Zhao Zheng looked in the direction of the sound and saw a thin old woman walk into the courtyard from outside the wall.
The Zhao father and son, as well as the Zhao brothers, followed her.
A name flashed through Zhao Zheng's mind, "Second Sister, Zhao Feng!"
Yan Dali's face darkened with displeasure. He turned his head and said, "Who is it, talking so arrogantly?"
Old Man Yan turned around and saw that the corner of his mouth twitched, then a smile appeared on his face. "Feng, you've gone back to your parents' home?"
The old woman from the Yan family also said, "Isn't this Sister Feng'er?"
Zhao Feng glanced coldly at the Yan family, then led her younger brother and nephew to Zhao Zheng. "Third brother, you have plenty of grain at home, don't you? You're even reluctant to hire farmhands for your own brothers?"
"What about Zhao Di and Xiao E? Don't they know how to advise them? Is this how people live their lives?"
Yang Zhaodi and Zhang Xiao'e came out when they heard the noise, their expressions changed, and they hurriedly stepped forward, "Second Aunt, what brings you here!"
"If I don't come, how will I know how much your father-in-law squanders his money, or how will I know that you two daughters-in-law don't help manage the household at all?" Because Zhao Feng was very thin and shrewd, she looked rather fierce. In addition, she had been starving for a long time and was so thin that she looked even more mean.
"You two daughters-in-law are so irresponsible! Not only are you cursed to bring misfortune to your husbands, but you are also unfilial!"
The two women felt wronged, but dared not retort.
In the Zhao family, the father-in-law listened to his second aunt the most. If he talked back to her, he would be scolded, which was considered mild.
Zhao Zheng looked at Zhao Feng with icy eyes.
She was also involved in the death of her adopted son in battle. Although her predecessor was obedient and blindly filial, she would not have gone so far as to send both of her sons to join the army, thus causing her lineage to end.
It was mostly the second sister who instigated it.
After her adopted son died, she refused to even show her face.
Her predecessor was beaten to death by her elder brother, and she never showed up. Now she's come to my house and start pointing fingers.
"Who's being unfilial?" Zhao Zheng frowned and said, "Zhao Di and Xiao E treat me like their own father. At home, they do everything for me, from clothes to food to housework. If such daughters-in-law are not filial, then what is filial piety?"
Zhao Feng was stunned, looking at Zhao Zheng in disbelief. "Third brother, I'm here to teach your daughter-in-law a lesson, and you're talking to me like this?"
"No one can discipline my daughter-in-law except me."
Zhao Zheng snorted coldly, "Second sister, you have no right to lecture them. No matter who it is, scolding my daughter-in-law in front of me is slapping me in the face and disrespecting Zhao Zheng!"
Zhao Feng stared wide-eyed, filled with disbelief.
Her chest heaved with anger, and she pointed at Zhao Zhengdao, saying, "You, you... how dare you talk to me like that?"
Zhao Yi was also dumbfounded. "Third brother, are you confused? How can you talk to your second sister like that?"
"Shut up, who gave you the right to interrupt me?"
Zhao Zheng glanced at her and said with a warning, "Listen to me, if I hear your wife saying that my daughter-in-law is a jinx to her husband again, I'll go over and tear her mouth off. I mean it."
"My daughter-in-law is not a jinx to her husband. The ones who caused my son's death are my second aunt, my third uncle, and my eldest brother. If you hadn't all taken turns urging me to send my son to join the army, how could Zhao Di and Xiao E have become widows?"
"Now you come here and say my daughter-in-law is a jinx to her husbands? Who gave you the nerve to say that!"
Zhao Zheng's voice was filled with anger.
It attracted the attention of the neighbors.
Yang Zhaodi shed tears silently.
Zhang Xiao'e burst into tears.
The father-in-law's protection made the two women both sad and touched.
Zhao Feng reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, "It has nothing to do with me!"
"It has nothing to do with me!" Zhao Yi hurriedly denied.
"Whether it's related or not, you know the answer in your hearts." Zhao Zheng's eyes were sharp, and then he said loudly, "Either you get out of here now, or you settle the score with me now, one by one. I will make you pay back for how you cheated me back then."
Upon hearing this, the three members of the Yan family also sensed that something was amiss.
"Old Zhao, shall we go back first?" Old Yan saw that things were not going well and prepared to slip away. He was also secretly angry. He was about to sign the documents when Zhao Feng suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Why do you, a married woman, meddle in your family's affairs?
"Why go back? Do you think they can make decisions for me?" Zhao Zheng said calmly.
"Third brother, are you going to settle the score?"
A hint of annoyance flashed in Zhao Feng's eyes. "Fine, then let's settle this. You've been following me around since you were little. I always saved the best food and drinks for you. I practically raised you single-handedly. How do you want to settle this score?"
"Don't give me that. Our father favors boys over girls. When there's good food or drink at home, he always gives it to my eldest brother first. If he doesn't want it, then he gives it to me."
You always say you'll save the best food and drinks for me, but those are rightfully mine. You only save them for me because you can't finish them.
Zhao Zheng sneered, "Second sister, you don't really think I'm stupid, do you? I'm only not exposing you because you're my sister. Do you really think you're a good sister?"
When her lie was exposed, Zhao Feng was furious and embarrassed. "You ungrateful wretch! Today, I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of our mother and father!"
As they spoke, Zhao Dabao's three nephews spread out, intending to launch a sneak attack on Zhao Zheng.
It's clear that this was something they had discussed before they came.
Zhao Zheng reached into his clothes, pulled out a short axe, and shouted down, "Tie Niu, bring the knife up! Someone's trying to bully your Uncle Zhao!"
Upon hearing the noise, Liu Tieniu, who had been watching from below, responded and quickly grabbed his wood-chopping knife, rushing out to block the doorway. Pointing the knife at the door, he shouted, "Try touching my Uncle Zhao!"
Seeing this, Zhao Dabao and the other two hurriedly took out the machetes hidden on their waists.
Zhao Zheng had noticed the bulges around the three men's waists long ago and had taken precautions. He knew that Zhao Yi's attempts to befriend him and invite him back were definitely not well-intentioned.
He had been ignoring it, but unexpectedly, he even invited his second sister, Zhao Feng, to come.
"Liu Tieniu, this is our family matter, what's it to you?" Zhao Dabao said coldly, "Do you believe I'll cut off the rest of your thing and make you squat to pee?"
"If I were scared, I wouldn't have come," Liu Tieniu sneered. "I just can't stand your shamelessness. You're never going to stop, are you? You're bullying Uncle Zhao's family to death. I've seen shameless people, but I've never seen anyone as shameless as you!"
Old Man Yan was caught in a dilemma: whether to leave or stay. So he simply took his wife and children and walked to the side, not daring to say a word.
If I get stabbed, I'll be in deep trouble.
"For the sake of being family, I didn't want to break off relations, but you've come to cause trouble time and time again. Do you really think I'm stupid?"
Zhao Zhengdao said, "Either you leave now, or I'll randomly kill one of you, and then you can kill me. Killing one isn't a loss, killing two is a gain!"
Yang Zhaodi didn't say anything. She rushed into the house, took out the broken woodcutter's knife, stood next to Zhao Zhen, held the knife in both hands, and said in a trembling voice, "He bullied my father-in-law, I'll fight him to the death! Try me if you don't believe me!"