Chapter 52 Asking for a Recipe
Qianhuan saw that his father changed his mind just by playing the victim to Mrs. Liang and Mr. Liang, and she couldn't help but sigh. She couldn't help but think of the saying of modern people: "Being soft-hearted is a disease and must be treated." Doesn't his father's situation need to be treated?
Liang Laoer treated them as family members, but in the eyes of these people, compared with Wenzhi, the three of them were just pawns that could be sacrificed at any time. When they were useful, they were exploited wantonly, and when they were useless, they were despised as a burden and even kicked them out.
Kindness and tolerance should be distinguished to whom, and tolerance and humility should have a sense of boundaries. If you are soft-hearted and tolerant to everyone, you will only end up hurting yourself.
"Dad, my engagement was broken off, and they separated our family of three regardless of your injured leg. Now we finally have a profitable business, and the whole family depends on the sugar-roasted chestnuts for a living, but they are like robbers, either coming to our house to steal cloth and food, or pretending to be pitiful and asking for prescriptions. They are so cold and heartless to us, do you think they are really like family?" Qianhuan looked at Liang Laoer and said with some sorrow.
Faced with his daughter's questioning, Liang Laoer was speechless. He was actually a little heartbroken. His daughter earned money to take him to treat his leg injury, but these so-called family members, when they came to their home, didn't even ask about the condition of his leg injury, but kept asking for prescriptions.
But these two people are his own parents. Seeing them covered in dirt and looking so pitiful, he, as a son, really can't be so cruel.
When Qianhuan saw Liang Laoer's embarrassed look, she knew that her father's soft-heartedness might not be cured in a short time. Since he couldn't bear to be cruel, she, his daughter, would be cruel for him.
"Grandpa and grandma, you don't need to persuade my dad. This prescription is my idea. Even if my dad is willing to give it to me, he can't make the decision on his own if I don't agree. Don't even think about getting the prescription." Qianhuan said firmly.
"You little slut! Even your father has agreed, but you still refuse to take it out. It seems that you want to force us to go to the county government to sue you for being unfilial." Old Mrs. Liang was so angry at Qianhuan that she almost vomited blood.
She turned to Old Man Liang and said with gritted teeth: "Old man, look at how arrogant this bitch is. She doesn't take us elders seriously at all. We don't need to be polite to her. Let's go directly to the county government to file a complaint."
"Qianhuan, do you really have to force us to go to the county government to sue your family for being unfilial?" Old Man Liang had not originally thought of suing them, but Qianhuan's unyielding attitude made him furious.
"You can ask me to give you the prescription, but we will sever our relationship. From now on, we will have no relationship at all, and don't even think about using filial piety to cause trouble for me again."
Qianhuan knew that Old Man Liang was serious this time. In this feudal society where "filial piety is the most important thing", if parents really went to the government office to sue their children for being unfilial, their family would be the ones who would suffer.
Anyway, there are already two stalls in the county that are imitating their way of selling sugar-roasted chestnuts, and the fact that they use sand to roast chestnuts will no longer be a secret. It would be better to take out the recipe and exchange it for a document of severance of the relationship.
Qianhuan thought about it and decided that it would be better not to have such greedy relatives, otherwise they would always use filial piety to force them to give in. In order to solve the problem once and for all, it would be best to sever ties with them.
"You dead girl, do you know what you are saying? You actually want to break off the engagement? Damn it, how could our Liang family produce such a vicious girl like you, who actually instigated your parents to break off the engagement. Are you planning to make your parents no longer care about our life or death in the future?" Old Mrs. Liang beat her chest and stamped her feet and howled.
"Oh my God, what sin have I committed? I raised our children and grandchildren with great pains, but now that they have grown up and become independent, they want to abandon us old couple and ignore us..."
Old Mrs. Liang's crying and wailing immediately attracted a large number of villagers to come and watch the fun.
After everyone understood what had happened, they all started talking about it.
Some people think that Mrs. Liang and Mr. Liang are too biased. For the sake of Wenzhi, their second son's family was forced to break off the relationship.
Some people think that Liang Laoer’s family is too unfilial, as they broke off relations with their own parents just for a prescription.
In short, it is difficult for a judge to judge family affairs, and everyone has different opinions.
"Second brother, your daughter wants to break off the engagement. Do you agree?" Old Man Liang asked his second son.
Liang Laoer remained silent and did not answer. He did not expect that his daughter would suddenly say something like breaking off the engagement, and he was unable to react for a moment.
"Dad, I know you are usually very filial. If you can't bear to leave your grandparents and uncle's family, you can go back to them, but mom and I will definitely cut off our relationship with them. No matter what decision you make, I will support you."
Qianhuan didn't want to make things difficult for Liang Laoer. After all, the two old people in front of her were Liang Laoer's biological parents, and Qianhuan could understand that he couldn't sever the relationship.
But she is different. She is just a lonely soul from another world. She doesn't have deep feelings for the people in the Liang family mansion. She only knows that she will do her best to repay those who are good to her, and she will never give in to those who repeatedly oppress her. So she must break up with this relationship.
Liang Lao Er leaned on his crutches and sighed deeply. He didn't expect things to come to this point. On one side are his biological parents, and on the other side are his wife and daughter. It is really difficult to choose.
Finally, he made the final decision, "Qianhuan, Dad will naturally live with you and your mother. Do whatever you want. Dad will follow you."
"Mom and Dad, since my second brother's family wants to sever ties with us, then let's do as they wish. When our Wenzhi becomes an official in the future, they should not regret it. At that time, don't say that our Wenzhi is uncaring and doesn't care about his second uncle's family."
Zhu thought that as long as she could get the prescription, she would have money to support her son's education, and she would be happy to break off the relationship. When her son passed the imperial examination and got a good reputation, they would be relieved without these relatives with families to support.
At this time, the commotion at Liang Laoer's house had alarmed the elders of the Liang family. Several old men also rushed over after hearing the news, and followed by the village head, Old Man Hu.
When the elders heard that they were going to break up the relationship, they all started to act as peacemakers and persuaded them, "Second brother, breaking up the relationship is no joke, you have to think it through."
"My dear uncles and elders, it's not our family that wants to break up the relationship, it's our grandparents who force us to do so. Ever since my father injured his leg and lost his ability to make money, my grandmother has been displeased with the three of us eating for free and separated us out. Now we have finally made a little money from our small business of roasted chestnuts in sugar, and my grandparents come and force us to take out the recipe. They have used filial piety to exploit us time and time again, and if this continues, our family will have no way to survive." Qianhuan also began to sing a sad drama. Humph, everyone can act.
"I would like to ask all the uncles, clan elders and the village head to help bear witness today. My family will hand over the recipe for sugar-roasted chestnuts, but from now on we will sever ties with my grandparents and my uncle's family."
"Okay, as long as you hand over the prescription, I promise to break off the engagement." For Wen Zhi, Old Man Liang had no choice but to sacrifice his second son.
"It's too easy for them to break up the engagement with just a prescription. We worked hard to raise him, and we should at least give him 20 taels of silver for his retirement. Otherwise, I won't agree to break up the engagement."
Old Mrs. Liang thought that their family had earned so much money from selling chestnuts, and they were going to buy land and build a brick and tile house, so they would have to spend some money anyway.
"Yes, second brother, it was not easy for your parents to raise you. You have earned so much money from selling sugar-roasted chestnuts. You must give your parents 20 taels of silver as retirement money." Zhu also chimed in. Anyway, the money would be spent on her son Wenzhi in the end, so of course she would try her best to get it.
"Aunt, my family did earn some money, but we have already used part of it to buy land. I also planned to take my father to the city to treat his leg injury. If you hadn't come today, I would have taken my father to the county town to see a doctor. We don't have any extra money to give you."
"Your father's leg injury hasn't healed after such a long time. It's a waste of money to see a doctor again." Zhu doesn't feel sorry for Liang Laoer.
"If I have to waste money, it's the money I earned myself. It's not my aunt's turn to tell me what to do. I'll give you the recipe for sugar-roasted chestnuts. If you agree, write a divorce document and get it stamped by the county government. If you don't agree, forget it. We don't have the money."
"How can you not have money? Didn't your family say yesterday that you wanted to build a brick and tile house? It would cost at least twenty taels of silver to build a tile house. Why not use the money for building the house to support your grandparents in their old age?" Zhu calculated everything clearly.
"That's right, second son. Your father and I raised you with great difficulty. If you want to break off your ties with us now, you must give us twenty taels of silver as pension." Old Lady Liang looked as if she would never agree unless she was paid.
"Old lady, forget about the retirement money. As long as they give us the prescription, that will be enough." Old man Liang didn't want to push his son too hard.
"Old man, you can't agree to this. We raised him with great difficulty and even found him a wife. Now they want to sever the ties with us just by giving us a prescription. This is too easy for them. I strongly disagree." Old Mrs. Liang expressed her strong opposition.
"Yes, Dad, you can't not give them money for their retirement." Zhu thought that if they didn't give them money for their retirement, the two old people would have to be supported by their family and Liang Laosan in the future. But Liang Laosan was still in the army, so the responsibility of supporting them in their retirement would fall on them. Naturally, she strongly opposed it.