168 A Burden
Combined with the incident where she had bumped into these two people at the Medicinal Hall, Yue Jiaojiao had already guessed that Zhao Wencai had something to do with this matter.
“Lizheng,” Yue Jiaojiao looked at Yang Lizheng and gently reminded him, “She’s old, and now that she’s being divorced, it’s really pitiful. She’s all alone and chased out, and she doesn’t have the ability to make a living.
“I think Zhao Wencai has the best relationship with her. He’s also the eldest son in the family, so he should take responsibility for taking care of his mother. I think we can let Zhao Wencai build a house for her outside and be responsible for taking care of her every day.
“Wouldn’t this be the best of both worlds?”
Yang Lizheng nodded his head in approval.
Zhao Wencai, who was behind the door, heard that he was being dragged along and hurriedly stood out, “Lizheng! my leg is still crippled! I don’t have the ability to take care of my mother! Besides, my wife won’t agree to it! You can’t break up a family because of this!”
“Wencai?” Zhao Kuazi did not expect her biased son to say such words. This was even more painful than her being divorced from her husband. “But I’m your mother!”
“My father has divorced you!”
“Zhao Wencai! You’re really a good-for-nothing son!”
Yang Lizheng shouted in anger, “It’s only right for a son to take care of his mother! Is there such an unfilial son like you in this world?”
“Lizheng, I’m crippled, I still need my wife to take care of me!”
Zhao Kuazi sat on the ground in a daze. Then, she suddenly let out a sad cry.
This voice sounded so miserable that Yang Lizheng couldn’t even say the words that he wanted to swiftly chase the person out.
This was not even a critical moment when her husband divorced her and her son despised her. It was so pitiful that she had aged a few years all of a sudden.
“Zhao Zhan!”
Yang Lizheng looked at Zhao Zhan with hesitation in his eyes. “Look at her… Forget it.” Yang Lizheng did not want to throw this problem at Zhao Zhan. He thought for a while and sighed. “There are two mud houses at the entrance of the village. Although one has collapsed, there is still one that can be tidied up for a person to live in. You can live there in the future. Just think of it as a separation.”
“Jianji will continue to live with his three sons. As for you, I’ll make the decision that your three sons will take turns giving you a small bag of food and ten copper coins every month. This is a lot.
“From now on, you should just live an honest life in the village. Don’t think about making things difficult for Zhao Zhan and his wife all day long. They are a happy couple and don’t owe you anything. Why do you have to go against them?”
“Ten copper coins?! Lizheng, I don’t know if I can even make ten copper coins in a year!”
“Zhao Wencai! She’s your mother! I’m the one who said this, not a single copper less! If you don’t, I’ll send you to the chief! Can’t the three of you work together to work something out?”
Zhao Wencai was still afraid of being in prison. He lowered his head and didn’t dare to say a word. He could only curse in his heart that Zhao Kuazi didn’t do a good job and even implicated her.
“Thank you, Yang Lizheng.” Zhao Kuazi sat on the ground with a numb expression. It was as if her energy had been sucked out of her. “I’ll follow your arrangements.”
“Since you’ve agreed, you can go ahead and pack up. I’ll help you clear your things while I’m here.”
“Zhao Jianji,” Yang Lizheng pointed at his nose and turned his head away, not even wanting to look at him. “This is your wife! You’d better think carefully. With your character, will your son really be willing to raise you in the future?”
One could tell just by looking at the other two sons who were still hiding in their rooms… In the future, without his wife, who knew what their life would be like?