Chapter 22: Is Dongzi's job really more important than my man's legs?

Old Lady Liu cast a subtle glance at her husband, her eyes questioning what he intended to do.

Old Man Liu said nothing. Instead, he walked straight into the main hall and took the seat of honor. He lit a pipe and, with a furrowed brow, thought rapidly about how he should open the discussion.

Chu Xue had Xia Qiu assist Mother Liu into the hall, and she brought in a long bench. "Mom, Sister, please sit."

Ge Xiulan spoke up in a sarcastic tone to stop them, "You've caused such a disgraceful mess, and you still dare to sit down?"

Chu Xue was not intimidated by her. "You are quite interesting, Aunt. You do things that are shameful and hidden, yet you feel no shame yourself. What is there for us not to dare to do?"

"You little brat! I am your eldest aunt. How dare you speak to an elder like that?"

"An aunt should act like an aunt. Do you?"

"Second wife, are you just going to stand there and watch?"

"I don't think my Chu Xue did anything wrong. What exactly do you want me to manage, Sister-in-law?"

Sitting in the seat of honor, Old Man Liu was nearly driven mad by their bickering. "All of you, shut up!"

Just as he finished speaking, the eldest and third sons of the Liu family rushed into the room. "Father, we're back."

The two brothers had been sent by their father early in the morning to tend to the private plots. Because the plots were a distance from the village, they hadn't heard the commotion.

On their way back, they had already learned what happened from Ruhua.

As the eldest Liu brother entered the courtyard, he happened to overhear the conversation inside: "Second wife, look at the mess you've made! You've turned this house upside down. Look at how angry you've made Father and Mother!"

Liu Chu Xue was amused by this blatant shamelessness. "Eldest Uncle and Aunt are truly a perfect match; you're both equally thick-skinned."

Hearing this, the eldest Liu brother's face darkened immediately. "Chu Xue, why are you becoming more and more disrespectful? Is this how a junior should speak? Have you wasted all your schooling? If the Chen family knew about your character, have you considered the consequences?"

Heh, so he was resorting to threats now. "Let them think whatever they want. I can't just let people bully me without fighting back, or I'd be a fool. Don't you agree, Uncle?"

These words made the eldest Liu brother feel a bit guilty. Thinking of what his wife had done, he couldn't help but soften his tone. "We are family; bumps and bruises are inevitable. It was just a slip of the tongue; it wasn't bullying. Your aunt isn't very educated and speaks without thinking. Chu Xue, don't hold it against her."

He certainly knew how to shift the blame. She couldn't be bothered with him.

Old Man Liu glanced toward the courtyard. Seeing that people were perched all along the courtyard wall, he knew that even if they argued again, it would be futile. He tapped his pipe heavily against the ground. "You all know what happened today. Speak up."

Mother Liu was the first to speak. "My husband's leg cannot wait any longer. Since no matter how I plead, the family refuses to help, we can only find a way ourselves. Is that also wrong?"

Ge Xiulan was seething with anger and ignored her eldest daughter-in-law's attempt to pull her back. "You aren't wrong to want to save the second brother, but since the family hasn't been divided yet, whose responsibility is it to pay back all that money you borrowed?"

"Sister-in-law, do you have any conscience? Why did my husband get injured? Wasn't it for this family?"

"He wasn't the only one in the village repairing the reservoir. Everyone else is fine, and only he had an accident. You can't blame the family; it's just that he's useless."

Liu Chu Xue didn't want to waste any more time here. She stepped forward. "Grandpa, Grandma, now is not the time for arguing. My father urgently needs money to save his life. If you have any thoughts, say them quickly. Don't make us guess, and don't force me to lose my temper."

(End of Chapter)