Traveling through 1942 with space

Chapter 161: Adversity Reveals True Love

When Hou Minyou and his family returned to his father-in-law's house, several of his brothers-in-law had already surrounded them in the yard.

"Sister, brother-in-law, can you take us with you when you go to Qin Province?" Li Cuihua's brothers looked at them expectantly.

"Sister, brother-in-law, we have been very nice to your family during this period!

We can’t live like this any longer, brother-in-law, please help me and ask for mercy! Let the caravan of the Yanhuang League take us along too.” Several brothers-in-law and their wives also chattered non-stop.

Faced with a yard full of fanatical relatives, Hou Minyou and his wife were also shocked.

“Tianmin, Tianyang, Tiancheng, my family has been able to survive this period of time thanks to your help, but I really can’t help you at all in this matter.

I am completely confused by what they are describing. You all know the situation in my family. If I had a noble person, I wouldn't have to flee from famine!

It would be good if we find the right person in Qin Province, but if we find the wrong person, we will have to use your eldest sister and her three daughters to pay for the trip." Hou Yangmin told everyone what Manager Han and the others had said.

When Li Cuihua and her two brothers heard Hou Minyou say this, their faces changed and they didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Brother-in-law, you are probably trying to trick us! If you didn't know anyone, how could the caravan leader give you so much food and eggs?

If you dislike us poor relatives, just say it directly, don't make up stories to deceive us." The brother-in-law's wife folded her arms and said angrily.

A person who eats the food provided by others will be soft-hearted; a person who lives with others will be short-tempered.

Hou Min's family eats and lives in someone else's house, so naturally he feels embarrassed to retort, not to mention that he is just the other person's brother-in-law. His face turned red and he stopped talking.

When the brother-in-law's wife saw that Hou Minyou was speechless because of her, she raised her thin neck high as if she was a "rooster" returning victoriously.

"Big sister, how have we treated your family? During this period of time, we have lent you about five or six kilograms of food!

You have so much food now, why don't you return some first? Anyway, you won't have to worry about food and drink when you get to that caravan." The second brother-in-law's wife looked at the cornmeal and eggs in Li Cuihua's hand with envy.

"Sister Ping, this food is given to us by the business to nourish our bodies. We can't give it to you for the time being." When Li Cuihua heard that she was asked for food, she tightened the food in her arms, sighed and said.

"You take care of your bodies, but we don't? Take it." After saying this, the second brother-in-law's wife took the younger brother-in-law's wife and a bunch of nephews and nieces to grab it.

Li Cuihua and her daughter Hou Qiuju rushed to stop them, but they were too weak to handle the large crowd. Soon their hair was messed up and they fell to the ground, crying loudly.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

"You, you, you are robbing, Tianyang, Tianmin, are you two just going to watch your wife treat your dear sister like this?

You two have no conscience! When I was a kid, I had to give you a leg when I ate a louse, and you treat me like this.

Oh, oh, oh!

"Dad, Mom, open your eyes and take a look! Take these black-hearted daughters-in-law away!" Li Cuihua sat on the ground, slapping her thighs, cursing and crying loudly.

"Ugh!"

Hou Minyou saw his wife and daughter being bullied like this, and he couldn't do anything about it. He could only sigh and sit on the steps in a cowardly manner.

The second brother-in-law and the younger brother-in-law saw their eldest sister crying so sadly, and they felt a little bit reluctant at first, but they were blocked by two "eye swords" in an instant. They were so scared that they dared not make a sound anymore and had to turn their heads away and not look.

As for the brother-in-law Li Tiancheng, he wanted to go over to help stop them, but was held back by his own wife.

The eldest brother-in-law's wife was very smart. She didn't try to steal the food, but she also didn't want to offend the other two sisters-in-law, so she just pulled her husband aside and watched quietly.

After they had looted all the food, the brother-in-law's wife finally let Li Tiancheng go.

"Hey! Second brother, third brother, we are all family. How are we going to leave after you treat eldest sister so harshly?

Have you forgotten how your elder sister treated you when you were young? When you got married, our father was short of money, and it was your elder sister who brought money home.

Forget it. The most food I've lent you during this period is some bran and sweet potatoes. These cornmeal and eggs are enough for you.

You all should go back! Don’t make trouble in my house anymore, my neighbors will be embarrassed if they know about it.” Li Tiancheng couldn’t scold his sister-in-law, so he could only scold his two brothers.

The two sisters-in-law wanted to argue with Li Tiancheng, but were dragged out of their eldest brother Li Tiancheng's house by their husbands.

"Sister, brother-in-law, get up! The ground is cold." Li Tiancheng helped Hou Minyou and Li Cuihua up with a face full of shame.

"Is anyone here? Hou Minyou lives here, right?"

The other two brothers-in-law were lucky. As soon as they left, the head of the village pushed the door open and rushed in with seven or eight policemen and militiamen.

"Hello, Chief Huang, and hello, officers."

When Li Tiancheng saw the head of the village leading a group of black men into his house, he shuddered and hurried forward to greet them.

Although it was the Republic of China, the imperial power still did not extend to the countryside, and towns and villages were still ruled by the three elders and local wealthy people.

For ordinary people, the head of the village is the most powerful official they can ever face.

The head of the village can levy taxes, collect grain, impose corvee labor, conscript soldiers, etc.

Anyway, he is in charge of economy, military, and education, and is the power holder that ordinary people cannot get around in their entire lives.

"Your name is Li Tiancheng, right? Lijia Village is also under my jurisdiction." Captain Huang patted Li Tiancheng on the shoulder and asked with a smile.

In fact, when Captain Huang came, he had already checked the details of Li Tiancheng's family members at the household registration plate at the gate. He just asked casually.

During the Republic of China, people's household registration books were nailed in front of the door, with a wooden sign recording the family's situation, making it convenient for the government to check and verify the household registration at any time.

"Yes, Chief, it's me, Li Tiancheng. Li Wenbin is the patriarch of our Li family." Li Tiancheng admitted it like a servile person, and then mentioned the most important person he knew.

"You are talking about Brother Wenbin! We were drinking together last night." Captain Huang had a smile on his face.

"Captain, I heard you calling Hou Minyou just now. He is my brother-in-law. I wonder if you have any instructions for me." Li Tiancheng glanced at the uneasy Hou Minyou, then looked at the captain carefully and asked in a low voice.

"Tiancheng, tell me about the situation of your brother-in-law's family and answer truthfully. You know the consequences if there are any mistakes." Captain Huang did not speak to Hou Minyou, but asked Li Tiancheng directly.

Faced with the oppression of power, Li Tiancheng naturally told the truth, including the matchmaker who introduced his sister to a man.

After hearing this, Huang Baochang was basically able to confirm it, because Nanjiagou had once performed a heroic feat in which they had fought hard with the bandits from Huangfeng Mountain and killed many of them.

Although the refugees did not pay much attention to this matter, as the head of the village with power, he still investigated the situation in Nanjiagou thoroughly.

"People have brothers, what's going on in your family, who bullied you?

Huang has some connections in Hedi Township, and he will definitely help you." Chief Huang had someone bring a stool and sat down in front of Hou Minyou, asking about his well-being.

"Captain Huang, it's okay. I just fell on the way back. It's no big deal." Hou Minyou said nervously as he looked at Captain Huang and several nearby policemen with guns.