Fang Yi stayed all night by the side of the dead old ox, refusing to leave, sitting there in absolute silence. He didn't touch a single bite of the dinner that Fang Mei and Fang Lan brought him.
Early the next morning, his four younger brothers came together to Xigua Ridge to stage a sit-in protest against Fang Yi: if he refused to come home, none of them would go to school today, and they would stay right there with him to keep the old ox's carcass company. Left with no choice, Fang Yi finally agreed to go home.
Fang Rong, Fang Hua, Fang Fu, and Fang Gui vied with one another to tell Fang Yi not to worry, assuring him that everything would be resolved soon. Uncle Shi had already gone home and was no longer coming over to cause trouble. The Village Chief had come up with an idea: as long as they could find a good buyer to sell the old ox to, they could use the money to buy a new one.
Chapter 29