Chapter 9: You Think You’re the Only One with a Brain?

Had it not been for his weakened state, he would have long gone to meet the King of Hell.

Old Man Qian was still shaken as he packed up his medical kit. Glancing at Wei Shen, whose breathing was feeble on the bed, and then at the honest and simple Wei Shouzhong standing nearby, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

“Shouzhong, are you sure this is your son?”

Wei Shouzhong didn’t hesitate. “Of course! He’s my biological son with Hui Niang—how could I mistake him?”

“But you and your wife look like this, and he looks like that,” Old Man Qian frowned. “I remember when your boy left all those years ago, he was scrawny and short, not particularly eye-catching, just like you two.”

That was blunt, but Wei Shouzhong spoke with pride and certainty. “It’s not his fault for being handsome.”

“He joined the Wei family army, had full meals every day, and gained some fat and muscle. Why wouldn’t he grow tall and sturdy?” He sighed, then added, “Honestly, if I met him on the road, I wouldn’t recognize him either. It was Hui Niang who noticed the talisman he was clutching in his hand that day.”

“Before he left, Hui Niang personally got that talisman from the temple. Worried he might lose it, she stitched it securely so it could hang around his neck.”

“They say one shouldn’t die in foreign lands—this child must have come back to return to his roots.”

At this, Old Man Qian recalled the scene vividly. Indeed, when Wei Shen had fallen unconscious, he had gripped that talisman so tightly he wouldn’t let go.

Clearly, he treasured it above all else.

Any misplaced doubts dissolved with those words.

*

That evening, the sky was overcast, as if brewing a storm.

Madam Wang was sulking and had deliberately skipped making supper for Yu Tingwan. She reheated some rice and ate with Xiao Xu in the kitchen instead.

For days, they had been eating rice mixed with beans, and Xiao Xu felt nauseated just from the smell.

“Mother, are you really not going to let her eat?”

Madam Wang replied coldly, “Will starving her for one meal kill her? The village head scolded me in front of everyone! I’ve lost face completely!”

Xiao Xu thought silently: … Well, you kind of deserved it.

Madam Wang fumed, her anger festering. “That matchmaker Liu—how dare she cross me! She used to butter me up, calling me the scholar’s mother, but now she’s turned her back on me. Over the years, how many girls has she harmed? What’s one more brat from next door?”

Exactly! Xiao Xu agreed inwardly. But they could do nothing against Yu Tingwan.

Knock, knock.

Xiao Xu turned nervously toward the entrance and saw Yu Tingwan standing outside. It was unclear how long she had been there.

Something trembled in the sky. Thunder rolled like war drums, and lightning snaked violently across the heavens, seeming to explode behind Yu Tingwan. The blinding light tore through the thick clouds, illuminating her disheveled hair, making her appear like a ghostly figure collecting souls.

Yu Tingwan spoke softly, her tone patient. “If you’re going to badmouth someone, could you at least lower your voices?”

“This is my house!” Madam Wang sneered. “I’ll curse you if I please, and you’ll take it!”

Yu Tingwan blinked slowly.

“Don’t get cocky! I’ll make sure you regret it sooner or later!”

Yu Tingwan smiled faintly. “Alright.”

Madam Wang felt provoked.

Yu Tingwan seemed resigned. “Go ahead, Aunt. Keep it up.” She turned to leave but stopped after a few steps.

“How does it feel when your schemes fail?”

She didn’t wait for an answer, chuckling softly instead. “Always up to no good—do you really think you’re the only one with a brain?”

Madam Wang laughed in anger. “Is this how you speak to your elders?”

“I used to think I should endure it, that without the means to fight back, I had to bow my head. But why? I’ve figured it out now: retreating only lets people like you push further.”

Yu Tingwan’s face suddenly turned cold. She glanced at the sky, her voice chilling. “Aunt, how thick-skinned must you be to act so high and mighty in front of me? If you’re so determined to rip off all pretense, don’t blame me when you’re the one who loses face. If I were you, with any shred of shame left, I’d hide that disgusting, ugly face of yours.”

Xiao Xu didn’t dare breathe.

Have you been eating gunpowder these past few days?!

She didn’t dare offend either side and shifted her position, not wanting to be involved in this conflict.

“Get out!” Madam Wang shouted. “Get out of my house!”

“Freeze to death outside for all I care! Without the Hu family, where would you be today? Everyone says you’re sensible, but it’s all an act! Let’s see if the village head still takes your side!”

Her tone dripped with contempt. “Yes, I’ve treated you poorly—so what? Even a dog would wag its tail at me, but you.!”

Unlike her hysteria, Yu Tingwan stood quietly as a shadow.

Her shoes were soaked from the snow, the cold creeping upward. Her voice was so soft it nearly drowned in the thunder.

“All these years, I’ve been wondering.”

“When my parents died in that fire, and the Yu family home burned to ashes, Constable Zhu from the magistrate’s office took pity on me. But with too many mouths to feed at home, he couldn’t take me in. After much searching, he found my uncle.”

“When Uncle saw me, he cried and promised to take me home.”

“Though I was young, I had never heard Mother mention having a brother. There had been no contact over those years. I only knew she had nowhere to go when Father saved her, and they married.”

“Clearly, there was some rift between her and the Hu family.”

She had entered the Hu household timidly, trying to investigate over the years, but the villagers of Xilin avoided the topic.

“I was small then—what could I do? My parents gave their lives to save me; they wanted me to live well. I couldn’t afford to be thrown out.”

She paused, her tone sharpening.

“But a few days ago, I overheard Granny Fan in the mountains saying some interesting things.”

Madam Wang’s face turned ashen.

“You…”

Yu Tingwan turned her head. “Shall I spell it out for you, Aunt?”

“Do you dare to listen?”

“What if I mentioned this to my cousin’s teacher…”

Before she could finish, Madam Wang interrupted.

“No! Don’t drag Erlang into this—he wasn’t involved!”

Yu Tingwan laughed coldly. “Was my mother not innocent? Yet she was sacrificed all the same.”

Madam Wang’s expression shifted to one of fear.

Back then, Hu Dazhu had nearly divorced her over this matter. If it weren’t for their newborn eldest son’s serious illness needing her care, she would have been thrown out long ago. Since then, she hadn’t dared mention Yu Tingwan’s mother in front of him.

When Hu Dazhu went to fetch Yu Tingwan, the village head had told him, «Since you’ve decided to bring her back, raise her well. Dazhu, you haven’t had it easy either, spending years searching for your sister only to hear of her death. You must be heartbroken. That matter… I’ll remind everyone to mind their words around the girl—no need to stir up trouble. »

Yu Tingwan’s lips curled in mockery.

“So, Aunt, do you still think I owe you gratitude?”

“These past few days, my thoughts have been in chaos—I really can’t be bothered to deal with you.”

“But let me give you some advice: keep your head down and know your place.”