Chapter 37: A Family of Scoundrels

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The sky had only just begun to pale. The faint light of dawn slipped through the cracks in the window like a veil, quietly spilling into the room.

Lin Yu’s family had risen early. After a simple breakfast, they began silently gathering their belongings. The atmosphere inside the house was quiet and heavy; everyone knew how difficult this journey would be.

His mother, Wang Yufen, gently lifted Nannan, who was still asleep, her eyes filled with reluctance and worry.

She then turned to the stove and carefully wrapped up some cooked meat she had deliberately saved from the night before. Even in the dim light, the meat still glistened enticingly. Wang Yufen knew perfectly well that if she took it back, Yang Shulin’s selfish family would certainly never let Nannan eat it all. But even if the child could have just a little, it would ease her heart somewhat as a mother.

With a creak, the door opened, and Wang Dachun strode inside. He had arrived especially early, concern written across his face.

“Ma’am, Little Yu, I’m here. We’ll go together today. Let’s see what they can do!”

With him there, Lin Yu’s family felt as though they had taken a calming pill.

Still, Wang Yufen worried about Wang Dachun’s temper and cautioned him, “Dachun, you can come with us, but you must keep your temper in check. Don’t start swinging your fists without a word. I’m afraid you won’t know your own strength and will seriously hurt someone. Then you’ll find yourself facing a lawsuit.”

Wang Dachun flashed a grin. “Ma’am, don’t worry. I’ll keep it in mind.”

He walked skillfully into the courtyard, led the donkey cart to the door, and gave it a quick inspection. Then he took the reins himself. Gripping them firmly, he called out, and the cart slowly set off.

Lin Yu helped his mother and sister climb aboard, then jumped up after them.

With complicated feelings in their hearts, the family headed straight for Mentou Village in the faint morning light.

The donkey cart jolted along the rough road, raising a winding tail of dust behind it. Lin Yu tried to reassure his mother.

“Mom, don’t worry so much! If Yang Shulin’s family refuses to raise Nannan no matter what, then we’ll raise him ourselves. I can do it, and Yao Yao can help look after him too, right, Yao Yao?”

Lin Yao sat beside them. She blinked her large eyes and nodded vigorously at her brother’s words, solemnly promising, “Mom, I can do it. I’ll take good care of Nannan and play with him. I won’t let him suffer.”

Hearing her children, Wang Yufen’s eyes grew slightly red, and her heart was filled with conflicting emotions. She was grateful for their maturity and sense of responsibility, yet she knew all too well that the hardships of life could not be overcome so easily.

When she had remarried, she had only wanted her two children to stop going hungry and cold. But things had turned out contrary to her hopes. Not only had they failed to eat their fill, they had also been bullied and beaten.

And now, because of the wrong decision she had made as their mother, they were expected to raise a family of three while still so young?

She simply could not bear it.

“Let’s wait until we get there and see what happens,” Wang Yufen said, her face clouded with worry.

……

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The Yang family lived in a dilapidated earthen house. Its ocher walls had been mottled by the passage of time, and in several places the plaster had fallen away, exposing the rough mud beneath. The courtyard wall had been hastily built from stones and mud, crooked and leaning, with some sections already showing signs of collapse—as though a strong gust of wind might bring the whole thing down.

The courtyard was a complete mess. Various farming tools lay scattered everywhere. Some hoes were rusted through, their wooden handles broken, half-buried in the dirt. Several battered baskets had been overturned here and there, containing dried vegetable leaves and various unidentified scraps. A pile of firewood that had yet to be chopped was heaped against one corner, the pieces uneven in length and haphazardly stacked. Beside it stood a filthy water jar, its rim coated in blackish-brown grime, while a few fallen leaves and other unidentifiable debris floated on the surface.

Clearly, without Wang Yufen to clean up after them, the Yang household had fallen into utter disorder. Everywhere was filled with an air of decay and squalor.

At that moment, Yang Shulin was feeling very pleased with himself inside the house.

Whenever he thought of how he had sent his son to Wang Yufen’s place, where the little fellow could eat meat every day while he and his parents were spared the trouble of caring for him, he could not help feeling smug.

Beside him, Yang’s mother wore a dark expression and muttered resentfully, “That shameless woman must have hooked up with some wild man. Otherwise, how could a divorced woman with two children afford to eat meat? Shameless, without a shred of virtue. How could my grandson possibly turn out well in the care of a woman like that?”

Yang Shulin paid no attention to her spiteful remarks. He curled his lip and said indifferently, “As long as my son gets to eat meat at every meal, I don’t care about the rest of that nonsense. If Wang Yufen is willing to come back and can get our whole family eating meat, then I’d even accept it if she were sleeping around.”

“Besides, if I don’t send the child to her, how am I supposed to marry a wife? Are you really planning to let me remain a bachelor for the rest of my life?”

At that, Yang’s father and mother both fell silent.

Their son still had to remarry. Having a child with him would indeed make things inconvenient, and there was no guarantee a stepmother would treat the boy well. If he married a fierce woman, wouldn’t the whole household be thrown into chaos because of the child?

Just then, the creaking sound of a donkey cart came from outside. The Yang family immediately grew alert. Looking through the window, they saw Wang Yufen carrying the child toward them. The three of them exchanged a knowing glance, quickly agreed on a common story, and made up their minds: no matter what happened, they would not take the child back.

Wang Yufen carried Nannan through the dilapidated door of the Yang home, her steps hurried. The moment she entered, all the fury in her chest erupted like a volcano. She glared at Yang Shulin, her voice trembling with rage as she demanded, “Yang Shulin, what exactly did you mean by abandoning the child at our doorstep? Is that any way for a father to behave?”

Yang Shulin lifted his chin. A shameless look flashed across his face as his eyes shifted from side to side.

“The child is yours too. I can’t afford to raise him anymore. If I don’t leave him with you, his mother, then who else can I leave him with? There’s nothing I can do.”

Wang Yufen’s chest heaved violently. Pointing at the disorderly belongings scattered throughout the house and courtyard, she said furiously, “Your family has fields and farmland. How can you possibly claim you can’t raise him? Open your eyes and look at how difficult things are for us! Everything depends on Yu’er alone. It’s impossible for us to raise another child. Whatever happens today, this child is going back to you.”

At those words, Yang’s mother, who had been sitting silently to one side, sprang to her feet. Her face twisted with fury as she shrieked, “Wang Yufen, you’re truly irresponsible! You won’t even care for your own child, yet you run off with some wild man, eating fine food and drinking good liquor, and now you have the nerve to come back and lecture us? You claim your family is struggling? If you’re struggling, how can you afford steamed buns made from refined flour and meat? In my eyes, your life is far better than ours!”

Lin Yu had been standing beside his mother, suppressing his anger. But upon hearing this, his blood surged instantly. His eyes turned scarlet as he stepped forward and shouted, “What did you say? Watch your mouth! Who are you accusing of running off with some wild man? Say it again if you dare!”

Seeing Lin Yu openly talk back, Yang’s father shot to his feet. The wrinkles on his face bunched together with rage as he pointed at Lin Yu and cursed, “You little bastard, you’ve grown bold, haven’t you? How dare you speak to your grandmother like that? You’re asking for a beating!”

As he spoke, he cast Yang Shulin a vicious glance, signaling his son to teach Lin Yu a lesson.

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Wang Dachun had been watching coldly from the side. Now, seeing the situation turn dangerous, he widened his eyes. His gaze seemed capable of devouring people, and a savage, menacing aura radiated from his entire body.

He stepped forward and roared, “I’d like to see who dares touch him!”

His voice rang out like a great bell, seeming to shake the entire room.

Startled by Wang Dachun’s sudden roar, the three members of the Yang family shuddered. Their arrogance instantly vanished as though a basin of cold water had been poured over them, and they fell silent.

Yang Shulin had been beaten badly by Wang Dachun before, so he knew exactly how formidable the man was. He did not dare utter another word.

He curled his lip, his tone immediately softening as he began to play the victim.

“The harvest was poor this year. We brought in so little grain that we can barely afford to eat. It’s not that we’re being heartless.”

As he spoke, Yang Shulin pretended to wipe away nonexistent tears and continued, “It would be fine to leave the child here, but then he’d have to go hungry and freeze with us. As his father, how could I bear that? Wang Yufen, let me make this clear now: if you refuse to raise him, then once I truly can’t support him anymore, I’ll give him away. I can’t just stand by and watch my son starve to death.”

His expression was so utterly hypocritical that it inspired nothing but disgust.

“That’s right. If we truly can’t support him, we’ll give him away. Don’t blame us for being heartless when the time comes,” Yang’s mother chimed in.

“You…” Wang Yufen trembled with rage, unable to speak.

She knew that Yang Shulin was genuinely capable of doing such a thing. Even if they were not truly unable to afford food, he might still give the child away simply to get revenge on her.

Being given away would already be a blessing. But what if the child were sold…?

The more Wang Yufen thought about it, the more frightened she became. Tears immediately welled in her eyes.

The child in her arms seemed frightened as well and suddenly burst into tears. His cries sounded especially heartbreaking in the chaotic room.

Unable to stand it any longer, Lin Yu stepped forward.

“Mom, I told you. That family is nothing but a pack of scoundrels. They’ve made up their minds not to raise this child. Let’s go. There’s no need to waste our breath on them. People like this are beasts—they aren’t worth it.”

“Hey, you little bastard! Who are you calling beasts?” Yang’s mother glared at him. She wanted to slap Lin Yu across the face, but the moment her eyes landed on Wang Dachun, she became too frightened to move.

“I’m talking about all of you—a whole family of scoundrels and beasts.” Lin Yu pointed straight at them. “You don’t want the child anymore, do you? Fine. Our family will raise him. From now on, he has nothing to do with the Yang family. If any of you dare come and harass us, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

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