Chapter 18: Even Fools Say They’re Not Foolish

The second brother was supposed to take care of their old father. He readily agreed before getting the job, but he went back on his word after getting it.

He said that since the three brothers had already split, even Lin Xinghua’s household registration was with the eldest brother’s family, and it couldn’t be changed just because the eldest brother had passed away.

If they wanted to change it, he would have to take turns with the third brother to take care of him.

Now the third brother was unwilling, saying that the eldest and second brothers had taken all the benefits, he had worked hard to pass the teacher’s exam and got a job as a teacher.

His family had helped him the least, and he didn’t want to take care of the old man.

Besides, the house assigned to him by the school was small, and the old man wouldn’t fit in.

The whole family was arguing about this, and then Xie Lin’an’s mother ran away, leaving their four children behind.

The two older ones were still young, and the two younger ones were still breastfeeding, it was a nightmare.

Lin Xinghua thought, this whole family is full of children, they need someone to take care of them, he couldn’t leave.

So he said he wouldn’t leave, he would stay and raise the children.

That’s how it was, he didn’t go to the city to rely on the second and third brothers, and the two families didn’t argue anymore, they lived like this until now.

Xie Wen ate a white bun, he shouted that it was delicious, he wanted more.

Lin Xinghua smiled and gave him another one.

“Your sister-in-law made these, your sister-in-law is a good cook, isn’t she?”

“Yes, yes, sister-in-law’s buns are really delicious, I want more.”

“Okay, okay, eat slowly, I’ll get you more when you finish these.”

As they were eating, his mother, Li Mei, came in, “Dad, where’s Lin’an’s new wife?”

“Here she is, Xiaozhen, come here, call her Third Aunt.”

Ye Xiaozhen obediently called out “Third Aunt.”

Li Mei’s face stiffened, she casually responded to her a couple of times, then pulled Lin Xinghua aside and said, “Dad, is it really that fool from the Ye family?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Oh, you’re so clueless. Lin’an is a handsome young man, how could you let him marry a fool?”

“She’s silly, but she’s filial and hardworking.”

“Oh, it’s not about that. Our eldest grandson married a fool, we’ll be laughed to death, if this gets out, Wen’s father and I will be laughed at at school.”

Lin Xinghua was unhappy, “Your school is so far away, if you don’t say anything, and he doesn’t say anything, who will know? Besides, I don’t think Xiaozhen is embarrassing.”

Li Mei looked unhappy, “You don’t understand anything! I think these children of your eldest brother are ruined in your hands.”

Lin Xinghua’s face turned pale, “What are you saying? If you come back to see people, then see them. If you don’t want to see them, leave now.”

“Dad, why are you being unreasonable? I’m doing this for Lin’an.”

“Hmph, you’re doing this for him? Don’t you think about it, he’s had three wives before, and they all had accidents, people say he’s a wife-killer, if Xiaozhen wasn’t a fool, would she be willing to marry him? Xiaozhen almost died too.”

Li Mei looked speechless, “You’re being superstitious.”

“I know it’s superstition, but families with daughters are superstitious, what can you do? They’re not willing to marry him, can you force them?”

“But he can’t marry a fool.”

“Alright, alright, he’s already married, I won’t allow you to call Xiaozhen a fool anymore.”

Li Mei saw that the old man was unyielding, the matter was settled, she angrily took out ten yuan and stuffed it into his hand.

Lin Xinghua: “What are you doing?”

Li Mei said, “This ten yuan is our gift money, you don’t have to call us when they have their wedding banquet.”

“What? You’re not coming to their wedding?”

“No, we’re busy, we don’t have time.”

Busy is a lie, they’re ashamed of marrying a fool.

“You’re Lin’an’s third uncle and aunt, such a big event, how can the third uncle and aunt not come? People will talk.”

“Oh, we already said we’re not coming, we’re busy. Alright, that’s it, we have to go.”

Lin Xinghua: “You’re not staying at home? It’s already dark.”

“We’re not staying, we came back by car with our colleagues, we have to take their car back to the city soon.”

Lin Xinghua didn’t say anything, he wasn’t very happy.

His grandson had just come back and had to leave.

“By the way, Dad, when are we going to harvest the wheat? We’ll come back to help you harvest it.”

“In about half a month.”

“Okay, we’ll come back in half a month.”

They were talking outside, Ye Xiaozhen and Xie Wen were also talking inside.

Xie Wen said, “My parents know you’re a fool, they’re so angry that they curse you at home every day.”

Ye Xiaozhen: “…” What does it matter to you if I’m a fool?

“What are they cursing about?”

“They’re cursing you for being a fool, they’re cursing my grandpa, my older brother, they’re all fools. They said my older brother married a fool, and in the future, no girl will be willing to marry me, they said they’re going to cut off ties with my grandpa’s family.”

Ye Xiaozhen was speechless.

“I want to eat another bun.”

Ye Xiaozhen gave him another one, he was choking, so she magically gave him a small piece of watermelon.

Xie Wen was overjoyed, “Where did you get this?”

“Your older brother secretly gave it to me, I didn’t even dare to eat it myself. Eat it quickly, don’t let anyone know.”

Xie Wen ate it in a few bites, “Hehe, sister-in-law, I don’t think you’re a fool.”

“I don’t think I’m a fool either, but they all say I’m a fool.”

Children are easy to fool, after eating a piece of watermelon from her, he spilled the beans and told her everything his parents said at home.

At this time, someone was calling outside.

“Wen’er… come quickly.”

Xie Wen had already eaten three buns, he looked at the table and grabbed another one.

Li Mei saw the bun in his hand and was disgusted, she hit him and scolded him to put it down.

But Xie Wen refused.

“This is my sister-in-law’s, it’s delicious, I want to eat it.”

Li Mei heard that it was made by Ye Xiaozhen, and she was even more disgusted.

“I told you to let go, let go, did you hear me?”

Lin Xinghua felt heartbroken, “Wen’er likes to eat, let him have it, why are you hitting him?”

Li Mei was a teacher, she wouldn’t make a scene in front of her husband.

Lin Xinghua spoke up, she stopped hitting and scolding Xie Wen, but pulled him out while bending down and whispering to him.

“This bun was made by your sister-in-law, your sister-in-law is a fool, if you eat the buns she made, you might become a fool too.”

“Mom, I don’t think sister-in-law is a fool, she said she’s not a fool herself.”

Li Mei rolled her eyes, “Silly son, fools all say they’re not fools.”

Later, when Lin Xinghua went to close the courtyard gate, he saw two white things at the entrance of the courtyard.

It was already dark, so he couldn’t see clearly.

He bent down and picked them up, and he realized they were buns.

Lin Xinghua was so angry that tears welled up in his eyes.

“These white buns, you don’t want to eat them, so you put them down, why did you throw them away?”

Ye Xiaozhen was in the kitchen lighting the fire to make dinner, the good thing about being a fool was that she didn’t have to deal with relatives like Li Mei, and she could also see many truths that normal people couldn’t see from a bystander’s perspective.

For example, the third brother and his wife wanted to cut off ties?

That was the best thing ever.

Don’t look at them as intellectuals, they’re actually hypocritical, they love to take advantage of people, and they’re very cunning.