Chapter 4

Zhou Jing found himself struggling, feeling that his body was of little use. If it weren’t for the effort it took him to get up, he would have gone over and given this guy a good beating.

How dare he cast a perverted look at his brother-in-law in front of him? Did he think he was dead?

Zhou Jing’s face darkened like a stormy sea. “Xiao Mo, Shen Lin, what are you two idiots standing there for? If you can’t handle it, why not go outside and get some help? How can you let a thief come into our house in broad daylight without calling for help?”

Zhou Jing didn’t actually believe that Shen Mo and Shen Lin couldn’t handle one person, but he was concerned about them getting hurt. After all, Zhou Jing himself was a ruffian, and his good buddies were mostly of the same lowly ilk.

These kinds of people were used to fighting, and if they knew a few tricks, Shen Mo and Shen Lin might not be a match for them.

It was only then that Shen Mo and Shen Lin reacted, staring at Zhou Jing in disbelief. This was supposed to be one of Zhou Jing’s best “brothers,” someone who Zhou Jing himself claimed to have sworn an oath with!

Shen Mo was the first to recover. He grabbed a broom and handed Shen Lin a long wooden stick. The two walked towards Wang Li with a fierce look.

“You, you’re going to do what!” Wang Li continued to shout. “Zhou Jing, aren’t you going to control them? This isn’t about challenging your authority; who in their right mind would shout and curse like this? Only a shrew would do that!”

Wang Li kept on yelling, “Zhou Jing, just say the word, and I’ll teach these two guys a lesson. I’m doing this for your own good, for the sake of brotherhood!”

“You dare!” Zhou Jing said coldly. “If you lay a finger on my younger brother-in-law or my husband, I’ll break one of your legs once I recover!”

Zhou Jing had once held a high position, and when he was truly angry his domineering presence was intimidating. It was enough to terrify the idle farmer in front of him, who visibly trembled under Zhou Jing’s fierce, piercing gaze. He almost fled, but then remembered he was dealing with someone who he often manipulated. Gaining a bit of false courage, he pressed on.

“Zhou Jing, don’t be so shameless, I’m warning you—”

Before he could finish, Zhou Jing cut him off, shouting at the two people on the ground: “Why are you still standing there? Go outside and call for help! Can’t you see people storming into our house, shouting and causing chaos?”

Before Wang Li could finish speaking, Zhou Jing shouted at the two people: “Why are you still standing there? Go outside and call for help! Can’t you see that he is shouting and causing a ruckus in our house?”

Shen Mo, who had the broom in his hand, started beating Wang Li relentlessly.

Seeing his older brother in action, Shen Lin followed suit and struck fiercely as well.

“Get out, get out of here!” Shen Mo yelled furiously while hitting Wang Li.

“Who do you think you are? How dare you come inside someone’s home to steal and make trouble! I’ll beat you to death today!”

The accusation of stealing and causing trouble was something Zhou Jing had deliberately placed on Wang Li, and Shen Mo understood his reason and it was to protect both him and Shen Lin. He couldn’t afford to let it be known that Wang Li had improper intentions toward the ger in their household or that he had been watching Shen Lin. If such rumors spread, it would damage Shen Lin’s reputation—whether the ger was innocent or not. This was particularly concerning since Shen Lin’s reputation was already tarnished and couldn’t withstand further harm.

“You dare!” Wang Li shouted. “Zhou Jing, you actually let your people treat me like this! Just wait, I won’t let you get away with this!”

After Wang Li left, the two men were out of breath. Although a Ger is stronger than a woman, they’re still not as strong as a man. However, when two Ger work together, they can certainly make a man suffer.

“Xiao Mo, come here. Let me see. I saw him swing at you earlier—did he injure you?” Zhou Jing was anxious to get up but found his legs too weak and ended up sitting on the edge of the bed.

Shen Lin stared with his mouth open. He couldn’t help but be confused. His elder brother-in-law usually didn’t care much about him, often saying that a ger shouldn’t be so delicate and was meant to endure beatings and scolding.

Shen Mo lowered his eyelashes to hide his flickering eyes and, step by step walked over to Zhou Jing.

Zhou Jing grabbed Shen Mo’s hand and examined it carefully.

Shen Mo’s hands were rough from constant labor, covered in calluses, and felt like sandpaper to the touch.

Zhou Jing had never done any manual work in his past life—only signing contracts with a pen. Although his hands weren’t delicate, they were certainly not as rough as Shen Mo’s. Men’s hands, while less soft and smooth than a young woman’s, were still far from the roughness of a laborer’s.

In comparison, Zhou Jing’s hands looked almost like those of a ger, and if not for his skin tone, it would be difficult to tell which hands belonged to a ger and which belonged to a man.

Looking at Shen Mo’s hands, Zhou Jing could see the extent of his suffering, with the skin cracked from hard work. Zhou Jing’s heart ached for Shen Mo, but he didn’t notice that Shen Mo was also staring at his hands with a complex, mysterious expression.

Shen Mo’s facial skin was similarly poor, dry, and peeling, with a dark yellow hue indicative of malnutrition. Zhou Jing thought with concern about how important it was to improve Shen Mo’s health quickly so he could earn money to support his wife.

—o—o—o—

While they held hands with tender feelings, Wang Li, who had been driven out and felt embarrassed.

He decided to take the matter to the Wang Family.

Upon hearing that Zhou Jing had cooked a chicken but hadn’t sent over more than a portion, Old Lady Wang was enraged. She felt that Zhou Jing had become too bold and immediately went to confront him in a furious state.

Wang Li followed behind, gleefully watching the commotion unfold.

The straw door of Zhou Jing’s thatched house was more for decoration than practicality—it was easy to push open.

Old Lady Wang didn’t hesitate and pushed the door open with ease. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, the rich aroma of chicken wafted through the air, making her mouth water.

“Jinx, how dare you eat alone? How dare you! Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning?”

Old Lady Wang grumbled as she lifted the pot lid and saw the chicken. She continued to scold while also taking the opportunity to ladle some chicken into a jar, intending to take it with her.

Hearing the commotion, Shen Mo hurriedly pulled his hand away from Zhou Jing’s, his ears turning red.

“Shen Lin, haven’t I taught you anything? An uninvited guest is a thief, and taking things without asking is theft. Since there’s a thief in the house, why haven’t you chased them out?”

Shen Lin then remembered that Zhou Jing finally didn’t care about the old woman and was actually angry with her!

Although Shen Lin was only fourteen, being a ger, he was shorter than a man but still a head taller than an old woman, and his strength was more than enough to defeat the old hag.

He grasped Old Lady Wang’s hands firmly, grabbed the chicken from her, and returned it to the pot to continue cooking.

He pressed down the lid and then pushed Old Lady Wang towards the door, firmly escorting her out.

“Taking someone else’s things without asking is stealing, you little thief!”

Old Lady Wang, who was sharp-eyed despite her age, had managed to retrieve the chicken, but then she grabbed a few pounds of rough rice that Shen Lin had brought.

Shen Lin refused to give it to her and put all his strength into prying her hand away. He pinched her so hard that her hand bled, and she cried out in pain before he finally let go.

“Get out, get out, you’re not welcome here!” Shen Lin pushed Old Lady Wang forcefully, stumbling and shoving her out the door.

“This is my son’s house, I can take whatever I want! Who do you think you are, you little vixen?” Old Lady Wang yelled, “You star of misfortune, are you just going to stand there and watch others bully your old father and mother?”

Zhou Jing, who was supported by Shen Mo, slowly walked into the courtyard. The small fence was only half a person high, reaching Zhou Jing’s waist, allowing him and Old Lady Wang to see each other’s faces clearly over the barrier.

Zhou Jing said coldly, “What Xiao Lin said is correct. If you take things from someone else’s house without asking the owner’s permission, what else could it be but stealing?”

It was rare for Zhou Jing to speak to Old Lady Wang with such an attitude. In the past, he had always been the one ingratiating himself, like a lapdog, trying to curry favor with her.

When Old Lady Wang saw Zhou Jing’s demeanor, she felt a sudden shiver in her heart. She felt a vague sense of panic. But then she remembered that Zhou Jing was just a coward, someone who had always trailed behind her, hoping for a glance of favor. She had never given him anything, and now it seemed he was trying a new tactic to get her attention. It was best to ignore him; people like him were only interested in what they couldn’t have.

With this thought, Old Lady Wang’s anxiety faded, and she regained her arrogant composure.

“Jinx, how dare you eat alone? Are you looking for a beating?” she snapped. “I’ll tell you this: your little brother-in-law is such a worthless scoundrel! He even dared to lay hands on me and push me out. Today, you must teach him a good lesson until I’m satisfied!”

After hearing this, Shen Lin’s face turned pale.

He regretted it deeply. Zhou Jing was the type who listened to this old shrew the most.

Last time, because the old hag wanted meat, she made Shen Lin’s brother go up the mountain to hunt. His brother had said the mountain roads were slippery in the rain and that he would go when the weather cleared. But the old shrew incited Zhou Jing to beat his brother severely with a stick, right in front of her, accusing him of being unfilial.

The injuries from that beating had still not healed properly!

Seeing Shen Lin so frightened only made Old Lady Wang more brazen.

“The last time, I had that scoundrel in bed for a whole day. This time, make sure he stays in bed for two days and goes without food for seven days. This will teach him a good lesson and show him who really rules this house!”

During the busy farming season, the villagers had more free time. They were often gossiping and idly chatting about each other’s affairs. Today, seeing Old Lady Wang causing a scene again, they gathered around like flies to filth. They pointed and murmured, watching the commotion with interest. Old Lady Wang’s issues with Zhou Jing were unique to her family, and no other family drama could compare!

Hearing Old Lady Wang once again commanding Zhou Jing to beat his wife, everyone understood that Shen Mo was bound to receive a severe beating that day. After all, considering Zhou Jing’s usual behavior, it was certain he would follow Old Lady Wang’s orders.

Soon, the crowd murmured with a mix of sympathy and glee for Shen Mo.

Zhou Jing’s voice was as cold as ice.

“Who is the master of this house? Aunt, are you sick? This is obviously the Old Zhou family!”

Old Lady Wang shouted, “What Old Zhou family? It’s the Old Wang family! You crawled out of my womb!”

Zhou Jing replied, “Aunt, your words have confused me! A few days ago, for some unknown reason, I stubbornly climbed the mountain despite the rain making it slippery. Unfortunately, I was severely injured and hit my head, so I can’t remember many things.”

‘Hit his head? Doesn’t remember things? No wonder he dared to talk to Old Lady Wang like that! And the Old Zhou family? In the past, if anyone had called him Zhou Jing, he would have jumped up and cursed!

The original owner never admitted to the surname Zhou and only recognized the Wang surname! If anyone had called him Wang Jing, he would have grabbed the firewood Shen Mo had collected and delivered it to someone else.

As for climbing the mountain despite the rain, the villagers of Wang Family Village remembered it very clearly.

Old Lady Wang was craving meat. Even lean meat cost fifteen coins per pound, and she couldn’t bear to spend that much. She forced Zhou Jing to make Shen Mo go up the mountain to hunt wild boar for her.

The wild boars on the mountain were fierce. Even farmers, let alone hunters who lived by hunting, would weigh their chances when encountering wild boars and would try to avoid a direct confrontation whenever possible.

Let alone the other large and dangerous game on the mountain.

Zhou Jing, however, did not consider this. Upon hearing Old Lady Wang speak to him in a ‘calm and composed’ manner, he was so pleased that he disregarded everything else.

He went back and forced Shen Mo to go up the mountain. Shen Mo was unwilling. He told him about how it would be slippery after the rain and the dangers of wild boars.

However, all these challenges, under Old Lady Wang’s deliberate encouragement, were deemed as filial piety. Old Lady Wang believed that Zhou Jing was a man and Shen Mo, being of lower status, was fortunate to marry her son. Thus, her son had every right to command Shen Mo to live or die, and disobedience was simply unforgivable!

Under Old Lady Wang’s prodding, Zhou Jing also found Shen Mo extremely irritating. Following Old Lady Wang’s suggestion, he sought to establish authority over Shen Mo and gave him a beating with a stick, without any real reason or warning.

While Zhou Jing forgot these details due to his head injury, the villagers of Wang Family Village knew all too well. When the matter was brought up, opinions varied, and the villagers looked at Old Lady Wang with a somewhat strange gaze.

Zhou Jing continued, “So, Aunt, your words have confused me. I’ve heard that your husband’s family name is Wang, and since you’ve only married once, how could I, being of the Zhou surname, be your son?”

When this was brought up, Old Lady Wang felt quite justified and did not think she owed anything to this eldest son.

With her hands on her hips, she pointed at Zhou Jing and said, “It’s because you’re a jinx. From the moment you were born, you brought disaster to the whole family. If it weren’t for the fact that I spared you, you would have been eliminated long ago! Not having killed you was because I have a kind heart, and you should be grateful.”

The lack of parental affection could not be forced, and similarly, being excluded from the family tree or not sharing the Wang surname was less significant compared to the fates of the parents. Even expelling a ten-year-old child for such reasons was permissible.

But after being expelled? That was the most important issue. A ten-year-old child in a farming family was quite mature for his age and could do many things. However, he was still just a child. Without land or money, how was he supposed to survive? He would have to beg for a bit here and there, eat wild vegetables in the summer, and gnaw on tree roots in the winter. Could such treatment truly be considered parental care?

If someone feared the child would bring misfortune, they could at least provide him with more food and help with his living conditions. They should not only claim to be parents when it suits them but shirk their responsibilities when it comes to providing financial support.

Zhou Jing sneered.

“I’ve heard a bit about the so-called ‘jinxing the family’ you mentioned, Aunt. Since I am so severe a jinx that it’s impossible to be included in the family tree, and I am forbidden to use my biological father’s surname, I dare not bring anything to Aunt for fear of bringing misfortune to you. If I did, it would be my fault if you suffered or died!”

“You…” Old Lady Wang was so furious she nearly fainted.

Zhou Jing continued, “For the sake of Aunt’s family’s well-being, it’s better for us to keep clear boundaries. From now on, your family is your family, and my family is my family. I am of the Zhou surname, and my descendants will also carry the surname, Zhou and never the Wang surname. So, Aunt, please do not come to my Old Zhou family to take things as you please. It may be called taking, but frankly, it’s theft! And thieves should be handed over to the authorities. If necessary, I will not hesitate to drag you to the officials myself.”

Shen Lin made a show of intimidating Old Lady Wang, but someone shouted sternly, “How dare you!”

The crowd parted to reveal Wang Cheng, Zhou Jing’s father.