Wealthy beyond measure, yet you call me a sister-supporting-brother demon?

Old Zhou was very dissatisfied. It was all because Li Changgui had a loose tongue and wanted to talk to Li Chunjiang about breaking off the marriage, which was then broadcast over the loudspeaker and known to the whole village.

He originally wanted to do it quietly, but now it seems that won't work.

However, he wasn't afraid. Zhou Changlin had just called his father by his full name, so no matter how you look at it, Zhou Changlin was in the wrong. If his wife cried and played the victim, public opinion would be on his side.

Zhou Changshui opened the wooden gate, and many villagers came in, but some villagers thought that the view from the trees, walls, and rooftops was good, so they stood up there to watch the excitement.

"Changshui? What's going on? Why are you suddenly severing ties with them?"

Zhou Changshui sighed, "It's all because my brother went too far and angered my dad. Sigh."

Zhou Changshui didn't reveal any useful information, and the others stopped asking. It was boring!

Zhou Hanjiang spoke up, "Move the tables and chairs out. Today, let's have a real discussion, and make this severance of ties clear in front of everyone."

Without asking Zhou Chunqiang, the younger member of the Zhou family started moving tables and chairs.

"You two, go and put your brother Changlin on a stretcher and carry him out. When severing ties, the parties involved must be present."

Zhou Changlin was carried out; his face was pale, and he was clenching his teeth, as if he was in great pain.

Many villagers are still unaware that Zhou Changlin was injured while working with the logging team.

"what's the situation?"

"Oh dear, didn't you know? The logging team had an accident yesterday, and three people were injured. Besides Changlin, there were two from Shanhou Village as well."

"Damn, a lumberjack team's high salary of one tael of silver a month is really not easy to earn. This is outrageous!"

"Exactly, but Zhou Chunqiang went too far. Changlin was injured yesterday and he wants to sever ties with him today. Does he think his son is useless? That's such a damn snob."

“That’s right! And the Zhou family is quite wealthy. I’ve heard Uncle Changshui say it several times. They have dozens of taels of silver in savings and dozens of acres of land. Why would they let Uncle Changlin risk his life for money? Uncle Changlin, why did you go to the logging team?” Li Chunjiang’s voice was loud and clear, carrying far.

The onlookers thought about it and realized that it made sense. The Zhou family was not short of money. Sending a child to a private school was not something an ordinary family could afford. So why would Zhou Changlin go to the logging team?

Logging teams are dangerous, and those who don't have much money are reluctant to let their families go.

Zhou Changlin said with difficulty, "It was my younger brother Changsen who wanted to attend the Grand Confucian Academy, which cost thirty taels of silver for tuition. My father asked Changshui and me to go to the logging team to earn money. Changshui didn't want to go, and I didn't want to go either, but my father said that if we didn't go, he would go by himself, so I had no choice but to go. Who would have thought... sigh."

So that's how it is! Changlin is truly filial!

And look at Zhou Changshui next to Old Man Zhou? Haha, all he has is a silver tongue. When it comes to actually doing something important, he's nowhere to be seen. I wonder if Zhou Chunqiang has lost his mind, treating his unfilial son like a treasure and his dutiful son like trash.

Hearing the people around him whispering that he was an idiot, and that the eldest brother was even trying to drag the third brother into it, Old Man Zhou, with a dark face, quickly interrupted, "Stop talking nonsense. You little beast, didn't you clamor to sever ties with your family? Then hurry up and do it!"

Ha, Zhou Chunqiang is waiting to hear his son call him by his first name. He'll see if the villagers watching will see through his true colors and still call him an idiot.

"Father, you have truly broken my heart. Since you are so eager to sever ties, then let's not talk about anything else and let's sever ties." Zhou Changlin pounded his chest, looking heartbroken.

Old Zhou was completely stunned.

Is this really his honest son, Zhou Changlin?!

Is this the same Zhou Changlin, the son of Zhou Chunqiang, who looked at him with hatred this morning, sneered, and called him by his name?

It wasn't until today that Zhou Changlin, that bastard, realized that it was a real waste of his acting skills that he didn't go into opera.

Butcher Li's wife, Qian Chunxiang, said with a gossipy look, "Changlin, tell everyone how your father broke your heart?"

Li Shufen chimed in, "Changlin is still injured. Let Pan'er tell us. Pan'er, tell us what exactly happened!"

The villagers, eager for gossip, wanted to get to the bottom of things; this cryptic information simply wouldn't satisfy their curiosity.

Many people echoed, "What exactly happened? Changlin, Pan'er, tell us properly."

Old Man Zhou glared at his son and daughter-in-law with a dark face. "Yuan Pan'er, Zhou Changlin, are you still going to sever ties with them? Changsen, bring out the document severing ties."

Faced with everyone's curiosity, Zhou Changlin and Yuan Pan'er looked like they were being bullied.

Zhou Changsen handed over the letter severing ties with his family. Clan Chief Zhou Chunsheng took it and glanced at it. After reading it, his face darkened, and the veins on his forehead throbbed. This Zhou Chunqiang was going too far. "Changlin, this letter severing ties says that the six acres of land on the hillside and the two thatched huts will be given to you. Do you agree?"

"agree."

"Your injuries were treated yesterday, costing thirteen taels of silver. After the severance of ties, you must return four taels of silver. Do you agree?"

Zhou Changlin wiped away his tears and said, "I agree."

"After the severance of kinship, you will need to pay Zhou Chunqiang and Wang Chunxiang three taels of silver annually as alimony. Do you agree?"

Zhou Changlin silently wiped away his tears. "What can I do if I disagree? My father said that if I don't agree, it's reasonable for him, as the grandfather, to discipline Yuzhu. He can beat her twice a day, and even if he beats her to death, there's nothing I can do about it."

Yuan Sheng stood in the crowd watching and couldn't help but give his brother-in-law a thumbs up. He hadn't realized his brother-in-law had such skills. Although he said he had no choice but to agree, in front of the whole village, in front of the Zhou family patriarch and clansmen, the Zhou family patriarch would never let him sign such a letter severing ties.

The onlookers were in an uproar.

Is this the kind of letter of severance that even one's own parents would write? This is going to drive the Changlin family to their deaths!

Putting everything else aside, just consider this annual allowance of three taels of silver. What kind of life are Zhou Chunqiang and Wang Chunxiang supposed to live? They only received six mu of medium-sized land from the villagers. How much could the villagers possibly save in a year? And they still have to give Zhou Chunqiang and Wang Chunxiang three taels of silver every year? Other elderly people in the village are already doing well, receiving a few hundred coins a year from their sons. What gives Zhou Chunqiang the audacity to ask for three taels a year?

When the family's father refused, he threatened to beat the daughter to death. Is this the kind of thing a grandfather would do?

Even my enemies aren't as ruthless as Zhou Chunqiang! He's fucking vicious!

Furthermore, Zhou Changlin joined the logging team for his younger brother and father, got injured, and in the end, the blame was placed on him. After the family severance, not only did he not receive any money, but he also owed them four taels of silver?! Even loan sharks aren't as cunning as Zhou Chunqiang!