Chapter 22: Exposing Everything

Wang looked anxiously at Zhou Huaihai.

Zhou Huaihai's arm was gripped by Zhou Huaishan and he couldn't move.

But even if he could move, he couldn't stop the doctor.

Zhou Huailin stood nearby, his eyes fixed intently on the doctor. As the doctor released Sun's wrist after feeling her pulse, Zhou Huailin asked nervously, "How is my mother? What's the illness? Is it serious?"

Both Wang and Zhou Huaihai held their breath as they looked at the doctor.

The old lady was quite old, she should have some health issues, right?

The doctor gave Old Zhou a complex look, then said, "Perhaps my medical skills are inadequate, but I can't find any illness. From her pulse, there's nothing wrong."

Zhou Huailin...

"She's like this, and there's nothing wrong?"

Zhou Huailin looked at the doctor, then at Sun, back and forth, full of confusion.

The doctor glanced at Sun, "Maybe it's a psychological issue."

With that, the doctor picked up his medicine box to leave.

Zhou Qing wanted to escort him, but Zhou Huaishan gave her a look, signaling her to let him do it. "I'll see you out," he said, accompanying the doctor out.

As Zhou Huaishan left with the doctor, everyone in the room looked at each other in silence.

Zhou Ping was the first to break the silence.

"So the doctor means my grandmother is faking it?"

Zhou Huailin looked at Sun with a complicated expression.

Wang coughed, "How can you say she's faking it! She's exhausted and fainted. She just rested for a bit and recovered, that's why the doctor couldn't see it."

No one believed that.

If one could faint from exhaustion and fully recover after just a short rest?

The fear Zhou Huailin felt just moments ago now turned into anger.

"Why?"

His face stern, Zhou Huailin stood by the kang, his eyes moving from Sun to Old Zhou, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Today the doctor saw her, but if the doctor hadn't, what were you planning to do?"

"As soon as we entered, sister-in-law was scolding Qing, and big brother was hitting me. Now the doctor says there's nothing wrong with mother. Why!"

A low roar came from Zhou Huailin's mouth.

He had truly thought Sun was going to die just now.

After his outburst, he stepped forward, grabbed Zhou Huaihai by the collar, and yanked him up, "Why!"

He looked like he wanted to tear Zhou Huaihai apart.

Sun, who had been lying silently, immediately sat up when she saw Zhou Huaihai about to be beaten.

"What, are you wishing for my death! Let go of your big brother! Why, how dare you ask why! I ask you, why don't you work in the fields!"

Sun glared angrily at Zhou Huailin.

She didn't look sick at all.

Zhou Huailin turned to Sun, "Work in the fields? With whom?"

"Can't you work by yourself?" Sun said righteously, "I raised you with all my effort. Was it easy? Now that you're grown, you've found your own way, and you won't take care of the family's land anymore?"

Listening to Sun, Zhou Huailin felt a mix of suffocation and pain in his heart.

This was his mother.

Suddenly, a wail erupted from outside the courtyard.

It was Zhou Huaishan crying loudly, recounting his grievances as he wept.

In no time, he vividly described Zhou Huaihai's actions yesterday—following and slandering Zhou Qing.

After that, he recounted how Sun faked illness and how Wang humiliated Zhou Qing just now.

Boom!

The villagers in the Zhou family's courtyard, who had come to watch the drama, were instantly shocked.

They only came for the entertainment.

They hadn't expected such a big revelation!

"Faking illness? Why would they do that!"

"Why else? To force the second and third sons to work the fields and support the eldest's son's education."

"Oh my, the Zhou family eldest son did such a thing! That's his own niece and younger brother. When he studied, the second brother quit school to support him. Now the second brother wants to study, not using his money, and he still harms them."

"I heard the second brother's writing practiced with a wooden stick is better than his."

"And he's the village school teacher? With this behavior, what can he teach the kids!"

"No way, we can't let him ruin the children. Truly, you can't judge a person by their appearance. The second brother is such an honest person, look at what he's been forced into."

Zhou Huaishan continued his dramatic display, squatting in the courtyard, crying with snot and tears, recounting the hardships of the second and third branches compared to the first branch's good life, full of grievances like a tragic heroine.^[1]

All the injustices hidden within the Zhou family were exposed by Zhou Huaishan.

"My poor daughter, bullied like this every day. Sister-in-law humiliates my daughter, and now she wants my daughter to marry her nephew, who spends all his time in brothels."

Inside the house.

Zhou Huaishan's outburst left Old Zhou stiff like a stone.

His face turned ashen, his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a word.

His hand holding the tobacco pipe trembled uncontrollably.

Zhou Huaihai was the first to explode in anger.

"Stop right there!" Old Zhou swung his tobacco pipe at Zhou Huaihai.

Zhou Huaihai's arm took a hit, making him gasp in pain, "Father, second brother has gone mad! Listen to his nonsense!"

"If you go out now, the second brother will confront you. Do you dare?" Old Zhou stared at Zhou Huaihai, enunciating each word.

In that instant, he seemed to age ten years.

Zhou Huaihai's lips trembled.

He didn't dare!

What Zhou Huaishan said was all true.

"But we can't let him cause a scene! Father!" Zhou Huaihai was almost in tears.

"Go bring your second brother in." Old Zhou told Zhou Huailin.

Zhou Huailin replied coldly, "Why?"

Old Zhou slammed his tobacco pipe on the kang, roaring, "No more why, just go!"

Zhou Huailin stood his ground, "No more whys, fine, but at least tell me why mother is faking it!"

Sun picked up the broom from the kang and threw it at Zhou Huailin.

"I'm your mother. Do I need to explain myself to you! Go bring your second brother in now."

Wang listened to the cries and the neighbors' comments outside, her mind in chaos.

"Third brother, go stop your second brother. This is our family matter. Even if not for your elder brother, think about Yao. She has reached a marriageable age, you have to consider her."

Zhou Huailin didn't look at Wang, dodging the broom, and mocked, "Is Sister-in-law thinking of Yao or afraid big brother will lose his teaching position?"

Wang's face flushed, "Your brother teaching brings honor to the family."

Zhou Ping stood beside Zhou Huailin, pulling his hand.

Zhou Huailin looked down at Zhou Ping's bright eyes, patted his head, and said to Old Zhou, "Father, things have come to this point, I have one request—let's split the family."

_____

Footnotes:

[1] I changed this, but it roughly translates to "full of grievances like Dou E." Dou E is a character in a Chinese zaju play written by Guan Hanqing. The full Chinese title of the play is Gan Tian Dong Di Dou E Yuan, which means The Injustice to Dou E that Touched Heaven and Earth.

Dou E, whose original name was Dou Duanyun, was a devoted daughter-in-law. She was wrongly accused of killing Zhang Lü'er's father and sentenced to death. After her death, she was finally proven innocent.