Abandoned daughter reborn, legitimate son is resourceful

After having breakfast, Nan Jinming went out early in the morning carrying a bamboo basket, saying that he was going to pick some herbs on the north slope of the mountain.

Nan Jinming is actually not bad in studying. He used to follow Doctor Gu and learned some herbs. He also makes some medicines for bruises and injuries on a daily basis. He and Doctor Gu can be regarded as a master-disciple relationship.

Nan Jinming's mother used to have a good reputation in the village. No one in the village dared to say anything bad about their family. Which family had not received their kindness?

But later, Nan Jinming's mother fell seriously ill, and Doctor Gu was unable to cure her. He said that she should be sent to the city. However, Nan Jinming's mother knew her own life and death situation, so she was dragged to death by the illness.

Over the years, the people in Nan Jinming Village have been getting along well with each other. As for helping others, it all depends on one's personal feelings. If the person is kind and amiable on weekdays, Nan Jinming doesn't mind and will lend a helping hand.

"Jin Ming told us to stay at home and be quiet. If he knew we were to come out like this, he would definitely lecture us. Or should we go back?"

Chu Xiaoran followed Nan Chenliang somewhat awkwardly, following him closely, mainly because he was afraid that Nan Chenliang might do something impulsive.

"If you don't tell me and I don't tell you, my cousin won't know either. Do you still want to sue me for our current relationship?"

As soon as Nan Chenliang saw Nan Jinming go out, he immediately locked the door and headed towards the south entrance of the village with Chu Xiaoran.

Aunt Zhang's family lived at the south entrance of the village. It was a bit presumptuous to go there. The sun had just come down from the mountain pass and it was not very hot. As I walked on the road, my trouser legs were a little wet by the dew on the weeds on the path.

"Of course I won't tell them, but if the two of us go there, what if they start fighting and get us hurt?"

"Don't worry. I heard from my father that early this morning, Aunt Zhang asked someone to invite the government officials to come, and most of the idle people in the village went to watch the play."

"Do people in your village like to watch the fun so much?"

"Life is full of different things. Don't you realize that people's hearts are made of flesh? Who knows what's black and white?"

Nan Chenliang's words really touched people's hearts. Chu Xiaoran did not resist any more and followed him obediently until they reached the main road, then walked side by side with him.

"Did you see it? That thatched house is Aunt Zhang's. My cousin helped her build the roof. Aunt Zhang hasn't had an easy time these years. She has a family to support, raising the elderly and the young. Now..."

Nan Chenliang talked as he walked.

Chu Xiaoran looked in the direction Nan Chenliang said, and sure enough, he saw the entrance to the village not far away. There was a thatched house next to it, surrounded by a fence. The mud house didn't look very big, but there were some duck pens and chicken pens built next to it, probably raising about ten ducks.

The closer you get, the more you can hear cursing coming from the yard over there.

"You are a ruffian who has already settled down in the city. How can you still be interested in our country yard? Now that my mother is still alive, you come back to divide the land?"

The woman who was cursing was very confident, and her words were full of dissatisfaction with this man.

"It's Aunt Zhang's voice."

Chu Xiaoran nodded. Outside the fenced yard, there were a number of villagers watching, probably all men. Some were holding needles and thread for making shoe soles. They all heard that officials had been invited from the city, and they thought they were here to watch a lawsuit.

There were about seven or eight people gathered around, all of them middle-aged men in their thirties or forties.

Chu Xiaoran and Nan Chenliang looked younger. Nan Chenliang walked up to an uncle with ease, raised his hand to half cover his mouth, and asked a few questions in the uncle's ear.

"Look at them. They've been arguing for a long time. I heard the official carriage coming early this morning. I was wondering what happened in which family? I didn't expect it was Aunt Zhang's family. You see, grandma is so old. She will die sooner or later. It's better to divide the land and property as soon as possible, so that after she dies, her two daughters won't have to fight over it. How inappropriate it is."

"Uncle, what are you talking about? The old lady is still alive, why is the family divided? After the family is divided, where will she live?"

Nan Chenliang also felt sorry for Grandma Zhang. She thought that adopting a daughter was a way to take care of her in her old age, but after she grew up, did her daughter really take care of her?

For so many years, it was Aunt Zhang who had been busy with everything inside and outside the house. Why did she have to be partial to her little daughter when she came back?

Chu Xiaoran just stood there quietly watching. The fence of the yard was not high, so he could see the scene inside the yard.

The elderly woman sitting at the door with a chair was probably Grandma Zhang, and the person in the yard holding a shovel and standing in front of Grandma Zhang to the death was probably what they called Aunt Zhang.

The person standing opposite them was dressed rather plainly, but Chu Xiaoran recognized it at a glance because the clothes were made of luxurious fabrics. The price of these clothes was not cheap. It was enough to tear down the fence and build a new one, and there was still more than enough money left.

The officials stood aside, not knowing who to help.

As the saying goes, it is difficult for a judge to judge family disputes. Even if you come to this yard and see the two people confronting each other, you say you are right and she says she is right, how should you judge?

"Oh, Chenliang, you are still young, and your family doesn't have any elderly people to support. Your father and mother are in good health. You can find a son-in-law for them in the future. You will never meet such a family in your life."

The uncle was just there to watch the fun. He had been watching here for a long time but didn't see any progress.

"Zhang Xiaoyu, I'm telling you, if you really divide this property today, I will fight you to the death!"

"Zhang Dayu, who do you think you are? I tell you, when I come back this time, even if we split the rice field in half, you have to give me half."

"This land is in my mother's name. Even if you take it, what good will it do?"

The woman in fancy clothes had her hands on her hips and she didn't sound like a serious person. I don't know what kind of business she was doing. No matter how beautifully she dressed, it couldn't hide her rustic air.

Zhang Xiaoyu looks even thinner. Although she is a businesswoman, judging from her appearance, she is also a calculating person.

"I'm telling you, don't say you don't know. When I was doing business in the city, I asked the old woman to come over to help me take care of the children. What did she say? In the end, she helped you raise a daughter in the village. She didn't do me any good. This land should be divided among me."

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Aunt Zhang, Zhang Xiaoyu began to complain to those around him.

"Everyone is here today, so come and judge for me. When your husband had the baby, this old woman took care of him and took care of the baby during the confinement period. This old woman stayed in the countryside and raised chickens and ducks for you. What's the matter? Now that I come back to ask for a piece of my land, you are reluctant to give it up?"

"My husband spent a lot of money hiring someone to take care of him while he was in confinement in the city. Can you give me this money? I'm afraid that even if you sell all the chickens and ducks in your chicken coop and duck pen, you still can't afford it."

Zhang Xiaoyu recounted the evil deeds of Grandma Zhang over and over again. Half of the people were watching the show. Some people thought that what she said made sense, while others thought she was being unreasonable.

"Grandma Zhang, this is clearly not fair."

"What are you talking about? The old woman didn't want to go to the city because she couldn't get used to it. She felt that it was too depressing in the city and the air in the countryside was not as good. Now, you blame her for not helping you take care of the children?"

Aunt Zhang looked a little melancholy, and now she didn't know what to say. This person was obviously distorting the facts, but most of the neighbors who were watching the show were confused by her usual performance.

Zhang Xiaoyu would return to the village during the Chinese New Year and share some rare things he brought back with the villagers, thus leaving a good reputation in the village. However, Aunt Zhang usually spoke quite straightforwardly, which might offend some narrow-minded people.

In the eyes of others, everyone thinks that Zhang Xiaoyu is a very filial person because he goes home to visit his old mother every Chinese New Year and brings back all kinds of rare toys to make his old mother happy. But they forget who is taking care of Grandma Zhang every moment?

"What's the matter? I've given you my house. I won't fight with you. I just want a piece of rice field. What's the matter? Okay, okay, I won't talk to you about the past. Let's talk about this matter now. I really need this rice field. Give it to me."

Zhang Xiaoyu was talking very excitedly with her eyebrows raised, not wanting to look at her sister at all. In the past, when she brought her husband home, they would just have a reunion dinner and would not stay overnight. She would bring the whole family back to the city that afternoon.

"Why do you want this land? Don't you know that my family depends on this land for food? We only have this piece of rice field. If you use it to grow crops, what will we eat? Do we have to spend money to buy rice in the city?"

Zhang Xiaoyu naturally had her own plans. Now that the matter had been blown out of proportion, it would not be good for anyone. She had just said so much to direct all the blame at Aunt Zhang.

Based on the image that Zhang Xiaoyu has established among the villagers over the years, everyone thinks that what she said makes sense. She is considered to be successful in the city, and she would give money and gifts to her family when she comes back during the Chinese New Year. For such a filial person, what's wrong with asking for some land?

The official sitting next to them didn't know what to do. He could only listen carefully and get some useful information from their conversation.

It seems that what Nan Chenliang said is true. This Zhang Xiaoyu is really thoughtful.

Chu Xiaoran stood beside Nan Chenliang, listening carefully and trying to figure out their conversation.

While she was lost in thought, her eyes suddenly fell on the official next to her. The official was dressed neatly and cleanly, wearing an official hat. He was polite, with a fair face and fluttering eyelashes, which concealed the emotions in her eyes. The slender knuckles of her hands on her knees gently tapped her knees, and she pursed her lips, pondering carefully.

Isn’t this person the fiancée of my good friend Gu Mingli?

Chu Xiaoran had seen her before when he was shopping with Gu Mingli. At that time, he thought that this woman looked gentle and elegant, and her every move was full of grace. She must be worthy of a man like Gu Mingli.

I don’t know if Mingli has realized his disappearance, but escaping from that dark place is what I have always wanted to do.

Chu Xiaoran now feels that his current life is pretty good, so he might as well just live one day at a time.

You might say that I'm wasting my time, but there's nothing wrong with such a leisurely life.

"Wait a minute, you two. I have something to ask you right now, but I'm not sure if I should ask you this or not."

"Sir, we asked you to come here today so that you can help us judge the case."

Although Aunt Zhang looks big and strong, she is an honest person and speaks the truth.

Qin Yingxue's eyes fell on Zhang Xiaoyu. She pursed her lips, pondered for a moment, and then slowly asked, "Zhang Xiaoyu, you keep saying that Grandma Zhang didn't help you take care of the child, nor did she take care of your husband during the confinement period. Now I want to ask you, why should your mother help you take care of the child? She spent so much time and energy raising you. Does that mean that just because you gave birth to a child, she has to help you take care of another child?"

"But she also helped my eldest sister take care of the children. Our father died early, and it was not easy for her to raise us. But she didn't treat us equally."

Zhang Xiaoyu was obviously well prepared, and she had already figured out these excuses easily, but she didn't expect that Qin Yingxue had deeper ideas than she thought.

"Well, since you said so, then do you and Aunt Zhang have to fulfill the obligation to support Grandma Zhang? Now I see Aunt Zhang taking care of Grandma Zhang every day, and I heard that you only come back during the Chinese New Year, and each time you come back you only bring some insignificant things. Is the money you send home every year more valuable than this dress you are wearing?"

"I work hard in the city to earn money, and I also need to support my husband and children at home. The spare money I earn is not enough to support my life. The expenses at home are high, and my child still needs to go to school. It's not like my eldest sister's child is not in school, so he doesn't cost much."

"You don't have to say so much. I understand now. What you mean is that you don't give much money to your family every year. Even when Grandma Zhang was sick, you came back just to share the land!"

Qin Yingxue frowned slightly, spoke in a chilling voice, and pressed forward step by step, with a targeted and to-the-point tone. The people watching the show around also came to their senses and probably understood the reason. Everyone was like flowers and plants falling in the wind, and the direction of public opinion changed completely.

"So this is Zhang Xiaoyu's character. He is taking advantage of others' misfortune."

"That's right. Isn't she taking advantage of Grandma Zhang's illness to come back and divide up the land and property? I've said it before, she doesn't seem like a good person."

"That's not true. I only saw Aunt Zhang busying around. Zhang Xiaoyu can only see her on New Year's Day. What can she see on weekdays?"

"Aren't they making money in the city? How much money would they make if they came back?"

"Is money more important, or is my mother's life more important?"

"People are but like duckweed, born and dead in a moment."

Chu Xiaoran sighed, stood aside, and said in a low voice.