They were all proud, and there was one more thing, they were used to Chiang Songhai’s honesty and vulnerability, accustomed to his lack of resistance, always appearing amenable to whatever was said. Even if there was any issue within the Chiang Family, Chiang Songhai would still proactively seek Chiang Songtao’s opinion at home.
In truth, the past Chiang Songhai did not have much say, and feared displeasing his elder brother and sister-in-law, so he found it safest to follow their lead.
Even Chiang Baoguo had grown accustomed to being the head of his second uncle and aunt’s household. Otherwise, how could Song Xiyun have carried out those deeds? They were either sneaking food from the stove or eavesdropping over the fence.
In the eyes of the Old Chiang Family members, Chiang Songhai’s home was just like their own.
It was nothing more than the old west courtyard, partitioned off for their use!
"Dad, what’s the meaning of this? We had an agreement back then, once the second uncle and aunt pass away, the house will go to my son," Chiang Baohe said with a dark face.
True, because Chiang Songhai had no son, they had always felt that after they grew old and died, the house would still belong to the Old Chiang Family.
As for Chiang Xiao, she was a granddaughter! Whether she knew who her father was or not, did she have any share in the Chiang Family’s property?
Thus, even though Chiang Baohe had not yet married nor did he have a son, he had long since considered the house his own.
As for Chiang Baoguo, he had much greater ambition than Chiang Baohe. He planned to develop in the city, and his son would certainly become a city dweller. Therefore, he had no intention of disputing the family home with Chiang Baohe.
But now he just felt it was a blow to his pride!
"What’s the hurry? I’ll talk to your second uncle after your mother disciplines Chiang Xiao," Chiang Songtao said calmly, listening to Chiang Xiao’s screams from inside.
Chiang Xiao, the girl, certainly needed to be disciplined.
According to him, if it hadn’t been for that wretched girl, Chiang Xiao, stirring trouble these past few days, would he have developed second thoughts?
The idea to fortify the courtyard walls must have been that wretched girl’s as well.
Therefore, it was only right for his better half to discipline Chiang Xiao.
He would be out of place if he intervened now, after all, if he went inside, he would need to present as a somewhat kind-hearted elder and couldn’t bear to see the girl beaten too harshly.
With him out of the picture, however, Ho Laidi could spank her however she pleased.
So, Chiang Songtao just crouched there, continuing to smoke, his mind calculating the uses for these earthen bricks.
"Chiang Xiao, let go! You wretch..."
What Chiang Songtao and the others had not anticipated was that the situation in the courtyard was completely different from what they had imagined!
They saw Ho Laidi bound with a hemp rope, her arms tightly tied to her body, rendering her immobile, and the other end of the rope was tied to the tree in the courtyard.
Chiang Xiao, with half a bag of rice bran in her hand, swung it like a sandbag, thrashing it relentlessly onto her.
The half bag of rice bran weighed about three pounds, and when it was swung onto her back with a loud thud, the force caused some dust to scatter. The rice bran dust consisted of rice husks, which could be quite itchy on the skin.
Besides, being hit by the rice bran was painful, yet it did not leave marks, similar to how some investigators padded with books to punch a suspect—painful, yet without physical injury.
Chiang Xiao was now very strong, swinging that half bag of rice bran with a fierceness that made it difficult for Ho Laidi to even cry out.
Whenever she attempted to scream, Chiang Xiao would smack her mouth directly with the bag, and after a few times, Ho Laidi’s lips were swollen.
"Great-grandma, spare me, it hurts so much!" Chiang Xiao screamed shrilly while beating her, causing Ho Laidi’s eyelids to flutter furiously, wishing to faint but unable to pass out.