Chapter 35: It’s a dead loss, for heaven’s sake!

A chaotic brawl broke out at the gate of the Su family courtyard, with the entire family turning on one another. It was a truly spectacular scene.

Su Da was the primary target of the group beating. His prized protective charm had been snatched away by Su Xiu’er at some point; the young woman had immediately retreated to a safe distance once she secured her niece, watching the spectacle with gusto. "Father, Mother, hit him harder! He made a mistake and then tried to dodge the punishment! That’s an offense that deserves double the penalty!"

Su Er chimed in, "Xiu’er is absolutely right! Hit him! Give him a real beating!"

He Daxiang added, "Honey, that board isn't quite right. Here, take this small wooden stick! Every strike will leave a mark!"

Liu Yuelan, fueled by fury, cried out, "You damn fool, sneaking off without a word and taking little Tianbao with you! You deserve to have your brains beaten into clarity so you don't act like a blockhead again!"

Old Man Su urged, "Old woman, rest for a moment if you're tired. I’ll keep teaching this brat a lesson!"

The old woman gasped for breath, "I'm not tired! I could beat him another three hundred times!"

Three little children huddled at the gate, their eyes wide and sparkling, whispering, "Wow!"

Su Da was left weeping.

Not far away, at the entrance of the Huo family courtyard, Mrs. Huo sat on a stool, cracking melon seeds while watching the show and offering snide remarks. "Why hide? Why run? Stand still and take your beating. If you can’t hold out and need help, just give me a shout; I’m happy to assist. Your life is worth quite a lot, you know—your family gave up their entire fortune to get my husband to step in!"

"..."

Salt was rubbed into Su Da’s wounds.

Further off, a group of people dressed in rags with weary, grey expressions watched the scene in silence. They had long been ground down by a life devoid of light, living in a state of numb, somber apathy. Such a lively, vibrant scene was something they hadn't seen or felt in a very long time.

Beneath Mount Tubei, the atmosphere was perpetually stagnant. It wasn't just here; most places in this land of exile were the same. Because of this, witnessing such a lively commotion felt rare, enough to make one linger.

"It’s that new family, the Su family, I think. They’re so lively..."

"They only have the energy for it now. Give it time, and they’ll be just like us."

"Indeed. Coming to this place, people like us who have no skills can only live like dogs."

"They actually dared to deal with Lady Huo; they must be better off than us, no matter their lack of skill."

"Better or not, it’s their business. We can’t get involved. Stop watching, let’s go back."

***

"Hmm... no one would care about people like us anyway..."

As the Su family’s brawl subsided, the area beneath Mount Tubei returned to its usual dead, suffocating silence. Liu Yuelan closed the courtyard gate without sparing a single glance at the miserable-looking man. After years of a loving and harmonious marriage, this was the first time she had ever given her husband the cold shoulder.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Su Da didn't dare to make a sound, limping along behind her in a desperate attempt to appease her. Inside the main room, the family members who had just enjoyed the beating sat scattered about, none of them offering Su Da a kind look as he entered.

Sensing their lingering anger, Su Da put on a pathetic face, slumping his head as he crouched before the old woman sitting by the door of the inner room. "Mother, if you haven't vented your anger yet, please, go ahead and keep hitting me. I was wrong today. You can beat me or scold me, just please don't let it affect your own health, okay?"

Old Woman Su, holding her granddaughter Tianbao, turned her face away and remained silent, though tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks.

This terrified Su Da. Overcome with guilt and self-reproach, he began slapping his own face. The others remained silent.

Old Woman Su wiped her tears, forcefully brushed Su Da’s hands away, and glared at him with red-rimmed eyes, sobbing as she scolded, "I understand that you were worried about the family—we all were—but life must be lived one day at a time, and solutions must be found slowly! You rushed blindly to Fengyun City and even took Tianbao with you! If something had happened to you two there—how would I go on living?! Tell me! How would I go on living?"

Her voice was sharp and piercing, every word laced with tears. Su Da felt a bitter taste in his mouth, knowing he had caused his parents and family such distress. No matter the reason, a mistake was a mistake. If Mr. and Mrs. Huo hadn't arrived in time today, he might never have returned. If he had died, what would have become of little Tianbao, a baby who couldn't even sit up steadily yet?

Su Da dared not imagine it. He knelt before the old woman, head bowed, tears of shame falling to the floor.

"Ahem! Mother... look, the beating is done, and I think we've vented enough... I suspect the eldest suffered enough on his trip to Fengyun City. Why not let him stand up and we can talk about this calmly?" Su Er coughed softly, carefully pleading for mercy. He had landed several kicks on his brother’s legs during the beating, and seeing Su Da limping, he was worried he might cripple him if he kept kneeling.

"Shut your mouth! Don't think that playing innocent means you have nothing to do with this!" Old Man Su, sitting on the other side, retorted with a stern face. "Su Er, you were an accomplice!"

Su Er fell silent. He shouldn't have opened his mouth.

After scolding the second son, Old Man Su turned his stern gaze to the eldest, who was still kneeling and weeping. "And you, the ringleader! Do you have any idea how terrified your mother was when she found out you went to Fengyun City? And Yuelan, she looked like she’d lost her soul! Don't think a few tears will make this go away! Go sit over there. Ahem! Let's eat first! The whole family has been so stirred up that no one has had the heart to eat, and even if you can take it, the children are going to starve!"

The corners of everyone’s mouths twitched in unison. Su Er took advantage of his mother’s distraction to give his father a secret thumbs-up. Ginger is indeed spicier when it's old, and a father’s authority remains unmatched. The eldest no longer had to kneel.

***

Once the meal was finished, the matter would likely be considered settled. With the old man’s word, He Daxiang immediately pulled Liu Yuelan and Su Xiu’er into the kitchen to prepare dinner. As long as they moved quickly, there would be no opportunity for the mother-in-law to object.

Old Woman Su knew exactly what her daughter-in-law and daughter were planning—they were afraid she would continue to punish the eldest. The old woman huffed, hugging her granddaughter close to her chest with a look of deep affection. "That father of yours is unreliable, taking you to such a dangerous place. My little Tianbao, were you scared?"

Tianbao opened her dark, round eyes and nodded vigorously.

The old woman immediately looked up and glared fiercely at the unreliable man.

"..." Su Da’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

*Wait, that’s not right!* After they left the city, he had specifically checked on his daughter, and she hadn't looked the least bit scared! How could she now—

Su Da realized what was happening. He was incredulous; he wanted to be angry but couldn't, and he wanted to laugh but didn't dare. His daughter was framing him!

Under her father’s silent, accusing gaze, Tianbao haughtily turned her head away. She hadn't forgotten that at the gate earlier, her father had used her as a shield.

With the little baby acting as a buffer, the atmosphere in the room visibly softened. Su Da gathered his courage to speak again. "Father, Mother, I brought back three bags of vegetable seeds. We can grow our own vegetables now!"

Old Woman Su scoffed, "Three dried rabbits are missing from the kitchen. You used them to trade for those seeds, didn't you?"

Su Da nodded, a hint of pride on his face. "Yes, I traded them. The price seemed high at first glance, but now we can save our own seeds in the future. Father, Mother, if you calculate it carefully, it’s not a loss."

Su Er covered his face, unable to bear it. "Brother, to get the Huo family’s help, Father and Mother gave them ginseng as payment. Three bags of seeds, when you add it up, cost our family three dried rabbits and a piece of ginseng."

*Not a loss?* It was a massive loss!

Upon hearing this, Su Da’s eyes rolled back, and he felt as though he might faint on the spot.