CH 13.2

“What?” Old lady Wang was stunned at first but then screamed, “I dare him!”

“See if he dares!” Zhao Lizheng really wished he could slap some sense into this stupid woman. The village’s child student… Zhao Lizheng no longer cared about old lady Wang and hurriedly asked his eldest son Zhao Yuande to chase.

Zhao Lizheng’s action rattled fearless old lady Wang. “He, he really dared to go to the county school and discredit Zhisong’s reputation?”

“If you don’t believe me, keep messing around!” Zhao Lizheng ignored old lady Wang and shouted to Wang Tianyan, who was still confused about the whole situation, “You and Yuande go after him! If this goes badly, Zhisong’s future will be ruined!” Wang Tianyan looked foolishly at Zhao Lizheng and his own mother before running out in a panic.

The patriarch said so and so did Zhao Lizheng, finally making old lady Wang feel some fear. She sat on the ground after her legs went weak and then howled. “This misfortune star!” How can such a misfortune star marry into my Wang family!”

Zhao Lizheng scolded her. “What’s the use of crying now?! If you hadn’t made such a fuss, there would be no such thing! Shijing is also your son and the eldest one! He didn’t take a single grain of rice from your family, but you are still asking him for money! Is there such a mother as you?! After all, this is your fault!”

Old lady Wang spilled the beans. “He didn’t take a single grain of rice from me? He hid so much private money without saying a word and gave it all to this misfortune star! He is the eldest brother, but didn’t send any money home. Does he not know how much Zhisong’s school cost? He is not filial, and he won’t let me have it!”

Zhao Lizheng pointed at the unrepentant old woman and was so angry that he couldn’t speak. Zhao Liu came out of the house. She was also so angry that she couldn’t speak. What was up with all this crying in her house?

“Wang Tianyan, why don’t you hurry up and pick up your mother-in-law and take her back! Wait for  Tianyan and his family to come back to talk about what is going on. We haven’t even eaten yet after all the trouble they’ve caused! My grandson is still hungry!”

Wang Guo grumbled, “If it wasn’t because big brother was so unethical, how could such a big fuss be made?”

“Hurry back first!” Zhao Lizheng was now too lazy to waste his words anymore with this unreasonable mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and just waved his hand to drive them away. When the patriarch left, so did Wang Tianyan. Wang Guo did not dare to cause trouble in Zhao Lizheng’s house, so he just helped old lady Wang up.

“Zhao Lizheng, you have to do something for us! We can’t have such a wife in the Wang family!” Old lady Wang cried and wept, still confused about the situation. Zhao Lizheng waved his hand again, shooing them away as he asked his little daughter-in-law to send them out. Li Zheng’s little daughter-in-law and his youngest son half shoved old lady Wang and her daughter-in-law.

After they went out, Zhao Liu scolded, “She thought she still had a say and just wanted to pick up a fight and scold people. That Shao Yunan already said that he separated from the Shao family. If she can get Shijing to divorce Shao Yunan, then she is really capable! I’ll see if she can get what she wants!”

Zhao Lizheng’s wife really hated old lady Wang’s family very much and was even disgusted with them. She had two sons, Zhao Yuande and Zhao Yuanqing who both attended private schools, but neither of them took the scholarship exam. After Wang Zhisong was praised by the private school master, old lady Wang constantly criticized Zhao Liu’s family, showing off that her son was very smart and would definitely be a scholar in the future. Later, when Zhao Yuande married Zhao He, old lady Wang even laughed behind her back at Zhao Yuande’s inability to study. Since her eldest son married a male wife, old lady Wang did not like male wives very much.

This time, Wang Zhisong passed the scholarship exam, so old lady Wang started to say even more that the village will have to rely on their family’s Wang Zhisong in the future. While also saying that the two sons of Zhao Lizheng’s family were hopeless and the eldest grandson of Zhao Lizheng’s family was probably as useless as his father. As a mother and grandmother, how could Zhao Liu tolerate others scolding her sons and grandson? Coupled with the fact that old lady Wang was not a good person and did not know how to behave as a human being, Zhao Liu always felt sick when she saw old lady Wang.

After letting his wife scold for a few minutes to relieve her anger, Zhao Lizheng asked her to cook. Then he asked Aunt Wang, who had been silent all this time, “Did Shijing’s wife really go to the county school to look for Zhisong?”

“Really, I wouldn’t lie to you.” Aunt Wang said. “As soon as Yunan heard that old lady Wang came to ask for the stone and money, he threw the basket from his back and didn’t even go home. He just robbed Ergouzi’s family donkey and went to the county town, saying that he would find Wang Zhisong to judge.”

Zhao Lizheng took a deep breath and then sat down and slapped the table hard. “Every one of them is a heartless one!”

Aunt Wang hummed, “Originally, it was the Wang family that didn’t care. The family has been separated, what people sell and what kind of money they get, they shouldn’t be interested about it. It’s like Shijing wasn’t their son. They forced Song to leave and now they also want Yunan to leave? Shijing already separated from their family, but have no land or house, and they still want to snatch away his money? Whoever heard it would say that it was unreasonable. Although I am also a member of the Wang clan, I also know that people can’t force a tree to bend forever before it snaps. You can’t be biased in favor of the Wang family in the matter of Shijing’s family.”

Fourth Uncle Wang also followed by saying, “This time it was really the Wang family that went too far. The deed of separation is written clearly. From now on, the two sides don’t have anything to do with each other. This was written clearly in black and white. If it’s not recognized later, who would believe in a separation deed after that? Wang Zhisong is a scholar. It’s impossible for him to not understand this principle?”

“Alas…” Zhao Lizheng sighed with a sad expression. He also had something to take care of, but he couldn’t help wondering, “Does Shijing’s wife really dare to go to the county school?”

Zhao Liu said angrily, “We should also go there!”

Zhao Lizheng said angrily, “Don’t talk too much, you should go and cook woman!”

Zhao Liu went out angrily. It was difficult for her to quarrel with her family head when an outsider was around. Even if Wang Zhisong obtained the first prize, what good would it do to the Zhao family? This time, old lady Wang brought out Wang Wenhe, obviously to pressure the head of her family. Zhao Liu was the wife of Lizheng, so how could she stand seeing other people pressuring her husband.

The county school was a forbidden place that is unattainable for most families and has a status comparable to that of the Yamen office, so that nobody would date to touch it at will. Even Zhao Lizheng did not believe that Shao Yunan would really have the courage to go to the county school to find Wang Zhisong. In fact, everyone present muttered to themselves, Aunt Wang, Uncle Wang, and even Wang Wenhe, who had left earlier did not believe it. 

The reason why they sent someone to chase after Shao Yunan was only to make a statement and give Shao Yunan an opportunity to scare old lady Wang, so his family could live in peace. People have their own thoughts, but how could they have thought that Shao Yunan really would dare to go to the county school? For a modern man, there is no school that he cannot be admitted to. Even if it was equivalent to the most famous school of the state of great Yuan in the capital for the State Scholarship, he would still dare to break in.

Zhao Yuanqing, the second son of Lizheng, said on the side, “If you dare, wait until someone comes back. Wang Zhisong should also talk with the family patriarch to not let old lady Wang fool around outside anymore.” Old lady Wang’s surname was Zhu, but it was taboo to call her Wang Zhu, so after such a long time no one in the village called her by her original surname anymore.  

Zhao Lizhen sighed again. Wang Wenhe should be able to control Wang Dali’s family, since their family was an important part of the Wang clan. Wang Wenhe’s feelings were different from his. After all, he was not a member of the Wang clan. Even if Wang Zhisong obtains merit in the future, it will only bring fame to Xiushui village, but the glory and wealth would only be related to the Wang clan. He, Zhao Lizheng can only see Wang Zhisong’s future merit.