Wealthy beyond measure, yet you call me a sister-supporting-brother demon?

Wang Chunxiang murmured, feeling that her son's words made a lot of sense. Why had she listened to her husband so much back then?

When she was little, Changlin would find several wild crabapples and carry them in her bosom, taking the biggest and reddest one home for her and her father to eat. Changlin never slacked off when working; she would go to the fields with her hoe at the crack of dawn.

Take this injury for example, it was because Changlin was afraid that his father would get hurt that he volunteered to go to the logging team.

The past events are still vivid in my mind; how filial and sensible this son was!

Today, her eldest son suffered too much injustice! She began to feel sorry for him, and tears streamed down her face.

But what her husband said seemed to make sense. If they didn't separate the eldest son, the family's money would be depleted, and Changsen wouldn't be able to go to school.

They're both my children! Sigh!

Wang Chunxiang was at a loss for what to do. After hesitating for a long time, she said, "Anyway, I don't agree to sever ties with my family. You are my son, and you will always be my son! Yuchuan and Yufeng are my grandsons, and they will always be my grandsons!"

Zhou Changlin gave a wry smile. "Mother, don't say that yet. Let's see what Father has to say first."

Wang Chunxiang turned and went back into the main room. Old Zhou had already heard the noise, but he couldn't hear it very clearly.

"What were you saying about severing ties but not maintaining them?"

While wiping away her tears, Wang Chunxiang said, "Changlin said that the division according to your plan is fine, but he has to sever all ties with us. From now on, we'll go our separate ways. My son!"

Wang Chunxiang slapped her thigh and began to cry in a melodious and rhythmic voice.

"Why am I so unlucky? I'm getting old, and my son wants to cut ties with me... My life is so miserable!" Wang Chunxiang cried while slapping her thigh.

Old Zhou glared at Wang Chunxiang, "Crying, crying, all you do is cry! Go and wail away!"

It's so annoying!

Zhou Changshui leaned closer again, "Dad! My eldest brother is really heartless! He cuts off family ties just like that. I never knew he was this kind of person before!"

Old Man Zhou frowned deeply. "Zhou Changlin hates us now and wants to sever all ties with us!"

"Father, what do you think?" Zhou Changshui didn't care. If the family ties were severed, so be it. It would be better if the family ties were severed, because his parents wouldn't have to compensate his elder brother's two sons in the future.

He's just a useless older brother. Cutting ties with him won't cause any loss; at most, it'll just mean one less poor relative who will drag him down.

"He thinks he can just sever ties with his family like that? He calls the shots in our family?! Who's the father and who's the son?! Fine, he can leave naked if he wants to sever ties! I won't give him a single peep."

Zhou Changshui and Ma Xiangqin were overjoyed to hear their father's words! That's how it should be, nothing should be divided!

Cutting ties with one's parents is a sin that will bring down divine retribution; it's no wonder Zhou Changlin's family has nothing.

"Changshui, go and talk to him."

"Okay." Zhou Changshui ran out of the main room excitedly and went to Zhou Changlin's room. "Zhou Changlin! You are so ungrateful! You actually want to sever ties with our parents? Look at the state they've been in!!"

Zhou Changlin looked at his younger brother with a cold smile. From childhood, whenever Zhou Changshui got into trouble, Zhou Changlin was always the one to clean up his messes; whenever Zhou Changshui got beaten, Zhou Changlin was always the one to stand up for him. Now that his brother was grown up, Zhou Changlin was the one who did most of the work, supporting the family. Who was truly ungrateful?

He even suspected that after the family split up, Zhou Changshui couldn't even manage to farm properly.

Now those ungrateful people are turning around and accusing him of being ungrateful!

"Speak your mind, or shut up!" Zhou Changlin was too lazy to waste another word on him!

"Zhou Changlin, I have no idea what you're so arrogant about? I think you deserve a beating!" As he spoke, Zhou Changshui reached out his hand.

Zhou Changlin lay on the bed, sneering, "You weren't beaten into submission by my brother-in-law today? You dare to lay a finger on me?"

Zhou Changshui thought of Yuan Sheng's fists as big as sandbags and the excruciating pain in his knees, and suddenly felt that his dark circles under his eyes hurt even more. Damn it, Yuan Sheng, that scoundrel, is really good at fighting. No wonder he is a notorious scoundrel in the surrounding area!

Zhou Changshui chickened out and lowered his raised hand.

"Fuck away!"

"Zhou Changlin, you want to sever ties with your family? You wish! Your father said, severing ties is fine, but your whole family will leave with nothing, not a single penny to you! I'd like to see your whole family starve!"

Zhou Changlin laughed, "Then let's keep kissing, and I won't separate from the family. Anyway, my brother-in-law is bringing Doctor Zhong tomorrow! I can just stay home and recover properly!"

Zhou Changshui sheepishly went to report back to his father.

Old Zhou's brows furrowed deeply; the feeling of having his weak spot gripped was truly awful. We've come full circle again!

Old Zhou spun around in the main room like a top!

That's fucking infuriating!

How come he never knew before that his son was so difficult to deal with!

He didn't agree to sever ties not because he was reluctant to part with his son, but because he didn't want his son to have his way! Why should the son be able to sever ties whenever he wanted, while he, as the father, could only listen?

Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to agree. Otherwise, if we keep dragging this out, the cost of his treatment will all fall on Old Zhou's shoulders.

Old Man Zhou entered Zhou Changlin's room, looking at his son on the bed as if he were some disgusting piece of trash. "Zhou Changlin, you can sever ties if you want, and I can divide the family property with you as we agreed before. But there's one condition: your mother and I raised you all this time, and you have to pay for your support—five taels a year, not a penny less!"

Zhou Changlin sneered. Was this still the kind father he knew yesterday?

They change their expressions faster than a dog!

Five taels of silver? Is this an attempt to drive this family to their deaths? Even if the whole family is healthy and has only six acres of medium-sized land, they might not be able to save five taels of silver, let alone the money he needs to spend on medical treatment!

Zhou Chunqiang was dreaming. "You want five taels a year?! No way!"

Zhou Chunqiang's face was sinister. "Zhou Changlin, you think you can get away with this just because you've got my weakness?! Your weakness is in my hands too. It's not unreasonable for your granddaughter, as her grandfather and uncle, to beat her twice a day when she makes a mistake! Nobody can find fault with us. If I accidentally kill her while disciplining her, she's just a girl, it's not a big deal! Three ounces a year! This is my final concession! Otherwise, we'll fight to the bitter end!"

Zhou Changlin trembled with rage. His father was truly ruthless and vicious! His father's true colors were utterly despicable!

Break off relationship!

As for that biased and foolish mother, how to be filial to her in the future depends on her mood; in any case, we can't let them control us.

"Alright! Zhou Chunqiang! It'll be as you say! Three taels of silver a year!" Zhou Changlin thought to himself, agreeing for now, and figuring things out on the day the engagement was severed. Kill or maim Yuzhu? It might not just be Zhou Chunqiang's verbal threat; he couldn't afford to gamble!

Zhou Chunqiang?

This was the first time Old Man Zhou had ever heard his son's name. What an ingrate! What a bastard who's not afraid of divine retribution!

The father and son despised each other and neither wanted to look at the other again!

Zhou Changlin said, "Wait a minute. Since it's a letter of severance of ties, let Zhou Changsen come back too. Tomorrow, the whole family will have to sign and put their fingerprints on it. Let's sever all ties cleanly."

Zhou Changsen and Zhou Changlin also saw through him. Last time, when he was injured while logging, this underling didn't show any concern. He only cared about whether he could afford to pay thirty taels of silver to attend the Confucian scholar's class. He only wanted to put pressure on him to continue working on the logging team to make money, without considering whether the logging team was dangerous or whether he would get injured!

Hearing Zhou Changlin's words, Old Man Zhou laughed out loud, "Zhou Changlin! You'll regret this! Don't come back kneeling at my feet, crying and begging to acknowledge Changsen as your younger brother when he becomes successful!"

"Don't worry! Never!"

"I'm just waiting to see you slap yourself in the face! When that time comes, no matter how much you kneel down or beg me, I'll just kick you away!"

Old Zhou seemed to see that scene: his youngest son passed the imperial examination with flying colors and had a bright future in his career, but this ungrateful wretch wanted to take advantage of him and knelt at his feet, begging him like a dog.

Ha! Just wait! This day will come soon! He went to the market a few days ago and had a fortune teller tell him that Changsen is the reincarnation of the God of Literature, and he will surely achieve great things and soar to great heights within five years!

When Old Man Zhou returned to the main room, he asked Zhou Changshui to go to town to inform Zhou Changsen to ask the private tutor for leave and to come back to sign the letter of severance.

Zhou Changshui couldn't understand what had gotten into his older brother. Cutting ties with them would at most mean losing the subsidies their parents would provide for the children, but cutting ties with his younger brother might mean losing his bright future!

It's estimated that when he was hit by the tree branch, the older brother not only injured his back but also his brain.

Big brother? If we break off the relationship tomorrow, it won't be the same anymore! He doesn't want this useless older brother!