Qin Zhonghui said dispassionately, "It’s not that I hold a grudge. After all, they’re my parents, so there’s not much I can do."
"Then why didn’t you tell them about sothing as big as Xiao Jiao’s wedding?"
Qin Zhonghui looked at his brother, confused. "Why should I? If I told them, they wouldn’t give any gift money, and they’re too old to co to North City anyway. Why bother?"
Qin Bogang knew his younger brother had a point, but he still sighed and said, "Still, Xiao Jiao is the first of the grandchildren to get married. You really should have let our parents know."
"Yeah, you can just tell them when you have a chance after you go back." Qin Zhonghui was completely disappointed in his parents by now. He had endured for too long, working like an Old Yellow Ox for so many years to support them and his younger brother’s family of three. If it were only the forr, that would have been one thing—it was a child’s duty to provide for their aging parents. But the money he and his wife had worked themselves to the bone for, the old couple wouldn’t spend on themselves. Instead, they gave it all to the third brother’s family. That wouldn’t sit right with anyone.
Most importantly, Qin Zhonghui’s heart ached whenever he thought of his younger daughter, who had been sallow and thin, long past school age but still not allowed to attend.
He had clearly given the family the money for both children’s schooling long before.
Xiao Jiao was older back then and handled her own school fees, but Xiao Shi was still little. Their parents had promised repeatedly that they would enroll Xiao Shi in school, which was the only reason Qin Zhonghui and Su Yun had left to find work with any peace of mind. But in the end, they had taken Xiao Shi’s school money and imdiately spent it on treats for Xiao Tao. Then they told them things like how the teacher suggested that Xiao Shi should wait another year before starting school.
Just like Su Yun, it was because the old couple was so harsh with his children that Qin Zhonghui finally couldn’t take it anymore and proposed formally splitting the households.
And the incident later, when Xiao Shi almost got lost, was what made Qin Zhonghui lose all hope in his parents and his brother.
But Qin Bogang sighed. "You just don’t know how badly they’re doing now. Dad’s clothes are covered in patches, and I wonder if he has a lung problem. As for Mom, she got sick last ti and hasn’t had a proper appetite since. She’s lost a lot of weight."
Qin Zhonghui stopped what he was doing and looked up. "The money we gave our parents this year... did they give it all to our third brother again?"
Qin Bogang was taken aback. "No, that’s impossible, right?"
"Then tell , is our third brother out working now, or is he still sitting at ho all day?"
Qin Bogang fell silent.
’He himself had left ho at a very young age. Their second brother had done all the work around the house. Their parents had always said that the third brother was young and frail, so it was only natural for them, as the older brothers, to do more work.’
’But now, their third brother was a man in his thirties, yet their parents still treated him like a child. They scrimped on their own food and clothing, and for what?’
’They had spoiled their third brother rotten, turning him into a useless man.’
Realizing that his second brother’s heart had now grown even harder than his own, Qin Bogang sighed and dropped the subject.
With so many guests, the children sat at a separate table from the adults. However, Shen Yi was pulled over to Qin Zhonghui’s table, where he would likely be pressured into drinking all night. Qin Jiao, on the other hand, got to sit with her younger siblings and cousins. Oh, and Mr. Du, who disliked drinking, joined the children’s table as well.
Qin Xiaolan asked Qin Jiao, "Sis, aren’t you worried your husband will get drunk?"
"If he gets drunk, he gets drunk."
Qin Xiaolan leaned closer to Qin Jiao and whispered, "I hear drunk people do... naughty things."
’Qin Jiao was genuinely shocked. How did this little girl know so much? When she was Xiao Lan’s age, she had been completely clueless.’
’But... was she really afraid of Shen Yi doing naughty things?’
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