Chapter 20: Why Is She Just Like Her Father?

“Brother, open the door!”

“You’re here?”

“Have you eaten? Your sister-in-law is making more food. I told her to cook a few bowls of coarse rice porridge.”

“No need. I’m full from the baked flatbread. I came to deliver the copper coins.”

A timely rain! He’d been fretting over what to do tomorrow. Paying in silver? That would stir up trouble—who could break that?

“I was just worrying about that!” he said, taking the pouch of copper coins. It was a small cloth bundle, surprisingly heavy.

“Give me back the silver,” Zhao Dashu said, holding out his hand.

Liu Shunzi: …

“Here, take it! Now get lost!”

What a damn nuisance!

“Hey now, I’ve decided it’s better to stay inside your Courtyard to deal with the bamboo shoots. Tomorrow, find someone else to help you collect them.”

How could he just refuse like that? It was pitch dark—where was he supposed to find someone else?

“Who am I supposed to find?”

“The Village Chief, of course. He sits at the gate. If he watches over your house and mine, things will quiet down.”

His daughter had said, just treat the Village Chief like a door guardian—pay him thirty copper coins a day to ward off misfortune. It was money well spent. Besides, it was a good way to build ties with him for when the time came to divide the family estate.

“You…” Liu Shunzi pointed at him, too angry to speak. What kind of sin had he committed in a past life to end up as this guy’s Brother?

“You’re doing the Village Chief a huge favor. It’s thirty coins a day—go find him quick. You’ve got things to do. I’m heading home!”

Liu Shunzi watched his swaggering back, furious enough to stomp the ground.

“Wife, I’m off to the Village Chief’s place. Keep the copper coins safe.”

Madam Zheng had already heard. “Go on. Come back early and eat.”

When Zhao Dashu returned home, the whole family was gathered in the Courtyard. What’s going on? Moon gazing?

“Father, Mother, did you miss me?”

“Pfft!” Zhao Zhenyu couldn’t hold it in. Her Father—what a clown.

“Where have you been?”

“Wandering around.”

“Don’t wander tomorrow. Your Brother next door is collecting bamboo shoots. You and your whole family are going to the bamboo forest to harvest shoots. Aren’t you all idle? Roaming around the mountains all day. If you’ve got so much free time, go do some real work.”

“Father, the ten days aren’t up yet. If I want to idle, that’s my business.”

The old man flew into a rage. “Third Zhao, I’ve given you enough face. Don’t push your luck. Tomorrow, you’re going to harvest bamboo shoots—no excuses! I don’t want to hear a word of it!”

“Father, you don’t want to hear it, and I don’t want to say it.”

“Third Zhao, is it that woman stirring you up again? I knew she was a troublemaker. Can’t even bear a son and still has the nerve to go wandering around all day. If I were her, I’d have found a rope and hanged myself long ago.”

Madam Song’s face turned deathly pale. Not having a son—that was her deepest wound.

“Mother, I don’t have a son because I don’t want one. What business is that of yours? I treat my Wife well, so she gets to go out whenever she wants—what of it?”

“How did I give birth to such a shameless thing? Did you never see a woman in your past life?”

Zhao Dashu let out a laugh, more angry than amused. “Maybe I didn’t in my past life. But in this one, I’ve only ever seen my Child’s Mother. I fancy her—no one else.”

Zhao Zhenyu let out a burp. Ugh. That was a whole mouthful of dog food—too much to stomach.

“What’s wrong with not having a son? I’m proud of it. I’ve got Zhenyu and Lihua. I’m more than satisfied.”

“Scoundrel!”

“Father, I dote on my Wife and kids. What’s scoundrelly about that? Want to go outside and ask around?”

The old woman plopped down on the ground. “Oh Heaven! What did I do in a past life to deserve this? I’m this old, yet I work myself to the bone every day. Daughter-in-law and son gallivanting in the streets! I’m so pitiful! I raised them all, and now I have to support his whole family too. What am I even living for? Wuwuwu…”

Zhao Dawen wore a grim face, putting on the airs of a Big Brother. “Third Zhao, Father and Mother are begging you like this. What more do you want? How did you turn out like this? Apologize to them!”

“What did I do wrong? Didn’t Father agree to let me rest for ten days? Have I gone over that? Second Brother, you’re so filial—go harvest! Do it overnight! Don’t stop!”

“Zhao Dashu, are you ignoring me now? Is that it?”

The old woman screamed and lunged at him, scratching his face. He couldn’t fight back—this was his own Mother. In a flash, several bloody claw marks appeared on his face, the blood welling up and looking rather terrifying. Lihua burst into frightened sobs, and Madam Song cried in anguish.

Zhao Zhenyu ran to the Courtyard entrance. “Someone come! Help! Grandmother is going to beat Father to death! Someone’s going to die!!…”

This time, the Old Master Zhao reacted swiftly. “Quick! Shut the Courtyard gate! Third Zhao, get back into the house and stay there!”

Zhao Dashu ignored him. His daughter had called for help—why should he leave? His face was injured for real. Such a handsome face—it was what won him his Wife in the first place!

Bang!

He pulled Madam Song down to kneel with him. Lihua, terrified, followed suit, kneeling beside her parents. The old man’s eyes bulged, and his eyelid started twitching again.

“Father, Mother, please, give your son a way to live!” His voice was full of sorrow. Even knowing he was putting on a show, Zhao Zhenyu couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Madam Song sobbed into her hands, unable to stop crying.

“What’s going on?!”

Madam Zheng arrived first. Others followed soon after. Great—her newly healed leg was going to bruise again. Zhao Zhenyu gritted her teeth and pinched her own thigh.

“Aunt Liu, Grandpa and Grandma want our whole family to harvest bamboo shoots, but they won’t even give us food! Father just said a few words and Grandma cursed him for being unfilial and attacked him! Look at all the blood—he’s bleeding so much!”

Everyone turned to look at Zhao Dashu. Cleverly, he tilted his head just enough to show his bloodied face.

“Ah! A ghost!”

“Heavens! Did Zhao Granny really do that? Is Dashu really her son?”

“Dear heavens, how could anyone hurt someone like that?”

“Such a pitiful family. Look, they’re all kneeling in the Courtyard. The Old Master, the Old Madam, and the Second Zhao’s whole family are heartless.”

That’s right.

“Second Uncle told us to listen to Grandpa and Grandma, said we should do whatever they say, no questions asked. Wuwuwu… But we’re hungry! We haven’t worked these past few days, and Father was up in the mountains visiting Great-Grandfather. No one left us any food at home—we’ve been living on wild vegetable soup.”

Madam Zheng was stunned. What was this girl saying? Accompanying Great-Grandfather? Who was up on the mountain gathering herbs—a ghost?

She’s just like her Father!