Chapter 34: In the Pit

Wang raised her hand and pointed at Zhou Qing, "She said it. She mentioned the splitting of the family in front of everyone."

Old Zhou's fury almost exploded as he grabbed a broom beside him and swung it towards Zhou Qing.

His face, his reputation—all ruined by this little brat.

"What? Grandpa is going to beat me without asking questions first? Why don’t you ask why I said it? If it weren't for grandma and aunt taking the things I worked hard to buy while I was away, would I have said anything?"

As Zhou Qing dodged Old Zhou's broom, she threw the bundle of red paper that Sun had ruined in front of him.

Thud!

The red paper hit the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

"I bought this paper with my own money. Compensate me! They took my things and even ruined my paper. Grandpa, is this how you treat people? The clan leader isn’t far away, should I call him back and ask him?!"

"Yes, I bought meat and flour. I used the money I earned through hard work. Just because I bought something nice, does that give them the right to take it? Compensate me!"

"What, they can take my things but I can't talk about splitting up? If I hadn’t mentioned it today, could I have gotten my things back? If you don't want me to say it, then don’t steal from me! Do something wrong and try to shut me up!"

Zhou Qing, like an enraged little beast, glared at Old Zhou.

Old Zhou was so angry his beard was trembling. "Isn't it just a bit of flour and meat your grandma and aunt took?"

Zhou Qing sneered, "A bit? Grandpa, you’d better get your facts straight before you speak, or I'll go and clarify it to the clan leader!"

Zhou Huaishan pulled Zhou Qing back, "Alright, daughter, don’t say anymore. Your grandpa and grandma will always believe your aunt over you. Let’s just go home."

Zhou Huaishan bent down, picked up the ruined red paper, glanced at Old Zhou, and pulled Zhou Qing away.

As an experienced dandy, he nailed the tone and expression perfectly—full of bitterness and grievance.

Old Zhou was stunned, looking at the honest, mud-covered Zhou Huaishan, feeling a pang in his chest. He turned to Wang.

Wang was so frightened she took a step back.

She had encouraged Sun to take the things, thinking Zhou Qing would be mad, but she never imagined the clan leader would come with half the village.

And the clan leader said he had to give an explanation to everyone.

What did taking Zhou Qing’s things have to do with the whole village?

This was a family matter.

She had never seen a family matter where the clan leader got involved, bringing the whole village along!

Wang's face turned pale, not daring to meet Old Zhou's eyes.

Old Zhou flung the broom at Wang, "Speak!"

Zhou Ping said, "Grandma and aunt moved everything from big sis's cart to the main room. The whole village saw it. When my big sis tried to stop them, grandma hit her."

Old Zhou stood in the courtyard, his vision darkening with rage.

"You said you just took a bit? Huh? This is a bit? Are you trying to drive me to my grave?"

As a father-in-law, it wasn’t proper to beat his daughter-in-law. After yelling, Old Zhou picked up the broom and headed towards Sun.

Sun, terrified, scrambled up and ran inside, "Eldest, stop your father, stop him!"

Zhou Huaihai didn't have time to care about Sun, dragging Wang inside by her hair.

"You b*tch, you've completely ruined my reputation!"

Thinking about the way the villagers had looked at him and the clan leader’s words, Zhou Huaihai almost wanted to beat Wang to death.

"I told you to get Wang Qiang to take away Qing, and everything would be resolved. You didn't listen and made a mess. If you're good at causing trouble, be good at cleaning it up! What bad luck I have to marry you, a jinx!"

He beat Wang until her face was bruised and swollen, then left after venting his anger.

Wang was so beaten she could barely breathe, but she couldn't cry out loudly.

If she cried out, everyone would know she was beaten.

If everyone knew, it would reach Yuan's ears.

In the main room, Sun wasn't as restrained. Beaten by Old Zhou, she wailed loudly, and the whole village probably heard.

In the second room.

Zhou Qing hugged her ruined red paper, her eyes misty.

Why was life so difficult?

Why couldn’t she transmigrate into a doting family?

She wasn’t afraid of hardship or toil, but fighting at the front while the main and first households were causing trouble behind her...

It was truly exhausting.

Zhou Huaishan washed up by the well, changed into clean clothes, and entered to see Zhou Qing sitting on the kang, looking distressed. He approached cautiously, "Daughter."

Zhou Qing looked at Zhou Huaishan.

"Do you feel wronged because I made you study and write?"

Zhou Huaishan stood straight, raised his right hand to his ear, and held up three fingers, "No, studying makes me happy."

Zhou Qing...

Her irritated heart suddenly felt a bit amused.

Zhou Huaishan climbed onto the kang, smiling, "Daughter, don’t be upset. Life is full of disappointments. Every family has its troubles. Getting angry will only hurt yourself, not worth it."

Zhou Qing glanced at Zhou Huaishan.

He continued, "In this world, there’s no right or wrong, only strong and weak. If you succeed, everyone flatters you. If not, even dogs trample you. In our family, the same. Grandpa and grandma look down on us and the third branch, so they bully us. But if one day we surpass the first branch, they won’t dare."

"How can we surpass the first branch? Uncle is a scholar, and brother is also studying in town, about to take exams after Mid-Autumn Festival." Zhou Qing looked at Zhou Huaishan, sighing heavily.

"I’m working hard too. After Mid-Autumn, maybe I'll pass too." To comfort Zhou Qing, Zhou Huaishan patted his chest, "Daughter, believe in your father."

Zhou Qing immediately asked, "If you’re determined to pass, why were you playing with mud?"

She couldn’t understand the dandy’s mindset.

An adult playing with mud with a bunch of kids, was it really that fun?

Zhou Huaishan knew she would bring this up eventually and sighed innocently, "They say scholars must stay true to their hearts. I was just trying to find my lost original aspiration."

Zhou Qing...

"Your aspiration was lost in the mud?"

Zhou Huaishan nodded seriously, "Yeah, the original owner, forced to quit school, buried his aspiration on the back mountain."

Zhou Qing...

I don’t believe you!

Pulling out a book from her embrace, Zhou Qing placed it on the table, "Since you've found it, let's start! Copy and memorize the entire text."

Zhou Qing had previously discovered that Zhou Huaishan couldn’t memorize the Analects before.

In ancient exams, memorization was fundamental.

Zhou Huaishan...

It wasn’t the original owner burying his aspiration, it was him pushing himself into a pit.

He suddenly wished for a beating like other kids, solving it all in one go.

One session couldn’t fix it, two would. He could endure it.

Zhou Qing saw Zhou Huaishan glaring at the book with hatred, biting his lip, "You think getting beaten means no more studying?"

Zhou Huaishan...