Chapter 18: Zhong Guoliang Blocks the Way and Weeps

  Zhong Ling was pulled and stumbled, turned around to see that it was her own father Zhong Guoliang. She hastily said: "Dad! What are you doing?"

  Zhong Guoliang wiped away the two lines of tears streaming from his eyes with one hand, while glaring at Zhong Ling with red eyes and scolding: "You abandoned your parents and ran far away! Do you know how worried your mother is about you!" As he spoke, he dragged Zhong Ling into the crowd.

  Shi Jin took a look and saw that his future father-in-law had arrived, but Shi San Gong was crying uncontrollably on the other side and couldn't tear himself away to help Zhong Ling explain. Just then, Zhong Ling said to her father, "Dad, let go quickly! I'm worried about Da Lang, so I chased after him."

  Zhong Guoliang turned his face coldly and looked at Zhong Ling, saying: "What nonsense are you talking about? You're worried about him, but what about his parents?"

  When Zhong Ling heard this, she also felt a little guilty and couldn't say anything for a while. Zhong Guoliang saw that she had lost her momentum, seemingly knowing that she was wrong, so he pulled her arm again to go outside the crowd.

  Zhong Ling was pulled back several steps by the sudden tug, and Shi Jin looked on with a bad feeling in his heart. After all, Zhong Ling had done this for him. Just as he was about to speak up to explain to Zhong Guoliang, he saw Zhong Ling crying out: "Father, are the loyalty, benevolence, righteousness, and gratitude you've always taught me just lies?"

  Zhong Guoliang stopped in his tracks, and among the crowd, he looked particularly ugly.

  "Dad, it's Dalang who sacrificed his life to protect the Shi family village... how can I... how can I bear it..." Zhong Ling cried out in anguish, her emotions overwhelming her as she choked back sobs and couldn't speak further.

  Zhong Guoliang listened and not only didn't compromise, but instead got angry, pointing at Shi Jin and scolding Zhong Ling: "Is he protecting the Shi family village? These ordinary people don't understand, do you not understand either?"

  Zhong Guoliang came forward, facing Shi Jin directly: "Shi Jin! You're standing in front of the old master's coffin, can you honestly tell me if you're doing this for the good of the Shi family village? This is rebellion, a capital offense that requires beheading and exterminating nine generations of your clan!"

  Shi Jin was stunned by Zhong Guoliang's words, indeed, in these days, he had not thought about the pros and cons of Shi Jia Zhuang. He just used Hong Tu Wei Ye to cover up and numb the pain of losing his father. Was it for the good of Shi Jia Zhuang? Everyone was willing to follow him more, but he had never thought about it.

  Zhong Guoliang saw Shi Jin lower his head and remain silent, but in his heart he had more to say.

  "Shi Jin, Master was killed by the corrupt officials, but you can't escape responsibility! Shi Taigong, such a loyal and honest man, is gone just like that. Heaven must be blind!" Zhong Guoliang burst into tears as he spoke, his hands trembling with agitation: "Shi Jin, tell me, would Master have died if you hadn't gone up the mountain? You tell me! Did your actions lead to your father's death? You're truly unfilial!"

  Shi Jin heard this and was even more shocked. He thought to himself that what was said wasn't entirely unreasonable. His mind was momentarily entangled, and he couldn't speak, only two lines of hot tears rolled down again.

  Zhong Ling saw Shi Jin's appearance and knew that he had touched his heartache again. Afraid that he would be too sad and hurt himself, she hastily used force to shake off her father and ran in front of Shi Jin, anxiously saying: "Big brother, don't think wildly, don't listen to my dad's nonsense. He is also grieving over the death of Taigong, you mustn't take it to heart."

  Zhong Guoliang took one look at his daughter sacrificing herself and rushed to Shi Jin's side, his emotions becoming more agitated by the second. He strode forward, ignoring the gazes of the villagers, and grabbed Zhong Ling, pulling her back and forth.

  It's not proper to perform such a farce in front of Shitai Gongling, but Father's words obviously hurt Dalang deeply. If Dalang is going to torture himself again and can't find a way out, what kind of drowning his sorrows with wine will it be? What kind of decadence beyond redemption will it be? But Father still won't give up now...

  Zhong Ling thought to herself, feeling more and more distressed, and couldn't help but burst into loud sobs. She said to her father, "Dad... Dajiang was taken by the Shao Hua Mountain bandits... they took him up the mountain! How can you say such things about him?! If he could survive such a great calamity, we should be satisfied, how can you be so harsh on him?!"

  Zhong Guoliang stopped and said to Shi Jin, "Dàláng, after all these years, you should know that I, Zhong Mouren, have always been a reasonable person. And I also understand the difficulties in your heart. But don't forget, what Taigong has done in his life is for what?"

  Father, why? Shi Jing thought in his heart that it was unnecessary to think about it, and the entire village of thousands of people also knew.

  "It's all for the prosperity of Shijiazhuang! Taigong has poured his life's blood into Shijiazhuang. But now, those efforts are about to be destroyed by you in an instant! How can I bear to watch everything perish before my eyes? How can I have the face to go underground and meet Taigong!" Zhong Guoliang said, his emotions finally bursting forth.

  With a nose full of snot and tears, he sobbed: "The corrupt officials are going to harm our Shi family village, but the great Song dynasty hasn't become so dark as to want to destroy our village and its people. We still have room for maneuver, to preserve the foundation of the Shi family village and continue to fulfill the wishes of our ancestors. But you insist on taking the wrong path, rebelling against the government, and dragging down the entire Shi family village with you. How will you face your father's lifelong efforts? How will you face the people of this village?"

  "Dad! It's not like that, don't say it, it's not like that!"

  "No, I must say, although I am an outsider, I have lived in this village for most of my life. I'm not doing it for myself, but I want to speak up for the old master!" Zhong Guoliang shouted at Shi Jin: "You're still young and can afford to mess around for a few more years, but look, look!" He pointed to the crying elderly women in the crowd, and continued: "Do they have the energy to follow you and jump around? Can they withstand the turmoil? Your father spent most of his life trying to make sure everyone in the village lived a stable life, so that he could enjoy his old age. But now, this good life has been ruined by you!"

  Zhong Guoliang said, thinking of Taigong again, remembering Taigong's kind and generous heart, remembering his painstaking efforts. In recent years, for the sake of Shijiazhuang, he has not suffered less from the county's old masters, enduring humiliation and swallowing all the hardships. It is really not easy to walk step by step to today. Shijiazhuang can have a good day today, it is really hard-won, it is the result of Taigong and villagers' struggle for many years.

  At this thought, Zhong Guoliang became sad again, let go of Zhong Ling, and with a thud, knelt down in front of Shi Taigong's coffin, wailing in grief.

  "Grandfather, how can you bear to abandon Shi Jia Zhuang like this and just leave?! You were just saying the other day that you wanted to build a private school for Shi Jia Zhuang, so that our young people could also become officials one day... Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten all these things?! You said you wanted to see with your own eyes our people from Shi Jia Zhuang becoming good officials and bringing benefits to the common people... Grandfather, how can you just leave like this?!"

  Zhong Guoliang cried so hard that he was almost incoherent, Zhong Ling looked at him with a pained heart and knelt down in front of her father to wipe away his tears. The villagers who heard his lament also couldn't help but think of Shi Taigong's kindness, remembering his appearance and smile from the past, thinking of all that he had done for Shijiazhuang Village, and they too were overcome with grief, bursting into loud wails.

  Zhong Guoliang wiped away a tear, and in front of Shitai Gong's coffin, he knocked three loud heads, saying: "Taigong, this private school, I, Liang Mou, will be begging for food, but I will also build it up for you. Our Shijiazhuang will have a day when talented people emerge in large numbers..."