Zhang Liushui had watched his third brother struggle through hardships. Just as his life began to show promise, his parents delivered a blow.
"We're thinking of the second child, after all. Don't you want your second brother to have a certain status? How can he have a brother who works for himself?" Yu Xiaohua, hearing her eldest son's accusations, still felt she was in the right.
Zhang Liushui scratched his head, completely disagreeing. "What's wrong with working for yourself? Earning a living with your own hands isn't shameful."
"Go out and look. Who isn't proud to be a worker now? Who isn't proud to be a farmer? Who would work for themselves?
Those who work for themselves are people who can't survive, have no way out, and no prospects.
Your second brother is such a successful person. How can he have a brother like this? Wouldn't that make people criticize him for not knowing how to behave?"
Concerned about their second son's future and reputation, Yu Xiaohua and her husband were determined to have their youngest son stop working for himself.
"Mom, I can't reason with you. Anyway, I don't agree with what you're doing. And about that recipe, why should third brother give it to second brother for free? What has he done to help third brother, or saved his life, that he should take third brother's things?
If it were me, I wouldn't exchange it either. It's unreasonable.
We've already divided the household. If I asked second brother to give me his house, do you think he would agree?"
"You ungrateful brat, how can you say such things? I think you brothers want to anger me to death." Yu Xiaohua's anger flared when her eldest and youngest sons spoke with the same words. She raised her hand to hit him, but then lowered it.
"Even if you hit me, I'll say the same thing. It's unreasonable. You can't always favor second brother just because he's successful. Third brother and I can't compare to second brother. By rights, shouldn't we be the sons who need your help more?"
"..."
That sounded quite reasonable. Zhang Wenxue and his wife were speechless.
"Eldest son, don't get worked up. I also know this is unfair to third son, so I plan to take some time to go back and talk to second son, see if they're willing to give some money to compensate third son."
If their youngest son had been willing to give the recipe, they wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble.
However, after meeting with their youngest son that afternoon, they knew clearly that it would be difficult to get their youngest son to hand over the recipe.
"You'll have to ask third son if he's willing. If he's not, you can't force him."
"You're brothers! You're family. Why can't you help each other more?" Zhang Wenxue let out a sigh of an old father.
But Zhang Liushui's words left Zhang Wenxue utterly choked.
"Dad, why didn't you lend money to third uncle when he asked last year?" Wasn't it agreed that brothers should help each other?
If he couldn't do it himself, why should he expect his children to? Zhang Liushui's words struck Zhang Wenxue heavily.
"..." Yes! Why didn't he lend it? Of course, it was because he prioritized his own small family.
And after they got married, he and his brothers naturally divided into separate individuals. Who would selflessly give to their brothers?
"You unfilial son, how can you equate that? You know what kind of person third uncle is! He never repays debts. Do you think we dare to lend him money?" Yu Xiaohua, seeing her husband rendered speechless by their eldest son, immediately began to defend the old man.
"Whatever you say. Anyway, I don't support robbing the poor to enrich the rich. Second brother is already successful enough. I don't want you to make me and third brother help him. If anyone should help, it should be him helping us."
"Are you speaking human words? Your second brother is not having it easy alone out there. Of course, we must help if we can."
"That depends on the matter. This is something that directly ruins third brother's future, and I don't support it.
If you insist on doing this, don't blame your son for standing behind third brother."
"..."
"Get out, you old hag!"
Zhang Wenxue and his wife were angered by their eldest son, so they kicked him out. Then, the old couple lay on the bed, pondering whether their trip was right or wrong.
In the end, they realized that regardless of right or wrong, their youngest son's self-employment absolutely could not continue, and his recipe also had to be given to their second son to repay a favor.
Holding this thought, the old couple drifted off to sleep.
The next day, they got up early and went to Daming Lake together, wanting to see how their youngest son's self-employment was done.
Although Zhang Wenjun had briefly mentioned yesterday that their youngest son's self-employment was profitable, they still didn't understand how it was profitable.
So, this morning, they wanted to see the specific situation.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the two arrived at Daming Lake, they saw five people helping their youngest son to catch those so-called lobsters.
The eldest son happened to arrive from nearby. "How many baskets? Are there 1250 jin?"
"Five baskets, five more baskets needed." Zhang Li answered proactively, evidently having become the spokesperson for the catching team.
Zhang Liushui nodded. Just as he was about to speak, he saw his parents arrive and called out to them, then resumed his work.
Zhang Wenxue and his wife were surprised by this but didn't say anything in front of outsiders, just watched.
Their attention was only diverted when Zhang Liunian drove a tractor.
"Liunian, the lobsters are ready. Let's load them." Zhang Liushui greeted his third brother and rushed over.
"Mom and Dad, come to my place for a good dinner tonight." Zhang Liunian got off the tractor and first made arrangements with his parents for dinner, then together with Zhang Liushui, he loaded the lobsters onto the tractor.
Zhang Wenxue looked at his two sons, busy working and chatting cheerfully, and unconsciously smiled.
But after smiling, he couldn't help but be astonished by his youngest son's great demand for lobsters.
Especially after his youngest son drove the tractor away, the catchers were still in the water, catching.
And all these lobsters were being pulled away, cart by cart, by an orphan named Zhang Ziping from the village.
"Old woman, did you see how many carts that child Ziping pulled?" Zhang Wenxue swallowed and nudged his wife.
Yu Xiaohua also stared blankly at the catchers, who were about to finish. "I didn't count, but it's no less than the tractor."
"How much money do these have to sell for? Just the quantity is terrifying." Zhang Wenxue only now realized that his youngest son's self-employment was somewhat unusual.
"Let's go, let's follow and see how they're doing it." Zhang Wenxue suddenly became interested in what his youngest son was doing and, pulling his wife, skipped breakfast to follow Zhang Ziping's flatbed cart.
Zhang Ziping saw the two of them following and didn't dare to say anything. In the end, he could only take them to the female educated youth courtyard.
"Lift your hands, I'll help you tie your apron."
As soon as they entered the door, Zhang Wenxue and his wife heard their youngest daughter's voice. They looked up and saw their own daughter in the kitchen helping the mute tie his apron.
Not only that, but both of them had flushed red faces, their eyes flickered, and the atmosphere was ambiguous. Anyone could tell there was something going on between them.