Chapter 19: Home!

A single word stirred up a thousand waves!

No one expected it.

Gu Changqing personally came forward to vouch for Cheng Dashan.

Even the few constables in town were stunned.

“Master Gu,” the head constable smiled politely and offered a gentle reminder, “these petty family quarrels are the most troublesome. You are a man of stature and reputation; why involve yourself with them?”

“Indeed, I don’t intend to meddle in others’ domestic affairs,” Gu Changqing replied.

“But...” He lowered his gaze to Cheng An. “This child is intelligent, knows how to speak up for his parents, and is truly filial. Moreover, the money that Brother Dashan borrowed has something to do with me.”

“You?” Wang Defu was surprised. Throughout history, landlords and wealthy men were often seen as despicable, a consensus among the poor that persisted through the ages.

But Cheng An didn’t fully believe this.

He trusted another saying more: The poor breed cunning, the rich grow conscience.

Given Gu Changqing’s status in Qingshui Town, he had no reason to squabble over a few hundred coins with these rural folks—it would only invite unnecessary trouble.

“It was me who gave the money!” Gu Changqing admitted without hesitation.

“Why?” Cheng Dahai stared at Gu Changqing with a sour expression.

In the village, he could swagger arrogantly on the strength of his scholar status, but before Gu Changqing... being a scholar was nothing.

Even if you were a licentiate, so what?

Gu Changqing didn’t even glance at Cheng Dahai but looked at Cheng An with a meaningful smile.

“How I choose to use my money, do I need to explain to outsiders? I like this child and am willing to help him. What’s wrong with that?”

Cheng An happened to look up at that moment.

Their eyes met briefly.

He quickly masked his expression with innocence, turning his gaze elsewhere.

No one dared to speak after that.

Even the usually overbearing Old Han quietly shut her mouth.

The disdainful looks from the surrounding villagers were like knives and swords, stabbing at Old Han and Qin Dongzhi’s faces, leaving them battered and broken!

...

Back home.

Cheng An and his mother were packing inside.

The three Cheng brothers stood silently in the courtyard.

“Third brother...”

“Big brother, there’s no need to say anything!” Cheng Dashan waved off Cheng Dahai.

Calmly, he said, “Since this family despises us so much, why should I hold on? From now on... let each of us live our own lives!”

“Cheng Dashan!”

“Are you really that heartless?” Cheng Dahai suppressed his anger. “Have you thought about mother? She’s over sixty, and her health is declining every day. Is this what you call ‘filial’?”

“Yeah, third brother,” Cheng Dahe chimed in. “Even if you don’t consider mother, have you forgotten what father said? Before he passed, he repeatedly urged us to keep this family together. And what have you done?”

The cheapest form of coercion in this world is moral blackmail.

It had worked countless times for the Cheng family in the past, and they had enjoyed the benefits for years.

But now...

This tactic no longer worked!

There is no greater sorrow than a heart that has died.

This was the truest reflection of Cheng Dashan’s heart at this moment.

He didn’t even want to waste a single word.

Pushing past his eldest and second brothers, he strode back inside.

Inside the house, Qin Dongzhi spoke in the same tone.

“Cuiyun, why make such a fuss?”

“We’re family. Even if there are grudges, it’s best to let the past be. Besides, mother may be sharp-tongued, but she still has a good heart.”

Yao Chunhua nodded in agreement.

“Yes, yes!”

“Mother may have faults, but she’s still our grandmother. If you leave like this, what will outsiders think? It would be disgraceful if word got out!”

Liu Shi ignored them and continued packing.

“Cuiyun.”

At that moment, the usually proud Old Han even stepped forward.

She looked old and feeble, about to speak.

But Cheng An cut her off.

“Mother, we can’t take these!”

Pointing to the shabby items in the room, he reminded, “These bowls belong to grandmother’s room, and these clothes... except for these, everything else is Cheng family’s.”

“Preposterous...” Liu Shi instinctively wanted to argue.

Cheng An hurriedly said, “Grandmother said that if we want to split the family, we must leave empty-handed! What if she gets upset because we take these things?”

If she’s upset, she’ll make a scene.

Then endless disputes would follow.

Cheng An was exhausted.

He really didn’t want trivial junk to ruin the chance of splitting the family. As long as they could leave this home, he could earn all these things back in no time.

“Forget it!”

“Let’s leave everything!”

Liu Shi held back tears and threw the things away.

Then she grabbed her son and left.

“Liu Cuiyun!”

Old Han was so embarrassed her face flushed red.

But Liu Shi didn’t even want to respond.

Cheng Dashan said nothing either.

He quickly caught up with his wife and son, hoisted his son on his back, and left.

...

The family of three walked empty-handed along a small path.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long.

Liu Cuiyun’s eyes were brimming with tears, turning back with every step...

It wasn’t reluctance.

It was tears of joy!

She never imagined that the idea to split the family would come from the one she least trusted and was most disappointed in—her husband.

“Father.”

“Where are we going?”

Cheng An clung to his father’s broad back.

For the first time, he felt...

His father’s silhouette was so majestic.

Liu Shi wiped her tears and smiled lightly.

“Anywhere is fine! As long as we leave this home, even if it means the three of us hunting in the mountains, that’s okay!”

“Hunting?”

“But I don’t know how to hunt...”

Cheng An scratched his head in frustration.

“Ha ha ha!”

Cheng Dashan threw back his head and laughed heartily, sweeping away all the gloom in his heart. “If you don’t know, I’ll teach you. From now on, anything you want to learn, I’ll teach you!”

“Good!”

Cheng An grinned broadly.

...

At the eastern end of the village, a river wound its way by a dilapidated thatched hut.

This was once the home of an old hunter. After he died, the place was abandoned until Cheng Dashan found the village chief and bought the land for just fifty coins.

The hut was broken and small.

Yet it brought joy!

Cheng An ran excitedly inside.

“Mother, look! We can partition a space here so I can have my own bed!”

“Great, I’ll have your father fix it up later.”

Liu Shi’s smile was radiant.

Cheng An looked up at his mother’s smiling face, dazed.

“Mother, your smile is so beautiful, like... like a flower in spring.”

“Pah!”

“Cheesy.”

Liu Shi laughed and rolled her eyes at her son.

“Really!”

Cheng An’s innocent and silly voice replied, “Yaoliu’er has never seen you smile so happily before! Please smile like this all the time, okay? It’s so pretty!”

“All right!”

“Mother will smile more from now on.”

Liu Shi touched her son’s face, smiling with tears in her eyes.

...

It must be said:

After breaking free from his original family, Cheng Dashan was truly a rare good man!

In just half a month,

The originally shabby fenced yard was repaired to be safe and comfortable.

He planted vegetables in the yard and even brought two fat hens from the neighbors.

At the dinner table,

A plate of stir-fried eggs with greens filled the air with a delicious aroma.

Cheng Dashan picked up a big piece of egg for his son, a subtle ease in his brow.

“Eat more, grow tall and strong!”

“Father, mother, you eat too.”

“All right.”

Liu Shi picked up a small piece of egg with her chopsticks, carefully placing it in her mouth.

Tears welled up in her eyes at once.

“Again with the tears!”

Cheng Dashan pretended to be displeased. “We’ve split the family already, why cry? Good days are ahead! Eat up, your father can afford it!”

“Wah!”

Hearing that, Liu Shi couldn’t hold back any longer.

She sobbed and threw herself into her husband’s arms.

Cheng Dashan was slightly moved and sighed.

“I’ve made you and our son suffer before! It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been too obedient to your mother...”

“How can that be your fault?”

Liu Shi’s voice trembled with tears. “My man being filial is a good thing! Is being filial wrong? It’s just that your mother was too biased!”

“All right, from now on, the three of us will live well together.”

Suddenly—

A soft noise came from outside,

Interrupting the warm moment of the family of three.