Chapter 102 No Beneficiaries
After a couple of sentences, the large black-rimmed glasses slipped down to the tip of his nose, and Gao Liang extended his index finger and pushed them up.
Grayish-brown scars stretched from the fingertips to the wrists, looking quite gruesome.
"Liangliang, your hand?" Chen Yun exclaimed in surprise.
Since Gao Liang usually eats with his right hand covered by his sleeve, Chen Yun didn't notice that there were so many scars on his left hand. Moreover, judging from the varying shades of color, they must have been there for a long time.
Gao Liang looked down at his left hand, his lips curving upwards as if pulled up by invisible lines, a smile that was heartbreaking.
“Zhao Qingqing became mentally disabled after a high fever when she was little. Her aunt told me herself… she couldn’t even dress herself.” Gao Liang spoke slowly, making sure everyone around could hear him clearly: “My dad knew all along; he was the one who told Zhao Qingqing’s parents to keep it from my mom and the rest of the family…”
Qiu Zhifang was just a pitiful character who followed Gao Fei's orders from beginning to end. Before today, she even thought that the person who married Gao Liang was Zhao Yueyue.
Now that the lie has been exposed, Gao Liang thought Qiu Zhifang would at least say a few words of justice for the two brothers.
What chilled Gao Liang to the bone was that his mother quickly accepted Zhao's mother's proposal after her initial shock, and no one paid any attention to Gao Liang's words, "I won't get married."
"It doesn't matter who Gao Yi and I marry, what matters is getting the money and the house," Gao Liang concluded casually.
The scars on his left wrist are marks left from each time he tried to run away from home over the years.
The dense traces began to appear after we separated in the third year of high school. The first time was after my second uncle helped me take over the newsstand. My parents then blamed my second uncle for being stingy, saying that he should have taken over the shop in front of the movie theater instead.
It was as if his second uncle's help to them was a matter of course, and he tried his best to instill this view in Gao Liang.
The cold indifference that chilled Chen Yun was actually a silent protest against her parents' erroneous views.
“I’m cowardly, I dare not disobey my parents’ orders.” Gao Liang took a deep breath, his tone so calm that it revealed no emotion, as if he were talking about someone else’s situation: “But they can’t include Gao Yi in their schemes. Isn’t it enough that only one person in this family is living like a monster?”
"Isn't that enough?!" Gao Liang suddenly roared at Gao Fei and Qiu Zhifang, "Do you only feel at ease when you've driven us two brothers to our deaths?!"
Chen Yun watched quietly as the thin young man roared hoarsely, veins bulging on his neck, and a red hue of anger rapidly spreading across his neck and cheeks.
Chen Yun secretly felt that Gao Liang was ungrateful, so she gradually became distant from him, thus overlooking many problems that she should have discovered much earlier.
Gao Liang's emotions are clearly abnormal, and have progressed to the point of self-harm.
The roar that hadn't yet faded abruptly stopped, and Gao Liang swayed violently, clutching his chest and bending over in pain.
His whole body was like a taut bow, and his breathing was short and sharp.
"Liangliang!"
"Highlight..."
The courtyard instantly descended into chaos.
Chen Yun's eyes sharpened, and he quickly took off his cotton-padded coat and rolled up his sleeves: "He's so excited that he's hyperventilating. You all disperse."
"Second Aunt... Second Aunt... My heart hurts so much." Gao Liang pounded his chest in terror.
Chen Yun grabbed his hand as he pounded his chest: "Listen to your second aunt, she said you're suffering from alkali poisoning..."
He realized halfway through his sentence that Gao Liang didn't seem to be listening at all, so he immediately shut his mouth and glanced to the side.
Suddenly, a plastic bag filled with fruit in the corner caught my eye.
"Gao Ming, plastic bag!" Chen Yun shouted, covering his mouth as he tried to breathe.
Apart from Chen Yun, almost everyone was stunned!
Gao Ming quickly woke up, ran over, poured out the apples, and handed the plastic bag to Chen Yun.
Bright red apples were rolling all over the ground.
He rolled the plastic bag into a tube shape and covered Gao Liang's mouth and nose with it, signaling to Gao Ming: "Hold him down, don't let him tear the bag."
Gao Ming and Gao Yi rushed over and each pinned down one of Gao Liang's shoulders.
"Inhale slowly, exhale slowly... Follow me, inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale..."
A few minutes later, the plastic bag was covered in white mist, and Gao Liang's breathing gradually calmed down.
Chen Yun waited another half minute before taking off the plastic bag and patting Gao Liang on the shoulder: "It's okay, breathe slowly."
Gao Liang nodded weakly, his forehead covered in large beads of sweat, his face pale and bloodless.
No one expected that the farce would be temporarily interrupted by Gao Liang's respiratory alkali poisoning.
Everyone hurriedly helped the person into the house and laid them down. Gao Fei and Qiu Zhifang were so frightened that they didn't dare to utter a sound and could only obediently follow the rest of the Gao family into the house.
At this point, there was not a trace of the Zhao family left.
Upon seeing Gao Liang nearly suffocating, Zhao's father concluded that Gao Liang must have a health problem and was no longer willing to pursue the marriage alliance... He took advantage of the chaos and ran away with his family!
"You'll be fine after a rest."
Chen Yun examined Gao Liang's physical condition and found that in addition to respiratory alkali poisoning, he might also have some hypoglycemia, which is why he experienced a sense of impending death.
"..."
The room was so quiet that even breathing sounds became quite noticeable.
Gao Fei and Qiu Zhifang dared not enter the house, but stood at the doorway and looked out. With those two disgusted eyes staring at them, they felt numb all over.
In particular, Gao Ming's expression towards his brother and sister-in-law was devoid of any smile, sending chills down one's spine.
Gao Tiejun took out a cigarette from his pocket, but didn't light it. He just held it to his nose and sniffed it carefully.
After a long while, he looked up at the doorway and then at Gao Liang, who was staring blankly at the ceiling, before finally speaking.
"I'm making the decision today, eldest son, let's divide the family property!"
"Dad!" Gao Fei called out nervously, not caring about anything else at the moment, and hurriedly went into the house: "Dad, I will naturally divide the property after the two children get married, now..."
"What?" Gao Ming sneered, interrupting Gao Fei, who was clearly still unwilling to give up. "You still want to send your two sons to be sold for money? Do you think the Zhao family still wants to be your in-laws after this incident?"
"Idiots!" Gao Tiejun rebuked in a deep voice, the cigarette between his fingers instantly turning into several pieces: "If the Zhao family really had so much money they couldn't spend it all, would they have formed a marriage alliance with you? They just think you two are both idiots, easy idiots to manipulate!"
"Brother, you really are muddle-headed." Gao Lan shook her head and mocked, "The Zhao family initially asked your family to buy a car and a house, and then they said they would have to pay you extra. Didn't you even use your brains to think about why they were doing this?"
“The couple’s affection for their daughter is just a pretense. I think they just want to trick someone into accepting Zhao Qingqing, which is why they’re asking you to buy a car and a house,” Gao Mingxian said.
They didn't consider what kind of life their daughter would have after getting married, so they didn't want to spend a single penny.
Chen Yun continued, "The reason they were willing to pay extra later was because Zhao Yueyue had taken a liking to Gao Liang. They knew that without paying extra, their daughter would never be able to live a good life."
The only person Zhao's parents truly loved was their healthy daughter; Zhao Qingqing was nothing more than a burden they could discard at any time.
"This family will split up today, whether we want to or not." Gao Tiejun pointed to two wooden stools in the corner: "If we don't split up, your mother and I will move into your apartment building. Let's see if you dare to kick us out."
"..."
"Gao Liang, tell me the truth." Gao Tiejun patted Gao Liang's hand outside the blanket: "Do you like Zhao Yueyue or Zhao Qing?"
"I don't like any of them," Gao Liang answered decisively.
“Since you don’t like it, then I’ll take the liberty of canceling the marriage.” Gao Tiejun patted the thin hand reassuringly. “Let’s talk about the family division first. I have something to ask you later.”
"Cough cough cough—"
Next, Gao Tiejun indeed mentioned splitting up the company.
"Both apartments have outstanding loans. Whichever of you brothers takes over which one, you'll have to pay off the rest of the loan yourselves..."
Gao Tiejun spoke while looking at Gao Fei and Qiu Zhifang, and seeing that the two dared not speak out in anger, he continued.
The first property has a debt of 230,000 yuan. Whoever is willing to take over this property will also be responsible for supporting Gao Fei and his wife in their old age.
If you have a second mortgage, just take care of yourself.
"Gao Liang and Gao Yi, which of you is willing?"
"..."
Gao Yi looked at Wang Xueli, who gently shook her head.
“We don’t want to live with our parents.” Gao Yi immediately made his partner’s meaning clear.
The couple, Gao Yi and his wife, made their attitude very clear: they would rather take on hundreds of thousands of yuan in debt than live under the same roof as their in-laws.
"Where's Gao Liang?" Gao Tiejun asked again.
Gao Liang gave a bitter laugh, but didn't answer. He just raised his hand and waved it gently.
Qiu Zhifang's face turned pale, her eyes filled with incomprehension.
Why……
She doesn't seem to realize that her two sons have become estranged from their parents. No matter how nice the house is, it doesn't matter to them. What matters is staying away from unpleasant things.
“I bought this house with my own money, and I can give it to whomever I want.” Gao Fei’s dissatisfaction burst from his throat, seemingly angered by his two sons’ attitude of avoiding him.
“I don’t want any commercial housing.” Gao Liang let out a hard breath and finally had the strength to slowly sit up and lean against the headboard: “I just want a room in Guanming Hutong, as long as I have a place to sleep.”
Guanming Hutong is a house passed down from his ancestors. Gao Liang only needs Gao Tiejun's consent to have a room, so he won't have to be controlled by his parents anymore.
“Shirley and I also live in Guanming Hutong,” Gao Yi added.
Both brothers wanted to live in Guanming Hutong, and as for commercial housing, whoever wanted to live there could live there; they weren't interested anyway.
Gao Fei: "..."
“Since neither of you wants a commercial apartment, then we’ll grant the eldest’s wish. You two can decide how you want to live in the apartment and who you want it to be given to…” Gao Tiejun said.
Although the Gao family has verbally separated their property, all the houses are under one property certificate. Gao Tiejun was able to give three rooms to Gao Fei, and today they can take them back and redistribute them to his two grandsons.
That's what he thought, and that's what he did.
Gao Yi got married early, so he was given two rooms. Gao Liang lived in the larger main room. After Gao Tiejun and his wife passed away, the main room would belong to Gao Liang.
Do you have any objections?
The question was mainly directed at Gao Ming, since the elderly couple were currently living with them, and logically the house should belong to Gao Ming in the future.
“We have no objection,” Chen Yun, representing Gao Ming, proactively stated.
Gao Tiejun nodded with a satisfied smile.
Gao Ming suddenly scratched Chen Yun's palm and blinked frantically, all of which were noticed by Gao Tiejun.
"Speak your mind."
Chen Yun was momentarily dazed, not understanding what Gao Ming's blinking meant... Did he disagree with giving the house to Gao Liang?
"It seems you didn't see a word of what I said last night." Gao Ming shook his head and chuckled, then coughed twice and said, "Our family probably won't be staying here for long before we move out."
Chen Yun finally remembered that she vaguely heard Gao Ming say something about wanting to buy a new house and move last night.
But at that time her mind was so tired that everything she heard went in one ear and out the other.
"..."
“Actually, Jianguo and I were also planning to move out,” Gao Lan suddenly said, echoing the same sentiment.
After chatting with Gao Ming about buying a house that day, Gao Lan and Zhou Jianguo had already been looking at houses everywhere, preparing to finish decorating the new house before Zhou Xiaojuan came back for winter vacation.
"Gao Lan and I discussed it and decided to give the house in Guanming Hutong to my second brother." Zhou Jianguo chuckled and scratched the back of his head, his eyes sincere. "Back then, it was my second brother who pointed Gao Lan and me in the right direction, so consider the house a thank you gift."
Gao Tiejun smiled with satisfaction.
This is how a family should behave: brothers and sisters are united and loving, and help each other when they encounter difficulties.
Gao Ming looked at Chen Yun and smiled: "As long as Nian An's mother is satisfied, we can move in anytime."
"Let's take a look at the house first," Chen Yun said.
“Your mother and I will continue to stay in Guanming Hutong. We’ve lived there for most of our lives and we can’t bear to leave our neighbors.”
The elderly couple had clearly discussed this decision privately. After Gao Tiejun finished speaking, Dong Qiaoying simply smiled and nodded.
"You can stay wherever you're happy." Gao Ming respected his parents' opinions: "If you get tired of living in the alley, just let us know and we'll come pick you up."
Gao Lan also said, "If your second brother's family isn't comfortable, he can stay with us."
Perhaps there's a slight reason that they're used to living here and don't want to move, but the biggest reason right now is probably because of Gao Liang and Gao Yi.
"Second brother, which neighborhood did you buy your house in?"
When the topic of buying a house came up, the atmosphere in the room suddenly relaxed. Gao Lan was curious about how Gao Ming had bought a house without saying a word.
"We first selected a few neighborhoods, but how big to buy and where to buy were all decided by your second sister-in-law. I was just an advisor."
Gao Ming steadfastly upheld his pre-marital promise, allowing Chen Yun to make all decisions, big and small.
Buying a house is a big decision, so of course we have to wait until Chen Yun has seen it before we can make a final decision.
"So you're saying you want to move?" Chen Yun poked Gao Ming's arm, both amused and exasperated. "Anyone who doesn't know better would think the house is already renovated and you can move in tomorrow, but in the end, it's still nothing."
Chen Yun knew Gao Ming well; the fact that he made the announcement before even buying the house was simply a statement.
The houses in Guanming Hutong... he can ignore them.
However, Chen Yun didn't make her point clear: even if she moved out to live in the old house, she had no intention of giving it up, especially after Gao Lan expressed her opinion.
If they really say no now, who knows what kind of trouble the eldest brother and sister-in-law might cause in the future.
"Let's take our time looking at houses. Let's continue discussing the eldest son's division of the family property." Gao Tiejun was determined to clarify the family division today.
Gao Fei and Qiu Zhifang remained silent.
“Since Gao Liang and Gao Yi don’t want the apartment, there’s no question of dividing the family property.” Gao Ming smiled and turned to Gao Fei: “Brother and sister-in-law, don’t you agree?”
"Who are Lao Gao and I working so hard to earn money to buy a house for!" Qiu Zhifang gritted her teeth, her confusion, sadness, and incomprehension all turning into anger as she pointed at Gao Liang and Gao Yi: "Isn't it all for you!"
"..."
Gao Liang watched indifferently, while Gao Yi sneered.
"For us? You should say it's for my brother. What does it have to do with me?"
Everyone knows that the parents in Guanming Hutong are biased towards each other, but in the end they actually said it was for their own good. Even a passing dog would laugh if it heard that.
He Gao Yi is the character "们" (men), whether one character is added or removed is not important.
“I can’t afford that.” Gao Liang laughed as he listened, his gaze fixed on the blanket. “If he really cared about me even a little, he wouldn’t use his own son to make money.”
Chen Yun had been paying close attention to Gao Liang's movements and noticed that his gaze was wandering and he was fidgeting a lot.
Since you can still express your thoughts clearly and completely, your psychological problems are probably not serious enough to require medical intervention.
"We raised you with so much hardship, and this is how you repay your mother and me! Have you forgotten how poor we were when we were little, we couldn't even afford rice bran..."
Qiu Zhifang may have sensed something from her two sons' indifferent expressions, but Gao Fei was still immersed in his own self-consciousness and unable to extricate himself.
Gao Fei's obsession with money began during his years as a sent-down youth, when poverty and hunger left an indelible mark on his heart.
Later, when he had some money, he noticed that his neighbors and colleagues looked at him differently, and they valued money more and more.
Does having more money automatically mean others will respect you more?
Rather than saying they value money, it's more accurate to say they enjoy being fawned over and revel in the feeling of being praised to the skies.
“Go out and look around. Which family doesn’t choose a wife or daughter from a well-off family? What else are we doing this for if not for your future well-being!”
"They're all ungrateful bastards. They think that others are being kind by saying a few words of respect? Only a brainless person would think that way."
"...I have nothing to say to you!"
After a long speech, Gao Fei realized that everyone's gaze was growing colder, and he felt that saying more was like casting pearls before swine, so he quickly gave up on seeking recognition.
"Let me make this clear from the start! Since you two brothers have both chosen the old house, then you can live there for the rest of your lives if you dare!"
"Your mother and I don't need your support, and these two apartments will have nothing to do with you in the future."
"Walk!"
Qiu Zhifang was pulled up by the arm, her face still full of confusion, and she was dragged out of the house with unsteady steps.
Chen Yun believes that they have not given up on the idea of marrying into the Zhao family!
"..."
"Gao Liang, you've been out of school for almost half a year now, right?" Chen Yun suddenly stood up and sat on the edge of the bed. "What are your plans for the future?"
"I don't know." Gao Liang shook his head gently.
Just a few hours ago, I could still hear my parents discussing whose name should be on the deed after they got the shop, and I could still vividly recall the scene of Zhao Qingqing laughing foolishly while wetting her pants.
Who could have predicted that in the blink of an eye, the wedding would fall through, and he... would be free.
But after feeling relieved, what followed was endless confusion, a sense of helplessness and uncertainty about how to proceed in the future.
“My second aunt is a doctor,” Chen Yun added.
"I know."
"Then I'll be frank. Your second aunt thinks you're having a little emotional problem... You should have noticed it yourself, right?"
In an era when people could barely afford to eat and stay warm, the diagnosis and treatment of many mental illnesses were still largely undeveloped.
Therefore, Chen Yun's statement was rather subtle and did not rely on the word "illness".
Gao Liang's eyes lit up, and he suddenly looked up at Chen Yun.
"Would you like to move to a different place?" Chen Yun asked softly again.
"think."
Chen Yun's powerful yet simple answer seemed to instantly enlighten Gao Liang.
"Brilliant!" Chen Yun exclaimed.
Gao Ming pondered for a few seconds and quickly thought of a position: "The city's transportation department needs someone to handle office business. Would you like to go?"
This job doesn't require any technical skills; as long as you can endure hardship, you can keep it up.
For Gao Liang, who is eager to start a new life in a different place, this is the perfect opportunity.
“I want to go!” Gao Liang immediately agreed, but what he said next was somewhat unexpected: “I don’t want the house in Guanming Hutong either, sir! I’ll earn the money to buy it myself in the future.”
"well!"
After a series of unpleasant events, there was finally some good news that made Gao Tiejun happy from the bottom of his heart.
His grandson was ambitious, and of course, he, as the grandfather, would support him. He patted Gao Liang's shoulder a few times and said, "Old Gao, give Liangliang some money for travel expenses tonight."
"Dad, don't rush to get the travel money." Gao Ming quickly stopped Dong Qiaoying, who was about to stand up to get the money: "I haven't finished speaking yet..."
The environment in Huhe City is extremely harsh, with only one and a half months of summer each year and nearly six months of ice and snow.
Several of the administrative staff sent by the company returned to the north city because they couldn't stand the cold weather.
The Ministry of Transport has been in operation for over a year, but not a single person has been able to work diligently for even half a year.
"Even if Liangliang wants to go, he needs to gain some weight first." Gao Ming gestured to Gao Liang's wrist, which was not as thick as Chen Yun's: "If your physical condition isn't up to par, even if you want to go, I wouldn't dare send you."
If anything were to happen to him, Gao Ming's second uncle would feel guilty for the rest of his life.
"Liangliang, just settle down here peacefully." Gao Tiejun immediately took over the task of fattening up Gao Liang, and Lianlian assured him, "Old Dong and I have nothing to do anyway, so we'll take care of cooking from now on."
"Liangliang, don't just sit around doing nothing," Gao Ming said.
"Understood, Second Uncle."
"Gao Yi and his grandmother will be in charge of the wedding preparations for Gao Yi and Comrade Xiao Wang. We'll just have a few tables set up in the courtyard to celebrate."
"I'll listen to Grandpa."
“I will listen to Grandpa and Grandma.”
With the eldest grandson's troubles resolved, it's time to put the second grandson's marriage on the agenda.
Since Gao Fei and his wife are not involved, it is only natural for Gao Tiejun, as the grandfather, to take on the responsibility.
"Then I'll be waiting to attend your wedding!" Chen Yun laughed.
The wind whipped up snowflakes, which fell in a flurry. After a brief pause, the snow began to fall again.
Lunch, which was long overdue, was finally served amidst the heavy snow.
The snow fell on and off for almost half a month. When the weather cleared up, the New Year was almost here.
Chen Yun didn't receive any wedding candy from Gao Yi and Wang Xueli, nor did she see Gao Liang gain weight. Instead, she received a notice to go to a village and town in Mengding County in Southwest China for a free medical clinic.
As snowstorm raged in the northern part of the city, Mengding County experienced a once-in-a-century flood.
The floods have killed thousands and displaced tens of thousands of people.
The county hospital requested the central government to send a medical team to Mengding to help the county hospital treat the wounded.
Major hospitals in the northern part of the city responded quickly to the call and decided to send medical teams to provide immediate assistance.
The Workers' Hospital sent fifteen doctors and twenty nurses.
As an expert in infants and young children at the Workers' Hospital, Chen Yun naturally became part of the first wave of support.
Upon receiving the assignment, Chen Yun immediately handed over her current tasks.
After returning home, I packed a few things and boarded the train to Mengding County.
Gao Ming and his two children only learned from Gao Tiejun that Chen Yun had set off for the rescue after they returned home.
This trip can take anywhere from two or three months to a year and a half.
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