Chapter 158: Ruthless Words Hurt In June’s Winter Cold
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
This time, it was the two brothers who visited them; Heng Dalang and Heng Erlang.
They called out,” Fifth Brother, Fifth Sister-in-law!”
It was the new year, so Han Qiao couldn’t make a scene at the door.
Heng Yi’s couplets and lanterns were all hung up.
He looked at the two of them with a heavy gaze.
“Let’s talk inside,” Heng Yi said.
He reached out to support Han Qiao.
When they entered the door, Heng Dalang and Heng Erlang truly understood the envy and jealousy that their mother had felt when she talked about the Heng Residence and their resentment of not being able to move in.
They all sat down in the hall.
Duan Yue stood beside Han Qiao after serving tea.
“What are you doing here?” Heng Yi asked.
The question was quite direct.
“Fifth Brother…” Heng Dalang took a deep breath, “That day, Father and Mother returned to Heng Family Village and then back to the county city. They fainted at the city gate and are still sick.”
“So? They are your parents. Don’t you feel sorry for them? They’re running around outside at such an old age. Now that they’re sick, why are you telling me? You want to ask for some silver, aren’t you?” Heng Yi exposed Heng Dalang and Heng Erlang’s hypocrisy.
Why are you pretending to be filial sons?
The two of them were the most ruthless children in the Heng family.
The one who liked to mediate the fights between them was Heng Sanlang. Similar to Old Man Heng, he kept all his evil thoughts to himself and let others charge into the enemy’s battle while he stood back and watched.
“And it’s almost the new year. As their sons, why didn’t you stop the adults from running back and forth between Heng Family Village and Puyi County? Why didn’t you ask them to stay and celebrate at home?” Heng Yi said straightforwardly.
“It’s because you know why they came to the county town for the New Year’s gift, a year’s worth of filial piety silver, and that gold bracelet.”
“And then? Where is your conscience? Was it eaten by a dog? Those are your biological parents.”
“You, the biological son, don’t even feel sorry for your parents, but you expect me, your adopted brother, to sympathize?”
Heng Yi rarely spoke much to the Heng family.
During these few days working in the government office, he had been around Wen Yu and Gu Jiu. His two co-workers were very talkative, and he had also decided to change.
It was fine not to speak on normal occasions, but he had to speak up when things were not being fair.
He observed the way everyone spoke, trying to find a way to speak straight and concisely.
“I overestimated you and thought too much. You can even harm your own brother, let alone those two old bastards.”
Heng Dalang and Heng Erlang’s faces flushed red.
Never in their dreams did they expect Heng Yi to be so talkative, and every word he said was like a stab to the heart.
“But, but…” Heng Dalang wanted to say something.
Heng Yi turned to Han Qiao and said, “Ah-Qiao, go get ready and bring the things over.”
“Alright.”
Han Qiao stood up.
She was trying hard not to laugh.
She also wanted to praise Heng Yi for standing up for himself.
If the Heng family had some dignity left, they would never come again.
After Han Qiao left, Heng Yi’s expression became much more solemn.
“Today, 1 will make things clear to you. In the future, do not let that old couple enter the city again. I will arrange for someone to send them over during the holidays. If you are unable to control them…”
Heng Yi’s face darkened, “Then don’t blame me.”
“Fifth Brother…” Heng Erlang called softly.
Heng Yi looked at Heng Erlang indifferently, “People change. I don’t have any feelings for you. I finally have a family of my own. To protect this family and the happiness that I’ve earned so hard, I’m willing to risk my life. If anyone dares to harm my family, 1 will make them pay a heavy price.”
“I’ll take your life if you make me feel any pain. Now that Ah-Qiao is pregnant, 1 won’t let her suffer any harm. If any of you dare to cause trouble, I’ll take your lives.”
“If those two old bastards come again, 1 won’t be able to attack them, but I can beat you up. Every time they come, I’ll go to Heng Family Village and beat you up.”
“I, Heng Yi, swore this truth.”
Heng Dalang and Heng Erlang sat on their chairs, not daring to move.
They felt Heng Yi’s killing intent.
They also caught on to the fact that Han Qiao was pregnant.
With Heng Yi’s child.
Han Qiao was fair and just. She had a basket full of food, two taels of silver, and the gold bracelet she had promised Old Woman Heng.
In front of Heng Yi, Heng Dalang, and Heng Erlang, she placed them into the wicker basket one by one.
“This is for Father and Mother. One tael of silver is a year’s worth of filial piety silver, and the other tael is medicine money.”
“Thank you, sister-in-law,” Heng Dalang said hoarsely.
They didn’t want to keep what they had obtained.
Then they quickly left the manor with their newly acquired things.
Han Qiao smiled and asked Heng Yi, “Did you say something to them when I left?”
“No,” Heng Yi smiled and held Han Qiao’s hand, “Today is the new year. 1 don’t want to think about that.”
“Yes, let’s go. Let’s watch the children stick the paper-cut decorations and the character ‘Fu’ on the windows.”
The children had made all of the decorations themselves. Except for the couplets on the door, which were personally written by Grandpa, Han Qiao, Sun Xiu, and Sun Yi. Heng Yi and Sun Ke also wrote their own “Fu” characters, but they looked very messy, so they were too embarrassed to take them out.
Han Chi also wrote one, completely trying to copy how they wrote the character.
However, for Han Qiao, this kind of fun would only become less and less in the future. When the children grew up and practiced calligraphy well, the chance to see and laugh because of how they wrote the “Fu” character or a couplet would no longer exist.
This was not only fun but also allowed the children to participate in this atmosphere.
Han Chi was now in the house. As the eldest brother, he was the one who did all the climbing. When Heng Yi arrived, he joined Han Chi listening to Han Qiao’s instructions from the side.
Grandpa was also giving orders blindly, and Han Chi was so hot that he stomped his feet many times.
For a moment, the laughter in the big house was endless and filled with joy.
Heng Dalang and Heng Erlang returned to Heng Silang’s house.
Heng Silang didn’t invite them in.
Old Woman Heng and Old Man Heng didn’t want to go back to the countryside. There was nothing in the countryside other than a thatched hut, and it was cold and windy everywhere.
Heng Yi’s two houses in town had been demolished long ago. The land was now empty and bare.
Old Woman Heng looked at her two sons, “Did your fifth brother give you anything?”
“Yes.”
Old woman Heng took a glance at the two taels of silver and quickly put them away.
She immediately wore the gold bracelets on her wrist and became extremely happy.
She had seemed to recover from her illness.
She beamed with joy.
With their mother’s money-grubber look, Heng Dalang and Heng Erlang did not even dare to look at the gifts.
“Mother, let’s go back.”
Heng Silang wouldn’t return to Heng Family Village, nor did he speak to his two brothers.
He only said calmly, “Father, Mother, you don’t have to give me the money for the treatment. Take it as my filial piety money for next year. Also, don’t come to the county town or my place if you have nothing to do in the future. We’re all quite busy and don’t have time to entertain you.”
“Since we’ve already split up, and you’ve chosen to stay in Dalang’s house, you should stay there.”
The words he chose were simple and clear, but when those words were combined, it was like a knife, a spear, and a sword piercing into their heart, causing people to feel so painful that they could not breathe..