does the family stop functioning just because that little girl Rainping isn’t here? How old are you, and how old is she? You actually have the nerve to say she’s not here? What? That little brat is only five years old and can already finish all your chores for you? Then what are you good for? And you’re her eldest aunt-in-law, too! Aren’t you ashamed?”
Sixteenth Uncle’s eldest daughter-in-law’s face turned green.
“Mom, I was just saying it casually… It’s true that things are much easier when Rainping is at home…”
Sixteenth Grandma rolled her eyes.
“Easier? Want me to dig you a pit on West Mountain? That would be even easier!”
West Mountain was the brigade’s burial ground. Digging a pit there clearly meant: once you’re dead, life would be easy forever!
Sixteenth Uncle’s eldest daughter-in-law didn’t dare say anything else and hurriedly scrubbed the clothes clean and hung them up to dry.
Sixteenth Grandma even inspected them once. Only after confirming that they really were clean did she contentedly return to her room to lie down.
She had endured all these years before finally being able to rest a little, and the eldest branch’s daughter-in-law actually wanted to rest now?
Dream on!
As long as she was around for one day, she could forget about it!
If she wanted to lie down, she could go lie down on West Mountain!
Hmph!
Lu Yuping had also heard the conversation between her grandmother and her eldest aunt-in-law. But she had learned her lesson now. As long as she came over to play with Lu Yuning, her eldest aunt-in-law couldn’t do anything to her, and Grandma wouldn’t dare come to Tenth Grandma’s house to look for her.
Lu Yuning had originally wondered why Sixteenth Grandma had never come looking for Lu Yuping after she came over to play. Today, she finally understood.
She naturally heard the conversation between Sixteenth Grandma and Sixteenth Uncle’s eldest daughter-in-law as well. She exchanged a smile with Lu Yuping, then held hands with her and continued sitting beneath the corridor, eating peanuts.
Now this was the kind of wonderful life a child was supposed to have!