Chapter 428: Trying a Dead Horse as if it were a Live Horse Doctor
Wang Yongzhu supported Old Granny Zhang as they walked into the house. Inside, she whispered, "Mother, I have my own reasons for doing this. You’ve said it yourself before, ever since Third Brother came to his senses, he hasn’t done one reliable thing. All he’s got is a tongue that could talk the dead back to life, and then he goes around scamming food and drinks. You also thought before that once a man gets married and has children, he would rein in his ways and start shouldering family responsibilities. But Third Brother is just like an untamed horse, even after Laosan has had three children with him, he’s still solely fixated on things outside the home."
"You say Third Brother is beyond saving, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. He still cares about this family in his heart, it’s just that he’s been outside for too long, and his nature has shifted, he’s lost touch with what to do. I saw how you praised Third Brother today, and he was so thrilled."
"I was thinking, since beating and scolding by you and father has never turned Third Brother around, maybe that method just doesn’t work. Today, Third Brother has solved a big problem for the family, and he was quite surprised himself. Add to that your compliments and saying that you’d cook him a dish of wild chicken, and I saw the look Laosan gave Third Brother was filled with admiration, Jinhua’s view of Third Brother has also changed, and even Third Brother’s complexion looks so much better than before."
"So it occurred to me, maybe this is a method we should try. Let’s praise Third Brother more, reward him, and who knows, he might actually change for the better. Not to mention, Third Brother has seen quite a bit of the world after all these years outside. Take for instance the trickery today, without Third Brother, where would we even begin? For conducting business, we need someone like Third Brother who knows a few underhanded strategies. As long as we’re clear in our hearts not to harm others, and just to prevent ourselves from being harmed, that’s also part of Third Brother’s contribution, isn’t it?"
"You always used to say that Third Brother was just freeloading, whatever he does ends in failure, and whatever he eats is never enough, that his heart went wild outside and couldn’t be reeled back in. But today’s events have proven that the things Third Brother learned over the years, which may have seemed useless before, now appear to be quite beneficial after all."
"Besides, our family is not tight on funds now. Dishing out an ounce or two of silver isn’t difficult, and if this can really turn Third Brother around, spending a bit more is worth it."
Her words left Old Granny Zhang both amused and exasperated, "Alright, alright, it’s just you who keeps thinking about straightening out Laosan. If this method really works, then the silver isn’t something we can’t afford. It wasn’t like I let him starve in those years when he was good-for-nothing. Fine, we will try it your way. If he really reforms, then it’s your merit. If he doesn’t, we’ll lose hope and won’t let him touch a single penny of our silver ever again."
Wang Yongzhu naturally agreed; it was the only option left, as Wang Yonggui’s nature definitely couldn’t be allowed to cause trouble outside.
Suppressing him with force always had its moments of oversight, and you can’t chain up a grown man, can you?