Chapter 24: Anger

As soon as the members of the second and third branches left, a loud crash erupted from the main room.

Old Zhou had slammed the small table to the ground.

"Are you satisfied? Now you're all satisfied?"

With Sun's fake illness exposed, he no longer hid his anger. His bloodshot eyes stared at Zhou Huaihai, then turned to Wang, and finally landed on Sun.

"A perfectly good family, look at how you've ruined it!"

Sun felt deeply wronged, "How is this our fault? If the second son didn't study, would the family be like this? And who could have predicted the clan leader would call a doctor today?"

"What’s wrong with the second son studying? He didn’t use a single coin that was meant for Yuan!" Old Zhou was furious.

Sun stood her ground, "How did he not use any? If he didn’t want to study, all of the second branch's income would go to Yuan. Now that he is studying, Yuan..."

Slap!

Before Sun could finish, Old Zhou slapped her across the face.

Two days, two slaps.

At her age, Sun felt utterly humiliated. She opened her mouth and began to wail.

Old Zhou, his head almost steaming with anger, shouted, "Cause more trouble, and I’ll send you back to your family!"

Zhou Huaihai didn’t even try to intervene, quickly pulling Wang away.

He didn’t care how the old couple would argue in the main room. Once back in their own room, Zhou Huaihai raised his hand and slapped Wang.

Caught off guard, Wang stumbled and hit her head on the edge of the kang, seeing stars as she fell to the floor.

Gritting his teeth, Zhou Huaihai spat, "Stupid woman, it was all your rotten idea. If I lose my position in the village school, you can go beg on the streets!"

Wang, her face stinging from the slap, had been beaten by Zhou Qing yesterday too. Overwhelmed with grievance, she burst into tears.

Zhou Huaihai raised his foot and kicked Wang without regard for where it landed.

"Shut up! Haven't you embarrassed us enough? What are you crying for? Do you have any shame left? Since yesterday, have you accomplished anything? You’ve only brought trouble for me! I'm warning you, if the clan leader asks about yesterday, you'd better think carefully about what to say!"

With that, Zhou Huaihai stormed out with a dark expression.

"Where are you going?" Wang cried after him.

Zhou Huaihai ignored her, striding away swiftly.

Wang knew how important the position in the village school was to Zhou Huaihai. She also knew that if Zhou Huaihai lost this job, especially now that the family had split, their branch would have no income.

Moreover, she was even more afraid it would affect Zhou Yuan.

Despite feeling dizzy and unsteady from the beating, Wang forced herself to take a deep breath, got up with the support of the kang, wiped her face, and headed to the clan leader’s house.

She explained yesterday’s and today’s events.

In short, she took all the blame, claiming Zhou Huaihai knew nothing and was only dragged into trouble by her.

The clan leader didn’t ask much, just scolded her a bit.

The clan leader’s reasoning was simple.

Zhou Huaihai was a scholar, and Zhou Yuan was studying in town, with an uncertain but potentially promising future. He saw no need to offend Zhou Huaihai over someone else’s family matters.

What if Zhou Yuan became successful?

As for Zhou Huaishan...

Despite his good handwriting, he was already quite old.

Besides, now that the Zhou family had split, even if he didn’t deal with Zhou Huaihai, it wouldn’t be unfair to Zhou Huaishan.

...

People’s minds varied, each seeking their own benefit.

As for others, at the second branch of the Zhou family.

Zhou Qing and Zhou Huaishan sat cross-legged on the kang.

"Daughter, if it weren't for us, Zhou Huaishan would still be the same old Zhou Huaishan, and Zhou Qing the same old Zhou Qing. Would this family have split?"

Zhou Qing shook her head, "Hard to say. The third branch always wanted to split; it was only your old self’s indecisiveness that held them back."

Zhou Huaishan sighed, "Forget it. Let's not talk about this happy event of splitting the family. Let’s discuss something calming. Are we going to sell calligraphy tomorrow?"

Zhou Qing asked, "Have you finished writing the Analects?"

Zhou Huaishan's eye twitched, "Daughter~~~"

As soon as Zhou Qing heard his trembling tone, she knew he hadn't finished.

"A whole day! I was out for almost an entire day, and you still haven't finished? Are you going to study or not? What do you want to do? Do you know how far I have to walk to sell calligraphy?

Look, I’ve got blisters on my feet, and for what? To support your studies! Do you think it’s easy for me? Huh? You still don’t study hard."

Zhou Qing burst out with a roar that every Chinese mother would recognize.

Of course, the main reason for such anger was because she had heard it countless times as a child, and it was ingrained in her memory.

"Do you think I like nagging you every day? Think about it, who am I doing this for? You’re a grown man now, don’t you know what you should be doing? Huh? Answer me!"

Staring at the furious Zhou Qing, Zhou Huaishan's mouth opened.

"Daughter, if yelling could solve problems, donkeys would have ruled the world by now, and there’d be no need for emperors."

Zhou Qing nearly fainted from rage, nearly blacking out and falling backward.

No wonder the clan leader’s wife needed a doctor after tutoring!

Zhou Huaishan...

He just misspoke.

He had gotten used to talking back when his father yelled at him.

This...

"Daughter, that’s not what I meant. I..."

Seeing Zhou Qing puffed up with anger, Zhou Huaishan quickly pulled out his paper and brush, "I'll write it now, immediately. Daughter, calm down, calm down, it’s not worth it, not worth it."

Zhou Qing...

As soon as Zhou Huaishan seriously started writing, Zhou Qing, like every Chinese mother, fell silent, looking benevolent.

If conditions allowed, she would bring Zhou Huaishan a glass of milk and an apple.

Really...

This is frustrating!!!

While Zhou Huaishan wrote diligently, Zhou Qing took out the copper coins earned today, quietly counting them without making a sound.

Like a thief.

One, two, three...

After deducting the 100 copper coins spent on gifts for the clan leader and the doctor's fee, there were still 370 copper coins left.

Zhou Qing had agreed with Zhou Huailin that they would split the earnings once all the red paper was sold.

After storing the copper coins safely, Zhou Qing started cutting paper.

In the third branch.

When Zhou Huailin returned, Zhao and Zhou Yao, both pale-faced, staggered back home.

"Why are you back so late?"

Zhou Huailin quickly went to support Zhao.

He saw no one at home and was just about to go look for them.

"What happened? Why are your hands trembling like this?"

Grabbing Zhao’s hands, Zhou Huailin felt them cold and trembling.

Zhou Yao wasn’t in much better shape.

Zhou Huailin's eyes widened in shock, his heart pounding with a heavy sense of unease.

Sun could deceive him, but Yao and Zhao wouldn’t lie.

"What happened? What’s wrong?"

Zhou Yao burst into tears, "Father!"

She threw herself into Zhou Huailin’s arms.

Zhou Huailin's heart raced with panic.

Zhou Ping also looked serious and worried.

"Sis, mother, what happened?"

Shaking, Zhao climbed onto the kang, gasping for breath, her face filled with terror, "Your brother."

Zhou Huailin immediately said: "I’m here, what happened? Tell me!"