Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife - Chapter 1018

Chapter 1018: Manipulative Tactics
“Brother Chenze, there is no need to trouble yourself. Plain water is enough,” Jiang Zehui said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Li Chenze replied casually as he headed to the kitchen.

He returned shortly with a pot of tea and a plate of steamed peanuts. Jiang Zehui’s eyes brightened at the sight of the peanuts as he asked, “Brother Chenze, did you grow these peanuts yourself?”

“No, my third brother planted them. His family grows a lot of vegetables, nuts, and fruits at home,” Li Chenze said as he placed the pot and plate on the table.

Jiang Zehui nodded in admiration and said, “When I visited last time, Brother Chenmo gave me some vegetables to try. They were so delicious.”

Looking at the young man, Li Chenze felt a twinge of pity. Despite working for the government, Jiang Zehui’s job was far from easy. He has to walk long distances under the hot sun to deliver letters every day which causes his skin to be so tanned and makes him look like Judge Bao.

With this thought in mind, Li Chenze said, “Brother Zehui, we just harvested some vegetables from my third brother’s garden. You can take some with you later.”

Jiang Zehui quickly waved his hands, and declined, “No, no. Brother Chenze, I couldn’t possibly take your vegetables.”

“It’s alright. We harvested a lot every day. Giving some to you is nothing,” Li Chenze insisted.

Seeing that further refusal would be impolite, Jiang Zehui finally agreed, “Thank you, Brother Chenze.”

His voice tinged with gratitude and embarrassment.

They chatted for a while before Jiang Zehui finished his tea and prepared to leave. He hadn’t touched the peanuts, so before he left, Li Chenze packed them into a small bag made from a sack and handed it to him, along with some vegetables.

After Jiang Zehui left, Li Chenze set out to find Zhang Ermu after he informed his wife. He plans to ask his friends to help deliver ingredients tomorrow, so he needs to be notified tonight. Otherwise, his friend might have gone to the mountains.

Li Chenze rode his third brother’s bicycle and arrived at Zhang Ermu’s house in less than fifteen minutes. Although he wasn’t as skilled as his third brother at riding, he was still steadier than most.

When he saw the gate open, he dismounted and pushed the bicycle as he walked into the yard. The moment he stepped inside, he noticed several guests in the house. He parked the bicycle and approached the house.

Before he could greet anyone, he heard an angry shout from one of the guests.

“Ermu, just because you are capable now, don’t think you can look down on me. I’m still your older brother!”

After hearing this, Li Chenze decided not to go in and wait outside.

In the living room, Zhang Ermu looked at his only brother, and responded calmly, “Zhang Damu, why didn’t you think of that when you took everything during the family separation? You didn’t even leave anything to our grandparents.”

“Second brother, your grandparents were criminals and they were being punished. How do we give them shares during the separation? Do you want to cause trouble to your family? Also, didn’t we split everything evenly back then? Why bring it up again?” Zhang Damu’s wife interjected with a frown.

Zhang Ermu glanced at her and said, “You know in your heart whether we truly split it evenly or not.”

Hearing his brother’s words, Zhang Damu slammed the table and said angrily, “Ermu, is this how you speak to your brother and sister-in-law?”

Zhang Ermu, who was already accustomed to their manipulative tactics, merely looked at his brother and said, “Zhang Damu, since the moment you cut ties with my parents and grandparents, you are no longer my brother.”

Zhang Damu pointed a trembling finger at him and said, “You—”

Before he could continue, Zhang Ermu interrupted him, “Our family barely has enough to feed ourselves, let alone lend you grains. Leave my house and don’t come back. I don’t want to see you or your family around my parents again.”

Seeing her husband on the brink of rage, Zhang Damu’s wife quickly said, “Second brother, how can you say such hurtful things? Even if you don’t care about us, think of your nephews and nieces.”

“Everyone knows you received plenty of grains and meat during the distribution. You should be able to spare some for us,” she added.

Zhang Ermu laughed bitterly and said with disappointment clear in his voice, “Your shamelessness knows no bounds. What does it matter to you how much I receive?”

“Those grains and meat are the result of my hard work, meant for my family. Even if your family starves, that’s your problem. If you continue to bother us, I will report you to the team leader.”

Despite the scolding, Zhang Damu’s wife persisted, “Second brother, aren’t my children your family too? We have nothing at home. If you don’t help us, they will starve ah! As their uncle, how can you just watch your nephews and nieces starve to death?”

Zhang Damu added as he looked at his brother with disappointment, “Ermu, you used to be a good person. How could you become so heartless now?”

Zhang Ermu remained silent when he heard his brother’s words and only stared at the table. He was never a good person, he just cared about his family.

He did his best to keep the family alive, even though his brother and sister-in-law were nothing more than a burden. He thought that as long as the family stayed together, any difficulty could be overcome.

However, he was awakened from his unrealistic thoughts by his brother. During their most difficult time, his brother not only did not help them, but even pushed them into the abyss, broke up the family, and robbed them of their last food.

Thinking of what happened back then, Zhang Ermu clenched his fists and hardened his heart. He would never believe his brother’s words again.