Bi Tielin was quite moved by some of the things Fu Guo said when he was drunk, which now sound like complaints.
If a person's heart is not biased, he can even understand the changes in his brother-in-law Fu Guo.
Once upon a time, his sister was a famous beauty in the village. The reason why she married Fu Guo was because the Fu family was capable and Fu Guo was devoted to his sister.
…
Fu Guolian downed three beers, burped loudly, and popped some peanuts into his mouth. He was in his thirties, but his forehead wrinkles were deep. He squinted his eyes and looked at the painted walls of the small restaurant:
"If something happens to you or your mother dies, which one can we ordinary farmers afford to take care of it all?
But big brother really has nothing he wants and is almost starving. He has no other choice but to rely on your sister and me. It’s really up to you!
I say this as if I'm taking credit for it, but back then, just having enough to eat was considered a good thing for every household. How could they have spare money?!
Tielin, I, your brother-in-law, really feel that I have done my duty to the Bi family!"
Fu Guo sniffed, he felt quite aggrieved and cowardly. He had no ability but had to take care of his father-in-law's family. Now he hadn't even asked for help, and his brother-in-law was already beating him up!
"Alas! You're starving. If you go to jail for a few years, I'll throw the money I earn into your Bi family's pocket. I'll throw the money I earn into your living! Have I ever said anything to your brother-in-law?!
In the past two years, I have beaten your sister. I really couldn't control myself. I don't know what happened to me. I regretted it after I beat her."
Bi Tielin clenched his fists and glanced at Fu Guo, who was sighing, with a bad look.
There was no excuse for hitting someone. He wasn't upset with his brother-in-law for any other reason, it was just that as a younger brother, he couldn't bear to see his sister being bullied!
Fu Guo raised his glass, wanting to toast Bi Tielin, but found that Bi Tielin didn't even raise his glass. He nodded and said, "Okay! If you don't drink, I'll drink it myself." Putting down the glass, Fu Guo said something that touched Bi Tielin, the truth.
"Tie Lin, this was the most difficult time. You said I was a grown man, but I knocked on every door to borrow money. We used to have a good time together, but when they heard about borrowing money, they asked for fifty cents or a dollar. Tie Lin, they didn't even tell your brother-in-law to shut up!
Why? I’m afraid of borrowing money over the years! Some of them haven’t been paid back yet! It’s better to borrow and pay it back. I haven’t paid it back yet!
But I went there again with a thick skin, why?
Why do I have to borrow money every year? I clearly... Look at my hands. My big fingers can't even work anymore. I work so hard, how come I don't have any savings?!
Why did you ask me to borrow money? Huh? Tielin? Because my dad got diagnosed with uremia after that flirtation! You said it comes in waves, I have the ability to handle it!
Your sister went home and scrounged, not keeping a single cent for the cross-border e-commerce fee; she gave it all to her parents. Do you know why Juan is so irritated with your sister? She didn't keep any of the tuition and miscellaneous fees the kids paid for the past two years!
Speaking of Juan, it's not about your niece, how can she be nice now that she's heard about her grandma's attitude? Her mother only gave her one dollar and eighty cents for her education, and she took it all away. I bought your sister a piece of Dacron cloth at the market last year, so what? She and I haven't worn any good clothes in years, so it's better not to buy it!
Fu Guo was speechless. Whenever Bi Jinzhi touched upon her mother's family, it was a big deal. Her own children, her husband, her mother-in-law—that pairing was so utterly awful!
In other families, married daughters are like spilled water, but the one in his family is different!
Bi Tielin picked up the bottle and poured wine for Fu Guo for the first time. He didn't say a word during the whole process, but he was very worried and took every word to heart.
"Your sister couldn't bear to do it. My eldest daughter, Juan'er, discussed it with her mother. She was over ten years old and knew beauty. She said, 'Mom, please give me the material to make new clothes before school starts.' Your sister agreed very well, saying that if you work hard, it's all right.
This summer, my little girl has been helping to work in the fields and collecting firewood. Her fair skin has become as black as a pipe plug from the sun. As school is about to start, she asked her mother about clothes. Guess what her sister said?
Bi Tielin frowned, said nothing, and lowered his head to turn the wine glass.
"Your sister said that she gave it to you, Sister Yueyue. She is in college and a grown-up girl now. Your conceited days are still to come!
Tielin, who wouldn't feel sorry for their own child? How do I know such details? I went to the backyard to pee and came back to see your niece sitting in the garden, picking persimmons and crying. She asked me, "Dad, other people's mothers always favor their own children, but when my mother and I go to see grandpa, I feel that she treats me the worst."
Fu Guo finally started crying. As a grown man, he felt embarrassed to cry. He wiped his face with his sleeve, frowning his forehead, trying hard to hold back the tears.
"This is your sister! Huh? I won't talk about my mother. Sometimes I hate her when I can't control myself and hit her! I really hate her with gritted teeth!
She just has to think about her own family. Is it really necessary to lose the child? In the past few years, I was exhausted every day. I earned work points. I am the only labor force in my family. This...
After all the hard work, I, Fu Guo, didn't insist on having a son. I just couldn't accept it, Tielin. What can I do to your Bi family and me, your brother-in-law? If Bi Jinzhi only had me in her heart, how could she lose the child?!
Is it a matter of girls or boys? My mother is, but I am not! Your sister has chilled my heart. She has been fussing about it for more than ten years, and I haven’t asked her for anything. Just this one thing, to have a child, ah! "
They drank until the restaurant closed, and then they came into the house and begged them to leave. By then, Fu Guo was completely drunk.
Bi Tielin helped Fu Guo, who was drunk late at night, and half-carried and half-dragged his brother-in-law out of the restaurant.
Before leaving the next day, Bi Tielin talked to Fu Guo again when he was sober.
Before the conversation, the brother-in-law felt embarrassed because he drank too much and talked nonsense!
Fu Guo also knew that he and his brother-in-law knew the truth, but no one would tell Bi Jinzhi, just like the bruises on his face, which they tacitly said were caused by falling down after drinking too much.
"Brother-in-law, I'm not saying anything bad about your craftsmanship, but unless you're very skilled, you'll be out of business sooner or later. Furniture shops are all mass-producing, so you'll be out of business sooner or later. Forget carpentry work, and as for farming, with only a few of you, you can't even handle a few acres by yourself.
Ask my sister for the money, and I'll give it to her. Pick a good place, and I'll go back to Kyoto and find someone to buy you some bicycle tickets we saved, and you can sell the bicycles. That's a big profit, so let's do it this way for now, and I'll think about it later."
Bi Tielin habitually gave orders to his brothers. After he finished speaking, he took his brother-in-law's feelings into consideration this time. He looked up at Fu Guo and asked in a consultative manner, "Brother-in-law, do you think this is okay?" (To be continued.)
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