Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 36: Family Chaos and Gossip
Because the scheming little girl had forced him to tell stories at noon, Zhu Ping’an had no time to roast fish that day. When school ended, he simply brought the entire fish basket home. The catch was smaller than the day before—only five palm-sized fish, but enough to provide a little comfort.
Riding the old yellow cow home, Zhu Ping’an found the house in utter chaos.
Fourth Aunt, Third Aunt, and his mother, Chen, were arguing fiercely in the courtyard with Eldest Aunt, while Grandmother remained silent amid the commotion.
It was obviously about the two strings of cash Eldest Aunt had taken from Grandmother, though Zhu Ping’an did not know who had started the argument. It was three against one; with Grandmother saying nothing and his mother more than capable of defending herself, he saw no need to interfere.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, aren’t you colluding with your natal family to fool us? A few days ago they sent one string of cash, and yesterday you took two strings from Mother. Even loan sharks don’t charge interest that high! Second Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law, and I only asked about it, yet you accused us of making trouble for the family and damaging the brothers’ relationship. Are we not even allowed to ask?” Fourth Aunt complained indignantly.
“I’ve already told you it isn’t what you think. Your eldest brother is going to the county town for a few days to study with other scholars. Next time he’ll definitely become a xiucai. Then our whole family will share in the honor and benefits—we won’t even have to kneel before the county magistrate, and we can be exempted from certain taxes and labor service. Fourth Sister-in-law, I’m not criticizing you, but you need to think farther ahead. When your eldest brother succeeds, do you think he’ll forget you?” Eldest Aunt replied smoothly, smiling as though she were an elder sister patiently lecturing an ignorant younger one.
“Become one, become one… Eldest Sister-in-law says that every time, but I’ve never seen Eldest Brother actually become a xiucai,” Fourth Aunt muttered under her breath.
“What did you just say, Fourth Sister-in-law?” The smile on Eldest Aunt’s face finally cracked.
“Nothing, nothing. How are we supposed to know whether Eldest Brother is really using those two strings of cash to study in the county or to curry favor with your natal family?” Fourth Aunt quickly waved her hands. Everyone knew that seeing her husband become a xiucai was Eldest Aunt’s dearest wish, so Fourth Aunt did not dare press that particular sore spot and shifted the topic instead.
“Exactly, Eldest Sister-in-law. Two strings of cash is no small amount. If we kept it in the family, it would be enough for Jun’er to begin his classical schooling and for our Zhi’er to study as well,” Chen added.
Upon hearing this, Eldest Aunt glanced at Zhu Ping’an, who was riding the old yellow cow and carrying the fish basket into the house. There was a hint of disdain in her smile, but she still replied cheerfully:
“Second Sister-in-law, I think Zhi’er is doing perfectly well herding cattle. Look, he has brought back fish again. I never wanted my Jun’er to begin schooling either; I thought he could stay home, work the fields, and herd cattle. But the fortune-tellers insisted Jun’er is the reincarnation of Wenquxing, the Literary Star. Several of them said the same thing after reading characters and telling his fortune. They even said it would offend Heaven if I refused to send him to school. I was frightened enough to mention it to Mother, and then Jun’er’s maternal grandmother hurriedly sent the money over.”
Zhu Ping’an saw his mother’s face turn green at Eldest Aunt’s barbed remarks. Chen looked ready to march over and engage her in another verbal duel.
At that moment, Zhu Pingjun also returned home from school, as Zhu Ping’an had arrived a bit faster, riding the old yellow cow.
“Mother, I don’t want to go to school anymore! That old teacher doesn’t like me, he hits my palms every day. Look, they’re all swollen. I’m not going back, no matter what!”
As soon as Zhu Pingjun stepped into the house, he started yelling, showing his red, swollen hands from the teacher’s beatings. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he cried, saying he would never go back to school again.
Although Zhu Ping’an wore plain, patched clothes, he was chubby, clean, and tidy. Zhu Pingjun wore new clothes, yet his face was streaked with tears, snot, and mud. Looking at the two of them, Zhu Ping’an resembled the child who attended school, while Zhu Pingjun looked like a monkey wearing a crown—more like the one who ought to be herding cattle.
Seeing this scene, Zhu Ping’an’s mother, Chen, immediately calmed down, her anger vanishing. She mimicked the same expression and gaze that her eldest sister-in-law had used earlier, returning the favor.
Provoked by Chen’s look, Eldest Aunt glanced at her son, who was crying that the teacher struck his palms every day and swearing he would never return to school, and finally exploded.
“I’ll teach you not to go to school! I’ll teach you not to study properly! Do you know how much effort your father and I went through to get you into school?” Eldest Aunt could no longer maintain the composure she had shown while arguing with her sisters-in-law. Red-faced, she grabbed Zhu Pingjun, snatched up the nearby broom, and smacked him repeatedly on the backside.
“Oh, Eldest Sister-in-law, don’t take your anger out on the child! Jun’er is so young—what does he know? He’s the reincarnation of Wenquxing; don’t break him,” Chen said. It sounded as if she were protecting Zhu Pingjun, but every word was actually aimed at mocking Eldest Aunt.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, didn’t you just say how much effort you and Eldest Brother went through for Jun’er’s schooling? Did I hear that wrong? Wasn’t his tuition paid by your natal family?” Fourth Aunt’s ears were sharp, and she immediately seized upon Eldest Aunt’s slip.
Third Aunt, who had been silent until now, also chimed in, “I heard big sister-in-law say that too.”
Hearing this, Eldest Aunt paused mid-discipline, and Zhu Pingjun took the opportunity to break free from her grasp. Instead of running away, he flopped onto the ground and started rolling around, crying loudly, “You might as well beat me to death! Just beat me to death! I’m not going back to school, no matter what!”
In the blink of an eye, Zhu Pingjun had turned into a “mud monkey.” His tears left two streaks of white down his face, contrasting sharply with the dirt, and his nose was smeared with two lines of muddy snot. His wails made him look all the more pitiful.
“Brother Jun, get up, the ground is dirty,” the little girl, Yu’er, timidly emerged from a corner and approached Zhu Pingjun, trying to comfort him.
But Zhu Pingjun continued to roll on the ground, ignoring Yu’er.
Zhu Ping’an, meanwhile, got off the old yellow cow and walked over with the basket of fish. He glanced at the muddy Zhu Pingjun and then at little Yu’er, who was blinking her big, watery eyes, seeking his help. Zhu Ping’an spoke up:
“Come on, Yu’er. I caught several fish in the river. Let’s put them in the basin and play with them. One has a colorful back—it’s very pretty.”
As Zhu Ping’an spoke, he took Yu’er’s hand and led her, carrying the fish basket, toward the well in the courtyard where there was a water basin.
“There’s a pretty fish? Wait for me! Wait for me! I want to come too!” As soon as Zhu Pingjun heard there was something fun and interesting, he immediately stopped crying. He jumped up from the ground, wiped his tears and snot with his muddy hands, and happily chased after Zhu Ping’an as if nothing had happened.
Everyone in the courtyard stood dumbfounded, watching this scene.
Fourth Aunt was the first to recover. She turned back to Eldest Aunt and pressed the point. “Eldest Sister-in-law, you still haven’t answered the question Third Sister-in-law and I asked. Wasn’t Jun’er’s schooling paid for by your natal family? So what exactly did you and Eldest Brother work so hard for?”
“Exactly, big sister-in-law, you should explain this to us.”
“Yes, big sister-in-law, we’re all family here. You can’t keep things from us sisters-in-law.”
The courtyard once again erupted into a noisy commotion.