You Only Deserve to Stay in the Stinking Ditch

Zhou Xiaoyan never expected Zhou Qingyuan to say such a thing.

She chuckled and said, "Zhou Qingyuan, you're supposed to be a scholar. Do you want to listen to what you're saying? Does it sound like something a human being would say?"

Just as Zhou Qingyuan was about to speak, he heard Cheng Chao say from the side, "Zhou Qingyuan, you don't need to come here tomorrow. I wouldn't dare hire someone like you."

Zhou Qingyuan's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and he froze on the spot.

He was Cheng Chao's personal follower, living off the ten taels of silver Cheng Chao gave him each month. If he lost this job, he would be completely destitute.

He stammered:

"Young Master Cheng, this... this is my family matter, and I never intended to make things difficult for anyone."

But... but this is my parents' wish, I really have no choice..."

Cheng Chao scoffed, his eyes icy. "Parents' orders? If your parents told you to die, would you obediently go?"

"Your sister has been driven to such a desperate situation by them, and instead of protecting her, you're helping those heartless parents who are sucking their daughter's blood."

Why should I keep you by my side? With your cluelessness, I'm afraid you'll turn around and bite me one day."

Zhou Qingyuan's face flushed red. "I... I'll go and persuade my parents right now! I'll go and tell them right away!"

Cheng Chao waved his hand impatiently. "No need. I, Cheng Chao, don't need someone like you."

Zhao Zhaodi pointed at Zhou Xiaoyan and said:

"That heartless little beast, look what's happened to him now, he's ruined your brother's job."

Are you trying to kill me?

Zhou Xiaoyan sneered:

"Weren't you the ones who caused him to lose his job?"

Don't put all the blame on me.

"You're the ones causing trouble today, I'm not taking the blame for this."

Zhao Zhaodi looked at Zhou Wanwan and said, "Wanwan! Qingyuan is your cousin, you must help him."

Zhou Wanwan frowned and said, "I'm just a six-year-old child, how can I help my cousin?"

Zhao Zhaodi looked at Cheng Chao and said, "Hasn't he always listened to you? Anything you say is incredibly effective."

Zhou Wanwan said speechlessly:

"But I think he did nothing wrong. If it were me, I wouldn't like my cousin doing that either."

"I've read so many books, but they've all gone to waste."

Cheng Chao chuckled and looked at Zhou Dazhu and Zhou Erzhu, saying, "You two are quite good. Would you like to be my followers? I'll give you ten taels of silver every month."

Zhou Dazhu and Zhou Erzhu were overjoyed. Zhou Dazhu quickly nodded and said, "Yes, yes, we've learned some martial arts."

Cheng Chao nodded and said, "Then come find me tomorrow!"

Zhou Qingyuan was so angry that he went straight home.

Zhou Qingzhou said with a smile:

"Oh dear! Zhou Qingyuan, what happened to you? Did Young Master Cheng kick you out?"

I felt the same way back then. What could I do? He was the magistrate's son, after all.

Zhou Qingyuan retorted angrily, "What's so great about the magistrate's son? That idiot will be trampled under our feet sooner or later."

Zhou Qingzhou quickly nodded and said:

"That makes sense. Now that I've married the prefect's daughter, I can keep him under my thumb, can't I?"

What's so great about being a mere county magistrate? Qingyuan, you're more capable than me. You passed the county-level exam this time, and maybe you'll pass the provincial-level exam next time.

Then, let's see who dares to look down on you.

Zhou Qingyuan nodded and said, "My ranking this time is quite high. I will try my best to pass the imperial examination as soon as possible."

Zhou Qingzhou laughed heartily:

"Okay, let's work together. Zhou Fusheng's family is quite something now."

We can't let them dominate us!

Zhou Qingyuan scoffed, "Hmph! That family must have paid money, otherwise how could so many of them have become scholars?"

Zhou Wanwan ordered her men to restrain Zhao Zhaodi and Zhou Fukang: "Throw them out."

Zhao Zhaodi started making a huge scene, and Zhou Wanwan simply lost all patience.

The Old Scholar Tree simply threw the two of them into the stinking ditch behind it.

Zhao Zhaodi wailed, "Zhou Wanwan, you crazy woman! How could you be so cruel as to throw me into this stinking ditch? You'll die a horrible death!"

She had just climbed out of the stinking ditch when Zheng Xing'an kicked her back into it.

"You all deserve to stay in the stinking ditch."

Zhao Zhaodi and Zhou Fukang returned home reeking. Old Man Zhou pinched his nose and said, "Did you fall into a latrine? Why do you stink like that?"

Old Madam Zhou grumbled, "Couldn't you wash up in the river up ahead before coming back?"

The two reluctantly washed themselves clean and returned.

After they finished speaking, Old Madam Zhou was furious:

"Zhou Fusheng and Liu Su'e have gone mad this week, giving such a generous dowry."

What exactly are they trying to do? They're deliberately going against us.

Qian Huihui smiled and said:

"Mother, this is a good thing. It means they still have some affection for our family."

This time, Qingzhou from our family gave a gift of 1,000 taels of silver.

When Zhou Xiaoyan got married, he provided an eight-bearer dowry.

"Then he'll definitely give gifts when our daughter gets married or our son gets married in the future."

Old Madam Zhou nodded and said, "That makes sense, but it's just that the brat got off easy."

Qian Huihui chuckled and said, "That's not necessarily true. We can just find a few people to carry the dowry away."

Old Madam Zhou's eyes lit up and she said, "You're right."

That evening, a group of people entered Zhou Dazhu's room. Zhou Wanwan, lying on the Old Scholar Tree, looked at the furtive figures and said, "It must be these people. I didn't expect Old Madam Zhou to be so capable, finding so many helpers."

The Old Scholar Tree said, "They're all mountain bandits. These are bandits from Dragon and Tiger Mountain, and they're quite formidable."

Zhou Wanwan chuckled and said, "It's good that you're good!"

These people were about to leave with the dowry when someone suddenly lifted the cloth covering it, only to find it completely empty.

The bandits were furious. "Wasn't it supposed to be an eight-bearer dowry? Why is there nothing inside?"

"Pah! There's nothing there. Let's search again and see if we can find anything."

They searched for ages but found nothing, not even a single bag of grain.

These bandits became enraged. One of them pulled out a tinderbox and said, "We've made a wasted trip. I'll set them on fire and burn them to death today!"

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate? The fortune teller only asked us to come and collect the dowry. It wouldn't be good if this matter escalated."

"What's there to be afraid of? These people did such despicable things, leaving me nothing. Well, I can forget about my life then."

Zhou Wanwan sneered, "These people really know how to talk. We'll go up the mountain with them in a bit."

The bandits lit a tinderbox, but just as they were about to leave, the fire went out.

They lit another tinderbox, but the fire went out as soon as they left.

This went on for over twenty times, driving the bandits nearly insane.

"Damn it, this is really weird, why can't I light the fire?"

There's no wind, so let's hurry back into the mountains! If this continues, it'll be dawn soon."