6kv Chapter 7 The Turbulent Times, the Direction of the Wind and the Flow of Water
Chapter 7 The Turbulent Times, the Direction of the Wind and the Flow of Water
In the autumn morning mist, Zhou Tong repeatedly practiced the four stances he had just learned.
With the help of the system panel, he could clearly perceive that his actions were constantly approaching the perfect standard, and he was happy to see this progress.
He only slowly stopped when waves of throbbing pain shot through his body, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
He walked to his usual corner, sat down on a bench, picked up a tin thermos with a peony print, uncorked it, poured out a cup of warm, lightly salted water, and sipped it to relieve his fatigue and salt loss.
Just then, he vaguely felt a gaze fall on him.
Turning his head, he saw Song Jie standing in the shadow of the eaves not far away, arms crossed, looking at him with a strange expression, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Zhou Tong put down his enamel mug, stood up, and walked over, asking curiously, "What's wrong?"
Song Jie forced a complicated smile, patted his shoulder, and sighed, "Hey, Zhou Tong, I know everything. You... you don't need to hide it from me anymore."
Zhou Tong was taken aback by his abrupt words and asked in confusion, "What do you mean? What do you know?"
"Look at you, still pretending nothing's wrong with me."
Song Jie shook his head and said, "Last night was the 70th birthday of the Feng family patriarch, and almost all the prominent figures in the city attended. During the banquet, someone mentioned your father to your grandfather, saying that your father is now finding his own way to make a living outside, and whether he has had some minor conflicts with the family. They also advised your grandfather to calm down and not to take it to heart with the younger generation."
Zhou Tong narrowed his eyes slightly.
Song Jie paused, observing Zhou Tong's expression, and continued, "As a result... in front of all the guests, your grandfather directly said that your family had separated and broken away from the Zhou family!"
He said that whether your family prospers or declines in the future, it will have nothing to do with the Zhou family anymore. Now that your grandfather has made it clear, son, everyone in Cangzhou who needs to know about this knows.
Zhou Tong listened quietly, his face calm, but his heart was filled with dread.
The old man's move completely cut off the last possibility for his father to act under the Zhou family's name, forcing them into a corner, as if he wanted everyone to know that the second branch of the Zhou family had been kicked out.
Seeing Zhou Tong's silence, Song Jie assumed he was upset. Glancing at his expression, he leaned closer and lowered his voice to offer some words of comfort:
"If you ask me, how much hatred can there be between a father and son? Can blood ties really be severed? In my opinion, you should persuade your father not to argue with the old man. How can he possibly win?"
"Why not go to the old house as soon as possible, bow your head and apologize to the old man, let him hit or scold you as he pleases. If once isn't enough, try twice, and if twice isn't enough, try three times. Once the old man sees that your father is sincerely repentant, his anger will subside, and he will definitely change his mind."
He tugged at Zhou Tong's shoulder, looking like a strategist: "By the way, you should go with your dad too. As the saying goes, grandparents are closer to their grandchildren. If you go and help mediate, things will definitely be easier to handle."
In response to Song Jie's advice, Zhou Tong simply smiled faintly and said calmly, "My father has always been in charge of family matters. Now that he has made his decision, it is not appropriate for me, as his son, to interfere any further."
Seeing his stubbornness, Song Jie opened his mouth, but in the end he could only sigh and offer a few polite words of comfort such as "Take it easy" and "Let me know if you need any help," before turning and leaving.
Soon, the news that Zhou Tong's family had been publicly announced to be split up and expelled from the family by Old Master Zhou spread like wildfire throughout the front yard of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School.
It wasn't that Song Jie deliberately spread the word; it was simply that the poor were scholars and the rich were martial artists. The Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School already had several scions of the city's top families, and they were also at the Feng family's birthday banquet last night.
The others, though from slightly less affluent families, were still quite wealthy, and their parents were also qualified to attend the banquet.
Such explosive news involving internal changes within the Zhou family had already spread last night.
Next, the scions of those prominent families who had chatted happily with Zhou Tong a few days earlier and belonged to the outer circle of the inner circle also came over in twos and threes to comfort Zhou Tong, saying nothing more than "don't worry" and "the old man will change his mind sooner or later."
As for Zheng Hao and Liu Qing, they did not come over.
This was within Zhou Tong's expectations. Previously, he had only exchanged nods and a few words with these two people, and they had not really taken him seriously.
To them, Zhou Tong was just one of many sycophants who entered the circle because of his background. Now that even his family background was gone, he was no longer worthy of their attention.
Zhou Tong responded to everyone's concern with a smile, behaving politely and respectfully.
After the commotion subsided and he had rested enough, he walked back to the corner, looked up at the hazy sky outside the martial arts hall, his eyes becoming even more determined, and then immersed himself in practicing martial arts again.
……
Meanwhile, at the Zhou family's old residence.
In the main hall, Old Master Zhou was having morning tea, with a plate of crab roe soup dumplings, a plate of crystal shrimp dumplings, and a plate of thick rice porridge.
Zhongbo, the old steward who had served him for over thirty years, stood respectfully to the side.
"Master, the news of the second young master's separation of the family has spread throughout Cangzhou. From last night to this morning, several phone calls have been made to the house, asking questions indirectly. I have followed your instructions and told you directly that the second branch of the family has established its own household and has no further connection with the Zhou family," Uncle Zhong reported in a low voice.
Grandpa Zhou nodded, stirring the porridge in the bowl with a fine white porcelain spoon, his expression calm.
Zhongbo's lips moved, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.
Old Master Zhou didn't even look up, but simply asked, "Do you think I've been too open and uncompromising in doing things?"
Uncle Zhong quickly bowed and said, "I dare not. Your actions are always justified."
Grandpa Zhou put down his spoon, picked up a hot towel to wipe his mouth, looked up at the desolate courtyard outside the window, and slowly said:
"Ah Zhong, you've been with me for most of your life. Tell me, what's the most important thing for a boat on this river to go far and sail steadily?"
Zhongbo pondered for a moment: "Is the boat sturdy? Are the oars evenly spaced?"
"Neither, it's about observing the wind direction and water flow."
Old Master Zhou withdrew his gaze and landed on Uncle Zhong's face:
"The wind direction has changed, and the current has become stronger. If the boat still tries to follow the old path, it will at least come to a standstill, or at worst... risk capsizing."
The winds of this world blow in from the sea, carrying the smell of rust and gunpowder…
He paused, his voice lowering slightly: "The family boat needs to go with the wind to get support and stay stable. This is not only my idea, but also my second brother's idea in Tianjin."
Zhongbo listened quietly, without saying a word, keeping to his duty.
"Second son."
Grandpa Zhou sighed softly, "He is capable of steering the ship, and over the years, the boat has sailed quite steadily."
What a pity... Back then, when we sent him to Shenghai, we wanted him to broaden his horizons and learn about modern business practices.
He, on the other hand, not only broadened his horizons but also befriended the people of the "Fenxin Society," learning some different ways of leading a ship.
Old Master Zhou shook his head, a hint of regret in his voice:
"The ship should go wherever the wind blows; going against the wind is not a sign of integrity, but a path to death."
The fact that the second-in-command remained at the helm made everyone on the ship uneasy.
"Now that the direction has been set, there can be no two minds on board..."
By the end, Old Master Zhou's tone had become calm and even, as if he were simply stating a perfectly natural fact.
"Master's foresight is for the sake of the entire Zhou family." Uncle Zhong felt a chill in his heart, knowing that the second young master, whom he had watched grow up, had been completely abandoned this time. He sighed softly and bowed, speaking in a low voice.
Grandpa Zhou changed the subject, asking instead, "Has there been any news from Xuan'er at the Tianjin Military Academy lately?"
Uncle Zhong immediately put on a smile: "Yes, yes! Young Master Zhou Xuan is doing well and making good progress in his studies. Also, the Third Young Master mentioned yesterday that Young Master Zhou Jing has made rapid progress at the White Crane Martial Arts School. He has mastered the basic stance training in five months and has started to train his muscles."
Only then did a genuine smile appear on Old Master Zhou's face, and his wrinkles smoothed out slightly:
"Yes. Go to the storeroom and pick out a 20-year-old ginseng root to send to Jing'er. The children's success is a blessing for the family."
"Yes, sir!" Uncle Zhong replied repeatedly. After a slight hesitation, he added, "There's another small matter... I heard that the second young master sent young master Zhou Tong to the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School in the south of the city to learn martial arts."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Zhou's brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed almost imperceptibly again before smoothing out. He simply shook his head gently, offering no comment, and continued eating his porridge.