Because of Xingxing's incident, Zhou Laoda and Zhao Guihua took turns beating their sons. If it weren't for them leading the way, Xingxing wouldn't have been eavesdropping. If he hadn't been eavesdropping, he wouldn't have gotten hurt. So, their anger was naturally vented on Fu Gewei.
The five brothers were beaten and howled, shouting that they would never dare to do it again and that they would definitely learn to behave well in the future.
These kids were strong; the five of them darted around and ran about, and Zhou Laoda and Zhao Guihua were exhausted from chasing and beating them up.
Once things calmed down at home, Zhou Laoda went to the village chief's house to discuss how to deal with Zhou Laosan and Zhou Laosi's situation.
Thinking about how difficult Old Man Zhou and Old Woman Zhou were, the village chief felt a headache coming on, but he still asked Zhou Fagen to go and call the two old people over.
Before long, Old Man Zhou and Old Woman Zhou arrived at the village chief's house. The village chief didn't waste any time with small talk and got straight to the point: "Last night, the eldest and second eldest sons took the children to town. Unfortunately, the county magistrate also came to our town, and the two of them ran into him."
Old Man Zhou and Old Woman Zhou looked completely bewildered. And then what?
What if ordinary people like us occasionally run into officials on the street? We still have to give way and kneel down. The officials won't even give us a second glance.
The village chief cleared his throat and said, "The eldest and second eldest sons have met the county magistrate. He even spoke with them and helped find a doctor to treat Dafa's child. The county magistrate also knows about your family's situation."
The county magistrate was furious and wanted to send officials to arrest Zhou Laosan and Zhou Laosi. It was only because the second son and his wife were soft-hearted that they pleaded for their brothers' lives. The second son and his wife were still able to plead for their two younger brothers at this time because Dafa's child had been spared.
The village chief's words were half true and half false. It was true that Zhou Dafa's life was saved, but the county magistrate had no idea about their family's dirty deeds and had no time to care. However, it was true that he asked his subordinates to help find a doctor to save the child.
Bringing out the county magistrate was mainly to scare Old Man Zhou and Old Woman Zhou, and this method did work. When the two old folks heard that the county magistrate was angry, they were so frightened that they almost knelt down. They could cause as much trouble as they wanted in the village, but if they really saw an official, things would be much more complicated.
"Village chief, this is our family matter. Although the third and fourth sons are also at fault, they really didn't mean to harm Dafa. Dafa is my own grandson, and I feel sorry for him too..." Old Zhou rambled on, basically saying that he wanted to settle this matter privately so as not to bother the county magistrate.
"Although Dafa survived, all four of his limbs were broken, several of his ribs were broken, and he lost too much blood. Even if he recovers, his body will be severely damaged, and he will definitely be weak and frail in the future, requiring him to see a doctor and take medicine all year round. The cost of the medicine and consultation fees will have to be paid by the third and fourth brothers from now on," the village chief said expressionlessly.
Zhou Laosan and Zhou Laosi, who were tied up with ropes and had straw stuffed in their mouths so they couldn't speak, shook their heads desperately and made muffled sounds. The two of them stared at Zhou Laotou and Zhou Laotai, indicating that they couldn't agree. The family was already poor, so where would they get the money to pay for Zhou Dafa's consultation and medicine?
Didn't the village chief say that Zhou Dafa, that unfortunate kid, would become a walking pharmacy and have to take medicine all year round to prolong his life? Who can stand that?
Old Zhou had also thought of this, but he was still relatively clear-headed. If he didn't want to spend a single penny, then the third and fourth sons would definitely not be alright. The village chief would definitely take them to the authorities, and how they would be dealt with after that would depend on the official's mood.
The third and fourth brothers have become a bit eccentric and speak recklessly. I'm afraid that if they say something they shouldn't and offend the officials, they might be beaten to death or even crippled.
Old Zhou tentatively said, "Village chief, let's not beat around the bush. How about we settle this today? My wife and I are old, and besides helping with the farming, we don't have any other skills. Our third and fourth sons aren't very capable either; they can barely manage farming. Expecting them to make money is basically hopeless."
Dafa will need to take medication year-round from now on, and we can't rely on his third and fourth uncles. His third uncle's wife lost her right arm to refugees, so she'll also have to depend on him for support. Our family is having a tough time.
The second son and his wife are always capable, no less so than the eldest son and his wife. It would be better to separate them out; their earnings can then be saved to treat Dafa's illness.”
Old Zhou meant that in the past, Zhou Lao San and Zhou Lao Si were supported by Zhou Lao Er and his wife through farming. Now that Zhou Lao Er is separated from his wife, the second wife will not be responsible for the third and fourth wives. The second wife can save money, and Da Fa's medical treatment will be paid for by the second wife herself.
They think they can just distribute the people and that's it? They're dreaming.
The village chief spoke calmly, “Da Fa is seriously injured. If he stops taking his medicine, he may not survive. We spent thirty taels of silver to hire a doctor and get medicine. That money was borrowed from the eldest son’s family and we have to pay it back. Once we finish the medicine we got, we will have to get more medicine. The third and fourth sons will have to pay for the medicine. If they refuse, then we will go to the authorities.”
The mere mention of "official" made Old Zhou furious, but he couldn't vent his anger on the village chief. He had to hold it in. It seemed the village chief wouldn't let his two youngest sons off without retaliating.
Gritting his teeth, Old Man Zhou said, "Ten taels. We can't afford any more. These days, disasters are terrible, and this is all the silver we have left."
The village chief almost laughed out of anger. "Chen Caocao and her husband learned how to gather medicinal herbs, and then they gathered herbs for their second son every day. When Zhou Laosan and Zhou Laosi found out, they forced Chen Caocao to teach them how to gather herbs. When Chen Caocao refused, they secretly followed her."
Seeing the second son's wife digging up medicinal herbs, they rushed out to snatch them. The second son couldn't even dodge them; they managed to steal all the herbs the first time. After that, the second son's wife deliberately avoided them. The third and fourth sons lost track of her a few times and harbored resentment.
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