Ning Chen nodded repeatedly after hearing Ning Zhao's words, saying, "I know, you don't need to worry about me, you should go quickly!"
Ning Zhao bid farewell to Ning Chen, shouldered his bundle, and left the academy, heading towards the city gate to find his fifth uncle's oxcart. Upon arriving at the city gate, Ning Zhao quickly spotted his fifth uncle and hurried forward to greet him.
"Uncle Ning, I would like to ride in your oxcart home today."
Uncle Ning nodded with a smile:
"Oh, it's Ning Zhao. Is the academy on holiday? Why didn't your parents come to pick you up today?"
Ning Zhao nodded and stammered:
“They, they don’t know I have a day off today, so I came to find your oxcart to go back together.”
Uncle Ning looked at the sky and said:
"Alright, I think it's getting late, let's head back now."
Uncle Ning quickly escorted Ning Zhao back to the courtyard. Jiang Yuwei was busy cooking in the yard at the time and was quite surprised to see Ning Zhao return at this time.
"Why are you back today, Zhao'er? Is the academy on holiday?"
Ning Zhao forced a smile:
"Mother, the academy isn't closed for the holidays. The teacher told me to come back."
Jiang Yuwei was startled by these words and stepped forward to take Ning Zhao's bundle, asking:
Why did the Master want you to go home?
Ning Zhao took the money from selling Yuwei paper from his pocket, handed it to Jiang Yuwei, and smiled:
"Mother, take a look at all this money. It's all money I earned from selling Yuwei paper."
Jiang Yuwei took the money with a worried look on her face:
"Ning Zhao, tell your mother the truth. Is it because your teacher sent you back to school because your studies were affected by selling paper at the academy?"
Ning Zhao shook her head and whispered:
"No, Mother, it's because I got into a fight with someone at the academy."
Ning Huaizhi, who had just come out of the house, overheard Ning Zhao's words and was immediately filled with rage:
"You little brat! I taught you martial arts so you could defend yourself, not so you could go to the academy and fight with your classmates. Did you hurt anyone?"
Without waiting for Ning Zhao to speak, Ning Huaizhi picked up a bamboo stick and began whipping Ning Zhao. Jiang Yuwei tried to stop him, but Ning Huaizhi shouted to stop her.
“Yuwei, it is the father’s fault if the child is not taught properly. I will listen to you on other matters, but please do not interfere when I am disciplining the child.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei immediately fell silent. She could only suppress her heartache and continue cooking. She knew that a doting mother often spoils her children. She had always been too good to her two children, never willing to scold or hit them. When something happened, she would always stand in front of them to protect them. Jiang Yuwei was also afraid that if she continued like this, her two children would be spoiled. Now that Ning Huaizhi wanted to discipline Ning Zhao, she naturally couldn't say anything.
When Ning Zhao saw that her father was about to hit her, she didn't dodge. She just lowered her head and stood silently in place, enduring the pain and shedding tears.
Seeing that Ning Zhao remained silent, Ning Huaizhi struck him on the back with the stick again:
“Ning Zhao, do you know how hard it was for your mother to send you to school? How many children your age in our village can go to the academy? Aren’t they all helping with chores at home? But you, you don’t cherish the opportunity to study at the academy. Instead, you cause trouble for your mother and me. Do you really think our family’s money grows on trees?”
After saying that, Ning Huaizhi became even angrier and struck Ning Zhao hard with the stick again, almost knocking him off his feet.
Seeing this, Ning Wan rushed out and stood in front of Ning Zhao, crying as she said:
"Waaah, Wan'er won't let Daddy hit brother, please stop, please stop, brother knows he was wrong, waaah..."
Jiang Yuwei felt heartbroken looking at the two children. She stepped forward, stood beside Ning Huaizhi, gently patted his shoulder, and shook her head slightly at him.
Seeing this, Ning Huaizhi had no choice but to stop, throwing the bamboo strip in his hand at Ning Zhao and angrily saying:
"Go, squat in a horse stance against the courtyard wall, holding a bamboo stick, and reflect on your actions! You don't need to eat dinner tonight! You can come back to the room when you've figured things out!"
Ning Zhao held back her tears, picked up the bamboo stick from the ground, and obediently squatted in a horse stance against the wall.
Seeing Ning Zhao like this, Jiang Yuwei felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She only thought about making more delicious food to secretly give to Ning Zhao that night.
The whole family finished their meal with solemn expressions. Ning Huaizhi cleared away the dishes and went inside. Jiang Yuwei saw Ning Zhao still squatting in a horse stance against the wall, so she ladled out a bowl of rice and dishes, took a stool, and sat down next to him, smiling:
"Your father hit you, do you hate him?"
Ning Zhao shook her head.
Jiang Yuwei picked up a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth. Ning Zhao ate the meat and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
"Mom, I'm still being punished. If Dad sees me, he'll beat me again..."
Jiang Yuwei picked up another piece of vegetables and fed it to Ning Zhao:
"It's okay, if I don't let him see, he won't dare to see. Eat, you'll have the energy to stand as punishment if you're full, right?"
Ning Zhao ate while tearfully complaining. Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei smiled and said:
"Tell your mother why you got into a fight with your classmate?"
Ning Zhao swallowed the food in her mouth and slowly opened her mouth:
"Yes, they bullied me first. I didn't want to die, so I fought back..."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei's hand holding the bowl trembled slightly, and she quickly stood up to help Ning Zhao sit down on the stool.
"Tell your mother clearly what happened, who bullied you, and why you were the one who was bullied but were expelled from the academy by the teacher?"
Seeing Jiang Yuwei's worried expression, Ning Zhao quickly waved his hand and said:
"Mother, don't worry, I fought back. They were injured more badly than I was. The teacher was just looking out for me. He was afraid that the Ge family would come to the academy to cause trouble for me, so he told me to go home and lay low for a while..."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei frowned.
"It's the Ge family again. Did Young Master Ge hit you?"
Ning Zhao nodded and whispered:
“He brought people to find me and forbade me from selling Yuwei paper in the academy. Then he started beating me without saying a word and even pushed my head into the water vat. I, I really couldn’t take it anymore, so I fought back. I’m not like Father said, bullying my classmates just because I know a little martial arts. Mother, you have to believe me.”
Jiang Yuwei pulled Ning Zhao into her arms, tears welling in her eyes as she murmured:
"Mother, believe you. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let you go to the academy to sell Yuwei paper. Making money should be my concern. I didn't think things through and inexplicably dragged you into this dispute. I know best what kind of person that young master Ge is. Don't be afraid. Tomorrow I will take you to the academy to demand an explanation."
Ning Zhao struggled out of Jiang Yuwei's embrace, wiped away Jiang Yuwei's tears with her sleeve, and said with heartache:
"No, Mother, this has nothing to do with you. I wanted to take Yuwei Paper to the academy to sell myself, and Yuwei Paper does sell quite well there. If it weren't for Young Master Ge..."
Jiang Yuwei looked at Ning Zhao and smiled firmly:
“Zhao’er, although the Ge family is wealthy and powerful, we don’t need to be afraid of them. It’s not good to just run away from problems. We need to face them head-on and solve them. If this matter isn’t resolved properly, I’m afraid you won’t be able to have peace at the academy in the future. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the academy to meet that young master Ge!”
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