Chapter 20: Bullied Right After Enrollment
Yao Chunhua stood in the courtyard, her eyes filled with envy.
“Sister-in-law has arrived.”
“Eh...”
Only then did Yao Chunhua come to her senses. Wearing a smile, she grasped Liu’s hand and said, “Cuiyun, your life is getting better and better! Look at how fat these chickens are—they must be laying plenty of eggs, right?”
“Not bad, enough to eat,” Liu replied with a perfunctory smile.
Compared to Qin Dongzhi’s malice, Yao Chunhua, though somewhat sharp-tempered, was straightforward when it came to serious matters. In the past, everyone had lived hard lives and had been crushed under Old Madam Han’s oppression, which bred much resentment.
But now that the third branch had separated,
those old conflicts of interest no longer existed.
Especially since Cheng Dashan and Liu Cuiyun were a steady and capable couple. It had only been a few days since the split, yet they had managed to run their little household with impeccable order.
Look at how well they were living.
Such envy!
“Have you eaten yet, sister-in-law?”
“Huh?”
Yao Chunhua was startled by Cheng Dashan’s question. She glanced at the plate of scrambled eggs on the table, opened her mouth, then hesitated and shook her head awkwardly.
“No... I’ve already eaten!”
“Have some more, Su Yun, bring sister-in-law a bowl.”
Liu cast a slightly dissatisfied glance at her husband but quickly reconsidered. There was no deep hatred between her and Yao Chunhua—she couldn’t treat everyone in the Cheng family as enemies, or else how would she live in the village?
“No, no need.”
She said this, but as soon as she sat down, Yao Chunhua devoured a large mouthful of eggs, squinting her eyes to savor the taste, her face full of enjoyment.
If this had been at the Cheng household,
just for taking one chopstick’s worth, she would have suffered two sharp rebukes from Old Madam Han!
Cheng An watched quietly nearby.
He shared his mother’s thoughts—
Though the Cheng family was harsh, family loyalty was extraordinarily strong in these times; the ties ran deep and couldn’t be easily broken.
If that was the case,
it was better to win over the second branch.
If Old Madam Han caused trouble again, at least his parents would have an ally.
“Ah!”
After finishing the eggs,
Yao Chunhua’s expression turned troubled once more.
“Third brother, your family is doing well now, but the Cheng family...”
As expected!
She had arrived with an agenda.
Previously, because of Gu Changqing’s deterrent presence, Old Madam Han had been unsure about the relationship between Cheng Dashan and the Gu family, so the split hadn’t stirred much trouble.
But without Cheng Dashan, the strong laborer,
the work in the fields naturally fell to the second branch...
Old Madam Han would never stop squeezing them just because the third son left!
Instead, all the pressure would fall on the second branch.
“We can’t survive like this!”
Yao Chunhua cried, wiping her nose and tears, then grasped Liu’s hand again.
"Your second brother is useless; he can’t hold the family up at all! I want to split the household, but I’m afraid to!”
“But we also—”
Liu thought she was asking for money.
Instinctively, she was about to refuse.
“Cuiyun.”
Yao Chunhua quickly interrupted, then said indignantly, “You know how much stuff there is at home. Why should it all belong to the first branch? Is that fair? And the land—shouldn’t we have our share too?”
Mentioning land made Liu hesitate...
In these times, from emperors and generals to common folk, everyone held a burning desire for land.
Money was secondary.
Only land
was the lifeblood of a family and the foundation for continuing the lineage.
“How about this?”
Yao Chunhua offered a proposal: “I’ll handle the land issue. Whether it’s going to the village chief or the government office, I’ll make sure our two families get what’s theirs.”
“But...”
With a conciliatory smile, Yao Chunhua added, “If we can really split the property, our two families should get closer, especially with the work in the fields...”
She hoped Cheng Dashan would help more in the future.
Otherwise, even if she reclaimed the land, with Cheng Dahe’s lazy nature, no matter how good the fields were, they’d go to waste.
“Alright!”
Liu immediately agreed.
For the sake of the land, she no longer cared about pride.
Grasping Yao Chunhua’s hand, she said warmly, “As long as you can get the land back, from now on our two families will farm together—we’re brothers after all!”
Brothers now?
Father and son stared blankly at Liu.
“But let me be clear...”
Liu thought for a moment, then hurriedly added, “We can help, but your second brother has to pull his weight. Otherwise, it’s not worth splitting the family!”
“Of course, of course!”
Yao Chunhua readily agreed, her tone growing more polite.
Indeed,
only after splitting the household did one have confidence!
Only a few days had passed, yet Liu Cuiyun, who had never dared utter a harsh word before, now displayed some sharpness, especially in her tone, which bore the air of a head of the household.
Yao Chunhua bit her lip in secret,
her resolve to split the family growing stronger.
...
The early morning was cool.
The family of three got up early.
After packing their bags, they headed to town.
Upon arriving at the academy,
they saw Mr. Du standing outside.
Cheng An stepped forward two paces and respectfully bowed. “Greetings, sir!”
“Good.”
Du Xiu smiled with satisfaction.
Cheng Dashan carried a large bundle of mountain produce and handed over fifty wen.
“Thank you, sir, for accepting my son into your school. This is a small token of gratitude, not much money, but please do accept it! If the boy causes trouble, feel free to discipline him as you see fit!”
...
Cheng An’s mouth twitched involuntarily.
He suddenly recalled scenes from TV dramas set in the 80s and 90s, where parents sent their sons off to school as if they were entrusting them to the teachers, fearful their children wouldn’t be valued.
“This child is intelligent and diligent; he may one day become talented,” Du Xiu said, accepting the ‘gift’ without objection, then led Cheng An inside.
...
Cheng An entered, carrying a small bundle.
He glanced back once more.
“Mother.”
“Eh...”
Liu’s eyes instantly filled with tears.
She forced a smile, “Listen to the teacher, alright? Study hard. If you need anything, just tell the family—don’t suffer in silence.”
“Mm, I remember, Mother.”
Tears glimmered in Cheng An’s eyes.
He slowly lifted his head...
Warm sunlight bathed his face.
A gentle breeze passed by!
At this moment, he finally let go of the burdens on his heart,
making peace with his past life.
...
The academy was large,
with three courtyards in succession.
The front housed classrooms for students, the middle held dormitories and the teacher’s study, and the rear was where Mr. Du’s family lived.
Cheng An was once again placed in a communal dormitory.
“Are you Cheng An?”
“Mm.”
He was tidying his bed.
Turning around, he saw a boy about ten years old, a full head taller than him.
The boy narrowed his eyes and sneered, “You’re not welcome here. If you know what’s good for you, get lost, or else... you’ll suffer.”
Hearing this,
Cheng An suddenly smiled.
Campus bullying?
This was a familiar term indeed!
In his previous life, orphaned and motherless, he had been bullied by classmates often; threats like this were routine.
He kept making his bed and said calmly, “Xiao Yuan sent you, didn’t he?”
“Nonsense!”
The boy panicked briefly, then scowled fiercely, “No, everyone here despises you! Right?”
“That’s right!”
“We don’t welcome you.”
“Go away!”
Other kids in the room gathered around.
The boy became smug.
He shoved Cheng An’s shoulder roughly, sneering, “I’m telling you, get lost where you came from, don’t ask for trouble!”
Cheng An sighed and stopped.
He turned back and asked, “Do you know how much my tuition fee is?”
“I don’t care...”
The boy was about to curse.
Cheng An raised a hand to cut him off, “The teacher charged me fifty wen. What about you? If the teacher didn’t like me, why would he make an exception?”
“Fifty wen?”
The boy frowned.
“Impossible!”
“The academy’s rule has always been two hundred wen a year! And the teacher is strict, very rule-abiding! How could he reduce it that much for you?”