Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2726 Still Vigorous in Old Age 110.0
Seeing everyone's incredulous expressions, Xiao Fengqi sighed helplessly.

Why that expression? Is it hard to imagine?

"It is indeed hard to imagine." Jin Miaomiao nodded very frankly and said, "Even in families like ours, three or four-year-olds are still in a dazed stage, just beginning to remember things and just beginning to learn to read. Are people over there so precocious?"

"Precocious?" Xiao Fengqi turned Qi Zhifeng's face around, pinched his cheek, and said, "Look at him, does he look precocious?"

Qi Zhifeng snorted, slapped Xiao Fengqi's hand away, and rubbed his face.

“Children from normal families don’t mature that early. Even in families like ours, we raise them step by step.” Xiao Fengqi patted Qi Zhifeng, as if to coax him, and continued, “For families that are more ambitious and want to take unconventional approaches, well…” He looked at Chu Han, “it’s hard to judge, right?”

"It's hard to say," Chu Han nodded. "Many tragedies arise from this."

"Brother Fengqi!" Qi Zhifeng nudged Xiao Fengqi and asked curiously, "Is that the place?"

“Yes!” Although Qi Zhifeng didn’t say it explicitly, Xiao Fengqi immediately understood what he meant. “Speaking of which, that family has some connection with the old man.” He gestured with his chin toward the Third Grandfather.

“I know about what you two are talking about. I was invited to Linhuang Prefecture when the case happened.” Chu Han sighed softly. “It was about his cousin’s family, right?” Seeing Xiao Fengqi and Qi Zhifeng nod, he sighed again and said, “That incident directly affected his views on family. Although he did have someone he loved, but…”

“Yes!” Xiao Fengqi nodded. “Many elders had asked him about it before, but he took a very negative attitude. Later, it was someone close to him who revealed that it was related to this case.”

"You guys..." Jin Miaomiao looked at Chu Han, then at Xiao Fengqi and Qi Zhifeng, and said, "Could you explain things more clearly? Give us a general idea of ​​what happened so we don't feel like we're talking in a fog, okay?"

“Well, it’s actually quite simple. The old man’s cousin is the kind of person who is extremely ambitious. He looks down on the old man’s character and conduct, believing that because he comes from a good family, he should work harder instead of being idle and living a mediocre life.” Xiao Fengqi sighed and said, “So, he really wants to surpass the old man. Knowing that it’s impossible for him in this lifetime, he started to torment the children in his family. His cousin’s family is small, with only one or two people in each generation. He has poured all his efforts into both boys and girls, wanting them to fulfill his wishes.”

“Why are there always parents and elders like this?” Jin Miaomiao sighed and said, “There are many families like this in Daxia, those farmers and poor families, who spare no expense to raise a scholar. They think it’s for the good of the whole family and for the good of their children, so that they can get ahead, but they never think about whether this is what their children want.”

"That's the core issue. Some kids are willing, but many are not," Xiao Fengqi said, spreading his hands. "We've all been through that stage as kids. Kids love to run around and play outside. They really enjoy doing things like climbing on the roof and tearing off tiles if you don't discipline them for three days. It makes them very happy, right?"

“Yes!” Xia Jiu and Shen Jiu agreed with Xiao Fengqi’s words. “That’s how we were when we were kids.” “Most people are like that when they are kids, but a very small number of children are arranged by their parents and elders to learn this and that, not letting them have contact with the outside world, not letting them have friends, and being instilled by their families day after day that only by learning these things well, only by mastering these things, can they become the pillar of the family in the future and lead the family to glory.”

“You haven’t hit the nail on the head.” Qi Zhifeng patted Xiao Fengqi’s arm. “The most crucial and unbearable thing is that they especially like to say things like, ‘You are the hope of our family, whether we can get to a higher level depends on you,’ which puts tremendous pressure on the children. This pressure accumulates slowly over time, and when it reaches a certain point, it explodes.” He glanced at the Third Grandfather, who was still chatting enthusiastically, and sighed softly. “The tragedy in the Old Master’s cousin’s family was caused by this kind of pressure exploding.”

"What exactly happened?" Jin Miaomiao looked at them curiously. "Did one of your children get into trouble?"

“It’s even more serious than that.” Qi Zhifeng lowered his voice and said, “On a dark and windy night, when they committed murder and arson, those two kids put sleeping pills in the tea their family members drank. While everyone was asleep, they killed them…” He made a throat-slitting gesture, “and then the two of them went to the authorities to turn themselves in.”

"Turn yourself in?" Jin Miaomiao was shocked. "They..."

"They said that they had lived a very tiring life under the pressure of their families, with all kinds of schoolwork as soon as they opened their eyes every day, and they had no time to breathe."

"This," Jin Miaomiao stroked her chin, "do you think the officials think they don't know how lucky they are?"

“At first, some people thought so, but when they showed us their daily schedules from childhood to adulthood, everyone fell silent.” Xiao Fengqi sighed softly. “Their daily schedules left them with almost no rest time. Even normal activities like eating, drinking, and using the restroom were strictly regulated. If they exceeded these limits, they would be punished. The punishment ranged from a slap on the hand to kneeling in the ancestral hall. But even kneeling in the ancestral hall wasn't for nothing; they had to do their homework while kneeling. If they were caught slacking off, the punishment would be doubled.”

“I’ve seen their schedule, and it’s hard to imagine that their longest rest period is sleeping at night, but,” Qi Zhifeng sighed and said, “it’s only two hours.”

"How many?"

“Two hours,” Xiao Fengqi repeated. “They lived like this for thirteen years.” He took a sip of tea and said quietly, “No one could have imagined that the day they did such a thing was their sixteenth birthday.”

Everyone's expressions turned very solemn after hearing Xiao Fengqi's words. They really didn't know what to say. Although the two children did wrong, there is always a cause and effect. If their families hadn't gone so far and had truly treated them as children instead of tools, this tragedy wouldn't have happened.

"I hope these two children will be happy and free in their next life!"