Chapter 52.1

Translated by Aviana

Clan Elder Yang and Village Chief were stunned as they gazed at Yang laoyezi and He-shi as if they didn’t dare to believe what was said.

They were only aware that Yang Tiezhu was seriously afflicted with injuries, but they hadn’t heard about the rest.

The Second Yang laoyezi was long aware of this matter. Thus astonishment wasn’t seen on his face. Nevertheless, while listening to his eldest sister’s words, he couldn’t help but shake his head.

This eldest brother of his has been led by the nose for all his life by this woman. It wouldn’t have mattered much if this woman was virtuous, but the crucial point is that this woman happened to be immoral. Before their separation from the family, he and his wife hadn’t suffered any less in this woman’s hands. Bullying the other person aside, this woman, He-shi, possessed an innate skill to anger a person to death and make a dead person jump out of the coffin in a fury.

Yang laoyezi’s hands shook, causing the few specks of hot tobacco to fall down from the tobacco pipe in his hands. Flustered, he quickly extinguished the tobacco specks that fell on his trousers.

“At that, at that time, it wasn’t that I didn’t wish to stop her…..”

Impatiently interrupting his explanation, He-shi rolled her eyes without a fleck of embarrassment before saying, “At that time, at home, there wasn’t any silver. And silver was needed for laosi to take the exam.” He-shi said while glaring daggers at Yang-shi.

This person, this Yang Chunhua, has always been set on being against her since the beginning! She found the joy the most in slapping her face in front of her everyone.

“Yes, laosi has an exam to take. Thus, lao’er’s life is of no value….” Yang-shi burst into tears as she lamented in a low voice.

laosi: appellation used to address the fourth child in the family

lao’er: appellation used to address the second child in the family

Yang Tiezhu’s face also darkened, while Lin Qingwan’s eyes reddened even more than before. She was naturally a delicate figure, seemingly appearing as if she would be blown away like a willow by a gust of wind. And now, as she was wiping the tears trickling down her reddened eyes with a kerchief, her appearance exuded poignancy all the more.

Clan Elder Yang and Village Chief shook their heads in lament. From time immemorial, there weren’t any less number of parents who were biased to one of their kids, and it wasn’t a rare occurrence. However, it was truly a rare occurrence, where the parents ignored one child’s life for another one.

Yang-shi sobbed and sniffled as she went on with her accusation, “…Fortunately, the child’s fate was strong, and nothing untoward happened to him. After a few days of treatment in the medical center, he returned home, albeit with recuperating injuries. Yet the meals the family provided him every day were nothing but some gruel and coarse grains. With no other choice, his wife had to forcibly squeeze a bit of silver to set up a private kitchen in their room to nourish his health…. Now, even more so, when the child’s hand might become disabled in the future, she wants to expel them out of the family….My nephew’s wife is so pitiful; it hadn’t been even long since she became pregnant…. In such a harsh winter, she wants to throw them out. Is this what a mother should do?”

Saying so, Yang-shi covered her face with her hands and burst into wails. This wasn’t an act; she was truly crying. She truly felt her heart break for this child, Tiezhu, who had devoted his mind and soul for his family, yet he was degraded to such an extent after all he had done.

Second Yang loayezi shook his head before saying, “Eldest brother, I am aware that I hold no rights to interfere in your family’s affairs, but what you and she have done is not proper!”

The ‘ she’ here is naturally He-shi. Back then, prior to separation too, He-shi had stirred a lot of troubles. As such, Second Yang laoyezi’s family never addressed He-shi with her name. The two words’ eldest sao’ never even came out of the Second Yang laoyezi’s lips.

嫂 (sǎo): older brother’s wife / sister-in-law

Yang laoyezi’s face appeared grey and withered as he remained seated with a hunched back.

Neither did he know how to explain, nor did he have any words for it. The wound that he thought was a matter of the past was ruthlessly torn apart again as blood dripped out of it in gushes.

He didn’t know whom he should blame.

Blame himself? Blame He-shi? Blame his eldest sister? …He truly didn’t know!

Beside him, He-shi was still clamoring, “You damn Yang Chunhua, shut! This is none of your business! This is this old lady’s house! I, this old lady, have a say on how it will be! He is the child I gave birth to. If I asked him to roll out, he must roll out for me….”

Clan Elder Yang stood up, fuming with rage: “He-shi, you better restrain yourself a bit. Else, wait for me to convene a meeting and have you, this vicious wife, divorce out of the house.”

No matter how small the places like Luoxia village were, there were, nevertheless, an embodiment of an array of traditions and practices. Suppose any family is to have an immoral and vicious woman who is bringing disgrace to the family traditions and practices. In that case, the Clan Elder of the said family holds the full right to convene a clan meeting and pass a unanimous order to have the woman kicked out of the clan.

Overwhelmed with rage, Yang laoyezi stood up and slapped her fiercely. He-shi initially wanted to stand up and return the blows, but recalling Clan Elder Yang’s warning to expel her out, she didn’t dare to strike him back.

Perceiving the cowardice of his old wife, Yang laoyezi had Yang Tiezhuan quickly take her away. But before doing so, he threatened her not to make any more trouble if she didn’t want to be divorced.

Yang Tieshuan, also finding the situation wrong, quickly hauled his old mother to the east room before the Clan Elder Yang could go ballistic and really expel her out of the clan.

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