The villagers exchanged words, each comment leaving Chiang Songhai and his companions completely dumbstruck and in disbelief.
Ho Laidi didn’t even care to fight with Yao Saizhu anymore, her grip loosened and she hurriedly ran towards home.
"I really want to see if Chiang Laoer has indeed the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard!"
"Hahaha, they say brothers, but if he wasn’t truly afraid, who would build such a high courtyard wall!"
"Tsk tsk, Uncle Songhai and his family are just too honest. They get bullied and don’t dare to say a word. That courtyard wall must have been built out of desperation."
Chiang Songtao felt his face flushing over and over, these words were fiercely slapping his face.
The two brothers lived in two sets of houses separated by an old family estate. Everything had been fine before, they were neighbors, and anything that happened could be heard with just a shout. So many people envied such brotherhood, such a family.
That was also a matter of face!
Even if the two families really couldn’t get along, people would just endure it and move on. No one would truly tear each other’s faces apart, after all, in the countryside, having brothers and nephews meant having the backbone!
A few years ago, back in the seventies, there were fights with neighboring villages over irrigation water issues. At those times, having many brothers and nephews meant that when oppressed, one could just call out and a group of men would take up arms and charge forward, their momentum enough to overwhelm others.
Therefore, in rural areas, family ties mattered. Having many men in the family was both a matter of prestige and power.
The reason why Chiang Songhai had been putting up with the Old Chiang Family for so many years was precisely because of this deep-seated concept that oppressed him.
Chiang Songtao thought the same.
He had always believed that Chiang Laoer would continue to yield, stepping back little by little.
But he never expected that Chiang Laoer would do such a thing while they were all at the hospital!
This was definitely a fierce slap in his face!
Listen, listen! Aren’t these villagers mocking him right now?
"Baoguo, take Baohe and go slowly. I’ll go ahead and check." Chiang Songtao couldn’t stand it anymore, his face darkened, hands clasped behind his back, and with a brooding gaze, he hastened home.
Chiang Baohe was still shouting angrily behind him, "I’d like to see them dare! If they really built a wall, I’ll knock it down when I get back!"
"Enough! We’ll talk when we return!"
Chiang Baoguo’s face was also grim.
In the village, such an incident was indeed a huge loss of face for their family. In theory, Second Uncle shouldn’t have dared to make such a decision!
At this moment, Ho Laidi had already rushed back in the lead.
From afar, she saw the conspicuously high two-meter wall around the Chiang family home.
The wall looked very sturdy, and the cement had long since dried.
Looking at it from this distance, the Chiang family seemed to be blatantly guarding against their family!
Ho Laidi let out a roar and rushed over, flinging herself at the Chiang family’s courtyard gate.
She had thought the door was just closed, not locked; but when she pushed, it wouldn’t budge. It was then she realized that even the courtyard gate seemed to have been reinforced!
Were they treating their family like thieves?
Ho Laidi’s face turned red with rage, her vision darkness as waves of anger overcame her, and she began pounding on the door.
"Chiang Laoer! Ge Liutao! Come out here! You dare do it but not own up to it, is that it? Now you want to be shrinking turtles, is that it?"
After Chiang Songhai and Ge Liutao had finished their dumplings and drank the Ganoderma water Chiang Xiao had brewed, they went as usual for their afternoon nap in the back room.
Chiang Xiao, however, sat in the main room practicing her painting.
It could be said she was waiting for the Old Chiang family’s return.
After Song Xiyun came back, she knew that the Old Chiang family would soon return as well. They were sure to come over to make trouble, that’s why she was waiting here.