Could it be that my future was to be like my father, sitting by the fire and dipping candles every day? He had studied and read many Australian "magazines", and his knowledge was much greater than that of ordinary people. However, his excessive knowledge became the reason for his fear: the most painful thing was to wake up from a dream and have no way to go. [Feng\/Huang\/ Update soon, please search] And he is now deeply in such pain.
After eating the porridge his mother had left for him, Zeng Juan was about to review the books he had put down these days: the Four Books and Five Classics are the basic skills of a scholar, and they must be memorized by heart. As soon as he picked up the book, his mother came over.
"Ajuan, go to my brother-in-law's house and see Mingnu, Chengzai and Huazai."
These were the three children left by his sister. The fourth child had difficulty in childbirth and died after birth.
Since the death of their sister, these three children have been left unattended - Zeng Juan's parents feel sorry for their grandson, and for ten and a half months they always ask Zeng Juan to go and see him and send him some things.
Zeng Juan didn't really want to go: ever since his brother-in-law remarried, he had to look at the new wife's face when he entered the house, and at least get ridiculed. However, mother still wanted him to go.
"Go on, if you don't go, that woman will think that our family doesn't care about them. How can your nephew still survive?"
"Brother-in-law is still here..."
"You know what, if you have a stepmother, you have a stepfather." His mother prepared a pack of children's summer clothes, "Take them and show off your uncle's dignity."
Zeng Juan had no choice but to take it. He knew what his mother said made sense. Without the support of his mother's family, the three children would have suffered a lot - he still had feelings for his nephews.
Zeng Juan took his things out and walked to the street. In fact, his home is only two blocks away from his brother-in-law's home, and they can be reached through a few alleys.
He walked to the door of the tea house. The business of the tea house was not bad, and there were many customers. This was a small tea house that was common in the local area. The two floors of the small tea house only had a dozen tables in total. There used to be a shed in front of the door with four or five tables, which also sold seasonal pastries such as moon cakes during the season. Now it has been completely dismantled. Ever since Chengxuan Street was demolished, everyone knew that Kun people were "really here" and could not just get away with a small amount of money from the government officials. Most of them demolished it themselves without waiting for notification from the government. There are a few companies that maintain their own backends. Not only was he demolished by the government, but the shopkeeper was taken to the yamen and suffered a lot: he was whipped and had to pay a fine, but when he got to the "backstage", he had nothing to lose.
Zeng Juan's brother-in-law's "backstage" is a yamen worker in Panyu County Kuaiban, and they have a bit of a relationship - a business like a tea house and a restaurant. Without official people, the platform would not be able to operate at all.
Although his "backstage" can be "retained", he no longer dares to show up and take care of things. Zeng Juan's brother-in-law was very wise and demolished the shed himself.
His brother-in-law was settling accounts at the counter. When he saw him coming, he said impatiently: "Ajuan, why are you here?"
"It's hot. My mother asked me to bring some clothes for my nephews." Zeng Juan said, "Are Mingnu, Chengzai, and Huazai okay?"
"Okay, okay, okay," the brother-in-law said with a disgusted look on his face, took the bag and threw it on the counter, "I'm fine if I'm not sick or in trouble! What else do you have to do?"
Since his sister's death, his brother-in-law's attitude towards him has been getting worse day by day. According to Zeng Juan's temper, it would be best to leave immediately, but his mother's advice was still in his ears. Said: "I want to see my nephews."
This stirred up a hornet's nest. His brother-in-law immediately darkened his face and sneered: "Your family is too lenient. They are descendants of my Cao family. What does it have to do with your Zeng family? I am always theirs." Dad, why do you want you and your mother to interfere every now and then? I think you should study hard. If you become a scholar in the future, it will be serious for your father to have less stinky oil!"
Zeng Juan held back his anger and said: "What are you talking about, brother-in-law? Even though my sister is gone, they are still the grandchildren of my parents. Their bones are broken but their tendons are still connected. Although my family doesn't have much money, I still have to do my best to feel at ease... …”
"Shit!" Brother-in-law sneered again, "When your sister died, why didn't your parents take Mingnu back to raise her? Even if they thought she was a girl, Chengzai and Huazai brought one. It would have saved me a lot. Thing! Now that I'm remarried, I keep asking you to send me some rags - I still don't have these rags like yours here? Your parents don't have the spare money, so don't worry about it. ”
Zeng Juan was furious when he heard that he was so contemptuous of his parents. He was about to retort when he saw his brother-in-law's new wife walking out. She was helping in the kitchen and was coming out with a bucket of dirty water. When she saw Zeng Juan coming, her face darkened. Zeng Juan called "Sister", but she ignored him and poured the dirty water on the street, almost splashing the water on Zeng Juan's face. Zeng Juan knew that his "sister" didn't like him, it could even be said that he hated him, but he still had to show up frequently to show his presence.
"Master, we're running out of firewood, don't forget to buy it. And don't forget to collect the tea bowls over there." The woman said to her brother-in-law, minding her own business, "There's so much work in the shop, and you're accompanying someone who is eating at home. Idle people are gossiping! I went to cook, and three hungry little beasts are still waiting to eat!"
The brother-in-law just kept his smile and said, "Okay, okay, I'll go right away." He watched her return behind the curtain in the kitchen before turning his head and said coldly, "Go quickly, I won't greet you anymore."
The brother-in-law issued an eviction order, so Zeng Juan had no choice but to leave. Since my sister died, my brother-in-law seems to have become a different person. Originally, my brother-in-law was always smiling. Even the woman he remarried to was not an unruly woman in her mother's family, as my mother mentioned. I never thought that I would be like this as soon as I got married!
He always felt uneasy when he returned to the street, but his brother-in-law did not allow him to enter the back house and he had no choice but to go back. Halfway through, I suddenly saw Ming Nu carrying a big bowl with a piece of moldy tofu in it, limping along. Zeng Juan hurriedly rushed forward and shouted: "Ming Nu!"
When Ming Nu saw Zeng Juan, tears flowed down before she could speak. Zeng Juan quickly took her aside, put the tofu down, wiped her tears with his sleeve and asked, "Why are you walking with a limp?"
This question didn't matter, Ming Nu's lips curled up, as if she was about to burst into tears. Zeng Juan quickly covered her mouth: "Don't cry, don't cry, speak slowly."
Ming Nu was crying and said that because she broke a tea bowl while washing dishes last night, her "mother" made her kneel down. She knelt down and collapsed on the ground for a whole night before returning to the room. Now her knees are swollen and she can't walk easily... …
Although Ming Nu was only ten years old, and she and Zeng Juan were male and female, Zeng Juan naturally couldn't see her, but seeing that she was struggling to walk, it was obviously not a lie.
"Where's your father? You don't want to give me any advice?"
"My father was trying to persuade my mother to calm down. A tea bowl is not worth a lot of money. But my mother lost her temper and said that she had been unlucky for eight lifetimes to take over this family." Ming Nu said while crying, "Help with the work in the shop." Not only is he poor, but he also has to take care of our food and clothing..." she said timidly, "I scolded him like crazy, but dad didn't dare to say anything."
Zeng Juan felt a twinge of distress and knelt down to rub her knees. He saw his niece grimacing, showing that she was in severe pain. His eyes were sore and he was almost crying. He asked again: "Are Chengzai and Hua Zai okay?"
"They don't dare to speak at home now. They are afraid of making their mother angry."
Zeng Juan saw that Ming Nu was still well-dressed, but a little dirty, and her hair had not been combed properly. He asked again: "Can you have enough to eat?"
Ming Nu nodded: "There is food to eat, but there is nothing delicious. Andy was slapped in the mouth when he said he wanted to eat fish. Mom said that dad's tea house can't make much money, not even enough to live..." said She suddenly cried again, and hugged Zeng Juan's waist, "Uncle! Please tell grandma, take me back! I heard that mother and father were discussing, saying that business is not good now and turnover is difficult, so we need to Sell me to a wealthy family as a girl..."
Zeng Juan was so angry that he was trembling all over. It was a common thing in the world for a stepmother to abuse the children of her first wife. As long as no one is killed, it doesn't matter. No matter how much injustice and sympathy he had, he could only swallow it. However, it would be too much to sell your niece to a wealthy family to be a girl. He didn't believe that his brother-in-law's family would be in such embarrassment - this woman wanted to get rid of her sister's child!
The flesh and blood that my sister left in this world cannot be wasted like this.
When he wanted to turn around, he asked his brother-in-law if he was still a man of conscience and called him a bloody bastard. Then slap the woman's mouth firmly. But he immediately thought that he was not even a literary boy. His brother-in-law and his wife did not buy his fault at all. When a woman acted violently, several men may not be opponents. Did he really want to fight with that woman in the street? Make a fuss and sweep the floor?
Even if they can be scolded by him obediently, what next? Zeng Juan knew that after all this fuss, it would be impossible for this "bad guy and girl" to "change their past mistakes", so it would be helpful for them to "get worse". My family was simply unable to raise my nephew, and in the end, the child suffered even more.
Huge anger surged in my chest, but no matter how angry I was, it was in vain. I am completely powerless in this matter. He could only comfort him: "Don't be afraid, uncle will go back and find a solution right now. He is determined not to ask you to become a girl." He rummaged in his sleeves for a long time and could only sigh in vain.
On the way back, Zeng Juan kept thinking about how to stop this. But their family has neither money nor a strong "threshold" to back them up - even if they had, they would not dare to come forward now. I was thinking wildly when I suddenly heard someone shouting.
"The newly arrived Australian paper, come and take a look..."
He paused - how could he have forgotten him! The world is dominated by Australians now, so why don’t you ask Zhang Yu, the celebrity in front of Australians, for help! He has met the real leader, and if an Australian comes out to say something, this couple is scared to death! (To be continued.)
