Chapter 9

The village leader has always had prestige in Pingshan Village. If the current Zhao family can be regarded as a superior family, the village leader’s family is the first-class family in the village. The village leader has always acted impartially, and did not rely on the Li family to oppress foreigners. Although there are inevitable times when a bowl of water is not stable, most of the time people feel they are very reliable.

Although the two young men in the village leader’s family have not yet passed the exam, and are not as good as Zhao Pingchuan who won the title of Tongsheng, who does not know, the two boys in his family are both studying in the school in the county town. The country school’s specifications are certainly higher than the town school

The two boys of the village leader’s family are more popular than Zhao Pingchuan in the village. They are polite to others when they are out. They are not like the third son of Zhao’s family, wanting everyone to know that he is a scholar and putting on airs.

There is also a ger from the village leader’s family who married in the town. The son-in-law is a constable in the yamen and eats official food.

The village leader has heard about the news of selling people. His wife has also whispered in his ears what Grandma Zhao has done these past few days. He is suppressing a lot of anger, now that everyone’s life is getting better, Pingshan Village is getting more prosperous. Now they actually want to sell people. The Zhao family is not a family that can go on, how embarrassing. The three elder uncles of the Zhao family, who came with him, all had bad faces and were staring at Grandma Zhao and Zhao Pingchuan. Tang Chunming, who caused this incident, also received unkind eyes.

Grandma Zhao originally thought that the youngest son didn’t know good people. He didn’t bother him to make money. However, he actually protected that slut. That slut really is a broom star and must never stay at the Zhao’s house. He still did not understand why the third Zhao son stopped him. Now that the village leader was here, he shrank a little. How can he squeeze this person? He can play all the other old mothers and sons in the village. However, he didn’t dare to scold these old men at will, after all they were the guys in charge.

“Village leader and the [Zhao] elders must judge for me.” Tang Chunming didn’t have any fear in his heart. He was waiting for this opportunity, so he knelt down again, scolding in his heart. He had only ever knelt down for his father alone in his last life. Today, this account will be counted on the Zhao family, and unless the third Zhao son can achieve fame from the exam, how can this account be recovered?

Tang Chunming didn’t give others the opportunity to speak up, and spoke about many things for a while. The reason Dahu died was unclear and Zhao Pingchuan rushed to raise money by selling his brother’s wife and son. Although he knew that Wang Chunhua pushed things from behind the scenes, Tang Chunming cannot hold him accountable. This pot is now pushed onto Zhao Pingchuan, who allowed the Zhao family to do all these things.

Zhang Xiu didn’t lag behind and quickly told everyone everything about the two families. In addition to the lame man, he also found the house where the Zhao family wanted to sell little Lin’er. Who asked Wang Chunhua to be so chatty in the village and Grandma Zhao went around showing off proudly, which allowed Zhang Xiu to grasp their handle. The family was looking for a child husband for their stupid little guy. That little guy is not olny demented, but also went crazy. When he gets crazy, he beats people, and only black-hearted people who lack a conscience would send their ger to such a family.

Tang Chunming cried, his face was shockingly pale, and his body was fragile, as if he was about to pass the next moment, “Village Leader, Ah-Lin and I don’t want to enjoy the blessing of Uncle, I only ask that Uncle give Ah-Lin and I a way out. If I was really sold to such a person, would there be a way for Ah-Lin and I to survive? It’s better to take a rope and hang it at the gate, because sooner or later we will die anyway. It’s better to die early and be clean, Ah-Lin and I will go underground and join Dahu.”

“Nonsense! Nonsense!” The third [elder] Zhao uncle was so angry that his beard curled up. “Zhao Pingchuan, is it true what your brother-in-law said? Are you really planning this?” In the end, he was also a Zhao, if Tang Chunming and his son were really allowed to hang at the door of the Zhao family, not only for this Zhao family, but all the Zhao families [in the village] would be very embarrassed. Who would dare marry into a Zhao family after forcing their brother-in-law to death?

“Third Uncle,” Zhao Pingchuan cried out mournfully, “You also know that the exam is coming, and Pingchuan still feels that there is not enough time to read the book all day, so there is no time to do these…self-defiling things.”

“Then you don’t know anything about what your mother did? The Zhao family now has to sell people to raise money for your exams?” The village leader interjected. What the third Zhao son wants to do is push everything onto others?

“Mother…” Zhao Pingchuan turned his head to look at Grandma Zhao, there was sadness in his eyes, “It is Pingchuan that is not filial, but it is difficult for mother to hold down the family. This kind mother of mine, Pingchuan really cannot bear to blame.”

Tch, look at this scholar, he can really talk well, can a loving mother erase everything if she can’t bear it? What more, the implication of the statement was that everything was done by Grandma Zhao an dhe was powerless to stop it, and all the responsibility was shifted.

Grandma Zhao also took the opportunity to cover her heart and cried, “Husband, why did you die so early? Why don’t you take me down quickly, husband, you leave this old thing to be a widow. What should I do? All the misdeeds are all blamed on this old person…”

A few older men were unable to bear it. Grandma Zhao had some credit, the many years of hard work and not to mention he had a scholar [son].

Tang Chunming sneered in his heart, was your family not raised by Zhao Dahu, he was always telling Zhao Dahu how difficult it was for his mother. There is no oil and water at the house, your brother lost weight again, his heart hurts again. All the time, Zhao Dahu would be obediently submissive and anytime there was a mouthful of food, would bring it to his mother first.

Tang Chunming took out a book from his arms and said, “Uncle, do you dare to say that the Dahu is not filial to his mother? Uncle, do you dare to say that the Zhao family is so difficult now that it has to buy us mother and son to survive? Village Leader and Third Uncle, you also know that my dad taught me to read since I was a child. It’s no good for people who don’t have enough money to spend their lives in this family. You have to be clear about where to spend and not to spend, so that you can live carefully. So I have made a written account of all the expenses at home, and now let Village Leader and Third Uncle look at the filial piety between me and Dahu, so that Dahu will not be charged with being unfilial when he is dead, wu…that would make Dahu unable to die peacefully.”

Many people were stunned, even Zhao Pingchuan, and his scalp suddenly became numb.

Zhang Xiu didn’t expect it, but he reacted the fastest. Before Grandma Zhao could react, he took a step forward and sent it to the Village Leader. It is great that there is an account, after all only he knew about Zhao Dahu family’s filial piety to Grandma Zhao and then it is only a little bit, Now let every see how dependent the Zhao family is on their child.

Wang Ying also took a long time to close his mouth. His stepson’s move was hateful, but he really couldn’t imagine the stepson would have such thoughts.

Wang Ying guessed it right, the original Ming brother really didn’t have this thought. But who is Tang Chunming, of course he must be properly prepared to go to the battlefield. He had just transmigrated and like watching a movie, all the memories over the years from Brother Ming flew past his eyes. Even things that Brother Ming himself did not remember, Tang Chunming can see clearly. Therefore, he spent the last few days creating this book and deliberately made the book look older. This made people think that this ledger has always been around.

The space is omnipotent, and he also has a spiritual power as a cheating device.

The village elder couldn’t help but take a long look at Tang Chunming. He didn’t expect that Brother Ming, who has always been honest and submissive, would also have such thoughts. He became vigilant in his heart, the things that Brother Ming did today made him dare not look down upon this ger. However, after thinking about it again, if someone was forced to such a point of being unable to live, he was afraid he may not have been able to take it. Sigh, turning the pages of the account book in his hands, the more he looked the uglier his face became.

All these things, one after another, if Dahu is not filial to his mother, then who in the world is a filial son?

“Third Uncle, you should also take a look.” After reading the account book, he handed it to the third uncle of the Zhao family, who had a lot of say in the affairs of the Zhao family. The third uncle is illiterate, but a junior in the Zhao family who could read a few words stood by his side and read it to the third uncle in a low voice. Ho, ho, all of the people gathered around pricked up their ears, in the end what is recorded in this account book.

The village leader didn’t care about this either, but he glanced at Tang Chunming, who was sad, he didn’t know what Tang Chunming’s idea was. However, since he wanted to do it, he should help him with this, otherwise it is really possible to drive someone to their death. But after today’s play, it would be difficult for Tang Chunming to find a good family to remarry. The reputation of this shrewd calculator would spread quickly and look at all the village mothers, who would be willing to give their son a wife like this? They would all be afraid that one day he would treat them to such a harsh play.

The reputation of the Zhao family is tanined and Tang Chunming’s reputation is not good either, even his son will be impacted. However, thinking about it again, if he doesn’t come up with such a play, he may not escape from the persecution of Grandma Zhao. After today, Grandma Zhao will definitely hate Tang Chunming even more, so he must be going all out.

Looking at the young man holding Zhao Lin, it was clear that he is not from the village. The village leader turned a few circles and suddenly came to a realization. The scheme of Grandma Zhao is destined to fail, this young man is clearly from the Tang family. Right, Grandma Zhao was so unscrupulous because Brother Ming was not backed by his maternal family. This is good, now it is time for him to learn some lessons, so as to not disturb the peace of Pingshan Village. With the Tang family coming forward, the third uncle cannot just take into account the reputation of the Zhao family.

The gathered people were surprised to hear about the accounts and there were some accounts that even Grandma Zhao and Wang Chunhua did not remember. They were always reaching out and trying to squeeze more out, there was too much to remember what they took from Zhao Dahu.

“It turns out that Grandma Zhao is really good at calculating. This separation of the second son clearly means that he should support the Zhao family.”

“I originally saw the three big houses in Brother Ming’s family and thought they must have a prosperous life. Little did I know, that it only looks good from the outside, when the Zhao family separated, they received nothing, only two acres of land. I remember the three big houses were built with Brother Ming’s dowry. Tsk tsk, the Zhao family is very smart.”

Zhao Pingchuan was so embarrassed that he wanted to find a crack in the ground to hide in. In many places, Tang Chunming even wrote the excuse that Grandma Zhao gave when asking for money. Why the third brother is not in good health, why the third brother wants to buy ink, pen, and paper. Why the third brother needs to meet his fellow classmates and show his friendship…It’s no wonder that Zhao Dahu ran up into the mountain whenever he was free. Except for during the busy farming season, there was almost no time to rest, he was so busy trying to earn money for his bloodsucking family.

Since the separation of the family, this account book can account for roughly fifty taels of silver. This would normally allow people to live well, even if it was not too prosperous, but looking at Tang Chunming and his son, what can be said.

“Stupid! Stupid old man!” The third uncle was so angry that his fingers were trembling with anger as he pointed at Grandma Zhao and Zhao Pingchuan. “Is this what you call an unfilial son who doesn’t know how to respect the elderly? If Brother Ming is not filial to the elderly, would he have let Dahu bring everything to your house time and again? Also saying that Dahu was forced to death by Brother Ming, it is clearly…clearly…” The third uncle was so angry that he could no longer speak nor could he finish his words. If it becomes a fact that Grandma Zhao forced his son to death, this can cause Grandma Zhao to be expelled from Pingshan Village.

The junior on the side hurriedly returned the book to the village leader, carefully returning to the third uncle, and quietly consoled him.

Grandma Zhao screamed and was about to cry again. The third uncle yelled and interrupted him, “What? What other grievances do you have to complain about? Or did this child remember wrongly? Do you think we are confused like you, there are even dates on it. What’s the matter, do you not think us old people won’t dare to drive you out?”

Grandma Zhao was so frightened that he suffocated in the middle and hiccuped. Slapping his chest in an anxious manner, this time his heart really hurt.

“You are really confused, is Zhao Dahu not your son anymore? Do you only have Zhao Pingchuan as a son? You really are getting older and more confused. Do you think this is good for the third child? Do you know that this will only delay the future of the third child. Go outside and listen, which scholar doesn’t need a reputation. You didn’t ruin Dahu enough, you need to also ruin the third child?” As part of the Zhao family, he also has high hopes that the third Zhao son will be able to pass the exam. This way the Zhao family can stand more firmly in Pingshan village and also the surrounding villages cannot say anything bad about the Zhao family. But now, what did this ignorant old person do?

Tang Chunming lowered his head and glanced disdainfully. If he hadn’t caught the third Zhao elder and pushed everything on him, it would not be Mother Zhao who was said to be confused today but him. Tang Chunming would become an object of condemnation and tarnish the reputation of the Zhao family. Just listening to the tone, how much fondness does this person have for the third Zhao son.

“It isn’t so.” Grandma Zhao finally took a breath, screaming out in fear and turned toward the third child in a panic, “Pingchuan, mother never thought about it that way. It’s all the fault of this slut, Tang Chunming, otherwise, who would know the things between husband and wife, which wife would take out their family affairs? Pingchuan, this won’t affect you, right?”

“Mother,” Zhao Pingchuan was helpless, “I told you that the second brother’s family should live their own lives after we separated, but you…” He turned his head away bitterly, and in the eyes of others his actions made people think that Zhao Pingchaun did not think that Zhao Dahu was a copper plate. (1)

Sure enough, he is a scholar, and he can change his face anytime and anywhere. In Tang Chunming’s view, Grandma Zhao is ignorant but Zhao Pingchuan just let Grandma Zhao do it, because it was Zhao Pingchuan that reaped the benefits. It was Grandma Zhao that rushed out in front, and if it weren’t for Tang Chunming’s troubles, the one he would turn the gun towards was Zhao Pingchuan. After only saying a few good things, Zhao Pingchuan still had a good scholar reputation and looked like the bigger person.