He Zifeng looked at Liangzi and said, "What do you think?" He lived in a very remote place, and few people came here.

If he goes out to grind flour, Ranran will be all alone at home. What does he want to do?

Liangzi wanted to argue, but He Zifeng's words startled him so much that his lips trembled. He kept swallowing and didn't dare to open his eyes to look at He Zifeng.

Although Liangzi and He Zifeng were from the same village, they were not on the same wavelength and had never met before. He had no idea that He Zifeng's aura was so terrifying, and felt that he was about to die there at any moment.

He then felt a sharp pain; he had been punched and let out a scream.

Liangzi suddenly remembered the rumors about He Zifeng in the village, saying that he was very reckless and had even saved people from the mouths of wild beasts.

More ferocious than wild beasts.

Seeing that he wasn't telling the truth, He Zifeng picked him up and punched him in the stomach again.

Liangzi's screams were distorted, and his whole body was trembling slightly. If he still refused to tell the truth, He Zifeng would definitely beat him to death.

"Brother, brother, don't... don't do it, I was wrong." Liangzi had barely finished speaking when they heard the sound of something falling.

A tinderbox fell out of his body.

Liangzi's face turned pale instantly. He tried to cover himself up, but he was too slow, and He Zifeng grabbed the tinderbox first. Then He Zifeng said with a half-smile, "You've got some nerve, haven't you?"

With a kick, Liangzi was sent flying three meters away, like a kite released from its flight. If He Zifeng had only suspected him before, he now understood everything.

The men of Chishui Village are all tough and spirited; they wouldn't let someone bully them to their doorstep. Now that they've even found evidence of the crime, He Zifeng's eyes have become even sharper; this time, he's going to strike with deadly force.

Liangzi's face paled, then he said, "Second Brother." As soon as he opened his mouth, air caught in his chest, causing a sharp, stabbing pain. He felt a metallic taste in his throat, and when he spat on the ground, blood trickled down his throat. Liangzi, a thug who was usually fearless, was now trembling with the terror of death. He no longer dared to confront He Zifeng; that vicious kick to the gut had nearly ripped his intestines out.

Liangzi suddenly knelt on the ground. "Brother, let's talk this out?"

He Zifeng, his face cold, held a tinderbox and quietly approached him. His two hands gripped Liangzi's vulnerable neck; those warm, broad palms sent chills down Liangzi's spine. "Don't be impulsive," he said.

He had no doubt that if He Zifeng tightened his grip, he would immediately see his dead father and mother. Liangzi had never seen such a ruthless person in his life, and he couldn't have been more regretful.

He Zifeng said, "If you dare to lie, I'll kill you."

Liangzi said, "Aunt Wan sent me. She said... just light the fire and she'll give me five taels of silver. I may be a scoundrel, but I've never killed anyone, so I came during the day..."

He Zifeng's wooden house has been around for so many years that the beams and frame have crumbled. A single fire could destroy it completely.

He Zifeng said, "Little Wan?" It wasn't surprising to hear about her. He then said a few words to Liangzi.

A flicker of disbelief crossed Liangzi's eyes, then he looked at He Zifeng and said, "Okay."

About half an hour later, the villagers said, "Hey, who's burning something?" They could see thick smoke billowing from afar.

"Hey, don't link it to my woodpile."

Everyone looked over and saw a patch of fire in the distance.

"Good heavens! It doesn't look like something's burning, someone's house is on fire!" someone shouted from the crowd.

Looking in that direction, he said, "This seems to be Qiu Yu's house."

"Hurry and put out the fire!" The old wooden houses used to be prone to fire, but now they've all been replaced with brick and tile houses, and that's why.

Everyone rushed over with buckets, but they were dumbfounded when they arrived. The roof and beams were ablaze, and the heat from the fire was unbearable. A bucket of water poured on it was like a drop in the ocean—completely useless.

Is anyone inside?

While Qiu Yu was buying sauce in the distance, he saw thick smoke rising from the direction of his house. He abandoned everything else and rushed home. The closer he got, the more clearly he could see how big the fire was.

Qiu Yu felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He bit his tongue, and the sharp pain brought him a moment of clarity.

"Hey, Qiuyu, what happened? It's on fire!" the kind-hearted women asked.

"Zifeng and Ranran are inside." Qiuyu's voice trembled.

Hearing this, the aunt gasped in shock, fearing that things were not going to work out.

Without hesitation, Qiu Yu rushed into the fire. If she went into the raging fire, she would have no chance of survival.

Just then, Qiu Yu's arm was grabbed and pulled hard. Qiu Yu was furious, and then she saw Ranran calling out in a clear voice, "Little Daddy."

Qiu Yu froze, turning her head inch by inch towards the source of the sound. She saw her son looking at her in He Zifeng's arms. Tears welled up in her eyes without her noticing. Facing her child and the man she had lost and found again, she immediately hugged the child and kissed him, saying, "You scared me to death."

Ranran saw Qiuyu crying and wiped away his tears with her little hands, but Qiuyu's tears only flowed more and more. This made Ranran's eyes red as well.

He Zifeng's appearance brought a slight sense of relief to the villagers who had come to watch the spectacle.

"It's good that everyone is alright."

"We'll earn more if we lose our houses!"

The news that He Zifeng's house had caught fire became the biggest news in the village, and the old He family residence soon heard about it as well.

He Donglai said with satisfaction, "Heaven has eyes, he deserves it." Ever since He Zifeng changed his previous submissive attitude and started to challenge him, nothing had gone smoothly for him. In addition, Xiao Wanshi kept whispering in his ear, which made him even angrier.

Now, whenever he goes out, many people criticize him and even bring up his past romantic affairs, which led to him being beaten up by He Zifeng's uncle.

The He family home was in complete chaos. Without a scapegoat, the scumbag father found fault with everyone. The eldest son, Wan Hai, was a slippery eel, the third son had a gloomy personality, the fourth son was talkative, and the young Wan Shi was a troublemaker. He hadn't had a single day of peace in the past few months.

Xiao Wan said, "What do you call this? Even God can't stand it. Otherwise, why would He burn down their house and not others'?"

He Donglai thought it made perfect sense.

Xiao Wan immediately told her fourth son, He Fan, "Go and ask if anyone has died in the fire." Afraid of saying this abruptly, she added, "Although he is an unfilial son, if something really happens to him, we as his parents will not be at ease. We will have to give him some compensation."

He Donglai raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't give them any money, hmph." Then, after thinking for a moment, he added, "If they want to spend my money, they'll have to kneel down and apologize to me." He wanted to vent his anger at being beaten up back then.

Xiao Wan knew that He Donglai was on her side, so she said a few nice words to him, making him very happy.

He Fan went out, and after a while ran out and said, "The house burned down, but everyone is safe."

They were, after all, half-brothers, and He Fan had been raised by He Zifeng when he was young. He said, "Mother, give them some money."

Upon hearing that the man was not dead, Xiao Wan was displeased and cursed, "Are you out of your mind? It's his own fault that his house was burned down. God can't stand them."

Then they heard a commotion outside and someone said, "Father, Mother, the village chief wants you to come over." With something this serious happening, they definitely had to come forward.

He Donglai said, "Let's go take a look." Anyway, they've already split up, so let them try whatever tricks they want.

Then the whole family, including He Fan, Xiao Wanshi, He Donglai, and Wan Hai and his wife, went over together.

The fire had gradually died down, and everyone looked on in horror; the wooden house was indeed no good.

Less than an hour has passed since the fire started, and all that's left is some charred wood.

All the idle people in the village came over. Qiu Yu had stopped crying, but Xiao He Ran felt sad seeing their family reduced to nothing in an instant and buried her head in He Zifeng's arms.

The villagers couldn't bear to see them like this.

The village has never encountered anything like this in so many years. The clan elders and Village Chief Liuzi are discussing what to do now.

"He Zifeng's father is here," someone in the crowd said.

Everyone immediately looked over and, sure enough, it was their family. He Donglai was always a scoundrel. Seeing He Zifeng and his family of three standing there, he said, "What did you call me here for? I don't have any money."

Dog's father was a righteous man, and said, "I haven't even asked you for money yet, what kind of talk is this? Even ordinary neighbors and villagers would offer some comfort in this situation, but you're just being unreasonable."

"that is."

"What a tragedy."

The house was burned down like this.

He Zifeng said, "I don't think this was an accident; someone set it on fire. Otherwise, how could a fire suddenly start out of nowhere?"

These words startled everyone. There were always arguments in the village, but no one would resort to violence so suddenly. What if there really was an arsonist hiding in the village?

Wan Hai glanced at Xiao Wan Shi, and it would have been better if he hadn't looked. His heart sank as he saw her tense expression. She said, "What makes you think someone set the fire? Maybe it's just that God doesn't like you and wants to teach you a lesson."

Wan Hai instinctively stepped in front of his mother, afraid that others would notice her erratic behavior. He had many things he wanted to say, but he swallowed them down in front of outsiders.

Xiao Wan's words angered everyone. Aunt Liu exclaimed, "Listen to what a human being says!"

Wan Hai quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "That's not what my mother meant. She's probably still holding a grudge about the trouble our family went through a while ago. She even said she'd give us money before she came. She's a good person, but her words are the problem."

Wan Hai had some prestige in the village, and seeing him say this, the villagers didn't press the matter further and at least spoke reasonably. He Fan went to He Zifeng and said, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, are you alright?" He then reached out to hug He Ran. But little He Ran was frightened and wouldn't go with anyone, clinging tightly to He Zifeng.

He Zifeng said, "Whether it was a natural disaster or man-made, we only need to report it to the authorities and they will be able to find out."

Others said that reporting to the authorities was just a scare tactic, but He Zifeng really could report to the authorities. Village Chief Xu said, "If you report everything to the authorities, people who don't know any better will think our village is a terrible place."

Wan Hai also said, "How could it be man-made? Our village has never had an arsonist in all these years."

Xiao Wanshi hid completely behind her eldest son, not daring to even peek out.

Wan Hai glanced at the people around him and said, "There's no need to assume everyone is an arsonist. There's no one like that in our village." This single sentence put He Zifeng in a difficult position, even making him admire Wan Hai's shrewdness. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought He Zifeng harbored resentment towards the villagers!

Of those present, only Xu Li glanced at Wan Hai. As his wife, he knew Wan Hai well. Wan Hai was the type to mind his own business and never liked to get involved in other people's conflicts, yet he had repeatedly provoked He Zifeng. After all, He Zifeng had an absolute advantage in terms of martial arts.

Last time, Wan Hai was beaten so badly that he couldn't get out of bed for two days. He usually wouldn't even mention He Zifeng at home. Why is he being so hostile now? Xu Li had a bad feeling.

Village Chief Xu harbored a deep grudge against He Zifeng. If it weren't for He Zifeng, he wouldn't have lost his position as village chief. He was eager to kick He Zifeng while he was down. However, his youngest son, Xu Li, sensed his intention beforehand and pulled him back.

The surrounding chatter grew louder. But He Zifeng seemed oblivious. He said, "Why are you so agitated? No one was talking about you. Could it be…?"

Wan Hai pursed his lips.

Just then, someone in the crowd said, "Hey, there's a money bag over there."

Where?

The whole village came, and as soon as they saw that something was amiss, some busybodies immediately ran over and brought it to the villagers.

Sachets, tinderboxes, and a little tung oil.

Everyone gasped!

Just as He Zifeng had predicted, the house had been set on fire.

When Xiao Wan saw the money pouch, she recognized it as the one she had lost a few days ago.

She had previously wanted Wan Hai to do it for her, but Wan Hai refused, as she couldn't stand He Zifeng and his family's carefree lifestyle. So she found Liangzi herself, gave him five taels of silver, and asked him to do it for her.

Liangzi initially refused, but money is a powerful motivator, and he even took the money pouch from Xiao Wanshi, which contained two taels of silver.

However, Liangzi was discovered by He Zifeng as soon as he arrived, and under interrogation, he naturally revealed the truth.

He Zifeng hardened his heart and turned the tables on the enemy!

At this moment, Xiao Wanshi was ice cold all over. She held her son's waist with one hand behind her back, pinching Wan Hai's waist so hard that it turned red. It was the first time she had dealt with a thug like Liangzi. She thought she had done something big, but she didn't expect that she had left a handle on Liangzi.

Sister-in-law Xu said, "Oh, isn't this your Aunt Wan?" Sister-in-law Xu was their old neighbor. Little Wan was a smug person and often compared Wan Hai with Sister-in-law Xu's good-for-nothing son!

"Oh, really."

He Donglai simply disliked He Zifeng and was initially happy to see him humiliated, but upon hearing that the rumors were directed at their family, his smile froze on his face, and he said with a stern expression, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

The older women nearby said, "It's hers. She even showed off this crane embroidery." Not everyone has an embroidered purse like that; this purse is worth one tael of silver.

Qiu Yu's eyes reddened with anger. She rushed out and said to Xiao Wan and He Donglai, "You've gone too far! We've already separated the family, but you still won't give up. Do you want to kill the three of us?"

The people around were in an uproar.

"this……"

The same old saying is repeated often: "Even a tiger won't eat its cubs."

Wan Hai realized things were going badly. This was a dangerous situation, and he knew he couldn't get involved in anything like this unless he personally caught them.

He Fan, the fourth son of the He family, is only eighteen years old and was terrified by this sudden change.

Xu Li's face also turned pale; he finally understood why Wan Hai had been behaving so strangely. He must have known about this matter, but he didn't know if Wan Hai had been involved.

Wan Hai truly lived up to his reputation as the pillar of the He family. While everyone else panicked, he steadied himself and said, "You can't say things like that. My mother told me the other day that she didn't know where her purse went; maybe someone stole it. They set the fire and then framed her." He had originally wanted to distance himself, but the more he spoke, the clearer things became in his mind. He said, "No matter what, we're family. How could we do such a thing?"

Qiu Yu said, "Pah, don't you know what kind of person your mother is? She can't stand seeing others do well."

Wan Hai said, "You can't say that!"

Seeing how reliable her eldest son was, Xiao Wan felt emboldened again and angrily said to Qiu Yu, "Bullshit! Don't try to pin all the blame on us. Having a son like you is bad enough."

Xiao Wan was unrestrained, but she forgot that He Zifeng was present, and immediately grabbed Xiao Wan's wrist. Although Xiao Wan was ruthless towards Qiu Yu, she was very afraid of He Zifeng.

He Zifeng felt inexplicably guilty as his eyes swept over them.

He Zifeng released his grip and said, "Watch your mouth. You know what you've done. Why didn't you mention your purse was missing before? What do you mean by saying it now?"

Aunt Xu said, "She's probably feeling guilty. If she lost her purse, she'd cause a huge uproar in the village."

Wan Hai said, "We didn't do this, don't be unreasonable. We discussed it before we came, and we'll give you ten taels of silver to build a house. It seems you don't want this money." He took the initiative, knowing that He Zifeng had used the money from the family division to buy land and that the house had burned down, so he must be furious. This ten taels of silver would shut him up and also win him some goodwill in the village, letting people know that He Zifeng was ungrateful.

Wan Hai's wishful thinking was quite impressive.

Xiao Wan was so scared at first that she forgot one thing, and no one around her reminded her. Now that she suddenly remembered, she grasped at it like a lifeline and said, "I was home the whole time your house burned down. Anyway, I wasn't the one who set the fire!"

Village Chief Liu asked He Zifeng, "What do you plan to do?"

He Zifeng said, "Since it's settled that someone set the fire, why not report it to the authorities and let them solve the case? I've heard that people who commit murder and arson are hanged when they're arrested. Such people are a menace in the village, and this would be a way to rid the people of a scourge."

Wan Hai's breath caught in his throat. He had just finished a long and dramatic performance, managing to pull off a draw with He Zifeng. He knew this matter was related to his mother, so he naturally refused to report it to the authorities. He couldn't bear the shame; if the allegations were proven true, his son would be barred from studying in the county. But He Zifeng's argument was perfectly reasonable, and he didn't know how to refute it.

If he were to refute it hastily, it would make him seem guilty.

Wan Hai fell silent, and Xiao Wanshi and Xu Lixin were about to bring it up.

Just then, He Donglai, who had been silent all along, raised his eyebrows and said, "So what if I sue the officials? What's the big deal? Let's go!"

Xiao Wan was so angry that she trembled all over and pinched his arm hard. He Donglai screamed in pain.

If she really gets sued by the authorities, will she have any chance of survival?

“We can’t sue the authorities,” Xu Li suddenly said.

The eyes of half the village were on him, and Wan Hai's heart skipped a beat. His actions were far too obvious.

Even the onlookers had figured it out by now.

Even the usually gloating Village Chief Xu frowned. Wan Hai quickly came out to mend his wife's expression, saying, "Your sister-in-law means that our parents are getting old, and if they go to the county and get a fright, they might suffer a serious injury." She attributed Xu Li's abrupt remark to filial piety.

He Zifeng looked at Wan Hai with a mocking smile and said, "Wan Hai, do you think everyone else is stupid and only you are smart? Here's what we'll do: as long as Xiao Wan Shi dares to swear a solemn oath that if she did this, she will die a horrible death that very day, I'll believe her. Anyway, if she didn't do it, she won't lose anything."

The villagers were superstitious, and Xiao Wanshi was unwilling to make such a vicious oath. She immediately retorted angrily, "How could you curse me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, even He Donglai looked at her with fear in his eyes.

The surrounding chatter grew louder.

Xiao Wan was somewhat flustered, looking around anxiously. She was on the verge of a breakdown. But those who have lived a long life are indeed different; at this moment, she said, "You...you're going to be the death of me..." Then she pretended to have a chest pain and fainted.

Wan Hai hurriedly told He Fan and He Donglai to send the person back. He had to stay and deal with this mess; he had initially wanted to play hard to get, but things were becoming increasingly unfavorable for them. He said to He Zifeng, "Let's talk in private."

He Zifeng wanted to go with him.

There were whispers and murmurs around them: "We never knew they were like this before?"

"Little Wan still thinks she's an opera singer."

"They say that if there's a stepmother, there's a stepfather." In the past, stepmothers were at most mistreated, but they never killed anyone.

He Zifeng and Wan Hai walked to the side, and Wan Hai said, "How about this, I'll give you twenty taels of silver so you can rebuild a house."

He Zifeng said sarcastically, "You really are your mother's good son!"

Wan Hai's face paled. For a moment, he felt as if He Zifeng had seen through the matter, but then he thought again that He Zifeng wasn't that smart. Wan Hai said, "Even if you sue the government, they might not care about such a small matter. It wouldn't be good if they made a random judgment. Mother did have some opinions about you before, but I will definitely advise you properly in the future. Please trust me this once."

Can you guarantee there won't be a next time?

Upon hearing that the situation had changed again, Wan Hai quickly assured him, "If it happens again, you can hold it all on my shoulders."

He Zifeng said, "That depends on your sincerity."

Wan Hai nodded, then left without paying attention to the others. Curious villagers had to ask others, and He Zifeng said, "He said he'd give me twenty taels to rebuild my house!"

Wan Hai was afraid that He Zifeng would make a big fuss and take the matter to the authorities. Since the matter had not been definitively resolved, no one could find a reason to provoke it.

Little did they know that this "private settlement" would only confirm their suspicions. Back then, when the town mayor came to preside over the division of the family property and offered ten taels of silver, the He family was furious. Now, they were being offered twenty taels; how could they not have something to hide?

When Wan Hai returned home, his mother indeed "slowly woke up." Wan Hai said, "Mother, take twenty taels and use it to build a house for He Zifeng. That will settle this matter."

Thinking back to how she had been relentlessly pressured in front of everyone, Xiao Wan felt a surge of resentment and said, "Dream on."

Wan Hai was also a little angry. This was something she had to negotiate with several times. He never thought his mother would be so bold as to commit arson. Wan Hai simply threatened, "He Zifeng already knows you did it. He's eager to send you to the yamen. Mother, if you really don't take the money, I won't interfere. It'll save me from getting the short end of the stick."

Wan Hai had finally figured out his mother's intentions. After being frightened like that, Xiao Wan Shi reluctantly went to get the money, and she was filled with regret.

When Wan Hai went outside, he saw He Fan and He Donglai standing at the door. He had overheard a great deal of their conversation. Exhausted, Wan Hai didn't say anything and turned to leave. Then, the sound of shattering ceramics came from behind him; it was clear another commotion had broken out.

Wan Hai was worried that something might have happened to He Zifeng, so he wanted to send him money. However, when he got to the courtyard, Xu Li stopped him. Xu Li looked somewhat disappointed and asked, "Did you get involved in this matter?" He was referring to the arson incident.

Wan Haidao: "No."

Xu Li, who was usually docile, suddenly exploded: "Don't lie to me, you knew all along, didn't you?"

The sea was silent.

Xu Li said, "I really didn't expect you to be this kind of person."

Wan Hai said, "Listen to me." He then recounted the unresolved issue between Xiao Wanshi and him. Wan Hai didn't want to deal with the complicated matter, but if he didn't act, things would only get worse. Not for anyone else, but for their son's sake, they had to protect Xiao Wanshi.

Xu Li burst into tears, saying, "Our lives are so miserable." Even though they weren't the ones doing anything wrong, they still ended up being the ones suffering.

Wan Hai handed twenty taels of silver to He Zifeng and left without saying another word.

He Zifeng and his family were completely burned down and had nowhere to live, so they had to rent a house from Old Man Li at the village entrance. Old Man Li is now old and lives with his son, so the house is usually empty. Old Man Li's house is next to Gouzi's father's and is far from the center of the village.

Now that He Zifeng's family is in dire straits, the price wasn't too high for them. Two of the four large brick houses were left for them to live in, and the other two were used to store things from the old house. The front yard was a large courtyard, and the back yard was a small vegetable garden, now full of eggplants, peppers, and other vegetables. All of these were given to them for a monthly fee of one hundred coins.

He Zifeng readily paid for six months' worth of rent. Grandpa Li's house was well-built, with shiny blue bricks and tiles everywhere, much better than the house they lived in.

Grandpa Li was also very happy. The worst thing about a house is having it empty, but he's too old to be without someone by his side, so the house just sat there. Now that someone lives there, he can at least earn some money, killing two birds with one stone.

Everyone dispersed.

He Zifeng and Qiu Yu moved in. Qiu Yu looked listless; he was almost scared to death just now. He really thought something bad had happened to the father and son.

Ranran sensed his mother's unhappiness and kept trying to cheer her up. But Qiuyu hugged and kissed her son, her face still devoid of a smile.

Qiu Yu sighed. Things had finally started to look up, with people buying their savory pancakes and the three of them getting together. But they never expected to be targeted by Xiao Wan and her gang. Now, a fire had wiped everything out. He couldn't bear to see it all go down the drain.

Just then, He Zifeng pushed a cart in.

The car contained their large pot, dough balls, a work surface, a small box for hiding money at home, and even Ranran's beloved little rabbit.

Qiu Yu's eyes lit up and she asked, "What's going on?"

He Zifeng quietly told Qiu Yu what had happened. It turned out that Liangzi hadn't started the fire, but He Zifeng had discovered it. Everything that followed went smoothly. When he thought about how he had managed to get twenty taels of silver from Xiao Wanshi, who was so stingy, enough for them to build a house, and how they had exposed their true colors in front of the village, Xiao Wanshi's actions were like shooting herself in the foot.

Qiu Yu was delighted to see He Zifeng hide away all the useful things in the house as if by magic: "They deserve it."

If it weren't for their sabotage, He Zifeng would have bought a house anyway. They've already done their part, so they can't blame He Zifeng for doing the opposite. With the money, he can build the house right away. Thinking about the pain and regret Xiao Wan felt when she paid the money made him feel relieved.

He Zifeng said, "Let's hire someone to build the house again, and make it bigger and better than the original one."

Qiu Yu nodded solemnly.

They moved that day, had a simple meal, bought two quilts in the village, and tidied up a bit, and finally it looked like a home.

They set up their stall early the next day.

The savory pancakes are delicious and affordable, attracting many repeat customers. People in the county earn money more easily than those in the village, so they are more willing to spend on food. He sells 150 pancakes a day, and they sell out in no time; if you come late, you can't buy any.

That evening, He Zifeng went to find a contractor to build a house. He hired a foreman from Fangjia Village, whose work was of high quality and cheaper than others for the same job. He Zifeng wanted all the bricks used to build a standard four-room tiled house with a large front and back yard, and a stable around the perimeter. Two side rooms were also added. Other contractors would have charged at least thirty taels of silver for such work, but this foreman only charged twenty-two!

He Zifeng's stall was quite profitable; he managed to scrape together enough money to give to the construction team over there. If they were going to build something, they wanted it to be built properly.

Construction soon began at He Zifeng's house.

When Gouzi's father saw that He Zifeng had moved so close to him, he grew to like this place. During the day, he would sometimes help with chores. He would occasionally have some rare things at his stall that were suitable for children to play with, and he would give them to little He Ran. Gouzi also liked to come over for meals, but he never came for nothing. He knew that they ate well, so every time he came over for a meal, he would either bring a pound of pork or two pounds of fine grains.

Today, Gouzi's father brought He Zifeng some big news: "Many people are talking about the Wan family burning down their workshop. I heard that Wan Hai got into a fight with someone at the soy sauce shop. The other party said they wanted to cancel the contract and take back the money. Wan Hai refused, and it's even taken to the village chief."

He Zifeng raised an eyebrow: "The only person who placed an order with the soy sauce shop is Manager Jiang from the provincial capital. He ordered forty vats of yellow soy sauce by himself." That was the soy sauce shop's biggest deal ever.

Not every attempt to make soy sauce is successful. They've used countless amounts of soybeans and salt, steamed the soy sauce blocks, and had to avoid rain when making it. Manager Jiang only gave a 20% prepayment, and the He family had to advance a considerable sum. They were just waiting to deliver the soy sauce and make a profit. They've already suffered considerable financial losses this year. But Manager Jiang is disregarding the contract and doesn't want the deal anymore, demanding the return of the initial deposit—it makes absolutely no sense.

Dog's father looked down on the He family's scheming and despicable people, saying, "Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. I don't know how he found out about the He family's affairs. He said they are so audacious and reckless, who knows if they have been cheating in their business dealings. He even said he would report them to the authorities if things got too bad."

Upon hearing this, He Zifeng really wanted to applaud Manager Jiang. The words "report to the authorities" had become Wan Hai's nightmare. To appease He Zifeng, he had readily handed over twenty taels of silver, and now he was being threatened.

He Zifeng said, "I really want to know what happens next, but my current identity is sensitive and it's not convenient for me to do so."

Dog's dad said, "I'll go." He was always eager to join in the fun, saying, "But something this big can't be kept secret forever; everyone'll probably know in a few days."

Dog's father then went out. After a while, he returned with news, saying, "It's said that Manager Jiang even brought some men and beat up Wan Hai before he returned twenty taels of silver." Dog's father said, "Isn't the He family quite wealthy? Why did they have to make such a fuss over twenty taels?"

He Zifeng said, "I'd rather risk my life than lose my wealth."

As the two were talking, Qiu Yu said, "The food is ready. Stop chatting and eat." These past few days, they've been moving, and Qiu Yu has been trying different ways to improve their meals every day. Today, she made braised river fish and stir-fried pork with chili slices. While stir-frying, she added an extra spoonful of chili oil from a savory pancake, making the flavor even richer. It's the perfect dish to eat with rice.

The dog's dad was already drooling just from the smell, and now that it was on the table, he said without any politeness, "I'm almost embarrassed to come. But I'm so hungry for it."

"Don't mention it, eat up," He Zifeng said.

Dog's father was the only friend He Zifeng had in the village, and his son got along well with Dog. Such a friendship was quite rare.

The guests and hosts alike enjoyed the meal.

Chaos reigned at the He family's side. He Donglai, a notoriously stingy man, was increasingly irritable as he kept spending money. In the courtyard, he grumbled indirectly, "All you do is squander money! I've never seen a deposit refunded in all these years. Now we have forty jars of soy sauce stuck with us! What are we going to do? Useless at everything, and never satisfied with anything. If this continues, we'll starve! They're all jinxes!"

This was originally He Zifeng's cursing, but now it was being directed at Wan Hai, the most trusted and relied-upon person. Xu Li was so angry in the room that his face turned pale. He said, "How could Dad say that? All these years, you've been the one earning money for the family. Why didn't he say anything when you were earning money? What if they hurt them if we didn't give them the money? He really doesn't know how to care if he's not a real father."

Xu Li then developed a grudge against Xiao Wan Shi. Ultimately, it was Xiao Wan Shi who was dragging him down. Why make such a fuss and force him and his wife to deal with it?

Wan Hai was beaten, dragged down by Xiao Wan Shi, and scolded by his stepfather. Now his wife was crying in his ear, giving him a headache. He was also full of anger with nowhere to vent it. He felt a surge of rage in his chest, wanting to smash everything in the room to pieces.

But after taking a few deep breaths, he forced himself to suppress his displeasure and comforted Xu Li, saying, "Forget it, consider it for our son's sake." It costs ten taels a year for one son to study in the county. That's twenty taels for two years. This money will all come from the public funds, so for now, he can only swallow his pride.

Wan Hai said to Xu Li, "As long as the child can pass the imperial examination and become a Juren, he will have made it through life."

Upon hearing this, Xu Li said, "Once my son passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, I will go to live with them in the county. My parents argue and curse each other every day. I can't live like this anymore."

Now He Donglai and Xiao Wanshi have a small argument every three days and a big argument every five days.

I don't even dare to breathe loudly at home, afraid of being scolded by my parents. The courtyard is very oppressive, and there's also that really crazy guy, He Tong. No normal person can live here.

The two of them had finally managed to hold back for the sake of their child, but three days later, He Dabao and He Erbao returned from the county and asked, "Dad, did Grandma really set fire to Uncle's house?"

Wan Hai frowned and said, "Nonsense, that's not true. Who told you that?"

"It was Fang Shun from the next village who made us get scolded at school. We were so angry that we beat them up, and the teacher told us to go home and reflect on our actions." He Erbao couldn't keep anything to himself and blurted everything out like beans spilling from a bamboo tube. These two little rascals, one seven years old and the other five, were among the best in their elementary school.

After hearing this, Wan Hai felt dizzy: "You guys got expelled from school?" He then slapped the second brother across the face. He Erbao was stunned on the spot, his face quickly swelled up, and he burst into tears when he came to his senses.

He Dabao said, "Father, they were the ones who spoke rudely, why did you hit my brother?"

He Erbao was in the midst of his rebellion when he said, "I hate you." Then he ran outside.

Xu Li stopped him from the outside, and then saw the bright handprint on his second son's face. He was heartbroken and immediately pulled his son to confront Wan Hai: "You can't take your anger out on the child."

"They dropped out of school." Wan Hai had been groveling and working like a slave for the He family for the past few years, all in the hopes that his son would become successful and change their social standing. Why was fate so against him? What hope did he still have now?

Upon hearing this, Xu Li couldn't bear the shock and fainted.

...

However, it was Dog's father who approached He Zifeng. He knew He Zifeng wanted to send little He Ran to study, and he said, "I know a poor scholar who charges..."