Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

The air at the doorway seemed to freeze for a second or two.

Zhao Shanhe blocked the doorway like a mountain, his gaze sharp as a knife as he slashed at Lin Qiang, scaring the brother-in-law who was trying to squeeze in. He shrank back, his foot stopping abruptly.

But the next second, the frost on Zhao Shanhe's face suddenly melted away.

Of course, this spring breeze wasn't for Lin Dapao, nor for Lin Qiang, but for that old lady huddled at the back, wearing a thin, old cotton-padded coat and shivering from the cold—his mother-in-law, Liu.

In her past life, Lin Xiu was seriously ill and kicked out of her home. Only this timid old woman, who had been weak all her life, secretly ran out and gave Zhao Shanhe ten boiled eggs and five yuan, which was her savings of a year.

Zhao Shanhe remembers this kindness.

"Mother, why did you walk here in this cold weather?"

Zhao Shanhe completely ignored his arrogant father-in-law and drooling brother-in-law, stepped out the door, reached out and took Liu's arm, his tone unusually gentle:

"Come inside quickly, it's warm inside. Don't let your legs get cold."

The word "Mother" startled Liu.

She had suffered at home her whole life, being scolded by her husband and disliked by her son. She had never been treated so warmly by her son-in-law.

She rubbed her cracked hands nervously, her eyes reddening, and whispered:

"Mountains and rivers... Mother isn't cold. I just... just came to see Xiuer and Niuniu."

Seeing that Zhao Shanhe had moved, Lin Dapao snorted coldly, thinking that his son-in-law had given in, and was about to step inside with his hands behind his back.

Lin Qiang, the brother-in-law, was even more impatient. He was about to rush into the house, his eyes fixed on the meat on the table.

"Wait a minute."

Zhao Shanhe supported his mother-in-law with one hand, and casually placed the other hand on the door frame, blocking Lin Qiang's way.

"Brother-in-law, what are you doing? Let me in!" Lin Qiang said anxiously.

"Stomp the snow off your feet."

Zhao Shanhe looked down at Lin Qiang's mud-covered cotton shoes, his tone calm, yet exuding an undeniable air of authority:

"The new kang mat was just laid out, and Xiuer spent the whole afternoon wiping it. Don't let her step on it and get it dirty."

"you……"

Lin Qiang was about to get angry when he looked up and met Zhao Shanhe's cold eyes. He felt a chill in his heart and swallowed the curses that were on the tip of his tongue. He obediently stomped his feet at the door.

Lin Dapao's face darkened, feeling he was losing face, and he was about to put on airs as a father-in-law.

Zhao Shanhe had already helped Liu Shi into the house, and without turning his head, he threw out a sentence:

"Dad, you stomp your feet too. There are so many things to consider in this new house."

……

Inside, the room was steaming hot.

But as these three people entered the house, the originally warm atmosphere became somewhat strange.

"Grandma!"

Niu Niu is a clever girl. Although she doesn't like her fierce maternal grandfather and uncle, she loves her maternal grandmother the most.

She jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed) and threw herself into Liu's arms.

"Oh...oh...my dear granddaughter."

When Liu held Niu Niu in her arms, her cloudy eyes finally lit up.

She stole a glance at her husband and son who were eating meat heartily, then turned her back, trembling as she pulled a cloth bag, still warm from her body, from her bosom and stuffed it into Lin Xiu's hand.

"Xiuer..." Liu's voice was very low, with a hint of ingratiation and caution:

"These are the twenty eggs your mother saved up, and a new pair of shoe soles I made for Niu Niu... Your mother is useless, she doesn't have the money to buy you any nice things..."

Lin Xiu touched the warm egg and looked at her mother's humble appearance, tears almost falling down her face.

She knew that her mother must have saved those eggs from her own meager savings, and if her father found out, she would definitely get scolded when she got home.

"Mother...you should keep it for yourself..."

"Take it!" Liu quickly pressed Lin Xiu's hand down, her eyes full of pleading.

While the mother and daughter were secretly wiping away tears, a different scene unfolded on the kang table.

Lin Qiang truly doesn't consider himself an outsider.

As soon as he got on the kang (heated brick bed), without even taking off his shoes properly, he plopped down in the main seat, grabbed his chopsticks, and started digging into the pot of pork stew with vermicelli.

"Oh my god, this smells so good! I haven't had big slices of meat in six months!"

He didn't care whether others had eaten or not. His chopsticks were like a bulldozer, picking out the fatty and lean pork belly and shoveling it into his own bowl. His mouth was stuffed full, and oil dripped down the corners of his mouth. His eating manners were as unsightly as could be.

Lin Dapao was a little more reserved, but his triangular eyes never left the Butterfly brand sewing machine under the window from the moment he entered the room.

That look in his eyes, as if he were looking at his own property, revealed a sense of self-righteous greed.

"Cough cough."

Lin Dapao cleared his throat, then tapped the pipe in his hand against the edge of the brand-new kang (heated brick bed), leaving a small black mark.

Lin Xiu's eyebrows twitched with heartache. She was about to speak when Zhao Shanhe stopped her with a look.

Zhao Shanhe picked up the wine bottle, poured Lin Dapao a glass of wine, and smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Dad, eat first. We can talk about it after you've eaten."

Lin Dapao picked up his wine glass, downed it in one gulp, and emboldened by the alcohol, slammed his chopsticks on the table, pointed at the sewing machine, and began to speak:

"Shanhe, I can tell too, you've really made a small fortune this time. This sewing machine looks pretty good, it's a Butterfly brand, right?"

"Yes." Zhao Shanhe picked up a piece of vermicelli with his chopsticks and ate it slowly.

"Perfect."

Lin Dapao didn't beat around the bush anymore, and waved his hand dismissively:

"Your younger brother, Qiangzi, is going on a blind date on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. The girl's family said that he must have 'three turns and one sound' (referring to a set of three watches and one radio) before they will even meet him. We also need a sewing machine at home."

He looked at Zhao Shanhe, his tone not one of discussion, but of command:

"We'll take this sewing machine after we finish eating. Let's get Qiangzi's marriage arranged first. You've been married for years anyway, so it doesn't matter whether you use this thing or not."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qiang, who was engrossed in his meal, mumbled incoherently before even swallowing the meat in his mouth:

"Yes, yes, yes! Brother-in-law, this sewing machine is so new, it's perfect as a betrothal gift! And that radio, I think it's nice too, I'll take it with me! Anyway, it's my sister's house, I don't mind!"

The room fell silent instantly.

Only Shan Tianfang's hoarse voice remained on the radio, still talking about chivalry and honor.

Lin Xiu's chopsticks froze in mid-air, her face deathly pale.

She glanced at her mother, Liu.

Liu lowered her head, too frightened to make a sound. She could only secretly tug at her husband's clothes under the table, but Lin Dapao kicked her away.

"What? It won't work?"

Lin Dapao stared wide-eyed at Zhao Shanhe, who remained silent:

"I'm your father-in-law! If it weren't for me, would you have been able to marry Xiuer? Now I'm asking you to help your brother-in-law out, and you're going to hold me accountable?"

Zhao Shanhe put down his chopsticks.

He took out a handkerchief, slowly wiped his mouth, then looked up and smiled at the trembling Liu:

"Mom, eat more meat. This meat is stewed until it's very tender."

Then, his gaze slowly shifted to Lin Dapao's face, and the smile gradually faded, finally turning into a bottomless pool of cold water.

"Dad, you just said you were going to take the sewing machine away?"

Zhao Shanhe's voice was soft, but cold:

"This sewing machine is for Xiu'er. This radio is for Niu Niu."

"So what?" Lin Qiang shouted, his neck stiff. "What's mine is mine! I'm a member of the Lin family!"

"your?"

Zhao Shanhe suddenly laughed.

He reached out and gently tapped the table, making two crisp "tap, tap" sounds.

"Qiangzi, if you want to get married and ask for a bride price, that's your business."

"I'm putting my words out there."

Zhao Shanhe pointed to the sewing machine, then to Lin Qiang, whose mouth was greasy, and said, enunciating each word clearly:

"You can eat all the meat you want."

"But no one can take anything out of this house, not even a sewing machine, not even a needle."