Chapter 211: Chapter 211 Brothers. Chapter 211: Chapter 211 Brothers. Bai Yue woke up and opened her eyes all of a sudden, sitting up abruptly. It seemed like she had a dream last night, where Wang Yan was sitting beside her, holding her hand, stroking her face, and talking to her a lot. She couldn’t remember what he had said, but she clearly remembered that it felt incredibly good, giving her a sense of security and restlessness she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Looking at the table in the room, still laid out with peanuts and bottles of alcohol and glasses, she felt a sigh of relief, realizing that she had probably been drunk last night, which led to the dream.
But this dream, it truly made her feel embarrassed.
Bai Yue wished she could slap herself. At her age, to still have such dreams.
She quickly got up, tidied up the things on the table into a cupboard, lest her sons come in later and criticize her for not focusing on more important tasks.
Once everything was neat, she headed out.
Outside, she saw that the courtyard was already cleaned, and smoke was rising from the kitchen. Her eldest son, Li Haiping, was carrying dishes outside when he saw his mother and hurriedly called out to her.
“Mom, you must be tired. This morning, when my brother and I saw you hadn’t gotten up, we knew you were exhausted yesterday, and those people had upset you. Just take a good rest today, we’ll handle the household chores. Don’t worry. Quickly wash your face, I’ve already prepared the meal, we can eat now. Then you can go and rest,” his words instantly warmed Bai Yue’s heart.
As Bai Yue fetched some water with a basin, she replied, “No need. Mom’s fine. I’m not that fragile, and besides, our household chores aren’t that demanding. How tired can I get? Mom, today we need to take the eggs we’ve collected to the market to sell. Our days are brightening; we’re saving to build a big tiled house,” she said, her voice filled with determination.
Though it seemed like there weren’t many eggs, it all added up over the month.
All she wanted now was to ensure a good life for her family and to raise her three sons well.
Li Haiping, Li Haian, and Li Haishun all smiled joyously at the mention of building the big tiled house, a thought previously unthinkable for them. But now they knew, with hard work, their family’s life would keep getting better.
Previously, every meal was a thin corn porridge, but now, look at them—noodles and steamed buns every meal, the three young men eating their fill, each getting an egg every morning, a luxury unimaginable in the past.
What satisfied them most was the sight of Li Dashan and the old lady’s faces yesterday. Although Li Erzhu brought his family to cause trouble, the sons felt a release. Although he was their biological father, in the hearts of the three sons, he was not their father. He did nothing but drink at home, never worked in the fields, nor did any heavy lifting like hauling stones; everything was left to their mother.
From a young age, they grew up strapped to their mother’s back, carried as she worked the fields or left on the edges of the fields, everything taken care of by their mother alone without anyone’s help.
A woman alone has to farm three acres, manage both household and outside work, and endure beatings from her own father.
In their hearts, the three sons wished they never had such a father.
And now, indeed, retribution had arrived. The very man who wanted to drive them out was now, along with the old lady, bedridden—was this not retribution?
It seemed one really should do good deeds.
Humans act, heaven watches, retribution isn’t absent, just delayed.
So, this was retribution.
Li Dashan and Old Lady Li lying in bed got what they deserved. They were so arrogant towards their own mother back in the day, now they must endure severe torment and pain for the rest of their lives. Li Dashan is now akin to a living dead, unable to move any part of his body except his eyes. And there’s no need to mention Old Lady Li. And their younger uncle, causing trouble today by carrying people around, isn’t it because he doesn’t want to take care of them, doesn’t want to bother with them?
They had it coming!
How satisfying!
The three boys were delighted.
“Mom, there’s a big market today, why don’t we go?” Haiping felt sorry for his mom. Following that father all her life, his real mom never had a good day, never a moment of relief.
Bai Yue smiled, “I’ll go. Today I want to buy some things for our home too, we’re low on salt, and I’m thinking of getting some fabric to make pants for each of you three. Over the years, you boys have never had new clothes, always wearing whatever is handed down. Now that we’ve made some money, I’ll make them for you.”
Haishun shook his head, “Mom, make them for big brother and second brother. Don’t worry about mine, I spend most of my time at school so I don’t wear out clothes much. Besides, the uniforms uncle and cousin-in-law gave me are still good.” At a young age, he was quite thoughtful. He knew all the hard work in the family was done by his big brother, second brother, and his mom. He wanted to save money for the household, as he was spending money on school without working. It made him feel a bit guilty.
Haiping smiled and gave Haishun a pat on the back.
“Little guy, I told you to focus on your studies, and we’re still making you pants. Your big brother and your second brother work so hard because they hope that our family can produce a scholar like auntie, who could go to college. Focus on your schooling and don’t worry about home; you have me, your second brother, and your mom,” the eldest brother truly played his role.
Haishun lowered his head, smiling. The three brothers always had a strong bond.
He knew deep down that his big brother and second brother genuinely cared for him. He resolved to study hard, to stand out, to make his mother proud. Not for any other reason but for his dear mother who had struggled with her three sons through life’s hardships.
“Alright, let’s eat quickly and get to our tasks. Mom, later you can also gather the eggs from the chicken coop. We’ll take them to sell at the big market.” Bai Yue felt comforted seeing her sons so close to each other.
The New Year was nearly upon them. They couldn’t afford much, but this New Year had to be different, a fresh start. It was after all their first New Year at their maternal home. If they were to celebrate, it should be done right. She had sent a letter to her sister; she didn’t know if she would be able to come back for New Year’s. The girl had taken up a job at the Military District Hospital. Despite feeling somewhat disappointed, she was proud. Her daughter was a doctor now, fulfilling her parents’ longstanding wish.
Her parents were of the same kind, yet none of their children had taken over the family business.
She just hoped her daughter would do well.
But she believed that with Bai Xiao’s temperament, things would turn out well.
Her sister was so smart, so hardworking, and capable. Surely, she would have a smooth and successful life.