Chapter 22: Is Dongzi's Work More Important Than My Man's Legs?

Seeing Liu Chuxue, Ge Pozi glanced subtly at her own husband, asking with her eyes what he intended to do.

Liu Laosan said nothing; instead, he walked straight into the main hall, took the seat of honor, lit a pipe of dry tobacco for himself, and frowned as he quickly thought about how to begin the conversation.

Liu Chuxue had Xia Qiu help Liu's mother into the main hall, then she brought in a long bench: "Mom, Sister, please sit."

Ge Xiulan spoke up in a sarcastic tone, blocking them: "After causing such a shameful incident, you still dare to sit?"

Liu Chuxue was not intimidated by her: "Eldest Aunt is truly amusing; you did something shameful and feel no shame, so what is there for us to be afraid of?"

"You little brat, I am your eldest aunt; how dare you speak to an elder like that?"

"An eldest aunt should act like an eldest aunt; do you?"

"Second Sister-in-law, are you just going to stand there and do nothing?"

"I do not think my Chuxue has done anything wrong; what do you want me to manage, Big Sister?"

Liu Laosan, sitting in the seat of honor, was nearly driven mad by their arguing: "Everyone, shut up."

No sooner had he spoken than Liu's eldest and third sons rushed into the room: "Father, we are back."

The two brothers had been sent by their father early that morning to tend the private plot; since it was some distance from the village, they had not heard the commotion in the village.

On the way back, the two of them had already learned from Ruhua's mouth what had happened.

When Liu's eldest son entered the courtyard, he happened to overhear the conversation inside: "Second Sister-in-law, look at the good mess you've made, turning the family upside down; see what you've done to Father and Mother's tempers?"

Liu Chuxue laughed at such blatant shamelessness: "Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt truly are a couple; both are equally shameless."

Hearing this, Liu's eldest son's face immediately darkened: "Chuxue, you girl are becoming increasingly out of line; is this something a junior can say? Have you read your books only to feed them to a dog? If the Chen family learns of your behavior, have you considered the consequences?"

Heh, so now he was threatening her: "Let them think whatever they want; one cannot be bullied and still fail to refute it, or else one becomes a fool, don't you agree, Eldest Uncle?"

These words made Liu's eldest son feel somewhat guilty; thinking of his own wife's actions, he softened his tone: "We are one family; bumps and scrapes are inevitable. A moment of rash speech; how can that be bullying? Your Eldest Aunt has no education; her words are not thought through. Chuxue, do not hold it against her."

She was truly skilled at diverting the blame; she was too lazy to deal with him.

Liu Laosan glanced toward the outside of the courtyard, saw the courtyard wall covered with people, and realized that making another scene would be futile; he tapped his pipe bowl heavily against the sole of his foot several times: "You all know what happened today; speak now."

Liu's mother spoke first: "My husband's leg can wait no longer; since I begged the family for help and was ignored, we can only find a way ourselves; is that wrong too?"

Ge Xiulan, seething with anger inside, ignored the tug of her own eldest daughter-in-law: "You wanting to save the second son is not wrong, but since the family has not been divided, who does all that borrowed money belong to?"

"Big Sister, do you have any conscience? What was my husband injured for if not for this family?"

"More than just him went to repair the reservoir in the village; everyone else is fine, only he had an accident; can that be blamed on the family? It is simply that he is useless."

Liu Chuxue did not want to waste any more time here; she stepped forward directly: "Grandfather, Grandmother, now is not the time to argue; my father is urgently waiting for money to save his life; if you have any ideas, speak quickly; do not make us guess, and do not force me to go mad."

(End of this chapter)