After breakfast, a servant woman came in and said the old lady wanted Lu Youling to go do some chores.
Gong Ze could have refused on Lu Youling’s behalf. Aside from the old woman herself, no one in the Gong family dared to oppose Gong Ze anymore. But Lu Youling didn’t think it was a big deal. He held Gong Ze back and agreed to go.
“It’s fine. It’s just a bit of work. I’m living here now, so it’s only right.”
Lu Youling had an optimistic nature, a resilient, upward-looking toughness about him.
He also didn’t like owing anyone anything.
He even comforted Gong Ze in return: “I was too full anyway. This will help me digest. Once I’m done with the work this afternoon, I’ll come find you to learn characters.”
He waved at Gong Ze and followed the servant woman out.
After he left, Gong Ze asked Shuisheng for a hawthorn pill to aid digestion. He drank some tea, then strolled over to the old woman’s place.
The system watched from the side, sensing trouble brewing.
When the old woman heard from the servant that Gong Ze had arrived, she thought he had come to apologize. Lying on a chaise lounge with a soft pillow behind her, she let out a cold snort and turned her face away, intending to put on airs.
But the first words out of Gong Ze’s mouth were: “I want the keys to the family treasury.”
The old woman nearly choked on her own breath and almost fainted from rage right then and there.
“W-What did you say…? Don’t you dare!” the old woman exclaimed. “As long as I live, I will never hand them over. Even if I die, don’t you dare dream of it!”
Gong Ze wasn’t the least bit upset. “Father and eldest brother are both gone now. I am the head of the Gong family. The money and property should naturally be under my management. And Auntie…” He glanced at the old woman. “Given your traditional mindset, you, as a woman, should understand the principle better than I do: when a woman’s father dies, she obeys her husband; when her husband dies, she obeys her son.”
The old woman’s face twisted with rage. “I am your aunt, your father’s legitimate wife, and I am also your mother! If you are unfaithful to me, I will sue you—”
“Go ahead,” Gong Ze said fearlessly. “Then let’s split the family assets.”
The old woman: “…”
“I am the only male heir of the Gong family. If I say we’re splitting the estate, all the family’s land and property will go to me. You’ll be left with nothing except the dowry you brought with you back then. Of course I’ll still support you, but you’ll lose much more than you gain.”
If Gong Ze pushed for a family division, now that the old master was gone, tradition dictated that as long as her maiden family still existed, she would be sent back to them, with Gong Ze providing financial support. If her maiden family had no one left, she would live with her son.
What difference would that be from handing over control of the household to Gong Ze?
If she handed over the keys, she could still enjoy the treatment of the Gong family’s old matriarch and keep access to some money. But if they split the estate, Gong Ze could kick her out the door, and she would have nothing left.
The old woman’s dowry had long since vanished. Her maiden family still had people, but the younger generation barely knew her. Why would they possibly agree to let a frail old woman who couldn’t lift a finger move in and consume their food?
“Are you trying to force me to hang myself? Wouldn’t you be afraid that the whole village would point their fingers at you and curse you behind your back?” the old woman screamed in terror.
Gong Ze looked at her gently and said, “Fine by me.”
The old woman: “…”
“Actually, I don’t plan to stay in Fenshan Village much longer. So what if they point their fingers? Can their harsh words turn into knives? Can they cause any real harm to me?”
“But if Auntie were to die, it would save me a lot of trouble. And I believe you don’t have the guts.”
Gong Ze was even more indifferent than she was.
“You don’t need to play your crying, tantrum-throwing, suicide-threatening tricks on me. They don’t work. Besides, the treasury keys belong to the head of the family. They’re mine by right. You secretly took them and have been hoarding them in your room.”
“All these years, ever since my father fell ill, you stole the keys to the family treasury, slowly smuggled money out of it, and hid it in your room. You don’t think I know?”
Gong Ze spoke slowly and deliberately.
“Father’s will—the portion left to me is probably pitifully small by now, isn’t it? How do you plan to explain that? Will you say that over the years, paying for my schooling has drained the family’s finances, then fob me off with a pittance to get rid of me, while you secretly keep all the Gong family’s wealth for yourself?”
Gong Ze cast her a glance.
“Auntie, you really are greedy.”
“…”
The old woman froze instantly, unable to figure out how Gong Ze knew she had been stealing money or how he had seen through her scheme.
Her thin, small, hunched body trembled. Sweat trickled down her face, and her tough talk evaporated.
Her sharp, mean eyes darted back and forth.
Gong Ze picked up his teacup, took a sip, and reminded her, “We both know who would be humiliated if this got out, Auntie. If you really want to make this village-wide news, I’ll be happy to help. I can tell even more, and even juicier, stories than you can.”
“…”
“…”
·
After drinking half a cup of tea, with a jingling ring of keys now tucked into the pocket of his Zhongshan suit—having “filially” impressed the old woman into speechless submission with his overwhelming strength—Gong Ze left her house.
Then Gong Ze went to the family treasury. He opened a small cabinet and took out a box of land deeds, a chest full of large silver dollars, and several boxes filled with gold and silver treasures.
He didn’t touch the valuables. Instead, he tucked most of the land deeds into his coat, locked everything back in the cabinet, and stepped outside. He called out to Shuisheng.
“Shuisheng, come here.”
“Second Master!” Shuisheng hurried over. “What’s the matter?”
Gong Ze ruffled the young man’s prickly head. “Come on, take me for a stroll around the village. Then we’ll pay a visit to the village chief.”
Shuisheng grinned brightly. “Sure thing! Our Fenshan Village is huge. It can’t compare to the city, of course, but there’s plenty of fun to be had!”
Gong Ze followed Shuisheng out the door.
Shuisheng hadn’t been exaggerating—Fenshan Village was indeed very large.
Though the people here were poor, they were far better off than in other places. The architecture had an old-world charm, with blue tiles and white walls—no mud huts to be seen.
And this was back in 1996, when mud huts were still common in the countryside.
The village also had rice paddies and tea fields.
Because the population was large and demands were many, a few scattered shops lined the roadsides, all built by the villagers themselves.
Hair salons, general stores, tailors, noodle and pastry shops.
During busy farming seasons, the shops would close. If you needed something, you had to run out to the fields and call the owner back to open up.
When there was less farm work, the shops stayed open, but business was slow. Usually, the owner would light the stove and play cards or mahjong with neighbors inside.
When Gong Ze strolled over to the pastry shop, the owner was just making flatbreads. A whole lid full of small, mushroom-and-meat-stuffed cornbreads filled the air with an aroma that drifted for miles. Clearly, someone had placed an order for a family event and requested them in advance.
Mushrooms could be foraged cheaply from the mountains, but meat was expensive.
A crowd of drooling children had gathered at the door, along with a few adults who stopped to take a look. The owner’s wife stood outside keeping an eye on things, afraid someone might sneak a bite.
One shouldn’t overestimate the moral standards of rural folks in this era.
That wasn’t Gong Ze looking down on the countryside.
City children often romanticize rural life, imagining golden wheat fields stretching forever, with children running along the ridges and little yellow dogs trailing behind.
But children who actually grew up in the countryside know its darker side all too well. Many elderly rural folk still maintain the habit of petty thievery.
They may not mean any harm, but if you leave anything outside your door—cheap or expensive—you can count on it being taken.
Gong Ze looked at the cornmeal meat-stuffed flatbreads and thought of Lu Youling, whose begging existence had left him with a diseased, desperate obsession with food. He paused, then stepped forward and struck up a conversation with the shop owner’s wife.
“Second Master Gong, want some flatbread?”
The shop owner’s wife was also an elder of the Gong family. She had been on high alert, her eyes fixed on her flatbreads as a group of poor kids stared at them intensely.
But when she saw Gong Ze—a wealthy, educated young man—her face softened into a slightly more welcoming smile. She knew that if Gong Er wanted flatbreads, he wouldn’t steal them; he would pay. It was a simple, practical way of thinking.
“I’ll have some. But these were ordered by someone else, right? Can I still take them? Give me ten small flatbreads.”
“What’s the problem with that? So-and-so doesn’t need them until tomorrow, and I’m not done yet. Take these, and I’ll just make a few extra in the next batch.”
Gong Ze smiled and nodded. “Alright then.”
Gong Ze didn’t ask the price. But earlier, he had mentioned the “dark side” of the countryside. Now, the “good side” quickly showed itself. The shop owner’s wife didn’t try to overcharge him just because he didn’t know the price (though it was unclear if that was because Shuisheng was there). She even threw in an extra flatbread for Gong Er.
“Oh, it’s rare that you’re back! Take them and eat! By the family hierarchy, you should call me Auntie anyway!” the shop owner’s wife said with a smile.
“Then thank you very much, Auntie.”
Gong Ze responded with a warm, gentle smile. After paying, he walked around the corner carrying a paper bag filled with the small flatbreads, with Shuisheng in tow. Suddenly, he turned back and waved at the little children who had been watching him with envy.
The children’s eyes lit up. They quickly ran over and swarmed around Gong Ze.
Each one tilted their little heads up, gazing at Gong Ze with eager, hopeful eyes, like little sunflowers.
Or like baby birds waiting for their mother to feed them, mouths wide open and chirping.
It was just a flatbread, but to these little children, it was simply wonderful!
And the big brother who gave it to them was absolutely wonderful too!
The system was utterly charmed by their adorable expressions and softened their voice: [Aww~ Such cute little kiddos~]
Having played the role of a mother bird and earned the adoration of these rugrats, Gong Ze’s mood lifted. Unable to restrain a smile, he untied the string, opened the paper package, took out one flatbread, broke it in half, and handed the two pieces to two different children.
Ten flatbreads, and now five were gone.
But in their place were ten children wolfing down their pieces with pure delight, like little piggies eating magical ginseng fruits.
Shuisheng watched this with a pained expression. “Second Master, you haven’t even eaten any yourself! Why are you giving them away to these kids? They’re just being greedy—whenever anyone in the village cooks something good, they always go squat by the door. It’s not like they’re actually hungry. You’re too soft-hearted. If they want some, let their own parents buy it for them. You’re the one who paid for this…”
Before he could finish.
A flatbread was stuffed into his mouth.
Shuisheng’s eyes widened in surprise as the fragrant meat pie sealed his lips. He looked up to see his new young master smiling down at him. “All the children got a share, but your Second Master is biased—he gave you a whole one.”
Shuisheng reached up to grab the flatbread in his mouth, dropped his head, and blushed deeply.
Gong Ze smiled. Standing among the crowd of children eating their flatbreads, he picked up a small meat pie and tasted it himself. To be honest, it was actually quite good—the crust was crispy and fragrant, and the filling was perfectly salted.
After he finished eating, he noticed that the little baby birds had wiped the shiny oil from their mouths and were now sucking on their fingers while staring longingly at the flatbreads he still had left.
The dark-hearted man curled his lips and teased them: “No more~ The rest is for someone else.”
The country kids were tough little things. None of them cried or threw a fit. Some of the sweeter-mouthed ones even said, “Thank you, big brother.”
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