Chapter 51
The closer Meng Yuxiu got to the village entrance, the heavier his steps became. He was originally walking in front, but soon he was walking alongside the family of three behind him.
Han Hong urged him, "Tsk, hurry up and go, don't dawdle. Are your legs filled with cement or what?"
"Okay." Upon hearing this, Meng Yuxiu reluctantly took a large step forward.
Han Sen's mind was in a mess ever since he got off the tractor.
He and Meng Yuxiu went through one mission after another, from an unexpected pregnancy to now being taken by Han Hong to demand an explanation—it was all so absurd that it was simply unbelievable.
He never imagined in either of his lives that he would live the way he does today.
As he was thinking, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Meng Yuxiu walking a little ahead, his fair face tense. He also noticed the cement house next to the big tree at the village entrance, and he was abruptly awakened from his chaotic thoughts.
"Damn it!" Han Shuo thought to himself, realizing he had been so distracted that he had completely overlooked Meng Yuxiu's safety.
Meng Yuxiu had told him before that his parents were both teachers and were extremely strict with him.
If he were to take them back with him, his two parents, who are both teachers, would probably beat him half to death.
Thinking of this, Han Shuo shuddered.
He quickly strode over to Meng Yuxiu and asked, "Hey, Meng Yuxiu, what will your parents do to you when you take us home later?"
"I don't know," Meng Yuxiu said.
Meng Yuxiu truly didn't know that he had come into this world last September and hadn't even spent a year with his parents.
In addition, he was not a talkative person, so his communication with Mencius' parents was limited to meals and academic matters.
Han Shuo panicked, tugged at his arm, and said in a low voice, "Forget it, forget it, why don't you just stay at my house instead of going home? Anyway, you're not their real son."
Although Han Shuo was telling the truth, Meng Yuxiu couldn't quite put his finger on how he felt about the Meng family in this era. Logically speaking, he only possessed his own memories from the 21st century, so he shouldn't have much of a connection with his family here.
However, his soul subconsciously developed respect and dependence on Mencius's parents. Even from the very first second he came into this world, he naturally and without any resistance integrated himself into the family of this era, which he felt was perhaps an instinct of this body.
Actually, it wasn't just him; Han Shuo was the same way. That's why all these things happened today, and why Han Hong brought Han Shuo to visit Meng Yuxiu's parents.
Faced with Han Shuo's suggestion, Meng Yuxiu pondered for a few seconds but still felt it was inappropriate. "No, your brother said I have to meet my parents."
Han Shuo said speechlessly, "Damn! Are you a masochist? Why are you so eager to get beaten up?"
"Come on, come on." Noticing Han Hong glaring at him from the side, Han Shuo quietly tugged at his arm. "Come back to Xiaoshi Village with me. I'll talk to my brother."
As Meng Yuxiu approached the village entrance, he felt uneasy, but Han Shuo couldn't pull him away.
Although Meng Yuxiu walked slowly, his steps were remarkably firm.
“No, I have to take your brother to meet my parents,” Meng Yuxiu said, looking into Han Shuo’s eyes. “Otherwise, we can’t get married.”
"..." Han Shuo couldn't help but twitch his cheek muscles violently.
He was truly impressed.
Why is this kid so stubborn?
"What if your parents disagree?"
Upon hearing Han Shuo's words, Meng Yuxiu actually began to think seriously as he walked.
After taking a couple of steps, he suddenly asked Han Shuo, "Then, can I marry into your family?"
"..." Han Shuo was speechless again. How come he hadn't noticed that these eighteen-year-old boys were so eager to get married these days?
Han Shuo couldn't stop Meng Yuxiu, who was determined to take his brother to meet his parents, so he had to go to Han Hong to discuss it.
"Brother, if his parents hit him later, could you help stop them?"
Han Hong stared at Meng Yuxiu and snorted, "He deserves to be taught a lesson for doing something like this!"
"Brother!" Han Shuo was completely at a loss. It turned out that out of the four people, he was the only one who was so anxious that he was jumping up and down.
However, Han Hong was still angry, and instead of helping, he might even add fuel to the fire.
Han Shuo became increasingly uneasy, and could only half-persuade and half-threaten: "Brother, let me tell you, I'm definitely going to have this child. You can't just stand by and watch... Even if he's your future... well, I'll definitely be with him in the future. If he gets crippled, I'll have to raise the child all by myself! Brother!"
Upon hearing Han Shuo's words, Meng Yuxiu's initial fear of arriving home transformed into boundless courage, and he couldn't help but feel a slight emotion welling up in his eyes.
Han Hong was furious to see that his younger brother was already siding with outsiders even before marrying that brat. He glared at him and yelled, "Then I'll raise him! I've already raised you and Tingting, why would I worry about raising another one?!"
"..." Han Shuo had nothing to say and could only grit his teeth and continue walking forward.
They arrived at the entrance of Xiqiao Village at 8:30 p.m. In winter, rural people go to bed early, so the group could enter the Meng family's house quietly.
However, it is summer now, the perfect time to go out after dinner, cool off, and chat.
So a group of villagers gathered under the big tree in front of Meng Yuxiu's house, and while they were chatting and laughing, they saw three tall and thin men carrying a child walking from the village entrance.
Imagine what it's like to have such a group of villagers sitting here.
Even though Meng Yuxiu lowered his head slightly and didn't glance in any direction, and even though Han Shuo and Han Hong walked quickly, they couldn't escape the eyes of the villagers under the tree.
Immediately, someone laughed and asked Meng Yuxiu, "Hey, isn't this Xiao Xiu? It was so dark from afar that I couldn't even see who it was."
"At mealtime, your parents were still asking where you went, haha."
"Xiao Xiu, who is this?"
Meng Yuxiu glanced quickly at Han Hong and noticed that Han Hong also looked somewhat embarrassed.
He gave a vague answer to the villagers: "He's my friend."
As he spoke, he quickly led Han Shuo and his brother into the courtyard. But the moment they stepped inside, Meng Yuxiu heard the villagers gossiping, "The Meng family's son has brought his wife to visit?"
"Who's that guy next to you? He looks so angry."
"Then it must be your family."
"It seems that Principal Meng and Teacher Yang don't know yet; they were still asking where their son went during dinner."
"Oh dear, could it be that his son cheated on someone else... and then the woman's family came knocking on the door?"
"Then Teacher Meng and the others must be furious..."
The gate to the Meng family's courtyard is always wide open, except when no one is around during the day or before they go to bed at night. The first floor houses the living room and dining room.
As soon as the group entered the courtyard, they saw Meng's father and mother sitting at the dining table eating.
The group walked quietly, with Meng Yuxiu and Han Shuo being particularly silent due to their guilty conscience and nervousness.
Han Hong hadn't expected there to be a bunch of people at Meng Yuxiu's door. He had planned to start cursing as soon as he entered, but he felt ashamed and held back his anger.
"I wonder where they've gone off to play," Meng's mother said to Meng's father while eating inside the house. The two of them hadn't yet noticed the person who had come into the yard.
Meng Yuxiu slowly walked to the door and then called out to them in a low voice.
"Dad, Mom, I'm home..."
Upon hearing the sound, Meng's father instinctively scolded, "You brat, where have you been? Your mother cooked a whole table of food for you today! Didn't she tell you..."
However, his words stopped abruptly in his throat as he saw the two men standing next to his son.
One was a boy about the same age as the son, and the other was a man who looked to be under thirty with an unfriendly expression. The man was holding a four or five-year-old child in his arms, who was looking around curiously with his big, dark eyes.
If all the children were around the same age as his son, then Meng's father would assume they were classmates visiting.
Such a bizarre combination left Meng's father somewhat bewildered.
Meng's father was the principal of the town's primary school. He was concerned about his reputation and the presence of outsiders, so he did not scold Meng Yuxiu again.
He put down his chopsticks, stood up, looked at Han Hong, then at Han Shuo, and asked his son, "Who are they...?"
Meng Yuxiu glanced at Han Shuo and Han Hong beside him, his clenched fist tightening and loosening repeatedly.
He lowered his eyes, took a deep breath, and then looked up at his father, saying, "Dad, I want to marry Han Shuo."
Mencius' parents were stunned and stood there for several seconds without reacting.
Let's not even talk about who Han Shuo is. In those few seconds, Meng's parents didn't even have time to think about who Han Shuo was.
They were caught completely off guard by this sudden news.
Although in this era, there are many boys who are about the same age as Meng Yuxiu and get married, and even those who are younger than Meng Yuxiu have gotten married and had children.
But their family was different from those others. Mencius' parents had been teaching for more than ten years, and their thinking was already among the most advanced in the village and even in the town.
Not to mention that they had never even considered Meng Yuxiu's marriage, the couple felt that it was too early for Meng Yuxiu to even be dating.
Especially considering that Meng Yuxiu just finished the college entrance examination and achieved such good results.
However, while the couple stood there stunned, still processing the news, Meng Yuxiu's next sentence shocked them so much that their ears and heads started ringing.
"Dad, Mom," Meng Yuxiu gritted his teeth and said, "Han Shuo is pregnant with my child."
Before Han Hong entered the room, he was worried that the kid wouldn't dare to speak, but now that he heard him, he couldn't help but snort.
After hearing this, Han Shuo immediately stared intently at the reactions of Meng's parents. In fact, if he had looked in the mirror at that moment, his grimacing expression would probably have been even more distorted than that of Meng's parents.
Meng's father was stunned for a good ten seconds before he asked Meng Yuxiu in disbelief. Then, when he spoke, his voice was almost a roar, which made Meng Yuxiu and Han Shuo's hearts tremble.
"What did you say?!"
When Meng Yuxiu saw his father's furious face, his body was overcome with an instinctive fear of his father, and he subconsciously took a small step back.
But at the same time, his 21st-century soul was slowly giving him courage.
He raised his head, his narrow eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. He slightly swallowed and said again, "Han Shuo is pregnant with my child. I want to marry Han Shuo."
Han Shuo watched in horror as Meng's father's finger, pointing at Meng Yuxiu, trembled violently. He gasped sharply.
Han Hong frowned, inwardly admiring Meng's father, who was indeed a teacher. Just by raising his eyebrows and glaring, his voice was powerful and resonant. Not only was the child in his arms frightened and closed his eyes, but Han Hong himself felt as if he had returned to his own elementary school days.
"That uncle... actually, it's not Meng Yuxiu's fault, I also..." Han Shuo said nervously, trying to persuade him.
However, upon hearing this, Han Hong immediately grabbed his brother's arm before he could finish speaking, and then glared at him.
Out of instinct, Han Shuo was silenced by a single glare from Han Hong.
Mr. Meng never imagined that his seemingly well-behaved son would actually do such a thing. He was instantly filled with rage, pointing his finger at Meng Yuxiu's nose, too angry to speak.
Mencius' mother was heartbroken and cried out, "Xiao Xiu, what nonsense are you spouting?!"
“Dad, Mom,” Meng Yuxiu continued, enunciating each word clearly, “I have to take responsibility for what I’ve done.”
"Fine! Fine!!" Seeing his son's straight back and fearless attitude, Meng's father was so angry that his voice trembled. "You've got guts! You actually did such a scandalous thing!"
Meng's father quickly glanced around the house, then excitedly rushed into the yard. When Meng Yuxiu saw this familiar scene, his previously forced courage collapsed instantly. He turned his head sharply, but he didn't even have a second to react.
Meng's father moved so quickly that he rushed out of the house, grabbed something and went back inside, and then slapped Meng Yuxiu on the back in one smooth motion.
By the time Han Shuo and Han Hong reacted, Meng Yuxiu was already jumping up and down from being whipped repeatedly.
"Holy crap! Uncle!!!" Han Shuo yelled, "Stop hitting him! Stop hitting him!!"
"Hey, hey, Xiao Meng's dad!!" Han Hong called out as well.
Han Ting suddenly buried her head in Han Hong's arms.
Mencius' father grabbed a handful of bamboo strips. Coincidentally, today Mencius' mother said that Mencius had done well on his exams, so they should clean the house and then invite relatives and friends over for dinner.
Meng's father was in a good mood and saw the old broom in the corner of the wall, so he decided to replace it with a new one. After Meng Yuxiu went out, he went to the mountain to cut some fresh bamboo strips, but it was getting late and he hadn't had time to tie them into brooms yet.
As you can imagine, after being struck by these bamboo sticks, Meng Yuxiu's skin immediately felt a burning pain. It was different from a slap; a slap only hurts one area, while these bamboo sticks hurt a whole area at once, and the pain was fine and dense.
When Meng Yuxiu confessed to his parents, he was prepared to be slapped. He thought that if he was slapped, he would at most have his face turned to the side, but he could still straighten his back.
But to his utter surprise, Meng's father used bamboo strips.
"Dad!" He really couldn't take the bamboo stick anymore, especially since it was being lashed out from all directions.
"Dad! It hurts!" Meng Yuxiu didn't want to run away at this critical moment and upset his father, but he couldn't stand being whipped, so he practically dodged, jumped, and shouted all at the same time.
"Dad, it hurts!"
"If you've got the guts, I'll beat you to death today!!" Father Meng raised his hand and slapped him. "I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"
Han Shuo rushed forward anxiously to stop them: "Uncle!! Uncle! Stop hitting them!"
"Hey, hey, that Meng's dad..." Han Hong saw this scene and hurriedly carried Han Ting forward. Although Han Hong was extremely unhappy with Meng Yuxiu, it was one thing for him to hit him, but it was another for someone else to hit him.
The most crucial question is, what options does he have now?
His younger brother is pregnant, so Xiao Meng will be inextricably linked to their family from now on.
If someone were to be seriously injured or accidentally poke their eye with a bamboo stick, the consequences would be unimaginable.
We can't let Han Shuo take care of the child alone after the baby is born. If Han Shuo goes to school, and Xiao Meng's eyesight is damaged, taking care of the child alone might result in feeding the baby rice cereal up to the baby's nose.
That would be terrible!
Thinking of this, Han Hong realized that even if it wasn't for his younger brother, he had to consider his nephew's well-being. So he tried even harder to dissuade Meng's father, and he also had to keep his eyes open to prevent the bamboo stick from injuring Han Shuo and Han Ting.
"Xiao Shuo, be careful of your stomach!" Han Hong put Han Ting down on the ground and let him hold Han Shuo's hand, then went forward to pull on Meng's father's arm.
"Dad, stop hitting him, that's enough."
Meng's father cursed and said to Han Hong, "I must beat this brat to death today!"
As he spoke, he pushed Han Hong aside with his arm and rushed over again.
Han Shuo no longer cared about his stomach. He told Han Ting to stand aside and rushed over, anxiously calling out to Meng's mother as he ran, "Auntie, hurry, hurry and persuade Uncle to stop hitting him!"
Watching Meng Yuxiu run around while being whipped on the buttocks, Meng's mother felt both heartbroken and disappointed.
Seeing that the room was not spacious and there was a child inside, Meng's father couldn't pull out the bamboo stick, so the father and son ran and chased each other, pulling the stick as they ran out of the room.
Suddenly, Meng's mother thought of something and chased after him.
When Han Shuo saw that Meng's mother had also come out, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking that there was another Meng's mother to persuade him to stop.
Unexpectedly, Mencius' mother ran out and hurriedly closed the open courtyard gate. After closing the gate, she quickly picked up a shoe that was drying in the yard.
"No way, Auntie?...I'm speechless!!" Han Shuo stared in disbelief as Meng's mother joined the chaotic scene, watching her grab Meng Yuxiu's buttocks and slap him, even if she couldn't catch him, she would still slap the air.
"Mom and Dad..." Meng Yuxiu never imagined in his two lives that he would be in such a sorry state, but right now he had no choice but to call out to his parents.
"Shut up!" Meng's parents had taught at the town's primary school for many years and valued appearances above all else.
The neighbors from the same village were just across the courtyard gate, so under these circumstances, he and his mother didn't even scold or beat their son, for fear of being overheard by outsiders.
However, Han Hong and Han Shuo were unaware of this, so when Meng Yuxiu was chased around the yard by his parents, running and jumping again and again, Meng's parents stopped.
Because there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
Han Hong and Han Shuo seized the opportunity to rush to Meng Yuxiu's side, fearing that if they weren't careful, Meng's parents would strike again.
Meng's father glared at his son, who was standing in the corner of the yard, touching his arm. He muttered, "Get inside! Are you trying to embarrass us by standing here like this?!"
Only after everyone had gone inside did Mencius' mother open the door. It was a villager who had been enjoying the cool air who had come to check on them.
After smiling awkwardly and saying a few words that it was nothing, Meng's mother closed the door.
Nearly twenty minutes had passed since they entered the hospital before Han Hong and Han Shuo finally managed to sit down in their chairs.
Although Meng's father was still furious, he was no longer in a position to take action. He had calmed down a bit and realized that he had acted impulsively.
Judging from the commotion just now, it'll probably be all over the village by tomorrow. If he had known, he should have taken his son upstairs to smoke quietly, but it's too late now.
Since he wasn't going to continue disciplining his son, he had to deal with more important matters.
“Um…” Meng’s father said amicably to Han Hong, who was sitting opposite him, “Brother Han…”
However, just as he opened his mouth, he saw his son carrying a chair and about to sit next to Han Shuo.
Mencius' father frowned and scolded, "You stand right there! Stand and listen. How dare you sit in a chair?"
Meng Yuxiu reluctantly put down his chair and stood next to Han Shuo.
While the two sets of parents were talking, Han Shuo quietly leaned over to Meng Yuxiu and asked, "How are you? Are you alright?"
Meng Yuxiu glanced at his father furtively, but didn't dare to speak. He simply shook his head, signaling Han Shuo to relax.
"Brother Han, we are really sorry about this. We failed to raise our son well."
Han Hong was deeply moved when he heard what Meng's father said.
He had expected this trip to be filled with arguments and potentially end in a complete falling out. However, he was surprised to find that Mr. Meng, despite his seemingly difficult nature, was actually quite reasonable.
"Truly worthy of being a teacher," Han Hong thought to himself, silently admiring the cultured man. While Meng's father spoke, Han Hong subtly surveyed every corner of the room, then nodded slightly.
“Meng’s father, now that it’s already happened, there’s no use in hitting or scolding the child anymore. I’ve already given Xiao Shuo a beating at home, but what’s the point? We already have a child, right?” Han Hong said with heartache. “I really didn’t expect that my Xiao Shuo, who is usually so obedient, doesn’t waste money, and knows how to be considerate, would…”
"He just got into university, you can imagine how bright his future is."
Mencius' mother nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes, my child is very promising. It's not easy for him to get into university."
"That's right, I was so happy waiting for his report card today, but I never expected to see Xiao Meng instead." Han Hong's words came from the bottom of his heart.
Upon hearing this, Meng's father was so ashamed that he could hardly lift his head. He had been a principal for so many years, and this was the first time he had ever been unable to stand up straight.
"Brother Han, we are a respectable and reasonable family. Don't worry, they will go through all the proper procedures for their wedding."
Meng Yuxiu was looking at Han Shuo when he suddenly heard his father's words. He immediately opened his eyes wide and then almost uncontrollably curled the corners of his mouth slightly.
Meng's father naturally saw it too. At this point, he had gotten someone else pregnant, and this brat could still laugh. If we weren't talking about serious business, he would have grabbed the bamboo stick on the table and rushed over to give him another beating.
Meng Yuxiu noticed the sharp gaze directed at him, but dared not trace its source, and silently lowered the corners of his mouth that had been turned up.
Now that the decision has been made to let Meng Yuxiu and Han Shuo get married, both sets of parents will discuss the wedding arrangements. After all, Han Shuo is now pregnant, and some things can't be delayed.
Watching Meng's father hand Han Hong a cigarette, and watching Meng's mother go in and out of the kitchen to bring out a thermos and find a tea canister, the three elders seemed determined to stay up all night. They then looked at Meng Yuxiu, who was pursing his lips and couldn't help but smile.
Even at this moment, Han Shuo still found it unbelievable.
How did he end up getting married so suddenly?
Meng's mother poured tea for Han Hong and Han Shuo, and gave Han Ting some biscuits.
Now that things had calmed down in the room, she finally had time to observe Han Shuo closely. After calling him "Little Han" for a long time, she realized that this "Little Han" looked so familiar.
Meng's mother asked hesitantly, "Little Han, I feel like I've seen you before. Didn't you come to our house last year?"
When Meng's mother asked this question, Meng's father and Han Hong, who were chatting, also looked over.
Han Shuo was quite embarrassed. To be honest, he never expected that one day he would be exposed to Meng Yuxiu's parents not as their son-in-law.
Last year, he thought he was going to sleep with someone else's son, so he went out of his way to fawn over him. Now he really has slept with him, but he's also really upset.
Han Shuo gave a dry laugh, "Ah, yes, Auntie...hehe, I'm that little Han."
At this moment, Meng's father also felt that the face looked familiar, and he frowned and thought about it carefully.
When he remembered that this was the boy who had come to call his son to a wedding banquet in the county town that day, standing in the yard with his back to him, he not only wanted to grab a bamboo stick and beat Meng Yuxiu again, but he even wanted to beat himself.
He began to suspect something was wrong that day, especially when his son walked up to him, shyly and expectantly telling him that he wanted to go to a wedding banquet. But he was fooled by his son's usual sensible and well-behaved appearance.
No wonder they say a barking dog doesn't bite. This kid is usually quiet, but he's caused such a big mess for the family.
Thinking of this, Meng's father was filled with regret.
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