Time-Travel: The Tragic Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Makes a Comeback
CHAPTER 118: The 1980s Villain’s Biological Mother (11)
The village chief had grown thoroughly sick of the old Wang couple. They had just tried to smear his reputation earlier, so he deliberately took the opportunity to get a little payback.
“Comrades, technically speaking, Wang Jun’s death benefit should have included a share for his wife and children. But these old Wang couple have refused to do the right thing and have kept dragging their feet, refusing to hand it over.
“Some time ago, I finally managed to help her get 500 yuan from them, but the rest was taken by their younger daughter, who ran off with the money.
“Now their eldest son refuses to care about them, and their younger daughter has run away too. With only 500 yuan, Junzi's widow has to support two children and take care of these two elderly people as well. She’s really in a difficult situation. You two should please do something to help her.”
The two men nodded seriously as they took notes, then promised, “Don’t worry. Besides reporting this to the military, we’ll also contact the Women’s Federation and see if they can help resolve the matter.”
Everyone applauded when they heard that. Several of the women in particular felt deeply sympathetic and spoke up in support.
“It’s not like the old Wang couple has no sons. They have treated Junzi's widow and her two children terribly, and now Junzi’s compensation money is gone too. Why should his widow have to support his parents? They should go find their eldest son!”
“Exactly. Junzi's widow has had it hard too. She barely got to spend any time with her husband after they married, having to serve the whole family while he was away. Then she became a widow and still had to take care of everyone. Comrades from the military, you really need to look into this and say something…”
The crowd’s reaction was intense. The two military comrades even took out paper and pen to record everything.
Mu Shuhui thanked everyone sincerely, touched by their support.
The old Wang couple kept crying and shouting that they had been wronged, but no one paid them any attention.
After finally seeing the two comrades off, the village chief sent everyone home.
Mu Shuhui took the children and tidied up the house first. Then, the three of them washed up.
She made each of them a cup of thick malted milk and happily munched on the peach pastries and biscuits they had bought.
The old Wang couple didn’t dare make a peep. They stayed hidden inside their room, too scared to come out in case they got beaten again.
……
The military comrades had barely left for two days when the Women’s Federation sent someone over to handle the matter.
These days, people generally tried to make peace between both sides. They would sit both parties down and persuade them to compromise, after all, they were family and should try to make things work.
The old Wang couple complained that they were made to work despite barely having enough to eat. They cried and complained, adamantly refusing to continue living with their daughter-in-law.
In front of everyone, Mu Shuhui let out a helpless sigh.
“My parents-in-law don’t like me. They think I eat too much. How about we just do what they want and separate the households? Otherwise, they keep making a fuss every day, and this really isn’t good for anyone. Getting this worked up all the time is bad for their health too.”
Everyone sighed when they heard that. The old Wang couple must have lost their minds. They had such a good daughter-in-law and still insisted on making trouble.
The moment the old Wang couple heard that she agreed to separate the households, they immediately stopped crying and shouted, “Yes! We want to separate the household!”
Even living separately would be better than having to serve the mother and her two children while constantly fearing they might be beaten. The old Wang couple hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in more than ten days.
They were determined to separate the household. No matter how much the Women’s Federation representatives tried to persuade them otherwise, they refused to budge, stubbornly insisting on separating.
In the end, the Women’s Federation representatives could only look at Mu Shuhui with sympathy. How was a widow with two children supposed to survive after separating from the family?
Mu Shuhui quickly agreed. “Then let’s separate. We should respect their wishes. I gave birth to my children, so I’ll raise them myself. Even if I have to sell everything I own, I’ll find a way to raise them.”
Everyone sighed again, feeling deeply moved. Junzi's widow really was a good woman.
Some widows simply abandoned their children and ran away. Raising two children was no easy task, especially when there was hardly anywhere for a woman to earn money.
Both sides agreed, so there was nothing more the Women’s Federation could do to persuade them. Reluctantly, they asked the village chief to help oversee the division of the household.
The Wang family’s circumstances were fairly ordinary. They had a simple courtyard with dirt walls and three rooms. Even their chickens were gone, and their younger daughter had taken all their money when she ran off. By now, all they had left was some furniture and a few food supplies.
The village chief decided to divide the household assets equally. Mu Shuhui and her two children would receive half of the land, grain, and household supplies. She would also get the eastern main room and the two small earthen rooms.
The moment the village chief proposed this arrangement, the old Wang couple immediately objected.
“We have two sons, and there are the two of us. If we’re dividing the household, then it should be split three ways. Junzi is gone, and we’re not going to live with them anymore either. At most, we’ll give them a few bags of grain. As for letting them stay in our house, they can forget about it!”
The whole reason the old Wang couple wanted to split the household was to drive these troublemakers out. If they continued living under the same roof, wouldn’t they just have to endure getting beaten and wait on them again?
The onlookers were furious.
“You two really are heartless! You’re kicking them out and only giving them a couple of bags of grain. Are you trying to drive that mother and her two children to their deaths?”
“Exactly! Summer is almost over. Once autumn and winter come, they’ll freeze to death if they don’t even have a place to live…”
The village chief’s expression darkened. “You two don’t get to have it your way! Those two children are Junzi’s, so they have every right to a share of the land and a place to live.”
The Women’s Federation representatives also reprimanded them. “The two of you need to stop going too far. We’re here to supervise today. Since you’ve agreed to separate the household, then you need to follow the proper rules.”
The old Wang couple became completely shameless, throwing themselves onto the ground and rolling around as they kicked up a fuss. No matter what anyone said, they refused to let the mother and her two children stay in the house. They even threatened to kill themselves by smashing their heads against the wall.
Faced with such difficult people, everyone could only point and whisper among themselves, while the Women’s Federation representatives looked utterly exasperated.
Having watched enough of the spectacle, Mu Shuhui finally stepped forward and spoke to the two people still sprawled on the ground.
“I can see it clearly now. The two of you simply don’t want anything to do with the three of us anymore.
“I can even give up the house and all the household belongings. But today, you two sign a severance agreement cutting off all ties with the three of us, and give us another 500 yuan as compensation. I’ll take the children and find a way to make a living somewhere far away from you.”
The moment she said this, everyone looked at Mu Shuhui in surprise.
A few people opened their mouths, seemingly wanting to persuade her otherwise, but then they remembered exactly what the old Wang couple were like and quietly shut their mouths again.
“500 yuan? Bah! Do you think we’re made of money? Even if we sold all three of you, you wouldn’t be worth 500 yuan!”
“Folks, listen to this! We already gave this woman 500 yuan from Junzi’s death benefit. This little wench is now demanding an outrageous amount and trying to extort more money from us. Surely you can all see her true colors now!”
The old Wang couple began crying and wailing again, hoping everyone would take their side.
Mu Shuhui’s expression turned cold.
“The death benefit was a full 3,000 yuan. You only gave me 500 yuan. All this time, I’ve been using my own money to supplement the household and pay for your food and clothing. I’ve already done more than enough for you!”
“You’re kicking the three of us out of the house without giving us a single thing. I’ll have to take the children and fend for ourselves from now on, all while raising them on my own. I’m only asking for 500 yuan, yet you two are acting like the world is ending. If Junzi knew what the two of you were really like, he’d probably crawl out of his grave just to strangle you!”
The old Wang couple had only dared to speak so boldly because there were so many people around. Now that they were faced with Mu Shuhui’s dark, icy stare, they immediately shuddered, remembering the pain of being beaten when she had really gone all out.
The old Wang couple instantly backed down, stammering, “Xiaomei took all the money when she ran off. We really don’t have that much left at home. Don’t you still have some money? When we have some later, we’ll pay you back.”
Mu Shuhui let out a cold laugh. “You’re this heartless even toward your own grandchildren. How am I supposed to trust people like you? Fine, I won’t leave. I’ll just keep living here with you!”
The old Wang couple immediately panicked and shouted, “No!”
If this woman from hell stayed in the house, who knew when they might get beaten to death? They had finally gotten the chance to separate households. If the separation fell through, they would be beaten the moment they went back inside.
Father Wang gritted his teeth. “We’ll find the money for you! You just have to move out.”
Worst case, they could go to their eldest son and ask for some money. Back when Junzi’s salary was still being brought home, the old Wang couple had gradually given five or six hundred yuan to help support their eldest son’s family.
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