Is his future just like his father, sitting by the fire and dipping candles every day? He has studied and read many Australian "magazines", and his knowledge is much greater than that of the average person. However, too much knowledge has become a problem.
The reason for his panic: The most painful thing is to wake up from a dream and have no way to go. And he is now deeply trapped 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 your 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 felt sorry for their grandson, and for ten and a half days they kept asking 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, his mother still wanted him to go.
"Go ahead. 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 bag of clothes for the children to change from season to season in summer, "Take it and show off your uncle's dignity."
Zeng Juan had no choice but to take it. He knew that what his mother said was right. 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 and his brother-in-law's home were only two blocks away, and they could be reached through several 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. There were only a dozen tables on the two floors. In front of the door.
There used to be a shed with four or five tables, and it also sold moon cakes and other seasonal cakes during the season. Now it has been completely demolished. Since the illegal demolition of Chengxuan Street, everyone knows that Kun people are "laizhende"
, it is not possible to get away with just a small amount of money to the yamen. Most of them dismantle it themselves without waiting for the government to notify them. There are a few companies that have strong backends. Being dismantled by the government does not count. The shopkeeper is taken to the yamen and is very eaten.
He went through a lot of hardships: 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 from Panyu County Kuaiban, and they are a bit close to each other - a business like a tea house and restaurant. Without people on the official side, the platform can't operate at all.
Although his "backstage" was "retained", he didn't dare to come forward to take care of things anymore. 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 expression on his face. He took the bag and threw it on the counter. "It's good that you're not sick or in trouble! What else can you do?"
Since his sister's death, his brother-in-law's attitude towards him has become worse day by day. According to Zeng Juan's temper, it would be best to leave immediately, but his mother's advice is still in his ears. He said: "I want to see my nephew."
They."
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 day? 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 save 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.
Already."
Zeng Juan was very angry when he heard that he was so contemptuous towards his parents. He was about to retort when he saw his brother-in-law's new wife coming out. She was helping in the kitchen and was carrying a bucket of dirty water when she saw Zeng Juan coming.
Zeng Juan called her "sister", but she ignored him and poured the dirty water on the street. The water almost splashed on Zeng Juan's face. Zeng Juan knew that "sister"
"He doesn't like himself, it can even be said that he hates him, but he still has to show up often to show his existence.
"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 smiling 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, and Zeng Juan had no choice but to leave. After his sister died, the brother-in-law seemed to have become a different person. Originally, the brother-in-law was always smiling. Even the woman he continued his relationship with, my mother mentioned, was not the same in her parents' family.
What a wicked woman. I never thought that she would become like this as soon as she 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 walk back. Halfway through, he suddenly saw Ming Nu holding a big bowl with a piece of moldy tofu in it.
She was walking lamely. Zeng Juan hurriedly greeted her and shouted: "Ming Nu!"
When Ming Nu saw Zeng Juan, tears started to flow down her face before she opened her mouth. Zeng Juan quickly took her aside, put the tofu down, wiped her tears with his sleeves and asked, "Why are you walking with a limp?"
A crooked one?"
This question was no big deal, Ming Nu's mouth curled up, as if she was about to cry loudly. 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 the dishes last night, her "mother" made her kneel down. She knelt down and collapsed on the floor for the 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 is your father? He doesn't understand?"
"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 and came to take charge of this family." Ming Nu said while crying, "Help with the work in the shop.
Not only are we poor, but we have to take care of our food and clothing..." she said timidly, "I scolded him like crazy, and 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 about to cry. He asked again: "Chengzai, are Hua Zai okay?"
?”
"They don't dare to speak at home now for fear 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, and it's not even enough to live by..." said
She suddenly cried again and hugged Zeng Juan's waist, "Uncle! Please tell grandma to take me back! I heard my mother and father were discussing, saying that the business is not good now and the turnover is difficult. 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 died, it was nothing. No matter how much injustice and sympathy he had, he could only swallow it. However, he wanted to sell his niece to a wealthy family.
Being a girl was too much. He didn't believe that his brother-in-law's family would be in such a state of embarrassment - this woman wanted to get rid of her sister's child!
The flesh and blood that my sister left behind in this world cannot be wasted like this.
He wanted to turn around and ask his brother-in-law if he was still a good man, and call him a bloody bastard. Then he slapped the woman several times. But he immediately thought that he was not even a literary boy, and his brother-in-law and
His wife doesn't buy his fault at all. When a woman throws a tantrum, several men may not be their opponents. Do he really want to fight with that woman in the street and make a show of civility?
Even if they could be scolded by him obediently, what would happen next? Zeng Juan knew that it would be impossible for the "bad couple to change their past" after all this fuss, so they would just "get worse". His family was also unable to raise his nephew, so he was so troubled.
In the end, it is the child who suffers the greater sin.
Huge anger surged in his chest, but no matter how angry he was, it was in vain. He was completely powerless in this matter. He had no choice but to comfort him: "Don't be afraid, uncle will go back and find a solution right away. He is determined not to ask you to be a girl.
"He rummaged around in his sleeves for a long time and sighed in vain.
On the way back, Zeng Juan had been thinking about how to stop this. But his family had neither money nor a strong "threshold" to back him up - even if they had, they would not dare to come forward now. While he was thinking wildly, he suddenly heard
Someone is hawking.
"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, why don't he go to Zhang Yu, a popular figure in front of Australians, for help! He has met Chief Zhenkun, and an Australian came out to say
In short, this couple was scared to death! (To be continued.)