C17 Brothers Friction

Zong Hailan was caught off guard as Zong Haiying, with a sly grin, shouted while running away, "Hey everyone, come see! Zong Hailan's turning into a real shrew!"

The word "shrew" seemed to have a magical effect, freezing Zong Hailan in place. She had dreams of marrying into the city and couldn't bear the thought of being labeled a shrew, especially by her own sister. That was unacceptable.

"I'm worried about Dad, so I'm going to check on him," Zong Haiying said. Although she hadn't been to school, she wasn't foolish. Her older sister was a real busybody, and she had no intention of getting caught up with her.

Zong Hailan was about to mock her sister's naivety, but when she saw the path Haiying took, she ground her teeth in frustration. Liar!

While the sisters were having their lively spat, the two brothers were no less engaged in their own argument.

"Zong Qingshan, you're such a disrespectful son. You don't listen to me, and now you won't even listen to our parents!" Zong Qinghui was frustrated that his brother ignored his advice and tried to use their parents to pressure him.

Zong Qingshan looked at him with a playful smirk. "If you're so confident, why not bring Mom and Dad here?"

Zong Qinghui was momentarily speechless, but he was too angry to back down. "Fine, just wait."

He refused to believe he couldn't handle his younger brother, the pushover!

Zong Qingshan watched his brother's retreating figure with narrowed eyes, his daughter's words echoing in his mind. He realized he had been too accommodating over the years. While his own family tightened their belts and lived frugally, his brother grew more entitled instead of grateful.

Without hesitation, he instructed Accountant Zong to dock Zong Qinghui's work points. During such a busy time, anyone not pulling their weight would face the same consequence.

He thought the matter was settled, but to his surprise, Zong Qinghui actually dragged their parents from the fields.

What on earth was going through his brother's mind? Zong Qingshan was almost amused by the absurdity of it all.

"Mom, Dad, why are you here?"

The two elders came over not just because Zong Qinghui insisted, but mainly because they didn't agree with him giving a house as a dowry for his daughter. As soon as they met, Mrs. Zong pointed at him and started to scold, "Even though you're the head of the family and the village chief, I have to say, Qingshan, you're being foolish!"

"Your mother's right. Fulai is a good kid, but you can't spoil him. If you empty the family savings like this, how will you manage in the future?" Mr. Zong was equally upset. He had long considered that giving a house as a dowry would require the entire family's resources, and he worried it would diminish the respect he would receive later.

Zong Qingshan initially thought it was just his brother losing his composure, but his parents' words shattered his last bit of hope. He became serious, "Mom, Dad, Fulai needs a house to get married, and our family has agreed to it."

"Listen, everyone, listen! My younger brother not only ignores what I, his older brother, say but openly defies our parents. What kind of behavior is that?" Zong Qinghui wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

"Brother, act like the elder you are. You're always clinging to our family like a leech. What, worried you won't have anything to latch onto if we fall on hard times?" His words changed the expressions on everyone's faces, including Mr. and Mrs. Zong. Thinking it is one thing, but having it pointed out is another.

"Qingshan, saying that is just hurtful. Remember how our whole family worked hard and saved to put you through school?" Zong Qinghui started, but Zong Qingshan cut him off immediately, "Stop. Aren't you ashamed to say that? The truth isn't yours alone to tell."

"You didn't want to endure the hardships of school, so how did it turn into everyone supporting just me? I didn't mind before, thinking you knew the truth. But it seems you actually believe your own story." He felt guilty again, realizing his daughter was right—he had let his brother's family get away with too much.

"You’re making things up. You’re the only one in the family who graduated elementary school," Zong Qinghui snapped, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anger at having his past exposed so suddenly.

"I'm not making things up. Our old teachers and classmates are still around. You were always getting in trouble at school, and there wasn’t anyone dumber than you. If you think I'm lying, we can bring them here to set the record straight," Zong Qingshan replied, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders as he spoke the truth. "Honestly, there's no need to bring in witnesses. Mom and Dad are right here. Back then, you didn’t want to study, claiming you wanted to help at home to ease their burden. But with your half-baked work skills, it’s a joke. If it weren’t for me being the village head, you wouldn’t even earn half the work points you get!"

Mrs. Zong wasn’t pleased with the harsh words. "Qingshan, you shouldn't talk about your brother like that."

"Ha, if you all think he’s a treasure, that’s fine. But to me, he’s just a leech, living off our family’s name and giving nothing in return," Qingshan retorted. "He’s an ungrateful fool, biting the hand that feeds him."

The heated argument, involving the village head’s family drama, drew an ever-growing crowd.

"I always thought the village head was supported by his family’s hard work. Turns out it’s all a sham," someone in the crowd remarked.

"Yeah, Zong Qinghui sure has some nerve, lying so confidently," another added.

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