"Who needs school? It was Brother Enfu who decided Shun Yao should go to primary school. Shun Yao had good grades. He herded cows every day and only went to school two days a week. Yet he still did well on final exams. They say he ranked second in the entrance exam for middle school. Teachers from the middle school even came to visit. But his family refused to let him study. Later, when Shun Yao grew up and qualified for the army, he went for a physical exam. He passed the political review. But they still wouldn't let him go. If Shun Yao hadn't fought for himself, where would he be today?"
Huang Meiying had known about Shun Yao’s childhood for a long time. But hearing it again made her anger rise quickly. On the surface, she remained calm. She looked at Gan Juhua.
"Come, Juhua. Let us chat. I wonder what happened in your house. Or is it that our Shun Yao eats too much and spends too much money? Did he use up all five yellow croakers?"
Gan Juhua murmured, not knowing what to say. She didn't know how to start. She couldn't say they used the fish on their own children. She dared not speak.
"What is it? Are you too embarrassed to say?" Huang Meiying’s lips curled into a cold smile. "Don't worry. I am easy to talk to. How could I let you suffer a loss? Tell me first. Are the yellow croakers not worth much? Did you not use them for other things?"
Provoked by Huang Meiying, Gan Juhua said directly, "You don't need to say more. I used all the yellow croakers."
"Oh?" Huang Meiying spoke slowly. "I wonder where you used them?"
"I used them on myself. Since you gave them to me, they are mine. I can use them however I like," Gan Juhua said firmly.
"Really excellent." Huang Meiying clapped her hands. Then she suddenly reached out and slapped Gan Juhua, knocking her to the ground. Gan Juhua hadn't expected Huang Meiying to hit her. She looked at her in disbelief. "Huang Meiying, why are you hitting people?"
"My hands are on my body. If I like to hit you, I hit you. Isn't that your logic?" Huang Meiying blew on her palm. "It has been a long time since I practiced slapping. I feel a bit unaccustomed."
Zhu Xinfu came over. He took Huang Meiying’s hand and blew on it. His face showed deep concern. "Why did you hit someone with your own hand? You should have found a wooden stick. Then your hand wouldn't hurt."
The onlookers were speechless. Indeed, this was just like the angry Zhu Shun Yao of the past. They finally understood why Zhu Shun Yao’s personality was like that. It seemed he inherited it from Zhu Xinfu.
"I didn't think about it much just now. I will pay attention in the future," Huang Meiying said, looking as if she would be careful next time.
Zhu Guifu was also stunned by this divine action. He looked at Zhu Xinfu. "Brother, why are you doing this?"
"Don't call me brother. I don't have a brother like you," Zhu Xinfu turned and looked coldly at Zhu Guifu.
"You should know better than anyone why I joined the army. First, it was my belief. Second, our family was indeed poor. By joining the army, I could support the family. It prevented Meiying and the child from suffering so much. As far as I know, part of the money I sent back was given to you by Meiying. But taking my money was one thing. Abusing my son is another."
"Brother, the family situation was really bad back then," Zhu Guifu argued.
"Oh, the family situation was bad back then. So you used the five yellow croakers Meiying left. The family situation was bad, so you let your sons and daughters go to school, but you alone forbade my son from studying. The family situation was bad, so you lived in a tiled house, while my son and daughter-in-law lived in a mud hut. The family situation was bad, so when my daughter-in-law was in confinement, you made her wash the diapers herself. This is indeed because the family situation was bad. Yes, it is indeed excusable."
Zhu Xinfu looked faintly at Zhu Guifu. He spoke slowly, but every sentence was clear. His tone was full of heavy sarcasm.
Those who act like prostitutes but want to set up a chastity arch—this described Zhu Guifu’s family. Looking at them, Zhu Xinfu felt nauseous.
"If my family hadn't produced a medical Buddha girl, and hadn't produced a little divine doctor, my son would still be ground down by you. And I would still be harmed by people. You could naturally live your days openly. But now I am back. Guifu, we should settle the final account."
Zhu Xinfu looked at Zhu Guifu. He no longer wanted to beat around the bush.
"You and I are twin brothers. You should know me better than anyone. You know I am never the type to accept losses. If someone makes me suffer a loss, I will surely peel a layer of skin from that person as compensation. I think you won't forget this."
How could Zhu Guifu forget? In his childhood, he remembered when someone hit Zhu Xinfu. The next day, Zhu Xinfu used a trick to make that person break his leg. Zhu Xinfu had never been a gentleman since childhood. He only gave people a righteous appearance. More importantly, he was good at calculating people. He would calculate them until they were nothing but skin and bones, and even then, he could peel their skin off.
"Our family has no money. We cannot repay you for the five yellow croakers," Zhu Guifu admitted he was no match for Zhu Xinfu, so he could only surrender.
Zhu Xinfu sneered. Since childhood, this younger brother of his had been a bully who feared the strong and bullied the weak. Now that he appeared, Zhu Guifu had become a coward. "I never cared about those five yellow croakers. I came today only to settle things with you."
Zhu Xinfu looked faintly at Zhu Guifu. "You abused my son. That is a fact. You delayed my son. That is also a fact. But you did raise my son. You let him marry a wife. That is also a fact. Merits and faults cancel each other out. I cannot say much about you. Today, I only came to cut off the brotherly bond with you. From now on, you are Zhu Guifu. To me, you are just a clansman who cannot be reached with a bamboo pole. That is all. You are nothing else."
Zhu Guifu’s face changed. Although he and Zhu Xinfu had not met for many years, they were still biological brothers. No matter how big the misunderstanding was, they were still brothers. If something happened to him, he could still ask his brother for help. But once the brotherly bond was cut, it meant that no matter what happened in his branch, it had nothing to do with Zhu Xinfu.
"Brother, do we really need to be so extreme?" Zhu Guifu did not want to cut ties with Zhu Xinfu.
"Why not?" Zhu Xinfu asked Zhu Guifu. "If you were me, you would definitely not be as calm as I am."
Calm? They were about to cut ties. Where did calmness come from?