Chapter 25: I Am Your Brother, Not Your Father; Take This Kick, No Need to Thank Me!

Chapter 25

"Huh?" Old Madam Li was bewildered.

Why on earth would they want to split the family? With parents still alive, where was the logic in dividing the household? Moreover, if they split, one family would turn into three. Originally, they only had to provide one person for the corvée labor, but if they split, they would have to provide three.

The second son’s family was fine; they had plenty of sons, and Dagou and Erniu were already grown. But what about the eldest and the third son? The eldest was a carpenter; he could pay ten taels of silver to exempt himself from labor, but that was ten whole taels! Could the eldest’s family save ten taels in a year without eating or drinking? Plus, her two eldest grandsons were scholars, and education cost a fortune, let alone for two. The eldest’s family certainly had no spare money. As for the third son, there was no need to mention him—he had no sons, only two little girls. And since he hadn't passed the qualifying exam for the scholar degree, he couldn't get a labor exemption. Surely, they couldn't just send him off to do manual labor?

"You old fool, what nonsense are you spouting!" Not yet realizing the gravity of the situation, she turned to Old Man Li. "If you split the family now, you’re driving the eldest and the third to their deaths! The second son has plenty of strength and several growing boys; we’ve never had to worry about labor service, so why this sudden talk of splitting up?"

"Shut your mouth!" Old Man Li glared at her, thinking, *what a shallow, short-sighted woman.* He was now almost certain that it was his wife’s mistreatment that had drawn such a malevolent force upon the second son’s family. Recalling the words of the spirit medium, he steeled his heart. "A tree must branch, and a family must split! The sons are all grown. Let’s divide the household. They all have minds of their own—let them be masters of their own destiny! Once we split, we can move to town and live with the eldest’s family. How does that sound?"

In truth, his heart had grown cold. He couldn't rely on the third son’s family. That boy was clearly an ingrate; if they gave him any more money, they would truly be ruined. Old Madam Li stared at the old man in a daze, unable to understand what kind of madness had taken hold of him.

Outside the house, Baozhen had heard every word clearly. She was ecstatic. Splitting the family was a good thing! Once they were divided, they wouldn't have to return to Li Village or see their grandparents again. In the future, they would be townspeople. With that status, she could find a better marriage match. Most importantly, her father had said that her grandparents held a lot of money—money her second uncle had earned—and if they split, her family would surely get a large share. With money, her father could continue his studies, and once he passed the examinations, she would be the most dazzling young lady in town!

Dreaming of the future, Baozhen returned to the courtyard. She leaned toward her parents and whispered, "Mother, I heard it clearly—Grandfather wants to split the family!"

Cheng Xiuyun was stunned. Li Qingyun, who had been feigning faintness, immediately sat up. "What did you say?" Had his parents lost their minds? Why would they split the family at a time like this? He wasn't a fool; only by staying together could his family survive. He had no labor power, and he couldn't lift anything or carry any burden. If he lost the family's support, how could he continue his studies? Who would pay for his social obligations? Who would provide the ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones?

Li Qingyun dared not pretend anymore. He scrambled to his feet and, ignoring his wife and daughter, stumbled toward the room where Li Feng was staying. His second brother was filial; if he could get his second brother to talk to their parents, they would surely abandon the idea of splitting the family.

When Li Qingyun knocked on the door, Li Feng was busy feeding milk to a group of children. It had become a habit for their family. However, upon hearing the knocking, they grew vigilant and quickly hid the containers, all turning to look at Li Feng. Li Feng remained calm and signaled for Dagou to open the door.

"Third Uncle?" Dagou opened the door and licked his lips. Seeing Li Qingyun, he was confused. Didn't his third uncle look down on their family? Every time he came back, he wouldn't even let them sit at the table to eat! His father couldn't even lift his head in front of his third uncle. He didn't like this uncle.

Li Qingyun sniffed the air. *Strange, why do I smell milk?* But he quickly dismissed the thought. He must have smelled wrong. Milk was a luxury; even the village landlord and the village head couldn't necessarily afford it. How could the second brother possibly have milk?

"Where is your father? I have something to discuss with him," Li Qingyun stated his purpose. Dagou didn't move aside until he looked at Li Feng, who gave a slight nod.

Seeing this, Li Qingyun rushed inside and performed a sliding kneel, prostrating himself at Li Feng’s feet. "Second Brother, I was wrong. It is my fault for being incompetent. After studying for so many years, I haven't even earned the title of a student. I have truly let my two brothers down!"

Li Qingyun was indeed a man with acting skills. His eyes were filled with tears, and his attitude of contrition was so convincing that Li Feng almost wanted to applaud. *What a man who knows how to bend and stretch.* To be able to humble himself in front of a group of nieces and nephews—only Li Qingyun could pull that off. However, Li Feng was curious; this guy seemed quite cunning. With such cleverness, how could he fail to even pass the basic entrance exam for so many years? Had he offended someone?

Li Qingyun wept miserably, waiting for Li Feng to react. This tactic had never failed him before; his second brother was particularly soft-hearted and knew how hard he studied. Every time, his brother would convince their parents to give him more money and encourage him to keep at it, saying he was the one to restore the Li family’s honor. In the past, he had scoffed at such words, but now he desperately longed to hear them again.

However, the next moment, Li Qingyun was left in a daze. He heard Li Feng say, "Since you know you aren't cut out for studying, why waste the time?"

"While you're still young, come back and learn how to farm. I'll have Dagou teach you. If you learn to farm, you won't starve to death in the future, right?"

Li Qingyun: "???"

"Second Brother?" *Why isn't he following the script? Why isn't he comforting me more?*

"Yes, I am your second brother, not your father. Why are you kneeling to me? What, do you want to adopt me as your father?" Li Feng’s words were sharp as a needle.

Li Qingyun was overcome with shame and looked at Li Feng in disbelief. *Is this really my second brother? I was just putting on a show—he actually dares to humiliate me?* He clenched his fists inside his sleeves and opened his mouth to retort.

*Bang!*

Li Feng swung his leg and kicked him flying.

*Thud!*

As his body slammed into the ground, Li Qingyun, already nursing previous injuries, saw stars. *It hurts so much!*