Chapter 43: Refusing to Study

Sun and Old Zhou kept waiting and waiting…

There was no sound outside.

The old couple looked at each other.

"They can't be sleeping on a wet kang, right?" Old Zhou couldn’t stay calm and got out of bed. "A wet kang can make people sick."

Sun also got up angrily, "Those stubborn mules, let them sleep to death!"

They were hoping for a reconciliation. Tomorrow, they could make the second and third sons help the eldest son with the harvest.

If they didn’t come, how could they reconcile?

Sun was furious.

The old couple came out of the main room and went straight to the second house.

"Shan, Shan?"

The second house was silent.

They then shouted towards the third house, "Lin, Lin?"

The third house was silent.

Old Zhou...

Sun...

They looked at each other, and Old Zhou raised his hand to knock on the door of the second house.

Bang.

With just one knock, the door creaked open.

Old Zhou walked in suspiciously and saw that the house was empty. Not only were there no people, but the kang cabinets and kang tables were gone too.

Sun followed behind Old Zhou, confused, "Where’s the flour and meat?"

Old Zhou...

With a sullen face, he glanced at Sun and then strode towards the third house.

He kicked open the door of the third house.

No people, no cabinets, no flour, no meat.

Nothing at all.

"Where are they?" 

Sun's eyes scanned the third house like a radar, getting anxious.

The old couple came out of the third house. Sun, with sharp eyes, noticed something, "The two mule carts in the courtyard are gone too. They must have gone to that apprentice’s house the second son accepted."

For the convenience of Zhou Qing and Zhou Huailin, Shen Li’s mule cart had been parked at the old Zhou’s house these past few days.

Old Zhou clenched his fist and sighed, squatting on the ground.

Sun started cursing, "Ungrateful brats! Their parents are here, and they went to live at someone else’s house. Are they wishing their parents to die? I’ve never seen such unfilial people in my whole life! Raised them for nothing!"

Sun’s voice was loud. It was late at night, and her shouting woke up the neighbors.

Wang poked Zhou Huaihai, "Should we go out?"

Zhou Huaihai turned over irritably, "Why? Should we go to that guy's house to bring the second and third brothers back?"

Thinking of this, Zhou Huaihai suddenly got up and jumped out of bed.

"Father, Mother, go back to sleep."

Seeing the eldest son come out, Sun wailed and cursed even louder.

Zhou Huaihai said softly, "They can't stay at that guy's house forever."

Zhou Huaihai’s words were not direct, but Sun understood immediately.

When that guy no longer allowed them to stay, they would be kicked out.

By then, like homeless dogs, wouldn’t they have to come back and beg?

But…

"The crops in the field still need to be harvested."

Zhou Huaihai said, "With such a big storm today, plus the hail, Mother, there’s no more crops in the field to harvest."

Sun thought about it and agreed.

Although it was a pity about the crops in the field, without having to think about making the second and third sons harvest, Sun felt less angry. "If they have the guts, they shouldn’t come back to their parents’ house for the rest of their lives."

Old Zhou glanced in the direction of Shen Li’s courtyard, feeling extremely annoyed.

"Tomorrow, go and bring them back."

Zhou Huaihai, who was about to turn around and go back to his room, suddenly heard Old Zhou say.

Zhou Huaihai replied, "Father, it’s not that I don’t want to go, but even if I go, I can’t bring them back. Father, I have my dignity too, and I won’t let my two younger brothers humiliate me like this."

After saying that, Zhou Huaihai returned to his room, looking displeased.

Sun pinched Old Zhou, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Old Zhou sighed.

Was this family really going to split up?

How did the second and third sons turn out like this!

Sigh…

In Shen Li’s courtyard.

Zhou Huailin was lying on the kang, embracing Zhao.

Since Zhou Yao and Zhou Ping were born, it had been a long time since he enjoyed a moment alone with Zhao like this.

The bedding was new, the quilt was new, and his wife was soft and fragrant beside him.

This is life.

"Husband, can you hear mother causing a scene?"

Zhou Huailin tightened his arm around Zhao, "Let her cause a scene. We’ll live our life, ignore her."

Zhou Huailin’s heart had long turned cold.

"Tomorrow, let’s discuss with Shen Li about renting his house."

Zhao’s eyes lit up, and she looked up at Zhou Huailin, "We’re not going back?"

"What's the point of going back, do you want to go back?"

Of course, Zhao didn’t want to go back.

Although they had split the family, Wang and Sun would mock and criticize her daily. She wasn’t as bold as Qing to retort back.

Even if she retorted, it wouldn’t feel good.

......

The next morning, Zhou Qing was woken up by Zhou Ping’s shouting.

After wandering around for several days, she finally didn’t have to go out to sell character today, and Zhou Qing originally wanted to sleep in.

Hearing Zhou Ping’s excited voice outside without stopping, Zhou Qing shook her head and got up.

Shen Li was holding a small slingshot, shooting pebbles at sparrows on the tree one after another.

Each shot brought down a sparrow from the tree, with perfect accuracy.

His shooting was so precise that it scared the chickens in the courtyard into trembling and huddling in the corner, afraid he would shoot them next after the sparrows.

Zhou Ping jumped around happily, picking up the sparrows and praising endlessly.

Seeing Zhou Qing come out, Zhou Ping excitedly greeted her, "Sister, my senior brother is really skilled."

Shen Li looked at Zhou Qing, "Awake? Did you sleep well last night?"

Zhou Qing smiled and walked over, "With new bedding and quilt, of course, I slept well. Thank you."

"You’re thanking me again. No need to be so polite between us."

Zhou Ping added, "Yeah, sister, we’re all benefiting from my second uncle!"

Shen Li…

Zhou Huaishan, who was stretching and yawning, came out of the room.

It was the first comfortable sleep he had since coming to this world.

Seeing Zhou Qing, Zhou Huaishan immediately stopped stretching and quickly walked over, "Daughter, it’s a holiday today. Can we take a break from studying? Just for one day, please. Balance work and rest. Look, I’ve even lost weight."

Zhou Qing...

"There are only a few days left until the exam. Once it’s over, I’ll give you a three-day break."

Zhou Huaishan grabbed Zhou Qing’s arm and shook it, "Daughter, please have mercy on your father. I’ve been studying so hard for so many days. Daughter, daughter, daughter..."

Zhou Qing rolled her eyes at him, "Calling me daughter won't work!"

Zhou Huaishan was silent for a moment, "Sister...?"

Zhou Qing almost knelt down.

"Look at Ping. He’s studying with you. Why isn’t he asking for a break?"

Zhou Huaishan straightened his back, "How can I compare with him? Look at his age and mine. Daughter, studying so hard, I’m afraid of dying from overwork. Think about how you got here!"

To others, it would sound like Zhou Qing’s mother passed away early and she was raised by Zhou Huaishan alone.

But only Zhou Qing knew that Zhou Huaishan was referring to her dying from overwork and transmigrating.

"No, your foundation is already weak..."

Before Zhou Qing could finish, Zhou Huaishan sat on the ground, "Anyway, I'm not studying today!"

He had an attitude of not caring about anything, refusing to cooperate.

Zhou Huailin and Zhao were dumbfounded watching Zhou Huaishan.

Is this really their second brother?

Zhou Qing was so angry she wanted to kick him.

Shen Li turned and went into the house, then came out with a stack of bound papers.