Liang Xiu shouted loudly. The crowd was first surprised, then they obediently stood and waited for Liang Xiu to speak.
Liang Xiu fixed her gaze on Old Madam Liang.
"Mother, you're here for money, aren't you?"
Old Madam Liang had indeed come to ask for money, but now that her daughter was looking at her so intently, she felt a bit embarrassed.
Old Madam Liang stammered, unsure of what to say.
Li Cuihua, still lying on the ground, grew anxious when she heard Old Madam Liang remain silent.
"What? Is it inappropriate for you to give money? Your mother gave birth to you and raised you. What's wrong with asking you for some money?"
As Li Cuihua spoke, the injured part of her face hurt terribly, but thinking of the money, she still spoke firmly.
Liang Xiu had no intention of speaking to Li Cuihua. Instead, she stared directly at Old Madam Liang, her gaze seeming to bore a hole through her.
Old Madam Liang's withered lips parted, but she didn't know what to say.
A sarcastic smile flickered across Liang Xiu's lips.
"Since you're here for money, why not just say it directly."
"I am here for money! You ungrateful girl, you left for years and didn't send me a single penny. Did you ever think about how your father and I live!"
Old Madam Liang was provoked by Liang Xiu's tone and attitude. At this moment, she no longer cared about anyone else and immediately glared back.
"You also said that daughters can also provide for their parents. Then let me ask you, did you go to the town officials? Did they say that while daughters can provide for their parents, they also have inheritance rights? How much of the family property do you plan to give me?"
Liang Xiu's tone was very cold. As she said these words, she was practically doing business.
Su Xiaotian hadn't expected her mother to say such things.
Given how her maternal grandparents were, they would definitely be unwilling to give their house to her mother.
No, it wasn't just the house they were unwilling to part with; they probably wouldn't even give up a single chopstick from their home.
After all, in their hearts, daughters were just money-losing goods, and daughters belonged to other families.
Su Xiaotian almost wanted to applaud her mother.
But this was not the right time, so Su Xiaotian held back.
As expected, Old Madam Liang's cloudy eyes widened, staring intently at Liang Xiu, as if she had never known Liang Xiu before.
Liang Xiu understood Old Madam Liang's meaning and spoke directly, "What, did you only ask half the question?"
Old Madam Liang certainly didn't know that daughters also needed to share the family property to provide for their parents. These words were spoken by Li Cuihua. Old Madam Liang knew that her daughter could provide for her, but she didn't know anything else.
"If you intend for me to provide for you, that's fine. Write a deed. I want an equal share of everything in the family, just like my three brothers. Also, how much money was spent on each of my three brothers to get married? You need to give me that amount now!"
Although Liang Xiu wasn't the most intelligent person, she had learned some things during her years in the capital. She might not be good at other things, but she was good enough at bluffing, especially these few country women who had never seen the world!
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Li Cuihua was anxious.
Why hadn't she gotten the money, and now she had to spend money?
Those town officials hadn't said that daughters had to give up family property to provide for their parents!
No, she absolutely couldn't agree to this.
"Mother, you really raised this daughter in vain!"
Li Cuihua immediately taunted Old Madam Liang, and as expected, Old Madam Liang's entire expression turned even colder.
"Fine. If you don't want this daughter to have raised you in vain, I'll give you two elders five yuan a month, or I'll give you two hundred yuan at once, which will be my repayment for raising me. You choose."
When Liang Xiu said this, her meaning was essentially business-like.
Su Xiaotian was secretly happy, as her mother had hit the nail on the head.
Severing ties was definitely not feasible, and worse, it could lead to criticism.
This was excellent!
Their family wasn't lacking this small amount of money now, so it was like paying to avoid trouble.
The solution Liang Xiu proposed had some discrepancies with what Li Cuihua and the others had discussed at home.
When they were at home, they had already discussed making Liang Xiu pay five hundred yuan for the children in the family to get married.
Old Madam Liang and Old Man Liang had agreed.
But now, Liang Xiu was only willing to give two hundred yuan, which was not enough!
"You ungrateful girl, are you trying to send us away like beggars? Five yuan a month for your father and me, what are you thinking? Do you intend to starve us to death?"
"Mother, don't shout. You gave birth to four children. Even if daughters and sons provide for parents equally, each of us four children will give you five yuan a month, so you'll have twenty yuan a month. Add in the grain from the fields, and your life will be more than comfortable!"
Liang Xiu was not foolish. When she calculated the accounts, she directly included the share of money from Liang's three sons.
Indeed, the onlookers heard Liang Xiu say this and thought it made a lot of sense.
Twenty yuan a month was not a small sum at all.
A few years ago, even with a whole family working in the fields, they wouldn't have twenty yuan by the end of the year.
But these two elders of the Liang family could have such income every month.
Old Madam Liang and Old Man Liang felt that something was wrong, but they couldn't figure out what it was.
Old Man Liang and Old Madam Liang exchanged glances. After living together for a lifetime, how could they not understand?
"Give me and your father five yuan each per month, or we won't agree," Old Madam Liang said through gritted teeth.
"If you're unwilling to give this amount, then give us five hundred yuan at once, and we won't ask you for money again!" Old Man Liang said this with a hint of guilt.
He knew that even if he got five hundred yuan, he would definitely ask his daughter for money later.
But for now, he would say this. Who knew if he would get it?
"I told you, either you two get five yuan a month, or two hundred yuan at once. You decide!" Liang Xiu was not foolish. If this matter were really to be argued, it would become endless.
If she budged even a little, given her parents' ways, they would definitely start bargaining.
"Xiu, it wasn't easy for your father and me to raise you and your siblings!" Old Madam Liang put on a pitiful act and tried to appeal to Liang Xiu's emotions.
Her daughter was living well now, so asking for more money would help her sons' lives.
What was the point of living a life if not for sons and grandsons?
Daughters?
Daughters were just money-losing goods!
Liang Xiu was not going to fall for Old Madam Liang's act anymore.
She sneered and said, "It wasn't easy for you to raise my three brothers, but it was quite easy to raise me."
"When I was three, I was already digging wild vegetables outside, eating them with the dirt. It's a miracle I didn't die!"
"When I was five, I could help with cooking at home. By the time I was eight, all the work inside and outside the house was mine."
"When I was eleven or twelve, I could work in the fields. Although I was young, I could do a lot of work in a day, much more than your precious sons."