Chapter 6

Pang Liu and Old Ji are among the few small vendors who have settled in the antique street. Although they don't have shops here, they do have their own homes.

No matter where you are, as long as you have property in the city, you are considered wealthy. Even in this dilapidated antique street, a two-story building that looks unremarkable is worth several million.

Old Ji said earnestly, "You need to be more careful, boy. Although he is your father, you can't give him all your salary. If you were to support your father with money, I wouldn't say anything, as filial piety is still important. But using your money to support your brother, I think, is not worth it."

Even Pang Liu couldn't stand it and said, "In my opinion, your brother should go back home and farm. He is too ambitious and can't be down-to-earth, and he has a high opinion of himself. A person like him won't amount to much even after graduating from university. You're not young anymore, and you earn a decent amount of money, but you're still doing poorly. So, you won't be poor from eating or drinking, but from not being shrewd. Your Fat Brother isn't telling you to be stingy, but to have a plan in your heart."

"I understand, Fat Brother. After today, I won't be the same. From now on, I will live for myself." Han Kongque spoke to Pang Liu, but it was more like a promise to himself.

"That's good. Explain it clearly to your father. You need to buy a house and get married, and you can't do that without money." Old Ji no longer held onto Han Kongque.

Han Kongque walked into the alley and saw a wooden gate right in front of him. The gate was open during the day, and the courtyard, which had two small buildings, wasn't very large, only about sixty square meters. However, the small courtyard was full of vegetables, making it vibrant and lively.

Han Kongque pushed the door open and saw a middle-aged man sitting on the steps at the entrance of the north-facing main house.

This was a typical small courtyard, facing south, with a two-story building in the center, five rooms on each floor, and three basement rooms below. Han Jianguo was sitting on the steps leading to the basement.

On the west side was a street-facing shop. The house originally had a large area, but the addition of six storefronts on the west side made the courtyard much smaller.

"Didn't you know I came to get money today? Give it to me quickly; your brother is waiting." Seeing Han Kongque, Han Jianguo immediately demanded money.

"I don't have any money," Han Kongque said with a bitter smile.

This was really his own father, who didn't even ask how he was doing and only wanted money when they met!

Thinking about his decision and the words of Old Ji and Pang Liu, he realized that even outsiders could see that he couldn't keep living in a dream.

"Didn't you get paid today? Big brother, you've turned bad, hiding your salary." Han Jianguo looked dissatisfied.

Hearing this, Han Kongque laughed, "Hiding my salary? I'm hiding my salary? Isn't that a bit ridiculous? I'm twenty-eight years old, twenty-nine by Chinese age. In the village, people my age already have children running around. I'm just learning to hide my salary now? Am I too stupid? And, Dad, I haven't even learned to hide my salary. This is my salary for this month, but I only have two hundred yuan left."

"Two hundred yuan? Don't lie to me. Give it to me quickly. Your monthly salary is three thousand yuan, and not a cent less. As for your bonus, I won't ask for it, but don't be too greedy." Han Jianguo said fiercely.

Han Kongque looked at the middle-aged man with wrinkles on his face. Every month on the 16th, he would come to see him and take all his salary.

He only saw his father twelve times a year, but they should be familiar, being father and son.

But now, Han Kongque looked at him and felt a bit estranged. Their relationship was even worse than strangers.

"Father, hasn't the third son graduated? I said before that after he graduates, I won't give you money anymore. Not only will I not give you money, but you also need to take responsibility for my marriage and house. This might make you blush, but I'm not the only one doing this. In our village, whose son doesn't have their parents build a house? Whose son doesn't have their parents pay for their marriage?"

Han Jianguo was speechless, wondering when his eldest son became so articulate.

Han Kongque didn't think much about it and continued, "I've been working in the fields since I was four and went out to work after not finishing middle school at fourteen. I've been working for fourteen years now. I've given you at least twenty thousand yuan, if not thirty. Twenty thousand yuan should be enough for me to get married, right? If I can't get married after giving so much money to the family, it's not that you're dissatisfied, but that I'm dissatisfied."

Han Kongque wasn't without a temper. If it were someone else, they wouldn't dare speak to him like that.

But this was his father, who had always treated him poorly. Now, he couldn't let him off. From now on, he wouldn't live for anyone else; he would live for himself.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get married? Give me last month's salary first. Once the third son finds a job, you won't need this small amount of money. It's embarrassing to say, but you've only earned two or three hundred thousand yuan in fourteen years. Your second brother, if he works, can earn what you earn in a year. If you don't have the ability, don't hold back your second brother. Give me three thousand yuan, not a cent less."

Han Jianguo had already arranged for his second son to get the money by noon today. He didn't expect his eldest son, who was usually easy to fool, to refuse to give him money today.

Han Kongque was almost driven to the brink of anger. He didn't have the ability?

Indeed, his monthly salary of three thousand yuan wasn't much, but it wasn't little either. These wages weren't something a newly graduated college student could easily earn.

His second brother, a graduate from a third-rate university, could earn two or three hundred thousand yuan a year? He would have to sell his kidneys to earn that much. He didn't know what his father was thinking to believe such a lie, but considering his second brother's smooth talk, it wasn't hard to fool his father.

But Han Kongque wouldn't let his second brother get his way anymore. It was his own fault for not caring before, but now he had to care. If this continued, his second brother would become even more arrogant.

So, Han Kongque said directly, "Why are you in such a hurry to get married? Father, I'm the eldest son. Have you prepared a new house for me? Fine, a new house is too much to ask, but can you at least give me an old room to get married in?"

Han Kongque looked at his father with a sad expression, as if he were meeting him for the first time.

Han Jianguo was stumped by Han Kongque's question. In the village, it was customary for fathers to build houses for their sons. Some filial children would give their earnings to their parents to help build the house. But some selfish ones would keep their wages and let their parents bear the cost of building the house and getting married, becoming a typical generation of啃老族 (kěn lǎo zú, "parasitic youth").

Han Kongque knew this well. In the village, young men his age already had children five or six years old, even those who got married early had sons in middle school.

In his family, Han Kongque was the eldest, with two brothers and two sisters. Because two sons were in school, not only did they not build a house, but he had to earn the tuition for the two boys.

The money Han Jianguo earned from tending the orchard at home was used for the living expenses of the two sons. Now, they couldn't spare a room for the eldest son to get married.

Their home was a typical rural courtyard, with the main house used to support his grandparents. Han Jianguo and his two brothers took turns supporting their parents, with each family taking care of them for two months. The main house was always occupied by the elderly.

The east wing had three rooms, where Han Jianguo and his wife lived. The west wing was for his two daughters, and the south wing was for his two sons when they came home from school. His eldest son had no place to stay at home.

Han Kongque knew the situation at home well. Since he left home at fourteen, he hadn't stayed overnight at home for over ten years. It wasn't that he didn't want to go back, but there was no place for him to stay.

Even if there were empty rooms, they wouldn't let him, the eldest son, stay for a night because those rooms belonged to someone else. Han Jianguo cherished his two younger sons, and their belongings and rooms were off-limits to Han Kongque.

And Han Kongque's two sisters' rooms were out of the question for him to stay in. Of course, his grandparents' rooms were also out of the question.

If he went home, he would have to stay with his parents, but since he started helping with the family chores at four, his parents had kept him at a distance. Sometimes Han Kongque wondered if he was even their biological child.

"I'm tired. If you want to rest, come in and sit for a while. If you don't want to, I won't keep you." Han Kongque was too exhausted to deal with his family.

Without a home was one thing, but now even his family didn't feel like family. Han Kongque felt a chill rising from his heart, and he couldn't stop it.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get married? Don't let this get out, or people will think the Han family is obsessed with marriage!" Han Jianguo said after a moment of silence.

Han Kongque almost laughed in anger. He said, "I'm not in a hurry, so from now on, I won't give you money. I'll save up until I have enough to get married. Don't worry, I won't abandon you. When you and Mom can't work anymore and need support, we three brothers can chip in, or we can take turns, or you can live with me. I have no objections.

But from now on, my salary is mine. With the skills you've taught me over the years, I can save my salary every month. That's thirty-six thousand yuan a year. In five years, I'll have enough to get married. At thirty-three, it's not too early to get married, right? I'm sure you don't want me to get married at forty-three, do you?"

"Big brother, we haven't split the family yet, right? Why are you already thinking about saving for a wife and building a small fund? Even if you get married, you need Dad's approval. Isn't it too early to start saving now?" A young man in white walked into the courtyard.

This was Han Rongyao, Han Kongque's second brother. He was 1.78 meters tall, with fair skin and a white casual outfit, making him look even more handsome.

Although he looked good, his words were sharp and sarcastic, making people angry.