Chapter 90. Uncle He was not guarding the door…
Uncle He wasn't guarding the door. Only Old Master He and the siblings were inside. The door was half-open. When Father He suddenly rushed in, Old Master He was so angry that his face turned ashen. He thought it was some ignorant servant who had barged in. But when he looked up and saw that it was his own son, his face turned pale and then red. He hurriedly put on his open clothes.
The commotion inside finally attracted Uncle He's attention. Seeing the scene, he was quite startled and quickly approached Uncle He's father, trying to cover his tracks. "Master has returned from the capital. Why didn't the servants inform him? Master, the old master has some matters to discuss. Please come with me first, I'll tell you—"
"Get out." Father He kicked the door behind him, knocking it down.
Uncle He wiped his sweat guiltily and glanced at Old Master He. Old Master He had no choice but to say, "Uncle He, you can go out now."
Uncle He walked away, intending to take the siblings with him, but was glared at fiercely by Father He, and instantly froze, leaving alone.
Grandpa He quickly calmed down, his expression softening as he approached his father. "Son, don't misunderstand. These are two new children I bought. I just... asked them to massage my shoulders, but they're so timid they cried like this..."
Just as He's father instinctively wanted to call out "Father," he couldn't bring himself to do it. He sneered and asked, "You said this is the child you bought. What about the people locked up in the back room? And what about that pregnant woman from earlier?"
"This—" Old Master He was speechless.
"Stop spouting nonsense." Father He's heart was bleeding as he stared at the old man before him with complete unfamiliarity. "I saw everything. I saw it all clearly. I saw what you did to that woman, to this brother and sister, Father! You are a scholar, a man who has studied the classics. How could you do such a thing?! How could you?!"
Old Master He knew he could no longer hide it. He panicked for a moment, then hurriedly explained, "Listen to me, I had no choice. I just wanted to test them out. I don't want their lives. Besides, you don't know, the men in our He family for the last two generations have become increasingly infertile..."
Old Master He then revealed all the secrets of the He family, saying, "Over the years, I've come up with a plan. If we use these people to set up a 'descendant array,' perhaps my He family can... Son, I'm doing this for your own good, so that you can have offspring..."
"Outrageous! Outrageous! This is utterly outrageous!" Father He's eyes were bloodshot. "How could you treat human life so lightly for your own selfish gain? Even if I have no children in this life, I would never use someone else's life to do such a dirty thing!"
After he finished speaking, his emotions had completely collapsed. He's father went berserk and smashed everything in the room, including candlesticks, curtains, and the bed, until his hands were covered in blood. Only then did he collapse to the ground, exhausted, with tears of blood streaming from his eyes.
Grandpa He was so frightened by his appearance that his face turned pale, and he felt sorry for him and wanted to check on his injuries.
Now, all that remained of He's father's feelings was nausea. He pushed away Old Master He, his eyes filled with pain and despair.
"You taught me to read since I was a child, teaching me all those moral and ethical things, but how could you treat me like this? How could you do such a... beastly thing? Why did you do this? Why?!"
"My son," Old Master He said in disbelief, "you've always been sensible, how could you speak of your father like that?"
"You don't deserve it! You don't deserve to be my father!" Father He immediately clutched his hair in anguish, then, remembering something, he quickly let go. "I'm going to the yamen to sue you! I'm going to tell them everything!"
"No!" Upon hearing this, Old Master He's expression changed drastically. "Son, you can't go! If you go, my He family will be ruined! Not only you, but all future generations of the He family will be ashamed, and even our ancestors will lose face. Are you going to commit patricide and ancestor murder? Are you going to be an unfilial descendant? Are you going to send your own father to prison and the executioner's block? And your mother knows nothing about it. Can you bear to do that?!"
Mr. He clutched his hair tightly, as if he wished he could tear his scalp off along with it. Old Master He rushed forward to stop his self-harming behavior, but Mr. He shook his head, refusing to let him touch him.
Old Master He was annoyed and coldly released his grip. "Fine, go ahead if you want. But once you're there, I'll have this place burned to the ground, leaving no one alive. Let's see what evidence you have!"
He's father stared at him in complete shock and unfamiliarity.
It's as if he no longer recognizes the father he's watched grow up.
“But if you’re willing to be quiet, I’ll stop doing this,” Old Master He advised.
Father He remained silent for a long time, as if he were completely dead; he closed his eyes.
In the end, He's father still didn't have the courage to commit patricide and ancestor murder. He slumped down and shakily got up from the ground. Old Master He was overjoyed and tried to help him up, but He's father shoved him away and walked out without looking back. His tall body was hunched over like an old woman.
He's father's desolate voice rang out, "I can agree to your request, but you must let those people go and make them leave, otherwise..."
Although many years have passed, Mr. He still clearly remembers that he was in so much pain that day that he wished he could die. Afterwards, he went out alone to drink. After getting drunk, he went to drink with Old Master Pei all night. When he was very drunk, he only cried in front of Old Master Pei, but dared not tell him what Old Master He had done.
Later, Old Master He finally became wary and dared not act recklessly again, but it was too late. All those he had imprisoned committed suicide there.
Although He's father ultimately did not report him, he was never at ease. Even after gaining official rank, he did not go to the court and spent his days wandering around, rarely returning to the He family. When Pei Lao and some friends saw him suddenly become so decadent, they all tried to persuade him, but he was too lazy to listen and continued to squander his life as he pleased. Sometimes, he would even wake up drunk and not know what day it was. He's father also tried to persuade him, but He's father did not want to see him anymore and no longer called him "father".
Later, Old Master He couldn't stand his dissolute behavior any longer, so he arranged for him to marry a woman from a humble background.
On their wedding night, He's father lifted the veil, and his wife looked at him cautiously. Her eyes were moist, and she was nervous and afraid. Looking at her, He's father thought of those people who were locked up in his grandfather's empty house. They had also looked at him with pitiful eyes.
For some reason, a thought suddenly came to Mr. He's mind: he wanted to treat her better in order to make up for those who had been killed by Old Master He.
He said to her, “You are marrying me, but you probably don’t know that I have a hidden illness. I am infertile and will not be able to give you children. But if you can accept this, I will treat you well. If you cannot, I will give you some money and send you back. In the future, I will also find you a good marriage. It may not be very wealthy, but you will definitely have enough to eat and wear.”
The wife was surprised and puzzled. After a long while, she nodded shyly and replied, "Now that I have married you, as long as you will respect me in the future, I am willing."
In the short period after the marriage, He's father managed to regain some energy and went out drinking less often.
Then one day, Madam He's belly suddenly grew bigger.
He's father asked her whose it was.
Madam He dared not speak, but looked guiltily toward Old Master He's courtyard. Father He's face changed drastically, thinking that Old Master He had forced him. He picked up his sword and was about to go over there when Madam He was so frightened that she quickly hugged him and told him the truth.
It turns out that she wanted children and took the initiative to ask for them.
Madam He explained through tears that she really didn't want to be talked about or looked at by others, and she couldn't live without a child to rely on.
Father He stared at her blankly for a long time, as if he didn't recognize her at all. Then, without any anger, he laughed maniacally, threw away the sword and Madam He, and from then on, the couple became completely estranged.
He's father wasted his life drinking and womanizing all day long. In the end, he seemed to have no feeling about death, as if only one night had passed. How did he become an old man with gray hair who was about to be buried?
Everyone present, both human and ghost, fell silent after hearing He's father's story. He Wenqing's face was the most unsightly. After a moment, he glared angrily at his father with an expression of disbelief.
"No, you're talking nonsense! Impossible! Impossible! Grandfather isn't the kind of person you're describing. You're useless yourself, yet you dare to slander Grandfather! You've always been indifferent to Mother, showing no affection whatsoever as husband and wife, yet you dare to say that Mother and Grandfather... I don't believe it!"
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask your grandfather! Your grandfather is over there in the front yard!” Father He said coldly.
He Wenqing turned around angrily and ran outside. He became crazy and didn't even care that he had lost a shoe. He just kept running away. The ghosts were so stunned by his appearance that they forgot to move and just watched him run away.
Father He turned around expressionlessly and looked at Lu Hun beside him. He clearly recognized Lu Hun, remembering that Lu Hun was the youngest son that Madam He had brought to the He family that night. Lu Hun's back was stiff, and he did not look at him. Father He sighed and stopped talking about it. Instead, he continued to say to everyone, "Back then, I didn't have the courage to do what I should have done long ago. I thought that the old man had agreed to my request and had stopped, but I never expected that he had never come to his senses."
As He's father spoke, he knelt down before the group of ghosts.
“I, as your son, cannot escape responsibility for your father’s mistakes. I am willing to be torn to pieces to atone for even a fraction of the suffering you have endured over the years.”
The young woman looked at him and cried out in anguish. All the ghosts followed suit, sobbing and wailing. Even if they were torn to pieces, they could not atone for the suffering they had endured in this life.
Lu Hun stared intently at the ghosts. He seemed to remember something, and his body involuntarily convulsed again. Wei Yin noticed this and immediately put her arms around his waist, gently patting his back to comfort him.
The boy gradually calmed down.
Over there, the ghosts had finished crying. The young woman wiped away her tears, pulled the ghost boy out from the horde, and brought him to Father He. Her gaze was cold yet calm. "We will never forgive the He family, but I will not do anything to you either. Since you want to atone for your sins, please take the place of this poor child and let him live. And you, sacrifice yourself with us to break this magic circle and let your father receive the retribution he deserves."
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