When Wang Yongfu got home, the sun had already set.
The courtyard gate was open, and there were a few pieces of clothing scattered on the ground.
The main house door was open; you could see from the doorway that the chests inside had been opened, and the clothes inside were strewn all over the floor.
It looked like there had been a robbery.
Wang Yongfu’s temples throbbed violently, and he felt a lump in his throat, unable to go up or down, breathing heavily.
Jindou and Jinguan saw Wang Yongfu return and hurried forward.
Wang Yongfu took a deep breath and looked at Jindou: "What’s going on here?"
Although he knew in his heart, it must have been Lady Lin who came back to rummage through things, but Jindou and Jinguan were at home, and they didn’t even try to stop her?
Jindou stammered: "Mother, she came back and said, said these were all things you agreed on, and then she took away her clothes and bedding. She also said she’d move a month’s worth of grain first—"
Upon hearing this, Wang Yongfu rushed to the kitchen and saw that the rice and flour bins were emptied.
Even the coarse grains like sweet potatoes and taro had been taken away half.
Wang Yongfu felt so angry that his heart hurt, he turned around and asked harshly: "You just watched your mother take all the grain? Not leaving even a grain of rice for your dad and the three of us? Are you planning to let your dad and your brother, the three of us drink the Northwest wind?"
Jinguan hurriedly complained: "I tried to stop her, didn’t let her move the grain, but she cursed me, calling me a white-eyed wolf, little beast! Eldest Brother even helped her move!"
Jindou looked embarrassed and quickly explained: "Dad, Mother will be alone from now on, with no source of income, it’s just this once, let her take more things so she can live better in the future. We still have Third Uncle and Aunt; even if food is short, we can borrow some first and return it when the harvest comes..."
Wang Yongfu was almost exploding with anger, seeing Jindou defending Lady Lin, suddenly felt disheartened, sat down heavily on the doorstep, and after a long while said: "Never thought I, Wang Yongfu, raised a filial
Jindou’s face turned pale, hearing Wang Yongfu’s words, feeling something was wrong, quickly knelt down: "Dad! I didn’t mean it! Just thinking, Mother’s raised the three of us, now at this age, being divorced and driven out. How will she survive in the future, we have to give her some grain every year!"
"If a son can’t even spare this bit of grain, what sort of person is he? Wouldn’t he be worse than a beast? Dad, don’t worry, the grain given to Mother counts as mine, I’ll work hard and earn money, it’s enough to support her!"
"Shut up—" Wang Yongfu shouted coldly.
Jindou didn’t dare to speak, only looking at Wang Yongfu mournfully.
Wang Yongfu stood up, his body swaying, and it was Jinguan who quickly helped him, preventing him from falling.
Jindou reached out to help but Wang Yongfu pushed his hand away, staggering as he walked into the house, saying as he went: "I divorced your mother, for whose sake? Isn’t it for you brothers? With her stirring things up, this family would be broken sooner or later! Not to mention, after the mourning period, you’ll be marrying a wife, which decent family would want to marry their daughter off to you if she’s around? Do you really think our family, after doing business for two days, is wealthy, that everyone is begging to marry their daughters to you?"
"Stop dreaming! When I married the wrong woman, it caused me to suffer, now Second Brother Jinhoo is forced to leave home at a young age, who knows where he is? Before I close my eyes, I don’t know if he’ll come back! As the eldest, being honest is good, but you should have some sense, can’t even keep the house together, Jinguan is still young..." At the end, Wang Yongfu felt sorrowful, as a man, he couldn’t help but shed tears.
Jindou had never seen Wang Yongfu , even when Wang Yongfu was injured, he only cried once knowing Lady Lin betrayed him and wanted to remarry, otherwise, he never shed a tear.
Seeing this now, he felt deeply hurt.
Feeling guilty, hearing his father’s words, father divorced mother for the sake of himself and his brothers, already feeling distressed.
As the eldest son, he failed to stand firm, indulging his mother.
Only remembering the pain of his mother, not knowing his father also had grievances unspoken.
Tears streaming down, crying and kowtowing in apology: "Dad! I know I was wrong! Dad, I was wrong!"
Wang Yongfu, after all, still loved his son, couldn’t bear it, turned around and hugged Jindou, and the father and son cried their hearts out.
Jinguan, who was beside them, couldn’t hold back, scared and upset, cried as he ran to the backyard.
In his mind, there was nothing in this home that his aunt and granny couldn’t solve.
Crying, Jinguan ran to the backyard, the father and son wailing loudly in the front yard, who wouldn’t hear it?
Ran straight to the backyard, Old Granny Zhang, Wang Yongzhu, and Song Chongjin were about to have dinner, dishes were on the table, when they saw Jinguan rush in.
He entered the yard without a word, just crying.
Asked about it, they found out Wang Yongfu and Jindou were crying together.
Wang Yongzhu knew that Jinguan was scared now, quickly patted his shoulder, speaking gently: "Don’t worry, slowly explain, Aunt is here—"
With these words, Jinguan felt reassured, sobbing as he explained everything.
Old Granny Zhang exploded upon hearing: "Stupid thing! These things aren’t so easily given? Just started and so generous, days of regret are still ahead!"
Upon hearing Jinguan wanted Wang Yongzhu to persuade his father and elder brother, immediately put down the chopsticks: "What’s there to persuade? Your brother took after your father’s lack of sense, no plans, just listening to whatever people say. Without experiencing some losses, wouldn’t know how to live!"
"Let them mess around! If they don’t go through this, won’t learn to live peacefully! What are you persuading? Persuade Eldest Brother shouldn’t have divorced Lady Lin, or praise Jinguan for giving rightly? Honestly, sit down and eat with me!"
Saying that, glared at Jinguan: "You too, wipe your nose and tears, wash your hands and eat! Such a small matter, crying like that, what does it look like?"
In a few words, Jinguan was cowed, obediently went to wash hands, planning to eat.
After all, going back to the main house, all the grain had been taken by Lady Lin, nothing left to eat.
Seeing Jinguan washing his hands, Wang Yongzhu softly asked Old Granny Zhang: "Mom, are we really not going to interfere?"
Old Granny Zhang snorted coldly: "What’s there to interfere with? Each has their own mind! If we interfere now, it’ll become our fault in the future! Let them be! They didn’t want my help before, thinking I was harming them! Treated me like a thief, now realizing their mistake, want to come to me? I’m not willing to serve them now!"