Zhang Lin scratched his head, looking ashamed, and said, "Grandmother, I don't want to go to the academy to study."

Grandmother said with a kind face, "It's alright, if you don't want to go, you don't have to. You'll be free from now on."

"Thank you, Grandma."

Zhang Lin instantly felt relieved.

"Lin'er, this is longevity noodles that Grandma cooked for you. Eat it while it's hot," Grandma said gently.

"Grandmother, is today a special day? My birthday shouldn't be here yet, right?"

"We'll talk after you finish eating."

Zhang Lin put the cricket into the jar, then picked up the steaming bowl of longevity noodles and said with a beaming smile, "It smells so good! Grandma's longevity noodles are really delicious."

Grandmother rubbed her eyes, and Zhang Youwei, who was in his middle age, appeared in the backyard with a serious expression.

"Second Uncle."

Zhang Lin grinned.

Zhang Youwei's face darkened, and he said coldly, "You are an ignorant and incompetent person who disgraces the Zhang family. After you finish this bowl of noodles, you will leave the Zhang family and go as far away as possible."

Zhang Lin was taken aback at first, then grinned and said, "Second Uncle, are you kidding me?"

Zhang Youwei remained expressionless. He crushed the cricket jar on the table with a single blow. "If you don't leave, I'll break your legs, throw you out on the street, and let you fend for yourself."

"grandmother."

Zhang Lin was frightened.

He looked at his grandmother, trembling all over.

Grandmother blamed herself, saying, "If you want to blame someone, blame Grandmother. It's all Grandmother's fault that you've become like this. Grandmother can't spoil you anymore. You have to be self-reliant from now on."

"Grandmother, Second Uncle, I will change. I will study hard from now on and will never bring shame to the Zhang family."

Zhang Lin knelt on the ground and wept.

Zhang Youwei remained expressionless and said coldly, "Such a grown man, all he knows is to cry. He's a complete waste."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lin clenched his fists and ran out of the Zhang family home. He didn't go far, afraid that his family wouldn't be able to find him when they came looking for him. There was no sound of him until late at night.

Zhang Lin was shivering from the cold. He wanted to go home, but when he returned to the Zhang family home, he found the door tightly closed.

Just then, the door opened, and Zhang Lin saw Zhang Youwei. His second uncle, who had always been so caring towards him, now seemed like a complete stranger. Zhang Youwei threw a bundle at him and said coldly, "From now on, don't call yourself Zhang Lin anymore. The Zhang family has no offspring like you. Go as far away as possible."

"Second Uncle, please take good care of Grandmother for me."

Zhang Lin knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily.

"You don't need to worry about it."

Snap!

The Zhang family's gate closed again.

As dawn broke, Zhang Lin shouldered his bundle and, at the age of thirteen, left the capital to begin a new life.