Xie Chunhua didn't get her new shoes. In the morning, she was scared half to death by a group of aunties and grandmas. After finally escaping, she went home hungry.
When she returned to Xie Laowai's house, she burst into tears upon seeing her parents, clearly terrified of being disciplined.
After crying her fill, Xie Chunhua sobbed and embellished her story twice, recounting how Xie Ming had bullied her.
After hearing about the little brat's "great achievements" in the morning, the eldest son didn't go to the fields all afternoon. He stayed home waiting for his "unfilial son" to come back so he could kowtow and apologize to them!
What no one expected was that the "little beast" they were talking about was currently staying at the home of the most respected clan chief in the village, waiting to give them a good beating after work!
Xie Ming talked to Xie Hengshou at his house for a while before finalizing the matter. Afterwards, the two of them leisurely brewed a pot of tea in the courtyard and drank it.
Time was running out, and it was almost time to finish work. Xie Hengshou looked up at the setting sun, calculated that it was about time, and then asked Li Changxing to go to the village entrance and strike the iron gong under the old tree.
Originally, there was a large bell here, passed down from our ancestors, which was taken away during the Great Leap Forward. The villagers begged and pleaded until they finally got the bell back.
Whenever there is an event in the clan, the gong will sound a specific sound, and all the Xie clan members will gather at the village entrance.
The sound of the gong jolted the older generation; it hadn't been heard for so many years. They dropped their hoes and rushed to the village entrance. Their children and grandchildren could only helplessly pick up their tools and follow behind their grandparents and parents.
The outsiders who arrived later, unaware of what had happened, saw everyone else acting as if they were on steroids and hurriedly followed to see what was going on.
A large crowd gathered at the village entrance, where Xie Hengshou stood on a flat, large rock, looking down at the people below. The clan chief's authority was immediately apparent, and even the village head and secretary in the crowd looked at the old man with respect.
The surroundings quieted down, and Xie Hengshou cleared his throat and spoke: "Quan Li, a member of my Xie clan, was adopted by Xie Hengchang at a young age and has been raised by me since childhood."
When he spoke, Xie Laowai almost stumbled and fell. He knew the clan leader was about to do something big. But he didn't dare interrupt him.
"After he joined the army at the age of 15, he fought bravely against the enemy in the army and served the country loyally for my Xie clan. Later, he was seriously injured and did not recover until 1956 when he returned to his hometown to visit relatives. Unexpectedly, he died in a fight with enemy agents on a train, leaving behind his young son Xie Ming."
Immediately, those unaware of the details erupted into a heated discussion. They were all talking about Xie Ming's status as a martyr's orphan and his entanglement with Xie Laowai's family.
Seeing the commotion below, Xie Hengshou remained silent until the crowd gradually quieted down before speaking again: "For many years, Xie Ming has been walking around the village as Xie Quanfu's son. Only today did I learn that he is the grandson of my younger brother Xie Hengchang and the son of Xie Quanli. Today, I have gathered the clan brothers and other villagers here to explain that from now on, Xie Ming will return to the direct line of the Xie family and move out of Xie Quanfu's house to live in Xie Hengchang's old house."
After he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in uproar. What? This is a complete break?! Is he really that decisive?
What they didn't know was that Xie Hengshou was never a soft-hearted person. His concessions to Xie Laowai's family were simply out of affection for Xie Quanli and his expectations for Xie Ming.
In his previous life, he was supposed to pass away next year. Xie Ming lost his only supporter, which is why he was so badly betrayed by that so-called uncle.
“Grandpa, how could that be? He’s my child, he eats my food and uses my things. After raising him, my dad even gave him a job in town. Now he thinks he can just walk away? No way!” The speaker was Xie Yinzhu, Xie Dabo’s youngest son.
Xie Hengshou glanced at Xie Laowai and Xie Quanfu, and seeing their shifty eyes, he knew they were up to no good, but they didn't dare to let it out themselves, so they used their youngest son to let it out.
"Xie Yinzhu! You say I eat your food and use your things, where's the proof! Show me, and I'll return every penny to you! And what about that job in town? Did your father give me that job? Have you no shame?"
The old man, despite his advanced age, stood there talking for a long time, which worried Xie Ming. Since he had set up the stage, then it was up to him to sing.
"Evidence! You're a complete ingrate! The whole village saw you eating and drinking at my house! Oh! By the way, my dad even sent you to elementary school. Didn't my dad give you this job? Did you get it yourself?"
Xie Ming's job is quite eye-catching; how many people in the village aren't envious? After hearing this, everyone felt he was really heartless.
"Hehe~ Since you want to argue with me, then I'll give you a proper explanation." After saying that, Xie Hengshou reached out and pulled him to stand on the stone platform.
The stone platform is usually a place where children can play and everyone can cool off, but on this occasion, not just anyone can go up without the clan chief's permission.
"Fellow clansmen, I, Xie Ming, started earning work points when I was 6 years old. The scorekeepers should know that in the early years I could get 2 or 3 work points every day. When I was 10 years old, I started working in the fields with Uncle Xie to earn work points, and I could get 6 or 7 work points a day." After saying this, he looked at the two scorekeepers, who nodded repeatedly.
Indeed, Xie Ming had to earn work points to go to school over the years. He worked very hard to attend school when he was young.
“After I stopped going to school at 14, I worked my way up to the maximum number of work points every day. I thought that would be enough to support myself!” He paused and then said, “After learning that I was Xie Quanli’s son, I went to the town mayor’s house this morning, and the mayor gave me a certificate. It clearly stated that my parents left me some money. This money included my parents’ posthumous pension and their savings from many years of work. Uncle Quanfu, with all that money you received, how many Xie Mings have you supported?”
The villagers who witnessed the incident were utterly astonished; no wonder Xie Laowai's family was so eager to raise the child back then. It turned out his parents had left him money.
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