Chapter 49.3

Translated by Aviana

In the room, Yang Tiezhu was unable to sit still anymore. Initially, when he heard sounds coming from the backyard, he was like a cat on a hot tin roof. But now, upon hearing his third dimei’s shriek, he dashed out of the room, disregarding his injuries.

弟妹 (dìmèi) : younger brother’s wife

热锅上的蚂蚁 (rè guō shàng de mǎ yǐ): (like) a cat on a hot tin roof / anxious/agitated

Upon reaching the yard, he was greeted by the sight of pale-faced Lin Qingwan lying unconscious in Yao-shi’s embrace. His eyes promptly turned red.

Kicking that disgusting and smelly chamber far away, he carried his wife with his uninjured arm and began to leave while asking Yao-shi to quickly invite a doctor.

He-shi was also petrified, but what petrified her wasn’t Lin Qingwan fainting; rather by the meaningful glance that lao’er sent her way as if he wanted to swallow her alive…

Just as Yao-shi was about to step out of courtyard gates to invite a doctor, she ran into Yang Tiegen, who hastily returned upon receiving the letter. Behind him was Yang Tieshuan, who as returned along with him.

As soon as Yang Tiegen heard Yao-shi saying the second sao had fainted, he let Yao-shi go back into the house before he set off to call the doctor. After all, the second brother’s hand was still inconvenient, Yao-shi could provide any necessary assistance from the side.

Yao-shi turned around and sprinted to the room to see Yang Tiezhu help Lin Qingwan lay on the kang and try to cover her with the quilt.

Yao-shi hurriedly stepped forward, stopped him, and got busy with work.

By the time Lin Qingwan was laid on the kang and covered with a quilt, Yang laoyezi also came after hearing the sounds. He-shi nevertheless remained standing outside without stepping in.

老 爷子 (lǎoyézi): an appellation used to address the elderly male

Red-eyed Yang Tiezhu sent his father a fleeting glance before turning his head to his wife to examine her condition, without any words.

Soon, Yang Tiegen returned with the village doctor in tow.

The old doctor walked to the edge of the kang and took Lin Qingwan’s pulse.

After analyzing it for half a day, he said: “There is no major problem; Just that she is expecting. It’s been about a month now. Owing to the accumulated excess anger and stress, she fainted.”

Yao-shi was overwhelmed with emotions, laughing at one moment and crying at the other. While Yang Tiezhu was utterly baffled.

…. His wife is expecting, she is with child?

…. That means he is going to be a father?

The old doctor was long accustomed to such joyous expressions of expecting patient’s family. While stroking his silvery-white beard and smile across his whole face, he added: “The patient’s body is a little weak. Besides this, there is no other major problem. However, you have to properly take care of her and nourish her so that a healthy boy can soon be added to your family. “

Yang Tiezhu jubilantly nodded. Yang laoyezi also showed a joyous smile. Midst the series of consecutive blows occurring recently in the family, this was the only good news.

Only He-shi’s face was unusually bad, with a long face among the few people present in the room. Snorting coldly, she left from there, when no one was paying attention.

Wang-shi was following behind her. Stepping into the main room, Wang-shi anxiously asked He-shi, “Mother, now what’s to be done?”

He-shi moved away from her and sat on the kang.

Glancing at anxious Wang-shi, He-shi couldn’t help but impatiently roll her triangular eyes.

“You worry a lot. Go and cook lunch for today; go quickly.”

Wang-shi felt as if she had brought trouble upon herself yet again. But after peeking at He-shi’s languid appearance as if she was disinclined to pay attention to her, she could only give up and go to kitchen unwillingly.

In the second branch’s room, Yang laoyezi left after seeing that there was nothing serious. Yang Tiegen went to see off the old physician. Yang Tiezhu sat by at the edge of the kang, guarding his wife. After seeing that only second brother was here, Yao-shi left the room, considering that a married woman and a man being alone in the room wouldn’t be good. But she asked Yang Tiezhu to call her if he needed anything and closed the room’s doors before she left.

In the main room

Yang Tieshuan and Yang Tiegen, who had originally rushed back after getting the message that Yang Tiezhu had crippled his arm, gathered in the main room.

After listening to Yang laoyezi’s recount the situation, both of them were dumbfounded.

“Laosan, at that time when lao’er got injured, you had followed him to the town. But you still weren’t aware of this matter regarding lao’er’s arm?” Yang Tieshuan asked Yang Tiegen, wondering if Yang Tiegen was also in cahoots with the second branch in concealing the matter from the family.

老三 (lǎo sān): an appellation used to address the third child of the family

老二 (lǎo’èr): an appellation used to address the second child of the family

Have to say, the saying ‘a narrow-minded person can only think of others only in terms of his own desires’ holds the truth. In this aspect, the eldest branch’s husband and wife were on the same page. At this instant, Yang Tieshuan’s complexion was unsightly.

Yang Tiegen was also stunned to the max. He was only aware that at that time, his second brother’s injury was quite serious with his left shoulder badly mutilated, and the old doctor’s words that his situation was very critical. However, he truly didn’t pay attention if the doctor had said anything about his second brother’s arm becoming crippled.

Yang laoyezi was aware of his third son’s natural disposition. Looking at Yang Tiegen’s silence, he sighed and helped him out of embarrassment: “Laosan is not a doctor. How would he know if the arm was crippled or not? Not to mention, laosan wasn’t present in the medical center all the time.”

He-shi, seated at the side, rolled her eyes as she said, “If the other person wants to conceal it from you, would they still take the initiative to let you know?”

It’s not that He-shi wanted to help Yang Tiegen; she simply wanted to make it clear to everyone that the other person was intending to put them all in the dark. As for who the other person is, it goes without saying.

“You old woman, why are you spouting nonsense now? For what reason would lao’er want to conceal it from everyone?” Yang laoyezi agitatedly berated her.

He-shi sneered, “There must surely be a reason. If not, why would the other person try to hide it from you?! If it wasn’t for this old lady inadvertently hearing some rumors outside, who knows when we would have known this?” He-shi was also a smart one and didn’t disclose that it was Wang-shi who had informed her about this. If her old man were to rebuke Wang-shi, who knows Wang-shi might lose her calm and end up revealing that she had informed her about it long back.

Yang laoyezi became silent. Her words did seem reasonable. However, he didn’t conjecture anything bad about them either. He merely assumed that lao’er and his wife were blaming the family and thus didn’t tell them anything.

He-shi sneered, “Now there are two wastes at home, and these two wastes are about to give birth to another small waste soon. How do you plan to spend past this year?”

Yang Tieshuan remained seated without any words; who knows what he was contemplating in his mind. Yang Tiegen, anyways, has always been an invisible person. Distress welled in his heart as he thought of his second brother’s disability.

Yang laoyezi, nevertheless, was unable to continue listening to her drivel any longer. Slamming the table, he bellowed: “The more you talk, the more vulgar it gets. Isn’t that your son and grandson?”

He-shi didn’t argue with Yang laoyezi; instead, she kept glaring at him with her triangular eyes wide open.

“Anyways, at the moment, it has been attested that lao’er’s arm has been crippled. Now that all the sons also are here, what is your decision?”

Yang laoyezi was bewildered, “What’s there to decide?”

Only after a moment was Yang laoyezi was able to react, pointing his finger at He-shi in disbelief.

“What do you want to do? I am warning you, don’t cause any trouble!”

He-shi gave another sneer and pushed Yang laoyezi’s finger pointing at her.

“I am creating trouble? Don’t you know what the situation at home is? In order to gather money for laosi, after paying the taxes, you decided to sell most of the cereals at home. Do you think food available at home is enough to feed these many people?”

老四 (lǎo sì): an appellation used to address the fourth child of the family

Yang laoyezi’s heart shook; he truly didn’t think of this.

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