Zhao Zheng's words were well-reasoned and left the old lady speechless.
Qian Xiulan didn't believe it. "Third brother, I heard you spent a lot of corn to ask the village elders for help, but how come it's all gone when it comes to us?"
"I see you just don't want to give it!"
Zhao Sanbao echoed his mother's words, "That's right. I've heard from the villagers that even though Uncle San's family is rich, they are stingy!"
The old lady also said stubbornly: "Third brother, if you still recognize me as your mother, then you pay the money. If you don't recognize me as your mother, then don't pay!"
Yang Zhaodi was also secretly anxious. If her father-in-law hadn't been lucky enough to pick up a wounded bear, their family would have been starving. Now he was coming to demand money, which was too infuriating. "Grandma, we really have no money and no food at home..."
"You jinx, you're the one who's going to kill your husband, and now you're the one who's going to say something?" The old lady glared at Yang Zhaodi and said mercilessly, "It's you who killed my grandson..."
The old man poked wherever it hurt, which made Yang Zhaodi's eyes red.
Zhang Xiao'e also cried in anger, holding her sister-in-law's hand and wiping her tears.
The quarrel once again attracted the attention of the neighbors.
Zheng Chunmei, who had just finished breastfeeding her baby, arrived a long time ago, but she hadn't even entered the house. When she heard Zhao Zheng complaining about being poor, she was completely skeptical.
He didn't know whether the Zhao family was rich or not, but they must have food, or rice.
Even the Zhao family had meat to eat.
"However, this old lady Zhao is too partial. It's no wonder that Mr. Zhao is stingy. He killed his adopted son, causing him to have no descendants, and also took away the pension money. This is just because Mr. Zhao is stingy and stupid. If it were an ordinary person, he would have fought to the death!" Zheng Chunmei thought so in her heart, but her ears perked up.
"Fellow villagers, please give us your judgment." Qian Xiulan put her hands on her hips. "My eldest brother and my husband were seriously injured, and he, as a brother, just ignored us and didn't ask about us. Is this how a brother should be?"
However, even if Zhao Zheng's neighbors hated him, they would not lie with their eyes open at this time. Besides, the incident with Liu Tieniu was still fresh in their minds. Meddling in other people's business would easily cause trouble.
But the old lady's words were different.
Direct moral kidnapping.
Someone said, "Third brother, you can disown your brother, but you can't abandon your mother."
"Yeah, it's better to pay a little than to be criticized."
These words further encouraged the arrogance of Qian Xiulan and others.
Zheng Chunmei was also secretly anxious, "Don't give it to me. If I give it to you, where will I eat in the future?"
Zhao Zheng said calmly, "The money was swindled away by the boss, and everyone knows it. There's not a penny left. Even if you force me to death, you still can't get it."
"The boss beat me up so badly that my head was bleeding. I still have a scar on it. As a brother, I carried them both out of Jinji Mountain without holding a grudge against them. I have done my best."
"As the old saying goes, every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt has its creditor. Was it me who let them go into the mountains?"
"They only came into the mountains because Uncle De had called them in. If they wanted to find someone, they should have gone to the Xu family or the Ma family. Why don't they go to the victims when something happened? Instead, they come to force me. How can this be justified?"
"You guys are really good at saving trouble for others. Aren't you afraid that others will laugh at us Zhao family members behind our backs for being stupid and squealing like pigs after suffering a loss?"
These words stunned everyone around.
"Yes, it's because of the incident caused by the Ma family's bear hunting. He should be the one to be found!"
"Old Zhao is right. Even with such a big incident, the Ma family didn't even come to see us. They really don't know the rules."
"Xiu Lan, your third brother is right..."
Qian Xiulan's face turned green.
The old lady was speechless again, and felt a little frustrated for a while.
"Mom, I really can't take out the money. If it really doesn't work, I'll go to Jinji Mountain to chop firewood and sell it. I'll give it to you when I make the money, okay?" Zhao Zheng's face was full of sincerity, and he walked with a limp, which made the neighbors around him shake their heads.
Everyone murmured quietly, "This is too biased. The eldest son is a son, but the third son was picked up?"
"He's been cheated out of money, his head is broken, his legs are lame, and he doesn't even have a son to help him. Even in this state, he still bullies Zhao Laosan. Isn't this pushing him to death?"
"How can you be such a mother? How cruel!"
The old lady felt like she was on edge, feeling angry and helpless. She glared at her son and grandson's wife and said, "I'm not forcing you. I really have no other choice. Since there is really no other choice, I won't force you."
Having said that, he fled in panic.
Qian Xiulan saw the old woman leave and couldn't stay any longer, "Mom, wait for me."
Zhao Zheng's two adopted nephews also left in disgrace.
After leaving Zhao's house, Qian Xiulan chased after him, "Mom, are you really not going to ask the third brother for money?"
"What the third brother said makes sense. Let's go to Youde's house, and then to Ma Liehu's house. If you don't give me an explanation for this matter, I'll sleep at their house!"
With that, the old lady stormed off.
The people surrounding Zhao Zheng's house did not leave, but followed Qian Xiulan to watch the fun.
At this time, Zheng Chunmei slipped into the yard, "Uncle Zhao, I'm here."
Zhao Zheng glanced at her sideways, then said to his daughter-in-law who was wiping her tears, "You are not the unlucky star that will bring bad luck to your husband. You are my daughter-in-law and my family.
The two children of Shitou died on the battlefield, loyal to their country. They are both heroes.
How come other people's children can die on the battlefield, but my child can't?
It's just that those two kids have bad luck. Speaking of this, I'm also at fault. I've let you two down!"
"Father-in-law, it's not true!" Yang Zhaodi said hurriedly, "It's all fate!"
Zhang Xiao'e also said: "The court is recruiting, and every household must send someone. Our family must send someone..."
Zhao Zheng sighed, "Anyway, you two should remember this: if anyone dares to call you a jinx or a jinx again, you'll have to slap them in the face. Even if it's an old lady, you can still fight back.
If anything goes wrong, I'll take the blame for you, understand?"
"Thank you, father-in-law!" The two girls burst into tears.
Only they themselves know how much pressure they have been under these days.
Why does Zhang Xiao'e care so much about Wu Yueying?
It's not just because their mother's family is from the same village.
Moreover, after their husbands died in the war, they were labeled as unlucky stars, and the women in the village deliberately distanced themselves from them.
Only Wu Yueying didn't care about these.
Adding icing on the cake is far less profound than providing timely assistance.
Zhao Zheng rubbed their heads with pity.
Zheng Chunmei also felt a little sad.
She was envious to death.
After her husband died, no one treated her like this again.
The old woman even felt that she was the one who killed her husband, which made Zheng Chunmei feel very guilty. She felt that she was a sinner and a jinx who brought bad luck to her husband.
But when she heard what Zhao Zheng said to Yang Zhaodi and the other girl, she finally understood.
It's not because she killed her husband, but because she doesn't have a good father-in-law like Zhao Laosan who is open-minded and loving!