Chapter 148 - 149: Reasoning
While everyone was still trying to make sense of the situation, Li Cuicui pointed a finger directly at He Tuliang, who was hiding in the back. "First thing this morning, this fine son-in-law of ours showed up at our door, saying he plans to move in with us permanently. The reason? He gave his house to his own dear older brother.
I’d like to ask you, He Tiping, besides your own parents and brother, don’t you have all these clansmen here? So why did you bring a bunch of hungry mouths to my house?
Didn’t we all just flee a famine to get here? You tell me, can I afford to feed them?
Which of you could afford it if this happened to your family? This is practically a death sentence for my husband and me!"
Everyone present fell silent. They had long known the He Family Brothers’ lives were a mess, but they hadn’t expected them to be so awful in their dealings with others.
Ever since He Tuliang had been thrown out by the Magistrate, everyone had been trying to minimize contact with that family.
But no one was willing to let the entire clan’s reputation be ruined because of them.
"This is all a misunderstanding. We... we didn’t explain things clearly before," He Tiping suddenly found himself at a loss for words, feeling that anything he said would be wrong.
’If he said they didn’t want to live with the old couple, but rather in his brother-in-law’s house...’
’...everyone would probably get other ideas.’
Just then, someone spotted He Tuliang and his mother standing outside the door. "He Tuliang is here! This is their own family matter. Let them sort it out themselves."
Li Cuicui gave the speaker a smirk. ’Trying to dismiss this as a family matter? We’ll see if I, this old woman, agree to that.’
"This could be called a family matter. It’s just that I, this old woman, am curious about your He Clan’s rules. A better understanding will help prevent my own family from falling into the same trap in the future."
"You..."
The man was about to say more, but the He Clan Leader stopped him with a raised hand. "He Tuliang and his family handled this poorly, but Madam Gu, you have also misunderstood. This has absolutely nothing to do with our clan’s rules. I must ask you to choose your words carefully."
"Choose my words carefully? Since I walked in here, ask any of them if I’ve uttered a single lie!" Li Cuicui had come prepared to confront the He Clan Leader today.
"Now that Mrs. He Zhou and the others are here, let’s clear up any misunderstandings," the He Clan Leader said, pointing at He Tuliang. "You are the head of your household. Tell us, what is this commotion with your brother’s in-laws? Why would you kick people out in the middle of winter?"
He Tuliang put on a miserable expression. "It’s just that a room in our house collapsed. My wife doesn’t have any family here, so my sister-in-law had to be the one to suffer. We just wanted her to take her husband and child to her family’s home temporarily to get through this hard time. I have no idea why it blew up like this. Isn’t this just a normal thing between relatives?"
As soon as He Tuliang finished, everyone inwardly sneered. ’This guy is getting more and more devious. Now he’s just shifting the blame, pretending he’s clueless and completely innocent.’
Li Cuicui clapped her hands. "My dear in-law’s words make perfect sense. Relatives should help each other. It was I, this old woman, who was being shortsighted."
Everyone was wondering what she was up to, confused by her sudden change in attitude.
They then heard Li Cuicui point at her sons standing nearby. "You fools! This winter is so cold, of course we have to stick together for warmth. Hurry up and go get your wives and children. We’re all going to be guests at your sister’s house, too! We might as well stay until this winter is over, just in time to go back for the spring planting."
"That’s not acceptable!" Seeing the Gu Family Brothers actually start to move, Mrs. He Zhou could no longer hide in the back. She reached out to stop them.
"Oh, so *now* it’s not acceptable? Your eldest son just said that relatives should help each other through hard times. Well, we feel our house isn’t warm enough, we don’t have enough firewood, and we’re short on food. Your family is so generous, surely you can accommodate us! After all, this is just a normal thing between relatives."
"Pfft—" Someone couldn’t hold it in, and soon many people were covering their mouths to stifle their laughter.
Mrs. He Zhou was choked up, stammering and unsure how to respond.
"You members of the He Family should step up and say what’s fair. Is there any real difference between what I just said and what my dear in-law said earlier?"
"Well... you *are* the parents of our second son’s wife. It’s normal for them to seek your help when they’re in trouble. Besides, everyone in your village has built big, tiled-roof houses. What’s wrong with helping out your married daughter?" As soon as Mrs. He Zhou said this, she noticed many of her own clansmen glaring at her.
Li Cuicui clapped her hands. "So you have such a custom here! When a daughter and son-in-law fall on hard times, even when the son-in-law’s own parents are both alive and well, they can still go back to the wife’s parents for help. What an excellent family tradition!
I wonder, are there any unmarried girls in the families here? I, this old woman, must take it upon myself to spread this wonderful news. I imagine for a hundred miles around, there are plenty of men who can’t make ends meet and would be more than willing to become such excellent sons-in-law."
"Mrs. He Zhou, stop causing trouble for everyone," the Clan Leader’s wife walked over and said in a low voice. "Are you not satisfied until you’ve completely ruined our entire clan’s reputation? Is that it?
Don’t forget, if you truly anger everyone, the consequences will not be something you want to see."
Mrs. He Zhou’s pupils contracted. A sliver of fear finally rose in her heart. She knew that ever since the trouble her eldest son had caused last time, the clan already looked down on them. If another offense was added to their name, the consequences would be unthinkable.
He Tuliang walked over to He Tiping and asked with a serious expression, "This was just supposed to be you taking your wife back to her parents’ for a visit. How did it turn into this?
Your wife may be insensible, but are you as well? When you visit someone, you should at least bring a gift. Otherwise, people will look down on you."
"I think it’s a real shame your silver tongue isn’t being used for storytelling, my dear in-law. You can turn white into black and black into white," Gu Yuanshui said with a laugh, crossing his arms. "With one twist of your words, this has suddenly become a simple family visit?
Look at the luggage at their feet. Who brings all their clothes with them when they’re just visiting relatives?
I used to think some people had low moral character, but now I see I overestimated them. This is scheming down to the very bone.
They treat everyone but themselves like a fool."
He Tuliang’s face stiffened as he glanced at the bundles thrown in the courtyard. "This is all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding.
Let’s go home and talk about this. We will definitely give you a proper explanation."
Gu Yuanjin spoke up. "It is precisely because we’re afraid of misunderstandings that we must lay this all out in front of everyone. At least this way, our family won’t be falsely accused by others in the future.
Logically speaking, since my sister married into your family, our two families are relatives. But after fleeing the famine together and with everything that has happened in between—which I’m sure many people here have witnessed—to talk about familial affection now would be laughable.
Everyone here knows in their hearts who is right and who is wrong. We don’t expect our married-out daughter and son-in-law to show much filial piety to my parents, but we also won’t stand for them making our elders miserable."