Chapter 437: 437 So That's How It Is
Chapter 437: Chapter 437 So That’s How It Is
Wu Tiegen felt a bit embarrassed, but he didn’t know how to ease the situation, so he stiffly said, “All those years ago, you chased Dajuan back from the Northwest. Aunt said she severed ties with you and took you off the family tree. Later, there was a big fire. Aunt said it was to give you and your wife peace of mind. She presumably felt you no longer looked up to her as the old mother!”
Father Wu shook his head frantically.
He was reckless, but he could never do something like that.
But Wu Tiegen continued, “Many people in the village know about that fire back then. Everyone collectively helped to stage the scene, watching you return for the funeral. Once you and your wife left, Aunt and Dajuan lived in the village again with their three children!”
The village was poor, so poor that Father Wu wouldn’t have gone to the military in search of a future.
“Our village is isolated; very few outsiders come here. Though it’s been impoverished all these years, the state hasn’t forgotten us; from time to time, the commune still delivers supplies to the village!”
Life was still manageable.
“Your three sons were well-behaved, honest, diligent, and filial. Under the arrangement of Aunt and Dajuan, they too got married—girls from nearby villages, all from well-behaved families!”
Wu Tiegen seemed genuinely troubled, as he took out the dry tobacco pipe stuck in his waistband and lit a pot of tobacco. As the smoke wafted out, he continued, “Originally, life could go on. Without you, they could still survive. But one day, a group of people came!”
Wu Tiegen looked at Father Wu, “Cousin, did you know? Those people beat your sons, all three of them, breaking their legs. Then, your old mother and Dajuan, who tried to protect them, were also beaten. They said it was because of unpaid debts!”
“We are honest farmers. Your sons may not have been as ambitious, educated, or enlisted as you, but they were good kids. Just because of the debt you owed back then, they found their way home, crippled your sons, and took away your daughters-in-law and shamed them. The three daughters-in-law couldn’t bear it and hanged themselves!”
Wu Tiegen could still remember how he saw the three bodies hanging from the beam.
How desperate must they have felt to do such a thing?
The old lady let out a mournful cry from her throat, a sound rendered by overwhelming grief.
“Three granddaughters-in-law, just gone like that!”
Father Wu could no longer bear it and sat down on the ground.
Those with strong empathy at the scene had already started to tear up.
Wu Tiegen smoked his dry tobacco, but his hands trembled.
“Dajuan had just buried the three daughters-in-law and still had to care for four children. Your three sons developed a high fever, and with no money left at home, Dajuan sold the family’s cow and house. With nothing else to do, she planned to come to the city and ask you to treat the children.”
Saying this, Wu Tiegen looked at Father Wu.
“Fearing Aunt’s sorrow, Dajuan sneaked out in the middle of the night, only to be hit by a truck and killed on the spot.”
It was too tragic.
“When Dajuan was brought back to the village, your three sons thought they had burdened her. Following their wives’ example, they hanged themselves, but not from the beam because they couldn’t reach it. They used their belts to hang themselves from the head of the bed, strangling themselves!”
After finishing, Wu Tiegen looked at Father Wu again, “Cousin, why couldn’t your happy life include them? Aunt didn’t want to find you; she was filled with hatred for you, but those four children need to live. Without their parents, Aunt can’t support them!”
Father Wu wailed and kowtowed to the old lady.
Mrs. Wu was already flustered.
She tried to pull Father Wu away, but he slapped her across the face.
“You’re the one who said my mother was dead, the one who stopped me from returning to my hometown time and time again! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been unaware of their existence!”
Father Wu’s anger was a joke in Mrs. Wu’s eyes.
“Yes, it’s all my fault. I, a young lady, fell for you and sacrificed so much, yet you want me to acknowledge your children? Why?”
Mrs. Wu’s hideous expression frightened everyone.
Wu Haipeng couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The mother he always respected turned out to be this kind of person. Who could tolerate it?
“Mom, was it really your arrangement?”
Wu Haipeng’s words snapped Mrs. Wu back to reality, and she shook her head wildly, “How could I? If I did such things, let the heavens strike me down!”
She only stopped Father Wu.
She sowed discord and conveniently leaked some information to certain people.
She hadn’t taken a life.
The old lady panted heavily, “Enough!”
She just stared at Father Wu, “Little Dog, I know you looked down on me and your father, and didn’t like the wife we chose for you, but the sons are your flesh and blood, and so are the grandchildren. I could die here today, but you must raise these four kids!”
The old lady spoke word by word, “This is what you owe Dajuan and your sons and daughters-in-law!”
Over the years, Father Wu had contributed little, yet so many lives were lost because of him.
He couldn’t just cry and kowtow; he had to take responsibility.
The old lady knew that enduring to come here was to force Father Wu to acknowledge the children; otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen to cause a scene at the wedding.
Father Wu kneeled on the ground, “Mother, I will surely raise them!”
The old lady nodded, “Our relationship ended when you held that funeral for us. When I die, don’t hold a funeral for me; I can’t bear it!”
After saying this, the old lady fainted.
She was holding on for the sake of the four children.
Elder Huang quickly administered acupuncture to at least preserve the old lady’s life.
If she died here, Wu Haipeng and Dangdang would never find peace.
Father Wu wept bitterly, but no one sympathized.
Mrs. Wu tried to approach, only to be beaten by Father Wu, and Wu Haipeng didn’t try to stop it.
He too couldn’t accept what his mother had done.
Although many things weren’t investigated, Wu Haipeng felt his mother had been involved in a lot.
Dangdang’s parents were frightened and then announced the wedding was off.
How could this wedding go on?
Given the looks of this mother-in-law from the Wu Family, who knows if their daughter would survive if she married in?
Fortunately, Dangdang still trusted Wu Haipeng’s character. Canceling the wedding at this point would drive Wu Haipeng insane.
Dangdang pleaded with Madam Tang to help calm her parents. She held Wu Haipeng’s hand, “Your nephews are likely scared too. First, settle them, and then send the guests away. There’s a lot to handle, and we must stay strong!”
Wu Haipeng thought Dangdang was going to call off the wedding. Hearing Dangdang’s words, he looked at her properly for the first time. Despite her small stature, she gave him peace of mind.
If not for Dangdang’s steadying influence, Wu Haipeng might have lost his mind.
At the height of his joy, discovering his parents were such scoundrels—who could remain sane through that?
“Alright!”