NOVPUBChapter 141: Chapter 141 Move Out 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
Chapter 141 -141 Move Out
In the following days, seeing Fang Jianping truly bedridden and unable to get up—not for a day or two, but a whole week passed without him ever leaving the bed—the elderly couple finally understood that the second son, Jianping, was probably seriously ill.
With Xiaoshan’s wedding fast approaching, the family could no longer count on Jianping.
The grandmother became frantic, promptly calling a family meeting at home. It was just a matter of the family gathering together to discuss what should be done.
Xiaoshan, languidly rubbing his bleary eyes, had just dragged himself out of bed. For him, waking up at noon was definitely not his usual routine, the correct time for him to get up should be after dinner, so he could go out and mess around with his friends again.
“Grandma, why are you waking people up so early?”
“Early? The sun is already shining on your butt, and you say it’s early?” the grandfather lost his temper.
Xiaoshan, unfazed, responded with a cheeky smile, “Grandpa, I came back late last night, alright, alright, I won’t make you angry, just hurry up and say it, what’s the matter?”
“The eldest son and his wife, their turn to send the betrothal gifts to the girl’s family is coming up. In just ten days, Xiaoshan is getting married. We agreed to send the betrothal gifts to the bride’s family tomorrow, but where is the money going to come from?” The grandmother had no choice but to speak up. It was crunch time, and the eldest son and his wife were still acting like quails in front of her.
Fang Jiansheng kept silent; these matters had always been handled by the grandmother and the second son, and he never needed to worry about them, nor had he planned to. After all, if he didn’t step in, the grandmother would have to figure out a way to deal with the situation herself in the end.
Seeing his son still aloof and unconcerned, the grandfather was furious. The household hadn’t been going smoothly these days. They had been hoping Xiaoshan’s wedding would bring in a new daughter-in-law to change their luck, but now they couldn’t even come up with the betrothal gift money.
If this had happened in the past, even just six months earlier, it would have been absolutely unthinkable. In the village, if their Fang Family couldn’t come up with the money, other families would be even poorer to the point of being unable to lift the pot from the stove.
But now, it had become a genuine difficulty for them.
“Eldest brother, that’s your son, and you’re not saying anything? Are you expecting us, the old folks, to take care of it for you?”
Fang Jiansheng didn’t even raise an eyebrow, “Dad, the last time we paid off Xiaoshan’s debts, my wife and I already emptied our savings. Where are we supposed to find the money now?”
“Fine, you can’t come up with the money, is that it? Then fine, I won’t deal with this stuff either. Anyway, our families are already separated. Xiaoshan is your son, and it’s unheard of for grandparents to be the ones to manage a son’s marriage if his parents won’t. Do as you please.” The grandfather was angry. Mainly, it was the eldest son’s attitude that had really inflamed the old man.
Xiaoshan became anxious, “Don’t do that, Grandpa, you can’t just abandon me. I’m already so old—If I don’t bring home a wife soon, I’ll become a permanent bachelor. Others my age in the village already have kids running around dripping soy sauce. You can’t just stand by and let me suffer on my own.” He didn’t care whether the family had the money or not; he’d already been to Bai Mei’s home.
His future father-in-law and mother-in-law had agreed, as long as he brought the betrothal gifts and completed the “three rounds and one sound” ritual. They would immediately let him and Bai Mei get married.
No matter what, Bai Mei was someone he had already slept with. Getting a wife was still better than being alone with a cold bed and quilt, and besides, it wasn’t like he had to spend any money to marry her.
Fang Jiansheng also realized that the old man was truly angry, and said sheepishly, “Dad, Xiaoshan is our family’s only child. If you don’t care either, then aren’t you forcing us to hang ourselves? We really don’t have…”
“Shut up! Eldest son, since you say you have nothing, then I have nothing to say either. Just take those two pigs we have and sell them. Though they haven’t grown to full size, selling them for three hundred apiece is still doable. That way, we’ll have the money for the bride price. If we really can’t come up with it, just gather up some stuff from the house and pack them up. The bicycle and radio that second son bought for the family can be sent as a wedding present. Although they are a bit old, they’re still functional and should make up the sum,” the old man declared decisively.
Fang Xiaoshan panicked, “Grandpa, how can that be? Those things are mine. If I give them to the bride’s family, what will I use then?”
“Dad, if you do this, wouldn’t it be like slapping our family’s face in front of the entire village? When has the Fang Family ever been reduced to this state in the village?” Fang Jiansheng felt indignant. He couldn’t bear to part with money nor lose face.
“Then what do you suggest we do?”
Fang Jiansheng sighed and glanced at Fang Jianping’s room. Normally, he wouldn’t worry about these matters and would just rely on his second son.
“Alright dad, I get it. I saw second son come home with quite a few things. His watch and that tape recorder of his look pretty good. Why don’t you talk to him and see if he’d be willing to contribute something for Xiaoshan’s wedding? Meanwhile, I’ll ask Xiaoshan’s mom to borrow 200 yuan from her family. As for the pigs, even if you sell them, we’re still going to need to buy pork for the wedding feast.”
In reality, Fang Jiansheng had the money. He just used the pretext of borrowing.
The old man glared, “If you have the nerve to say that, then I must be lacking even more nerve to speak out. It’s your own son getting married, and you still expect your younger brother to pitch in when he’s sick in bed, the house stinking of medicine which everyone knows about. Are you even human? You’re already thinking about the last few things your brother has. What kind of creature did I raise?”
The old man walked away, leaving in a huff.
Fang Jiansheng said awkwardly, “Mom, look at dad’s temper. I didn’t even say anything and he gets mad at me.”
The old lady jabbed Fang Jiansheng’s head sharply, “Put away your little schemes. Second son is taking medicine every day. I can see how much the traditional Chinese medicine alone costs. Not only do you not support your brother, but you also covet what little he has. If your father doesn’t get angry with you, who should he get angry with? You may favor Xiaoshan a bit, but second son is also your brother and my own son.”
Fang Jiansheng quickly tried to smooth things over, “The problem is, mom, dealing with second son isn’t easy, think about it. Xiaoshan’s wedding is coming up soon. When people come to our home for the wedding procession and feast, smelling all the medicinal herbs would be such bad luck. Think about it, this isn’t me causing trouble. Please, talk to second son and see if we can arrange something. If it really doesn’t work out, we can move him out temporarily, maybe have him stay with his three daughters for a while, and then he can come back after Xiaoshan’s wedding’s done.”
Fang Xiaoshan nodded, “Grandma, you were the one who said second uncle’s house was for me to use when I got married. You surely can’t expect me to bring my new wife into that small room, right? And if your great-grandson is born later, wouldn’t it break your heart to have him grow up in such a cramped, dark room?” He knew what his grandmother liked to hear.
The old lady sighed, “Alright, second son is just unlucky. I’ll go talk to second son in a bit.”
