Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Pei Sheng was pinned to the ground and, despite his initial attempts to resist, he could only spit out blood and glare at Pei Yan in both hatred and fear. After having his kneecap smashed with a rock, he was left in so much pain that he couldn't even cry out, eventually fainting from the agony.

Unable to bear the chaos, Liu Guihua turned to Ye Jinrong and said, "Auntie, stop crying. It's more important to call for a doctor."

Only then did Ye Jinrong rise from the ground. She glanced at the unconscious Pei Sheng, filled with both anger and fear. She wanted Pei Huzi to hurry to the neighboring village to find a physician, but when she saw her youngest son covered in blood, she stomped her foot and ran off sobbing, forgetting to ask for help to carry Pei Sheng back home.

On the other side, Pei Yan had been separated from the group. After they took away the stone he held, he didn't resist anymore. Zhou Shitou and the others, not knowing what else to do, dispersed, leaving him alone.

Village head Xu Cheng'an arrived on the scene, rushing over from his house. Upon seeing Pei Sheng on the ground, he checked his breath and felt slightly relieved. He instructed someone to take Pei Sheng and Pei Huzi back home first, so they could receive medical attention once the doctor arrived.

Xu Cheng'an glanced at Pei Yan, who was brushing off the dust from his body, and asked, "What exactly happened here?"

The villagers, who had witnessed the entire incident, began to recount the events. Apparently, Ye Jinrong and the others had confronted Pei Yan and the altercation escalated into a fight.

Xu Cheng'an nodded, stroking his beard as he pondered for a moment. Then, he turned to Pei Yan and asked, "Is what your mother said true?"

Pei Yan picked up the flat rod and rope from the ground, shaking off the dirt. As he looked up at Xu Cheng'an, his eyes didn't blink, and his expression remained unchanged. "It's not true. I've never seen him on the mountain."

Xu Cheng'an's hand paused in mid-air as he stroked his beard, looking at Pei Yan doubtfully. Indeed, the Pei family had never treated their second son well. They had beaten him up since he was young. Given that after Pei Xingwang's fall, the village was rife with gossip, it was quite possible that they would put the blame on Pei Yan for the misfortune.

"You're lying! Why would Father lie?" Seeing everyone's knowing expressions, Pei Huzi, who was about to head home, grew anxious.

Pei Yan gave him a glance, and Pei Huzi shrank back, swallowing hard, not daring to speak anymore. Now that the initial shock had worn off, he felt not only pain in his nose but also a sharp ache at the wound on his forehead. He dared not even touch it, but at least the bleeding had stopped.

Pei Yan's chest rose and fell as his breathing grew uneven. Lowering his gaze, he straightened his disheveled clothes without lifting an eyelid. With a cold smile, he said, "He's your father, not mine. Of course, you'd side with him if he spouts nonsense. You and your mother were the ones blocking the path and acting like hooligans. You deserved to be punished."

The previous year, when he had just returned from outside, he hadn't even stepped into the house before being chased away. The Peis had talked about separating households, but they hadn't given him so much as a bowl or chopstick. They had simply driven him out, afraid that he would incur tax responsibilities. They had quickly registered him under a separate household registration, severing ties with him.

Their ruthlessness and lack of loyalty were such that they were worse than stray cats and dogs. The words 'father' and 'mother' truly disgusted him. He no longer recognized them as his parents. Whenever he encountered them, he pretended not to know them. He had never expected them to bully him to such an extent.

Seeing that Pei Yan didn't acknowledge Pei Xingwang and Ye Jinrong, and considering that Pei Huzi was the one who first mentioned "his father," the villagers were well aware of the situation. Even Xu Cheng'an didn't dare force Pei Yan to call them father and mother. Some even felt sympathy for Pei Yan, truly a child without a parent's love.

"Y-You!" Pei Huzi was fuming but too scared to lose his temper. All he could manage was a gritted-teeth response, "You hit Big Brother and Mother. Putting aside everything else, Big Brother is severely injured. Do you intend to just leave?"

Pei Yan lifted his eyelids to look at him, his expression indifferent and unbothered. He asked, "And what do you expect me to do?"

Pei Huzi had not actually spent many years with this so-called second brother. After all, Pei Yan had left when Pei Huzi was still young. In his memories, Pei Yan had always been treated poorly at home. Upon hearing this, he initially wanted to suggest that Pei Yan should suffer the same fate and have his leg broken. But when their eyes met, he changed his words, "Aren't you going to pay for the medicine and treatment?"

His father had fallen ill, and they'd spent quite a fortune on medicine these past few days. With his older brother injured today, more expenses would surely follow. Yesterday, his mother even mentioned that the money saved for his wedding might have to be used, which left him rather displeased.

"First, you provoke trouble, then you demand compensation after getting beaten. You really think you're in the right," Pei Yan scoffed. "I have no money to give. But if you think you can take my life, go ahead and try. If I can't survive, I'll make sure to stab you all before I die."

Pei Huzi's face paled. While others around them remained composed, he keenly sensed Pei Yan's hatred towards his family. The calm animosity in his words made Pei Huzi's lips quiver, rendering him speechless.

Xu Cheng'an frowned, interrupting their threats. "What nonsense are you two spouting?"

He glanced around. Everyone was aware of the situation, and many had shown some sympathy towards Pei Yan. He couldn't afford a conflict with the villagers, especially since it was the Pei family who started the trouble, only to end up on the receiving end of the beating.

In rural areas, fists often spoke louder than words. Xu Cheng'an decided to settle the matter swiftly. "Enough, go back home. You instigated this, so you were already in the wrong. Now, you're just making a scene."

Pei Huzi, being young, didn't dare to defy the village head.

Pei Yan rolled up his sleeves, not in a hurry to leave. As the other party turned to go, he suddenly spoke up, "If you say that neglecting someone in need incurs a debt, ask your father if he doesn't owe me one. When I was seven, he tried to kill me."

The dispersing crowd turned back in surprise. Unfazed, Pei Yan kept his gaze fixed on Pei Huzi and pointed at the long scar on his left cheek. "This scar here. He threw me into the deep forest to be devoured by wolves and fled, leaving me to fend for myself. During my escape, I tripped and almost lost my eyesight from a protruding branch, resulting in this scar. To keep it hidden, they almost broke my legs to prevent me from speaking out."

"Both your parents know about this. It was their joint decision." Seeing the shock and sympathy on the faces of the villagers, Pei Yan concealed his impatience, lowered his gaze, and walked away with his shoulder pole. Since the Pei family had provoked him and there were witnesses, exposing what Pei Xingwang and Ye Jinrong had done could be considered a retaliation.

Back then, he had miraculously managed to escape the mountains and, following his memory, ran back home. Not only was no one there to wipe the blood off his face and legs, but no one tended to his injuries either. Pei Xingwang, out of either fear or anger, beat him up again. Along with Ye Jinrong, they threatened him not to speak of the incident, or else they'd even deny him his meager meals of steamed buns.

At that time, he was starving and had been thoroughly cowed by the beating. He didn't dare tell anyone about the scar on his face, and so he kept it hidden until now.

The villagers' stares made Pei Huzi's face flush red. Wanting to refute their assumptions, he didn't know where to begin and left dejectedly.

Recalling Doggy's words that day, which aligned perfectly with what Pei Yan had said, Gu Lan found the story to be all too plausible. He was astonished by Pei Xingwang's ruthlessness towards his own seven-year-old son.

Beside him, Miao Qiulian's eyes widened in disbelief. Truly, a fine pair of parents, willing to harm their own young son to such an extent.

Pei Yan paid no heed to anyone around him, turning to resume his stride towards the fields. His countenance was stern, devoid of any remorse for the physical altercation that had involved striking his own mother and assaulting his kin. As for Pei Xingwang, he cast his eyes downward, suppressing the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Pei Xingwang was not lying; perhaps it was just bad luck that he stumbled upon the injured old man in the mountains. It would have been considered decent enough if he hadn't pushed the man further into misfortune, yet he was now expected to lend assistance.

To be honest, at that time, as he watched Pei Xingwang flail in distress, there happened to be a large rock nearby. He did entertain the notion of ending the man's life with it. But after much deliberation, he decided it would be less effort to leave the man to die in the ravine than to lift the stone. Regrettably, it was the Pei family who eventually found Xingwang.

It was a pity that he didn't die, but it was still an enjoyable moment to have crippled Pei Sheng's leg today.

*

The Pei family.

Fang Yun, Fang Yun, the wife of Pei Sheng, wept and scolded in the courtyard, "I told you all not to provoke them. It would've been over if we just chased them out. Why stir up more trouble? None of you listen to me. You're all blinded by stupidity, only knowing how to do harm. Now look, you might even lose your lives. They have nothing to lose, but do you think you have enough lives for them to take?"

Ye Jinrong, bruised and filled with anger, slumped onto a chair after summoning a physician, moaning about her aching chest and face, presenting a half-dead appearance. Upon hearing this, veins popped on the back of her head, yet she couldn't find any words to refute. Her frustration grew.

Fang Yun was married to Pei Sheng when he was seventeen, and Pei Yan was thirteen at the time. After entering the household, she noticed that the Peis didn't show much affection towards Pei Yan. Thus, she also dismissed him, assigning him tasks she didn't want to do. He was somewhat obedient, and seeing him beaten without food, she occasionally threw him half a bun, which was more kindness than most in the Pei family showed.

Unforeseen was the conscription the following year. Pei Xingwang was unwilling to pay the fees to avoid it, so if they had to provide a person, it would inevitably fall on Pei Sheng's shoulders. She cried for days then. The military camp was no place to be, especially if one's luck ran out during a war, everything would be lost.

Fortunately, the Pei family also didn't wish for their eldest son, Pei Sheng, to take such a risk. After much discussion, they decided to send Pei Yan instead. Fang Yun was overjoyed, how could she object? She even prepared a few dishes to curry favor with him and spent days persuading the family until finally, Pei Yan agreed to take Pei Sheng's place.

Upon Pei Yan's return from outside, she remembered his kindness, yet she remained silent when the Pei family turned him away. In her heart, she pondered—it wasn't that she was ruthless and ungrateful, but rather that the family's circumstances were truly dire.

She and Pei Sheng had two sons, and when they grew up and needed their own homes to get married, the house wouldn't be spacious enough with Pei Yan added to the mix. Moreover, Pei Yan hadn't taken a wife, so keeping him at home would only incur more expenses.

There's also Pei Huzi to consider for marriage. As they haven't split the family, a significant portion of Pei Sheng's earnings goes into the household fund, leaving him with mere copper coins. If the bride price is to be paid by their parents, it would essentially mean that Pei Sheng is providing for both his younger brothers' marriages. No matter how much he earns, it would never suffice. The fewer dependents, the better, and she has two sons to think about as well.

Besides, it was the Pei family who wanted to get rid of Pei Yan, not her instigating it.

Pei Huzi was washing his face in the courtyard, continually hissing through his teeth as the cold water stung his nose and cheeks. Irritated by his sister-in-law's wailing and scolding, he flung the cloth aside and stormed into his room.

The physician was still in the room attending to Pei Sheng's broken bones and dressing his wounds. Ignoring the outsiders, Fang Yun scolded, "Yesterday you were all talk about going to beat someone up. Where is your bravado today? You pointed at them, not daring for them to retaliate, and now you don't even let them enter the house. They probably don't even recognize you anymore!"

"Your mouth is full of nonsense," Ye Jinrong couldn't help but retort.

When Pei Sheng was carried back earlier, Fang Yun had been terrified, thinking he was dead. It wasn't until the physician assured her that there was no immediate threat to his life that she calmed down.

Recalling how she had advised Pei Sheng and Ye Jinrong yesterday not to provoke Pei Yan, but they didn't listen, she was momentarily overwhelmed with anger. Disregarding the traditional respect for elders, with her husband injured so severely, she could hardly hold back from reprimanding Ye Jinrong directly.

When the physician emerged from the room to prescribe medicine, mentioning that Pei Sheng's leg was fractured and might be difficult to heal, leaving potential long-term complications, Fang Yun burst into another round of crying, scolding, and commotion, disturbing the peace of their neighbors.