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He Zifeng looked at Liangzi and said, “What do you think?” His home was in a remote area, rarely visited by others.
If He Zifeng left to grind flour, leaving only little Ranran at home, what was Liangzi planning to do?
Liangzi wanted to argue, but faced with He Zifeng’s intimidating presence, his lips trembled, and he swallowed hard, not daring to meet He Zifeng’s eyes.
Though Liangzi and He Zifeng were from the same village, they weren’t from the same circle and had never interacted before. Liangzi had no idea how terrifying He Zifeng could be. He felt as if death was imminent.
Then came a sharp pain as He Zifeng punched him, drawing a scream from Liangzi.
Liangzi suddenly remembered the village rumors about He Zifeng—how he was reckless and had once saved someone from the jaws of a wild beast.
He was said to be fiercer than a beast.
Seeing that Liangzi wasn’t telling the truth, He Zifeng grabbed him and punched him in the stomach again.
Liangzi’s scream turned hoarse, and his whole body shook. If he didn’t come clean, He Zifeng would surely beat him to death.
“Brother, brother, stop… I was wrong,” Liangzi stammered. Just then, something fell from his pocket—a fire starter.
Liangzi’s face turned pale, and he hastily tried to cover it up, but He Zifeng was faster. Picking up the fire starter, He Zifeng sneered, “You’ve got guts, huh?”
With a kick, Liangzi flew three meters like a kite. If He Zifeng had previously harbored doubts, everything was clear now.
Men from Chishui Village were known for their fiery tempers. Being provoked at their doorstep was unforgivable, especially when the evidence was right there. He Zifeng’s eyes turned sharper; this time, he was out for blood.
Liangzi’s face turned ashen. “Second Brother…” he began, but as he spoke, the pain in his chest worsened, and he coughed up blood.
Liangzi, usually fearless, now trembled under the shadow of death. He didn’t dare to oppose He Zifeng; the blow to his chest had nearly dislodged his intestines.
Liangzi dropped to his knees with a thud. “Brother, let’s talk this out,” he pleaded.
He Zifeng, expression icy, stepped closer with the fire starter in hand. Gripping Liangzi’s neck, his strong hands sent a chill through Liangzi’s body.
“Don’t act rashly!” Liangzi panicked, fully believing that if He Zifeng tightened his grip, he’d be sent to meet his deceased parents.
This was the most ruthless person Liangzi had ever encountered, and he deeply regretted everything.
He Zifeng said, “Lie to me, and I’ll kill you.”
Liangzi confessed, “It was Aunt Wan who sent me. She said… to start a fire and I’d get five taels of silver. I may be a scoundrel, but I’ve never killed anyone, so I came during the day…”
He Zifeng’s wooden house, aged over the years, could easily be reduced to ashes with a single spark.
“Wan?” He Zifeng murmured, unsurprised. He said a few words to Liangzi, who looked shocked but nodded in agreement.
About half an hour later, people in the village noticed smoke rising in the distance.
“Hey, what’s burning?” someone exclaimed.
“Hope it doesn’t spread to my firewood pile,” another worried.
Everyone turned to see flames and thick smoke.
“Goodness! It’s not just burning something—someone’s house is on fire!”
“It looks like it’s coming from Qiu Yu’s place,” someone identified.
“Quick, grab buckets and put out the fire!”
Older wooden houses were prone to fire, which was why many had switched to brick and tile homes.
The villagers rushed over with buckets, but when they arrived, they were stunned. The entire roof and beams were ablaze. The heat was intense, and a bucket of water had no effect.
“Is anyone inside?” someone asked.
Qiu Yu, who had been buying sauce, saw the smoke rising from his home. Dropping everything, he rushed back, his heart sinking as he neared and saw the flames.
Qiu Yu felt dizzy, biting his tongue to regain focus from the sharp pain.
“Qiu Yu, what happened? Why is your house on fire?” a concerned sister-in-law asked.
“Zifeng and Ranran are inside,” Qiu Yu said, his voice trembling.
Hearing this, even the older women gasped, fearing the worst.
Without hesitation, Qiu Yu tried to rush into the flames. But just as he was about to, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him back forcefully.
Furious, Qiu Yu turned to see who had stopped him. Then he heard Ranran’s clear voice call out, “Daddy!”
Qiu Yu froze, slowly turning his head toward the voice. There, he saw Zifeng holding their son, both safe. Tears welled up in Qiu Yu’s eyes. Hugging his son tightly, he kissed him, exclaiming, “You scared me to death!”
Ranran, seeing Qiu Yu cry, wiped his tears with tiny hands, but Qiu Yu’s tears only flowed more. Soon, Ranran’s eyes turned red too.
He Zifeng’s appearance relieved the villagers who had gathered to watch.
“Thank goodness they’re safe.”
“Houses can be rebuilt; safety comes first.”
The fire at He Zifeng’s house became the talk of the village. Word quickly reached the old He family residence.
He Donglai sneered, “Heaven has eyes. Serves him right.” Since He Zifeng had stopped obeying him and started standing up for himself, nothing had gone smoothly. With Wan constantly whispering in his ear, He Donglai’s resentment only grew.
Whenever he went out, people criticized him and brought up his past scandals. He even got beaten by He Zifeng’s uncle once.
The He family was in chaos. Without a scapegoat, He Donglai found everyone irritating—his eldest son, Wan Hai, was slippery; his third son was gloomy; and his fourth son talked too much. Xiao Wanshi was a troublemaker, and life had been a mess for months.
Xiao Wanshi said, “See? Even Heaven couldn’t stand it. Otherwise, why burn their house and not someone else’s?”
He Donglai nodded in agreement.
Xiao Wanshi quickly instructed their fourth son, He Fan, “Go and check if anyone died in the fire. Say it’s out of concern—as parents, we’d feel uneasy if something really happened to them. We might even give them some support if needed.”
He Donglai scowled, “Don’t give them a penny!” Then, after a moment’s thought, he added, “If they want my money, they’ll have to kneel and apologize first. That’ll settle the score for when I was humiliated.”
Xiao Wanshi knew she and He Donglai were on the same page, so she said a few flattering words to coax him into a good mood.
He Fan went out and returned a while later, reporting, “The house is completely burned, but no one’s hurt.”
Despite being half-brothers, He Fan had been raised by He Zifeng when he was young. He now said, “Mom, we should give them some money.”
Xiao Wanshi’s face darkened upon hearing that no one had died. She scolded angrily, “Are you out of your mind? Their house burning down is their own fault. Heaven itself couldn’t stand them anymore.”
Just then, someone outside called, “Father, Mother, the village chief wants to see you.” Such a big incident naturally required their presence.
He Donglai snorted, “Let’s go take a look.” He wasn’t concerned—they had already split households. Let them try whatever tricks they had.
With that, He Donglai, Xiao Wanshi, He Fan, and Wan Hai’s couple headed toward the scene together.
The fire had mostly died down by now, but the sight of the charred remains of the wooden house left everyone in shock. Wooden homes truly were risky.
In less than an hour, the entire structure had been reduced to ashes, with only a few scorched beams left.
The villagers had all gathered. Qiu Yu had stopped crying, but little Ranran, distressed by seeing their home turn to ash, buried his face in He Zifeng’s chest.
The villagers, seeing the family in such a pitiful state, couldn’t help but feel sympathy.
Such an event hadn’t happened in the village for years. The elders and the village chief, Liuzi, were discussing what to do next.
“He Zifeng’s father is here,” someone in the crowd said.
Everyone turned to look. Sure enough, the He family had arrived.
He Donglai, notorious for his callousness, glanced at He Zifeng’s family standing there and said, “Why call me? I have no money.”
Gouzi’s father, a righteous man, retorted, “No one’s even asked you for money yet. What kind of talk is that? Even if it were just a neighbor’s misfortune, you should offer some comfort, let alone your own family!”
“Exactly.”
“Such a shame,” someone else muttered, looking at the remains of the house.
He Zifeng said, “I don’t think this was an accident. It looks like arson. Otherwise, why would a fire start out of nowhere?”
The crowd was stunned. Quarrels happened in the village, but no one ever resorted to such extreme measures. If an arsonist was hiding among them, it would be a serious matter.
Wan Hai glanced at Xiao Wanshi, and his heart sank when he saw her nervous expression. “What makes you think it was arson?” he blurted. “Maybe Heaven was just punishing you for your misdeeds.”
Wan Hai instinctively stepped in front of his mother, shielding her jittery demeanor from the others. He swallowed the words he wanted to say, not daring to speak them in public.
Xiao Wanshi’s comment enraged the villagers. Aunt Liu snapped, “Did you all hear that? What kind of person says such a thing?”
Wan Hai quickly tried to smooth things over. “That’s not what she meant. She’s probably still bitter about our family troubles from before. She even said on the way here that she wanted to help. She’s a good person; she just has a sharp tongue.”
Wan Hai had some credibility in the village, so people didn’t press the matter. At least he’d said something reasonable. He Fan, meanwhile, walked over to He Zifeng and Qiu Yu, asking, “Second Brother, Second Sister, are you both unhurt?” He even reached out to hold Ranran, but the boy, still scared, clung tightly to He Zifeng and refused to go to anyone else.
He Zifeng said, “Whether this was an accident or deliberate will be clear once we report it to the authorities.”
Some villagers dismissed the idea of reporting it as a scare tactic, but He Zifeng was serious.
Ex Village chief Xu said, “Reporting everything to the authorities will make our village look bad.”
Wan Hai added, “How could it be arson? We’ve never had an arsonist in this village.”
Xiao Wanshi cowered completely behind her eldest son, not daring to show her face.
Wan Hai continued, “There’s no need to suspect everyone. No one in our village would do such a thing.” His words subtly shifted the blame, making He Zifeng appear unreasonable.
Only Xu Li noticed something odd. As Wan Hai’s spouse, Xu Li knew Wan Hai wasn’t the type to get involved in others’ disputes, yet here he was, repeatedly provoking He Zifeng. He Zifeng’s physical strength was well known, and Wan Hai had once been bedridden for two days after a fight with him. Normally, he avoided mentioning He Zifeng altogether. Xu Li couldn’t help but feel uneasy about Wan Hai’s behavior now.
Meanwhile, Ex Village Chief Xu, harboring a grudge against He Zifeng for losing his position, wanted to seize the chance to humiliate him. But Xu Li pulled him back just in time.
The murmurs of the crowd grew louder, yet He Zifeng remained unfazed. He said, “Why are you so defensive? Unless…”
Wan Hai pressed his lips together tightly.
At that moment, someone in the crowd shouted, “Hey, there’s a coin pouch over here!”
“Where?”
Eager to see the development, a villager rushed over and held up the pouch for everyone to see.
Inside were a scented sachet, a fire starter, and some tung oil.
The crowd gasped in unison.
Just as He Zifeng had suspected, it was arson.
Xiao Wanshi recognized the pouch immediately—it was the one she had lost a few days ago.
Initially, she had wanted Wan Hai to help her, but he refused. Frustrated by He Zifeng’s carefree life, she had hired Liangzi to do the job, paying him five taels of silver.
At first, Liangzi had hesitated, but greed eventually won him over. He also stole the pouch from Xiao Wanshi, which contained an additional two taels.
However, Liangzi had been caught by He Zifeng upon arrival, and under pressure, he confessed everything.
He Zifeng, seizing the opportunity, had turned the situation to his advantage.
Now, Xiao Wanshi was frozen in fear, gripping her son’s waist so tightly that her nails left marks. She had never dealt with someone like Liangzi before and had thought she’d done something big, only to leave incriminating evidence behind.
Xu’s wife exclaimed, “Oh my, isn’t that Xiao Wanshi’s?”
Xu’s wife, their longtime neighbor, had often been compared unfavorably by Xiao Wanshi, who bragged about Wan Hai.
“Yes, it’s hers,” someone else confirmed.
He Donglai, initially enjoying He Zifeng’s misfortune, now felt his smile freeze. Scowling, he snapped, “What nonsense is this?”
Several women chimed in, “It’s hers, alright. She even showed off the crane embroidery before.” A coin pouch with embroidery wasn’t common; it was worth a whole tael of silver.
Qiu Yu, red with anger, stepped forward and shouted at Xiao Wanshi and He Donglai, “You’ve gone too far! We’ve already split households, but you still won’t leave us alone. Are you trying to kill our entire family?”
The crowd erupted in shock.
“This is…”
A well-worn phrase kept surfacing: “Even a tiger won’t eat its cubs.”
Wan Hai sensed trouble. This sort of incident was too dangerous to get involved in. Unless they were caught red-handed, they absolutely couldn’t admit to anything.
He Fan, the youngest of the He family at only eighteen, was dumbfounded by the unfolding events.
Xu Li’s face turned pale as he finally realized why Wan Hai had been acting so strange. Wan Hai must have known something, though it wasn’t clear if he had directly participated.
Wan Hai, the backbone of the He family, steadied himself despite everyone else panicking. “You can’t say such things recklessly,” he said firmly. “A few days ago, my mother told me she lost her coin pouch. Maybe someone stole it and used it to frame us.” His initial goal was to distance himself from the matter, but the more he spoke, the clearer his thoughts became. “We’re family, after all. How could we possibly do such a thing?”
Qiu Yu spat, “Hah! Don’t you know your own mother? She can’t stand to see others doing well.”
Wan Hai retorted, “That’s not fair to say!”
Seeing her son handle the situation so adeptly, Xiao Wanshi regained her confidence and lashed out at Qiu Yu. “You’re full of nonsense! Don’t you dare throw baseless accusations at us. It’s bad enough to have an ungrateful son like you!”
Xiao Wanshi’s brazenness seemed boundless, but she had forgotten that He Zifeng was right there. Before she could react, He Zifeng grabbed her wrist firmly. Though she was fierce with Qiu Yu, she was terrified of He Zifeng.
Under He Zifeng’s icy gaze, Xiao Wanshi’s bravado faltered, her guilt creeping to the surface.
He Zifeng released her wrist and said coldly, “Watch your mouth. You know exactly what you’ve done. Why didn’t you mention your missing pouch earlier? What are you trying to imply now?”
Aunt Xu chimed in, “Guilty, that’s what! If she’d really lost her pouch, the whole village would’ve heard about it by now.”
Wan Hai defended, “We didn’t do this, so stop being unreasonable. Before we came, we agreed to give you ten taels of silver to rebuild your house. But it seems you don’t want the money.” He attempted to flip the situation, thinking the ten taels would both placate He Zifeng and earn him goodwill in the village, making He Zifeng look ungrateful if he refused.
Wan Hai’s plan seemed flawless.
At that moment, Xiao Wanshi suddenly remembered something she had overlooked. Clinging to this lifeline, she declared, “I was home the whole time when the fire broke out. I couldn’t have started it!”
Village Chief Liu turned to He Zifeng. “What do you plan to do?”
He Zifeng replied, “Since it’s clear someone set the fire, we should report it to the authorities. If caught, arsonists face execution. Keeping someone like that in the village is a danger to everyone. Reporting them is a service to the community.”
Wan Hai’s breath caught. He had worked hard to deflect suspicion, but now He Zifeng was threatening to escalate the matter legally. Wan Hai couldn’t afford the scandal. If the truth came out, his son’s schooling in the county would be over. Yet He Zifeng’s suggestion was perfectly reasonable, leaving Wan Hai with no grounds for objection.
Arguing against it would only make him look guilty.
Wan Hai fell silent, while Xiao Wanshi and Xu Li grew increasingly anxious.
Just then, He Donglai raised his eyebrows and snapped, “Fine, report it then! What’s the big deal? Let’s go!”
Xiao Wanshi trembled in rage, pinching He Donglai’s arm hard enough to make him yelp. If this went to court, her life would be over.
“We can’t report it,” Xu Li blurted out suddenly.
Half the village turned to look at him, and Wan Hai’s heart sank. This was far too suspicious.
Even the onlookers began to sense something was amiss.
Even the previously gloating Ex Village Chief Xu frowned in concern.
Wan Hai quickly stepped in to cover for Xu Li. “What he meant was that our parents are old, and going to the county might be too much for them. It could harm their health.” He tried to spin his outburst as an act of filial concern.
He Zifeng smirked coldly and said, “Wan Hai, do you think everyone here is a fool but you? Alright, how about this—if Xiao Wanshi swears an oath that she had nothing to do with the fire and wishes to die a painful death if she’s lying, I’ll believe her. She has nothing to lose if she’s innocent.”
The villagers were deeply superstitious, and Xiao Wanshi would never dare to make such a curse.
Furious, she shouted, “How dare you curse me like that?”
Her outburst only deepened the suspicion. Even He Donglai began to look at her with unease.
The murmuring of the crowd grew louder.
Xiao Wanshi, panicking and on the verge of collapse, clutched at her chest and pretended to faint, crying, “You’re going to drive me to death!”
Wan Hai immediately ordered He Fan and He Donglai to carry her home, staying behind to deal with the mess. His earlier plan to take the moral high ground had crumbled. Turning to He Zifeng, he said, “Let’s talk in private.”
He Zifeng followed him.
The murmurs around them grew louder.
“Who would’ve thought they’d stoop so low?” someone muttered.
“Xiao Wanshi really thinks she’s the star of a drama, doesn’t she?”
“And they say, where there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather.” In the past, stepmothers might have been harsh, but they never went so far as to take someone’s life.
He Zifeng and Wan Hai stepped aside to talk privately. Wan Hai said, “Alright, I’ll give you twenty taels of silver to rebuild your house.”
He Zifeng sneered, “You truly are your mother’s son.”
Wan Hai’s face turned pale; for a moment, he felt like He Zifeng had seen through everything. But then he dismissed the thought, believing He Zifeng couldn’t be that clever. “Even if you report this, the authorities might not care about such a minor matter. They might pass a hasty judgment, and that wouldn’t be good for anyone. My mother may have had her grievances before, but I’ll make sure to correct her in the future. Please trust me this once.”
“Can you guarantee it won’t happen again?”
Sensing a chance to de-escalate the situation, Wan Hai quickly vowed, “If it happens again, you can hold me fully responsible.”
He Zifeng said, “That depends on your sincerity.”
Wan Hai nodded and left without further explanation. Curious villagers approached He Zifeng, who told them, “He offered me twenty taels to rebuild the house.”
Wan Hai feared that He Zifeng would escalate things and involve the authorities. Since the case was unresolved, no one could officially accuse anyone.
However, this attempt at a “private settlement” only made the truth more obvious. When the family had split, the village head had given them ten taels, and the He family had been scornful. Now offering twenty taels? Clearly, they had a guilty conscience.
When Wan Hai returned home, Xiao Wanshi had conveniently “awakened.” Wan Hai told her, “Mother, give He Zifeng twenty taels to rebuild his house, and this matter will be over.”
Xiao Wanshi, still seething from the public humiliation, snapped, “In your dreams!”
Wan Hai was growing frustrated. He hadn’t expected his mother to be so reckless, even daring to commit arson. To scare her, he said, “He Zifeng knows it was you. He’s just waiting to send you to the authorities. If you refuse to pay, I won’t interfere anymore. You’ll be on your own.”
Having gauged his mother’s temperament, Wan Hai’s threat worked. Xiao Wanshi reluctantly fetched the money, filled with regret.
As Wan Hai left, he saw He Fan and He Donglai lingering by the doorway. Who knew how much of the conversation they had overheard? Wan Hai, exhausted, said nothing and walked away. Behind him, he heard the sound of shattering pottery—another argument had begun.
Wan Hai hurried to deliver the money, fearing He Zifeng might change his mind. But before he reached the courtyard, Xu Li stopped him, his expression tinged with disappointment. “Did you have a hand in this?” he asked, referring to the arson.
Wan Hai denied it.
Xu Li, usually gentle, erupted, “Don’t lie to me! You knew, didn’t you?”
Wan Hai remained silent.
Xu Li continued, “I never thought you were this kind of person.”
Wan Hai sighed, “Let me explain.” He recounted how Xiao Wanshi had planned everything without his involvement. Wan Hai hadn’t wanted to deal with the mess, but to protect his mother and their son, he had no choice.
Xu Li sobbed, “We’re doomed to suffer even though we didn’t do anything wrong.”
Wan Hai handed over the twenty taels to He Zifeng without saying another word.
With their home destroyed, He Zifeng and his family rented a house from Old Li at the village entrance. Old Li, now living with his son, rarely used the house. It had four large tiled rooms, with two for living and two for storing salvaged belongings. The front yard was spacious, and the backyard had a vegetable garden brimming with eggplants, peppers, and greens. For just one hundred wen a month, everything was theirs.
He Zifeng paid six months’ rent in advance. The house was well-built, with bright, sturdy blue bricks, far better than their previous home.
Old Li was delighted. Having someone live in the house meant it wouldn’t sit empty, and he could also earn a bit of money.
The villagers dispersed.
After moving in, Qiu Yu still seemed downcast, haunted by the fear of losing his family in the fire. Ranran, sensing his mother’s sadness, tried to cheer him up. Qiu Yu hugged and kissed his son, but his smile didn’t return.
He sighed, lamenting their brief spell of good fortune. Just when their pancakes had started gaining popularity, Xiao Wanshi’s jealousy had set them back to square one. He felt heartbroken.
Just then, He Zifeng entered with a cart loaded with their large pot, dough, rolling board, a small box of hidden money, and even Ranran’s beloved stuffed rabbit.
Qiu Yu’s eyes lit up. “What’s this?”
He Zifeng quietly explained how he had caught Liangzi before the fire started and turned the situation to their advantage. Knowing Xiao Wanshi’s greed, he had maneuvered to expose her while extracting twenty taels—enough to rebuild their house.
Qiu Yu felt a sense of satisfaction. “Serves them right.”
If not for their meddling, He Zifeng would have purchased a house anyway. Since they had struck first, He Zifeng had no qualms about fighting back. With the money, they could now build a bigger and better house.
He Zifeng said, “We’ll hire the best builders and make something even better than before.”
Qiu Yu nodded firmly.
That day, they moved in, had a simple meal, and bought new bedding. By evening, the house began to feel like home.
The next morning, they were back at the market.
Their pancakes, both tasty and affordable, had gained a loyal following. People from the county, with more disposable income than the villagers, happily splurged on food. He Zifeng sold 150 pancakes every day, usually selling out by noon. Latecomers often left empty-handed.
That evening, He Zifeng hired a construction team from the neighboring village. Their workmanship was excellent, and they charged only twenty-two taels to build a four-room tiled house with a spacious front and back yard, a stable, and two side rooms.
Soon, construction began on He Zifeng’s new home.
Gouzi’s father, who lived nearby, was pleased with the new neighbors. Occasionally, he helped out, and when he joined them for meals, he always brought something—a pound of pork or two pounds of fine grain.
One day, Gouzi’s father brought news: “Word’s spreading about Xiao Wanshi’s arson. I heard Wan Hai got into an argument at the sauce workshop. The manager’s threatening to cancel the contract and take back his money. They even went to the village chief.”
He Zifeng raised an eyebrow. “The only big contract at the sauce workshop is with Manager Jiang from the provincial capital. He ordered forty vats of yellow sauce. That’s their biggest deal.”
Not every batch of soy sauce could be made successfully. The process consumed a significant amount of soybeans and salt, and the sauce blocks needed to be steamed with great care, avoiding rainy days. Manager Jiang had only paid a 20% deposit, with the He family fronting most of the cost, hoping for a lucrative profit upon delivery. They had already lost a lot of money this year, so when Manager Jiang decided to back out of the deal and demanded his deposit back, it made no sense.
Gouzi’s father, who despised the He family’s scheming ways, said, “Good news doesn’t travel far, but bad news spreads like wildfire. Who knows how Manager Jiang caught wind of their mess? He’s saying they’re reckless and might even be adulterating their products. If things go south, he’s ready to report them to the authorities.”
He Zifeng chuckled. “Manager Jiang deserves applause for that. The words ‘report to the authorities’ must haunt Wan Hai like a nightmare. He was so eager to pacify me that he handed over twenty taels, and now someone else is using the same threat against him.”
Gouzi’s father laughed. “I’d love to see how this plays out. I’ll go check it out.” He enjoyed stirring the pot, then added, “But news this big won’t stay hidden for long. Everyone will know in a few days.”
After a while, he returned with updates. “Manager Jiang brought some men and gave Wan Hai a beating before getting back his twenty-tael deposit. The He family is supposed to be rich, but they’re making a huge fuss over just twenty taels!”
He Zifeng said, “They value money over their lives.”
Just then, Qiu Yu called out, “Dinner’s ready! Stop chatting and come eat.”
Since moving to the new house, Qiu Yu had been improving their meals daily. Tonight, they had braised river fish and stir-fried pork with chili slices, seasoned with an extra spoonful of their spicy red chili sauce. The aroma filled the air, making Gouzi’s father’s mouth water even before the dishes hit the table.
Once seated, he dug in heartily. “I feel bad coming over all the time, but I just can’t resist!”
“Don’t be so polite. Eat,” He Zifeng said with a smile.
Gouzi’s father was one of He Zifeng’s few true friends in the village, and their sons got along well, making the friendship even more valuable.
While this side enjoyed their meal, chaos erupted at the He household.
He Donglai, known for being stingy, was livid after losing so much money. He stomped around the courtyard, cursing, “All you do is ruin things! I’ve never heard of a deposit being returned before. Now we’re stuck with forty vats of soy sauce. What are we supposed to do? Useless, the lot of you! If this keeps up, we’ll be eating dirt soon. You’re all cursed!”
His anger, once reserved for He Zifeng, now turned toward Wan Hai.
Xu Li, overhearing from his room, was furious. “How could Father say that? These years, it’s been Wan Hai supporting the family. He didn’t complain then! If Wan Hai hadn’t returned the money, what if they beat him to death? He’s not even his real father—no wonder he doesn’t care.”
His resentment turned to Xiao Wanshi, blaming her for causing all this trouble and forcing them to clean up the mess.
Wan Hai, already dealing with his beating, his stepfather’s scolding, and his wife’s tears, was at his wit’s end. Rage bubbled inside him, making him want to smash everything in sight. But he forced himself to calm down, taking deep breaths before reassuring Xu Li, “It’s fine. We’re doing this for our son’s future.”
“It’ll all be worth it if he becomes a scholar,” Wan Hai said, trying to console himself.
Xu Li replied bitterly, “When he does, I’ll move to the county with him. I can’t take this anymore—Father and Mother fighting every day. This isn’t a life.”
Their household had become unbearable, with constant bickering and even the unstable third brother, He Tong, adding to the tension.
Three days later, their sons, Da Bao and Er Bao, returned from the county.
“Father, did Grandmother really set fire to Second Uncle’s house?” Da Bao asked.
Wan Hai frowned. “Nonsense. Who told you that?”
“Fang Shun from the neighboring village. He mocked us in class, so we fought him. Now the teacher’s sent us home to reflect,” Er Bao confessed, spilling everything like a bucket of beans.
Wan Hai felt dizzy. “You’ve been expelled?” He slapped Er Bao hard, leaving his cheek red and swollen. The boy stared in shock before bursting into tears.
Da Bao protested, “Father, they insulted us first. Why hit my brother?”
Rebellious, Er Bao shouted, “I hate you!” and ran out, only to be stopped by Xu Li. Seeing his son’s swollen face, he was heartbroken and dragged him back to confront Wan Hai. “If you’re angry, don’t take it out on the children!”
“They got expelled!” Wan Hai shouted. For years, he had endured everything to ensure his sons’ success. Now, his dreams of elevating the family seemed crushed.
Xu Li, overwhelmed, fainted on the spot.
Meanwhile, Gouzi’s father visited He Zifeng, knowing he wanted to send Ranran to school. “I know a poor scholar who runs a very affordable school. Just twenty pounds of grain as a donation, plus 200 wen for monthly tuition and 100 wen for board. He’s even started a new class for children aged four to seven. I’m signing up my Gouzi. Does Ranran want to go?”
“Where is it? Does he take gers?” He Zifeng asked, intrigued. Still, he wanted to ensure the teacher wasn’t too harsh.
“He does. The scholar earned his xiucai degree years ago but never advanced. So, he started a school,” Gouzi’s father explained.
Education was valued, but most farm families couldn’t afford the steep costs, so many children were never sent. Hearing about the affordable rates, Gouzi’s father wanted to seize the opportunity before all the spots were filled.
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