Chapter Forty-Three: As Your Brother, I Truly Admire You

Zhou Zhi acted without hesitation; his movement was so swift that both Madam Zhou and Zhou Luyun were left utterly stunned. Only when Chief Wang crawled up, disheveled and humiliated, and fled the courtyard in disgrace, did mother and daughter finally regain their senses.

Suddenly, Madam Zhou's vision darkened, her body swaying as she lost the strength to stand, slowly collapsing. Fortunately, Zhou Luyun, quick to react, instinctively tossed aside the egg she was holding and caught her mother from behind, preventing her from falling.

Meanwhile, Zhou Shaocheng, the youngest brother, his bright eyes wide with satisfaction at what he had just witnessed, couldn’t help but clap his hands. Raising his little head with childish adoration, he exclaimed, “Brother, well done! That bastard deserved a good beating.”

Zhou Zhi, unable to suppress a wry smile, reached out and affectionately ruffled the boy’s hair, then turned his gaze toward his mother and sister.

At that moment, Madam Zhou was staring at Zhou Zhi in a daze, as if seeing her own son for the first time. His sister, Zhou Luyun, wore a look of deep anxiety, knowing full well that Zhou Zhi had caused serious trouble this time.

“Mother… I…” Seeing the overwhelming grief and fear on his mother’s face, Zhou Zhi faltered, at a loss for words.

It was a long while before Madam Zhou came back to herself, tears brimming in her eyes. “Little Zhi, how could you strike an official like Chief Wang? What is your mother to do now? Your father isn’t here, so I must make the decision today. Go at once and find a buyer—sell our eight mu of farmland. No matter what silver you fetch, take it all to Chief Wang and beg his forgiveness.”

Madam Zhou’s mind was clear enough to know that blaming Zhou Zhi was useless now. Chief Wang, though merely a petty official, was still a man of authority. For a poor commoner like Zhou Zhi to assault an official—if Chief Wang refused to let this go, the matter would only grow worse, and Zhou Zhi would surely end up in prison.

The food in the Qingdu County jail was infamous, and Madam Zhou had heard of people who, unable to endure the suffering, had died behind bars.

Faced with such a disaster, the only way out was to appease Chief Wang, to ensure he would not pursue the matter further. And the only way to appease him was with money.

The eight mu of land would sell for more than five taels of silver; all of it, and anything extra, should be given to Chief Wang. He was a man greedy for bribes, his eyes lighting up at the sight of silver—surely, then, he might be persuaded to pardon Zhou Zhi.

As for how the Zhou family would survive after selling their land, that was a problem for another day. For now, they could only take things one step at a time.

“Mother, how can we do that? If we sell our land, how will our family live? I was the one who struck him. Let me bear the consequences alone; you mustn’t worry about me,” Zhou Zhi said.

“Oh, my son, why won’t you listen to your mother? Go, don’t make me fret any longer,” Madam Zhou pleaded, her face etched with worry.

But Zhou Zhi had made up his mind—under no circumstances would he allow the land to be sold. Yet seeing his mother so heartbroken left him at a loss for how to comfort or persuade her.

Chief Wang, now covered in filth, slunk out of the Zhou household in disgrace. Some villagers on Baiyue Village’s main street saw him, and, guessing there was trouble afoot, gathered at the Zhou family’s courtyard to see what had happened. When the story spread, the onlookers whispered among themselves, “That Zhou Zhi boy is far too bold—he actually struck an official! Now Chief Wang has gone to fetch the headman. The Zhou family’s in real trouble this time—they’re done for!”

Some sympathetic neighbors shook their heads in pity.

For days, Zhou Shaocheng had been gravely ill, and the rumors spread quickly—soon, everyone in Baiyue Village knew about it, including Zhang Hudan. His family and the Zhous had always been close, and Zhang Hudan had grown up with Zhou Zhi. Naturally, he was also worried about Zhou Shaocheng’s illness, visiting the Zhou household at least once a day.

That morning, Zhang Hudan had evidently skipped breakfast to come over. Seeing the crowd gathered around the Zhou family’s gate, he pushed through, puzzled, and entered the courtyard.

After glancing at Zhou Zhi and then at Madam Zhou, Zhang Hudan inquired about the situation. His expression changed rapidly as he listened.

First, there was astonishment. Even though Zhou Zhi had changed a lot after his fall in the fields, Zhang Hudan could scarcely believe he’d dared lay hands on Chief Wang. Even as a known local ruffian, Zhang Hudan himself would never lightly provoke Chief Wang—after all, commoners should avoid conflict with officials.

Moreover, Zhang Hudan knew well that the family’s eight mu of land was their lifeblood—without it, they would not survive. His face grew grave with worry for the Zhous.

After a moment’s thought, he turned to Madam Zhou. “Auntie, don’t be too hasty about selling your land. As it happens, I know Chief Wang. Let me go and talk to him, see if he’ll give me some face and let this go.”

At these words, Madam Zhou’s eyes lit up. “That would be wonderful, Hudan. Please, do your best to calm Chief Wang’s anger. I thank you in advance.”

“Auntie, there’s no need for thanks. Zhou Zhi’s trouble is my trouble. I’ll go right away.” With that, Zhang Hudan turned and left.

This was a matter of urgency—if Wang Qi fetched the headman first, things would escalate and become even harder to resolve.

Although Zhou Zhi wanted to keep fighting Chief Wang and refused to submit, seeing how much his mother worried for him and knowing Hudan’s intentions were kind, he restrained himself from stopping his friend.

Nonetheless, Zhou Zhi hurried after Zhang Hudan with a final plea. “Hudan, when you see him, don’t act too humble. If Chief Wang demands money, don’t give him a single coin. Since I’ve done this, I’m not afraid of what comes—at worst, I’ll go to prison.”

Zhang Hudan clapped Zhou Zhi on the shoulder with a bitter laugh. “Ah, Zhou Zhi, you… Well, never mind. Truth be told, I admire you.”

With that, he left without another word.

Not long after Zhang Hudan departed, a voice called out from beyond the courtyard, “Look, Chief Wang is coming with the headman! This is bad—this time, the Zhou family is truly finished!”