Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

I don't know how long we drank, but the sky over the threshing ground had become completely dark.

The stars overhead were densely packed, and the bonfires, which initially leaped high with flames, gradually burned into glowing red charcoal.

The men, young and old, had gradually dispersed, leaving only the women rolling up their sleeves to clean up the mess, occasionally chuckling and cursing at the drunken men who were staggering around.

Niu Niu couldn't hold on any longer. Her little head was nodding off. Finally, she couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep next to Zhao Shanhe's legs. She kept smacking her lips, and it was hard to tell if she was still thinking about the bowl of sauerkraut and pork dumplings she had just eaten.

Lin Xiu was carrying a basin of washed empty bowls when she passed by. Seeing this, she quickly dried her hands on her apron and carefully took Niu Niu into her arms.

"I'll take Niu Niu back to sleep first. You brothers can talk and drink less," Lin Xiu said in a low voice.

Zhao Shanhe nodded, took a piece of clothing from the side and draped it over the mother and daughter, watching them walk away along the dirt road.

After turning his gaze away, Zhao Shanhe picked up the rough porcelain wine bowl on the table.

"Brother Shanhe".

Suddenly, a muffled voice came from beside him.

Zhao Shanhe turned his head. Da Niu was sitting at the other end of the bench, holding a half-empty wine jar. His face was flushed from drinking, but his eyes had lost the boisterous energy they had just had.

He didn't look at Zhao Shanhe, but stared intently at the nearly extinguished charcoal fire.

His gaze swept over Old Hei, who was clutching his arm, and then over Da Zhuang, Monkey, and the Kaoshantun brothers with bandages wrapped around their heads and arms in slings around their chests.

After a long while, Da Niu scratched the back of his head in frustration and, emboldened by the alcohol, finally spoke:

"elder brother."

"What's wrong?" Zhao Shanhe put down his wine bowl.

Da Niu hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and finally poured out the worries that had been weighing on his mind:

"Brother, the job at Hongxing Machinery Factory is completely ruined for us. What... what are we going to do next?"

As soon as those words were spoken, the people who had been drunkenly leaning against the table noticeably slowed down.

Old Hei's chopsticks, still holding the pickled cabbage, hovered in mid-air. Monkey silently put down the shiny bone he was gnawing on, and even Da Zhuang, who had been dozing off while holding the wine jar, struggled to open his eyes. A dozen pairs of eyes, reddened by the smell of alcohol, all fell on Zhao Shanhe.

During the day, everyone was just happy, after all, Da Niu came out whole, and all the brothers returned to Kaoshantun.

But once this pig-slaughtering feast is over, the sun will rise as usual tomorrow, and every household will still have to open its doors and go about its daily life.

They've already smashed their secure job at the Red Star Machinery Factory. How will they make a living in the future? How will their elderly parents and children feed themselves? This is an insurmountable hurdle.

Zhao Shanhe did not answer immediately.

He picked up the rough porcelain wine bowl, looked down at the dark red flame flickering at the bottom of the bowl, and after a few quiet seconds, tilted his head back and drank the remaining half bowl of strong liquor in one gulp.

"What's the rush?"

Zhao Shanhe slammed the empty bowl back onto the table, his gaze sweeping over Da Niu and the others:

"Everyone just barely escaped with their lives, and Da Niu has only just stepped out of the cell and into his home."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Erzhuzi's sling arm and the still swollen, bruised cheeks of his brothers, and he chuckled irritably, cursing:

"Look at the state you're in now, you're practically staggering as you walk, and you're still dreaming about going out to earn money to build houses tomorrow?"

Erzhuzi, still defiant, stubbed his neck out and muttered, "My right arm can still exert force..."

"Come on, give me a break. You're covered in bruises, go back and take good care of yourself."

Zhao Shanhe glared at him, and Erzhuzi immediately shrank back, swallowing the rest of his words, which caused a suppressed chuckle to rise from the table.

Zhao Shanhe picked up the wine jar again and slowly poured himself a small half bowl.

"If you lose a job, you can find another one; if a business fails, you can start over. But if you don't take good care of your person and they end up with a disability, your family's world will collapse." His tone wasn't harsh, but it revealed his heartfelt sincerity, which completely calmed the previously agitated crowd.

Looking at his brothers who had shared beatings and bloodshed with him, Zhao Shanhe made his decision definitively:

"So for the next few days, nobody should cause any trouble. The most important thing right now is to take good care of your health and spend more time with your family. Your wife and parents have been worried sick about you lately. When you go back home, your wife will cook you some meat, so just eat it obediently. If your parents scold you because they feel sorry for you, just lower your head and listen quietly."

"I'll hold the sky up if it falls. We'll talk about making money after all the injuries have healed."

Zhao Shanhe's words were like a warm breeze melting away the ice, and the previously tense atmosphere at the table completely relaxed.

These few words completely removed the last bit of burden from the men's hearts.

Da Niu picked up the bowl of water in front of him, grinned, and let out a simple, honest laugh.

"Okay, brother, I'll listen to you! I'll go back and be a coward for a few days, letting Cuihua take good care of me!"

"Come on, with your henpecked husband look, who knows who'll be serving whom when you get back!" Old Hei joked from the side.

The crowd immediately burst into lighthearted laughter.

It was late at night, the drinks were flowing freely, and the conversation had become more open.

A dozen or so men, supporting each other, limped and staggered away along the village's dirt road.

Da Niu was dragged home by his wife Cuihua, who pulled him by the ear, while Da Zhuang was helped away by his mother, who scolded him while feeling sorry for him.

The threshing ground, which had been bustling for half the night, gradually quieted down, leaving only a few piles of charcoal fires flickering red in the night wind.

Zhao Shanhe swallowed the last sip of wine, stood up, and dusted himself off.

He walked home slowly, his feet sinking into the cold moonlight.

Pushing open the wooden gate to my yard, I found it quiet inside.

A dim kerosene lamp still shone in the main room, casting a soft silhouette through the paper window.

Hearing the sound of the courtyard gate opening, the curtain was lifted.

Lin Xiu, wearing only a light jacket, quickly walked out and asked in a low voice:

"It's over?"

"Okay, that's it."

Zhao Shanhe responded and, by the moonlight, looked at his wife who was standing by the threshold waiting for him.

Lin Xiu stepped forward, smelled the strong smell of alcohol on him, frowned slightly, but didn't have the heart to complain. She simply reached out and patted the night dew off his collar.

"I've kept some hot water warm in the pot for you. I'll go pour you a basin of water to soak your feet and relieve your fatigue."