You and Your Father Are Exactly Alike

Zhang Zhuzi and Qin Sanniang were on the platform, one sitting and the other lying down. Passersby threw stones and spat at them. Unable to endure it, they struggled to get up and slunk home with their tails between their legs, only to be spotted by a few five- or six-year-old children from the village.

The children shouted, "Look, those two villains who won't let the school open, let's beat them!"

"Yes, they're bad people!"

A group of seven or eight children, holding clumps of mud and small stones, followed Zhang Zhuzi and Qin Sanniang, throwing things at them.

The two were hit and howled in pain, turning back to curse, "You little brats, get lost! Stop throwing things!"

But the children paid no attention to their curses. The angrier they got, the harder the kids threw.

Zhang Zhuzi and Qin Sanniang ran home covered in mud and bandaged heads. Halfway there, Zhang Zhuzi remembered Zhang Zhaocai, looked back, and saw him holding a schoolbag, standing in the line to register at the school. Angrily, steam seemed to rise from Zhang Zhuzi’s head: "Look at that little brat, actually registering for school! Doesn’t he know his father despises that school?"

Qin Sanniang glanced over and confirmed it was indeed Zhang Zhaocai in line. She fanned the flames, "That little brat Zhang Zhaocai definitely doesn’t respect his father! He’s deliberately opposing you!"

Zhang Zhuzi clenched his teeth in anger. He had already been beaten and humiliated today, becoming the laughingstock of the village. He was itching to vent his anger by beating Zhang Zhaocai.

But with the children still chasing and throwing things at them, Zhang Zhuzi had no time to think about Zhang Zhaocai. He hurriedly took Qin Sanniang home and shut the door, finally escaping the barrage of mud and stones.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhaocai, who initially thought his father’s sabotage would stop the school from opening, was relieved to see the school was safe. He quickly blended into the crowd to register.

While in line, some villagers saw Zhang Zhaocai and loudly said, "Hey, isn’t this Zhang Zhuzi’s son? Zhang Zhaocai, your father caused trouble to stop the school from opening, how dare you still come to register!"

"Zhang Zhaocai, your father is already shameless, but you’re even more thick-skinned! If I were you, I’d stay far away from the school."

"That's right, Zhang Zhaocai, your father almost ruined the school. Didn’t succeed, so now he’s sending you to continue the trouble?"

"Oh, such a vicious plan! When the father can’t cause trouble, he sends the son. Zhang Zhaocai, you better scram. The school doesn’t welcome you. We all want to study well, so don’t come to cause trouble!"

Villagers from both this and neighboring villages pointed fingers at Zhang Zhaocai. Especially a few parents from outside the village, upon hearing Zhang Zhaocai was Zhang Zhuzi’s son, angrily dragged him out of the registration line and scolded, "We painstakingly send our children to school to study, and you father and son better behave and stop causing trouble at the school, alright!?"

Zhang Zhaocai, surrounded and scolded by everyone, had tears streaming down his face. Hugging his schoolbag, he wiped his tears with the back of his hand and hurriedly explained, "I didn’t know my father wanted the school to close. That was his idea. I just want to study. I will study well and won’t cause trouble!"

An older child from the same village shook his head and said, "Zhang Zhaocai, don’t lie. We all know what kind of person you are in this village. Last year during the New Year, you even stole my family’s chicken! You and your father are cut from the same cloth — rotten scoundrels with sores on their heads and pus on their feet. We can’t let rats like you into the school to spoil everything!"