“Hey, you ungrateful child, how dare you talk like that!” Liu Chunhua hated it when the younger generation talked back, especially when it was someone she looked down on like Shen Ruo. Anger immediately flared in her chest like a burning fire.
“Everyone come and see! This is my wonderful grandson. He actually said having us as his grandparents is like suffering a curse from a past life! What kind of hatred is that?” Liu Chunhua shouted at the top of her lungs, her sharp, high-pitched voice almost carrying across the entire Shenjia Village.
Shen Ruo didn’t flinch at all. He stood tall and straight.
Go ahead, shout all you want, the more people, the better.
His father had swallowed years of grievances, not because he was weak, but out of respect for the parents who raised him, never wanting to tear the family apart. But Shen Ruo had no such restraint. Liu Chunhua and Shen Niushan were not his real grandparents, and he would have no obligation to support them in the future.
The more people around, the better to expose everything, to let everyone see the true faces of the Shen Hong family and of Shen Niushan and Liu Chunhua!
But in this era, talking back to elders was seen as immoral. The surrounding women tried to persuade him.
“Ruo Ge’er, how can someone of your generation speak like this? Apologize to your grandparents quickly.”
“Yes, if other children in the village copy this, every household would be in chaos, wouldn’t they?”
“How could you say something like that? No matter what, they’re still your grandparents.”
Li Shantao’s face turned red with anger. Facing the crowd, she cursed for the first time: “You don’t know anything!”
“My Ruo’er isn’t wrong. Meeting them really is a curse.”
“Look, this is my wonderful daughter-in-law. What a disaster! How could our old Shen family raise such ungrateful brats!” Liu Chunhua nearly shouted, then clutched her chest: “I’m about to die of anger. Oh, I can hardly breathe.”
The crowd all sided with the old lady, stepping forward to comfort her so she wouldn’t harm herself, thinking Shen Ruo didn’t deserve this.
Shen Ruo watched her exaggerated shouting and theatrics. She definitely wouldn’t die from anger, at least, she still looked like she had many years left. After all, disaster lasts a thousand years, right?
“Finished scolding?” Shen Ruo curled the corner of his lips into a cold smile and said, “You keep calling my family ungrateful, but can you give a single example? Just shouting isn’t enough to slap a label on us. And I could say some people are disrespectful to their elders, shameless in old age, moral degenerates, and scum.”
Seeing that they were about to shout again, he added:
“I haven’t even started cursing yet. Don’t take it upon yourselves.”
Liu Chunhua snapped, “Fine, I’ll tell you! The chickens, ducks, and sheep in your uncle’s house were all raised by me. Who agreed to let you take them?! Even the grandparents’ rations you dared to touch, what were you thinking?!”
“Take them? These are all written in black and white in the compensation agreement. If you don’t believe me, call the village head and elders, they can all testify for me.” Shen Ruo didn’t get hysterical like her. To deal with people like this, one had to step out of reality and look down from above. No matter how much she stomped her feet, Shen Ruo didn’t care.
Arguing with her would only be an insult to himself.
“So what? I raised these chickens and ducks, so they’re mine. If I don’t agree to you taking them, you have to return them!” Liu Chunhua didn’t care about anything else, these animals belonged to her. No signature or agreement could override that. If they didn’t return them, they were ungrateful, unfilial.
Shen Ruo almost laughed in disbelief at her anger. “Shen Ziying is the one who signed the papers. Go ask her. Why are you coming to me?”
He wondered why people who had barely interacted with him for years since the family split were suddenly rushing over, turns out it was for this matter.
“I’ve heard everything. You even want to cheat my family out of silver? Shameless. Let me tell you, don’t even think about it. Return the chickens and ducks quickly, and I won’t hold it against you. We could still remain relatives,” Liu Chunhua said, arms crossed.
Li Shantao, furious, couldn’t hold back: “You’re the shameless one! This mess was stirred up by Shen Fugui. He’s the one trying to swindle my family’s silver. Still talk about being relatives? I spit on that! I’d rather have no relatives than these!”
Her parents-in-law had always favored the younger son. Before the family split, it was the Shen Hong family enjoying the benefits while her family worked like hired laborers, only to gain nothing in the end. Yet her in-laws still called her family a nest of ungrateful brats.
Anger and resentment surged in Li Shantao’s heart, almost making her collapse from fury.
Shen Ruo quickly held his mother and patted her back to soothe her: “Mother, take a deep breath and calm down.”
Shen Dashan and Shen Feng had been working in the fields, but someone rushed over to inform them that Liu Chunhua was in conflict with the family. They immediately headed home.
When they arrived, they heard Li Shantao’s words. Shen Dashan silently walked over to his wife.
He felt resentment too, but because she had given birth to him, criticizing her would be unfilial.
Shen Feng first comforted his younger brother and daughter-in-law, then immediately stood beside Shen Ruo to back him up.
With furious eyes, Shen Feng glared: “Shen Fugui even came into our house to steal things, and that account hasn’t been settled yet. And now you come looking for our family?”
Shen Ruo said, “Exactly. Besides, the compensation agreement clearly states everything in black and white, and Shen Ziying signed it. What was given to my family is our property. If you want to claim it, and Shen Fugui’s theft also needs to be dealt with, go ahead and call the village head.”
Liu Shan, holding Ergou, was about to go find the village head. People in Shenjia Village always believed in this: if there’s a problem, the village head can solve it.
Liu Chunhua’s heart skipped a beat, and she cried: “Just because you have more people, you think you’re right? Bullying an old woman, and you still call yourselves not ungrateful?!”
The village head held great authority in this era, and everyone feared him. Having lived most of her life, she knew Shen Ziying’s little scheme, she just wanted Liu Chunhua to come forward to retrieve the chickens and ducks herself.
The elder son’s family had always been gentle, only Shen Feng was a little aggressive, but filial piety kept him in check. Now, for some unknown reason, one after another dared to confront her.
She had only planned to make a small fuss to get the animals back and never imagined this would go all the way to the village head. Not to mention, she had no idea Shen Fugui had done such a thing. How could she admit that? Theft was a serious crime in the village!
“What could there possibly be in your house worth stealing? All lies. Does Fugui even care about your things? Even a dog wouldn’t believe it!” Shen Niushan suddenly spoke from the side. His priority was always his younger son and eldest grandson. Shen Fugui was two years older than Shen Feng, and he couldn’t bear to hear anyone disparage him.
“I have witnesses and physical evidence. Once the village head arrives, I’ll hand it over to him,” Shen Ruo said. Ever since he learned that Shen Fugui had come into his house, he had prepared for all outcomes. Coincidentally, there was a spot on the kitchen floor that often got wet when scooping water. Shen Ruo carefully examined it and found a shoe print. From then on, the family was told not to touch that spot, just waiting for the Shen Hong family to cause trouble again so he could reveal it.
Although Shen Niushan valued Shen Fugui, he knew perfectly well that the boy was a rogue. Now that he heard there was evidence, his face turned red and his neck thickened with anger, but he insisted stubbornly: “Who knows if this is all a setup? The evidence could all be fake!”
No one around expected this to even involve theft. Everyone in the village knew what kind of person Shen Fugui was, a notorious troublemaker. It was very believable that he could do something like this.
“Whether it’s fake or not, we’ll know when the village head arrives,” Shen Ruo said calmly.
While waiting for the village head and elders to come, Liu Chunhua continued cursing more viciously with each sentence. Shen Feng could no longer tolerate it and started arguing back.
Shen Ruo walked over to Shen Dashan and spoke quietly: “Father, later I want to reveal all the past events. Please don’t blame me.”
Shen Dashan was silent for a long while.
Li Shantao had always known Shen Dashan to be extremely filial. Before the family split, he obeyed his parents completely. Even when the split hurt him because they sided with Shen Hong, he still prepared festival gifts for his parents every year.
Seeing his wife and child looking at him with hope, Shen Dashan’s eyes gradually shifted from evasive to resolute.
He was a man who valued family honor above all. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so disappointed in Shen Ruo for what had happened before. Being unfilial was naturally wrong, and he wanted to set an example for the younger generation… but…
Shen Dashan seemed to make a firm decision. With red eyes, he glanced once at his still-cursing wife and then closed his own eyes.
He said in a deep voice: “…I don’t blame you.”
That was his agreement. Shen Ruo had truly feared that his father might take it badly. After all, in this era, being unfilial meant everyone would scold you openly, and not everyone had the courage to speak back to their parents.
Shen Ruo then told his mother to go home and watch Xiao Yuntun. This matter wouldn’t be resolved quickly, and he couldn’t calm his mind while Xiao Yuntun was alone at home.
Li Shantao immediately turned back to go home.
The village head and elders arrived soon after. Gu Yun, the only scholar in the village, had a certain prestige, so he was summoned as well.
Seeing them arrive, Liu Chunhua slightly restrained herself, but she still cursed about unfilial behavior, ungratefulness, and the immorality of talking back to elders. Then she called Shen Dashan, demanding that he control his son and punish him severely, or else he was unfilial too.
Shen Ruo’s gaze grew even colder. A label of “unfilial” was enough to crush a person, leaving them powerless and scolded by everyone.
But was his father really unfilial?!
“If I don’t count my elder brother, does that mean my father isn’t filial?”
Shen Ruo sneered: “If my father isn’t filial, then what would a filial person even look like?”
“Is it hiding at home, using your own grandparents as pawns? Or working in town for a month for a few silver coins and not giving any to your parents?”
The sarcasm implied in his words nearly drove Liu Chunhua and Shen Niushan mad.
Shen Niushan was even worse, he rushed forward, raising his hand to strike Shen Ruo. His sharp words had already stoked the fire in his heart.
Shen Feng didn’t expect Shen Niushan to actually try to hit someone and had no time to react.
Shen Ruo wasn’t afraid at all. How much strength could someone halfway into the grave really have?
“Stop!” the village head shouted, seeing the situation escalating.
But Shen Niushan didn’t care, he was determined to hit Shen Ruo, and no one could stop him!
Just as his palm was about to land on Shen Ruo’s face, Shen Ruo lifted a hand and grabbed Shen Niushan’s wrist, then squeezed hard.
“Ah!” Shen Niushan screamed in agony. “L-let go of me!”
Shen Niushan was over sixty. Older people’s bones are brittle, and Shen Ruo had grown significantly stronger than before. He hadn’t even used much force, he didn’t want to break bones and end up paying medical fees.
“You really have no shame. Let go of him!” Liu Chunhua, shocked that Shen Ruo dared to fight back, raised her hand to slap him.
Shen Ruo didn’t let go. One hand held Shen Niushan’s wrist, while the other blocked Liu Chunhua’s slap and simultaneously grabbed her wrist as well.
“Ah… it’s going to break!” Liu Chunhua screamed.
Both elders were in visible pain. Shen Ruo had pressed on the acupoints inside their wrists. It hurt intensely, and while the numbness was real, it wasn’t injurious.
He flicked his hands to the sides, and both fell to the ground, howling in pain.
Even the quick village head couldn’t stop him. But since the two elders had started it, Shen Ruo was only defending himself and hadn’t really harmed them, so the head didn’t comment further, he just warned Shen Ruo not to be so impulsive in the future, to speak calmly instead of using his hands.
Shen Ruo smiled at him, though whether he understood or not was unclear.
Liu Chunhua’s face darkened. She glared at Shen Ruo as if she wanted to tear him apart: “Is this how you treat your grandparents?! You should have been drowned in a chamber pot right after birth, then none of this would have happened. You were born to be my curse!”
Shen Ruo sneered: “Then why are you still alive?”
Wasn’t all this supposed to be curses coming down on you? Yet here she was, still alive, jumping around and trying to hit people.
The surrounding villagers, hearing Shen Ruo’s words, all thought the same thing and couldn’t help snickering.
Seeing that no one came to her defense, Liu Chunhua, furious, stomped her feet and stood up again, ready to hit Shen Ruo.
“Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson for your father. Shameless wretch, giving birth to a bastard and still having the nerve to live in this world! I spit on you, I would have hanged myself on a tree long ago!”
“Grandma Liu, a gentleman uses his words, not his hands.”
Gu Yun stepped forward to stop her, and the people around also tried to persuade them, saying, “Let’s talk this out calmly.”
“I’m no gentleman! Today I’m going to smash his mouth, no one can stop me!” Liu Chunhua shoved Gu Yun aside and raised her hand to strike Shen Ruo.
Shen Ruo was never the type to be bullied. Xiao Yuntun was his bottom line, he could ignore insults aimed at himself, treating the speaker as a mere fool, but anyone who insulted Xiao Yuntun would not be tolerated.
Hearing that, he immediately stepped forward and struck Liu Chunhua.
It stunned her completely!
Gu Yun couldn’t hold Liu Chunhua back and then tried to stop Shen Ruo, but before he could even speak, Shen Ruo had already acted.
Gu Yun was silent.
Shen Ruo said, “Sorry, Gu Yun. I’m not exactly a gentleman either.”
“How dare you hit me?!” Liu Chunhua’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. She looked as if she could kill Shen Ruo on the spot. She grabbed the pole she had brought and swung it at him.
The situation escalated, from an ordinary scuffle to a fight with weapons.
Gu Yun tried his best to shield Shen Ruo. Shen Feng stepped forward to grab the pole.
But Liu Chunhua seemed to have gone mad. Anyone who tried to stop her was struck, Shen Feng and Gu Yun were hit several times each.
The pole had nails on both ends, used originally to secure baskets with hemp ropes. Now it had become a highly dangerous weapon.
Protected by others, Shen Ruo was unharmed. The onlookers, seeing Liu Chunhua’s frenzy, all stepped back to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
The village head took a few deep breaths, furrowed his brows tightly, held his breath, and shouted: “Everyone, stop, right, now!”
The birds in the trees were startled, and the entire village fell silent.
Liu Chunhua paused for a moment, then waved the pole twice more in a show of defiance before planting it on the ground, breathing heavily from exertion.
“What kind of scene is this! How are we supposed to look to the outside if this incident spreads?” The village head always prioritized the villagers’ interests. Over the years he had acted dutifully and fairly. Although Shenjia Village was poor, any issues could be settled through him, and he was known to be impartial and just, judging the matter on its own merits.
For these reasons, the village head commanded great respect in Shenjia Village, and the elders valued his opinion highly.
Liu Chunhua snorted a few times but said nothing.
The village head was the same generation as Shen Dashan, but she was older and a senior, so even as village head, he had to show respect to elders.
“Explain carefully, why exactly did this trouble happen?” the village head asked Liu Chunhua and Shen Niushan first.
Liu Chunhua said angrily, “Those shameless brats stole the chickens, ducks, and sheep I raised! They must be returned to me. And he even slapped me just now! Such unfilial grandchildren deserve to be punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall!”
In Shenjia Village, very few people were actually forced to kneel in the ancestral hall. That was reserved for the gravest offenses against the ancestors. If someone really had to kneel there, their life would be ruined, everyone would despise them.
To think she wanted to drag her own grandson there over this, what a deep-seated grudge!
The surrounding villagers exchanged uneasy glances. This old woman really had a cruel heart.
“Kneeling in the ancestral hall seems a bit extreme. Weren’t those chickens and ducks already compensated to Shen Ruo? There’s even a signed compensation agreement.”
“Yeah… didn’t expect Liu Chunhua to be so ruthless. After all, he’s still her blood relative…”
Liu Chunhua’s face grew darker as she listened to the villagers’ words.
The village head said, “That compensation agreement was drafted by Scholar Gu, and the elders and I witnessed it. Once it’s established, it cannot be revoked. Even if you raised those chickens and ducks, you cannot take them back.”
Liu Chunhua was immediately unhappy. “Cannot take them back? I’m his elder! Isn’t it his duty to show filial respect to me? They should return all those chickens, ducks, and sheep, and give me extra compensation!”
Shen Ruo couldn’t help but laugh at such audacity.
He said, “Why don’t we first talk about Shen Fugui?”
There was no point in arguing with her. It was more important for everyone to first see the true nature of Shen Hong’s family.
“Village head, the day before yesterday, Shen Fugui sneaked into my house to steal. I have both witnesses and evidence,” Shen Ruo said. Just as he finished, Liu Shan arrived with Ergou and Shen Xin.
Whether it was harming ewes or whatever else he planned, once someone was caught entering the house, there was no escaping the charge of theft, especially with evidence left behind.
Theft was a serious crime. If caught in town, he would have to be handed over to the authorities!
Having such a person in the village was a stain. It had to be contained so outsiders wouldn’t know, or everyone would know that a thief came from Shenjia Village.
“Go fetch Shen Fugui,” the village head said. This matter could escalate or be contained. If it got out of hand, it would have to go to the authorities. The best outcome was a private settlement to minimize damage to the village’s reputation.
When Shen Fugui arrived, he was in a foul mood, looking as if he had just woken up, his hair in disarray.
The village head and elders frowned at his messy appearance.
“Shen Ruo says you sneaked into his house to steal the day before yesterday. Do you admit it?” The village head’s intimidating tone instantly sobered Shen Fugui.
“I don’t! I didn’t steal anything!”
“Liar! I was outside gathering firewood and saw you sneak into Shen Ruo’s house! I saw it with my own eyes!” Shen Xin shouted.
“You little brat, stop making things up! I was home sleeping all day the day before yesterday. My sister can vouch for me!” Shen Fugui said calmly, without flushing or panting.
Shen Ziying didn’t expect things to escalate this far. She couldn’t stay at home either, so she immediately followed them out. Hearing what her brother said, what else could she do? She had been cooped up in her room these past few days taking care of her skin and hadn’t noticed what her brother had been up to, but she immediately added, “Yes, I can testify, my brother was at home all day that day!”
“I have physical evidence. Come with me back to my house and you’ll see for yourselves,” Shen Ruo said.
Facts speak louder than words. Once they went back, the truth would become clear.
Shen Fugui didn’t believe Shen Ruo could have any real evidence. “Who knows if you just faked something of mine? And you think that proves I sneaked in to steal?”
“You’ll see when we get there,” Shen Ruo said calmly, leading everyone toward his home.
Shen Dashan lagged behind. His parents didn’t pay him any attention, not even a glance.
He forced a bitter smile.
When the group entered Shen Dashan’s house, Shen Ruo led the village head, Gu Yun, and several elders into the kitchen. The ewe, hearing the noise, stood and bleated twice, and the two lambs started bleating as well.
Shen Ruo showed them the footprint in the corner. The soil there had dried hard, so stepping on it wouldn’t erase the mark. The village head compared it with his own foot. The print was the size of an average adult’s foot, but noticeably wider than his own.
“Bring Shen Fugui in and have him step on it!” the village head said.
Shen Ziying also wanted to go in and see, but she was stopped. Frustrated, she clenched her handkerchief.
From her angle outside, she could see Shen Ruo and Gu Yun standing together, and it made her heart ache.
Liu Chunhua believed her eldest grandson and granddaughter, there was no way Shen Fugui could have come to steal while he hadn’t even left home! That “physical evidence” had to be fabricated! And as for the witness, that little kid couldn’t understand anything; just give him a piece of candy and he’d say anything.
“I see what’s going on, you’re so desperate for money that you want to extort us! Twenty chickens and ducks plus sheep gone and you still aren’t satisfied, now you’re pulling stunts like this to frame us?! And really, in this lousy place, would anyone even steal? What’s there to steal, my chickens? My ducks? …Or maybe come to steal the manure?” Liu Chunhua mocked, laughing aloud at her own words.
Shenjia Village was poor. Aside from the village head’s family and Shen Hong’s household, most families lived in mud-and-tile houses like Shen Dashan’s. Hearing Liu Chunhua’s ridicule, many of the onlookers felt stung.
Wasn’t she basically looking down on poor people?
Shen Fugui was quickly dragged in. The moment he saw the footprint, he didn’t want to move forward.
He never imagined that Shen Ruo would actually find real evidence!
Shen Fugui took a long time before stepping forward, and Liu Chunhua’s laughter faltered. Could it be that what Shen Ruo said was true?
Shen Ziying clutched her handkerchief tightly. Her brother, hopeless as he was, always managed to get into trouble, so she wasn’t surprised by anything he did, but surely he hadn’t left an actual handle for them to catch him with, had he?
Shen Fugui was pressed forward to compare his foot with the print. The moment he stepped on it, he quickly rubbed his feet left and right, trying to erase the impression.
But what Shen Fugui didn’t realize was that Shen Ruo had already thought one step ahead.
In the past few days, whenever the family cooked rice, he would save a small bowl of rice water and pour it over this footprint. Rice water mixed with soil was known even in ancient times as a remarkably strong material used by emperors to build city walls. After Shen Ruo poured rice water over the footprint twice a day, the soil had hardened like rock and could preserve the print for a long time.
“That’s definitely Shen Fugui’s footprint. The soles are different, but the size is exactly the same!” one sharp-eyed elder said.
The others crowded around to look and nodded in agreement.
With that, Shen Fugui’s theft was effectively established.
Shen Fugui was furious, he hadn’t actually stolen anything!
He had only heard from his brothers that the meat of an unborn lamb was the most tender and nourishing, so he had intended to sneak in, take that ewe, slaughter it, and roast it with his brothers. Moreover, the ewe originally belonged to his family. At home, his parents would never have allowed him to kill a sheep, but now that it was at Shen Dashan’s house, he thought it would be easier. So he came up with the idea.
But as soon as he entered, he heard Li Shantao approaching, and the ewe, frightened, bleated incessantly. He had no choice but to return empty-handed.
He stubbornly said, “This isn’t even my footprint! Anyone could stamp this if they had my shoes. How can this be considered evidence?”
Shen Feng snapped, “Shen Xin saw you go into my kitchen, stop denying it!”
“I didn’t! Don’t try to pin this on me!” Shen Fugui refused to admit it, thinking no one could touch him and acting arrogant.
“Fine. Since you insist, I’ll ask you directly,” Shen Ruo said, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. “In my kitchen, there aren’t just two sheep, there’s also a sika deer. Did you steal it?”
A sika deer was extremely valuable, these days even a fawn could sell for five taels of silver!
Shen Fugui hadn’t even seen a sika deer, let alone stolen one.
“I didn’t even see a sika deer when I came in!” Shen Fugui blurted out.
The moment he said it, he nearly bit his tongue.
Damn, it was Shen Ruo digging a trap for him!
The situation was already obvious. The village head and elders all looked at him with expressions of disappointment.
The people outside were waiting for news. As soon as it became clear that Shen Fugui had come to steal, a chorus of jeers erupted.
If it were confirmed that someone in the village was a thief, it would tarnish the reputation of their entire family. No one wanted to have others call them “the thief’s father,” “the thief’s sister,” or “the thief’s grandparents.”
From then on, if anything went missing, everyone would immediately think of the village thief first.
Liu Chunhua and Shen Niushan both widened their eyes, feeling completely humiliated. Shen Ziying’s eyes were red with shame, Shen Fugui always caused trouble, and now she truly hated her brother.
Shen Fugui still stubbornly protested, “So what if I came? I didn’t steal anything! I was just passing by!”
Shen Feng shot back, “You’re really something, just passing by and managed to end up in someone else’s kitchen.”
Shen Fugui clung to his excuse: “I really didn’t steal anything! I just came to check on my family’s sheep, what’s wrong with that?”
“You just wanted to steal the sheep! You’ve been staring at your own sheep at home every day, haven’t you seen enough?” Shen Feng glared at him.
Shen Fugui, always bold with the weak and afraid of the strong, felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on him. Their disdain made his chest tighten.
He lifted his chin and said, “I came to look at the sheep, believe it or not!”
“Then explain why the sheep went into premature labor after you looked at it,” Shen Ruo said, hitting the nail on the head.
The villagers finally realized, either he had intended to steal the sheep, or he wanted to harm it. Either way, it was shameful.
If his intent was to harm the sheep, that was even worse. Who wouldn’t fear someone silently sneaking into their home and killing their animals? Even if one had a grievance, there’d be no way to seek justice.
“How should I know? The sheep going into labor has nothing to do with me!” Shen Fugui stubbornly denied it.
By now, his mind was turning fast. He quickly added, “Are you all deliberately setting me up? Why didn’t you mention this that day and waited until today?”
“Don’t believe them! I really am not a thief! I didn’t steal anything!” Shen Fugui shouted.
Shen Ruo shook his head and sighed, “Originally, I was considerate, it’s family, after all, so I didn’t want to make a big deal of it.”
He blinked hard, making his eyes red, and looking at Shen Niushan and Liu Chunhua, he continued with a face full of sorrow: “But… today, my heart is truly broken.”
The villagers remembered how Liu Chunhua had gone mad earlier, swinging the carrying pole at Shen Ruo and shouting terrible things.
It was entirely her own doing. Shen Ruo had intended not to press charges against Shen Fugui, but today they had come, yelling and hitting.
No one’s patience is endless; naturally, he had to resist!
Shen Dashan’s younger son really was a good person, he knew Shen Fugui had come to steal but didn’t immediately expose him, still thinking of family ties. But what Liu Chunhua and the others did today was excessive and unreasonable, so Shen Ruo had to lay it all out.
It was pitiful for Shen Dashan’s family to have relatives like that.
Just look at Shen Ruo, he’s so upset he’s about to cry, having been told by his grandparents that he should have been drowned at birth. Imagine how wronged he must feel!
And now, with the ironclad evidence and Shen Fugui’s own admission that he had entered the house, nearly everyone sided with Shen Ruo.
“This Shen Fugui really isn’t a good person!”
“Ugh, what the hell! Didn’t succeed in stealing, so now you’re throwing a tantrum? Could it be that he was egging his grandparents on to come and demand something?”
“I’d say that’s very likely.”
Shen Ziying, being accused of stirring her grandparents, felt herself being indirectly blamed and her face darkened further.
Shen Fugui’s face turned red with anger. He had never been spoken to like this in his life, not even his own parents had ever pointed a finger and scolded him, and now he simply couldn’t take it.
He shouted, “Shut the hell up! Everyone shut your mouths, and if anyone says another word, I’ll smack you!”
“Scared, are you? Doing bad things and still acting all tough? People like this belong handed over to the authorities!” a straightforward aunt shot back.
“Yeah! Why so aggressive toward us?”
For the first time, Shen Fugui felt the humiliation and rage of being surrounded and scolded by villagers he had always looked down on. Fuming, he wanted to turn and leave, but Shen Feng grabbed him.
In the village, when a thief appeared, the worst punishment was banishment, never allowed to return. A lighter punishment was simply paying some silver to settle it privately.
The village head asked Shen Ruo whether he wanted to settle privately or let the elders punish him.
Everyone assumed Shen Ruo would choose a private settlement, because that way he could get instant compensation. If the case went to the authorities or the elders punished him, there would be no compensation at all.
Shen Ziying, and even her grandparents, thought Shen Ruo would settle privately so they could extort a hefty sum from their own family.
Shen Ruo said, “Let the elders handle the punishment.”
He didn’t want to involve the authorities. Going to the government would leave a permanent record, and everyone would know a thief came from Shenjia Village, seriously damaging the village’s reputation.
He also refused a private settlement. Shen Ruo had pride; taking money would only stir jealousy among villagers and make him look like someone who’d let cash blind him. There was nothing to gain, and the family wasn’t short on money, there was no reason to sacrifice his newly established reputation for a few coins.
The elders stroked their beards, realizing that this young man from Shen Dashan’s household had matured a lot since his child was born. Not only had he grown personally, but he also thought of the village’s welfare, a young man with real perspective.
They all nodded. This boy was indeed impressive. Although a bit naive before, he had changed. His measured approach to handling situations set an example for other young villagers.
Shen Fugui’s mouth twisted with anger. Despite his roguish ways, as long as he remained in the village, he had to accept the judgment of the head and the elders. Only by registering in the town could he escape their authority.
This time, Shen Niushan couldn’t help him. He could only watch as several strong young villagers held his eldest grandson in place.
Liu Chunhua, disregarding everything, shouted curses: “My Fugui didn’t steal the sheep, so how can he be called a thief! You’re not allowed to take him!”
“Grandma…” tears rolled down Shen Fugui’s pale, chubby face. At this moment, he was genuinely touched.
“[1]A murderer wants to kill, and the victim is only one breath from dying—does that make him a murderer? – because someone is accused or seems close to committing a wrongdoing doesn’t … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1939153_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1939153_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });A murderer wants to kill, and the victim is only one breath from dying, does that make him a murderer?” Shen Ruo said coldly.
Then Shen Ruo heard Liu Chunhua utter the classic line parents and elders often use to excuse a child’s misbehavior:
“He’s still just a kid! He doesn’t understand. We can teach him properly. You can’t take him away!”
Liu Chunhua immediately tried to intervene, if this had been officially confirmed, her whole family would never be able to lift their heads again!
The village head said, “Let’s keep this matter within Shenjia Village and not spread it outside.” Fortunately, Shen Ruo was considerate of the village’s reputation. Shen Fugui hadn’t actually stolen anything yet; if he had, resolving this would have been far more difficult.
The surrounding villagers all promised to keep it a secret. But gossip in a village spreads incredibly fast, and with the aunts’ exaggerated telling of the story, it was sure to circulate quickly throughout all of Shenjia Village.
Shen Fugui was soon taken away, and no matter how much Liu Chunhua kicked and screamed, there was nothing she could do.
Her anger toward Shen Ruo intensified, if he hadn’t pushed Shen Fugui forward, none of this would have happened.
It’s all his fault!
“You despicable, dog-born beast! Must you always go against us? Fugui is your own cousin, and you treat him like this?!” Liu Chunhua tried to rush forward to strike him again but was immediately stopped by those nearby.
“Aunt Liu, you’re overreacting! Shen Fugui did this to himself,” one of the aunts said.
“They’re all relatives, don’t make it so ugly. We’ll all still be living in the same village later.”
“Exactly, Ruo Ge’er has already let him off, so just stop.”
The villagers who tried to reason with her were well-intentioned, but Liu Chunhua didn’t appreciate it one bit. The more they persuaded her, the more she got angrier at Shen Ruo for receiving their sympathy.
“Shen Dashan! You unfilial son, why aren’t you managing your good ge’er? If you won’t, I’ll do it myself!”
At this point, Liu Chunhua turned her anger toward Shen Dashan.
Shen Dashan had been standing to the side like an invisible man, but now he was pushed forward, facing his mother directly.
Out of years of habit, he first said, “Mother.”
“You still call yourself my son? Then go teach this troublemaker a proper lesson!” Liu Chunhua pointed at Shen Ruo and scolded.
Shen Dashan didn’t move or speak, he was like a statue, exuding a cold aura.
“Great. You unfilial son! Now you’re trying to upset me too, huh?” Liu Chunhua didn’t expect that even her eldest son, whom she thought she could control, would sit there crying and wailing. Anyone who didn’t know better might think she had suffered some terrible injustice.
Shen Hong, who was working in town, had just been informed by familiar villagers that his mother and eldest brother’s family were in conflict and on the verge of fighting, and he needed to hurry back to help.
He had just arrived, jumping down from a ox cart outside the grocery store, and immediately saw his mother sitting on the ground, crying hoarsely.
And his eldest brother, Shen Dashan, just stood to the side, watching coldly.
Shen Hong usually looked down on this honest, simple-minded eldest brother, thinking he was good for nothing but hard labor.
Seeing their mother crying, Shen Hong immediately rushed forward, putting on the guise of a dutiful son, and turned to Shen Dashan: “Brother! What did you do to make Mother this upset? Come on, apologize to her right now!”
Shen Dashan said, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
This was the first time in all these years that Shen Dashan spoke with any backbone.
In the past, in front of Shen Niushan and Liu Chunhua, he never dared to defy them. If they said he was wrong, then he was wrong, he accepted it.
But he did have a heart, and he did feel pain.
Since childhood, his parents had always favored Shen Hong. Didn’t he have resentment in his heart?
Seeing Shen Hong return, Liu Chunhua clung to him like a pillar of support, crying and lamenting.
Shen Dashan listened as she scolded his child and his wife, his fists clenching tightly at his sides.
It was simply, too much!
Shen Ruo said, “Coincidentally, my uncle has arrived too. Now we can finally lay out all the messy matters of our old Shen family clearly.”
“Village head, elders, I also need you to witness this. I want to seek justice for my father!”
The villagers, who had come just to watch the commotion, had been thinking of leaving, but now realized there was an even bigger story unfolding, and immediately perked up.
Shen Ruo continued, “All these years, my father has been gossiped about, just because my grandparents, when dividing the family, chose to go with my uncle. The villagers all thought my father was too poor to support his parents, but that wasn’t true. They wanted to enjoy the good life, so they went with my uncle.”
In this era, when parents were still alive, dividing the family should have meant following the eldest son, unless the eldest son refused to support them, then the younger son would take over. Shen Dashan had been carrying this false blame for his father and mother for a full five years!
“During the division of the family, my father only received these three old houses. Not a single acre of ancestral farmland! My father spent the first half of his life working like a beast for this family, not a single copper coin to his name. Even marrying my mother, he had to pay himself. My so-called grandparents refused to contribute a cent toward my father’s marriage! All that money they kept and took into my uncle’s house,” Shen Ruo said, growing angrier with every word.
“What do you know!” Liu Chunhua exclaimed, never expecting him to reveal all this.
A hush fell over the crowd. No one could believe that Liu Chunhua and Shen Niushan could do such things. Shen Dashan had always been honest and simple, never gossiping to the villagers, yet not a single hint of this had reached anyone!
Back when the family division happened, it seemed like a big fuss.
But at that time, everyone assumed it was because Shen Dashan was too poor, and that was why he didn’t want to support his parents.
On top of that, Shen Hong had a job in town and could earn money, so everyone naturally assumed it was only right for Shen Hong to support their parents in place of his brother.
But they never imagined the real reason was like this!
“When my mother gave birth to my eldest brother, it was a difficult labor, she nearly died. At that time, my grandmother refused to give a single coin for medicine; my mother had to rely entirely on her own strength to pull through.” This was something Shen Feng had told him before.
Liu Chunhua felt no guilt at all: “A midwife was hired. Life and death are in the hands of fate; whether she survived had nothing to do with money!”
“Besides, what’s the use of someone alive who dares defy their mother-in-law? Better off dead!” She was so angry she couldn’t control her words.
Shen Dashan clenched his fists tightly. His wife and child were his bottom line, yet today they had been trampled again and again.
His voice seemed to squeeze out through his teeth, carrying the courage of someone ready to burn all bridges:
“I sever all ties!”
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