Chapter 4: Ungrateful Parents and Unfilial Children

“Clack!”

The cane slipped from Old Madam Han’s hand and fell to the ground.

She stared blankly at her third son.

In these times, unless both parents have passed away or some unforeseen circumstance arises, the younger generation rarely dares to demand a division of the family estate.

Otherwise, they would be accused of causing family discord and become the subject of ridicule.

More importantly…

Old Madam Han was currently relying on squeezing the second and third sons to support the eldest son’s family. If the third son were to separate, who would tend the family fields?

Who would handle the household chores?

Where would their food and drink come from?

Could they really depend on the second son?

Though Old Madam Han disliked her third son, she knew the family couldn’t manage without him. It was simply that Cheng Dashan’s meekness in the past made everyone believe he wouldn’t resist and could be bullied at will.

But now, seeing this day arrive, the whole family was dumbfounded.

“That can’t be!”

The eldest sister-in-law hurried over anxiously.

She was the first to plead, “Third son, do you really want to abandon our mother? How can you be so unfilial? What if Mother falls ill from the shock?”

Over the years, the family had lived so comfortably because the third household had been the unwitting scapegoat, endlessly giving without complaint.

If they separated, Cheng Dahai wouldn’t even be able to support himself, let alone pass the imperial examinations.

“Third son!”

Eldest uncle Cheng Dahai could no longer sit still and stepped forward. “Are you mad? That’s our mother! How can you forsake your own mother over some woman?”

“Big brother, what about you?”

“What do you mean?”

Cheng Dahai’s gaze flickered evasively.

But Cheng Dashan, shedding his previous timidity, gritted his teeth and said firmly, “How much work in the fields have you done over the years? And at home—everything has been managed by Cuiyun.

Even washing a single dish!”

His voice grew heavier.

His trembling finger pointed at the table. “I am part of this family, not your servant! Youngest brother nearly fainted from the pain, yet I couldn’t even scrape together money to see the doctor! Big brother, sister-in-law, Mother…”

Cheng Dashan’s gaze was like a blade.

It pinned the three of them down, making them too guilty to meet his eyes.

“Has any of you ever truly cared for our family? Even once?”

“No one has!”

Bang!

Cheng Dashan, like an enraged lion, kicked the dining table over.

Mrs. Liu widened her eyes at her husband…

And the others in the household were equally stunned.

Is this really Cheng Dashan?

The third son who couldn’t even let out a sound when struck?

Old Madam Han stared at her son in a daze. At this moment, her earlier arrogance had vanished. She gripped her cane tightly, afraid to speak.

“Th-third son…”

The eldest sister-in-law glanced cautiously at Cheng Dashan and approached timidly, forcing a smile. “It’s just washing dishes, I’ll do it. Sister-in-law can wash them.”

Then she hurried to the doorway and grabbed Mrs. Liu’s arm.

“Cuiyun, we’re all family. Isn’t it better to talk things through? Maybe Sister-in-law didn’t understand you before. From now on, we can share the housework together…”

“No!”

The eldest sister-in-law hastily corrected herself.

“I’ll do more from now on. You rest when you’re tired.”

Mrs. Liu, who usually endured the eldest sister-in-law’s domineering ways silently, felt a long-suppressed weight lift from her chest.

It was a refreshing feeling!

In the ten-plus years since marrying into the Cheng family, she had never felt this relieved before.

Cheng An nestled in his mother’s arms, slowly curling his lips into a smile.

This was what happened when you pushed a meek person too far!

Even a cornered rabbit will bite back—how much more two living, breathing people?

Her parents were not foolish, only worn down by years of meekness, habituated to submission, shackled by so-called morality, unable to move.

But today, for her son—

Mrs. Liu erupted!

A mother’s strength is fierce.

She could endure being bullied and even abused herself.

But not her son!

That was her bottom line. Anyone who crossed it would bring about catastrophe!

Cheng Dashan slowly exhaled, feeling years of pent-up grievance finally released. After calming down, he looked pleadingly at his wife.

“Cuiyun, come back…”

He rubbed his large hands together, begging, “I promise, I won’t let you or our son suffer the slightest injustice again! Please don’t leave, okay?”

“Mother.”

Cheng An looked up at his mother’s face.

He understood that demanding a full division of the family at once was unrealistic—Old Madam Han was not one to give up easily.

They could press her, but going too far would backfire.

“Cheng Dashan…”

Mrs. Liu glanced coldly at her husband.

Though she had softened momentarily, venting years of resentment had left her feeling reborn and resolute.

“This is the last time!”

Ignoring her husband, she swept her gaze across every face in the Cheng household.

“From now on, I won’t do an extra thing around the house. The yield from the fields must be fairly redistributed!”

“What did you say?”

Old Madam Han shrieked as if stung.

Most of the harvest in recent years had come from Cheng Dashan’s labor; redistributing it meant the eldest son’s family would lose out.

“Mrs. Liu is right!”

Cheng Dashan interrupted Old Madam Han sternly. “Mother! I know you favor the eldest son’s family, and I will help if the family needs it. But…”

“It must be fair!”

The once-timid man found it difficult to speak harshly, especially toward the mother who had ‘held him hostage’ for over thirty years. That he could speak so firmly exceeded even Cheng An’s expectations.

Seeing Old Madam Han trembling, worried she might cause trouble again, Cheng An timidly said, “Mother, I’m hungry.”

“Huh?”

The tense atmosphere shattered.

Mrs. Liu no longer cared to argue, taking her son by the hand and heading toward the kitchen.

“Good boy, come on, I’ll steam some eggs for you.”

“The eggs…”

Old Madam Han instinctively wanted to scold, but seeing the icy cold gaze of her third son, she swallowed the words back.

…

In the kitchen.

Eating the fragrant steamed eggs, Cheng An closed his eyes in contentment…

It had been so many years, he had nearly forgotten the taste of eggs.

Occasionally, when the family had eggs, his mother would secretly slip one to him, but the thrill of stealing a bite could never compare to the sweetness he tasted now.

He scooped some with a spoon and brought it to his mother’s lips.

“Mother, you eat some too.”

“You’re such a good boy, but I don’t care much for these. You eat.”

Mrs. Liu stroked her son’s head, eyes full of tender sighs.

“Today is over. But in the future? Your grandmother will surely cause more trouble. Sigh…”

What could she do with such a blindly filial husband?

She said she wanted to take her son home to her family, but how easy was it to ‘go home’ to her mother’s place? She could ignore the gossip, but what about her son?

“Mother…”

Cheng An blinked and suddenly said, “The book says, ‘If parents are unkind, children will not be filial!’ Don’t feel bad—it’s not your fault.”

“Hmm.”

Mrs. Liu nodded instinctively, then stared at her son sharply.

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything!”

Cheng An blinked innocently.

Mrs. Liu, as if she had found a treasure, grabbed her son’s hand excitedly.

“No, you just said ‘not kind’ and ‘not filial’?”

“No, Mother…”

Cheng An explained innocently, “It means if parents aren’t loving, then children won’t be dutiful.”

“This…”

Mrs. Liu was stunned.

She stared at her son blankly, her voice trembling slightly, “Where did you hear that? Who taught you?”

“No one.”

“It was something I overheard when Little Yuan was studying. I remembered it… What’s wrong, Mother? Is it wrong?”

“Ah?”

“No, no…”

Mrs. Liu shook her head in joyous disbelief, eyes shining with fervor. “You mean you just heard a few words and remembered them?”

“Yeah!”

Cheng An proudly lifted his chin. “There’s also, ‘Diligence leads to mastery, idleness to ruin; success comes from thought, destruction from following blindly.’ It means you have to study hard and think carefully, or you’ll waste your time.”