Divorce with three kids? I'll build a house and eat meat, driving my in-laws crazy.

Chapter 158 You're living a good life with my money

When Chen Sanbao heard someone cursing his wife, he immediately said, "Who's the jinx? Watch your mouth, or I'll beat you to death."

He had just finished making those harsh remarks when, with a whoosh, the door was suddenly pulled open.

Shan Xiujuan stepped forward and said, "Come on, try hitting me?"

Just as Chen Sanbao raised his hand, Zhang Junniang stopped him. She forced a smile and said to her sister-in-law, "Xiujuan, we just came to see Mother. We're not here to do anything."

I can't say what we'll do right now; let's go inside first.

"Hmph." Shan Xiujuan rolled her eyes, turned around and left.

Although the other party didn't give her a friendly look, the door was opened nonetheless.

Madam Wang led the two women into the main room. As soon as Zhang Junniang and Chen Sanbao sat down, she said, "Junniang, is there something you need? It's getting late and it's raining. You should go home early, or it will be dangerous on the road."

After saying that, she looked at the two of them with a smile. Zhang Junniang's face stiffened for a moment, and she said, "It's nothing, I just came to see you, Mother."

"Young lady, look at you, so filial. You still come to see your mother in this heavy rain," a dark-skinned, plump man said as he entered the main room.

He is Zhang Junniang's younger brother, Zhang Heihu.

Chen Sanbao said with a smile, "Black Tiger, you're getting stronger and stronger."

He was incredibly envious of that muscular physique; Chen Sanbao was a skinny monkey who never gained weight no matter how much he ate.

This is fine for women, but it's bad for men; they'll be bullied all the time.

Zhang Heihu grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth, and said, "Brother-in-law, what did you bring to see Mother?"

He then scanned the surroundings but saw nothing.

The smile on his face vanished instantly. "You came all this way to see your mother, just to see her with your eyes?"

Zhang Junniang said irritably, "Then what else?"

Her mother took five taels of her dowry, and her two younger brothers each snatched five taels from her on the wedding day, but she didn't care about any of this at the time.

Now that she's only come back for a short visit, her younger brother is already unhappy.

She felt like her sincere feelings had been wasted.

Zhang Heihu was still laughing, but his smile was tinged with contempt: "Now that you've seen it, you can leave."

"What are you doing, you child?" Wang nudged her son and said to Zhang Junniang, "Don't take it to heart with your brother. That's just how he is. He may not be good with words, but he's not a bad person at heart."

Wang tried her best to beautify her son's image, but Zhang Junniang knew all too well what kind of person her brother was.

But it's alright, she was mentally prepared when she came.

Now that she was already here, despite the strong winds and heavy rain, she couldn't let the trip be in vain.

The more her brother tried to stop her, the more determined she became to achieve her goal.

Zhang Junniang's smile faded as she said, "Mother, let me be frank with you, my family is almost starving."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wang held her daughter's hand and shed two tears, sobbing, "I'm so sorry to trouble you. Alas, in this world, no one has an easy time."

Zhang Heihu interjected, "Our family also survives on wild vegetable porridge."

Zhang Junniang ignored him and only said to Wang Shi, "Mother, Gan'er and Yong'er are studying now, and they receive one tael of silver for tuition each month."

"What?" Wang Shi and Zhang Heihu exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

Zhang Heihu: "Are you out of your mind? They can't even afford to eat, what's the point of them studying? Are they even cut out for studying? It's a complete waste of money."

Wang chimed in, "Junniang, are you confused? Is studying more important than having enough to eat?"

Zhang Junniang retorted, "My son is very smart. Once they become the top scholars in the imperial examinations, you'll all benefit from it."

Chen Sanbao chimed in, "Yes, yes, they're very clever."

Zhang Heihu and Wang Shi exchanged a glance. Zhang Junniang was stubborn and they couldn't persuade her, so they could only laugh it off.

"Well, you're right."

“If that’s how you think, there’s nothing I can do.” The two of them kept talking, but neither of them would follow Zhang Jun’s mother’s lead.

Chen Sanbao became anxious: "Mother, Black Tiger, we haven't paid Gan'er and Yong'er's tuition fees this month. I gave Junniang 30 taels of silver, and you took half of it all at once."

We're so poor we can't afford to eat anymore, are you just going to watch us starve to death?

Chen Sanbao was adept at using moral blackmail, but his methods were completely ineffective against the Zhang family.

Zhang Heihu said, "Isn't there still 15 taels left? With 15 taels, what can't we afford to eat?"

Zhang Junniang said irritably, "My former mother-in-law took 5 taels, so I only have 10 taels left."

"Ten taels isn't enough?" Zhang Heihu said smugly, thinking that Zhang Junniang's dowry should all be left to the Zhang family.

“What can 10 taels do? It’s not even enough for my sons’ education.”

"Then just don't study. What are Gan'er and Yong'er anyway? Do you think I, as their uncle, don't know? You're just wasting your money."

Zhang Junniang's face twisted with anger. She said coldly, "Black Tiger, don't forget how you got married. You took my dowry to give to your wife, are you even human?"

Zhang Heihu's face darkened, and he sat down casually to the side without saying a word.

The Zhang family took the 15 taels of betrothal gifts from Zhang Junniang, gave 5 taels to Shan Xiujuan, and spent another 2 taels on the banquet.

Zhang Heihu knew that he was able to get a wife entirely because of his sister, and now that this was being used against him, he simply stopped talking.

Wang still had 8 taels of silver in her hand, which she planned to use to find a husband for her youngest son.

The matchmaker has already taken her son to the woman's house today.

It was raining, but the people of Chenjia Village went about their business as usual, their busy days never stopping.

Seeing her son being rebuked, Madam Wang said, "Junniang, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you can't be so selfish. As the older sister, you should help your younger brother."

"When your younger brother has a son, he won't be able to call you 'aunt' anymore."

Having been influenced by this kind of thinking for many years, Zhang Junniang felt extremely aggrieved at this moment, "Then I am still Gan'er and Yong'er's mother."

“Yes, she’s my wife,” Chen Sanbao added.

Seeing that her son-in-law was protecting her daughter in every way, Madam Wang didn't say much, only saying, "It's better for you to live a good life than anything else."

Zhang Junniang was stunned for a long time, as if she was seeing her mother's true colors for the first time.

Every word her mother said sounded like she was doing it for her own good, but she never did anything for her, nor did she give her a single penny.

Her kindness towards her was merely verbal.

How come she never noticed this before?

Since the mother is unkind and the brother is unjust, then don't blame her for being unkind and unjust.

Zhang Junniang said directly, "Mother, you should still have seven or eight taels of silver, right? I don't need much, just give me five taels."

Upon hearing that she wanted money, Wang immediately began to play the victim: "Oh dear, where would I get any money? Your brother wants to get married, you can't let him stay a bachelor for the rest of his life, can you?"

Zhang Heihu chimed in, "I've already told you, you're just too selfish, only thinking of yourself."

Zhang Junniang jumped up and said, "Who is the selfish one here? You all live a good life with my money, and you still say I'm selfish?"

“Yes, you’re living a good life with my money,” Chen Sanbao emphasized. It was his money, earned through his hard work digging ginseng.

At the opportune moment, Mrs. Wang stepped in to play the good guy, saying, "Oh dear, stop arguing and talk properly."

At this moment, Shan Xiujuan, who had been eavesdropping outside the door and acting as an invisible person, suddenly appeared carrying two sacks.

She threw the things on the ground and said, "Sister, you can take these things back."

Zhang Junniang and Chen Sanbao were overjoyed, never expecting that the person who came to their aid this time was not their mother or brother, but an outsider.

The two rushed over and opened the bag, but their faces contorted in disgust, feeling worse than if they had swallowed a fly.

(End of this chapter)