"You, you want to enrage me to death?" Yang Anshi picked up the shoe beside her and threw it, "We’re not dead yet." She had mostly recovered her fighting spirit.
"Mother, if we don’t divide the family now, Dalang will be dragged down with us." Yang Baichuan stomped his foot in frustration, "I won’t mention the issues with the eldest sister-in-law, that’s in the past, but the trouble the fourth brother caused today, if it gets out, it will... tarnish our reputation..."
Yang Anshi opened her mouth but couldn’t find a way to rebut for a long while. Indeed, compared to Rusong’s examination for Scholar, everything else seemed less important.
"Mother, you know, when Rusong registered this time, aside from his own teacher, he had the backing of two other retired Scholars. My father was one, but the other one agreed only on the account of my father’s face," Feng Caie also spoke up, "If people find out his own uncle is involved with a broken shoe, how could Rusong hold his head up again?"
"Second brother, second sister-in-law, what do you mean?" Yang Baifu’s face fell, "What do you mean by ’broken shoe’? Our feelings were mutual..."
"If you’re not married, what else could it be but a broken shoe? Have you thought of Ruyu? She was about to be promised in marriage, and this could ruin her," Feng Caie spoke while pulling Yang Baichuan to kneel, "Father, please, let us split from the family. We will still honor and respect you..."
"Yes, Father, if you don’t agree, then... then I’ll kneel here until I die..." Yang Baichuan had to harden his heart to say this, kneeling on the unyielding ground, his knees in agony.
"You... you’re trying to anger me to death..." Yang Peili was truly powerless.
"Second brother, you mean I brought shame upon you?" Yang Baifu shrieked, "What about you then? You think you’re innocent? Don’t think I don’t know, when the eldest sister-in-law was around, you peeped at her changing clothes and bathing every day..."
Feng Caie immediately looked towards Yang Baichuan.
"You’re spouting nonsense." In a panic, Yang Baichuan got to his feet and rushed at Yang Baifu, slapping him across the face, "It was you who peeped, but you dared to blame me... You even poked a hole in the wall of your room, don’t think I’m unaware..."
"You’re the one talking nonsense..." Yang Baifu retaliated, returning the slap to Yang Baichuan.
As a result, the two brothers started fighting, quickly ending up with bruised noses and swollen faces.
Yang Baixiang was already thoroughly disappointed, but hearing his brothers accosting each other, he suddenly found it ridiculous. So this was his family... Thankfully, Dani had firmly insisted on the separation, otherwise... otherwise, life would really be worse than death.
"Enough!" Yang Peili suddenly bellowed, then picked up a bowl from the table and smashed it, instantly shattering into several pieces.
The two men were so startled they retreated several steps and calmed down.
"You..." Yang Peili’s hands trembled as he pointed back and forth at his two sons, his lips quivering severely, "You really are... really are something..." Then suddenly his eyes blacked out and he fell straight backwards.
Luckily, Yang Baixiang reacted quickly, stepping forward to catch the old man and urging him to sit down. After pinching his philtrum, and once the old man opened his eyes, Yang Baixiang immediately handed him a bowl of water, "Father, don’t panic, drink some water first."
"Old man, what’s wrong with you?" Yang Anshi was scared too; a husband is like heaven. No matter how capable she was, without a man she would be a widow, and it wasn’t easy being a widow.