Chapter 35 Your benefactor is me
As night fell, after Du Li and the other three members of his family had returned to their room, he swaggered over and knocked on the door of the west wing, "Dad, open the door."
Upon hearing the noise, Du Ming and Li Hongguo both perked up their ears.
The door to the west wing opened from the inside, and Madam Du asked with a stern face, "What are you doing now?"
"Give me the money. The third brother needs money for food, lodging, and tuition at the prefecture school." Du Li pushed her inside and closed the door behind him.
Mrs. Du frowned, and shouted emotionally, "Ask us what money we want..."
Du Li shushed him and asked in a low voice, "Do my eldest brother and sister-in-law know about the third brother's affair? If you're still planning to keep it from them, you'll have to put on an act."
“I didn’t tell them.” Mr. Du understood, and he instructed his wife, “Give him the money from the box.”
Du's mother also realized what was happening, and she went to open the box.
"Didn't you tell my older brother and sister-in-law? I thought they knew." Du Li wondered what his parents had said to his eldest brother and sister-in-law to stop them from pursuing the matter of him leaving home.
“Keep your mouth shut. If you dare to talk nonsense outside, I’ll skin you alive,” Du’s father warned him.
Du Li didn't say anything. He reached out and took the money bag his mother handed him. It was quite heavy. He opened it and saw that there were two pairs of worn-out cloth shoes inside.
"Alright, get out." Du's mother shooed him away. She opened the door and deliberately said loudly, "This money is enough for him to use until the end of the year. Tell him to use it sparingly, and if he doesn't have enough, he shouldn't come back for more."
Du Li: ...
"Get out of here, your father and I are going to sleep." Du's mother was too lazy to see him and shooed him away again.
Du Li walked out the door carrying the money bag containing the worn-out shoes. The door to the north room suddenly opened, and Du Ming, shirtless, stood inside. He stared at the bulging money bag in the moonlight and asked, "How much money did Father and Mother give us?"
"I don't know, go ask your parents." Du Li strode into the house.
Du Mingchao glanced at the west wing, closed the door, and said unhappily, "My parents scold the third son so much, saying every day that they can't count on him, but they're quick to give him money. I think there's at least five strings of cash in his purse."
Li Hongguo didn't react much. She had no objection to the two old men spending money on their third son. His education was a serious matter, and this money had to be spent.
“The second son and his wife have been trying to curry favor with the third son. If the third son fails to pass the imperial examinations and becomes an official, he can open a private school in the city, and the second son and his wife can send their child there without paying tuition. Do you think we should go to the city to visit our third brother more often, and try to build a relationship with him, so that he won’t be instigated by the second son and his wife?” she said.
“Don’t waste your time. He’s heartless. Even though his parents treat him so well, they can’t warm his heart. Do you expect him to be bought off by a little favor? Don’t worry, even if the second son works like a slave for him, he won’t appreciate it.” Du Ming lay down on the bed and said, “If we just appease our parents, compared to the second son’s family, we will definitely gain both fame and fortune.”
Li Hongguo laughed, "Meng Qing thought she was smart, but in the end she couldn't recognize the situation, couldn't distinguish between the big and small kings, and ended up working for nothing."
"A merchant's daughter, all she's good at is talking, all she cares about are petty profits," Du Ming sneered.
Jinshu and Qiaomei slept on the inside of the bed, listening with their eyes open to their parents talking back and forth.
"Mother, when I grow up, I will never marry a merchant's daughter," Jinshu said.
"Go to sleep. Kids shouldn't interrupt when adults are talking," Li Hongguo scolded.
"Oh." Jinshu remained silent.
Du Ming sat up abruptly, put on his shoes, and got out of bed.
"What are you doing?" Li Hongguo asked.
“I’m going to find the second son. His family doesn’t live at home, and the house is just sitting empty anyway. Why don’t we let Jinshu and Qiaomei move in?” Du Ming said, already opening the door.
Upon seeing this, Li Hongguo put on her clothes and followed her out.
Du Li was packing his luggage. He didn't have many nice clothes. The decent clothes he could wear were all bought for him by Meng Qing after she married him. He picked and chose three sets of clothes, folded them, and put them away.
"Second brother, open the door, I have something to tell you." Du Ming knocked on the door, which was not locked and opened with a single knock.
Du Li put down her things and went over, asking, "What is it?"
“Jinshu and Qiaomei are too old to sleep with me and your sister-in-law anymore. You and your sister-in-law are away from home for long periods of time, and the house is just sitting empty. Let your nephew and niece move in for a while. They can move back when you and your sister-in-law come back.” Du Ming used “your sister-in-law and your nephew and niece” to build rapport when he needed something from them.
"No way." Du Li refused without hesitation. "The clothes, tables, chairs, and bedding in my room are all Meng Qing's dowry, and they are all new. I can't let Jinshu and Qiaomei move in."
"What do you mean by that?" Du Ming's face turned cold. "Your nephew and niece wouldn't break the furniture, would they? It's all junk that breaks as soon as you use it."
“Whether it’s good or bad, there’s no reason for her dowry to be used by her husband’s nephews and nieces. Besides, how can a nephew this old sleep in his aunt’s bed? You guys really have no manners.” Du Li raised her hand to the door, as if to close it: “The third brother isn’t coming back either, so he should sleep in his room.”
Du Ming was speechless after being choked by him, and could only watch helplessly as the door closed in front of him.
"What kind of person is this, so fussy?" Du Mingchao spat on the door.
Li Hongguo pointed to the west wing and whispered, "It's fine to sleep in the third brother's room. We can also set up another bed in the study. Qiaomei can sleep in the study, and Jinshu can sleep in the back room. The two siblings can sleep separately."
Du Ming knocked on the door of the west wing, but there was no response no matter how hard he knocked. Du's parents were awake, but they just ignored him. The old couple had heard what Du Ming and Du Li had been arguing about earlier.
Du Ming also lost his temper. He angrily announced, "Tomorrow I will have Jinshu and Qiaomei move into the room where Lao San sleeps."
Mr. and Mrs. Du still didn't react until the footsteps outside the door left and the yard returned to silence. Only then did Mrs. Du speak: "Old man, Amin is very clean. He doesn't like others touching his things. I'm telling you, no one can live in his room."
Mr. Du snorted, "He doesn't even acknowledge you or this family anymore, and you still spoil him. If you keep spoiling him, he might slap you."
Du's mother felt a pang of pain in her heart, but she pretended not to hear what she was saying and continued, "If you give his room to Jinshu and Qiaomei, he'll be even more furious when he comes back and finds out, and he'll be even less likely to come back."
Father Du scoffed, “Do you think he’ll ever come back? He won’t come back to stay long if he doesn’t pass the exam to become an official, let alone if he does. That’s like giving a chicken wings; once it flies away, it’ll never come back.”
"So, in the end, you still want to give the third son's room to the eldest son?" Mother Du sat up abruptly.
Mr. Du remained silent.
Seeing this, Du's mother lay back down and whispered, "Don't keep backing down, or the eldest son will end up defecating and pissing on your head."
Mr. Du remained silent for a long time before finally uttering a soft "hmm".
The eldest son and his wife worried about this all night. As soon as it was light, when Li Hongguo got up to make breakfast, Du Ming also got up and made quite a commotion as he went in and out of the main hall.
Old Ding Du couldn't stay in bed any longer. He opened the door with a dark face and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Didn't I tell you last night?" Du Ming said confidently, pointing to the back room with the door wide open. "Jinshu will move in tonight, and Qiaomei will stay in the study. They'll both move out, and I'll give you another grandson next year."
Feeling disgusted, Du's father forced himself to say, "Your third brother's room is untouchable. Every book and every piece of paper in the room is of great use. You must not touch it."
"That's a coincidence. The second brother also said that his things in his room can't be moved. You have to make room for me where I can move things. It can't be that their rooms are all empty while our family is crammed together with nowhere to sleep," Du Ming asked. He then suggested, "How about we move the third brother's things to the second brother's room?"
Du Li opened the door and came out. He glanced at the father and son standing under the eaves and went straight to fetch water to wash up.
"Second son, when you're not home, let Jinshu and Qiaomei stay in your room. When you come back, they can sleep with their parents," Father Du said loudly.
"No way. If you force me to give up the house, and the villagers ask me why I'm living at my in-laws' house, I'll say we have nowhere to live, our bed is occupied by my nephew and niece, and we have to move to the Meng family's house to stay." Du Li threatened without restraint.
"You!" Old Ding glared fiercely at his son. He suddenly realized that his second son had changed.
“Why is the third brother’s room still empty? He doesn’t come back often now, and he’ll only come back less often in the future. If he passes the exam and takes up a post in another place, he’ll only come back once every few years. When he does come back, he won’t be living in this thatched-roof, mud-walled house.” To save his family’s house, Du Li chose to side with his eldest brother. “When I left this time, I took all of the third brother’s books with me. The books he was holding were waterlogged and the words were illegible. He’ll probably still be able to use the books I left at home. I’ll take the third brother’s things, and the room will be available for Jinshu and Qiaomei to live in.”
“That’s right, the second son and his wife will be back in a couple of years at most. When Jinshu and Qiaomei move out, they’ll still have to live in the third son’s room.” Du Ming agreed, then muttered, “No, wait, if the third son can pass the exam and become an official, then…”
"Shut up!" Old Du slapped him. "You stupid thing, as stupid as a pig."
Du Ming belatedly realized that he had almost let something slip, and he could only bow his head and accept the beating and scolding.
"When will what?" Du Li walked over and asked.
Du Ming shook his head. "It's nothing."
Old Ding stared intently at Du Li. Only then did he realize that of his three sons, the eldest was the most foolish—stupid, cunning, and lazy, only good at petty tricks. He could only use this foolish, cunning, and lazy son as a doorman.
“You’ve all grown up, your wings have hardened, you don’t listen to me anymore, and I can’t control you anymore.” Old Ding sighed and left with a heart full of regret.
Du Li remained unmoved. He went to the granary, grabbed a sack, and filled it with all the books Du Min had left at home.
"This desk is great, made of old elm wood, without a single splinter. Let's move it out for Jinshu to use." Du Ming stood in Du Min's study, excitedly touching the desk.
"Who told you to move? Don't move! Put it down!" Du's mother stormed in, her hair disheveled. She shoved Du Li aside and bumped into Du Ming, pointing at them with two fingers and yelling, "Get out! Get out of here!"
Du Li looked at Du Ming.
“Mother, I still call you Mother, but the third son won’t even call you Mother. And you’re still so biased towards him? Even if you let him occupy these two rooms, he won’t thank you. He looks down on you and this family.” Du Ming slammed his fist on the desk, making a loud thud. “You’ve been biased towards the third son and neglected the second son. Now that the second son’s family has run away, you still don’t know how to repent and still favor the third son. Can’t your grandchildren live in these two rooms? I’m going to let them live here today. If you don’t let them live here, then kick our whole family out too. You two old folks can occupy this house and wait for the third son to come back.”
Du's mother was so angry that her heart ached. This was her own son, always stabbing her in the heart. She couldn't hit him or scold him, so she buried her face in her desk and cried bitterly.
Mr. Du came in and helped her away. He stared at Du Ming and said, "You don't need to keep bringing up the fact that our third son is unfilial to slap us in the face. He's unfilial, but you're unfilial too. Your mother has been so upset by you, don't you feel any remorse at all? We might as well be driven to death by you sooner or later."
Overwhelmed with grief, Du's mother cried, "Old man, how could we have raised these three wretched children? Is this still a home?"
Li Hongguo stood outside the kitchen, watching her parents-in-law return to the west wing. She nudged her daughter and instructed her, "Go and comfort your grandparents, say some nice things."
Jinshu led Qiaomei away.
Mr. and Mrs. Du did not come out to eat breakfast; Jinshu and Qiaomei brought it in.
Du Li packed up Du Min's things, went back to his room to get his own luggage, locked the door, and went to the west wing to say, "Father, Mother, I'm leaving."
Du Laoding responded, "Take good care of your third brother."
"I'll catch a few chickens and take them with me. My third brother needs to drink chicken soup every day to nourish his body." Du Li was still thinking about the chickens at home.
“No, we raised these chickens ourselves.” Secretary Jin stopped his mother from repeating what she always said.
"If we don't feed him, he'll look down on his parents, let alone the chickens we raise!" Old Man Du's expression changed.
Seeing that he was repeating the same old things again, Du Li sighed and turned to leave.
"Young Li, you just got back yesterday, why are you leaving again?" the old woman at the village entrance asked.
"My third brother was admitted to the prefectural academy. Women aren't allowed in, so I'm the only one who can bring him food." Du Li told another lie. He thought to himself that he was becoming a master liar, and he didn't know when this hellish life would end.
"Your third brother is promising, you must take good care of him," the old woman at the village entrance instructed.
Du Li nodded.
*
Back in the city, Du Li took a boat directly to the prefectural school. When he arrived, Du Min was still attending class. Since he didn't have the key to his dormitory, he could only sit outside and wait, becoming a real gatekeeper.
Half an hour later, Du Min returned with the food. Seeing the person sitting outside the door, he exclaimed in surprise, "Second Brother? You just went back yesterday, and you're here today?"
"Open the door quickly, it's so hot!" Du Li stood up.
Du Min took out his keys, kicked the sack, and asked, "What's this?"
"Your books and clothes." Du Li picked up the sack and went inside. He said directly, "I vacated your room and study for Jinshu and Qiaomei. I was worried that the two children would break your things, so I brought them all for you."
Du Min's face fell.
Du Li picked up the kettle, poured herself a bowl of water, and said, "Check it yourself and see what you're missing. I'll go back and get it when I have time."
"Are you going back now that you've come?" Du Min asked.
“I’m not going back. I’ll stay here and cook and bring you meals. From now on, give me your clothes and dirty sheets, and I’ll take them back to wash.”
"Did your parents agree? Did you tell them about my injury? What did they say?" Du Min asked hopefully.
“I told you I wouldn’t come to see you, so as not to embarrass you again. I wanted to catch some chickens from home to nourish you, but Dad wouldn’t let me, saying that you look down on your family and the chickens we raise.” Du Li didn’t hide anything, and even deliberately instigated.
Upon hearing this, Du Min's face immediately turned cold, but he was not easily fooled. "They can't bear to part with the chickens, yet they're willing to let you come to the city to take care of me? You're not trying to fool me."
Du Li could only tell the truth: "I said that the students from the state academy are still bullying you. As soon as you leave the dormitory, someone will do something bad, like smashing your door and coming in to wet your bedding. I have to guard the door for you after I deliver your food."
Du Min couldn't help but look at him a few more times. "No wonder my second sister-in-law dared to bet without hesitation that you would come back. It turns out that you have changed too."
“Even a dog can’t help but be close to someone who likes it, let alone me.” Du Li picked up his luggage. “I won’t keep you from eating. I’m leaving now. I’ll bring you dinner tonight.”
Du Min couldn't resist following him out, eager to find out: "Second Brother, how well do the Meng family treat you?"
Du Li nodded emphatically, “Only in the Meng family can I live like a human being. Your second sister-in-law is my benefactor. She doesn’t look down on me. Her parents and brothers treat me well because of her.”
Du Min didn't doubt his words, but he couldn't help feeling a sour feeling in his heart. This simple-minded man had actually met someone who was willing to treat him sincerely.
“I am your benefactor. Your second sister-in-law only married you because she valued my future,” Du Min said in a shrill voice.
Du Li glanced back at him, and the jealousy on Du Min's face made him tremble. He quickly turned his face away.
“Yes, I know. Your second sister-in-law initially approached me because she was interested in Du Min, who is my third brother. If you weren't my brother, she definitely wouldn't have married me.” Du Li suppressed the urge to run away. He grabbed Du Min's shoulder and gave him two hard slaps as if he were angry. “Why did you have to expose me? Are you upset that I'm happy? Or are you jealous of me?”
Du Min's shoulder ached, but he felt much better. Noticing this change, he couldn't help but despise himself.
“Study hard, pass the imperial examinations as soon as possible, and help me keep your second sister-in-law. If I become a lonely bachelor, you will be the culprit.” Du Li joked affectionately.
Du Min laughed out loud, "You're already holding your son in your arms, and you're still worried that my second sister-in-law will run away?"
“In this world, it’s very popular for women to remarry. She’s capable, so why should I be able to keep her?” Du Li pushed him and said, “Your door is open. Go back quickly, or the stray cat will steal your food.”
"Then I won't see you off."
Du Li waved his hand without turning his head.
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