In a blink of an eye, it was the second day of the new year, and Jiang Sanluo took his wife and children to visit his mother-in-law's house to pay New Year's greetings as usual.
I had a quick lunch there and then rushed back.
As soon as he got home, Jiang Sanlang was called over by his father.
In the main room of her parents' house, Jiang Yunniang knelt in front of Jiang Liu and cried, with her youngest son Zhang Yuying and youngest daughter Hongxiao standing beside her.
"Mom, I really have no other choice. Zhang Lang said that if we don't give him the money, he will be beaten to death by that family. Mom, do you want to watch Hong Xiao and Yu Ying lose their father?"
"What are you talking about? He had an affair with another woman and even had a child, and he wants our family to cover for him?" Jiang Liu was so angry that she slammed the table.
Jiang Yunniang: "He didn't hook up with anyone, it was that bitch who seduced him. Mother, Zhang Jia said that if we give them another 200 taels, everything will be fine, and we won't have any contact anymore."
Jiang Liu said angrily, "Do you believe his lies?"
Jiang Yunniang nodded: "I believe it."
"I don't believe it!" Jiang Liu said, "Your brother has already inquired about it. Zhang Jia and others have deceived you, but you are still so stubborn."
"Mother..."
"I think you should divorce him! Zhang Jia is a man with a very deep mind, and it's not worth it for you to sacrifice so much for him."
"No! I don't want a divorce! Yukun hasn't gotten married yet, and Yuying and Hongxiao are still young. If I divorce him, what will happen to the children?" Jiang Yunniang cried.
Not to mention her two sons, just look at her little daughter Hongxiao. How can she hold her head up in front of outsiders in the future
Old man Jiang was so angry that he knocked his pipe loudly. "What are you going to do? Are you going to keep giving him money? Fill his hole? What do you think of our family? As a free bank to keep that beast?"
Jiang Yunniang covered her face and cried bitterly.
When Jiang Sanlang walked into the house and saw this scene, his face looked very unhappy.
His elder sister is really hopeless and seems unable to survive without that man.
"You're here." Old Man Jiang glanced at his third son and said, "Sit down."
Jiang Sanlang sat down on a chair next to the kang and asked, "Dad, what do you want me to do?"
Old man Jiang coughed and sighed: "Look at your elder sister's condition, what should you do?"
"What can I do?" Jiang Sanlang said coldly, "Last time, my elder sister said that her family's affairs have nothing to do with me, and asked me not to interfere."
Jiang Yunniang suddenly turned around and cried, "Sanlang, you can't interfere like that. After all, he is the father of Yukun and Yuying. How can he hold his head up in front of others after you beat him like that?"
"So, what do you want to do by crying in front of our parents today? Do you want me to give it to Zhang to beat him up and save his face?" Jiang Sanlang looked at his eldest sister coldly.
Jiang Yunniang shook her head: "I don't mean that, but... Zhang Lang has no choice. The family asked him for 200 taels of silver. If he doesn't give it, he must marry that woman as his concubine. Otherwise, they will kill him."
"How dare he!" Jiang Liu shouted angrily, pointing at Jiang Yunniang and saying she was angry at her for not fighting back: "Yunniang, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but you're too weak. If Zhang Jia dares to marry a concubine, I'll go to the county government and sue him to divorce his wife and marry someone else!"
"Mother..." Jiang Yunniang said in shock, "If he goes to jail, our family will be ruined. Please don't do this."
She turned to Jiang Sanlang and said, "Sanlang, please lend me two hundred taels of silver first. I will pay you back even if I have to work like a slave."
Jiang Sanlang sneered and turned to look at his parents: "Dad, you asked me to come here just to give money to my eldest sister?"
Old man Jiang coughed awkwardly, "When did I ask you to pay? Well, we can't just ignore your elder sister's matter, so I asked you to come and discuss it."
"I won't pay a penny."
Jiang Sanlang said, "I don't have much to discuss. Sister can either divorce and we brothers can support her and her child. Or she can solve her own problems and stop bothering me. I, Jiang Sanlang, don't have the money to support Zhang Jia and his concubine's family."
After saying that, he got up and left.
"Sanlang!"
Jiang Yunniang was furious and turned to rush to her parents: "Dad! Mom! You can't just ignore your daughter. Zhang Jia has always been very good to me. You can't just ignore him because he made a mistake."
Jiang Liu pushed her daughter aside, pulled Yuying and Hongxiao to her side and asked, "Yuying, Hongxiao, grandma wants to ask you, is your father good to your mother?"
Yuying nodded: "Dad is very good to Mom."
Hong Xiao: "Daddy even bought sweet cakes for Mommy to eat. Daddy is so nice to Mommy."
Old Man Jiang didn't believe it and said to his daughter, "Yun Niang, if Zhang Jia really treated you well and cared about this family, how could he have two children with another woman?"
He heard from Sanlang that Zhang Jia had a son and a daughter with his concubine, and the eldest child was already three years old.
Sanlang also said that Zhang Jia was simply putting on a show with others for Yunniang to watch, so that she would go back to her parents' home to get money to support him and his mistress' family.
"Your shop has been pawned to someone else a long time ago, Yunniang, tell dad who is running the shop now. Is he the brother of that mistress?" asked old man Jiang.
Jiang Yunniang lowered her head, covered her face and sobbed.
Old man Jiang sighed, "Yun Niang, Zhang Jia's heart is no longer with you, don't be stubborn anymore."
His daughter is easily influenced by others and believes whatever others say.
It is estimated that Zhang Jia has been pretending to be a good husband to deceive Yun Niang so that she would go back to her parents' home again and again to get money for him to squander.
"Dad, let me ask you again, why doesn't Zhang Jia come every time you go back to your mother's home for the New Year?" Jiang Laoshuan continued to ask.
Jiang Yunniang stammered, "He, he took the child to Zhangjia Village to celebrate the New Year. As you know, his parents died early, and he was raised by his brother and sister-in-law. The eldest brother is like a father, so it would be unreasonable if he didn't take the child to celebrate the New Year..."
Old man Jiang turned around and asked his granddaughter, "Hongxiao, does your father take you to Zhangjia Village to pay New Year's greetings every year?"
Hong Xiao nodded in confusion: "Well, my brother and I are going to visit my uncle and stay there for a few days."
"What about your father? Is he also at your uncle's house?" asked Old Man Jiang.
Hong Xiao bit her finger and said, "Dad has something to do and has to go home first. He asked my brother and I to spend more time with my uncle and aunt, and then go back in a few days."
Every year, after she and her eldest brother went to her uncle's house, her father left. Once, her eldest brother wanted to take her back early, but was stopped by her uncle.
My second brother always comes to my grandfather's house with my mother to wish him a happy new year.
"Dad, don't ask anymore!" Jiang Yunniang seemed to be poked in a sore spot. She jumped up and dragged her daughter Hongxiao out.
Jiang Liu and her husband looked at each other and shook their heads.
There is no hope for my daughter.
Every New Year, Zhang Jia never came to the Jiang family. He would find an excuse to go to his eldest brother's house, then leave his children behind and go back to the county town to celebrate the New Year with his mistress.
The girl should have known all about this matter, but she deceived herself and was completely confused by the man's few words.
Jiang Liu sighed and said to her husband, "We can't let her go on like this. Zhang Jia just wants to control Yunniang and the child so that we can continue to support him.
That's totally unreasonable! Bring Dalang and Erlang with you and we'll go to Zhangjia Village to have a good talk."
"What's the point of going to Zhangjia Village? The Zhangjia brothers have long since separated. They can choke you to death if they open their mouths. Besides, we may not be able to find them."
Old Man Jiang snorted: "Take a few people to the county town, find Zhang Jia and ask him directly what he means."
If he wants to marry a concubine, let him do it and you can take your daughter home.
Jiang Liu frowned: "What about Yunniang? What if she stops us?"
Old Man Jiang: "If she dares to stop me, I will tell her not to come back to her parents' home anymore. It's not worth having such a daughter in our family!"