Chapter 42: A Heartfelt Envy

Zhao Zheng's words were reasonable, well-grounded, and left the old lady utterly speechless.

Qian Xiulan, however, refused to believe it. "Third Brother, I heard you spent a lot of millet to invite the village elders. How is it that when it comes to our side, there's nothing left?"

"I think you just don't want to give it!"

Following her mother's lead, Zhao Sanbao chimed in, "Exactly! I heard it all from the villagers. Third Uncle's family has money, they're just stingy!"

The old lady also put on a tough front. "Third, if you still acknowledge me as your mother, you will cough up the money. If you don't acknowledge me as your mother, then keep your purse shut!"

Yang Zhaodi grew secretly anxious. If not for her father-in-law's good fortune in finding an injured bear, their family would have been drinking northwest wind long ago. Now, they were coming to force money out of them again, which was simply too outrageous. "Grandmother, the family truly has neither money nor grain left..."

"A husband-cursing jinx, is it your turn to speak?" Glaring at Yang Zhaodi, the old lady showed no mercy. "It was you who cursed my grandson to death..."

The old hag deliberately struck where it hurt most, instantly bringing tears to Yang Zhaodi's eyes.

Zhang Xiao'e was also moved to tears of anger. Clutching her sister-in-law's hand, she wiped away her tears continuously.

The commotion once again drew the neighbors out to watch.

Zheng Chunmei, who had just finished nursing her baby, had arrived long ago, but she had stayed outside. Hearing Zhao Zheng shouting poverty, she did not believe a single word of it.

Whether the Zhao family had money or not, she wasn't sure, but they definitely had food—real rice, even.

They might even have meat to eat.

*Still, this old Mrs. Zhao is far too partial,* Zheng Chunmei thought to herself, though her ears were perked up high. *I can't blame old man Zhao for being stingy. They scammed his adopted son to death, left him without an heir, and embezzled his pension. Only a fool like old man Zhao would take it; anyone else would fight them to the death!*

"Fellow villagers, come and judge this fairly," Qian Xiulan said, akimbo. "My eldest brother and my man are injured so badly, yet this brother of theirs does not care at all, nor does he even ask after them. Is this how a brother should act?"

Yet even among the neighbors who disliked Zhao Zheng, none were willing to speak sheer nonsense at a time like this. Besides, the incident with Liu Tieniu was still fresh in their minds, and meddling in other people's business easily invited trouble.

However, the old lady's previous remark was a different story entirely.

It was a direct moral kidnapping.

Someone spoke up, "Third, you might disown your brother, but you cannot abandon your mother."

"That's right. Chip in something, at least, to save yourself from gossip."

These remarks only served to inflate Qian Xiulan and her company's arrogance even further.

Zheng Chunmei grew secretly anxious as well. *Don't give it to them! If they give it all away, where am I going to eat in the future?*

Zhao Zheng said calmly, "The money was cheated away by the eldest; everyone knows that. Not a single coin is left. Even if you press me to death, there is none."

"The eldest beat me until my head was split open and blood flowed, and the scar hasn't even healed yet. As a brother, I carried the two of them out of Golden Rooster Mountain and chose not to hold past grievances against them. That is already the utmost benevolence."

"As the ancient saying goes, every debt has a debtor, and every grievance has a master. Was it I who made them enter the mountain?"

"The two of them went into the mountain because of Uncle Yude's conscription order. If you want to seek someone out, you should look for the Xu family or the Ma family! Instead of going after the culprits when trouble strikes, you come here to pressure me. Does that make any sense?"

"You lot certainly know how to make things convenient for others, don't you? Aren't you afraid that everyone behind our backs is laughing at the Zhao family for having no brains, taking losses and still squealing like pigs?"

These words left everyone in the surroundings stunned.

"That's true. It was the Ma family's bear hunting that caused this whole mess. They should be looking for them!"

"Old Zhao's words make sense. After such a huge incident, the Ma family hasn't even come by to check on them. They have no manners at all."

"Xiulan, your third brother is right..."

Qian Xiulan's face turned green.

The old lady was once again left speechless, awkwardly stranded in place for a moment.

"Mother, I truly cannot produce any money. If push comes to shove, I can go to Golden Rooster Mountain to chop firewood and sell it. Once I sell it and get the money, I'll give it to you, alright?" Zhao Zheng's face was full of sincerity. As he walked with a limp, the neighboring onlookers could not help but shake their heads.

They muttered among themselves, "This is far too biased. The eldest son is a son, but is the third one picked up off the street?"

"His money was cheated away, his head was cracked open, his foot is limping, and he has no sons at home to support him. Even in this state, they still want to bully Third Zhao? Aren't they driving a man to his death?"

"What kind of mother is she? So merciless!"

Feeling the weight of thousands of needles on her back, the old lady felt both angry and helpless. Glaring at her son and daughters-in-law, she snapped, "It's not that Mother is forcing you; there's truly no other way. Since you really have none, I won't press you."

With that, she beat a hasty retreat.

Seeing her mother-in-law leave, Qian Xiulan could not stay either. "Mother, wait for me!"

Zhao Zheng's two good-for-nothing nephews also slunk away in disgrace.

Once out of the Zhao residence, Qian Xiulan caught up. "Mother, are we really not going to ask Third for money?"

"What the third one said makes sense. Let's go—to Yude's place, and then to Hunter Ma's place. If they don't give me an explanation for this matter, I'll go sleep right on their doorstep!"

With that, the old lady strode off menacingly.

The crowd gathered around Zhao Zheng's house did not disperse; instead, they followed Qian Xiulan to watch the spectacle.

Only then did Zheng Chunmei slip into the courtyard. "Uncle Zhao, I'm here."

Zhao Zheng glanced at her sideways, then turned to his weeping daughters-in-law and said, "You are not husband-cursing jinxes. You are my daughters-in-law, my family."

"Stone and the other boy died on the battlefield, fulfilling their duty to the country. They are heroes."

"What, other people's children can die in battle, but my children cannot?"

"It's just that those two boys had ill-fated lives. Speaking of which, I am also partly at fault. I have failed you both!"

"Father-in-law, no!" Yang Zhaodi hastily said. "It's all fate!"

Zhang Xiao'e also chimed in, "When the imperial court issues a conscription order, every household must send someone. Our family had to send someone..."

Zhao Zheng sighed. "In short, both of you remember this: from now on, if anyone ever dares to call you husband-cursing jinxes again, give them a tight slap across the face. Even if it's the old lady, you have my permission to talk back."

"If anything happens, I'll take the blame. Understood?"

"Thank you, Father-in-law!" The two women wept bitterly.

Only they knew how much pressure they had endured these past few days.

Why did Zhang Xiao'e care so much about Wu Yueying?

It wasn't just because their maiden families were from the same village.

It was even more because after their husbands died in battle, they were branded with the title of jinxes, and the women in the village deliberately distanced themselves from them.

Only Wu Yueying cared nothing for such things.

Adding flowers to embroidery could never compare to sending charcoal in the depth of winter.

With pity in his eyes, Zhao Zheng gently patted their heads.

Zheng Chunmei felt a tightness in her nose as well.

She envied them to the point of jealousy.

Ever since her husband died, no one had ever treated her like this.

Her mother-in-law was even convinced that she had cursed her husband to death, which filled Zheng Chunmei with a heavy sense of guilt, making her feel like a sinner—a lone star destined to curse her husband.

Yet hearing what Zhao Zheng said to Yang Zhaodi and the other woman, she finally understood.

It wasn't because she had cursed her husband to death; it was simply because she didn't have a good father-in-law like Third Uncle Zhao, who was both open-minded and loving!