Su Shimao struggled like a dead fish at the end of its rope, but was pinned down by the butcher and the village chief, unable to turn over. The stinging pain on his face spread wider, sticky blood flowing over half his face.
Su Shimao's heart grew colder bit by bit. With the indelible scars on his face, he was doomed to never pass the imperial examination! All the hardships and efforts of his studies turned to nothing, wasted!
By the time the village chief finished carving the characters, Su Shimao was already limp on the ground like a dead fish, eyes vacant and hopeless, gasping for breath as if soulless.
At that moment, sounds came from outside the door, accompanied by shouts and donkey brays.
A young man walked in from outside, snowflakes on his shoulders, holding a rope tied around the necks of two people—none other than Old Su and Su Daqi.
"Village chief, I'm freezing to death! Come in and have some hot water, then we'll switch riders and continue the donkey parade." The young man pulled Old Su and Su Daqi inside to prevent them from freezing to death from prolonged exposure.
Old Su and Su Daqi's clothes were soaked and muddy, their faces bruised and swollen from falls, staggering as they followed the young man inside.
As soon as they entered the room, they saw Su Shimao lying on the ground.
Old Su immediately went crazy, lunging at Su Shimao with a flurry of punches, cursing, "You stupid donkey, you little beast, you’ve ruined our family, ruined our family!"
Su Daqi also saw Su Shimao and clenched his teeth in hatred. If it weren't for Su Shimao's bad idea, they wouldn't have fallen to this state!
Su Daqi charged over and joined Old Su in brutally beating Su Shimao.
Su Shimao's body was already numb from the cold, his reactions slow. Now beaten mercilessly by two who wished to kill him, he could only cover his head and vital parts, curling up on the ground and wailing.
At the door, Su Li and Yuanbao stood side by side, quietly watching the scene of Old Su and Su Daqi beating Su Shimao.
The village chief saw Su Li and greeted her with great kindness and respect.
Su Li was now the village's fortune god, leading everyone in business and planning to build a private school. Her reputation in the village grew daily. Even the village chief and respected elders treated her with reverence.
"These two, as soon as they saw Su Shimao return, they pounced on him like enemies." the village chief said.
Seeing Su Li, Su Shimao cried out like seeing a life-saving straw, screaming desperately, "A Li, save me! They want to beat me to death! Please, save me!"
Su Li looked at Su Shimao calmly, her voice unruffled: "Your grandfather and father beating their own grandson, their own son, is a family matter. If they beat you to death or cripple you, we outsiders cannot interfere. Su Shimao, aren’t you the one who admires the "Twenty-four Filial Exemplars" and values filial piety most? If the ruler wants a minister dead, the minister must die; if a father wants his son dead, the son must die. You, who praise the great filial piety in the "Twenty-four Filial Exemplars", don’t you understand this principle? Your grandfather and father want to beat you; they do it to vent their anger and feel better. You should let them beat you hard, thoroughly, and obey their wishes. That is true filial piety. Understand?"
Su Daqi punched Su Shimao in the face angrily, shouting, "You bastard, I beat my son and you still have the nerve to complain! Look at what you’ve done to me! Raising you is worse than raising a dog; you’re not even as good as a dog!"
Su Shimao, in pain, covered his face and screamed while rolling on the ground, shouting, "Just beat me to death! The other branches of the Su family have cut ties, and except for the family register, only our main branch has me as the sole male heir. If you beat me to death, the Su family line will end!"