TTTQF Chapter 16

He's Not Afraid of Quarrels

“…”

This must be Xiao Shitou! The moment he sees him, a strange emotion suddenly surges up. Jiang Miao feels a sense of blood connection that he has never experienced before. His heart feels a bit swollen. He opens his mouth, wanting to call out to Xiao Shitou, but his throat feels like it’s stuffed with cotton, making it difficult to speak.

In the courtyard, Xiao Shitou suddenly realizes something and looks up towards the door. When he sees the person standing outside, his mouth slightly opens, and joy lights up his eyes.

“Brother!” he shouts, dropping the broom and running towards the door. But when he reaches Jiang Miao, he suddenly stops, cautiously circling around him, almost sniffing him like a puppy. Only after confirming that the person is real does he pounce on Jiang Miao.

Jiang Miao squats down, embraces Xiao Shitou, and calls out to him with a trembling voice. After the overwhelming joy, there is immense grievance. Although Xiao Shitou doesn’t cry out loud, Jiang Miao can feel his slender body trembling in his arms, and he can clearly feel the small shoulders, which even shiver with each breath.

From Xiao Shitou’s actions, Jiang Miao can clearly feel his affection and trust towards him. Surely, in a corner where others cannot see, the original owner has been secretly caring for this younger brother.

When Xiao Shitou’s emotions calm down a bit, Jiang Miao stands up, takes Xiao Shitou’s hand, and walks towards the courtyard. When they are about to enter the house, Xiao Shitou hesitates, refusing to move forward. Jiang Miao doesn’t force him, letting him stay outside, and takes a few steps forward to knock on the door.

“Knock, knock!”

The people inside are still immersed in the warm atmosphere and seem unaware of what’s happening outside. It’s only when the door, which is originally open, is knocked on that they lift their heads in surprise.

“Uncle Jiang, Aunt Jiang, are you feeding the child? Let me see what you’re eating. Oh, steamed egg custard, salted meat, radish slices, quite sumptuous.” Jiang Miao walks in without permission and comments cheerfully on the dishes on their table. There are three dishes on the table, three bowls, two pairs of chopsticks, and a spoon. It’s clear that there is no place set for Xiao Shitou.

“Sanshui?” Jiang Lao San’s wife is momentarily stunned, then furrows her brows and asks, “Why are you back? What are you doing coming to my house so late at night? Is Youcai here?”

Xiao Shitou stands outside the door, his small hands gripping the door frame. He peeks inside with half of his face, observing the situation. When he sees the obvious anger on his mother’s face, he can’t help but shiver. Hearing her call him loudly, Xiao Shitou moves inside and softly calls out, “Mom.”

As soon as Jiang Lao San’s wife sees him, she immediately scolds loudly, “Are you dead? A stranger comes to the door, and you don’t say a word? Even a dog I raise knows how to bark, but you, a thankless wretch, just let people in directly!”

Jiang Miao is furious. Here it comes again! He has heard from Aunt Zhou before that Jiang Lao San’s wife loves to make indirect insults. He has thought that one should be cultured, not engage in shouting matches with others, and speak properly when visiting their house to resolve matters peacefully if possible. But now, hearing her viciously scold Xiao Shitou firsthand, he can’t stand it anymore. Jiang Miao pulls Xiao Shitou into his arms and covers his ears with his hand.

“What is this about, Aunt Jiang? Outsiders? Who here is an outsider? I remember very clearly that when Uncle Jiang San wanted to adopt my brother, he promised not to prevent us brothers from recognizing each other! Now that you’ve had your own child, you forget how you begged my grandmother back then?” He looks at Jiang Lao San, who hasn’t said a word since he entered, and the questioning in his eyes is very obvious.

Jiang Lao San laughs awkwardly twice and tries to mediate, “Sanshui, don’t take your aunt’s words seriously. She is a woman with no bad intentions. She is just worried that Youcai didn’t guard the door well and let some shady people in. Not talking about you.”

Jiang Miao finally understands. This couple, one openly vicious and the other smiling but insincere, are both unpleasant people. Indeed, the saying “a family of a kind” proves true!

“Uncle Jiang San, that’s quite something. You named my brother Youcai, not Wangcai. Is he supposed to guard your door like a dog? Why don’t you tie the child in your arms to the door?”

Jiang Lao San and his wife have a son in their middle age. They value him more than anything, and name him “Tianci,” believing he is a gift from heaven. Now, hearing Jiang Miao’s sarcasm, they can’t stand it.

Jiang Lao San’s face falls, and he assumes an elder’s authoritative tone, “Sanshui, even if you want to act wild, this isn’t the place. In terms of seniority, I’m your uncle and Youcai’s father. You should show me some respect! I’ll pretend you were just talking nonsense just now and won’t hold it against you. You better go home now!”

“What nonsense! I think he’s just poorly educated! I told you not to adopt this cursed star. Now my son gets scolded because of it, really no good deed goes unpunished!” Jiang Lao San’s wife says, her face full of malice.

“If I remember correctly, you were the ones who proposed adopting Xiao Shitou, right? Isn’t it a little ridiculous to say this now? Truly, you eat from the bowl but curse the cook, all because you’re no longer worried about having no one to take care of you in old age?”

Don’t be fooled by Jiang Miao’s usual cheerful demeanor; he is not afraid of a fight. When he was a child, there were many assertive women in the courtyard, and he learned a thing or two, becoming no less sharp-tongued than they were.

Sure enough, Jiang Lao San and his wife are infuriated, especially since their inability to have children in the past is a taboo topic they never mention in public. Now, Jiang Miao has torn away their cover, and they are so angry they wish they could swallow him alive.

Jiang Lao San’s lips tremble, “Sanshui, what exactly are you here for? I don’t know how your aunt and I have offended you to make you so rude!”

“Respect is for those who deserve it. For unreasonable people, there’s no need. Since you asked, I’ll be clear: I’m here to take Xiao Shitou away.”

“You mean, you want to take Youcai away?” Jiang Lao San’s wife seems not to understand.

“Of course, weren’t you looking for someone to adopt him? Now I’m here to take Xiao Shitou away. Shouldn’t you be happy?” Jiang Miao says with a sneer.

“What a joke! We’ve raised him all this time, and you think you can just take him away? Is there such a cheap thing in this world?” Jiang Lao San’s wife’s shrill voice is irritating.

“So, you never intended to find someone to adopt Xiao Shitou. You were using the pretense of adoption to sell him, right?” Jiang Miao’s eyes burn with anger, furious because he guesses this possibility.

Jiang Lao San feels guilty. His eyes flicker, unable to meet Jiang Miao’s gaze. “Don’t make it sound so bad. What selling? We’ve raised Youcai to this age without a day of filial piety from him. What’s wrong with collecting some gratitude money upon adoption?”

Jiang Miao almost laughs in anger. What kind of person expects filial piety from a six or seven-year-old child? It was Jiang Lao San who had begged to adopt Xiao Shitou, and no one had forced them to take him in!

“Let me remind you once more, you were the ones who begged to adopt Xiao Shitou. Back then, our family was so poor we couldn’t afford to eat, and we didn’t take a single penny from you!”

“So, you’re saying we’ve been feeding him well all this time for nothing?” Jiang Lao San’s wife couldn’t care less; it was her husband who wanted to adopt, nothing to do with her.

“Ask the neighbors what kind of life Xiao Shitou has had in your house. I’m sure everyone knows. You have the nerve to talk about feeding him well? Look at him, is this how a well-fed child looks? His face is so thin it’s unrecognizable!” Jiang Miao lifts Xiao Shitou’s face, showing his sallow complexion and sharp chin, a clear sign of malnutrition. “Now look at the child in your arms, so plump he’s practically oozing fat. And you dare say you’ve treated Xiao Shitou well?”

“…Anyway, you can’t take Youcai away. At worst, we’ll keep raising him and not adopt him out,” Jiang Lao San, at a loss for words, resorts to shamelessness.

“Raise him? Raise him like a servant?” Jiang Miao sneers.

“He was adopted by us; he’s our child now. Even if we treat him like a servant or a pet, what can you do about it? Are you going to report us to the authorities?” Jiang Lao San’s wife, feeling triumphant, believes she has found Jiang Miao’s weak spot. In her hometown, even parents who beat their children to death aren’t held accountable. To her, children are their parents’ property, to be treated however they wish.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Miao ignores her words and says, “Of course, I’m going to report it. If I remember correctly, Xiao Shitou isn’t registered in your household records yet, right? He’s not officially your child but is being abused in your home. What do you think the magistrate would think? Wouldn’t he consider you a kidnapper? According to the law of the Great Liang, kidnappers are beheaded, and their lands confiscated!”

He isn’t sure what the actual law is, but that doesn’t stop him from bluffing to scare them. When he was doing small business in modern times, he dealt with all kinds of people. Intimidating people like Jiang Lao San and his wife often works. If he frightens them enough, they will comply with his demands.

As for the fact that Xiao Shitou is not registered in their household registration, he is guessing based on his conversation with Aunt Zhou that afternoon. it can be seen that Jiang Lao San’s family is extremely stingy. Registering an adopted child requires paying household taxes and an additional annual head tax, which they likely are reluctant to pay.

Jiang Miao is very lucky and doesn’t guess wrong. As soon as he says this, Jiang Lao San glares at his wife. It is all her fault for being short-sighted, insisting that his household registration remain over there to save a considerable amount of money each year. Meanwhile, the people over there, mindful that Xiao Shitou is indeed a relative, do pay an extra head tax every year.

The relief they once felt is now replaced by regret. If this Sanshui kid reports them, they will be in serious trouble!

“You… you’re talking nonsense! What kidnapper? He calls us mom and dad, and the whole village knows it. The clan head can testify that Youcai was adopted by us!” Jiang Lao San’s wife, now scared by the mention of beheading and confiscation of properties, tries to use the clan head as a shield.

“Officials need evidence, not words. Can you produce any documentation?” Jiang Miao begins a new round of probing. If there are any documents with the clan head as a witness, it could be troublesome. But if there aren’t, things will be much easier!

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Table of Contents