"Mother, what else do you have to say this time?" He Jiao was almost infuriated by her mother. "That's sixty-six taels of silver! Our family could eat meat every day for a very long time with that."
When Qi Xiao Er heard his sister mention eating meat, his mouth watered, and he chimed in, "Eat meat."
Qi Yang, relying on his role as his sister's helper today, also started to grumble, "With so much money, how much meat will we have to go without?"
"Two taels of silver for a pig, how many pigs can sixty-six taels of silver buy?"
After his sister finished speaking, Qi Yang began to count on his fingers.
Qi Fang, who had been following behind the old village chief, poked his head out and said, "Sixty-six taels of silver can buy thirty-three pigs."
Hearing that thirty-three pigs could be bought, Qi Yang was unhappy and began to cry loudly.
"Thirty-three pigs, that's enough to eat until I have grandchildren."
"Puchi."
"Puchi."
"Pu~"
Qi Yang's words amused everyone present, including Qi Yuan Shan, who had been furious moments before.
However, Qi Yang couldn't laugh, and neither could Qi Jiao.
In the village, if a family gave a daughter two taels of silver as dowry, it was considered a good match. But how much silver had her mother's mother taken over the years?
When she was little, she had seen her maternal grandmother ask her mother for money several times. Later, as she grew older, she became the guardian of the household and stopped her mother from giving money to her maternal grandmother's family.
Yet, she never expected that behind her back, her maternal grandmother had taken even more silver.
Qi Jiao was nine years old this year. Thinking that so much of their family's silver was gone, and her future dowry was also gone.
Without a dowry, where would she find a good husband? The more Qi Jiao thought about it, the more distressed she became, and tears streamed down her face.
Seeing their sister cry, the two boys also started wailing, especially Qi Xiao Er, who was closest to his sister. If his sister cried, he naturally had to cry his heart out.
Seeing the three children crying in a heap, Qi Wang Shi's face turned green.
She was used to having her way in this family. She never dreamed that the three children would defy her today. How could she not be angry? She pointed at the three children and scolded them loudly:
"You three little brats, eating my food, drinking my drink, and you want to rebel?"
Qi Jiao glanced at her mother, then at her uncle, and said, sobbing, "We don't eat Mother's food. Everything we eat is bought with Uncle's silver. Even the money Mother and Grandma use is Uncle's silver."
Qi Jiao's words left Qi Wang Shi speechless for a long time.
Qi Jiao wasn't finished. She continued, sobbing, "Mother gave all the money Uncle gave us for raising us to Grandma's family, didn't she? Will you let Uncle and my cousins support you when you're old?"
"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting? I have sons and daughters, why would I let your maternal uncles support me?"
"Mother still knows you have sons and daughters? I thought you didn't."
"How could I not know?"
"If you know, why are you giving our family's money to others?"
"Those aren't outsiders! That's my mother's family."
"It's your mother's family, then go back and tell them to support you in your old age and see what they say."
"Why are you being so stubborn? I've told you many times, I have you, so why would I let my brothers and nephews support me?"
"Why not let them support you? You gave them all our family's money, so they should support you."
"You!" Qi Wang Shi was about to die of anger from He Jiao. "Why can't you understand when I explain it to you like this?"
"Why can't I understand? I understand that the money Uncle gives the family is for raising us, not for raising your mother and your brothers. They have hands and feet, so why should Uncle raise them?"
Hearing Qi Jiao's tearful complaint, the old village chief stomped his feet in anger. "What a waste! What a sin! You don't earn a single cent yourself, yet you use the money Yuan Shan sends back to subsidize your mother's family. Truly shameless! To freeload, you've even freeloaded off your daughter's elder uncle. People from your Wangzhuang are truly shameless."
The old village chief slapped his own old face with his large hand, glaring fiercely at Qi Lao Er.
Qi Yuan Shan's face was also ashen. He stared intently at his brother's face and said word by word, "You use my money to support outsiders, yet you don't provide food and drink for my son. Lao Er, you're truly remarkable."
"Who are the outsiders? That's my mother's family."
"But you're using my money."
Qi Wang Shi was at a loss for words.
Qi Yuan Shan, burning with rage, grabbed Qi Lao Er by the collar and dragged him outside.
"Brother, don't be angry."
Qi Yuan Shan carried his brother out of the garrison gate and punched Qi Lao Er fiercely in the face.
He had learned this from Xiao Xin Ci; for some people, hitting them in the face was the only way to make them remember.
"Ouch, brother, take it easy! It was all Wang Shi's doing."
"Are you dead?" Hearing Qi Lao Er's words, Qi Yuan Shan became even angrier. "How did I treat you from childhood to adulthood? And how did you treat my son?"
Thinking of the hardship his son had endured on the journey with Uncle Meng, Qi Yuan Shan's eyes turned bloodshot.
"I can overlook you spending my money, but you mistreated my son, and I must hold you accountable."
Qi Yuan Shan's heavy fists fell on Qi Lao Er like drumbeats, making him yelp in pain.
The three children watched in stunned silence. Qi Wang Shi, terrified, covered her ears and lay on the ground, not daring to get up.
The old village chief was perceptive. Seeing that his elder nephew had vented most of his anger and Qi Lao Er could no longer get up, he stepped forward to mediate.
"Yuan Shan, listen to your uncle. It's not worth getting angry over this kind of person."
"Uncle. When I think of Qi Wang Shi, that heartless wretch, for treating Xiao He so harshly, yet my good brother did nothing, my heart burns like fire."
Qi Yuan Shan pulled up the beaten Qi Lao Er, who looked like a dead dog, and said resentfully, "Why do I send money home every month? It's to raise my son, not your dogs and cats."
"Brother." Qi Lao Er opened his mouth, his face aching. He endured the pain and hugged his brother's leg, stammering, "Brother, please don't hit me anymore. I know I was wrong. Back then, I was afraid this shrew would cause trouble with me, so I turned a blind eye."
"Afraid she'll make trouble for you? Then let's see if you can take a beating." Qi Yuan Shan landed two more heavy blows on Qi Lao Er.
"Ah~ Brother, please don't hit me anymore. I know I was wrong." Qi Lao Er desperately hugged his brother, afraid he would be beaten again. He called for the three children to come and beg for mercy.
"Xiao Jiao, quickly bring your two younger brothers over. Kneel before your uncle. Beg your uncle to stop hitting Father. Father is going to be beaten to death by your uncle. Ugh~"