‘Get! Out! Of! The! House!’

These four large words swirled in her mind, scaring her so much that cold sweat poured down her face. She trembled, unable to speak.

Only to hear Mr. Sullivan gently say to Adam Sullivan, “Adam Sullivan, why don’t you tell us what started your dispute?”

Adam Sullivan glanced at the seventh girl kneeling on the ground. He saw her left eye swollen into a slit, one eye big, one eye small, both eyes full of pleading, tears streaming down as she looked at him.

He knew Mr. Sullivan was deliberately taking sides. As long as he told the truth, there was a ninety percent chance the seventh girl would be kicked out of the house. If he left the Shen family, he still had a thatched hut to live in, but this couple would probably be left homeless.

‘Forget it, we’re all people with hard lives. After all, this is an internal conflict among the people—why make things harder for each other?’

With this thought, Adam Sullivan made up his mind. He smiled awkwardly and said, “There wasn’t any major conflict before, just the usual little frictions of daily life. Even the upper and lower teeth clash sometimes—it’s not as serious as you think, sir.”

Chapter 10: All Things Are Inferior (Part 1)

As soon as he spoke, the whole room was shocked.

The seventh girl kneeling on the ground was full of surprise and gratitude, grinning with snot hanging from her nose; Mr. Sullivan, sitting at the head, also looked at Adam Sullivan in astonishment, feeling he needed to get to know this young man anew. As for the fourth young master, he nodded secretly behind Adam Sullivan, his lips moving as if to say, ‘Good lad, you’ve got loyalty,’ or something like that.

Adam Sullivan calmly endured everyone’s gaze. He knew very well… even if the seventh girl’s family was kicked out and the father and son had a whole building to themselves, it wouldn’t change their status as dependents. No matter how big the house, as long as you’re living under someone else’s roof, you can’t avoid being questioned from above and controlled at will, just like today. It was simply unbearable.

Yes, the sense of superiority that Mr. Sullivan had inadvertently revealed just now had deeply wounded Adam Sullivan’s pride. If he had a choice, he’d rather go back to the thatched hut by the river than stay in this grand mansion.

But he was mature enough to know what should and shouldn’t be shown, so he didn’t lose his temper on the spot.

‘Hurting others for your own gain doesn’t make you a bastard; hurting others without benefiting yourself does!’

This was Adam Sullivan’s motto.

With this in mind, how could he bear the reputation of being ‘narrow-minded and intolerant’ and do something so mean-spirited?

※※※

After a moment of shock, it was Mr. Sullivan who recovered first. He looked at Adam Sullivan with a half-smile and said, “If what you say is true, then both families are at fault and must be punished.”

Adam Sullivan replied calmly, “The master is fair and kind. Whatever punishment you decide, Adam Sullivan is willing to accept.”

“Heh heh…” Mr. Sullivan was amused by Adam Sullivan. Though the boy was young, he spoke with remarkable shrewdness. By calling him ‘fair and kind,’ Adam Sullivan had both flattered and cornered him, leaving Mr. Sullivan both pleased and helpless. He could only put on a stern face and say, “Neighbors and relatives should love and support each other. Since this is your first offense, I won’t use the family rules this time.” Then he said to the seventh girl, “Go back and clean their room thoroughly, and don’t be so petty in the future.” He glared and added, “There won’t be a next time, understand?”

The seventh girl was already convinced; how could she dare refuse? She nodded repeatedly like a pecking chicken, saying, “Granddaughter understands, understands.”

“Go on, then.” Mr. Sullivan flicked his wide sleeve and said blandly, “Take care of yourself.”

The seventh girl kowtowed to Mr. Sullivan, then gave Adam Sullivan a grateful look before hurriedly fleeing the oppressive hall.

※※※

Once the seventh girl had left, only Adam Sullivan, Mr. Sullivan, and the fourth young master remained in Zhonghetang.

Mr. Sullivan’s expression softened considerably. He smiled at Adam Sullivan and said, “The seventh girl is a rough sort, so she can be punished with physical labor. But you’re a scholar, so we’ll have to do something more refined.”

Adam Sullivan immediately broke out in a cold sweat, thinking, ‘I’d rather clean the whole Shen family compound than be made to recite poetry or write essays.’ But how could he show weakness at a time like this? He had to tough it out!

“Whatever you wish, sir,” Adam Sullivan said calmly, though his legs were trembling. He was already preparing to ‘escape to the restroom’ if necessary.

“I’ll give you a question,” Mr. Sullivan said with a chuckle. “If you answer correctly and well, not only will you not be punished, you’ll be rewarded. If you answer wrong, you’ll have to clean the entire Shen family gate.”

Truly, great minds think alike—Adam Sullivan almost blurted out, ‘Can I just accept the punishment now?’ But he was still resentful toward Mr. Sullivan and didn’t want to give in… Besides, a sudden confidence welled up inside him, as if he wasn’t afraid of this kind of challenge at all.

So, he said with righteous resolve, “Alright, please go ahead, sir.”

“Very well.” Mr. Sullivan nodded. “Since you’ve passed the county exam, you must have read the Four Books, right?”

“I have,” Adam Sullivan replied, almost involuntarily.

“Excellent.” Mr. Sullivan pointed to the plaque above and said, “Explain to me the origin of these four characters.”