Volume One: A Country Lad at Dawn Chapter 23: Spoiling a Child Is Like Destroying a Child

Hearing Yezi call the donkey Dingguang Immortal, Zheng Jin was a little surprised and said, "The donkey has a name?"
Chuxiu quietly replied, "You have a name, so why can't a donkey have one?"
It seemed to make sense.
Zheng Jin unconsciously nodded, though something still felt off in his heart. He thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure out what the problem was.
Still, he was quite pleased—after all, he too had a name.
Ordinary village children were named offhand, often something like Doggie or Iron Egg, without much thought. But his mother had paid a teacher to choose his name.
Everyone said Chuxiu was a scholar, but he was simply called Xie Chuxiu—a name so rustic, it couldn't compare to his own at all.
Thinking this, Zheng Jin's sense of superiority swelled again.
"Chuxiu, Yezi, Caixin, and Fifteen, listen up! Hurry up and catch that stupid donkey of yours and let me ride for a while. If you dare disobey, kneel and kowtow to me."
"Why should we? Just because this is your house?"
With Chuxiu nearby, Yezi grew bolder and demanded an answer.
"Because I'm your little uncle."
"You're a—"
Yezi's retort stuck in her throat.
She suddenly realized Zheng Jin really was their little uncle.
But since they were all children and seldom visited each other, the titles felt a bit unfamiliar.
Seeing Yezi lose her edge so quickly, Zheng Jin felt triumphant. "Are you going to kneel or not?"
"No way! What, are you going to bite me?"
Chuxiu stepped forward, frowning and defiant.
Zheng Jin had no answer. He pouted, "Not kneeling means you don't know manners!"
"You know manners? You curse everyone you meet. Even our Dingguang Immortal knows more manners than you."
Only then did Zheng Jin understand.
Chuxiu had just compared him to the donkey, and now was saying he was even worse than the donkey.
Furious and embarrassed, Zheng Jin raised his fist to strike Chuxiu.
"Want a fight, do you?"
Suddenly, Fifteen stepped forward, blocking his way.
Seeing that Fifteen was bigger than himself, Zheng Jin lost his nerve and lowered his fist, but protested, "So what if you have a big brother? I have three brothers! Little Stone, beat him up for me."
Zheng Xiaoshi replied grumpily, "I'm not your brother."
"You are! Don't try to deny it!"
"Not by blood!"

Zheng Xiaoshi seized the opportunity to strike back, launching a powerful riposte. Zheng Jin was left speechless, his face flushed with anger. "I'm going to tell Mother! You're all ganging up on me!"
"Go ahead, who's afraid?"
"Yeah, anyone who doesn't go is a coward!"
Zheng Jin was left in an awkward spot, unable to stay or leave.
He paced back and forth, plotting how to regain his lost prestige.
"Come, I'll tell you a story."
The children gathered around Chuxiu, their eyes shining with anticipation, having already forgotten the earlier discord.
"Once upon a time, there was a family living in the mountains—a mother and her two daughters. One day, the mother told her daughters she was going to visit their grandmother. If a stranger came knocking at night, they mustn't open the door. After saying this, she left. Unfortunately, the big bad wolf overheard her words outside the door. It..."
Seeing his friends listen with rapt attention, Zheng Jin moved closer and caught fragments like 'big bad wolf,' 'grandmother,' and 'eats people.'
He rushed over, but Chuxiu stopped telling the story.
"Chuxiu, hurry up and tell it!"
Zheng Jin urged impatiently, but Chuxiu only shook his head. "My story isn't for you. If you come, I won't tell it."
"Fine, who cares about your story anyway."
Zheng Jin turned away, but after only two steps, Chuxiu resumed the story. Zheng Jin could clearly hear that the wolf grandmother wanted to eat her granddaughter.
He hurried back to listen, but the story stopped again.
"You're all ganging up on me!"
Zheng Jin suddenly sat on the ground, crying and kicking, though not a single tear fell, and no one tried to console him.
"Thunder without rain! If you're so sad, why not shed a few tears?"
Chuxiu exposed his manufactured misery, making Zheng Jin blush with shame. He got up, brushed the dust from his clothes, and suddenly ran off.
"Mother! Chuxiu and the others are insulting you behind your back. I said a few words, and they all bullied me. You must avenge me!"
Zheng Jin ran into the house, crying and twisting the story.
There were two daughters-in-law cooking, but with her children together and no one to talk to, Mrs. Zhou felt uncomfortable. She used the excuse of feeling unwell to stay alone in the bedroom.
She thought out of sight, out of mind, but now the children were bullying her precious treasure.
Mrs. Zhou flew into a rage.
"Those gossiping little mud eels! I'll tear their mouths apart. My child, what did they say about mother?"
"They said grandma is the big bad wolf, who eats granddaughters..."
"What?"
Mrs. Zhou was dumbfounded.
She did have conflicts with the two Zheng sons, but she had never offended the Xie family. Why would Chuxiu say such a thing?
It must be Doumiao who told Zheng Mei about the family splitting, that wretched girl must have encouraged Chuxiu to say it. Otherwise, how could a child come up with such an idea?

Mrs. Zhou was fuming.
But to actually punish a few relatives' children, especially during New Year, would only invite ridicule.
"Go play now. If they bully you again, come tell mother and I'll make sure you get justice."
Zheng Jin bounced away, feeling he'd obtained an imperial sword of authority.
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? The mirror answered honestly: Noble Queen, Snow White is the fairest in the world, and you are second..."
Chuxiu was telling another story to the children.
Seeing Zheng Jin run over again, Chuxiu decided not to exclude him anymore.
If this child was left unchecked, he might well grow up to be a scoundrel, but what could he do?
The story was captivating, and Zheng Jin became more and more absorbed.
After a while, he found it more comfortable to be close to Chuxiu, so he shoved Caixin aside and squeezed in.
"What are you doing?"
Caixin fell on her bottom, tears welling up in her eyes.
"You've got itchy paws, bullying my sister like that!"
Seeing his sister bullied, Chuxiu grew angry and pushed Zheng Jin aside.
Zheng Jin fell and burst into loud sobs.
Zheng Xiaoshi rushed over to help him up, but Zheng Jin only cried harder, pointing at him and shouting, "You're helping outsiders bully me! I'm not getting up—wait till mother comes and beats you..."
Mrs. Zhou heard the cries and came into the courtyard.
Seeing his mother, Zheng Jin felt protected and let his tears flow, crying loudly, "Mother, Chuxiu hit me!"
"Chuxiu, why did you hit your little uncle?"
Mrs. Zhou didn't bother to ask what happened, immediately blaming him for hitting an elder.
Chuxiu hurried to explain, "Grandma, it was little uncle who hit Caixin first. I just pushed him..."
Mrs. Zhou didn't care about reasons. She glared, "You're the nephew, so you're wrong to lay hands on your uncle. Even if your little uncle is at fault, you should be tolerant—he's still a child..."
He's nine and a child, but I'm six and not a child?
Too much double standard.
Chuxiu couldn't hold back anymore, the keyboard warrior spirit ignited.
"Grandma, we're all children, but little uncle is older and ranks higher. We're guests—you should have him be tolerant of us. Spoiling a child is like harming one. Grandma, you ought to discipline little uncle well. If you don't teach him how to behave now, it'll be too late when the officials teach him later..."