Chapter 188: Mingyu Gets a Beating

Zhang Dazhuang was taken aback by his words. Sometimes, his son-in-law seemed unreliable, yet everything he accomplished was sensible, and he spoke and acted with great discretion.

Was he suddenly saying this to himself because he had heard something?

“Mingyu, what do you mean?” he asked.

Mingyu smiled and replied, “Dad, my brother is still too young. Let him stay at home for two years to focus on his studies. When he turns eighteen, I’ll help him enlist in the army.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dazhuang understood what Mingyu meant and joyfully said, “Ah, good, good! Listening to my son-in-law, let him stay at home and work on the farm for two years.”

After finishing, he glanced at Mingyu and reminded him, “Mingyu, since you have nothing to do tonight, your mom and I can help you watch the kids. You three can review together; if there’s something you don’t understand, you can learn from each other.”

Mingyu laughed and replied, “Dad, I’m not going to study. I’ve never been good at it; just looking at books gives me a headache.”

“It’s okay, I’ll have Xiaoling teach you. I guarantee she can help you understand,” Zhang Dazhuang said with a smile.

Hearing his father-in-law’s words, Mingyu suddenly recalled the image of his wife chasing him with a firewood stick, making him feel a sharp sting in his backside.

He cast a resentful glance at his father-in-law and then got up to head home.

“Mingyu, don’t go back. I made dumplings today, so you might as well eat here,” his mother-in-law shouted as she emerged from the kitchen.

He thought for a moment and decided to stay, reasoning that he could eat the dumplings first.

Mingyu had been studying with Zhang Xiaoling and her brother for two nights, but he felt overwhelmed and couldn’t continue. He pretended to be sick.

Zhang Xiaoling, unaware of his past academic performance, believed he was genuinely unwell and suggested he could study once he felt better.

On Sunday, when Lu Xiaoran and Song Mingyuan arrived, Mingyu was outside playing with his daughter.

Seeing the two approaching, he quickly ran over and asked in surprise, “Sister Xiaoran, Brother-in-law, what brings you here? Come on, follow me home.”

Lu Xiaoran and Mingyu were from the same county.

When Lu Xiaoran got married, Lu Xiaotang was away on a mission and couldn’t make it, so she had asked Mingyu to represent her family.

When Mingyu got married, it was also Lu Xiaoran and Song Mingyuan who accompanied Mingyu’s parents to help with the arrangements.

As soon as he entered the house, Mingyu shouted, “Wife, come out quickly! Sister Xiaoran and Brother-in-law are here!”

Zhang Xiaoling quickly came out of the room and warmly greeted, “Sister, Brother-in-law, come in and have a seat.”

Once they were settled in the house, Zhang Xiaoling chatted with them for a while before heading to the kitchen to cook.

Lu Xiaoran asked, “Mingyu, did Xiaotang write to you?”

Mingyu nodded, “Yes, I just received his letter a couple of days ago. Sister Xiaoran, you know about it too, right?”

“I came because I received his letter as well. Since you already know, make sure to study hard,” Lu Xiaoran urged him.

“Oh, my dear sister, you know what my studies are like. I really am not cut out for school; just looking at books gives me a headache,” Mingyu said, distressed.

“Alright, I understand. You and your brother-in-law can chat here; I’ll go help Xiaoling with dinner,” she replied before heading to the kitchen. Mingyu wanted to stop her but couldn’t.

Song Mingyuan looked at him sympathetically, recalling the nights he had been forced to study by his wife and feeling a sense of shared suffering between them.

Since there were still children at home, Lu Xiaoran and Song Mingyuan finished their lunch and soon left.

Mingyu and Zhang Xiaoling walked them to the edge of the village, only returning home after watching them walk away.

Once inside, Zhang Xiaoling placed the firewood stick next to the table and said with a smile, “Mingyu, since there’s nothing going on now, let’s study for a while. If there’s anything we don’t understand, we can help each other out.”

After saying this, she took out the textbooks, while Mingyu pressed his temples.

“Wife, why don’t you call our brother over? You two can study together. I’ve had a headache these past couple of days; I’m going to lie down for a bit,” he said before heading toward the inner room.

Just as Mingyu was about to lie down on the bed, Zhang Xiaoling entered with the firewood stick in hand.

Before long, Mingyu ran out from the inner room, with Zhang Xiaoling chasing him, holding the firewood stick.

“Wife, wife, don’t hit me! What if you scare our daughter? I’ll study, I’ll study, okay?” Mingyu shouted resignedly.

Zhang Xiaoling pointed to a nearby stool with the firewood stick and said, “Sit here and study properly. If you don’t understand something, ask your little brother. If you try to fool me again, I won’t go easy on you!”

Mingyu glanced at the firewood stick in his wife’s hand and then at the books on the table.

He thought to himself that studying was better than getting beaten.