The red sun in the west gradually set and sank into the mountains. It was dark

. The doors of every household were closed. The small village was so quiet that not even the barking of dogs could be heard. Looking from afar, it was pitch black. The night was hazy tonight. The crescent moon in the sky hid in the clouds and did not come out. There was not even a bit of moonlight.

The oil lamp in the house was flickering. Two shadows could be seen from the window. The man standing in the corner was leaning against the wall and listening to the voices in the house.

"...I don't agree." Cao's father was sitting on a long bench smoking a pipe. When he heard his wife say that they wanted to separate the fourth son's family at this time, he disagreed to do so. "That's our Si'er!"

Chen Zhu saw that the head of the family disagreed with what he said, and questioned, "Disagree? Ah, you don't agree! Aren't you going to kill all of us? Are you going to let us all die with his family?"

"What's the matter with life and death? Can Si'er harm all of us?"

"Why can't he harm? Today, even Doctor Sun said that Si'er's leg will not be healed in the future. Si'er is lying in bed now. I don't know how much money it will cost to ask the doctor to see a doctor and prescribe medicine. This leg can't be cured. Head of the family, tell me, what can this leg do after it is lame? He has lost his job in the town, and Qi Wanfeng is pregnant again. There is another mouth waiting for us to feed."

"Wu'er is studying in a private school. The teacher said that he will definitely pass the examination and become a scholar in the future. Wu'er needs to send a large sum of money every month. Do you think it is easy for me to take care of such a large family? As the head of the family, are you going to ruin Wu'er's future for Si'er's family? I hope this son can bring honor to our Cao family. Your Cao family has not produced a scholar in a hundred years. Don't you want Caojia Village to produce a scholar and don't want our family to produce a scholar? "Ah? You are going to ruin my Wu'er's future now, this is going to cost me my life..."

Chen Zhu cursed and cried, tears and snot, crying so miserably, Si'er's family has harmed their Cao family, their Wu'er, and the only scholar in their Caojia Village in a hundred years, "I dare not go down to face my ancestors even after I die, to see the ancestors of the Cao family..." Cao's father

sat there smoking a dry pipe, a shadow under the dim light. Chen Zhu's words touched his heart. His Wu'er, Cao Gaojin, would be the scholar in the Cao family in a hundred years, and would revive their Cao family and bring honor to their ancestors. If he ruined Wu'er, he would not be able to go down to face his ancestors after his death.

Si'er is lying on the bed now, and he doesn't know what will happen to him in the future.

Chen Zhu, who was crying with his face covered, secretly looked at his master with the corner of his eyes. Seeing that his master's expression had relaxed, he began to talk about his life after getting married, and how his life was finally better now. He said that their fifth son would become a scholar in the future and bring honor to Caojia Village.

The moon hiding in the sky secretly showed its face. There were faint shadows on the ground. The chickens in the cages fell asleep in each other's arms.

After a long time, the person who was listening at the corner outside the house vaguely heard the response from inside. With a look of surprise on his face, he tiptoed to the bed covered with quilts in the room. The couple whispered, "Did Dad really agree?"

"Absolutely!" said another voice.