Chapter 360: Liu Haizhong, you're not even as good as a dog

Er Da Ma mistakenly thought Liu Guangfu would give her face.

As a son.

Not acknowledging his father.

Surely he can't not even acknowledge his mother.

Relying on her status as mother, she scolded Liu Guangfu with a few words, expecting him to apologize to Liu Haizhong, thinking Liu Guangfu would accept this step.

She overestimated herself.

And she underestimated Liu Guangfu's unfilial behavior.

She never imagined that, in Liu Guangfu's heart, this mother of hers was worth nothing at all.

Liu Guangfu hasn't forgotten how, when Liu Haizhong brutally beat him, Er Da Ma stood aside, fanning the flames and lecturing him—those painful scenes. Not only did she not stop Liu Haizhong from beating him, she added fuel to the fire, saying Liu Guangfu was in the wrong, bluntly stating that he got beaten because he had upset Liu Haizhong.

Isn't that what a birth mother should say?

The anger in his heart.

Built up over many years.

He originally intended to settle scores with Liu Haizhong first, then with Er Da Ma.

He didn't expect that Er Da Ma would be like a steamed bun hitting a dog—she had delivered herself right to his door.

A hint of coldness flashed across Liu Guangfu's face.

He retorted in one sentence.

"I apologize? On what grounds should I apologize?"

Er Da Ma froze on the spot.

She was stunned.

Is that what a son should say to his mother?

Apologize.

And on what basis should he apologize?

As his son, he ought to apologize to his father, Liu Haizhong.

Even if Liu Haizhong is utterly wrong, he is still your father, Liu Guangfu.

In the world.

There has never been a son who brutally beats his own father.

Even if there were.

Such a person could not be called human; he would be a beast.

With so many neighbors watching the spectacle in the courtyard, if Liu Guangfu really swung his fist at Liu Haizhong, it would be tantamount to trampling the Liu family's face into the mud.

People might not criticize Liu Guangfu, but they would gossip about the failure of Liu Haizhong and his wife in raising their children.

They have lived in this courtyard for many years.

Everyone in the neighborhood knows that Liu Haizhong beats his son!

Perhaps it's out of concern for his own face.

Er Da Ma once again shouted at Liu Guangfu.

"Guangfu, do you know what you're saying? Before you speak, can't you think first? You still ask me why you should apologize to your father—well, it's because he's your father. You're his son; as a son, apologizing and yielding to your father—what's the problem? Does it make you lose face, Liu Guangfu? Does it make you unable to hold your head up?"

"Now you know I'm his son—what were you doing all this time?" Liu Guangfu's eyes widened as he stared at Er Da Ma and shouted: "Does he even consider me his son in his heart?"

"How could he not treat you as his son?" Er Da Ma, full of resentment, exclaimed angrily: "If he didn't see you as his son, could he have fed you? Given you water? Raised you from the soles of your feet to a height of 1.65 meters—yet we're still the ones at fault?"

"Feeding me, giving me water—isn't that just using us as his punching bag, hitting whenever he wants, scolding whenever he wants, beating us when he's in a good mood, beating us when he's in a bad mood?"

Liu Guangfu was also furious to the extreme.

He had the posture of someone about to pour out his bitterness.

Taking advantage of this opportunity before him.

He poured out the grievances pent up inside him.

"They say even a vicious tiger doesn't eat its cubs—ask the neighbors around, how has Liu Haizhong treated me and Guangtian in the past? From the day I can remember, my mind holds no other memory but beatings, beatings. Slaps landed on our buttocks, making us wail and scream; he even disliked the sound of our crying, saying it embarrassed him. Later, when his hands ached, he switched to a feather duster, then a broom; when the feather duster broke and the broom snapped, he used a belt. Liu Haizhong, in front of the neighbors, tell me—do you have any right to call yourself a father like that?"

What did Liu Haizhong say?

He couldn't say a word.

On one hand, being exposed by Liu Guangfu for his domestic violence left him flustered.

With his mind going blank.

He truly couldn't think of any justification.

Faced with the bloody facts.

There was simply no possibility of explanation.

On the other hand, Liu Haizhong felt a faint panic welling up inside him.

The Liu Guangfu before him.

Is his offspring.

He had also beaten Liu Guangfu countless times.

But this time.

Liu Haizhong had no intention of waving the broom to fight Liu Guangfu; just in that instant, the broom he held suddenly felt heavy.

His fingers loosened.

The broom in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

His steps instinctively retreated several paces.

Perhaps only then could he feel a little more at ease.

He raised his head.

Looking at Liu Guangfu, who was still verbally reprimanding him for his past misdeeds, Liu Haizhong felt a rare sense of unfamiliarity well up from his bones, as if the person before him was no longer his son but an enemy.

A bitter feeling.

They came to find Liu Haizhong.

Raising a son to guard against old age.

They had high hopes for the eldest son, but after he married, he took his wife and fled, going to live at his mother-in-law's house; outsiders all said the eldest son had married into his wife's family.

He hit the second and third sons, intending to educate them with this rod, so that the second and third sons would submit to him.

But it was all in vain, like trying to draw water with a bamboo basket.

The anger that had built up over many years turned, in the hearts of the second and third sons, into endless resentment toward Liu Haizhong.

He glanced at the woman who was still speaking up for him.

He let out a low sigh.

"Old woman, forget it, I won't argue with him—after all, I'm his father, he's my son!"

"Liu Haizhong, don't flatter yourself—I know what kind of person you are. I, Liu Guangfu, have said my piece: even recognizing a dog as my father would be better than being your son."

This metaphor.

Really fucking strong.

It's nothing but mocking Liu Haizhong for being not even as good as a dog.

Speaking of which.

It really is Liu Haizhong's failure as a person.

If only they had slightly leveled the water back then, this wouldn't have happened; in front of the neighbors, he was settled accounts with by his third son.

Perhaps the Second Steward has finally come to his senses.

Even if the Jiēdào does not strip Liu Haizhong of his elder title, the neighbors will no longer respect him—a person who can't even manage his own household, yet still wants to be the patriarch of the Siheyuan.

Purely daydreaming.

What Shazhu cares about.

It wasn't Liu Haizhong, but Yan Fugui standing not far from him; Lao Kou watched the scene before him, not knowing what he was thinking, his body trembling slightly.

Perhaps, from the incident of Liu Guangfu settling accounts with Liu Haizhong, he thought of himself, projecting Liu Haizhong onto his own persona.

That's fine.

Recognizing his mistake early to avoid future trouble caused by scheming, which would disturb the household peace.

He greeted Liu Jianguo.

Just about to go back inside.

Then he saw Liu Guangfu pull a book from his hand.

This guy waved the book.

He obviously treated the book as a weapon.

Shazhu dared not move.

Liu Jianguo was also honest.

Book!

That person's book!

"Liu Haizhong, have you realized your mistake? Children are the flowers of the motherland, the pillars for building the motherland; you beat them whether you have cause or not, with ulterior motives—are you trying to destroy these future flowers?"