Erlang and Dalang's grief and indignation were all stagnant, and were replaced by a great sense of absurdity.

They stood there stupidly, like two frozen geese.

Fu Erbai thought they didn't understand, so he quickly explained:

"If it wasn't for you, would I be like this?

My father is incompetent, my wife is a lunatic, and not to mention that evil beast Fubao.

Because of them, the whole family blames me, and you too...

It doesn't matter, what matters is that we still have to live! Dad is useless, and the family has no money, so I can only think of ways to keep the family together.

If I were fine and not crazy or stupid, would they still help Dad raise you and worry about your lifelong affairs? Even if they kept you as long-term workers, they would still kick me out.

If you were without a father and a mother, who knows what would happen to you in the future. Now I'm still here, and they are being unfair. The sons of the third and fourth rooms are all studying, but our room is not.

I stole the money for you. Wait a few more months, and when we have more money, we can go back to our hometown.

Daddy will find a teacher for the fifth and sixth sons, and we can live a good life. We don’t seek to become rich. Even if they can pass the imperial examinations and become scholars in the future, our life will be good.

Dad knows this is not right, but if he had the ability, he wouldn't use this method. We are all family. When we become successful in the future, it will be the same for us to help them. Why do we have to rely on them?

Dad is not really crazy. He has offended a family again. If the truth comes out one day, even if Hu Tou Niu Wa and the others have become successful, they will not care about us!

But if Dad hadn't pretended to be crazy, he would have been chased away long ago.

Dad has suffered for half his life. Your grandma doesn't like me, your mother despises me in her heart, and most of you look down on me too. This is how my life is. I can't accomplish anything, and no matter what happens, it's okay.

But you are different, you are different with this money!"

Fu Dabai stretched out his hand and showed his two sons the two handfuls of silver as if offering treasures, his eyes sparkling with a look of longing for the future:

"Originally I just wanted to make a living and watch you get married. Then I'll tell you the truth. I'll accept everything.

But I didn't expect that even though my family was so unlucky, I would still be lucky enough to save some money.

I didn't intend to take it all, just half. We can slowly save up over two years and then we can leave. It won't be too difficult for our family.

I'm doing this for you, you can't talk nonsense, do you hear me? "

After listening to him, Dalang and Erlang gradually calmed down.

"As expected, Fubao came to us for a reason. In this family, we are the dumbest! The worst! The most brainless! And the most disgusting!

Who else can she turn to if not us?"

Dalang finally said what he had always wanted to deny, and besides his grief, he felt a sense of relief.

Fu Erbai blushed:

"You kid don't understand anything! How can you talk like that?"

Ji Lang wiped his face and rushed over without hesitation, knocking him down and pinning him down:

"You don't like to hear it, and we are too lazy to say it, but people should speak human words and do human things.

No matter what, you have to be a family to be worthy of our family. You are our father. No matter how much we don't want to acknowledge you, we have to take care of you, but we can't afford to be a family!"

Jiro spat with red eyes:

"It's not worth it to care about a heartless person like you!"

"I'm your father! You can't do this!"

Fu Erbai struggled frantically, like a boneless maggot, but after living a life of eating and waiting to die for so long, he was no stronger than a teenager who worked all day.

I didn't dare to shout loudly, so I could only persuade him humbly: "Do you want to go and tell them? Have you thought about the consequences?

Do you think this family is really vegetarian? They drove me away, so they would still feel bad about you? You are my children! You are loyal!

They will be on guard against you, afraid that you will help me! Have you ever thought about this?

Dalang, Dalang, can you persuade your brother? You are a smart kid, you..."

Fu Erbai was pressed to the ground with his hands behind his back. He tried to look back and saw that Dalang had already found the rope used to tie things on the road.

Dalang tied him up tightly without any courtesy and stuffed a piece of rag that he had found from somewhere into his mouth.

"Don't worry. Today is a good day for our family. We are all happy. Don't let these things spoil the fun. We won't expose you. Let's go while everyone is asleep. Don't you want to go back to your hometown?

I will take you back, and you will never leave your hometown again in your life!"

After Dalang finished speaking, he picked up the broken silver coins that were scattered on the ground one by one.

Fu Erbai's heart was pounding, and he didn't understand what he meant.

But Jiro understood and retorted:

"You stay. You are smarter than me and have a better temper than me. If you stay, you can also help take care of Wulang and Liulang at home.

I'm going back. "

Dalang handed him the silver and whispered:

“I’m your brother.

Stay, I'll be fine anywhere, but you like it here.

I'll come back in a few years.

Besides, I feel more comfortable at home without having to face my family. It would be uncomfortable if I stayed here. To put it bluntly, I am their offspring, just as selfish, and I will leave the hardship to you."

Erlang knew that his elder brother was thinking too much, so he did not refute him. Instead, he said in a low voice:

"You have no money, so you're going to take him back and let him starve to death?"

Dalang laughed and said, "I made a little money this month. I took it secretly. You can work harder and pay it back to my family later."

If you have good hands and feet, you will never starve to death no matter where you go, and you will not stop making money even if you run out of money.

I know the way along the road, so I will avoid the chaotic places as soon as possible and return to the village before it gets cold.

You know what kind of people we have in this village are like. Everything will be fine when I go back. I'll find a job and I'll be able to make ends meet.

I can build a small house later and maybe even buy a few acres of land."

Erlang was still worried: "What about him? Can you keep an eye on him? He runs back again."

The usually gentle boy thought for a long time before making the boldest decision of his life:

"My legs are broken, so I can't run..."

After hearing their words, Fu Erbai, who had almost given up hope, instantly tried his best to wake up.

With the last glimmer of hope, she shed tears and looked at Erlang pleadingly, making noises and shaking her head desperately.

Erlang said cruelly: "Okay, I'll get the hammer!"

Jiro walked towards the kitchen.

Da Lang dragged Fu Erbai back to their house and comforted him before taking action:

"Don't worry, you are my father no matter what. I will support you and serve you, but I can't let you cause trouble to the family anymore.

It's just a broken leg. There are many broken bones in my family. He won't die. It will be fine once the leg heals back.

You may suffer a little for now, but your good life will still be there and you don’t have to worry about anything.

It just makes you unable to walk or unable to walk far."

The two brothers swallowed their saliva. Dalang held down Fu Dabai, while Erlang hit Fu Erbai's kneecap hard.

Even with his mouth stuffed, he still screamed miserably, but he fainted after just one scream. When Erlang went to hit the other one, he fainted even more completely.

For fear that he would re-install it after he recovered, Erlang also tapped his shin bones.

The two men pinched his legs and confirmed that they were indeed broken before they sat down weakly.

Ji Lang was silent for a long time, then he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"You need to bring another pack of sleeping pills, so he won't wake up and start yelling."

Da Lang: "Don't waste your money. If he starts yelling, I will knock him out. At worst, I can bite him to death and call him a lunatic. I'll take the quilt and the cart.

When you go back to compensate your family, don’t say that I went back to my hometown or make up other lies. If you get discovered, just say you didn’t know.

We are sorry for our family, so don't let them bother looking for us. Keep your mouth shut and pretend we are gone! If we get home, we will find a way to send you a letter.

If Wulang and Liulang ask, tell them secretly so that they know what's going on and don't make a fuss about looking for it!"

The two men put the hammer back and stuffed the silver coins back into their respective places. They didn't know whether the amount of money in each place was correct, but this was the only way they could do. They also stole another tael of silver to give to Dalang as travel expenses.

He returned to the house and tied Fu Erbai more tightly, covered him with a quilt, and hid some firewood, ready to knock him out again if he woke up and made too much noise.

I washed and rubbed my face to make my expression look more normal, waiting for my family to come back to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival.

This... might be the last reunion, right?

But it doesn’t seem to matter, their family… has not been reunited for a long time.

Dalang and Erlang sat in the yard somewhat lonely, not knowing when they would meet next time.

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