Chapter Twenty-One: You Are Simply Not Human!

The wails of the three children intertwined, echoing through the air.

Amidst his sobbing, Banggen did not forget to curse, "What right do you have to hit me? I’m going back to tell Grandma and Mom, and I'll have them teach you a lesson!"

"Sha Zhu, you big idiot! Put me down right now, or I’ll break your head open!"

Banggen continued to wail and shout, his words fueled by anger and resentment. "You’re even bullying a child; you’re not even human!" His cries and curses grew more intense, as if he were venting all the grievances and fury pent up inside him.

He Yuzhu, plagued by a splitting headache from the children's relentless noise, knew he couldn't actually hurt them, so he warned, "Banggen, if you dare act out like this in front of me again, just wait and see how I deal with you!"

With a helpless sigh, He Yuzhu gently set Banggen down. Meanwhile, Xiaodang and Huaidong seized the chance to hide behind their brother, terrified of being "disciplined" by He Yuzhu as well.

"Hmph! You just wait!" Banggen spat coldly. He then walked away, his two sisters following close behind.

Watching the three children retreat, Yu Haitang looked at He Yuzhu with a puzzled expression. "How do you know those three kids?"

He Yuzhu scratched his head and replied, "Those little rascals are Qin Huairu’s children. The boy who accidentally hit you with his slingshot goes by the nickname Banggen." He looked at the slightly swollen red mark on Yu Haitang’s forehead, feeling a sting of regret. "My relationship with the Qin family is quite strained right now; I suspect you were just collateral damage, taking that hit for no reason because of me."

Upon hearing this, Yu Haitang was stunned for a moment, then a playful smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Hey, don't talk about who’s dragging whom into trouble. If we really want to get technical, maybe it’s me who dragged you into this mess and soured your relationship with the Qin family." She patted He Yuzhu’s shoulder gently, as if comforting a child who had made a mistake.

He Yuzhu felt a warmth spread through his heart. He took her hand again and said softly, "Let’s stop blaming each other. Come on, I’ll take you to the pharmacy; we shouldn't neglect this injury."

The two walked side by side through the streets of the capital. As the night deepened, the streetlights flickered on, adding a touch of romance to their unexpected date. They chatted happily, their laughter ringing out as if the entire world were captivated by them. It wasn't until a bright moon hung in the sky that they reluctantly parted ways to head home.

However, He Yuzhu’s good mood did not last long. The moment he stepped through his doorway, he heard a commotion—Qin Huairu’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Jia, had come knocking.

"He Yuzhu, pay for my grandson’s medical bills! You beat him so badly he can't even get out of bed!" Mrs. Jia shrieked the moment she entered, her voice sharp enough to pierce eardrums.

"Oh, Grandma, am I going to be crippled? It hurts so much!" Banggen lay on the bed, howling and putting on an exaggerated performance. "Grandma, you have to stand up for me! It’s all that Sha Zhu’s fault—he’s the reason I can’t move!"

Mrs. Jia looked at her grandson with heartbroken anguish, tears and snot streaming down her face as she wailed and cursed. "He Yuzhu, you’re an adult! Why are you picking on a child? You’ve eaten rice for so many years, why haven't you grown a brain? You’re just a wild child without a mother’s guidance, which is why you’re so heartless!"

"Let me tell you, our Banggen isn't someone you can bully whenever you please! You need to give us an explanation for what happened today!" Mrs. Jia grew increasingly agitated, as if she intended to vent all her grievances on He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu felt his temper flare, but not wanting to engage with such an unreasonable woman, he said coldly, "Mrs. Jia, cut the act. I just gave your grandson a light pat on the backside—he can’t get out of bed because of that? Is he made of paper?"

Mrs. Jia became even more incensed, yet she continued to argue illogically, "Our Banggen is still a child, his bones are tender! That slap of yours was no light matter! If you don't fork over fifty taels of silver today, we aren't letting this go!"

He Yuzhu couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind over money? Why don't you go out on the street and try to rob someone for fifty taels?"

Just as He Yuzhu was about to leave, the door swung open. It was Qin Huairu, just returning from the countryside. "What on earth is going on here?" she asked, stunned by the sight: Banggen lying on the bed with his pants down, his bottom swollen like a bun; Mrs. Jia looking like a vengeful spirit; and He Yuzhu standing by with an icy, detached expression.

Qin Huairu rushed to Banggen’s side, asking anxiously, "What happened? Does it hurt?"

Before Banggen could speak, Mrs. Jia cut in, "Your son has been bullied by that man, He Yuzhu! He can’t even get out of bed!"

Qin Huairu’s heart tightened at the exaggerated words. She looked at He Yuzhu, her face filled with bewilderment and anger. "He Yuzhu, why on earth would you lay a hand on my Banggen?"

Faced with a question that seemed intended to pierce his very soul, He Yuzhu’s expression remained as calm as still water, as if all of this were within his expectations. "For that, you’ll have to ask your own son why he got a beating for no reason."

Qin Huairu turned her gaze from He Yuzhu and stared sternly at her son. She instinctively reached out to grab Banggen’s ear, ready to twist it. "Banggen, what kind of trouble have you gotten into now?"

Banggen winced in pain and pleaded, "Ow, Mom, it hurts! Please, let me go!"

Though her heart ached for her son, Qin Huairu knew the rules had to be upheld. She finally let go but poked Banggen’s forehead, asking with a heavy expression, "Tell me the truth—what bad thing did you do today?"

Banggen’s eyes darted around. He hung his head, not daring to utter a word. Seeing this, Qin Huairu gave up on questioning him directly and raised her voice toward the inner room. "Xiaodang, Huaidong, get out here right now!"

Before the words had even faded, the two girls scurried out like startled rabbits. Qin Huairu didn't rush to speak; instead, she took a feather duster from the cupboard and weighed it in her hand, the gesture making it clear: whoever didn't tell the truth would get a taste of it.

"Did you two go out with your brother this morning? Tell me the truth—what did you follow him to do?" Qin Huairu’s voice carried an unquestionable authority.