NOVPUBChapter 139: Chapter 139 Turning Against Each Other
Chapter 139 -139 Turning Against Each Other
Seeing Brother Guang leave, Fang Xiaoshan finally plopped down on the ground, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and unexpectedly the old lady yanked him up by his ear, “Fang Xiaoshan, you waste of space, look at what you’ve done—you’ve just thrown away twenty-one hundred yuan! The house has been emptied out, the floor pointing to the sky, how are we supposed to live from now on? Your wedding is just around the corner, what are you going to marry your bride with? Aren’t you just asking for our lives?”
“Ow, ow, grandma, go easy on me, please! It hurts to death, ow, it hurts to death!” Fang Xiaoshan pulled the old lady’s hand from his ear and vigorously rubbed it, “Grandma, I’m your only grandson, doesn’t it hurt your heart to hit me? If something happens to me because of this, who will give birth to your great-grandson in the future, huh?”
He was full of grievances.
Fang Jiansheng and his wife were also feeling frustrated. It was true their son had let them down, but if blame was to be assigned, it should be on the second son—why couldn’t he just save up some money? If he had, would they be in this situation today, needing to take out their own money?
Their money was supposed to be for Fang Xiaoshan, and now that a large chunk of it was gone, they certainly didn’t feel good about it.
“You still have the nerve to argue. If you don’t change, and something like this happens again, let’s see who will be willing to help you next time,” the old man scolded his grandson.
“Ow, grandpa, this time was just bad luck. By the next, my second uncle’s shop should be up and running again, so how could they not cover this little amount for me? Right, second uncle? When are you and aunt going back to town to open the shop? Now that this money issue is resolved, and those loan sharks won’t be bothering you anymore, should I escort you back to start up the shop?” Fang Xiaoshan was scheming, as long as Fang Jianping and his wife kept the shop running, he would have a source of money; otherwise, whom would he turn to for cash?
Just as Fang Jianping was about to speak, Yang Mei glared, pulled at Fang Jianping, “Lie down, didn’t the doctor say that if you don’t rest your back properly, you’ll be bed-bound for the rest of your life? What else are you thinking about? Going out to be a workhorse for others?”
Fang Jianping had no choice but to lie down, “Xiaoshan, the doctor said it depends on how it goes, and right now, it’s not looking good. It might be that your second uncle will have to stay in bed from now on. Otherwise, your aunt and I wouldn’t have come back home. Now that the shop is closed, there’s no more income from that, only relying on the grain from our land. From now on, your second uncle is counting on you.”
Fang Xiaoshan was anxious, “Second uncle, how can you not run the shop? If you come home, what will you eat and drink in the future?” Of course, he was worried; Fang Jianping and his wife were his vital sources for pocket money. If they came back to farm, how much could they possibly earn from that?
“Xiaoshan, those words don’t sit well with your aunt. Didn’t everything you eat and drink while living at home come from farming? If we can live here farming, why can’t we do that when we’re back? Your uncle and I aren’t lazy, we’ll farm our own land. If your uncle can’t move, your aunt still can, don’t worry. I can farm our land myself, and the harvested grain will surely be enough to feed me and your uncle,” Yang Mei had nothing but disdain for Fang Xiaoshan.
“Aunt, farming makes so little money. How about this—you stay at home and take care of my uncle, and you go back to town to run the shop?” Fang Xiaoshan just wouldn’t agree.
Yang Mei couldn’t help but laugh in anger, “I’m really puzzled here. Why are you so dead set on forcing us to open a shop downtown? I’ve already told you, the shop downtown has gone down the drain. We’ve settled our debts with everyone we owed. Now you want me to open a shop, rent a place, stock up—each of these things needs money. Right now, my husband and I only have a hundred yuan left, and that’s for your uncle’s medical treatment. You’re directing me to abandon a sick man and open up a store downtown, but with what? Are you implying that you’re going to invest the capital?”
Fang Xiaoshan glared with a tilt of his head, “Why should I provide the capital for you? Stop lying. Haven’t you and your second uncle saved any money after running the shop in town for all these years? I felt too embarrassed to call you out in front of the loan sharks, but let me tell you, if you don’t go back downtown to open a shop, don’t come blaming me later for not taking care of you in your old age. You didn’t contribute when it was time to take care of me, yet now you expect to be looked after when you’re old—you must be dreaming.” Fang Jianping was so infuriated by this statement that he nearly jumped up, only to be held down by Yang Mei.
“Fang Xiaoshan! Are you even speaking human language here? We’ve been running a shop in the town for so many years, and you know why we’ve not saved any money. The family needed to build a house and we had to fork over cash. Everyone, from young to old, came to us for food, clothing, drink, and we also had to give your grandparents their living expenses. Not to mention how often you’d come by our place demanding odd amounts of spending money. Just calculate how much you take from us every month—you take at least two to three hundred yuan.”
Hasn’t this been going on for just a day or two? You still have the nerve to say we didn’t raise you, didn’t nurture you? Did all the money we spent on food and drink just go to the dogs? Your second uncle is so sick now that he’s nearly bedridden. The doctor has ordered him to rest at home, but you’re here forcing us to go back to business. The business has already been ruined by you.” Yang Mei couldn’t hold back. Fang Xiaoshan’s words were too hurtful.
The old lady was about to scold Yang Mei when Fang Jianping coldly stared at his own mother. He wanted to see how she would continue to make excuses for Fang Xiaoshan.
“I don’t care. I will support you in your old age. Of course, your property should all be mine. Now, it’s just a matter of a little money and you’re already quibbling. If that’s not treating me like your son, then I don’t know what is. No wonder they say that non-biological children are less cared for. If that’s the case, I’m telling you, from now on don’t expect me to serve you. If you want to be looked after, go ask your darling daughter to do it.
Not to mention anything about supporting you in your old age. When the time comes, let her be the one to ‘break the filial piety basin’ for you. I want to see if the villagers will laugh you to death!”
“Fang Xiaoshan, how can you speak such words? Apologize to your second uncle and his wife right now, or I’ll break your legs.” The old man was furious. His grandson could actually say such cold-blooded things, and he had never imagined that his grandson, the one he had hoped would carry on the family tradition and take care of his younger son’s family in their old age, would hold such thoughts.
But it had never crossed his mind that his grandson would harbor such intentions. They weren’t dead yet, and if his grandson could say such things to his younger son’s family now, what more in the future when the old man himself grew older? This was like raising a thankless wretch.
Fang Jianping waved his hand dismissively, while Fang Xiaoshan still looked defiant. In the village, not having a son meant having no one to see to your funeral, and that would be cause for ridicule. He did not believe his second uncle would be stubborn to that extent. Let him really try to live without depending on him.
“Mom and Dad, you heard it too. Xiaoshan could say such words today, it chills Yang Mei’s and my heart. With a nephew like that, we can’t rely on him, nor would we dare to. When there’s money, he calls his second uncle and aunt so affectionately, but the moment we’re penniless, he doesn’t even give us a chance to breathe. They say ‘raise a son for your old age.’ Well, that’s someone else’s son, and we can’t afford to raise him. Yang Mei, help me back to our room. From now on, no one should ever mention bearing the burden for both sides of the family. Big brother, you better take good care of your own son. I certainly can’t afford such ‘filial piety.’ I still want to live a few more years.” This time, Fang Jianping was thoroughly disillusioned.
There he was lying in bed, and Fang Xiaoshan wouldn’t even deign to help with the most menial of tasks for a single day. They were being forced to earn money or else they couldn’t expect to live peacefully at home. How blind he had been! Now, when they were young and strong, he couldn’t depend on them—let alone when they became old, sick, and crooked. They’d be even less reliable.
