I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

Chapter 199: Chapter 188: Zhao Wendong Sets the Rules

”If I ever catch underage brats at a gambling table again, whoever’s house it is, I’m burning it down.”

Zhao the Eighth wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly forced an apologetic smile.

”Dongzi, it was my mistake. Uncle Eight wasn’t thinking. From now on, I absolutely won’t let them at the table. They won’t even be allowed to watch.”

”Mm, alright. We’re good then. You all can keep playing. Uncle Eight, try to win some more. Old Uncle Six, come sit in Zhao Wenhua’s spot. It’s a good seat—just hit a heavenly pair.”

After speaking, Zhao Wendong left with a chuckle. Zhao Wenwu glared with his bull-like eyes, scanning everyone in the room. He gave a cold snort, then hoisted Zhao Wenhua up with one hand and hauled him away like a dead dog.

A good while after Zhao Wendong and the other two had left, the people in the room slowly found the courage to speak again.

”Zhao Wenhua totally deserved it. At his age, and look how much money he’s lost already.”

”Exactly. It’s all because Zhao Dahai and his wife spoiled him rotten.”

”What are you doing, Old Eighth? Why are you putting money back?”

”Fuck, didn’t you hear Dongzi? The max bet is fifty cents! Come on, let’s keep playing.”

Back in the east room of Zhao Dahai’s house, Zhao Wenwu threw Zhao Wenhua to the ground. The moment he saw his doting parents, Zhao Dahai and Wang Jinzhi, Zhao Wenhua immediately lost it.

”Zhao Wendong, what gives you the right to hit me! Dad, Mom, look at what Zhao Wendong did to me! I’ve never been hit like this in my entire life!”

”Don’t think you’re so great just because you’re the Civilian Militia Captain and someone wrote a few words about you! Other people might be scared of you, but I’m not! Zhao Wendong, what gives you the right to hit me? What gives you the right to stop me from gambling...”

SLAP—!

Zhao Wendong slapped Zhao Wenhua across the face again. This time, Zhao Wenhua was truly scared. He never imagined Zhao Wendong would dare hit him right in front of his parents. He instantly burst into tears, hiding behind Wang Jinzhi and wailing his heart out.

”I’m getting bullied like this and nobody stands up for me! I don’t want to live anymore! Just let me die, it’d be better! There’s no point in living! WAHHHH!”

”Dad! Mom! Are you just going to stand there and watch someone hit me like this?!”

”WAHHHHHH! BOO HOO HOO!”

In the west room, Zhao Chuanhe heard the commotion. His beard trembled with rage as he grabbed for his tobacco pipe, about to get off the kang while muttering curses.

”That good-for-nothing brat... still has the nerve to wail like that. If he doesn’t want to live, I’ll go beat him to death myself!”

Lin Zhiyin and Jin Xiuying hurriedly held the old man back, and Ye Qingmei also reached out to stop Zhao Chuanhe.

”Our grandson is there, what are you getting involved for? Let him handle it.”

Zhao Wendong was getting fed up with Zhao Wenhua’s crying and roared,

”Shut up! Keep crying and I’ll fucking slap you again!”

Zhao Wenhua instantly stopped crying. Zhao Wendong looked at Zhao Dahai’s pained expression and Wang Jinzhi’s heartbroken face, but couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words. He gave them two options directly.

”Uncle, Aunt, I can’t tell you how to raise your son, and I don’t want to. But this is affecting the whole family now. The idea of selling Pandi to pay his gambling debts is not going to fly with me. First option: you two take Zhao Wenhua and split off from the family. I, Zhao Wendong, will take care of Pandi, Laidi, and my grandparents. After that, whether you live or die will have nothing to do with the rest of us.”

The moment Zhao Wendong spoke, Pandi and Laidi’s eyes lit up with surprised delight. ’If things could really be this way, that would be wonderful!’ The couple, Zhao Dahai and his wife, kept their heads down, neither saying a word. Zhao Wendong paid them no mind and continued to his second option.

”Second option: I’ll pull some strings and arrange to have Zhao Wenhua sent away. He’ll learn a trade and how to be a decent human being. Whether he amounts to anything in the future—for better or for worse, whether he lives or dies—that will all be up to his own fate. Discuss it. Give me a clear answer in a little while.”

With that said, Zhao Wendong called for Pandi and Laidi and left the east room, leaving the family of three to discuss the matter. Back in the west room, Zhao Wendong explained what had happened. Ye Qingmei nodded, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

”My grandson did well. Even the most upright judge can’t easily settle a family feud. You have to be swift and decisive like this. It’s just been hard on you, my boy, having to worry about all this messy business.”

”Hehe. Even if not for Grandpa’s sake, I had to step in for your sake, Grandma. How could I just stand by and watch Pandi and Laidi be thrown into a pit of fire?”

”Mm-hmm. My grandson’s the best, number one!”

Lin Zhiyin pulled Pandi over and comforted her gently. Pandi looked pitifully at her new third sister-in-law.

”Third Sister-in-law, we won’t cause any trouble for you and Brother San. We can earn our own work points and support ourselves. This year, the work points Laidi and I earned are already as much as our mom’s.”

”Silly girl, your sister-in-law would be thrilled to have you with us. It’ll be much livelier with more people around.”

Meanwhile, on the kang, Zhao Wenhua covered his face and cried softly. Wang Jinzhi’s heart ached, and she wept along with him. They had doted on Zhao Wenhua for more than ten years; they could never bear to scold him, let alone lay a hand on him.

When they found out Zhao Wenhua had lost thirty yuan and gotten into debt, they had only scolded him harshly. They couldn’t even bring themselves to hit him. Now, Zhao Wendong had laid down the law, and Wang Jinzhi felt a surge of resentment. ’Isn’t he overstepping his bounds? This is our family’s private matter.’

”Zhao Dahai, say something! Our son’s been beaten like this, we won’t even have a say in our own daughters’ marriages, and now we’re supposed to just send our boy away to fend for himself? He’s still just a child! He’s our one and only precious son!”

”No, Mom, I don’t want to go! Dad, I don’t want to go! Don’t send me away! Zhao Wendong has always had it in for me. If he gets me killed and dumps my body somewhere, you’ll never even know! I don’t want him looking after me! WAHHHH!”

”Shut up!”

Zhao Dahai, exasperated by his son’s crying, pounded his fist on the kang mat in bitter disappointment.

”Isn’t it all your own damn fault for being so worthless? How old are you, to be out there gambling? And you dare to lose thirty, fifty yuan at a time! Even a mountain of gold and silver couldn’t keep up with the way you squander it! Dongzi wasn’t wrong. If this continues, Zhao Wenhua, you’re going to be utterly ruined.”