Chapter 100: Chapter 96: I’d Like to See You Overturn the Heavens

As the mother and her two sons reached the courtyard gate, they could hear the pigs in the pen squealing. When they stepped inside, they saw chicken droppings scattered all over the yard.

Wang Zhilin wrinkled his nose. “Mom, look. You’ve only been gone a few days, and the yard is already dirtier than the pigsty!”

Hearing their voices, Wang Zemin walked out of the kitchen, his face dark. “What are you waiting for? Get in here and make dinner. And cook the pig feed and feed the pigs.”

Yang Liqun gave him a cool glance, then said to her sons, “Zhixue, go pick some chard and cook the pig feed. Zhilin, go sweep the pigsty, and the courtyard too. I have something to say to your father.”

“Okay!” the brothers agreed and headed for the kitchen.

Only then did Yang Liqun turn to look at Wang Zemin. “Go to the main room. I need to talk to you.”

He was annoyed by her indifferent attitude and was about to lose his temper, but the thought of the money he had borrowed made him swallow his anger and turn toward the main room.

After Yang Liqun entered and sat down, she looked at him and asked, “Where’s the money Lin Lan paid you back?”

Wang Zemin glanced at her, sensing something was off about her expression. He hesitated for a moment, then went into the bedroom and brought out the remaining twenty yuan, placing it on the table. “Lianxiang and the others each borrowed twenty. They said they’ll pay it back after the grain harvest.”

Seeing that the outcome was just as she had expected, Yang Liqun suddenly felt a great sense of relief. She pushed the money toward him. “You can have it all. We can either get a divorce or split the family. You choose.”

Wang Zemin couldn’t believe his ears. He stared at her and asked, “What did you just say?”

Yang Liqun looked at him coldly and said, word for word, “I can’t live with you anymore. Either we divorce, or we split the family. Choose whichever you want.”

“You dare defy me!”

Wang Zemin swung his hand to slap her, but it was caught by Wang Zhixue and his brother, who had entered the main room at some point.

Wang Zhilin glared at him and shouted, “From this day on, you are not allowed to hit my mom again!”

Wang Zhixue mustered his courage and looked at him. “Dad… Mom’s right. We don’t want to live with you anymore. You can go live with your sisters.”

Hearing this, Wang Zemin flew into a rage. “So your wings have grown strong! You all dare to defy me now.” With that, he tried to slap Zhilin across the face.

“I’ll fight you!” Yang Liqun rammed into him, knocking him to the ground. Pointing at his face, she said through sobs, “I’ve put up with you for nearly twenty years. The first year after we split from the main family, we had half a year of peace.

The next year, as soon as we had a little extra, your older sister came to borrow money. You didn’t even discuss it with me; you just gave her the ten yuan we had worked so hard to save.

Later on, as your other sisters got married, they’d come borrowing money whenever they had the slightest trouble. I’ve kept a record of all the money you’ve lent out over the years.”

She wiped the tears from her face, went into the house, and came back with a small, yellowed notebook, which she threw in front of him. “Look at this. For over a decade, just how much money have you lent to those sisters of yours?

My sons won’t be lifelong laborers for your sisters in the future. I’m putting my foot down today. If we don’t get a divorce, we split the family.”

“You petty woman, keeping a ledger over a few borrowed coins! Let me see just how much money Lianxiang and the others have borrowed.”

Seething with uncontrollable rage, Wang Zemin picked up the notebook and began to flip through it. Ten yuan, two yuan, three yuan, five yuan… The notebook was filled to the brim with entries.

He couldn’t believe that all the small loans of two or three yuan had added up to so much. The notebook fell from his hand without him even realizing it.

He turned to look at his furious wife and children, then grabbed his hair and lowered his head in silence.

Wang Zhilin picked up the notebook from the floor. Staring at the pages of records, he thought about how he’d get a beating for just wanting a nice snack. “Heh! So our family was this rich all along.” He waved the notebook and went to pull Wang Zhixue along. “Brother, let’s go get our money back from them.”

Yang Liqun stopped him. “Zhilin, all this money is for your father. If he collects it all, it’s enough to build a new three-room house with a tile roof. You two can just stay with me in this rundown thatched hut.”

Wang Zhixue nodded, took the notebook, and placed it in front of Wang Zemin. “Zhilin, let’s go cook the pig feed.”

As Wang Zhilin followed him toward the kitchen, he asked in a low voice, “Will he hit Mom again?”

“Show some respect! Don’t call him ’he’!” Wang Zhixue rapped him on the head. “No matter what, he’s still the father who raised us.”

Wang Zemin sat there for a long time before looking up at Yang Liqun and pleading in a low voice, “Liqun, I won’t lend them money anymore. Can we please not get a divorce?”

’My sons are almost old enough to get married,’ he thought. ’If I get kicked out, rejected by my wife and kids, how will I ever hold my head up in the village again?’

His begging only made Yang Liqun’s heart grow colder. “If not a divorce, then we split the family. You can collect your debts and build a new house, or you can go live with your sisters, taking turns.

My sons are grown now. I need to earn money for them to get married and for their education. We won’t be giving you another cent of our blood and sweat money for you to play the generous one, the good guy.”

Wang Zemin said in a low voice, “As long as you agree not to divorce or split the family, I promise I’ll never lend out another cent. From now on, you can manage all the family’s money.”

Yang Liqun looked at him coldly. “Write a letter of guarantee. Sign and stamp it, then I’ll believe you.”

Wang Zemin’s face flushed red, and he growled, “Don’t push it! When have I ever gone back on my word?”

Yang Liqun scoffed. “Put it in writing, or it’s out of the question!” Hearing the pigs squealing in the pen, she couldn’t sit still any longer. She tied on her apron and went to do her chores.

“Just because her family can earn a few stinking coins, she thinks she can turn the world upside down! Let’s see you try!” Wang Zemin scrambled to his feet, dusted off his pants, and stormed into the bedroom to lie on the bed.

Yang Liqun went to the kitchen and saw that Wang Zhixue had already picked the chard. She said to him, “Hurry and take it to the ditch to wash. I’ll heat up some slop to feed one of the barrels first.”

Wang Zhixue nodded and carried the chard outside.

Wang Zhilin came in holding over a dozen eggs. “Mom! Dad forgot to collect the eggs while he was home. Two of them got stepped on and broke.”

Yang Liqun picked one up and saw the yolk was covered in chicken feathers. She sighed. “Forget it. Throw the broken ones into the slop to be cooked for the pigs. Put the good ones in the rice jar.”

After putting the eggs away, Wang Zhilin came out and asked quietly, “Dad’s asleep. Did he agree?”

Yang Liqun shook her head and looked at him. “From now on, work harder and make me proud.”

Wang Zhilin nodded solemnly. “I will.”

The mother and her two sons fed the pigs, cleaned the courtyard, and cooked a lively meal for themselves. They didn’t call him to come and eat. After cleaning up, they each went to bed.

Wang Zemin woke up in the middle of the night. He went to the kitchen and saw the pots were washed sparkling clean. In the cupboard, there wasn’t even a mouthful of soup left for him. A strange sense of panic crept into his heart.

****

「The next afternoon.」

Wang Zhixue went to Lin Lan’s house and explained his parents’ situation, saying they were still at a stalemate and that this time, Yang Liqun was very firm.

“Aunt, what if my dad digs his heels in and refuses to budge?”

Lin Lan thought for a moment, then said to Wang Zhixue, “Go back and tell your mom this: it’s fine if your dad doesn’t want to split the family, but he has to promise in front of you three brothers that from now on, he will not handle any of the family’s money or property.

Also, if your aunts come over politely, your mom will treat them politely. But if they act like they used to, she should chase them out with a big broom.”

Wang Zhixue nodded. “Okay, I’ll go back and tell my mom what you said!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep