Chapter 68: Forced

As soon as Zhou Qing saw Aunt Zhang, her scalp tingled instantly.

She turned her head and looked at Zhou Huaishan with a resentful expression.

With a twitch at the corner of his eye, Zhou Huaishan forced a smile, one that looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Look, I killed the goose for you. When we get home, we can make a pot of stewed goose. Do you need my help plucking the feathers? No charge. I can even help you cook it if you want."

Holding the goose, which still had blood dripping from its neck, Zhou Huaishan handed it to Aunt Zhang, who was rushing over.

His tone was incredibly sincere.

Zhou Qing watched as Aunt Zhang's face, visibly stiffening at an alarming rate, turned green.

With a twitch of her eye, Zhou Qing quickly pulled Zhou Huaishan aside, gave him a glare, and then turned around to apologize with a smile.

"Auntie Zhang, I’m really sorry. This goose was chasing my father, and in his panic, he accidentally killed it. It’s entirely our fault. How much would you like for compensation? I’ll pay you."

Aunt Zhang glared at Zhou Qing with fury as she looked at her bloodied goose.

"This isn't just about money! This was a laying goose, and those eggs could be sold for money, which could be used to buy more geese. More geese would lay more eggs, and those eggs would make more money. So, tell me, how are you going to compensate for that?"

Generations upon generations, the cycle was supposed to go on forever.

Her father had effectively wiped out her future lineage of geese.

From behind Zhou Qing’s shoulder, Zhou Huaishan meekly added, "Your goose might have been infertile."

Aunt Zhang spat at him furiously.

"Bah! You’re the one who’s infertile!"

Zhou Qing twisted Zhou Huaishan’s arm in response.

"Shut up!"

She then turned back to Aunt Zhang with a polite smile.

"Okay, it’s our fault. Auntie Zhang, just tell us what you want. As long as it’s doable, we’ll make it right."

Aunt Zhang looked at Zhou Qing and said, "Do you really mean that?"

Zhou Qing, feeling uneasy under Aunt Zhang’s intense gaze, sensed that something was off.

No, she couldn’t agree to this.

Shen Li, who was standing beside Zhou Qing, interjected.

"Auntie, how about this? Since it was my master who killed your laying goose, we’ll compensate you with another laying goose, so your family won't lose out on the egg money."

Zhou Qing nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, exactly."

Aunt Zhang glared at Shen Li, her eyes filled with resentment and anger.

It was as if Shen Li had ruined her plans.

"No, the goose you give me won’t be my Da Bai. How can that be the same? What if I killed your son and then just got you another child? Would you accept that?"

Zhou Ping

Zhou Qing’s eye twitched. She was now certain that Aunt Zhang had already planned how she wanted to handle this situation.

Since that was the case, Zhou Qing decided to stop apologizing and smiling.

"You don’t want money, and you don’t want another goose. I really can’t think of anything else to offer. How about we go see the clan leader and let him decide what’s fair?"

"Fine, let’s go. If you’re in the right, you have nothing to fear!"

Shen Li harnessed the mule cart, and the group headed back to the village.

The village head was in the yard teaching his grandson how to use a pitchfork when he heard the commotion outside and frowned.

Ever since the Zhou family moved out, the village had been peaceful for quite some time.

What trouble was brewing today?

"You killed Old Zhang’s goose?"

After hearing Aunt Zhang's complaint, the clan leader squinted at the usually honest and simple Zhou Huaishan.

Forgive him, but he just couldn’t imagine how such an honest person like Zhou Huaishan could be chased down by a goose.

Hahahahaha

The clan leader struggled to suppress his laughter, which was causing internal pain.

But on the surface, he had to put on a serious face as he looked at Zhou Huaishan. "Is this true?"

Zhou Huaishan nodded in acknowledgment.

The clan leader

Hahahahahaha!

After coughing twice and suppressing his laughter, the clan leader turned to Aunt Zhang and said, "They’re willing to compensate you with either a goose or money, and you’re not willing to accept?"

Aunt Zhang stiffened her neck, her attitude unwavering. "I don’t want money, and I don’t want a goose! Neither can compare to my Da Bai!"

"So what do you want? We’re all from the same village, it’s not right to extort someone over this!" The clan leader’s face darkened slightly as he added, "Besides, your family has always gotten along well with theirs."

Aunt Zhang glanced at Zhou Huaishan, biting her lip and hesitating for a moment before finally speaking.

"I want him to teach my son how to read!"

Her face turned bright red as she spoke.

After saying that, she stared intently at Zhou Huaishan, fearing he would refuse.

The clan leader also turned to Zhou Huaishan.

Since Zhou Huaihai had left, there had been no teacher at the village school.

The clan leader had to step in to teach the children.

Though he was the clan leader, his knowledge was limited. He could teach the children to recognize some characters, but when it came to the Four Books and Five Classics or preparing them for exams, he feared he might be doing them a disservice.

The clan leader had been worrying about finding a teacher for the village school.

He had thought about asking Zhou Huaishan, but Zhou Huaishan’s situation was quite unique.

Despite passing the county exams as the top candidate, his academic foundation was weak. Moreover, Zhou Huaishan was focused on preparing for the provincial exams.

Seeing the looks from the clan leader and Aunt Zhang, Zhou Huaishan was so startled that he took a step back.

"Me? Teach?"

He pointed at himself, his shock mirroring that when he was first asked to take Shen Li as his apprentice.

Aunt Zhang nodded. "You’re the top candidate, and you have good handwriting."

She glanced at Shen Li and added, "Besides, you’ve already taken an apprentice, so what’s one more?"

But it’s different!

I took Shen Li as an apprentice, but he’s the one teaching me!

If I take your son as well...

How could I teach him?

And since when do scoundrels like me become teachers?

Without a second thought, Zhou Huaishan firmly refused. "No way!"

Seeing Zhou Huaishan’s immediate rejection, Aunt Zhang slapped her thigh and burst into tears.

"My Da Bai! My poor Da Bai! You died so miserably!"

Zhou Huaishan snorted coldly at her. "Cry all you want. I still won’t agree!"

Aunt Zhang jumped up and started cursing, "Why won’t you agree? You took in an outsider, so why won’t you take my son?"

"Because I don’t want to!"

Zhou Qing knew her father’s temper well.

If Aunt Zhang continued to pressure him like this, things could escalate to the point where Zhou Huaishan might actually resort to violence.

She quickly pulled him aside and smiled at the clan leader.

"Third Grandpa, it’s not that my father doesn’t want to help. As you know, he has the provincial exams coming up in two months. Although he passed the county exams, the provincial exams are much harder, and my father’s foundation is weak."

Aunt Zhang interjected, "He can do it after the provincial exams!"

So she’s determined not to let this go?

Suddenly, Zhou Qing remembered that since Zhou Huaihai left, the village school had been without a teacher.

No wonder the clan leader hadn’t said anything earlier.

"After the provincial exams, there’s still the academy exams. If he doesn’t pass the provincial exams, he’ll have to continue studying. How about this, Third Grandpa, Auntie Zhang? My family will pay to hire a teacher for the village school. What do you think?"