Sack

As the days passed, Old Madam Zhu still walked back and forth between the main and secondary residences to keep an eye out, but every time she saw Lin Ai and her children looking even thinner, she became so angry that she almost gnashed her teeth. She couldn't understand why these people just didn't just die and be done with it, and the more she thought about her eldest grandson Zhu Haifeng, who she loved so much, who had to drop out of school because she didn't have money to send him in the past month, the more she felt like the whole world was crashing down on her body.

" Heh ! If these people die, I can breathe easier," Old Lady Zhu muttered, brushing away the dust from sweeping the courtyard.

One evening, as Zhu Changhai returned from work at the inn looking exhausted, he sat down at the dining table and sighed heavily.

" Mother, I think it's too late," he began as he raised his teacup to take a sip.

" They made the secondary house look like a den of disease. I still have to work all day and when I come back home, I have to worry about catching the plague from them !"

Old Lady Zhu, who was sitting nearby, frowned in annoyance.

" Then what do you want me to do ? Do you want me to drag them out and beat them like before ? I'm also afraid of catching a disease now !"

Zhu Changhai put down his teacup with a loud bang !!!

" I think we should chase them away. Let them die somewhere ! At least I won't have to be afraid like this every day !"

At that moment, Zhu Changhua, Zhu Changhai's younger sister, walked to the main house, hiding a small package of provisions that she had stolen from the main house's kitchen on the side of the house. She happened to overhear the conversation between her mother and brother.

" It would be better if you chased them away," she added to her brother's words.

" I'm tired of seeing them being a nuisance every day. Not only do they not make us money, they also make our house look bad !"

Old Madam Zhu turned to look at Zhu Changhua with hesitation in her eyes. She pondered for a moment before nodding slowly.

" You guys are right … I have to do something, or else it will affect my nephew who lives in the district."

She got up and swept her gaze over the dimly lit secondary house in the evening with a sinister look in her eyes.

" Tomorrow morning, I will go and chase them away myself !"

That night, Old Madam Zhu was still sitting in her room, thinking of a plan to drive the second family out of sight. She looked at the dimly lit lamp with a cold smile on her face.

" I won't let them disturb my house anymore," she muttered to herself before lying down in satisfaction, thinking of the empty secondary house and the peaceful life of her and her main family in the future.

The next morning, amidst the wind blowing through the village, Old Lady Zhu's shrill cursing voice came from the Zhu family's fence, echoing throughout the area. The villagers who were preparing to go out to farm, hunt, or gather forest products stopped their work and turned to look.

" You second-rate people ! You're a disease. Are you going to let me and my grandchildren catch a disease and die ?!"

Old Lady Zhu shouted loudly, standing at the door of the secondary house with a gloomy expression. Behind her was Zhu Changhai, who was standing with his arms crossed and looking at the secondary house with disdainful eyes.

Lin Ai, who was helping Zhu Changyu out of the door because of the commotion, trembled. Zhu Qingyang and Zhu Qingcheng stood beside their mother with fearful expressions. Zhu Qingan tried to maintain her composure, but her eyes were filled with anger.

" Mother, please don't say that," Lin Ai said with a trembling voice.

" We just fell ill, nothing serious …"

" No need to make excuses !" Old Lady Zhu interrupted loudly.

" You guys have been an omen ever since you moved to the second house ! See? Now you've become a plague that's coming to destroy my family !"

The loud voice of Old Lady Zhu attracted the attention of many villagers passing by. Old Lady Wang, who owned a vegetable stall near the Zhu family's home, nudged the arm of a neighbor who was walking by.

" Listen here. It's the Zhu family again. What are they arguing about this time ?"

" I heard they're going to kick out the second house," the neighbor replied, leaning closer to the fence to listen better.

" They say it's because they are pathogens."

" Oh, this is worrisome," said Uncle Li, a middle-aged man who was about to go hunting, in a serious tone.

" If the second house really has a disease, then we have to be careful too !"

As the argument escalated, one of the men in the village, noticing that this chaos might not end easily, decided to immediately run after the village headman.

" Village head ! Village head !" the man shouted as he hurriedly ran into the village headman's house.

" What's the matter ?" The village headman, who was sipping tea, asked as he put down the teacup in his hand, his expression becoming serious.

" The Zhu family ! Old Madam Zhu is going to kick out the second family, saying that there is an epidemic. The villagers are all scared !"

The village head let out a long sigh before standing up and picking up his cane.

" Sigh, this house has never had a day of peace. Go ! I'll go and see for myself !"

When the village headman arrived with a few other men, the chaos continued.

" Stop !" the village head shouted loudly as he walked in.

" What is this about? Why do you have to curse so loudly that it causes trouble for the villagers ?"

Grandma Zhu turned to look at the village head with a displeased expression.

" Village head ! I'm taking care of my own house. Don't interfere !"

" Are you going to deal with it ? Or are you going to cause trouble ?" the village headman said in a stern voice.

" If this matter affects the peace of the village, I will never let you do whatever you want."

Grandma Zhu pursed her lips tightly before pointing to the second house.

" It's a germ ! I'll get it out of this house so it doesn't come and spread disease to us !"

" What about the evidence ?" the village headman asked calmly.

" Do you have any evidence that they have a serious disease or are you just saying it out of anger ?"

The village chief's words stunned Old Lady Jun Ning for a moment, but her expression still showed clear stubbornness.

Old Lady Zhu ignored the gazes of the villagers who were watching from all sides. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the second house with an obvious look of disgust.

" Village Chief ! I'm not just talking nonsense. They're the ones who are the germs !"

She pointed at Zhu Changyu, Lin Ai and their children who were hiding outside the door of the house.

" The other day I went to get money from him, and I saw with my own eyes that everyone in this house was pale and emaciated like a zombie, and on top of that, they were coughing up blood !" she shouted with hatred.

" It's not a plague, what else could it be ? I won't let them infect my eldest grandson with the disease !"

She turned to look at the village headman, her eyes shining with anger.

" I have made up my mind ! This second family is a disease, nothing good. I will expel them from the Zhu family today, no matter who obstructs me !"

Old Lady Zhu's words caused some of the villagers who were watching to shake their heads in exhaustion, while Lin Ai could only lower her head, tears welling up in her eyes in shame and resentment.

Standing with his wife supporting him, Zhu Changyu heard his mother's every word clearly. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to suppress the overwhelming pain in his heart. Although he hadn't even stepped outside the door yet, his mother's words cut as sharp as a knife.

" What did I do wrong …" Zhu Changyu muttered to himself softly, but filled with despair.

" I have worked hard and taken care of my family and mother for many years … but in your eyes, I am worthless."