Eldest Brother Lin couldn't bring himself to scold his sister-in-law, so he turned his anger on his younger brother instead.
"Third Brother Lin, are you dead or just mute? How much have Mom and Dad done for your family? And now your wife dares to speak to Dad like that—you two are the most ungrateful pair!"
Third Brother Lin stiffened, considering berating his wife to smooth things over. But when Sun Qian glared at him, he immediately backed down—what if she refused to let him into bed tonight? He still hoped for another son.
"Dad, don’t take Sun Qian’s words to heart. She’s just ignorant. It won’t happen again."
Lin Guozheng scoffed. A tree wouldn’t grow straight without pruning, and a son wouldn’t learn filial piety without discipline. It was time to teach this couple a lesson.
"Of course I won’t hold it against her. But from now on, Third Brother Lin, don’t come to me for anything. I might as well have raised a block of wood. Get out!"
The couple brushed it off—being scolded was routine for them. Sun Qian stood up, yanked her husband’s arm, and stormed out to avoid further humiliation.
Eldest Brother Lin spat in frustration, "Spineless!"
Lin Guozheng sighed. "I won’t be team leader much longer. I plan to let Zhou Ren take over. Daughter-in-law Nan Sheng, your job as work-point recorder might not come back either."
Nan Sheng smiled. "Lin Han earns a salary. The three of us can buy grain and won’t starve."
Zhou Wei scowled. "Your family’s doing just fine. Personally, I think Dad shouldn’t step down. So what if people complain? It’s not like they’re taking flesh from you."
Though the team leader position didn’t pay, Dad earned full work points year-round. If he retired, what could a man his age even do?
Soon, their own household might run short, forcing their sons to chip in.
Eldest Brother Lin stood abruptly. "Dad, talk with the others first. I need to go home."
He dragged Zhou Wei away by the arm. Sensing trouble, she stammered, "I was wro—mmph!"
He clamped a hand over her mouth and hauled her back to their side of the compound. Sizhong was out trapping game in the mountains, leaving only Sicheng home—too young to stop his enraged father. The boy sprinted to his grandfather for help.
"Grandpa! Aunt Nan Sheng! Come quick—Dad’s going to beat Mom to death!"
That ox-hide belt, a gift from the Village Chief, was thick and heavy. A single lash raised welts and tore skin. Sicheng knew firsthand—years ago, after trampling a grave mound for fun, he’d tasted its bite.
Lin Guozheng sighed. He’d meant to discuss the weather with the family, but chaos had overtaken the evening.
The sky did look ominously dark, yet where were the clouds?
No clouds meant no rain.
Nan Sheng handed Qiqi to Sicheng. "Your mother never knows when to hold her tongue. Challenging your grandfather in front of your father—what did she expect?"
Sicheng knew his mother’s sharp tongue brought trouble, but he couldn’t let her be beaten to death. "Please, Aunt, go talk sense into them!"
By the time Nan Sheng arrived, Lin Guozheng had already ordered his son to stop. But Eldest Brother Lin, furious, gripped his wife’s leg and dragged her toward the gate.
"Go back to your parents. I’m done with you. Let’s see what fine husband you’ll find now!"
Lin Guozheng barked at his son, "Enough! Sicheng and Siqi are watching."
But Eldest Brother Lin stood firm. "Dad, I mean it."
He was getting older, needing to save for his sons’ weddings. Zhou Wei would never change—as long as she stayed, she’d drain their resources for her birth family. He’d tolerated it for years out of duty.
But today, her disrespect toward his father crossed a line. Parents sacrificed their lives for their children—not to endure daughters-in-law’s contempt.
He couldn’t control other men’s wives, but his own? That he could.
"Zhou Wei, your family got bride-price when we married. I won’t demand it back. Just get out and never return!"
Zhou Wei had taken five or six belt strikes across her back—now numb and burning. Seeing Lin Jianguo’s resolve, she decided to retreat to her parents’ home for a few days.
"Fine, I’ll go. Don’t you dare regret this, Lin Jianguo!"
With two sons still here, she’d surely return.
Sicheng started after her, but Nan Sheng called him back. "That ointment we used on Sizhe’s bruises worked well. Fetch it from our place for your mother."
Eyes red, the boy nodded. A child’s heart ached most when parents warred. "Thank you, Aunt."
"Don’t fret too much. Aren’t your maternal grandparents struggling? This’ll show your mother where their loyalties lie."
At his confusion, she explained, "If they truly care, they’ll shelter her—no matter how poor—until your father apologizes. But if they see her as a burden? Watch—they’ll send her packing within days. Then she’ll finally prioritize your family."
Somewhat reassured, Sicheng took the ointment and raced after Zhou Wei. She stumbled along the road, sobbing, her clothes torn and ragged.
"Mom! Wait!"
At the sight of him, she wept harder. "At least my son cares."
He draped his own shirt over her shoulders—no one should see his mother in tatters.
"Aunt Nan Sheng sent this ointment. It helped Sizhe heal last time."
Zhou Wei had cursed Nan Sheng earlier for not intervening. Now, clutching the medicine, she grudgingly admitted the woman had some decency.
"Your father’s too cruel. I’ll stay with your grandparents until your brother’s back from work. Both of you must persuade that mule to fetch me home!"
Sicheng agreed, escorting her to the edge of her parents’ village before turning back. The oppressive, stagnant air mirrored the unrest simmering across every hamlet.
Villagers railed against the Village Chief, the town head, the experts—chaos everywhere.
County officials, buckling under pressure, called the city to question the experts’ predictions—only to be reprimanded sharply.
Yu Feng’s nerves frayed, though the saltpeter ice project offered distraction.
If they could produce ice, maybe it would cool tempers along with tongues.
At the Village Chief’s home:
The children shielded their mother. "Dad, stop! She’s sorry!"
The Village Chief slapped his eldest son. "Anyone who interferes gets the same! Your mother’s heart is rotten—afraid I’d lose my position, she incited the village against Old Lin! Is that human behavior?"
How could he face Lin Guozheng now? Decades of friendship, ruined!
The Feng sons seethed. The moment their father left, someone had exposed the truth—Village Chief’s wife had spread the rumors, claiming her husband shielded Lin Guozheng. The crowd, inflamed, had demanded the team leader’s removal.
"She was wrong. We’ll all apologize to Uncle Lin. But Mom’s worked hard all these years—have mercy!"
The Village Chief slumped, misery etched on his face. "You go. I’ve no right to see him again."
