The mother of the era is reborn to support her cannon fodder children!

Chapter 247 "A Good Start"

"Where have you been gallivanting off to? Why are you only just getting back? I'm starving! Open the door now!"

The speaker was an old man with a slightly hunched back. He had dark skin, several deep lines on his forehead, and an impatient, fierce expression.

Zhao Liuniang stopped in her tracks, met those eyes filled with ruthlessness, and her limbs suddenly went weak.

This is a psychological trauma left from being beaten as a child.

"……father."

Zhao Liuniang called out with a stiff face.

Just as he was about to ask why he had come, Old Zhao said, "Stop talking nonsense and open the door! I haven't eaten and I'm starving. Make me a bowl of noodles first."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Liuniang's face turned green.

Feeling stifled and not wanting to be the butt of the joke, she steeled herself, took out her key, and opened the door.

Old Zhao pushed past Zhao Liuniang, swaying as he staggered into the Gu family's courtyard.

The Gu family had all gone out, and no one was home, so he felt comfortable as if he were at home.

They rushed straight into the house of Mr. and Mrs. Gu.

Zhao Liuniang hurriedly stepped forward and spread her arms to block the door.

"Dad, my mother-in-law will be back soon. She doesn't like people coming into their room. You know she has a bad temper. If she sees..."

Old Zhao's face darkened as he thought of the Gu family's several troublesome sons.

His cloudy old eyes stared at the door for a few seconds, then he spat out a mouthful of phlegm and looked away.

I'm really annoyed.

"Snapped!"

Zhao Liuniang's elbow was knocked down, and her body remained numb for a long time.

The pain reminded her of being beaten since childhood, and her face turned deathly pale.

"What are you standing there for? Go cook! I rarely come here, and this is how you treat me?" Old Zhao's eyes were unfriendly.

Zhao Liuniang walked blankly towards the kitchen.

When she got to the kitchen, her senses returned, and she realized that she hadn't resisted. She bit down hard on the soft flesh in her mouth, her whole body trembling slightly.

Zhao Liuniang, you good-for-nothing! You're already married with several children. What are you afraid of? Throw that man out who's unkind to his children and unkind to his wife!
This is your home, what are you afraid of?
Zhao Liuniang touched the kitchen knife with her right hand, her eyes bloodshot.

"...Hey, why is the door open? Who's back?" Lai Mei's voice rang out. Seeing that the kitchen door was open, she went to the kitchen.

"Mom, it's you. Why aren't you responding to me?" he asked casually.

He casually poured half a bowl of water and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

While drinking water, Lai Mei noticed that her mother was acting strangely. She put down her bowl, walked over to Zhao Liu Niang's side, and looked her over.

I sensed something was amiss.

"Mom, why are your eyes red?" Lai Mei frowned, her tone indignant. "Did Dad make you angry?"

The Gu family's children were raised by their mother, who was kind-hearted and never made things difficult for her daughters-in-law. When teaching her grandchildren, she would tell them that their mother had a hard time giving birth to them, and that they should respect and listen to her.

She taught them well; all the boys were good-natured. Even if they found a wild egg, they would bring it back and share it with their family.

Zhao Liuniang stared blankly at her son, speechless, her eyes burning.

"Come on, sister..." she called out softly.

Lai Mei frowned even more deeply.

It's over!
His mother is just like his grandmother, always energetic and lively. When has she ever been so listless?!

"Mom, what's wrong?" Lai Mei asked. "Did Dad really offend you? I'm going to find him!"

As he spoke, he rushed outside.

There was a man standing outside the door; it was Old Man Zhao.

He appeared silently, startling the girl.

“Damn! It’s a ghost…!” Lai Mei blurted out.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Old Zhao raised his hand and slapped him on the head. He didn't hold back and Lai Mei was caught off guard. She fell down and her forehead hit the corner of the wall.

The impact was severe, and blood immediately began to flow.

Lai Mei collapsed.

Zhao Liuniang supported her son and pressed her hand against his forehead; blood flowed through her fingers.

She cried out, "Come on, sister!!"

After shouting, he picked up his sister, glared at Old Man Zhao with hatred, and ran out of the house in a disheveled state.

"Help! Someone come quick! Lai Mei has hurt her head!!" she shouted, her mind in a panic. The moment she saw Yu Bao, she took off running towards the third house.

When Yu Bao and the others saw this, their expressions changed slightly, and they ran after their second aunt.

"Second Aunt, what's wrong with my brother-in-law?" Yu Bao asked anxiously.

Even though Zhao Liuniang was anxious, she didn't ignore his question, "...his head hit the wall."

Thinking of Old Man Zhao, she thought fiercely that if her son couldn't get through this, she would definitely chop that man up with a knife.

“Come on, don’t sleep. I’ll take you to your third aunt. She has medicine. I’ll apply it to your head right away. Once it’s on, your head won’t hurt anymore. Just hang in there a little longer…” Zhao Liuniang kept talking on the way, her voice hoarse with fear.

Lai Mei is nine years old this year, which is quite a big girl. She is not light. She has been doing farm work for many years and is quite strong. Carrying her son while running is a considerable burden.

She held on tightly, not slowing down, focused solely on getting medicine to stop the bleeding for her son.

Seeing his second aunt calling for his sister, Yu Bao also called out, "Brother Lai, don't sleep! I have something good for you. I'll give it to you once you've recovered!"

Hengbao was also shouting, "Brother Lai, hang in there! My mom has medicine, don't be afraid!!"

Bangbang looked very unwell. He hadn't expected that his younger brother would suddenly turn into this just because he went back to get a drink of water.

He stared at the blood on Lai Mei's coat, his heart sinking.

"Come on, sister, hang in there!" Bangbang shouted.

Lai Mei had a head injury, and Zhao Liu Niang carried him in her arms as they hurried away. This scene was witnessed by many people in the village.

Everyone was a little puzzled.

"What happened to Lai Mei? I saw him running all over the village just now, and now his head is covered in blood. I think he's passed out. I hope he's alright."

"Where's the second son of the Gu family? His son is injured like this, why haven't I seen him?"

"He and Old Man Gu went to the neighboring village. The neighboring village is doing composting, and they called the technicians for help."

"A technician... Uncle Gu has become a technician too." The young people in the village were very envious.

Someone with sharp eyes spotted Gu's mother and shouted, "Yuanshan's mother, your grandson hit his head and was taken to the third house by your second daughter-in-law..."

Upon hearing this, Gu's mother ran to the third house.

Huang Xiulan heard it too, gave the things to Tiedan, and hurriedly followed.

……

The third branch of the Gu family.

Lin Zhao was stewing chicken soup when she heard a panicked sound.

It was my second sister-in-law's voice.

Second sister-in-law just left, what's going on?
She looked puzzled as she walked out of the kitchen.

Zhao Liuniang rushed over, panting, and asked anxiously, "Third sister-in-law, Lai'er hit her head on the wall, and blood is gushing out. Do you have any medicine?"

"Have."

Lin Zhao hurriedly went to fetch it.

Soon, she came out carrying a first-aid kit.

Seeing Lin Zhao open the medicine bottle, Zhao Liuniang finally released her hand from Lai Mei's wound.

As soon as I loosened my grip, blood continued to gush out.

The wound is quite deep.

Lin Zhao's expression turned solemn, and she steadily sprinkled the hemostatic powder onto the wound.

The moment the powder fell, the bleeding stopped.

Zhao Liuniang's tense expression eased slightly, and she burst into tears of joy, saying incoherently, "The bleeding has stopped, it's stopped..."

Tears welled up in her eyes involuntarily.

Lin Zhao wrapped Lai Mei's forehead with gauze. "The wound is a bit deep. Let's take Lai Mei to the hospital for a check-up."

Zhao Liuniang was thrifty, but not stingy. She said, "Yes, yes, we should check."

Just then, Gu's mother ran in.

Seeing his grandson lying on the recliner, his face pale, the old man's face was full of heartache.

"Is Lai Mei alright?" she asked anxiously and worriedly. "She was fine before, how could she suddenly hit her head? She lost so much blood, how long will it take for her to recover, my poor grandson."

When her mother-in-law asked how her son got injured, Zhao Liuniang clenched her fists, her eyes filled with hatred.

“My father came, and he pushed Lai Mei away.”

Gu's mother remained silent.

The second son's wife had a hard life; she lost her mother at a young age, and her father was a heartless man who didn't treat his daughters like human beings, only knowing how to beat, scold, and leech off them...

Back then, I even wanted to marry her off to someone in the mountains so she could be someone's shared wife. If she hadn't been smart enough to run away, I don't know what would have happened to her now.

"...Why did your father suddenly come?" Gu's mother muttered.

Zhao Liuniang remained expressionless. "He must have heard that our family had split up and that it was almost New Year's, so he came to our sisters' house to ransack it."

She knew that her father plundered good things from them, keeping most of them for himself and giving a small portion to the widows in the village. When she first found out, she felt nauseous.

If she could, she would rather not have this father.

Lin Zhao then learned that her second sister-in-law's family was like this.

No wonder she never mentions it.

She took out a White Rabbit milk candy, tore off the wrapper, and handed it to Zhao Liuniang.

"Have a candy."

Zhao Liuniang lowered her head, staring at the candy, her eyes stinging.

I took the candy, and for the first time, I didn't think of saving any for the children; I ate it myself.

The sweet, rich milky flavor spread in her mouth, and she couldn't help but shed tears.

"It's so sweet."

Lin Zhao took out a handful and placed it in her palm.

"Pack it up, take one when you're feeling down, and it will improve your mood."

Zhao Liuniang did not refuse and thanked her.

Her sister-in-law, who was not related to her by blood, was willing to give her precious White Rabbit milk candies, but her own father wished he could force her to her death. How ironic.

He looked down on the sisters because they were girls, which caused him to be cursed as having no descendants and no right to break pots for them in the future. Yet, he came to their house every year to sweep it up.

When Bangbang learned that her younger brother's actions were Zhao Laotou's doing, her face darkened, and she left quietly.

I jogged home.

I picked up a sharp stone on the road.

The old home of the Gu family.

When Old Zhao saw his grandson fall, he didn't even blink. He rushed into the Gu family's kitchen and filled up all the good stuff he saw.

After finishing the kitchen, he went straight to the second room and installed whatever he could find.

The main goal is to leave no grass behind.

When Bangbang got home, she heard noises coming from her parents' room. She quietly went over, gently lifted the curtain, and looked inside.

Old Zhao was very perceptive and quickly noticed that someone was there.

He turned around, saw it was Bangbang, and even smiled.

"My eldest grandson," Old Zhao greeted him, showing no remorse, "Lai Mei bumped her head, did you see? Is she alright?"

Bangbang gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and said, "This is my parents' room. Come out."

Old Zhao: "What's the rush? I'll go out when it's time."

Seeing the finished matchbox, he picked it up and shook it, saying unhappily, "You even have matchbox making work at home now? I haven't been here for months, and your family's life seems to be getting better and better. Your mother didn't even tell me. You don't take your father seriously at all."

He tore apart the matchbox that Zhao Liuniang had pasted together, his lips curled down, and he looked frighteningly gloomy.

Bangbang tried to stop her, not wanting his mother to have worked for nothing, so he didn't dare to use force and just held onto Old Zhao's hand.

"...My mother worked so hard to paste it, don't tear it."

Old Zhao ignored her. He was very dissatisfied with Zhao Liuniang and was determined to teach her a lesson. He swept aside his grandson's arm and started tearing at it repeatedly.

Bangbang's eyes reddened.

He pounced on it again.

Old Zhao grew impatient and raised his fist to hit him, a scene that Gu Yuanshan happened to witness as he rushed over.

"What are you doing!" He rushed over and grabbed Old Zhao's arm, his face as cold as frost. "You came to my house and beat up my children, as if all of us brothers were dead."

Bangbang pulled a stone from his pocket, raised his arm high, and smashed it hard into Old Zhao's arm.

He said, "I told you, don't bully my mother."

Bangbang knew how hard her mother had suffered in the past, and when she saw her mother crying, a great anger welled up in her heart.

Old Zhao cried out in pain, his eyes hardening, and slapped his face with his palm.

Gu Yuanshan stepped in front of his nephew, grabbed the old man's arm again, and said in a cold voice, "Don't lay a hand on me!"

Old Zhao was pushed and staggered, the sack fell to the ground, and the contents rolled out.

Looking at the mess on the ground, Gu Yuanshan laughed in exasperation.

Old Zhao knew he wouldn't get away with it today. His eyes darkened, he glanced at Bangbang, picked up his things, and prepared to leave.

Gu Yuanshan couldn't just stand by and watch him take all his belongings. He grabbed the sack, applied a little force, and watched him with a forced smile without saying a word.

"Young Master Gu, what are you doing?" Old Man Zhao, with his thick skin, said righteously, "I rarely come here, and I can't take the things my daughter gave me as a token of her respect?"

Bangbang exposed him: "You hurt Lai Mei, so my mother won't let you take advantage of her."

"Who hurt Lai Mei? He ran into the wall himself, how could I have hurt him?" Old Zhao shamelessly denied it.

When Zhao Liuniang returned and heard these words, she was so angry that she trembled all over.

"If you didn't push him, how could he have broken his head?" She rushed into the house.

His face turned ashen when he saw the torn matchbox on the ground.

Old Zhao said, "He disrespects the elderly, so what if I hit him! I won't just hit him, I'll hit you too!"

He slapped her, yelling, "You unfilial brat!"

At this moment, Gu's mother entered the room and shouted, "Yuanshan, drag this person out!"

Gu Yuanshan listened to his mother and pulled Old Zhao away from the house.

He was young and strong, and Old Zhao couldn't handle him. Fearing he might hurt his back, he wisely refrained from struggling.

Once in the courtyard, she shoved Gu Yuanshan's arm aside, grabbed a jar of pickled vegetables from the Gu family, and ran out of the Gu family home, cursing all the way, saying that Zhao Liuniang was unfilial to her father and that the Gu family looked down on their in-laws...

Old Zhao came every year, and everyone in the village knew what kind of person he was, so they didn't believe him at all. When they learned that he had even hurt his own grandson, they all criticized him.

The old man who was being criticized showed no remorse and even argued back, nearly getting beaten up in the process.

……

Looking at the messy room, Zhao Liuniang sat down with a thud and silently shed tears.

How could she have such a father!

Gu's mother glanced at her and started tidying up the house.

Bangbang silently helped.

The grandmother and grandson busied themselves, and the house quickly became tidy.

Zhao Liuniang kept her head down the whole time.

Mother Gu said, "Don't overthink it. He didn't get the better of you this time, isn't that a good thing? It's a good start. If he can't get the better of you this year, he can't get the better of you in previous years either. Just calm down and sort out your feelings. When the second son comes back, you two still need to take your sister to the hospital."

The image of Lai Mei's fair face flashed through Zhao Liuniang's mind. She roused herself and wiped her face.

"Mother is right, this year has started off well."

Bangbang asked, "Mom, can we not go to Grandpa's house for Chinese New Year this year?"

Zhao Liuniang was still angry and immediately said, "I'm not going! I'm never going again!"

She hated her father. In previous years, she had been concerned about her reputation, fearing that her father would come looking for her regardless of the consequences, making her unable to hold her head up in her husband's family.

Lai Mei was injured today, and she has completely given up on Old Man Zhao, wanting nothing more than to never see him again.

"If Grandpa comes looking for me again, I will protect Mom," Bangbang said.

After saying that, he felt a little embarrassed, rushed out of the room, grabbed the candy he had saved, and went to find the village children to recruit informants to act as his eyes and ears.

Children always happily agree when offered candy.

Lai Mei slept in the twins' bed, while Xiao Jin Pan sat beside the pillow, his clever eyes darting around.

Lin Zhao was afraid it would pat her on the head, so she picked up Xiao Jin and petted it from head to tail.

"Don't even think about doing bad things."

(End of this chapter)