CHAPTER 487: CHAPTER 487: GIVING UP

"Right, the debt note," Dongsheng also remembered and broke out in a cold sweat. Good thing his cousin thought of it, otherwise, he would have completely forgotten about the note. Ordinary people would stop keeping accounts once they received the money, but not his uncle and aunt. If they still had the debt note, who knows, they might demand the money a second time.

When Eldest Brother’s wife heard about the debt note, her face also showed an off expression, and Qin Xiangnuan noticed it. It seems she was right; this aunt by marriage was indeed harboring those thoughts, planning to keep the debt note to ask for money a second time.

Eldest Brother’s wife dawdled and clearly did not want to bring out the debt note. At one moment, she said it was lost, at another, she was unsure where she had put it, and then claimed she remembered the matter well; they should give her the money, and she would tear up the note when she found it. Truth be told, nobody believed her words.

She could remember every single and two yuan. Let alone 2000 yuan. She must look at that debt note several times a day. How could she possibly forget where it was?

Seeing as Dongsheng was truly not going to give her the money without the debt note, Eldest Brother’s wife could only pull a long face and retrieve the note.

Dongsheng had just taken the debt note and had not yet gripped it firmly when Eldest Brother’s wife already grabbed the money, licked her fingertip, and began counting it. Qin Xiangnuan merely frowned lightly, took the debt note to look, and indeed, it was a debt note. The only question was whether it was genuine. It had a signature, with a thumbprint pressed on it, signed by Du Yinbao, and it was clearly written that even if Du Yinbao’s illness was incurable, the owed money must be repaid. If the son did not repay it, the grandson must. Not only was there a signature, but also a pressed thumbprint.

"Is it real?" Qin Xiangnuan asked Dongsheng, thinking it probably was real. After all, Eldest Brother’s wife was just a rural woman with no education. She loved money but wouldn’t meddle with the debt note and perhaps didn’t even understand what was written on it.

"It’s real," Dongsheng recognized it. "I wrote this, and the thumbprint is also my doing."

Qin Xiangnuan just arched her eyebrows and said nothing.

Indeed, when it came to money matters, Eldest Brother’s wife was anything but foolish.

She must have known that Du Yinbao would not be likely to survive anyway. Such a debt would always need to be repaid by someone. Whether father or son, it’s only right and proper, isn’t it?

Qin Xiangyang flicked his hand with the debt note. For the sake of two thousand yuan, they lost the most basic human nature. It was somewhat revolting.

She casually tore the debt note to shreds.

"Let’s go," she turned and tugged at Qin Xiangyang’s sleeve, "Brother, that was all the money we had. What about our fare home? We’re still hungry."

Qin Xiangyang cooperated with his sister and rubbed the top of her head, "No worries, if we don’t have the fare, we’ll walk back. We can always make more money, you see your brother is able-bodied. Working a few extra days as a temp laborer on the construction site will earn it back. I won’t let you end up homeless and starving on the streets."

Qin Xiangyang thought back to his childhood when his sister, Xiang Nuan, was everyday underfed and had endless chores to do, just like Dongsheng now. It pained his heart, a look of distress, helplessness, and stubbornness that was unmistakably genuine.

The Eldest Brother’s and Third’s families were all smirking, probably cursing "poor devils" to themselves.

The Eldest Brother’s wife, who received the two thousand yuan, was ecstatic. She thought about what to buy: food, essentials, clothes, even sending some to her parent’s home. That two thousand yuan meant everything to her, not to mention that they had cultivated that land for many years. Dongsheng’s debt had long been repaid; not to mention the house, they could build more and secure another homestead plot with future earnings. The more she thought about it, the happier she got, not caring about Granny Lu anymore. It would be better if she left, to save them the burden. They could barely provide for themselves, let alone someone else.

Both Granny Lu and Dongsheng were obviously outsiders to everyone else, not to mention the overlooked Qin Xiangyang and Qin Xiangnuan.

The villagers gradually dispersed. They probably didn’t have kind words for the Du Family, either. Sons who don’t take care of their mother, what are they good for? But what can be done? It was Granny Lu herself who gave birth to these two shameless and unfilial sons and got two daughters-in-law like that, corrupting even the grandchildren. Perhaps only Dongsheng understands the situation.

And those people just stood by coldly, like Xiumei.

If these two families knew the standard of living others have now, they’d probably kill themselves out of shame.

Truly blind, looking down on others like a dog judging a human.

Granny Lu had completely given up on her sons. She knew all too well what Du Jinbao and Du Tongbao were like, brought up skewed by Mr. Lu’s upbringing. At their age, selfish for half a lifetime, how could they possibly change overnight?

Her coming here was merely to lose hope and see her sons’ true faces.

Indeed, such sons, better off without them. She didn’t want to trouble others either. Let this old lady fend for herself; twenty years ago, she survived on her own just the same. She wouldn’t live many more years anyway. Everyone else now has sons and daughters; they’d probably applaud at being free of this superfluous old lady.

Dongsheng went back to where he lived, which was just a small room in the field. The Eldest Brother really put him to good use, not only driving him out but also making sure he guarded the vegetables so that they weren’t stolen and saving on meal costs. It’s not like he could show up for dinner every night. Dongsheng wasn’t without attempts, but whenever he went, he was treated as less than nothing, with no place at the table.

So he didn’t go anymore and instead bought an old stove for the small room. If he was really hungry, he’d cook some vegetables for himself, eat a few bites, drink some water, and that was enough to quiet his hunger.

He really didn’t have much to pack, not even clothes; Granny Lu wouldn’t let him take any, arguing they were too worn to wear anyway. Buy new ones when needed. As for personal items, he had none in this shabby place. Truth be told, aside from a quilt, there was nothing of value here – probably nobody would want it even if it were tossed onto the street, except maybe beggars.

Dongsheng only took his ID card, household registration booklet, and a few pieces of freshly laundered clothes, then left. A small bag was all his belongings. Oh, and 10 yuan that he had secretly saved up, originally meant for buying some rice and flour.

Now it was all on him. His money had been taken by his aunt, who had personally gone to his worksite to claim it. The several hundred yuan he earned each month with hardship, almost all went into the hands of the Eldest Brother. They enjoyed meat and vegetables, while he was left without even a bowl of vegetable soup.