Yang Hualin waved his finger around as he spoke, spitting as he ranted,
**"The moment we start thinking about treating that leg, all the silver we throw at it will be like meat buns thrown at a dog—gone for good! Just look at our whole big family: the old are old, the young are young. Fifth Brother needs money to get married, doesn't he? Sixth Sister will need a dowry when she weds, right? The eldest branch has a bunch of boys too, and they're almost at marriageable age. One wave of weddings after another.
"And not even counting the mouths in Third Brother's household that just sit around eating, look at Fourth Brother's branch. His wife already gave birth to two daughters, and now she's pregnant again. So many mouths to feed. Dad, you can't seriously mean to throw away all of that just for one-Third Son. Flesh on the palm, flesh on the back of the hand—they're all your children, but northwest winds can't fill empty stomachs!"**
Old Man Yang's expression darkened.
**"Second, all you ever talk about is money, money, money! I think you've been helping your wife's older cousin keep accounts for so long that you've fallen headfirst into the money pit. Is there any brotherly feeling left in you at all?
"Your Third Brother is just past thirty—he's in his prime! And he's got three kids to feed. Can you watch him become a cripple and not care? If he's disabled, are you going to raise his kids?"**
Yang Hualin curled his lip, stood up abruptly, and threw his hands in the air.
**"Third Brother didn't end up like this because of me—it was his foolish daughter who caused it! If they want to treat his leg, then let the third household sell off their kids and raise the money themselves!
"As for me raising his children? What a joke! I can't even feed my wife and kids! If you all insist on treating Third Brother's leg, I won't stop you. But our second household will split off and live separately. Let Mother divide up the land and money—give us our share!"**
"Bastard!" Old Man Yang slammed the table so hard that the teacup in front of Yang Hualin jumped. Yang Hualin flinched, staring at Old Man Yang's face, now completely dark and twitching with anger.
At that moment, Madam Tan, who had been sulking with her back turned to them on the bed, also erupted. She grabbed a pillow behind her and hurled it at Yang Hualin.
The pillow had seen years of use, and the stitching at the corners was already loose. With that forceful throw, the dried cattail fluff and bits of chicken feathers inside burst out, fluttering through the air like a sudden snowstorm of goose down. The men at the table were quickly covered in fluff and feathers, on their heads and shoulders alike.
Madam Tan jabbed a finger at Yang Hualien's nose and furiously scolded:
"Second, you ungrateful wolf! Your father and I aren't even dead yet, and here you are, jumping around talking about splitting the family. Are you trying to piss us to death?!"
Yang Hualin's nose was sensitive, and the flying fluff made him sneeze three times in a row. Seeing Madam Tan's expression—like she was ready to bite his head off—he realized he'd stirred up a hornet's nest. Quickly, he forced a smile and pleaded:
"Mother, don't be angry! That's not what I meant. You and Father are still healthy—how could I dare…"
But Madam Tan didn't let up.
"You little bastard! So what you're saying is, the moment your father and I kick the bucket, this family should split up? What are you thinking? If you don't explain yourself, I won't let this go!"
She was relentless. Old Fourth's wife, Madam Liu, who had been sitting quietly near the bed, was so frightened she stood up right away, her head lowered and hands trembling as she held the teacup.
Yang Hualin lowered his head, standing by the table with a grimace uglier than crying, casting a pleading look toward Old Man Yang at the head of the table.
"That's enough! Everyone quiet down! And you—Second—sit down!" Old Man Yang shouted, finally silencing the room.
Yang Hualin touched his nose and, like he'd been granted amnesty, quickly sat back down.
Old Man Yang stuffed his long-stemmed pipe back into his mouth but didn't smoke it. His brows were deeply furrowed, and his face looked even darker than the bottom of a pot.
His thoughts drifted back to his younger days. He'd started fending for himself in his teens, doing all kinds of rough and dirty jobs. Later, he worked as a shopkeeper in the county town for a few years and managed to save up some money. He had even thought about settling down and buying property in the county.
But then, a legal case broke out. The shop owner ended up in jail, and Old Man Yang nearly got dragged down with him. After spending a large sum to smooth things over and clear his name, he didn't dare stay in town anymore. That just happened to be the year Madam Tan gave birth to Third Brother. So he hired a carriage and brought the whole family back to their ancestral village, Changping.
He bought dozens of mu of farmland. At the height of prosperity, he'd even hired long-term laborers and built the current two-section mud-brick courtyard. At last, it felt like they had a real home.
The sons were born one after another, then got married. Decades passed. More and more mouths to feed, but the land was still the same few dozen mu. Life got harder, taxes increased every year, and during famine years, the whole family would endure long lean periods between harvests.
Still, he had hope.
Seeing such a big family of children and grandchildren brought him comfort in his old age. He hadn't sought riches, only wished for a peaceful, united family to enjoy the blessings of togetherness.
Splitting the family?
He had never even considered it.
But tonight, his second son had brought it up. It made his blood boil.
Old Man Yang sat there for a long time, dazed, as if struck by lightning, unable to gather his wits.
The atmosphere in the room turned heavy and stiff. Everyone lowered their heads, afraid to make a sound.
Yang Ruoqing sat quietly in the corner, feeling the body beside her—Madam Sun—tense up like a drawn bowstring. The hand clasping hers was cold, deathly cold, chilling her to her heart.
Yang Ruoqing frowned slightly.
Second Uncle Yang Hualin had already spoken so bluntly—there was no point in asking him anything more.
Every man for himself.
Though they were blood brothers of Yang Huazhong, in times of crisis, each of them only looked out for themselves and their children. None wanted to be dragged down by a brother—or by his wife and children.
That's human nature—cold and brutally realistic.
But once you accepted that, there was nothing to be angry about.
She sneaked a glance at her mother. Madam Sun kept her head bowed low, with a few strands of hair falling over her eyes. Though her eyes were hidden, the pale color of her face and her cold, trembling fingers betrayed her heartbreak and despair.
Yang Ruoqing pressed her lips into a thin line.
There's no point begging others. Better to rely on yourself.
Even if the Yang family gave up on Yang Huazhong, she would not.
She would find a way to help him stand again—she just needed time.
At the Eight Immortals table, no one else spoke. The air was stifling.
After a long silence, Old Man Yang finally let out a heavy sigh. Even his gaze seemed to have dimmed. He pointed at the one son who hadn't yet spoken—Fourth Brother Yang Huaming—and said:
**"Fourth, you and Fifth grew up playing with your Third Brother. That winter, when you fell through the ice at the village pond, it was your Third Brother who jumped in and pulled you out—saved your life. And he nearly lost his own in the process. I remember you kneeling by his bedside, swearing you'd repay that debt.
"Your Third Brother never saved you expecting anything in return. But now that this has happened… I want to hear what you have to say."**
(End of Chapter)