After Younger Mrs. Li suppressed the incident of the fall into the water, everyone ate their morning meal in a listless, flavorless haze.
Zhao Yan should have been unaffected by the situation, but the breakfast was far too thin—the few grains of rice in his bowl could be counted on one hand, leaving him with mostly water. It truly failed to satisfy his hunger, especially since his fifteen-year-old body was still in a phase of rapid growth.
Aside from the few members of the second branch, everyone else had bowls of congee that were significantly thicker. Younger Mrs. Li’s favoritism remained as consistent as ever; it was no wonder Zhao Yun was so thin and frail.
Madam Chen looked down at the "congee" in her and Zhao Yun’s bowls, where the grains of rice were invisible even before a spoonful was taken. Recalling the truth she had just learned, her heart felt bitter beyond measure. She could not understand why Heaven would treat their family this way. The more she thought about it, the more distressed she became, and tears began to stream silently down her cheeks.
"You wretch! Who are you crying for this early in the morning? You jinx, all you know how to do is weep. If you can’t eat, then get out!" Seeing Madam Chen cry made Younger Mrs. Li even more annoyed, and she flew into a rage immediately.
Madam Chen hurriedly stifled her sobs, terrified of provoking Younger Mrs. Li further. However, when Zhao Yun saw her mother crying, she panicked and began to wail herself. Stimulated by this, Madam Chen’s tears started falling again, and she could only hold her daughter tightly, hoping to find a shred of comfort and support.
Yet, Younger Mrs. Li found the crying ominous. "If you cry again, get back to the Chen Family immediately. My Zhao Family has no room for a jinx of a daughter-in-law like you. I should never have agreed to let you into this house in the first place." Younger Mrs. Li picked up a broom from the main room and lashed out at Madam Chen.
Madam Chen immediately hugged Zhao Yun, fearing her daughter would be struck. Zhao Yan rushed over and grabbed the broom before it could land on Madam Chen, sparing her from a second blow.
"Have you rebelled? You dare to defy your elders now? This is the fine son the second branch has raised! I shouldn’t go on living—I’ve lived my whole life only to be defied by my own grandson! You wretched woman, it was bad enough that you dragged your own family down, but now you’ve come to curse my Zhao Family, and the child you birthed has a heart like a scorpion. I should have strangled you the moment you were born; otherwise, how could a scourge like you live so long? My life is so bitter! Heaven, why don't you just take me away?" Younger Mrs. Li began her routine of crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide.
Zhao Gao, only then jolted back to his senses, hurriedly knelt down.
"Mother, please don’t be angry. Sanlang didn't mean it; he only acted that way because he was worried about his mother." Zhao Gao was over thirty. He had never felt bitter about the hardships he endured in the Zhao Family. Even when his wife was oppressed and his children ignored by his parents, he had managed to convince himself that it was acceptable, as long as his parents provided a roof over the second branch's head. But today, after learning that his son had been intentionally pushed into the water and nearly lost his life, he realized that his parents had turned a blind eye, and his sister-in-law was free to bully his wife and children at will. He hadn't been oblivious to his sister-in-law's arrogance before, but as a man, he had to avoid gossip and stay silent. Madam Chen was a woman of few words who never complained, so Zhao Gao had assumed life could go on.
But today, his son had been harmed, and the matter had been brushed aside. Dalang hadn't even received a scolding; instead, his own son was berated for telling the truth, and his wife was beaten and scolded by his mother.
And his father? He hadn't said a single word, as if only the eldest son was their true child. He, Zhao Gao, was nothing more than a slave to the Zhao Family!
As the injustices of the past were laid bare before him, Zhao Gao felt his heart growing cold. He could not understand why his parents were so heartless toward the second branch.
"Father, won't you decide what is fair? What has Madam Chen done wrong? She works herself to the bone without pause. Why must Mother force her back to the Chen Family?" Zhao Gao turned to Zhao Dahe, hoping his father would stand up for the second branch. He still held onto a final shred of hope.
"So, not only do you defy your mother, but you also want to bring your father into this? Second son, I think you’ve gone mad! Your mother raised you from a child, and this is how you treat her? You dare defy me for the sake of a wretch? If you’ve grown tired of staying in the Zhao Family, then the whole second branch can just get out!" Younger Mrs. Li was furious; her usually silent son had actually dared to resist her.
"Second son, your mother is right. You unfilial thing, you even dare to cover for them. I think you really have lost your mind." Zhao Dahe’s opening words were also a rebuke.
Zhao Gao felt a bitter sting in his heart. He hadn't expected even his father to blame him. What had he done wrong? Was it a crime to seek justice for his own son and wife?
"Grandfather, my father is not covering for anyone. It is you who have been covering for the eldest uncle all along. My mother has been dragged into this innocently. It is one thing to be biased, but to lie through your teeth—isn't that taking things too far?" Zhao Yan genuinely felt that this family had lost their minds. How could they be so delirious?
The evidence was right in front of them, yet they were still barking groundless insults. Did they really think he, Zhao Yan, was made of soft dough?
"You unfilial descendant, daring to curse your grandparents! Oh, my heavens! Ancestors of the Zhao Family, look at this unfilial descendant! He’s going to be the death of me!" Younger Mrs. Li began her tirade again.
Zhao Yan treated it all as wind past his ears.
"If you dare to talk back again, don't you dare call yourself a member of the Zhao Family. Get out of this house right now!" Zhao Dahe thought this would frighten Zhao Yan, but he didn't realize that this was exactly what Zhao Yan had been waiting for.
"Grandfather, I will not leave the Zhao Family. I still have to take the imperial examination. If I leave, where would I get the money to travel for it?" Zhao Yan slowly baited the hook, waiting to see if these foolish fish would bite.
"What kind of daydreams are you having? You want money for the exams? Bah! You don't deserve it. The family money is reserved for Dalang and Erlang to take their exams. Where would it ever reach an unfilial descendant like you? Bah!" Younger Mrs. Li raised the broom again, but Zhao Yan snatched it away and threw it into the courtyard. Seeing this, Younger Mrs. Li became even more enraged.
*If it kills you, so be it,* Zhao Yan thought, feeling a slight sense of satisfaction. Nobody told that old woman to spout such filth.
Seeing this, Younger Mrs. Li started howling again. "Mother! Don't let yourself get worked up. They don't have any respect for their parents anymore; they even dare to talk back! How unfilial! Don't worry, our eldest branch will definitely be sure to show you proper filial piety."
Zhao Yan watched coldly as Younger Mrs. Li stoked the fire. The bigger the fire, the better. If things didn't escalate, how could he ever separate from this Zhao Family? Zhao Yan had plenty of ways to survive in this era, but he could not have these parasites from the Zhao Family dragging him down.
The line between them had to be drawn clearly this time so the Zhao Family wouldn't be able to use the pretense of "filial piety" to hold them hostage in the future. Zhao Yan wouldn't play that game.
Though his mother was a woman of few words, he could feel her care for him. Even when Madam Chen had no status in this house, she had still managed to ensure he could study. Zhao Gao, though foolishly filial, at least had a spark of resistance, and he was genuinely good to his wife, his mother, and Zhao Yun.
Therefore, Zhao Yan sincerely hoped that his family could break away and live better lives. If they stayed in the Zhao Family, they would be worked like pack animals forever without ever receiving a shred of recognition.
Zhao Yan did not want to spend another day in such suffocating circumstances.
And so, he was determined to get this family divided today.
Even though he couldn't be the one to bring it up—lest he be branded a disgrace—what if the person who brought it up wasn't him?