Chapter 468 Bai Laosan Beaten by the Crowd
Next, Xue Li's father was also called in for questioning twice. Fortunately, he had already divorced Xue Li's mother. Yes, after attending his daughter's wedding, the first thing Xue Li's father did upon returning was to get rid of Xue Li's mother.
It wasn't that he was heartless, but rather that he was being practical. He didn't want someone like a leech dragging his daughter down, nor did he want her to have to educate their younger son, who was still a minor and had a chance to be reformed.
As for the elder son, he was already married and his selfishness was a foregone conclusion. If he later found out how well his daughter had married, he would surely latch onto them just like his mother.
Xue Li's father felt he had done a lot for his elder son, not only finding him a job but also spending a considerable amount of money to buy a house and get him married. He had done all he could. As for how his life would turn out in the future, it was up to him.
After returning from his daughter's, Xue Li's father announced the divorce. Of course, Xue Li's mother did not agree. Xue Li's father directly told Xue Li's mother's eldest sister-in-law to go home and fend for herself, which immediately silenced her.
When his elder son was called, he didn't say a word of persuasion, instead asking about how the family property would be divided. Divide her grandmother's! Xue Li's father immediately felt that he would rather take his money to the grave than leave it to his ungrateful elder son.
As expected, the elder son brazenly threatened that he would not provide for Xue Li's father in his old age. Xue Li's father was now very confident. Even if his younger son was beyond saving, he still had his daughter, who had promised to take care of him in his old age.
However, Xue Li's father did not let his own son off the hook easily. He directly demanded that his son pay him ten yuan a month for his living expenses. As for dividing the family property, he was sorry, not a single cent. If his son refused to pay, he would pay a visit to his son's workplace.
What Xue Li's father did that was even more "cruel" was to force Xue Li's mother and elder son to sign documents severing ties with their daughter. If they refused, they would each have to pay three hundred yuan as dowry, otherwise, there would be no discussion.
Xue Li's father even threw the twenty yuan gift money that his elder son had given to his daughter back in his face, saying directly that he was ashamed.
As for the younger son, he was forced to stay with him. In the nearly year since his return, Xue Li's father had whipped his younger son more than a dozen times, confident that he could still be reformed.
After the divorce, Xue Li's mother received no money and only her salary each month. After her expenses, she could give at most five yuan to her family. The financial hardship quickly made her family look down on her. When she tried to ask her elder son for help, she was cursed out by his wife. In a fit of anger, she married an older man with three children.
Xue Li's father didn't care. their marriage was not based on love. Now that he was completely free, Xue Li's father felt much more relaxed.
Every day, by paying a little more money and ration coupons, he could get an extra portion of food for his younger son and even take him to a state-run restaurant for a meal from time to time. He was even saving more money each month than before. His life was truly wonderful.
However, this "wonderful" period did not last long. Seeing batches of people with questionable backgrounds being removed, especially Xue Li's mother's eldest brother among them, Xue Li's father felt both relieved and more cautious.
He even dared not bring food back from the factory anymore, and could only eat strange-tasting food with his younger son every day.
Today, he received a call. Although the other party said his daughter was fine, the fact that she was not allowed to send letters made Xue Li's father worried.
But what could he do? He could only wait quietly for his daughter to send him a letter, and he was even more hopeful that Leader Zi could stabilize the situation soon so that his daughter could safely return to Mingcheng to reunite with him.
The Chen family was much better off. Qishi was far away, and they were just an ordinary working-class family. When they received their daughter's letter, they assumed her husband had taken her to another city to relax.
As for Chen Tangtang being pregnant with her second child and still traveling around, the Chen family wasn't worried at all. They had a mysterious trust in their son-in-law to take good care of their daughter, and it was very likely that she would give birth elsewhere. In any case, the elder son would usually accompany them.
Bai Chumo paid the old village chief ten yuan to put all the good seafood caught from the sea today on the table. He wanted to indulge himself. He was not only very hungry but also craved seafood, as the most they had on the mountain were dried goods prepared by his sister, which were not satisfying at all.
When Bai Chumo had devoured two large lobsters, four two-headed abalone, and a two-pound sea fish, he let out a long satisfied burp.
"So fulfilling!"
"Heh, you ate four of the rare two-headed abalone. The village only caught less than ten in total."
A Can regretted not being as quick as this kid Bai Chumo. He had only eaten two. Wei Jiu also ate quite a bit. Instead of talking, he might as well eat more.
Bai Chumo was not embarrassed at all, but he felt a pang of guilt thinking that his family on the mountain couldn't eat fresh seafood. He took out another fifty yuan and asked the village chief to select the best dried goods for them to take up the mountain.
As a result, after the village chief had packed three large sacks, he was stopped by A Can. This guy was trying to work them to death!
The village chief honestly returned twelve yuan and enthusiastically stuffed more into the sacks.
A Can, with tears in his eyes, lifted a sack. Each sack must have weighed fifty to sixty catties. He wondered how much the cargo ship would prepare in the evening. In any case, two sacks per person, and he would definitely not help this fool Bai Chumo carry them.
When Bai Chumo excitedly went to pick up the goods in the evening, the sight of a sack weighing over a hundred catties made him hesitate.
"Can Ge, isn't this a bit too much?"
"Heh, not too much. Everyone gets another sack of seafood."
Seeing A Can's unyielding attitude, Bai Chumo quickly turned to Wei Jiu for help.
"Ninth Brother, you see..."
"Very good, it's just right for exercising endurance."
"......"
The next morning, Bai Chumo went to the village chief's house again and ate a hearty meal. Before leaving, he didn't forget to pack a lot of dried food, fearing that he wouldn't be able to eat enough on the mountain and would be tempted to throw away the sacks on his shoulders.
Bai Chumo once again experienced a journey more arduous than his last escape. Although he didn't have to endure rain and mud, the sacks tied to his back and carried on his shoulders made his legs tremble.
"Heh, keep going, victory is in sight."
A Can could still spare a hand to pat Bai Chumo heavily. In fact, he wasn't feeling any better either. The sacks wrapped around his back with hemp rope had already chafed his shoulders, but he could endure and tolerate it, and he still had the energy to tease this foolish kid.
What should have been a day and a half journey turned into two days under A Can's constant urging and prodding.
As soon as Bai Chumo could see the cave, he waved and shouted, his voice hoarse and mournful. He really attracted quite a few people from nearby. After the two sacks on his body were unloaded, before Bai Chumo could even catch his breath to complain, he was met with a swift kick from Bai Da Jiu.
"Ouch~~, Daddy, please be gentle."
"Sneaking away, I'll beat you to a pulp."
As Bai Chumo trembled towards Bai Wai Po, he thought he had found the greatest support in his life. But to his surprise, what greeted him was a ruler that Bai Wai Po had specifically gone back to the cave to get.
Bai Wai Po did not hold back her blows. Bai Chumo's calves were hit five or six times. Although it was only five or six times, his calves quickly swelled up.
Bai Chumo felt abandoned by everyone. No one loved or cared for him anymore. Even his most beloved sister stood aside fanning her grandmother and said, "Don't get too angry, just let your daddy beat him."