Chapter 80: Liu Guangtian Wants to Rebel

The banquet continued until the afternoon before ending; Liu Haizhong was a bit annoyed that Yi Zhonghai had stolen the spotlight, but he didn't make too much of a fuss at his son's banquet, though he still noted it against Yi Zhonghai in his heart.

"Qiangzi, wake up quick" the next day, at daybreak Zhou Rong woke Li Qiang from his sleep.

"What's wrong?" Li Qiang asked, rubbing his eyes.

"It sounds like someone is crying outside."

"Go back to sleep, I'll go check what's happening," Li Qiang said after listening closely; indeed, faint sobbing could be heard from outside.

Li Qiang put on his clothes, opened the courtyard gate, and saw a crowd gathered outside Liu Haizhong's door.

"It can't be that Liu Guangqi really ran away," Li Qiang thought to himself.

"Brother, what's going on?" Li Qiang whispered as he approached Li Bin.

"I'm not entirely sure of the details, but I heard Old Yan the miser say that Liu Guangqi seems to have run off with his wife," Li Bin whispered to Li Qiang.

"I'll go over and see what's happening," Li Qiang said, as the Household Manager of the Siheyuan, he certainly needed to step forward to understand the situation.

"Watch what you say," Li Bin reminded.

"Got it," Li Qiang replied and headed toward Liu Haizhong's house.

Second Aunt was standing at the door wailing loudly, while Liu Haizhong sat inside, shaking with anger.

"Second Aunt, stop crying first—what's going on?" Li Qiang asked as he approached her.

"Qiangzi, I got up this morning to cook and found Liu Guangqi's room door open; when I went in, neither he nor his wife were there, and all their belongings were gone," Second Aunt said, wiping her tears.

"Then don't cry either—first arrange some people to go look for them."

"Qiangzi, no need to look—those two ungrateful wolves have run away from home," Liu Haizhong said, pointing to a letter on the table.

"Dad, Mom, forgive my unfilial behavior—from childhood you've either beaten or scolded Guangtian and Guangfu, and whenever you're unhappy you take it out on my two younger brothers. I've long had enough of this household atmosphere, and I don't want my own children to grow up in such an environment. My father-in-law has been transferred to Jin Gate for work, so my wife and I have decided to go with him. As for the three-turn-one-response items you bought for our wedding, we're taking them too. You don't need to look for us; as the saying goes, 'Unkind parents, unfilial children,' so do as you will. —Your son, Liu Guangqi" Li Qiang stared at Liu Guangqi's letter, not knowing how to comfort Liu Haizhong and his wife. Liu Guangqi's decision to leave home was largely caused by Liu Haizhong, and what he said was correct—he also didn't want his own children to grow up in such an environment, especially that line about 'unkind parents, unfilial children,' which was especially biting. Although Liu Haizhong was stricter with Guangtian and Guangfu, he truly doted on Liu Guangqi.

"Teacher Yan, you live in the front courtyard, and the gate is locked every day—did you really hear no movement when Liu Guangqi and his wife left?" Li Qiang asked Yan Butgui.

"Well..." Yan Butgui didn't know how to answer Li Qiang. If it were just Liu Guangqi and his wife leaving, saying he heard nothing might be plausible, but they didn't just leave—they also took a lot of belongings. To claim he heard nothing at all, even ghosts wouldn't believe it.

"Qiangzi, I drank too much yesterday and went to bed early, so I really didn't hear any noise. The gate key has always been placed on the windowsill at my house—everyone in the Siheyuan knows that." Yan Butgui thought for a while before coming up with the excuse that he'd been drunk; as for the key being on the windowsill, that was indeed true, meant to let neighbors use the bathroom at night.

Li Qiang wouldn't believe Yan Butgui's nonsense; this guy always takes advantage of any gain, and even if his house were on fire, he wouldn't rush if there's no benefit.

"Right, Old Yan, Li Qiang makes sense—you couldn't possibly have heard nothing at all? You're just deliberately not telling me, aren't you?" Liu Haizhong also realized.

"Old Liu, it's not that I don't want to tell you—this is your family matter, and as an outsider I really shouldn't say anything." Yan Butgui, unable to keep up the fabrication, finally admitted.

Li Qiang wouldn't believe it would be that simple; Yan Butgui must have received some benefit from Liu Guangqi, which is why he didn't tell Liu Haizhong.

In fact, Li Qiang's guess was spot on: last night Liu Guangqi and his wife repeatedly carried things back and forth to the Siheyuan, and Liu Guangqi's father-in-law was no pushover—he even got a truck from the Machinery Factory to fetch them. Otherwise, with so much stuff, the couple really couldn't have carried it all. Yan Butgui also got up after hearing the noise, but Liu Guangqi gave him two dollars to keep quiet, telling him to wait until Liu Haizhong and his wife discovered they were gone before saying anything.

"Old Yan..." Liu Haizhong pointed at Yan Butgui, at a loss for words.

"You two little brats, with such a big thing happening at home, you still have the mind to sleep" Liu Haizhong, having no other recourse, went back inside to take out his anger on Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu.

"All right, Second Elder Master, this has nothing to do with them. Why are you hitting them?" Li Qiang stopped Liu Haizhong.

"I just didn't beat him hard enough—if I had given Liu Guangqi a harder beating back then, he wouldn't dare run away today." Liu Haizhong's educational philosophy differs from others.

"Second Elder Master, I'm about to say something I shouldn't—did you really not understand the letter Liu Guangqi left?" Li Qiang asked Liu Haizhong.

"Qiangzi, what do you mean by that?" Liu Haizhong truly didn't understand what Li Qiang meant.

"Second Elder Master, Liu Guangqi's running away is largely your fault—or rather, you caused it yourself. Didn't he say that in his letter? You constantly beat or scold Guangtian and Guangfu; who would want their child to grow up in such a household?" Li Qiang said.

"Haven't the old sayings gone, 'Under the rod grows a filial son'? Am I wrong in educating my sons?" Liu Haizhong said stubbornly.

"But old sayings aren't always right—it depends on the time and the matter. Look around our Siheyuan: who else does what you do, beating every three days for a small punishment and every five days for a big one? Second Elder Master, raising children can't rely solely on beating and scolding." Li Qiang added that, were it not for his role as Household Manager, he'd really rather not bother with Liu Haizhong's trivial family matters.

"Exactly, whose family beats their kids like he does?"

"You still haven't figured it out—Second Elder Master is just trying to show off his might."

"Isn't that right? Guangtian and Guangfu are pitiful enough—being reborn into this family, who knows what bad karma they created in their past life?" The neighbors also began to gossip.

"What do you know? It's only natural for a father to beat his son," Liu Haizhong said, still unrepentant, clinging to his view.

"Second Elder Master, Guangtian and Guangfu are still young—do you also want to wait until they grow up and then have them run away like Guangqi?" Li Qiang asked Liu Haizhong.

"They dare? Just watch me not break their legs," Liu Haizhong said menacingly.

"Fine, do as you please—if you beat them badly later, these two will go to the Women's Federation to complain against you, and then we'll see how you fare." Li Qiang also couldn't be bothered to say more.

"What business does the Women's Federation have disciplining me for beating my own son? Besides, the Women's Federation only handles women's affairs," Liu Haizhong protested.

"Second Elder Master, the Women's Federation doesn't just handle women—if children are abused, they intervene too; their focus is women and children," Li Qiang said, giving him a sideways glance.

"Brother Qiang, is what you're saying really true?" Upon hearing Li Qiang, Liu Guangtian felt as if he'd found an organization.

"Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, go ask the Women's Federation yourselves."

"All right, once the Subdistrict Office opens for work, we'll go find the Women's Federation," Liu Guangtian said excitedly.

"If you hit us again, we'll go to the Women's Federation and have them decide for us." This was the first time the Liu Guangtian brothers had made up their minds to resist.

"You dare," Liu Haizhong said, a little afraid—if Liu Guangtian really went to the Women's Federation, Director Wang would learn of his position as Second Elder Master and likely not keep it.

Liu Haizhong, furious, flung his belt to the ground without a word and sat back down in his chair.