Chapter 54: The Zhu family's 'Kinship'
Besides these main dishes, Meng Yulan also chopped the dumpling filling early. They prepared four steamers worth of sauerkraut and pork dumplings first, with more available if needed. There was also extra pork belly in the cellar under the storage room.
Let's just say, the standard of celebration at Yue Feng's home today was much higher than the reception standard for the mayor visiting the countryside. In this era of scarcity, today's meal could be considered top-tier.
The women from several families came to help, so the work wasn't too tiring. Yue Feng and the group of men didn't lift a finger. They were all squeezed onto the heated brick bed in the east room, cracking melon seeds and chatting. Their lives were incredibly comfortable.
As the main force in today's 5v5, Xiao Tao was especially smug in the room.
When he got home, he originally thought he would be lectured by his Dad. However, Li Wentong only mentioned it during lunch, saying that in future fights, he shouldn't go deep alone as it's easy to suffer losses. With his good buddies and brothers, they should unite and advance or retreat together.
"Feng Ge, we fought with the Zhu family today. They definitely won't let it go! We still need to be careful. That group from the Zhu family aren't good people!" Xiao Wen seized an opportunity to remind Yue Feng in a low voice.
"How dare he! Are they trying to turn the world upside down?! If he dares to bare his teeth again, we'll beat him up!" Xiao Tao glared, saying with full confidence.
Yue Feng naturally knew what kind of people the Zhu family brothers were. This group, relying on the large number of men in their family, were used to acting tyrannically in the village and rarely suffered losses in minor conflicts.
If you're going to offend them, offend them thoroughly. Today's battle, especially the slap Yue Feng gave Zhu Old head, completely shattered the Zhu family's face.
However, Yue Feng knew that the Zhu family was just a paper Tiger. The Zhu family members were not as united internally as they appeared on the surface.
Yue Feng remembered something very clearly from his previous life. Zhu Dahai went to the Forest Farm to work with a team and got into a fight with some drifters. Later, they came to the village and broke Zhu Dahai's leg.
Zhu Jianshe called his brothers, planning to cause trouble at the Forest Farm, but the second and third Zhu family brothers didn't show up at all. In the end, Wang Jianguo went to negotiate with the Forest Farm in the name of the Village Department.
Yue Feng casually took a bite of a pastry and said unhurriedly, "Since this matter was mediated and handled by the brigade, and both sides have no objections, it means this matter is temporarily settled!"
"If they dare to cause trouble again, we'll deal with them again! There are quite a few of us brothers. Whether they come at us softly or hard, we're not afraid. Just be a little careful when you're alone!"
...
While Yue Feng and the others were enjoying good food and drinks, lounging on the heated brick bed, and chatting idly, the atmosphere at Zhu Jianshe's house on the other side was very bad.
Not only did the instigator, Zhu Erhai, have a large bump on his head from Xiao Tao hitting him with a stick, but he also had two clear five-fingered handprints on his face.
At this moment, Zhu Old head and Ma Pozi were sitting in the main room of Zhu Jianshe's house. The faces of the people in the room were all very grim.
"Dad, Erhai is your grandson. Using the family's big goose to trade for a big eagle was also for catching Rabbits and pheasants on the mountain in the future. He just forgot to tell you. We're all family. Isn't it a bit much for you to say the child stole your goose?" Although Niu Guihua's posture was slightly low, her tone was not friendly.
Zhu Old head puffed on his pipe for a long time before saying, "Eldest son's wife, let me ask you, how long has it been since you and Jianshe gave me and your mom grain? What did we say when we split the family?"
"Well... isn't life difficult at home? Growing boys eat their father poor. All three children in the family are at the age of growing, and the family's food supply isn't enough each year!" Niu Guihua also knew she was in the wrong, but she still had to say the necessary pleasantries.
"Knowing your family's life is difficult, your mom and I haven't come to ask for grain, have we?"
"No... you haven't!"
"Then when Erhai secretly took the laying goose from my house to trade for some eagle, shouldn't he have gotten my and your mom's permission?"
"Erhai forgot to tell you, it wasn't intentional!"
"Alright, he's my grandson, and I'll accept the explanation that it wasn't intentional. So, let's consider this goose bought by your family, no problem, right?"
"I won't ask for more. The market price today is four yuan and five. Give me the money, and this matter will be settled today!"
"As for the face our Zhu family lost in the village today, consider it my fault for not teaching my children properly, we deserve it!"
As soon as money was mentioned, Niu Guihua's face instantly stretched long. Four yuan and five was not a small amount. Although their family could afford it, Niu Guihua wasn't planning to spend it. The money saved at home was for finding wives for the second and third sons.
"We... we don't have money!!" Before Niu Guihua could speak, Zhu Jianshe refused directly in a very cold tone.
"No money at home? That's fine too. This big eagle was traded for a goose, right? I'll take the eagle. Whatever it sells for is fine!" Zhu Old head said, looking at his son with droopy eyelids.
"Erhai and I have been taking turns staying up for several nights for this eagle. Wouldn't taking it now be giving up halfway? How about this, consider this money borrowed. When your grandson makes money from flying the eagle, he'll pay you back!"
Zhu Jianshe proposed a plan that could be called outrageous.
If you want money, no money will be given. If you want the eagle, the eagle won't be given either. It will be paid back whenever the grandson makes money.
Zhu Old head looked at his somewhat unfamiliar son and said, "Alright, Erhai, write me an IOU! In one winter, flying the eagle should earn this money back. I'll come to collect the debt with the note at the end of this year!"
With words spoken to this extent, there was no trace of father-son blood kinship left. Zhu Erhai didn't dare to talk back at this moment and obediently wrote an IOU for his Grandpa, only then sending away the old couple who had come to settle scores.
After Grandpa and Grandma left, Zhu Jianshe closed the main door, took down his military belt from the wall, and then, from Zhu Jianshe's house, came the miserable screams of Zhu Erhai crying for his dad and mom.
This beating kept Zhu Erhai from getting off the heated brick bed for three full days. Of course, this is a story for later.
...
That afternoon, it wasn't even five o'clock yet, and the feast at the Yue Family was almost ready. Yue Feng pulled his Dad to the doorway and asked in a low voice, "Dad, how about I go and call my Old Uncle over?"
When Yue Lei heard his son's words, his first reaction was a bit of resistance. After all, he, Yue Lei, wasn't someone who liked to flatter village leaders on a normal day.
But on second thought, his son's suggestion wasn't without reason.
With so many main dishes prepared, inviting one more person was just a matter of one extra pair of chopsticks. There was definitely enough food.
When Wang Jianguo handled the conflict between the two families today, although it seemed on the surface that he was impartial, Yue Lei knew that he was slightly biased towards the Yue Family.
For example, when Yue Feng slapped Zhu Old head, if Wang Jianguo hadn't spoken up at that moment to suppress the situation, it would have been hard to say how things would have developed later. It's true that Xiao Tao was holding a bayonet, but he might not have been able to control the situation.
Now, it was equivalent to the Yue Family being in the right and also causing the Zhu family to lose face. Taking advantage of the celebration feast at home, inviting Wang Jianguo to come and drink at their house was something they could do.
"Okay, you go!" Yue Lei nodded and agreed.
Yue Feng and his Dad unified their stance, immediately turned around and left the room, heading straight for Wang Jianguo's house.
Third update for today completed, please vote!!!