"As a precaution, my mother saved a little kerosene for fear of giving birth in the middle of the night, but it got taken away by you. We had a bit of soybean oil, and four ounces of salt in the jar, but you plundered them. My mother made new cotton shoes for my little brother, so you took them as well. You said your eldest grandson doesn't have new shoes, so my little brother isn't fit to wear them. Do you still remember these words?"
Bai Xue clearly told them everything that Old Madam Bai had stolen the other day. The neighbors next to her had no choice but to believe her.
Moreover, everyone more or less knew Old Madam Bai always went to her eldest son's house to take things. It was said to be taking things, but to put it bluntly, it was snatching. In this era, food supplies were of utmost importance!
"You… you stupid girl. Don't talk nonsense! You're full of bullshit. Be careful that you won't be able to find yourself a husband in the future!" Old Madam Bai shouted angrily. She no longer sat on the ground and quickly stood up to pounce on Bai Xue.
Bai Daliang quickly protected his daughter and glared at Old Madam Bai, trembling with anger.
"Grandma, you've taken far more from our family all these years! Do you need me to remind you what you have taken?" Bai Xue's mouth did not stop even as she stood behind Bai Daliang.
"That's enough, Xue. Bring your younger siblings into the house. I'll handle this!" Bai Daliang did not want to expose his dirty laundry in public.
Bai Ruchuan was watching from the side. He refused to leave and said, "Last winter, when the commune slaughtered pigs, we finally got two catties of pork. Grandma, what did you say at that time? You said Third Aunt had just given birth and didn't have enough breast milk for the baby. Since she needed the nourishment, you took away all the pork. I don't get it. My mother's giving birth as well, but you seem to think she doesn't even need to eat." Bai Ruchuan straightened his neck and glared. His fearless appearance was quite cute.
"Let's not forget the division of grain in autumn. My mother wanted to give us some fine grain, so she got a few catties for us. We didn't even smell it before you snatched it away!" Bai Ruxia said loudly with her hands on her waist.
They did not give Bai Daliang a chance to stop them.
Old Madam Bai was so angry that her face turned pale. "Bai Daliang, is this how you teach your children? If I don't beat you to death today…" As she spoke, she was about to hit the children.
"Grandma, no matter what, we're not as bad as our third uncle's children. This year, each family can raise three chickens, but why don't we have any? Isn't it because they threw our chicks onto the roof and killed them?" Bai Rushan could not help but shout when he saw his sister and brother almost beaten up.
"Mom, what am I to you? Sometimes, I really wonder if I'm your biological son!" Bai Daliang only knew after listening to his children that not only did his mother come to his house to snatch things, but she also said so many despicable things. Wang Cuihua never told him what his mother said.
Bai Daliang would go to the old residence demanding the stolen supplies, but his mother made all kinds of excuses. He failed to get back the things each time he tried.
His mother always came over when he was not at home. It was impossible to guard against her.
In his mother's heart, his wife and children were not worthy of eating good food.
When his third younger brother's wife gave birth, his mother would come to their house to snatch meat to nourish her. However, his own wife was left with nothing when it was her turn to give birth.
It was not necessarily true that his mother favored boys over girls. Whether it was his third younger brother's daughters or sons, his mother doted on them like treasures, but his mother disregarded Bai Daliang's children.
The neighbors listened to the children's complaints and completely believed them.
"Old Madam Bai, that's enough! Every family is short of food. Besides, Daliang's wife has just given birth. You've already taken their supplies, but you didn't stop there and even came over to make a fuss. It's really like what the children said. Are you trying to kill them? All of them are your sons, but you are so biased!" A 60-year-old old lady living on the east side of the compound spoke up to defend the injustice. Usually, Bai Xue and the others called her Grandma Zhao.
"That's right! You're their grandmother. How could you act like this? If my mother-in-law treated me like this, I would have already…" A woman beside her also spoke.
A woman beside her gestured to her. Her mother-in-law was also present. "Enough, enough. Be quiet!"
The woman pursed her lips and shut up.
"Old Madam Zhao, what does our family matter have to do with you? Don't be a busybody! Since you're itching to help, you must have a flea problem, right? If you have an itch, you should go home and scratch it." Bai Daliang's mother was now biting whoever she could. She was furious. The children used to be obedient and powerless but they were now eloquent and she could not refute them.
"You old woman, watch your mouth! Are you in the habit of eating sh*t? Nothing good ever comes out of your mouth. Not to mention that I can't stand your behavior, even the gods won't turn a blind eye to your actions! Just you wait. The heavens will teach you a lesson soon enough!" Grandma Zhao was furious. This crazy woman was like a mad dog.
"Say that again?" Old Madam Bai could not hit the children, but she pounced on Old Madam Zhao without a second thought.
The two of them were about to fight. The people around them hurriedly came over to stop the fight.
Bai Daliang stood there with bloodshot eyes filled with hatred.
He had always thought that his mother only doted on his third brother a little. He did not expect his mother to say such nasty words.
"Alright, Old Madam Zhao, Old Madam Bai, stop fighting. Do you really have to?"
"Everyone, stop arguing and go home! It's such a cold day. Do you have nothing better to do?"
"That's right. I'm going home. How can you have the strength to fight when we're freezing to death and can't eat our fill?"
Everyone spoke one after another.
In the end, Grandma Zhao's daughter-in-law heard the commotion outside and pulled her back.
When Old Madam Bai saw Grandma Zhao had been pulled away, she looked at Bai Daliang.
"Bai Daliang, you unfilial son. Quickly go in and return my food!" She screamed.
"I'll say it one last time! The food is mine and it's impossible to give it to you! Don't even think about taking anything from my house in the future! We give you 200 catties of food every year out of filial piety, but you're still not satisfied. You even snatched away my wife's and children's food supplies when we needed them the most. Don't forget that I'm not your only son. I've already done my duty to you. Don't even think of squeezing more from me!" After saying this firmly, Bai Daliang turned around and returned to his room.
Bai Xue and her siblings followed behind him.
Bai Dailiang used to be the most obedient child and easy to control, but he had gone against her. Old Madam Bai simply sat on the ground and wailed, cursing and shouting.
"I'm going to kill you, you unfilial son! How dare you hit your mother and snatch her food. You ingrate, you're worse than an animal…"
Bai Daliang clenched his fists tightly and did his utmost to control himself. He walked in step by step. At this moment, a loud shout sounded from behind, "Bai Daliang, you animal, how dare you hit your mother?"
Following the voice, Bai Xue quickly turned around and saw her third uncle, Bai Dahe, running over with a wooden stick in his hand.
"Dad, watch out…" She only had time to shout these three words before Bai Dahe's wooden stick smashed straight into the back of Bai Daliang's head.
In an instant, blood gushed out of Bai Daliang's head. Bai Daliang only had time to look behind him before he closed his eyes and fell to the ground.
"Dad…" Bai Xue was the first to react. She ran over to support Bai Daliang, but she could not support the 1.8-meter-tall man at all and fell to the ground with him.
Looking at the blood flowing out from her father, her hands trembled uncontrollably.