BHBF Chapter 102.1

Boss, He’s Becoming a Father (Arc 6) Chapter 102.1: My Son is an Unparalleled Good Man (4)

Shao Yu didn’t have to wait long before Shao Erchun brought over the meat and rations.

A bag of grain was not much more than what Shao Dachun had given to Widow Zhao’s family.

A piece of meat the size of a child’s palm would probably only be enough for one meal.

Shao Erchun was about to leave after delivering the gifts, but Shao Yu frowned and said, “I’d better go find the village chief.”

Shao Erchun grew anxious and said, “Father, I’ve already delivered the things, you can’t still do this.”

Shao Yu glanced at the pile of things, saying nothing, just staring at them.

Shao Erchun understood. He didn’t know what was wrong either. His father, who used to be as hardworking as an ox, had become so difficult to talk to, as if he had become a completely different person.

Shao Erchun was unwilling to give more, so he had no choice but to play the victim, saying, “Dad, things aren’t easy for the family these days. If I keep giving money away, I’m afraid my wife will make a fuss with me again. What if she goes back to her parents’ home then?”

Shao Yu ignored all of that and said, “Let your wife make a fuss if she wants to, and let her go back if she wants to.”

Shao Erchun said, “She’s gone back. What will happen to Da Mao? The child is still young; he can’t be without a mother.”

“Your son has only lost a mother, but I’ve lost a piece of good flesh,” Shao Yu said righteously.

He’s been in a coma for so long, and his beloved grandson hasn’t come to visit even once. Why should Shao Yu care about this child?

Shao Erchun added, “That’s your eldest grandson.”

Shao Yu didn’t care and said, “I’m still your biological father.”

Seeing that he couldn’t persuade Shao Yu, Shao Erchun knew that the old man was determined to go home today, so he could only go home dejectedly.

As soon as his younger brother left, Shao Dachun looked at Shao Yu with a disapproving expression.

“Father, although you are my elder, there’s something I have to say…”

Before he could finish speaking, Shao Yu interrupted him, saying, “You don’t need to vomit, I don’t want to hear it.”

Shao Dachun: …

Liu Guizhi stood to the side, staring longingly at the piece of meat.

Shao Yu handed her the meat and said, “Making braised pork takes time, so why don’t you slice it into pieces and make a soup?”

Upon hearing this, Liu Guizhi was secretly delighted. There would be more meat soup than she expected, so Niu Niu could secretly drink some later.

“Father, my second brother is having a hard time. How can you force him to divorce just for a bite to eat?” Even though Shao Yu tried to stop him, Shao Dachun still said it.

Shao Yu said, “Even your brother didn’t say no, so why are you saying no on his behalf?”

Shao Dachun said, “My second brother is too filial.”

“A truly filial son should have sent it over long ago,” Shao Yu said.

“That’s because my second brother is too busy, and things aren’t easy for the family either…” Shao Dachun said the same old thing.

Shao Yu couldn’t tell for a moment whether Shao Dachun really thought so or was just saying it on purpose, after all, Shao Erchun’s family was visibly doing well.

Compared to Shao Yu’s memory, Shao Erchun has gained a lot of weight, clearly having lived a very comfortable life during the six months his father was half-dead.

“Just you wait and see if he’s really that busy,” Shao Yu said.

Although Shao Dachun didn’t understand why, he still did as instructed.

However, during the half hour of waiting, Shao Yu did give him quite a bit of trouble.

No matter what it was, Shao Yu would always order Shao Dachun to do it, and when Liu Guizhi tried to help, Shao Yu wouldn’t let her.

Shao Dachun didn’t say anything, assuming that Shao Yu wanted to get closer to him, so he remained cheerful.

Just half an hour later, Shao Erchun returned, this time bringing more grain and a piece of meat that was much larger than before.

Shao Erchun complained for a long time about how hard it was to do these things, but Shao Yu remained unmoved and listened to them intermittently. On the contrary, Shao Dachun actively played the straight man for his younger brother.

After the two brothers finished speaking, Shao Yu nodded and said, “From now on, send me meat every month like this.”

Upon hearing this, Shao Erchun was immediately dumbfounded and said, “Dad, I’m just someone who toils in the fields for a living, why are you making things so difficult for me?”

As he spoke, he kept looking at Shao Dachun, because when it came to having a good job, he couldn’t compare to Shao Dachun, who had a proper job.

But Shao Yu didn’t take the hint and instead said, “The good stuff you dug up from the ground should actually be shared with your older brother in half.”

Before Shao Dachun could react, Liu Guizhi, who was standing to the side, perked up and asked, “What good stuff is in the field?”

When the family divided the land, Shao Erchun received most of it. Liu Guizhi grumbled about this for a long time, which made her quite sensitive about it.

Upon hearing this, Shao Erchun’s heart skipped a beat. He had indeed dug up a jar of silver dollars from the ground, but he hadn’t even told his wife about it. He never expected that Shao Yu would know.

“Father, Father, you’re right. I’ll make you meat every month from now on,” Shao Erchun said with a wry smile. He was afraid that Shao Yu would say more, especially since Liu Guizhi was still watching him closely.

Shao Yu nodded and said, “He is truly my good son.”

Shao Erchun then said to his elder brother, “Brother, Father has just recovered, and I want to have a private talk with him.”

Shao Dachun cooperated fully, pulling the reluctant Liu Guizhi out.

Once everyone else was in the room, Shao Erchun tentatively asked, “Father, isn’t what we dig out of the ground grain?”

Shao Yu shook his head and said, “That’s not right, we still have silver dollars and gold in our fields.”

Upon hearing this, Shao Erchun’s breathing quickened, and he asked, “Father, is there really gold?”

“Never mind, just pretend I didn’t say anything,” Shao Yu said.

Seeing Shao Yu’s reaction, Shao Erchun became even more certain that there was gold in the ground and eagerly pressed for details about the gold.

Shao Yu said, “Our ancestors were tenants of a landlord. That piece of land belonged to the landlord. One night, your grandfather saw someone burying something in the field.”

“The next day he went to check and found that it was full of valuable treasures, but he didn’t dare to spend them, so he buried them in several different places.”

Upon hearing this, Shao Erchun’s eyes lit up, and he asked, “Dad, where is Grandpa buried?”

If he hadn’t dug up that jar of silver coins, he probably would have thought Shao Yu’s story was nonsense. But after seeing the real thing, he now believed Shao Yu’s words without a doubt.

A jar of silver dollars had already improved his life considerably; if he could dig up gold, he would never have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of his life.

“Want to know?” Shao Yu asked. Shao Erchun nodded vigorously.

Shao Yu said, “The wasteland in the southern bay.”

Shao Erchun’s eyes lit up, and he said, “Father, don’t worry, I will definitely deliver the meat on time every month.”

Seeing that Shao Erchun was about to leave, Shao Dachun asked, “Erchun, didn’t you ask me to help you clear the wasteland in Nanwan? I’m free next Saturday, I’ll come and help you then.”

The soil in Nanwan was bad, making it difficult to dig. Shao Erchun originally wanted to coax his elder brother to help with the land reclamation, but now that he knew there might be traces of gold there, Shao Erchun dared not let Shao Dachun get involved.

“No need, brother, I’ll dig it up myself.”

When Shao Dachun heard his younger brother say this, he took it as him being polite and immediately said, “We’re brothers, don’t worry, I’ll go help when the time comes.”

After much refusal, Shao Erchun finally gave up on Shao Dachun’s desire to help. After leaving his elder brother’s house, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

When he got home, his wife gave him a long scolding: “Shao Erchun, you’ve really made something of yourself! You took the family’s money and went to buy meat for your older brother, and such a big piece at that! Are you only happy if we, mother and son, starve?”

When Shao Erchun thought of the gold buried in the ground, he felt as if his wife’s complaints were just passing by.

But while he ignored her, his wife wasn’t so oblivious. She grabbed his ear and asked, “Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me?”

Shao Erchun quickly replied, “I heard you, I heard you.”

He was getting impatient, but he didn’t mention the gold. Instead, he thought he’d wait until he dug it up and see how his wife would beg him.

Faced with his wife’s questioning, Shao Erchun, his mind filled with nothing but gold, casually replied, “My father has worked so hard for so many years, what’s wrong with giving him some meat?”

Perhaps emboldened by the gold, Shao Erchun broke free from his wife’s grip on his ear for the first time, went back into the house, and pondered where to start digging.

Meanwhile, at Shao Dachun’s house, Liu Guizhi was staring longingly at the piece of meat. Shao Yu said, “You handle it properly.”

Liu Guizhi nodded hurriedly. “It’s so hot today. To prevent the meat from spoiling, we need to render the fat for oil and cook the lean meat. That way, we can keep it for a few more days.”

Shao Dachun said, “Dad, there’s no rush to get it all out. The Zhao and Li families haven’t had meat in a long time. Let’s cut some and share it with them.”

Liu Guizhi’s hand tightened, and when she turned to look at her husband, her eyes seemed to spit fire.

But Shao Dachun seemed oblivious, continuing to spout his selfless platitudes.

Liu Guizhi was afraid that Shao Yu would be persuaded, but Shao Yu only glanced at Shao Dachun and said, “They didn’t eat meat, don’t you know to cut a piece off yourself?”

“Father, how can you be so unreasonable? How can I cut off my own flesh?” Shao Dachun said.

Shao Yu said, “Then look carefully, this piece of meat is mine. You’re cutting off my flesh to feed others, you unfilial son!”

Shao Dachun immediately realized he was in the wrong.

Shao Yu added, “You’re really bored, always thinking about taking other people’s things.”

Shao Dachun was puzzled.

Shao Yu pointed to a pile of firewood in the corner and said, “Go and chop the firewood.”

Shao Dachun immediately said, “Once Guizhi is done with her work, I’ll have her chop the firewood.”

“Who is Guizhi to you?” Shao Yu asked.

Shao Dachun said in surprise, “Wife, why are you asking such a strange question?”

Shao Yu said, “Oh, so she’s your wife. I thought she was your servant. You act like a master, doing nothing at home and just waiting for her to do things.”

Shao Dachun felt ashamed after Shao Yu’s words, so he stopped arguing and walked directly towards the pile of firewood in the corner of the yard.

Shao Yu is still lying in bed, but through the window he can see his son chopping wood outside, and he can even tell how well the wood is being chopped just by listening to the sounds.

“Your grip is so weak, have you not eaten?”

“You’ve chopped it so messily, don’t you know how to chop?”

“You’re taking a break after only chopping a few branches? Are you even a man?”

As Shao Dachun listened to the sounds, he rubbed his arm, which had gone numb from chopping wood. He wanted to rest, but he could only endure his father’s sarcasm and continue chopping.

When Liu Guizhi brought in the cooked meat soup, Shao Yu did not refuse, drank a small bowl and then put it down.