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

Even when the sun was high in the sky, the dilapidated mud-brick house of the Lin family at the western end of Kaoshantun was shrouded in gloom and despair, colder than the icy snow outside.

On the table inside the room was a pot of clear, watery stewed cabbage, so thick you could see your reflection in it, and a few hard, dark-colored steamed buns.

Lin Dapao sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), puffing away silently, his old face as black as the bottom of a pot.

At the other end of the kang (heated brick bed), Lin Qiang, wrapped in a quilt, was yelling and throwing a tantrum at his family:

"I won't eat this! Is this what you call food? Even pigs wouldn't eat this!"

"Dad! How dare you smoke? The matchmaker just said that the girl said if she doesn't have a sewing machine, the marriage is off! Don't ever set foot in their house again!"

Mentioning this, Lin Dapao's hand trembled slightly, and cigarette ash fell onto his thigh, burning a hole.

Lin Qiang's blind date was originally the prettiest girl in the next village. They were on good terms, and as long as the bride price was right, they could get married within the year.

Lin Dapao had originally hoped to steal Zhao Shanhe's sewing machine to save face, but not only did he fail to steal it, he was almost chopped up by his son-in-law with a knife.

When the woman heard about this, she immediately broke off the engagement and even sent a sarcastic message:

"What kind of good person is someone who even his own brother-in-law dislikes?"

This is tantamount to tearing the Lin family's face off and stomping on it.

"Stop howling!"

Lin Dapao slammed his pipe on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and cursed:

"It's all because you're a good-for-nothing! If you were anything special, would you be subjected to such disrespect?"

"Do I have the ability?"

Lin Qiang got even more excited upon hearing this, and stiffened his neck:

"Do you think I'd be capable enough to rob him? Haven't you seen how ruthless Zhao Shanhe is now? He has knives and guns!"

"You were the one who said you'd marry my sister to him for a dowry, and now look what's happened! He's made it big, and he won't even give us a sip! How can you blame me for this?"

The father and son argued back and forth, each trying to shift the blame, and the argument escalated.

Liu, who had been huddled by the stove tending the fire, carefully brought over a bowl of pickled vegetables and whispered, "..."

"Stop arguing...we'll make a fool of ourselves if outsiders hear...let's eat..."

"Eat, eat, eat! All you ever do is eat!"

Lin Dapao kicked over the bowl in Liu's hand, spilling the pickled vegetables all over the floor.

"I'm annoyed just looking at you! It's all your fault for spoiling Lin Xiu, that ungrateful daughter!"

Liu dared not utter a sound, silently squatting down to pick up the salted vegetables, tears welling up in her eyes.

Looking at the mess on the floor, Lin Qiang grew angrier and angrier, threw off the covers, and got off the bed.

"I'm not eating anymore! I'm full just looking at it! I'm going out for some fresh air!"

After saying that, he put on his tattered overcoat with the cotton showing, slammed the door, and left.

……

Lin Qiang walked along the dirt road in the village with his hands in his pockets and his neck hunched over. His stomach was burning with hunger and acid.

He wanted to buy a pack of cigarettes on credit at the convenience store, but when he checked his pockets, they were completely empty.

Just as he was getting annoyed, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

Normally, on such cold days, villagers stay indoors all winter. But today, the streets are unusually crowded.

Moreover, these people all had ruddy complexions, walked with a brisk pace, and were excitedly discussing something, all heading towards the brigade headquarters at the east end of the village.

"Hey? Isn't that Erzhuzi?"

Lin Qiang, with his sharp eyes, spotted a hoodlum who was usually just as idle as himself, dressed smartly and running eastward.

"Erzhuzi! Where are you going? Why are you running so fast, rushing to be reincarnated?"

Lin Qiang shouted, wanting to find someone to vent his frustrations to.

Erzhuzi stopped and turned around to see Lin Qiang. He then gave Lin Qiang an extremely strange, even slightly mocking, expression.

"Hey, isn't this Brother Qiang?"

Erzhuzi didn't even come over; he just stood a long distance away and made a sarcastic remark:

"What's wrong? Still wandering around the streets? Didn't you register?"

"What should I register for?" Lin Qiang was taken aback.

"Keep pretending! Keep pretending!"

Erzhuzi curled his lip, looking completely disbelieving:

"It's all over the village! Your amazing brother-in-law, Zhao Shanhe, is back! Not only did he bring back three big trucks, but he's also hiring workers!"

"Hiring?" Lin Qiang's mind went blank.

"Of course!"

Erzhuzi held out a hand and waved it in front of Lin Qiang's eyes, his tone full of envy, jealousy, and hatred:

"Boss Zhao said he's hiring twenty loaders and ten security guards! They'll pay them 50 yuan a month! Food and lodging included, and they'll even give out pork at the end of the year!"

50 yuan?!

Lin Qiang felt as if someone had smashed the top of his head with a sledgehammer.

He worked in the production team for a year, and his work points only amounted to a few dozen yuan. And now they only give him 50 yuan a month?

"Are you telling the truth?" Lin Qiang's voice trembled.

"How could it be fake? The official document is posted!"

Seeing Lin Qiang's stunned expression, Erzhuzi deliberately moved closer, chuckled, and deliberately brought up the very thing he didn't want to talk about:

"Hey, Qiang-ge, you're Zhao Shanhe's brother-in-law! Such a great thing, I don't believe he didn't give you a heads-up beforehand!"

"What? Are they pretending to be stupid because they're afraid we'll benefit from their scheme?"

"Alright, alright, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. If we're late, there won't be any spots left! Erga is the team leader now, he's really something!"

After saying that, Erzhuzi ignored Lin Qiang's reaction, turned around and ran away as fast as he could, afraid of missing the chance to make a fortune.

Lin Qiang was left standing alone in the cold wind, looking like a fool.

A gust of wind blew, and he shivered.

50 yuan...

Large vehicles...

Ergaizi is now a team leader...

Jealousy gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

On what grounds?

Why is it that idiot Erga gets to live a life of luxury while his own brother-in-law can't even get married and has to stay home drinking cold water?

That's 50 yuan! If you work for just one month, you can have not only a sewing machine, but also your dowry money!

Lin Qiang's face grew darker and darker, eventually turning into a twisted greed.

He stomped his foot and turned to run home.

This time he ran faster than a rabbit.

……

"Bang!"

The broken door of the Lin family's house was kicked open again.

Lin Dapao, who was sulking, was startled. Just as he was about to yell at someone, he saw his son rush into the house like a madman.

"Father! Father! Something terrible has happened!"

Lin Qiang, breathless and with bloodshot eyes, grabbed Lin Dapao's arm:

"Zhao Shanhe is back! That bastard's really struck it rich!"

"He's hiring! He'll pay 50 yuan a month! 50 yuan!!"

"What?!"

Lin Dapao's pipe fell to the ground with a "thud," his triangular eyes widening in surprise.

"50 yuan? For whom? For him?"

"Yeah! The whole village went! Even that good-for-nothing Erzhuzi went!"

Lin Qiang was so anxious that he kept slapping his thigh, spitting as he spoke:

"Dad, think about it, I'm his brother-in-law. If I don't do this work, who will? That money should rightfully belong to our family!"

"If I were to become a team leader, even 60 a month wouldn't be much! What would our family be without then?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Dapao's breathing became rapid.

Greed made him briefly forget the fear of being dominated by Zhao Shanhe last time.

But soon, he slumped down again, plopping onto the kang (a heated brick bed):

"What's the point of going? Have you forgotten how he pointed a knife at us last time? Do you think he'd want you?"

"So what do we do? Just watch someone else snatch this piece of meat?"

Lin Qiang paced anxiously on the ground:

"Erga Zi is a team leader now! That kid wasn't even worthy of carrying my shoes before!"

Lin Dapao squinted, his cloudy eyeballs rolling around in their sockets.

He looked out the window toward the Zhao family compound, then glanced at his wife, Liu, who was huddled in the corner, too afraid to make a sound.

Suddenly, a sinister and cunning smile appeared on his wrinkled old face.

"A direct confrontation won't work; we need to outsmart them."

Lin Dapao picked up his pipe and pointed out the window:

"I just heard some noise. Zhao Shanhe took some men to the brigade headquarters and got busy. There's definitely no one home."

"No, there is definitely someone here."

Lin Qiang was taken aback: "Who?"

"Your sister, Lin Xiu."

Lin Dapao sneered:

"We can't afford to mess with Zhao Shanhe, that living devil, but can't we handle Lin Xiu, that pushover?"

"She's been afraid of me since she was little. If I glare at her, would she dare say no?"

"yes!"

Lin Qiang slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing:

"As long as we win over Lin Xiu and get her to whisper sweet nothings in Zhao Shanhe's ear, even the most domineering Zhao Shanhe won't dare disobey his wife."

The father and son exchanged a glance, and both saw the familiar greed in each other's eyes.

Lin Dapao stood up, straightened his greasy cotton-padded coat, and regained his dignified demeanor as the head of the family:

"Let's go! While Zhao Shanhe's away, let's go 'visit' your sister!"

As he spoke, he turned around and yelled at Liu, who was standing in the corner:

"You old hag! Stop playing dead! Put on your shoes and come with us!"

Liu trembled in fright: "I won't go... Shanhe said I can't go..."

"Bullshit! I'm his father-in-law, it's only natural for me to visit my daughter's house!"

Lin Dapao walked over, grabbed Liu Shi, and threatened her fiercely:

"Then you just cry! Say you're starving and you're going to hang yourself because Qiangzi can't get married!"

"Lin Xiu is soft-hearted and can't stand seeing you cry. If you dare ruin my plans, I'll break your legs when I get back!"

Liu's body trembled, but under her husband's lifetime of tyranny, she had long lost the instinct to resist.

She could only wipe away her tears, lower her head, and follow the father and son out of the house like a prisoner.

Target: Zhao Family Compound.