“Master, you can't die! If you die, how am I supposed to live?” Bennett wept bitterly, tears streaming down her face in utter heartbreak.

Mrs. Carter watched, only to snort, “Stop pretending to be dead. I’m too old to deal with you, and I can’t control you anymore.”

Edward Carter’s brow twitched, but he still kept his eyes tightly shut. Mrs. Carter shook her head with a bitter smile. “You’d better think about how to pay back the money! One hundred strings of cash, with compound interest, in less than half a year it’ll turn into five hundred, a thousand! Second son, you’ve sold out our whole family!”

The usually strong Mrs. Carter broke down in tears. The grandmother, Foster, who had been silently standing by, slowly got up, walked over to Edward Carter, raised her hand, and slapped him hard on both cheeks, turning his face into a swollen mess in just a few strikes.

Edward Carter couldn’t keep pretending to be dead. He could only lie on the ground and cry, “Mother, I meant well! I did it all for our family! No matter what, you can’t just abandon me this time. Once I pass the imperial exam and become a scholar, our family will rise to the top…”

“Pah!”

Foster, who usually chanted Buddhist scriptures and wouldn’t even harm a mosquito, was now furious with her own son.

“Beast! You think you can pass the imperial exam? Our Wang family will be ruined by you sooner or later!” The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Her body swayed, and she collapsed softly to the ground.

“What a sin!”

Mrs. Carter saw her daughter-in-law fall and felt dizzy herself, unable to hold on any longer.

The two old ladies fainted one after another. The whole Wang family was in misery and had to quickly call for a doctor, praying nothing worse would happen.

Andrew Carter led his younger siblings out of the ancestral hall.

Back in his own room, he thought for a moment, took out that string of cash, and stuffed it into his foul-smelling shoe. Even if a thief saw it, they’d never touch it!

You couldn’t blame Andrew Carter for being so sneaky—he really had no confidence in the future.

With second uncle owing so much money, the debt would surely fall on the Wang family. If they couldn’t pay it back, the whole family might be ruined. People who lend money like that are ruthless and capable of anything. At times like this, you have to keep some private savings, just in case you end up out on the street with nothing.

Even though they were relatives, Andrew Carter was speechless about second uncle’s family. As long as he could take care of the two little ones, he’d have a clear conscience.

Lying in bed, Andrew Carter kept thinking. The Wang family was in real trouble. One hundred strings of cash—houses, land, everything might have to go. The old lady had just agreed to let him go to private school, but now that seemed hopeless.

In the end, he’d have to rely on himself and find a way to make money.

Who knows what happened with Han Toad’s thread. If he could sell a few more storybooks and make a few dozen strings of cash, he’d have nothing to fear. Andrew Carter kept calculating…

Chapter 9: Dad Is Back

The house was filled with sorrow, but it didn’t affect Stephen Carter and Samuel Carter at all. The two little ones, full and satisfied, were bursting with energy, running wild in the courtyard, carefree and enviably happy.

Samuel Carter was shouting “Giddy up! Giddy up!” as he ran, when suddenly someone grabbed him from behind and lifted him into the air.

Startled, the little guy turned around and saw a bearded face smiling at him.

“Good boy, you’ve gotten heavier!”

“Dad!” Seeing his father, all the pent-up longing in his heart burst out. His chubby little hands hugged his father’s chin. The little one was still a bit confused, not sure what was happening, but his brother had been beaten, second aunt had caused a scene at home, and his cousin had also been beaten. All of this had scared him. Now, clinging to his father’s chest, he didn’t care about the prickly stubble, rubbing against him and sobbing uncontrollably.

Charles Carter felt a lump in his throat. He patted his son’s back, took a few steps, and then scooped up Stephen Carter as well.

“Xiang’er, where’s your brother?”

“He’s in the room!”

Charles Carter hurried inside and saw Andrew Carter lying on the bed. Alarmed, he quickly put the two little ones down to let them keep playing, then rushed over, picked up Andrew Carter, and started to take off his clothes.

“Let Dad see—how badly are you hurt?”

Suddenly being hugged by a man and having his clothes pulled off, Andrew Carter was speechless and quickly struggled. “I’m fine, really, I’m fine.” Charles Carter didn’t understand, thinking his son was just upset, and awkwardly let go, his face dark.

“Sigh, it’s all my fault. If I’d known your second aunt was like that, I should have taken you all with me… Just wait, I’ll go reason with your second aunt!”

“Don’t!”

Andrew Carter stopped his cheap old man. “Better not. Second aunt is just in a bad mood…”

“She’s in a bad mood? And I’m supposed to be in a good mood? Don’t worry, this time your dad will stand up for you—no one can bully you!” Charles Carter was furious. He had accompanied his wife to see off his father-in-law, then rushed home. On the way through Cangzhou, he happened to run into neighbor Uncle Miller delivering goods. Uncle Miller told Charles Carter that Andrew Carter had been beaten by second aunt for losing a horse, but the horse wasn’t actually lost by Andrew Carter—Uncle Miller had seen Richard Carter take the horse away and told Charles Carter about it.