Upon returning from school, Wang Qingchen didn't see Madam Yang, which was odd, as she was usually home around this time, so he asked Caiyun. "Second Brother, Father and Mother have been called to the Old Residence by Grandfather and Grandmother," Caiyun replied.

Called to the Old Residence? Could it be about last night's incident? But didn't Wang Youfu already say what needed to be said last night? Could the Old Master still want to persuade them? Thinking this, Wang Qingchen also headed to the Old Residence.

Arriving there, he heard voices emanating from the room of Wang Youliang and Madam Tian. Wang Qingchen decided against going to the Old Master and Old Mistress's room, instead following the sound to Wang Youliang and Madam Tian's quarters.

Before even entering, he distinctly heard the Old Mistress’s voice, full of robust energy: "I ask you, how did you raise your children? How could you put chili into someone's eyes? Look at what you've done to Elder Brother! I'm telling you, if anything happens to Elder Brother’s eyes, your entire family will have to support the eldest branch!"

Wang Qingchen was quite confused upon hearing this. His eyes can't see clearly? What was going on?

Madam Tian, who had been wiping away tears inside, looked up and saw Wang Qingchen standing in the doorway. She immediately burst into fresh tears: "Qingchen, how could you be so heartless? That's your own Eldest Uncle! How could you put chili in his eyes? Your Eldest Uncle can barely see anything now because of you..."

When Wang Qingchen heard that Wang Youliang’s sight was affected, his confusion deepened. Last night, he had only meant to teach Wang Youliang a lesson, so he had used very little chili, nowhere near enough to cause lasting damage. Logically, Wang Youliang's eyes should have been fine by now. How could he not see clearly? Wang Qingchen's first reaction was that Wang Youliang was faking it.

The Old Mistress, who had initially been scolding Wang Youfu and Madam Yang, spotted the culprit and immediately pointed at Wang Qingchen, unleashing a fresh tirade: "You black-hearted viper, you have no conscience! Is that how you treat your Eldest Uncle? Aren't you afraid of retribution in the future?"

Madam Yang, hearing the Old Mistress curse Wang Qingchen so viciously, set everything else aside, rushed over, embraced Wang Qingchen, and faced the Old Mistress: "Mother, the child is young; he couldn't have thought that far ahead. If you must curse someone, curse me, but leave the child out of it."

The Old Mistress was already furious, and now someone had presented herself to receive the abuse. Naturally, she wouldn't spare her: "Tell me, how can a woman like you be so cruel, raising such a child? Our Old Wang family marrying you was the worst luck of eight lifetimes!"

The Old Mistress's words were terribly harsh. Wang Qingchen had already been annoyed by the scolding the moment he entered, and now that Madam Yang was being cursed because of him, his temper flared even hotter. That tiny bit of chili could blind someone? What nonsense! Wang Youliang must be pretending. But with the injury being on his eyes, who could know if he was lying? Wang Qingchen began to think about how to expose his lie.

Wang Youfu, hearing his mother curse his wife and son like that, also felt displeased. "Mother, why do you speak like that? What does this have to do with the child's mother? Besides, the doctor is right here; let's hear what the doctor has to say first, shall we?"

"Hmph! It's easy for you to say when it isn't your eyes that are afflicted; of course, you're not worried!" the Old Mistress retorted angrily, but she stopped her direct verbal assault.

Only then did Wang Qingchen notice a doctor meticulously examining Wang Youliang's eyes next to the kang. This doctor was inwardly quite puzzled; his diagnosis showed nothing wrong, yet the patient insisted he couldn't see clearly and everything was blurry. He couldn't locate any issue, so he could only re-examine, hoping to find the source of the problem.

Wang Qingchen watched the doctor frown and wondered privately if Wang Youliang's eyes truly had an issue. But in his view, even if there was an issue, it was likely self-inflicted by Wang Youliang. Still, given Wang Youliang's personality, would he do something to harm his own vision? After all, one slip could mean permanent blindness.

A short while later, the doctor withdrew his hands, frowning deeply. "This old man is incompetent; even now, I cannot discern what is wrong with this patient's eyes. You should seek a more skilled physician elsewhere!" With that, the doctor began packing his things, preparing to leave.

This statement caused an uproar. The Old Master and Old Mistress thought that if even this doctor couldn't cure him, did it mean their son would remain blind forever? The Old Mistress immediately resumed weeping.

Madam Tian, who knew Wang Youliang was faking it, also put on a show of deep sorrow to maintain verisimilitude, weeping alongside the Old Mistress.

Seeing the doctor about to leave, Wang Qingchen quickly rushed after him. He spoke a few words to the doctor, who nodded repeatedly before turning back to say something to Wang Qingchen.

After crying for a while, the Old Mistress remembered the instigator of the entire affair and promptly pointed at Wang Youfu: "Second Son, if your Elder Brother remains blind, your entire eldest branch will be your family's responsibility from now on."

Wang Youfu furrowed his brow, unable to comprehend how things had devolved to this point. It was clearly Wang Youliang's fault, yet now their household was being blamed.

Before Wang Youfu could reply, Wang Qingchen re-entered, leading the doctor. "Grandmother, don't worry. This doctor just said he has a method to restore Eldest Uncle's sight, but it's quite perilous, which is why he hesitated to mention it, fearing you wouldn't agree."

Upon hearing there was a method to restore Wang Youliang's vision, the Old Mistress cast aside all concern for danger. She rushed forward: "Doctor, please try whatever method you have. As long as my son can see again, that is all that matters."

The doctor nodded at the Old Mistress. "If we are to try this method, I require that none of you make a sound while I examine him. Is that acceptable?"

Although the people in the room were slightly puzzled about what the sound of their voices had to do with the examination, since the doctor requested it, they could only nod in confused assent.

At this moment, Wang Youliang, lying on the kang, was suddenly struck by a terrible premonition.

Wang Qingchen figured that Madam Tian, being Wang Youliang's wife, might be an accomplice and needed to be sent away. He walked over: "Eldest Aunt, the doctor mentioned needing some hot water. Could you go prepare some?"

Madam Tian sensed something was amiss and initially didn't want to go, but the Old Mistress was so preoccupied with her son's eyes that nothing else mattered. She immediately ordered Madam Tian: "What are you still standing there for? Go quickly!"

Madam Tian had no choice but to go heat the water.

The doctor then approached the kang and addressed the group: "Do not make a sound, everyone. My treatment is extremely dangerous. If you utter a word and distract me, I will not be responsible for the consequences."

Hearing this, everyone quickly nodded in agreement.

The group watched as the doctor retrieved a long acupuncture needle from his medical kit, held the needle in one hand, and used the other to prop open Wang Youliang's eye, preventing him from blinking. Then, they saw the long needle slowly advance toward Wang Youliang’s eyeball.

Everyone in the room held their breath, watching the doctor approach Wang Youliang's eye with the acupuncture needle. They couldn't help but nod internally; it was indeed as dangerous as the doctor warned. Poking at an eye with a needle—one small mistake and disaster! No wonder he asked them to remain silent.

Wang Youliang, already feeling uneasy, found his wide-open eye staring directly at the needle tip. As the needle tip drew nearer to his eyeball with no sign of stopping, and clearly aiming to pierce it, he could ignore everything else no longer. He lashed out, knocking the needle-holding hand of the old doctor aside, sat up abruptly, and pointed at the physician, screaming: "Ah... you quack, are you trying to stab my eyes blind? Who aims a needle directly at the eyeball?!"

The doctor, accused so abruptly, coughed awkwardly and withdrew the acupuncture needle.

Wang Qingchen feigned astonishment: "Eldest Uncle, your eyes can see now? You can even see such a fine acupuncture needle the doctor was holding."

Wang Youliang froze. In his panic just now, he had completely forgotten that he couldn't see clearly. "Uh... this..."

Wang Youfu, thinking it through, immediately understood everything and became furious. His Eldest Brother had gone too far! How could he joke about something like this? All this time, their family had been enduring abuse, only for it to be because he was feigning illness.

Wang Youfu roared: "Elder Brother, you owe me an explanation for this!"

The Old Master and Old Mistress also understood the situation and were livid. All their worry for half a day had been for this beast's pretense!

The Old Master, unable to accept the utter depravity of his eldest son’s character, scanned the room wildly. The only object resembling a club was the door latch. He strode over, grabbed the latch, and swung it fiercely toward Wang Youliang on the kang.

"Aiya, Father, please calm down and speak reasonably! My eyes truly couldn't see a moment ago!" Wang Youliang shouted, leaping off the kang to dodge the Old Master's blow.

The Old Master had put considerable force into that initial strike. Though he missed, he was now slightly winded. Clutching the door latch and supporting his aching waist, he bellowed at Wang Youliang: "Can't see? If you can't see, how can you dodge so fast? Watch me, I won't let you get away with this, you beast!" Saying that, the Old Master raised the latch again and chased after Wang Youliang.

Chaos erupted in the room—people running, someone chasing, others trying to mediate. Wang Qingchen noticed the elderly doctor caught in the throng and, fearing he might be jostled, went over, pulled the doctor aside, exchanged a few words, and the doctor nodded, then packed up and took his leave. Of course, Wang Qingchen didn't forget to offer the doctor some silver as thanks; after all, the man had been a great help that day.

After seeing the doctor out, Wang Qingchen was about to go back in when he heard the Old Master's voice: "Aiya, my old back!"

"Old man, are you alright?" came the Old Mistress's voice.

"Father, how are you?" Wang Youfu and Madam Yang's voices followed.

"Father, I, I didn't mean to," came Wang Youliang's voice.

Wang Qingchen's forehead beaded with dark lines. He had no choice but to run out again to call the elderly doctor back.