Chapter 51: Let Second Brother Be the Shopkeeper

Zhou Zhao replied with a smile, “We caught them in the pond next to the vegetable garden!”

Madam Zhou was amazed. She picked up a large grass carp and examined it closely.

The fish was as big as an arm—thick and sturdy. It could probably last them several days.

“There are fish this big in that pond?!” Madam Zhou exclaimed with a bright smile.

Zhou Zhao nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, Mother! Look, we also got these small crucian carp.”

The wild crucian carp weren’t very large, but each one looked plump and meaty.

Madam Zhou’s eyes lit up as she gazed at the bountiful catch. “This is wonderful! I’ll make fish soup for you all later!”

Saying this, she grabbed the big grass carp and headed toward the kitchen.

Zhou Zhao quickly pulled her back. “Mother, there’s more good news!”

“What good news?” Madam Zhou asked eagerly.

Zhou Zhao called Zhou Feng inside. “Second Brother, come in quickly!”

Zhou Feng slowly stepped into the room and smiled at Madam Zhou. “Mother, my eyesight is completely healed.”

Hearing this, Madam Zhou froze in place. Her voice trembled as she asked, “You can see everything clearly?”

Zhou Feng nodded with a smile. “Yes, Mother. Not only can I see everything clearly, but my vision is even sharper and farther than before.”

Madam Zhou was overjoyed. She rushed forward and examined his eyes from all angles. “This is wonderful, Feng’er! After three years, your eyes have finally healed!”

Hearing her words, Zhou Feng felt a lump in his throat. Lowering his head, he said softly, “Thank you, Mother, and thank you, Big Brother and Third Brother, for taking care of me all these years. Without you, my recovery wouldn’t have been so fast.”

Madam Zhou patted his shoulder, smiling through her tears. “That’s what family is for—we take care of each other.”

At that moment, Zhou Feng turned his head toward Du Wanchun. It was the first time he could see his sister-in-law clearly. “And Sister-in-law, thank you for not minding the trouble.”

Du Wanchun smiled warmly. “It’s good that you’re healed.”

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and quickly said, “Second Brother, now that your eyesight is back, I have a job for you—if you’re willing.”

“What kind of job?” Zhou Feng asked.

Du Wanchun explained, “My family runs an incense shop together with the Fang family. I’d like you to be the shopkeeper.”

Zhou Feng was momentarily taken aback and fell into deep thought.

Du Wanchun continued, “Originally, we thought of letting Third Brother do it, but you’re more steady and reliable than he is. I think you’d be a better fit.”

After considering it for a moment, Zhou Feng nodded. “Alright, Sister-in-law. I just so happen to be literate and good at using an abacus. It makes more sense for me to go than Third Brother.”

“You know how to use an abacus?” Du Wanchun was genuinely surprised.

Zhou Zhao grinned and chimed in, “Sister-in-law, you might not know this, but my Second Brother isn’t just good with an abacus—he’s also skilled in both literature and martial arts. His combat skills are on par with Big Brother’s.”

With that casual remark, Zhou Zhao unintentionally revealed a big secret.

Both Zhou Feng and Zhou Ruizhen had been trained in martial arts since childhood.

Based on Zhou Ruizhen’s horsemanship last time, Du Wanchun had already suspected it. However, she never expected the usually silent and reserved Zhou Feng to be just as skilled.

Zhou Zhao added regretfully, “If it weren’t for his blindness, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.”

With a sigh, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of pity.

Madam Zhou quickly stopped them from continuing the discussion and said with a smile, “It’s a good idea for Feng’er to go. I’ve heard that the Fang family’s business even reaches the capital.”

She was hinting to Zhou Feng that working for the Fang family’s business might give him a chance to go to the capital city.

Zhou Feng immediately understood and replied, “Alright, Mother.”

Madam Zhou then picked up two crucian carp and beamed. “Since today is such a happy occasion, let’s cook two extra fish!”

Du Wanchun happily took one of the fish and responded cheerfully, “Alright, Mother!”

The family busied themselves with preparing the fish for soup.

Meanwhile, the two embarrassed brothers, Meng Laosan and Meng Laosi—who had wet their pants earlier—returned to the Meng household with their heads hung low.

As soon as Madam Meng heard that her sons had been bullied by the Zhou boys, she was furious. “Look at that! The Zhou family is getting more and more outrageous! They even dare to bully my sons now!”

Meng Daye, who was sipping wine on the side, curled his mustache and said, “That’s because your sons keep looking for trouble. How many times have I told them? Stop acting like kings in the village.”

Meng Laosi, feeling wronged, pointed to the wound on his neck and wailed, “Father, look! My neck! It was the Zhou family’s second son who did this to me!”

Meng Daye looked down and was startled when he saw the wound.

Although it wasn’t too deep, the bleeding made it look rather frightening.

Madam Meng immediately jumped up in anger. “Look at that wound! We need to go to the Zhou family and make them pay!”

Meng Daye quickly stopped her. “What will you get out of confronting them? Just an argument? Nothing good will come from it. Don’t go stirring up trouble!”

Madam Meng was unwilling to back down. “So we’re just going to let this go?”

Meng Daye took another sip of wine and slowly said, “I heard something about fish earlier?”

Meng Laosan quickly replied, “Zhou Zhao caught a lot of fish from the pond near their field!”

Meng Daye slapped his thigh and said, “That’s it—the fish! Why should their family get to eat such good fish?”

Madam Meng immediately understood his meaning. “Old man, you’re thinking…?”

Meng Daye stood up. “We’ll take all the fish from their pond. Let’s see what they eat then!”

Madam Meng’s eyes gleamed with mischief. She smirked. “Exactly! That widowed woman who married out of the village—why should she still own farmland here? If we can’t have that pond, neither can they!”

With a shared malicious grin, they took their two sons and hurried to the Zhou family’s pond.

However, when they arrived, they were stunned.

Staring at the murky, foul-smelling water, both Meng Daye and Madam Meng were dumbfounded.

They turned angrily to Meng Laosan and Meng Laosi. “Didn’t you say there were fish? Where are the fish in this stinking ditch?!”