Another Sunday in Beijing City, and He Lang still hadn’t returned.
A little after nine, Wang Shumin arrived, but she wasn’t alone. She had a man with her.
"Xue Yue, I’m so sorry. I left in such a hurry last ti and didn’t even get to say thank you."
Xue Yue shook her head. "Don’t worry about it. The important thing is that you’re all right."
Wang Shumin smiled at Xue Yue. "Oh, right, this is my older brother, Wang Qiming. He was just discharged from the army a couple of days ago. I wanted to bring him over to et you."
Xue Yue studied the man. He looked to be about the sa age as her own brother and was around six feet tall. He had a very short haircut, thick eyebrows, and deep-set eyes. Just standing there, he had an imposing presence.
Wang Qiming was sizing up Xue Yue as well. Just as his sister had said, they did look sowhat similar. He appraised her for a long mont, as if he were inspecting an object.
eting his gaze, Xue Yue felt a strange sense of displeasure.
"Co on in."
From the mont he stepped into the courtyard, Wang Qiming had been observing his surroundings.
"Did you buy this place, or are you renting?" he asked, his voice a little gruff.
Xue Yue replied, "We bought it."
Wang Qiming shot Xue Yue a look. "A house like this couldn’t have been cheap. You just got to Beijing City—where did you get that kind of money?"
’He had a pretty good idea of what people from the countryside could afford.’
Xue Yue froze for a second, speechless. Wang Shumin shot her brother a glare. "Brother, that’s their private business! Why are you asking that? It’s so rude."
Wang Qiming glanced at the silent Xue Yue, then gave Wang Shumin a small smile. "I’m just blunt, that’s all. I didn’t an anything by it, just making conversation."
Xue Yue pursed her lips. ’This Wang Qiming doesn’t seem very friendly at all.’
"Mom, who’s here?" Ruanruan ca running out of the house, with Shiyi and Daya following close behind.
"You have three kids already?" Wang Qiming stared at Xue Yue. She looked about the sa age as Wang Shumin. He’d heard from his sister that she was married, but he hadn’t expected her to be a mother of three.
Xue Yue replied, "The two little ones are mine. Daya is my sister-in-law’s daughter."
Wang Qiming glanced down at the two children. When his gaze landed on Ruanruan’s face, he paused for a mont.
"Daya, go get two glasses of water, please," Xue Yue said to her.
Daya nodded and went into the kitchen.
Xue Yue led them into the house.
After sitting down, Wang Qiming looked at Xue Yue and asked nonchalantly, "I heard you have a brother, too. Where’s he?"
"My brother and his family don’t live here."
Wang Shumin looked a little awkward. "Um, is He Lang not ho?"
Xue Yue shook her head. "He’s away on a long trip."
"Oh."
"If you’re really my aunt’s children, why haven’t you co to pay your respects to your elders since you arrived in Beijing City?"
Wang Qiming’s sudden and direct question left Xue Yue completely stunned.
’No wonder I had a bad feeling about him,’ Xue Yue thought. ’He’s here to call to account.’
Wang Shumin turned to Wang Qiming, her expression full of disapproval. "Brother! What are you doing?"
Wang Qiming shot his sister a look, then turned his pointed, aningful gaze back to Xue Yue.
Xue Yue let out a soft laugh. "We’ve already paid our respects to the elders we needed to. As for relatives who we haven’t seen in ages and who’ve just popped out of the woodwork, well, we have to be more careful. If we just showed up unannounced, people might think we’re trying to mooch off our connections, and that wouldn’t be good, now would it?"
Wang Qiming stared at her for a few seconds, then scoffed. "Are you afraid to show up because you’re worried we’ll think you have ulterior motives? Or is it because you know about my family’s current situation and you’re afraid we’ll drag you down with us?"
Xue Yue stared at him in disbelief. "Is there sothing wrong with you? Maybe you should get your head checked. Whether your family is rich or poor, powerful or destitute, what does any of that have to do with us? Who told you we wanted to acknowledge you as relatives? Do you think just because your mother ca over and threw around a few words about being family, we’re suddenly bosom buddies? Go ask your mother if she’s bothered to ask about us even once in all these years. Is that how family acts? So don’t you dare co here crying about ’elders’ and trying to condemn us. We don’t owe you a thing."
The corner of Wang Qiming’s mouth twitched. "Such a sharp tongue. Do you really think a few words from you can erase the fact that we’re related by blood?"
Xue Yue’s patience finally snapped. "If we don’t want to acknowledge you, then who cares who she is?"
"Hmph. Spoken like a true peasant thug."
Xue Yue was so furious her eyes turned red. ’This man is absolutely infuriating!’
THWACK! Sothing hit Wang Qiming and clattered to the floor by his feet. It was a child’s toy.
"Don’t you talk about my mommy like that!" Ruanruan planted her hands on her hips, pouting as she glared furiously at Wang Qiming.
Shiyi copied his sister, putting his hands on his hips. "Don’t you talk about my mommy like that!"
Daya frowned as well, watching them warily.
Wang Qiming stared blankly at the two children without a word. Afraid he might strike them, Xue Yue pulled the children into her arms, stood up, and ordered them to leave.
"Please leave. You’re not welco in my ho."
"Xue Yue..." Wang Shumin’s eyes were red-rimd as she looked apologetically at her.
Xue Yue turned her head, refusing to look at them.
Once they were kicked out, Wang Shumin looked at Wang Qiming furiously. "What was that all about? I brought you here with the best intentions, so you could et our relatives. And what do you do? You say all those horrible things! How am I supposed to face her ever again?"
Wang Qiming replied nonchalantly, "Then don’t. Didn’t you hear her? She doesn’t want to acknowledge us as family anyway."
Wang Shumin stomped her foot. "That’s because you forced her to say it! Xue Yue is a good person. Back in Da Liushu Village, she helped out so much. This is all your fault! If I’d known you’d act like this, I never would have brought you here."
With that, Wang Shumin stord off, ignoring her brother completely. Wang Qiming followed slowly behind her.
When the two of them got ho, they found Li Wanqing still lying in bed. Her breakfast sat on the bedside table, untouched.
"Mom, you’re not going to work, and you’re not even going to eat?" Wang Shumin sighed.
Li Wanqing remained motionless in her bed.
Wang Qiming ca in and resignedly pulled Li Wanqing into a sitting position. "Mom, no matter what’s happened, you have to eat. You’re only hurting yourself. If you starve, you’re the one who will suffer."
As Wang Qiming helped her sit up, it was clear she was not in good spirits.
"Qiming, did the army really just discharge you like that? Didn’t they give you any compensation at all?"
Wang Qiming gave a bitter smile. "Mom, I should be counting my lucky stars I wasn’t disciplined, let alone given any compensation. It wasn’t a standard discharge. Besides, with our family in this state, it’s better that I’m back. With Dad gone and Xiao Min at school, I wouldn’t be able to rest easy knowing you were here all by yourself."
Li Wanqing’s head drooped. All traces of her forr elegance were gone. She hadn’t even washed her face. She was used to living in a proper house, but this tiny apartnt didn’t even have a real bathroom. Being cooped up in such a small space day after day, Li Wanqing felt like she was going to die.
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