Chapter 6: Second Master, You’ve Got Guts!

But now, the third son had awakened...

Cheng Dahe suddenly felt confident.

“So the eldest son’s son is the grandson, but our son isn’t? The eldest son’s child has been studying for four years, and every year they spend hundreds of wen just on school fees. What did we say? When it comes to spending money, it’s always me and the third son who pay, but all the benefits go to the eldest brother’s family? Tell me honestly, is that fair?”

“Exactly!”

Second Aunt Yao added fuel to the fire.

She grabbed her own son and said, “Whose son wasn’t raised by the stepmother? Since the eldest can study, why can’t my boy?”

“Uh! Uh...”

Old Madam Han’s face flushed with anger.

She opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a word.

“Mother!”

Cheng Dashan was startled and rushed over.

Thud!

Old Madam Han suddenly fainted into the arms of the third son.

The entire family was dumbfounded.

Second Uncle Cheng Dahe stared blankly at his unconscious mother, his legs trembling uncontrollably, then shakily moved closer.

“Mother... are you alright?”

“Hurry, go find a doctor!”

The eldest brother shouted and rushed out.

Old Madam Han must not die!

Putting filial piety aside, if she really kicked the bucket, the family would fall apart—and then how would he continue to exploit them?

Cheng An quietly observed the chaotic scene before him.

Then he fixed his gaze on the second uncle’s family.

Second Uncle was something else.

He had heard that the second uncle’s family was notorious in the village for being stubborn and unreasonable.

Now he finally understood why.

Who dared to make mother faint?

Only our Second Uncle!

...

The family was stunned by Old Madam Han’s sudden collapse.

Mrs. Liu also stood anxiously.

Though she often resented Old Madam Han and sometimes even secretly wished the old woman would just die, she was still her mother-in-law.

A trace of kindness stirred in Mrs. Liu’s heart, causing her to feel a little guilty over her harsh thoughts.

“Mother.”

Cheng An held his mother’s hand.

He glanced at his father, who was carrying Grandma Old Madam Han away, and comforted, “Grandma will be fine. I once heard a traveling doctor say this kind of symptom is caused by blocked qi. Once the qi flows again, she’ll recover.”

“You learned to diagnose illness now?”

“No need to learn!” Cheng An met his mother’s surprised gaze and said cleverly, “In the village, everyone falls ill sometimes. After seeing it so often, you just remember.”

“That makes sense.”

Mrs. Liu immediately forgot about Old Madam Han’s episode and happily cupped her son’s thin face.

“My boy is only eight and can remember such things—what a genius! School! Even if I have to borrow money, I’ll make sure my son goes to school!”

Cheng An breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily, his mother held firm this time; otherwise, his chance to study would have been even slimmer.

...

You won’t starve from eating, nor go cold from wearing.

If you can’t outwit others, you’ll suffer hardship!

This was an old saying often repeated by the elders.

But despite Mrs. Liu’s years of frugality and enduring hardship, she hadn’t saved a single hundred wen.

“Seventy-five.”

“Seventy-six.”

“Seventy…”

Mrs. Liu frowned, counting money on the bed.

No matter how many times she tried, she couldn’t get it right.

“Mother, there are seventy-nine copper coins in total.”

Cheng An lay at his mother’s feet, his little face resting on her lap as he giggled, “Mother, you’re so silly. When you counted the first time, I already knew.”

“Mm-hmm, you’re the smart one!”

Mrs. Liu teased her son, half-annoyed but secretly delighted.

Her son was truly clever!

Not only did he have an excellent memory, but counting was effortless for him.

A child like this shouldn’t be denied schooling.

Nonsense!

Even if it meant breaking the family apart, she would never let them win.

“Yao Liu’er, let’s go!”

With that, Mrs. Liu lifted her son from the bed.

“Where are we going, Mother?”

“To the school to ask if it can be cheaper!”

Mrs. Liu didn’t even know where the school’s gate was, so she naïvely thought that paying school fees was like buying cloth in the county town—there was always room to bargain.

Cheng An wanted to persuade her but couldn’t bring himself to speak.

He was only eight...

Some words would only bring trouble.

But when the two reached the village entrance, they encountered their father carrying Grandma Old Madam Han home, followed by the eldest and second brothers, all looking burdened.

Mrs. Liu froze for a moment.

Then she hurried forward, concerned, “Mother, you’re fine now? That’s wonderful.”

“Hmpf!”

“My old bones didn’t give out on you. Are you disappointed?”

Old Madam Han’s sharp tongue remained as cutting as ever.

Mrs. Liu pursed her lips, silent.

Cheng Dashan looked at his wife and son, asking, “Where are you going? Come home first. There’s a tax notice in the village, and Mother wants to say something…”

“How much?”

Mrs. Liu asked instinctively.

Cheng Dashan’s expression darkened.

“Two hundred wen per person.”

“How much?”

Mrs. Liu and Cheng An exclaimed in unison.

Cheng An felt embarrassed but quickly reverted to his innocent look.

Yet inside, he cursed the corrupt officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Filth!

Vultures!

Carrion eaters!

How could people live under such tyranny?

For common folk like them, the yearly net income was barely a string of coins.

Though the Cheng family was large, more mouths meant more food to buy.

There were eleven people in the Cheng household.

Except for the eldest brother, who was a student and exempt from tax.

The eldest brother’s eldest son, Cheng Shu, had gone to the city years ago to learn carpentry and earned some money, so he didn’t have to worry about taxes.

But the others?

The nine remaining people’s combined income barely covered the tax for one year!

Mrs. Liu instinctively felt the coins in her pocket—seventy-nine wen—and then looked sharply at Old Madam Han, a bad premonition rising in her heart.

Sure enough!

As soon as they entered the house, Old Madam Han started complaining.

“The village chief said the government issued a strict order: every household must pay the full tax, or the men will be taken for labor, and the women…”

Old Madam Han glanced meaningfully at Mrs. Liu.

Mrs. Liu instantly turned pale.

Cheng An looked at his father.

He knew Old Madam Han all too well!

This old woman appeared kindly and gentle in public, always smiling warmly, but in truth, she was not only biased but also skilled at manipulation.

From the looks of it,

She intended to use his mother and himself to force their father to comply!

“Second and third brothers’ families.”

The eldest brother spoke up with a teasing look, “Mother said, the family can only scrape together a little over one string of coins now. What do you want to do about the rest?”

“Well…”

Second Aunt Yao sat frozen, her usual sharp demeanor gone.

Normally she could rely on her stubbornness to resist Old Madam Han, but now that the old woman had hit the family’s weak spot, she could only kneel obediently.

“Big brother, sister-in-law, mother.”

Yao readily knelt, pleading with the three, her voice low and gentle, “Our family is just three people, and we don’t eat or use much. Could the family…”

“Mother.”

Second Uncle Cheng Dahe didn’t dare hesitate.

Respectfully, he said, “We’re all family. We can’t watch our own people fall into the pit. Big brother, Chunhua and I have always regarded you as the pillar of the family. This time, you must help your brother!”