Chapter 4 Jinjiang First Release Chapter 4 The stepmother has...

Yu Qinglong didn't remember such a person in the village. He guessed that he might be a passerby from another village, so he nodded and said, "Brother Fang, you are polite. My surname is Yu. I came to see if there are any fish in the cracks of the rocks."

Fang Shu's smile faded slightly, feeling vaguely that the other party was being a bit rude. He had already given his name, but the other party only gave his surname. But it was just a chance encounter, so perhaps the other party didn't intend to become close friends. Fang Shu thought about it and said, "Brother Yu, please."

Yu Qinglong ignored the man. Seeing how polite he was, he was somewhat tempted to make friends. But in this era, there were some things he could do as he pleased, but others he couldn't.

If he were a bit aggressive, those gossiping would at most say he was impolite and aggressive. But if his contact with a man outside of his family became known, it would bring humiliation to his entire family. Besides, if he tried to switch back with the original owner, the original owner would be implicated by him, so forget it.

Yu Qinglong decided to walk a little further up, until he could no longer see Fang Shu, then he took off his shoes and socks and went into the water.

The water was so clear that one could see the bottom. He finally felt what it meant to be "clear in the sunlight, with shadows cast on the rocks."

The water was also very cold, so cold that his toes curled up involuntarily, and he wanted to rush back to the shore. However, he had already gone down...

Yu Qinglong carefully walked deeper, rolled up his sleeves, and reached into the cracks between the large rocks to slowly feel around. Just as his hand touched the stone surface, he suddenly heard an extremely forceful sound from downstream: "Hmm!"

...picking up rocks is like picking up constipation?!

Yu Qinglong glanced back downstream, then reached into a crevice. He vaguely felt something swiftly slip past his hand, and then there was a splash—clearly, a fish!

The fish didn't look very big, but it was about the length of his palm.

Yu Qinglong was a little excited and quickly changed to another crack to try and catch a few more. At this time, there was another sound from downstream: "Hmm--!"

Fang Shu spotted a large rock, similar to the one he'd seen on land. But this one was thicker and heavier. Even with all his might, he couldn't budge it. He wanted to give up, but he couldn't. After some thought, he decided to head upstream and ask, "Brother Yu, could you please do me a favor?"

Yu Qinglong asked, "Moving stones?"

Fang Shu said, "That's right. It's not easy for me to come here, and that stone is exactly what I need. I wonder if Brother Yu could come over and help me load it into the car."

"...How many pieces do you want to move?"

"Just one. The rest are small enough that I can move them myself."

Yu Qinglong looked around and saw few people around. He figured the fish would be hard to catch with his bare hands, and he'd have nowhere to put it. And since it was just a rock, it wouldn't be a big deal. So he said, "Okay, wait a minute."

After saying that, he went ashore and found the stone with Fang Shu. The two of them worked together to lift it onto the ox cart.

Fang Shu walked around the stone several times, touching it seventeen or eighteen times, as if he had found a treasure, and kept exclaiming, "Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!"

Yu Qinglong didn't understand. What could be so precious about a stone? Aren't there so many stones everywhere in the river? He put on his shoes and socks and picked up the basin. "Brother Fang, if anyone asks about this in the future, don't say you've seen me here."

Fang Shu was slightly stunned: "Why?"

Yu Qinglong said, "No reason, just think of it as repaying the favor I gave you for helping you move the rocks."

Fang Shu said cheerfully, "Okay, if it doesn't violate my principles, I won't say anything. Thank you, Brother Yu, for your help today."

Yu Qinglong waved his hand casually and walked back along the road. At this time, Fang Shu called him again: "Brother Yu!"

Yu Qinglong turned around and looked at the man in the sunlight: "Anything else?"

Fang Shu was slightly stunned. He inexplicably felt that when this person turned his head, his face was more lively than anyone he had ever seen. Especially his eyes, dark yet powerful, as if telling a story. He was dazed for a moment before saying, "Nothing. I, I heard you're hungry, so I'll treat you to this."

He took out a pancake. It was no ordinary pancake. Yu Qinglong could tell at a glance that it had been sweetened, the sugar seeping to the edges.

Sugar was not something you could easily eat at this time. Yu Qinglong hesitated for a moment, but still took it: "Thank you, Brother Fang."

He was indeed hungry, so hungry that his stomach ached. He was also somewhat lost. The thought of having to be extra careful in everything he did filled him with anxiety.

The food melting in his mouth gave him a special kind of comfort, a sweetness he hadn't tasted since arriving here. But when he thought about eating this once and not knowing when he would eat it again, the pancake felt like it was stuck in his throat.

He searched his brain for every skill he could think of, but he still had no idea what he could do to make money. Even if he had some ideas, in this day and age, they couldn't be easily realized by his own ability.

Yu Qinglong himself didn't know how he got home. His pancakes were gone, and his mind was a jumble of thoughts. He briefly said hello to his family and hung out some laundry. As soon as he finished, Zhou Yuehua called them in for dinner.

Yu Qinglong would be 1.8 meters tall in modern times. Here, he'd probably be over 1.75 meters. A man this size wouldn't be full on just one sugar cake, so he sat down on the stool.

Only when he sat down did he realize that something was wrong with his family members.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"It's okay, let's eat." Yu Erge said, "Why are you all looking at me? Eat quickly."

"Is it the Bai family?"

Yu Qinglong thought of what Hu Bo had told him on the way. The youngest son of the Bai family was engaged to his second brother. He thought Hu Bo was deliberately provoking him, but it seemed that this might be true. Otherwise, why would Yu Qingye interrupt him when the others in the family were silent?

"Someone from the Bai family said that they'll let Qiu'er marry you after you're engaged," Zhou Yuehua said. "Maybe the Wang family said something to them before they left."

"What does Qiu say?"

"I haven't seen Qiu'er. His mother said Qiu'er always listens to his family."

Zhou Yuehua didn't want to tell her younger son and add to his worries, but the village was so small that everyone would find out eventually.

Yu Qingye said, "At worst, the marriage can be cancelled. I can't let my younger brother marry off casually anyway. It was the Wang family's fault for canceling the engagement, so why are they blaming us for everything?"

Yu Qingjia said, "I think so, too. Isn't the Bai family doing this to embarrass us?"

Yu Dayou sighed, "I don't think it's all Qinglong's fault. If the Bai family really wanted to marry into our family, they wouldn't care about this. Maybe there's something else going on."

When he said this, the whole family fell silent.

What else could it be? It was simply because the family was too poor. When the family was divided, nothing was given except their share of the land. Even this mud house was built with borrowed money, and the debt has yet to be repaid.

Yu Qinglong also felt a headache when he thought about it.

He definitely couldn't get married, and no one wanted him anyway. Although it did affect Second Brother Yu, it wasn't his intention. He hadn't thought he'd come through.

Of course, it wasn't the original owner's fault. The fault lay with the Wang family, this unreasonable, broken place.

"Second brother, when will you go to town again?"

"I'm going tomorrow, but is there anything you want my second brother to bring back?"

"No, I want to go with you."

Although there were dozens of households in this village, their purchasing power was limited. If he really wanted to make money, he should go somewhere with more people.

Yu Erge was an apprentice carpenter, learning the craft from a master. He couldn't learn carpentry, but he might be able to go to town and find other ways to make money.

"But it's a long way, and my second brother has to stay there for a few days before coming back." Yu Qingye said, "What do you want to see in town?"

"Just, just take a look. If I don't get back that day, maybe next time."

"Maybe in a few days. Daddy is going to town to deliver embroidery work. You can go with him then."

"Okay, Dad."

Zhou Yuehua smiled and stood up with the bowl.

He eats very little, but every time I ask him, he says he can't digest it because he eats too much. In fact, it's because his family is too tight, and he wants to save more.

My two children are not married yet, and now I am planning to have a younger one. My health is not very good, so I would have the same worries if it were someone else.

Yu Qinglong sighed secretly, feeling a little annoyed, when he suddenly heard a scolding from outside: "Zhou Yuehua, how did you teach your child?! Come out and explain it clearly!"

Yu Qinglong felt a wave of discomfort at the sound. His body had already begun to react to the sound. The person who had come was none other than his stepmother, Yu Guoshi—Guo Hongfen.

No matter how much Zhou Yuehua disliked the other person, she knew that filial piety was still a matter of practice. Just as she was about to leave, she was held back by Yu Dayou.

Yu Dayou went out and asked, "Mom, why are you here?"

Guo Hongfen said, "Why am I here? How dare you say that! How did you raise your children? It's all over the place. People say Qinglong has no respect for his elders and no regard for his age. He even mentioned breaking off my engagement! Do you have any sense of shame? It's been said since ancient times that parents' orders are final, matchmaker's words are final. How could a guy like him say he wants to break off my engagement? With his behavior, who would dare to marry into the Yu family in the future? Don't forget that you are not the only family in the Yu family with unmarried children!"

This second wife gave birth to two sons and a daughter in the Yu family. Both sons had children at home and did not go out. She was talking about them.

Yu Dayou said, "The Wang family was the first to bring up the matter of breaking off the engagement, so why can't we say anything? Should we just put up with them when they've bullied us to the point of no return? Will that make others willing to marry into the Yu family?"

When they were still together, Yu Dayou had always been respectful to Guo Hongfen. But after learning that she was affectionate to her children in public but harshly mistreating and intimidating them in private, he could no longer be kind to her.

It's all his fault for being so careless that his family has suffered. It makes me so angry just thinking about it.

Guo Hongfen said, "Great! Now that the family has split up, you've become so arrogant that you even dare to talk back to me. Did Zhou Yuehua teach you that?"

Zhou Yuehua also came out, and was angry and helpless when she heard this. They also wanted to be filial, but this stepmother was really unreasonable.

"Mother-in-law, it was the eldest son of the Wang family who wanted to break off the engagement first. Qinglong was so angry that he said a few words. It's not like what they said."

"You're still being stubborn! So many people say Qinglong is just ignorant, how could it be false? I don't care, you have to give me an explanation today."

"What do you mean?"

"Qinglong has no respect for his elders and is shameless. Shouldn't we punish him by making him kneel for half a day to teach him a lesson? Otherwise, if we let him continue to make trouble, people will think our child is uneducated."

"You made me kneel for so long?!" Yu Qinglong immediately exploded. "Why should I kneel for so long?"

I'm being merciful by not asking you, an old woman, to come and apologize for what happened in the past. How dare you make me kneel for so long?!

Guo Hongfen said, "Why? You can't kneel?"

Yu Qinglong said, "Respecting the elderly comes with loving the young. I am also a child of the Yu family. How can you be so partial to me? I... I..."

As Yu Qinglong was speaking, his eyes suddenly rolled back and he fell backwards.

Guo Hongfen's eyes widened immediately: "Hey, what's going on?"

"Qinglong! Qinglong?!" "Brother Long! Wake up, little brother!"

The whole family immediately gathered in a circle, and Yu Qinglong secretly squeezed Zhou Yuehua and Yu Qingye's hands.

Zhou Yuehua's hands were the thinnest here. His sister-in-law's hands were certainly thin, but she couldn't possibly hold his, so it wasn't hers. And second brother Yu, from frequent carpentry, had calluses in two places that his eldest brother didn't. He could tell the difference the moment he touched them.

Zhou Yuehua was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood. But he was always gentle and didn't know he was going to act at this time. He just felt sad.

Yu Qingye was different. He howled, "Little brother! Little brother! What's wrong with you? Wake up! Are you scared by grandma and have a heart attack? You were always beaten and scolded by her in the past. Second brother knows that you are suffering but dare not speak out! Little brother, wake up!"

Guo Hongfen was here to vent her anger because someone had indeed come to her and made sarcastic remarks about the Yu family's poor child discipline. She didn't dare vent her anger on that person, so she came here instead. Who would have thought Yu Qinglong would faint?!

The old lady was also a little panicked. What if this really made someone angry?!

It's not good to be disrespectful to elders, but it's even worse to scare your grandson to death!

She swung her handkerchief hard to embolden herself. "What are you all yelling about? How could he faint at such a young age? He must be ill! What does it have to do with me?"

After saying that, the man left.

Yu Qinglong closed his eyes and couldn't see. He listened to the sound of the door, but he couldn't be sure if it was Guo Hongfen who left. At this time, Yu Qingye let him go and ran out to check. After confirming that she would not come back, he ran over and said with a smile: "Little brother, wake up quickly, she's gone."

Yu Qinglong finally opened his eyes: "Father, Dad, I didn't scare you, did I?"

Yu Dayou was stunned for a moment: "You little bastard, you are pretending."

Zhou Yuehua laughed: "If you didn't pinch me, I would have been really scared. Why did you think of pretending to faint?"

Yu Qinglong said, "It wasn't a sudden thought. I felt a little dizzy when I heard her scolding me. Then I thought, why not just pretend to be so nice to her? Let's see if she can really drive me to death."

It is possible to encounter an old scoundrel like this in court.

To deal with a scoundrel, you have to be reasonable in court. Outside of court, you have to be more scoundrel than the other party!

After he finished speaking, he suddenly felt something was wrong: "Where's my brother?"

Why didn’t I see Yu Qing’s house?

Zhou Jianer said, "Your elder brother went to see a doctor."

When Yu Qinglong heard this, he almost had a heart attack and jumped up: "Second brother, hurry up! Go and find eldest brother!"

Oh my god! It costs money to see a doctor!

If he pretends to faint once, he will have to spend several dollars. He is really going crazy!

Yu Qinglong pushed Yu Qingye to go find someone quickly.

Yu Qingye ran out quickly, but it was too late.

The eldest brother probably ran as fast as he could to ask for a midwife. Yu Qingye hadn't even gotten halfway when he saw the eldest brother coming over with the doctor. The main reason was that the village was only this big.

Yu Qingye's eyes went dark, and he thought to himself, how can I let him go back the same way?

Just as I was thinking of a solution, I suddenly heard a heavy cough behind me: "Doctor... Help!"

Yu Qinglong held onto the door frame and pretended to faint again!

Since I'm already here, how can I just come for nothing?! Since I can't figure out how to make money anytime soon, I might as well find a way to learn to identify herbs and write!

He couldn't go to school, so this old doctor might be his best teacher. Why wasn't he clinging to him?!

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