Two days later, Ai Qiaoqiao and Ai Tiancheng went back to the old Ai family's compound.

After the frost, there is no farm work in the countryside, and every family is idle, and a few families gather together to play leaf cards and chat.

Ai Qiaoqiao entered the courtyard, but he didn't see anyone coming out, and even the Fang clan, who had been busy in the courtyard in the past, was nowhere to be seen.

Ai Qiaoqiao couldn't help but glance into the kitchen curiously.

She saw Ai Xiaoling's figure, small and small, holding a large bundle of firewood, clumsily burning the fire.

"Xiaoling, where is your mother?" Ai Qiaoqiao asked in a low voice.

When Ai Xiaoling saw Ai Qiaoqiao, tears suddenly appeared in her eyes, but she didn't dare to cry loudly, "Qiaoqiaoniang, I want to live with my mother ...... you."

Ai Qiaoqiao was silent.

Ai Tiancheng, who was followed behind her, was even more depressed.

You don't have to think about it to know that it must be Ma's bullying the mother and daughter again.

"Where's your father?" Ai Qiaoqiao asked.

Ai Xiaoling pointed to the upper room.

Ai Qiaoqiao entered the upper door, only to find that there were many people sitting in the room.

The officials in the village, as well as two old men with heads and faces in the village, and even Aunt Ji was also present.

"Aunt Ji." Ai Qiaoqiao greeted Aunt Ji first, and then saluted everyone.

Ai Mingshan sat on the kang, bowed his head and drank tea, silent.

Ma Shi and Ai Qiaohua sat by the window doing needlework, and when they saw Ai Qiaoqiao and her eldest son coming in, they snorted through their noses.

"Qiaoqiao, Tiancheng, you all come and sit." The clerk spoke.

Ai Qiaoqiao sat down, but Ai Tiancheng knelt directly under the kang.

A sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of Ma's mouth.

Ai Qiaoqiao can see it clearly, and Ma is afraid that he will not believe that Ai Tiancheng wants to divide it even now.

Before, he begged to divide the family, presumably at the instigation of the Qiu family, but now that the Qiu family is gone, if he really divides it, there will be nothing.

How stupid would he be?

Ma didn't believe it.

"Tiancheng, are you really going to divide this family?" The official said, "If you nod your head today, we will give you a testimony to save you from future incidents, but if you don't want to share, just kowtow to your mother and your father, admit your mistake, and you will still be a family in the future." ”

The official said it very tactfully, and the contradictions of many people in the village are regulated by him, so he is also a person who is used to looking at his eyes, and at a glance, he knows that Ma's heart does not really want to divide this son.

Ai Tiancheng kowtowed to Ai Mingshan and Ma's family, "Dad, mother, my son is not filial!" ”

Ai Mingshan didn't make a sound, but Ma Shi snorted, "Why am I blind, giving birth to such an unfilial thing as you, you don't have to kowtow to me, your wings are hard, I can't stop you if you want to divide it, you can leave if you want to, but I want to give you things, your son will have no money to marry a daughter-in-law in the future, I can't help but think about my grandson as a grandmother, if you want to divide it, you can leave the house, and your things are kept for Daquan." ”

After speaking, Ma Shi looked at Ai Daquan, "Daquan, do you say this is the reason?" ”

Ai Daquan bit his lip tightly, and his face turned purple.

Ai Qiaoqiao had quietly approached him before and told him what his father had said.

In fact, Ai Qiaoqiao really hopes that her eldest brother can show some courage, even if he leaves this family, he can still live well with his father.

Ai Daquan lowered his head, not even daring to look at the people in the room.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Ma's expression was even more proud.

Ai Qiaoqiao pursed her lips and held back her laughter, let her milk be happy first, and she will regret it later.

"Tiancheng, you can say something." The lieutenant said solemnly.

Ai Tiancheng straightened up, his head was still wrapped in a white cloth, because of the medicine, there were some medicine stains on the white cloth, and he looked a little embarrassed, but his spine was straight.

"Father, mother, my son has no income, no money to support the second elder, I can't keep my own woman, I can't protect my son, and now I hurt my head and owe a lot of medicine...... I decided that it would be better to separate it out and live alone, and I must not drag you two elders down. ”

When Ai Tiancheng spoke, Ai Qiaoqiao stared at Ma intently.

She saw Ma's face change from red to blue, and from blue to white.

"How much do you owe for medicine?" Ma's word by word.

"About twenty taels of silver." Ai Qiaoqiao took the lead, she was afraid that Ai Tiancheng would talk about it again.

What Ai Tiancheng said today was all mentioned by Ai Qiaoqiao, so after Ai Qiaoqiao spoke, he immediately nodded in agreement.

Ma Shi looked at Ai Mingming, her mouth moved, this matter was something she didn't expect.

I owe twenty taels of silver for the medicine...... Why didn't Ai Mingshan tell her at all before?

Ai Mingshan noticed Ma's gaze, but he continued to keep his head down, silent.

The servant looked around at everyone in the room, "Since Tiancheng said so, do you have any objections?" ”

Ai Qiaohua quietly pulled the corner of Ma's clothes, and whispered: "Mother, the eldest brother really wants to divide it, who will do farm work in the future." ”

She didn't speak loudly, but everyone in the room could hear her clearly.

Aimingshan's head was buried even lower.

"Shut up!" Ma Shi was annoyed, "Without him, no one in our family can work!" You, Fang's, and Yonggui...... Aren't you all big living people! ”

"I'm getting married, how can I work......" Ai Qiaohua muttered, "Fang's family is sick again." ”

Ai Qiaoqiao noticed that Fang Xianchun was not in the house.

Ai Yonggui echoed his sister, "Mother, I will go back to the city after my sister gets married, and then I can only let Daquan do the work in the field...... Let's let the big brother stay. ”

"Yes, mother, what should you do when the eldest brother is gone." Ai Qiaohua also persuaded.

The person who Ma didn't want to be cornered in the end turned out to be her.

Ai Tiancheng stood there silently, not kneeling there begging her in pain and tears as she imagined.

Ai Daquan did not intercede for his father.

Everything was beyond her imagination.

Coupled with the persuasion of Ai Qiaohua and Ai Yonggui, her heart has long been in chaos.

It's not that she can't bear her eldest son, but that without him, the family is missing the most important labor.

Although Ai Daquan is also willing to work, he is young and far less experienced than his father.

...... next year's early spring I have to hire someone to plant it again, and I have to spend more money......

As long as I think of these Ma's hearts, it hurts to death, more painful than digging up her flesh and blood.

The clerk smoked his cigarette pouch and said to Ai Mingshan: "Since you have no opinion with Tiancheng and his mother, then we won't stop it, just let Tiancheng go out and live alone, but you can't let him really go out of the house, and he didn't make any big mistakes, it's going to be winter now, don't you want to force people to death." ”

Ai Mingshan nodded emphatically, "I've thought about it, and I'll give Tiancheng two acres of land......"

"No way!" Before Ai Mingshan finished speaking, Ma Shi jumped up, "We don't have much land left, and if we divide it out, will our whole family go to drink wind next year!" ”

Ai Mingshan was unmoved, and continued: "The house, let him live in the small courtyard in the west, although it is a little smaller, but it is still enough for him to live in it." ”

"No, the small courtyard over there will be used by Daquan to marry his daughter-in-law in the future!" Ma blocked again.

"Shut up!" Ai Mingshan slapped the table, and the frightened Ma Shi didn't catch his breath, and almost held back.

Ai Mingshan gasped violently, "Tiancheng, he is our son, you really want to force him to death, and the small courtyard in the west will be used as a wedding room...... You're not afraid of losing face, I'm still afraid! ”

Ai Qiaoqiao knows the small courtyard in the west, and it is used as a warehouse on weekdays, if it is really used as a new house for Ai Daquan's relatives, I am afraid that the people of the entire small house village will laugh off their big teeth.

Lao Ai's family has to pick the door to do this kind of thing.

When the officials and others left the old Ai family compound, Ai Qiaoqiao accompanied Ai Tiancheng out.

"Uncle, you can stay with me tonight, and I'll help you clean the yard tomorrow." Ai Qiaoqiao said.

Ai Tiancheng stood outside the courtyard gate, looking up at the sky.

Ai Qiaoqiao saw that he didn't respond to him, so he looked at him worriedly, "Uncle? What happened to you? ”

"Nothing...... I just think ...... It's so loose. Ai Tiancheng took a deep breath and smiled.