blogombal Chapter 53 Forced Confession
Chapter 53 Forced Confession
(It's the last day of the Three Rivers Tour, let's read it in three chapters...)
"Don't worry, don't worry, Yang Ming didn't do anything illegal..." Xue Hua saw that Zhang Shufang looked confused and seemed unaware of her son's background, and was instead getting more and more confused, so he quickly comforted her.
How did you know?
"Of course I know. Yang Ming makes several million a month. Even drug trafficking doesn't bring in that much profit. If he dared to do anything illegal, he would have been arrested by the police long ago. Even if the police haven't arrested him yet, he wouldn't dare to be so blatant as to buy two houses in an upscale neighborhood."
"What you said makes a lot of sense, but I still need to ask about his background. Not only can he not break the law, but he also can't do anything immoral," Zhang Shufang said.
"Yes, yes, yes..." Xue Hua quickly echoed. Actually, she also felt that Yang Ming's money came from suspicious sources. What kind of business could earn several million a month? If she talked to Yang Ming's biological mother today, the secret would probably be exposed. He dared not tell us the truth, but would he dare not tell his mother the truth? This was also the result of her and Wei Jianguo's discussion for a day. They would see how their in-laws reacted. If their reaction was normal, it meant that the mother knew, and then everything would be over. If it was abnormal, then they would let their in-laws expose the truth, and they could also help clear up the mystery.
At this moment, Yang Ming, carrying a large bundle, walked past the door and headed towards room 701.
"Mingming, put down your bag. I have something to say to you," Zhang Shufang said coldly.
"Oh, Mom, let me put it inside first..."
"Just leave me outside. Whether I stay at your house or not is still up for debate..." Zhang Shufang said coldly.
"What's wrong? Who upset you?" Yang Ming asked in surprise as he put down his bundle and walked into his father-in-law's living room.
"You've always been a good child. Tell Mom the truth, how much did these two houses cost?"
"Five million. It should have been five million one hundred thousand, but Fangfang is the sales manager, so she rounded it down."
"Whether or not the amount was rounded down, tell me, how did you get this five million?"
"You got it from selling vegetables?" Yang Ming blinked twice and said.
"Nonsense!" Zhang Shufang's face turned pale. She jumped up from the sofa, pointing angrily at her son, "What kind of vegetable could be so valuable? I seem to remember you were still looking for work all over the world just over a month ago..."
"The vegetables I sell are of good quality, so I sell them for a little more, Mom. Please don't be angry. We can talk this over. If you don't believe me, I'll show you the contracts in a bit. They're all signed with some big hotels..." Yang Ming was terrified by his mother's strange expression.
There are two major hurdles in life: adolescence and menopause. One is the starting point of maturity, and the other is the beginning of aging. These two stages are when people undergo transformation, just like when cicadas shed their skin. Touching them can ruin everything. Adolescence determines a person's personality for life, while menopause determines a person's physical health in old age.
The restlessness of adolescence is at most a bit rebellious, but menopause is a different story. Some people can't get over this hurdle and even die from anger. Moreover, menopausal women are particularly irritable and easily angered, like a powder keg ready to explode at the slightest spark. Even if they manage to get through it, if they get sick from the anger, there is a high chance that they will have lasting health problems, making their later years miserable.
"Really? You're not lying to me?" Zhang Shufang's expression softened.
"Oh my, why would I lie to you? Did you see that truckload of fruit I brought back when I picked you and Dad up? Weren't they big? The vegetables I sell are of the same quality as that fruit." Yang Ming was practically swearing an oath.
As soon as Yang Ming mentioned the fruit, Zhang Shufang believed him, and her expression improved. She waved her hand and said, "If you're talking about this, then I'll believe you. Go on, go do your thing. But remember to bring that contract over so I can take a look."
"Can you read this? I remember neither you nor Dad were very literate?"
"Your father and I can't understand it. Can't we ask someone else to help us? Qingqing's parents are teachers. Don't they know how to read?" Zhang Shufang said.
"Okay, go ahead and look if you want, it's no big deal," Yang Ming said, walking out to move his luggage.
"He said the vegetables were of good quality, but how good? How good could they earn him millions a month? Did he grow them himself, or did he buy them wholesale?" Xue Hua muttered to himself, frowning.
"My dear in-laws, who cares how he came to be? The child has his own way of doing things; even if he just fell from the sky, I don't care. As long as my son doesn't break the law, that's fine. By the way, mother-in-law, are the vegetables a bit expensive? Is that illegal?"
"It shouldn't be illegal...it's a matter of mutual consent, one party willing to hit and the other willing to be hit..." Xue Hua said.
"That's good, that's good. Don't they always say on TV that this disrupts the market economy..." Zhang Shufang's understanding of the law was still limited to CCTV's Economic and Legal Channel.
"That's impossible. How could one person's power disrupt the market economy? Besides, there's government regulation too," Xue Hua said.
"That's good, that's good. As long as my son doesn't break the law or do anything against his conscience, I don't care about him..." Zhang Shufang said.
As Zhang Shufang and Xue Hua were talking, Wei Jianguo and Yang Zhengfang walked in together.
Wei Jianguo was carrying a large basin containing two large fish, while Yang Zhengfang was leading his big dog, followed by five puppies. The two walked side by side, chatting and laughing.
"Get the dog out of here..." Zhang Shufang pointed at her old man, her eyes wide open. She had originally wanted to give this old man face, but for some reason, seeing him made her furious. This was their in-laws' house, did they know if they would mind if they saw a dog?
"Why should I? Old Wei said he wants one of our little dogs..." In front of his in-laws, Yang Zhengfang couldn't lose his dignity as the head of the family, so he forced a retort.
"Jianguo, you still want to keep a puppy?" Xue Hua's face fell.
"Ah..." Wei Jianguo was a little embarrassed, "I was thinking of getting a puppy, so it would be more fun to walk it on a leash when I go for a walk, right?"
"I don't like hearing what you're saying, father-in-law. People keep purebred dogs, but you bring out a stupid little dog. Don't you think people will laugh at you? Do you think I'm from the countryside and can't tell you're siding with this old man?" Zhang Shufang said.
"What did I say? Their in-laws asked us for a dog, how could I refuse? What's wrong with my stupid dog? My big yellow dog can catch rabbits. Deng Xiaoping said, black dog or white dog, as long as it can catch rabbits, it's a good dog..." Yang Zhengfang said indignantly.
"Deng Gong is right. A black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches rabbits, it's a good cat. No, no, it's a cat that catches mice," Wei Jianguo whispered in Yang Zhengfang's ear.
"Whatever it is, that's the gist of it..." Yang Zhengfang said.
"My dear in-laws, you don't understand Old Wei. He's not just taking sides; he genuinely loves dogs. Sometimes when he goes for a walk, he can't take his eyes off other people's dogs. Once, he stared intently at a young woman's poodle, making her think he was being indecent, and she almost called the police..." Xue Hua knew Wei Jianguo too well. Before, when she was treating Wei Qingqing's face, she couldn't save any money, and the family was quite strapped for cash. She had always tolerated his hobbies, but now that his daughter's face was better, he could save money, and some of his little schemes were starting to surface.
"So what if I like dogs? Dogs are man's best friend..." Wei Jianguo's face turned slightly red.
"Look how big that dog is! Is it suitable to keep it in the building?" Xue Hua said.
"What's wrong with that? I'll get them dog tags tomorrow..." Wei Jianguo muttered.
"It's not a matter of appropriateness or inappropriateness. What if someone gets bitten?" Zhang Shufang interjected, pointing at Yang Zhengfang. "If someone really gets bitten, you old man will be the culprit..."
"They have masks, even dogs wear masks when they go out..." Wei Jianguo said softly.
"Exactly, if you cover its mouth, how can it bite?" Yang Zhengfang quickly agreed.
"Anyway, I said no dogs are allowed in this building," Zhang Shufang said firmly. Actually, she felt her authority had been challenged and started to act unreasonably.
"You don't get to decide. The house belongs to our son. I'll ask him..." Yang Zhengfang retorted, determined to stick to his guns.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? Why are you arguing again? Are all four of you arguing at the same time?" Wei Qingqing, carrying a small bundle, peeked out from the doorway.
"Qingqing, this house belongs to both of you. Do you think it's appropriate to keep a dog in the building?" Zhang Shufang asked.
"This..." Wei Qingqing looked at the four people's faces. "I don't know. You can ask Yang Ming..." With that, she turned and left.
"That brat is trying to dodge the question!" Xue Hua slapped his thigh in anger.
"The child is still young, he was frightened by this scene..." Zhang Shufang defended her daughter-in-law, "Wait until my son comes, then we'll see what he has to say."
"What's wrong? What do you want me to say?" Yang Ming happened to be passing by the door carrying a bundle at that moment.
"Son, you said that dogs aren't allowed in the city!" Zhang Shufang said.
"Well... it's not up to me. Your son doesn't have that kind of power..." Yang Ming chuckled awkwardly. "If you want to ban dogs in the city, you'd have to go to the People's Congress, and only if the People's Congress approves it can a case be filed..."
Regarding the issue of keeping dogs in cities, relevant regulations do indeed prohibit keeping large dogs in urban areas. However, there are quite a few people who keep large dogs in urban areas. Generally, on the outskirts of the city, there are mostly single-story houses with small yards. It is quite normal for such families to keep large dogs to guard their homes. Yang Ming's Meili Community is located in a development zone on the outskirts of the city. Looking out from the building, most of the houses are single-story. Therefore, the management of large dogs in this area is not very strict. Even in Meili Community, there are quite a few families who keep large dogs.
"Hahaha..." Yang Zhengfang laughed immediately, patted his son's shoulder with a big hand, "Son, you've grown up and know how to use the law to protect your rights."
"Yang Ming, these puppies are quite pretty. The three of us will give them a bath in a bit, and I'll pick out the best one while we're at it. I heard from your dad that Zhang Yang reserved one; let him choose the one we'll leave out. By the way, have the dogs been vaccinated?" Wei Jianguo was very satisfied with his son-in-law's answer, but the last question was directed at Yang Zhengfang.
"Yes, yes, our Dahuang had nine pups, and they've all been vaccinated," Yang Zhengfang said.
"Mingming, you're not my son..." Zhang Shufang glared at Yang Ming, her face long and drawn.
"My dear son, where's the bathroom?" Yang Zhengfang said affectionately, putting his arm around his son's shoulder and giving his wife a provocative look.
"Yang Ming, you are not my son-in-law..." Xue Hua's gaze towards Yang Ming was also unfriendly.
"Good son-in-law! Wait for me a moment, this fish is too heavy, my arms are aching from carrying it. Let me put the fish in the kitchen, then we'll go together." Wei Jianguo happily carried a basin of fish into the kitchen, then quickly ran out.
Men's spirit is contagious. Wei Jianguo and Yang Zhengfang compared themselves to each other, both looking quite spirited and upright today.
Zhang Shufang and Xue Hua were both in 703. The three of them didn't have the courage to "pursue the enemy to the bitter end." A partial victory didn't mean they had turned the tide. So, the three of them, with their dog in tow, went to 701.
Silence... A profound silence filled the living room of apartment 703...
"Actually, I usually give my husband Lao Yang a lot of face, but today it's not a big deal, I just couldn't control my temper," Zhang Shufang said somewhat embarrassedly.
"Yeah! Me too. I usually listen to Lao Wei the most, but when I saw you get angry today, I got angry without even realizing it."
The two looked at each other, and both could see four words in each other's eyes: "I don't believe you."
The two lowered their heads and couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly.
"Alright, let's not make fun of each other. Let's go cook together. You've moved in today, so you need to cook..." Xue Hua said.
"Alright, alright, let's forget about what happened today. No one is allowed to mention it again. It's really puzzling. I don't know what's wrong with me these past few years. I get angry so easily, and sometimes I don't even know why I get so angry..." Zhang Shufang said.
"It's menopause, which means we're getting old..."
"I can't deny getting old anymore; my kids have all grown up and don't listen to me anymore..."
So the two of them held hands, went out the door together, turned to the side, and went into room 701. They went into the kitchen and started making dinner.
"No way! What nonsense are you talking about? Setting off firecrackers in the building? You really have the nerve to think of that? Won't it destroy all the furniture? People only set off firecrackers before moving in..." After the move, Yang Zhengfang somehow got hold of a string of firecrackers and insisted on setting them off in the living room, which immediately made Zhang Shufang furious.
"Didn't I forget? At the very least, I should make up for it. Besides, isn't it all in one bucket..." Yang Zhengfang muttered, pointing to the thick-skinned iron bucket he had found somewhere in front of him, his will very firm.
"What if it blows out... Fine, let it go. These pieces of furniture and stuff cost hundreds of thousands. You won't mind if they get damaged, so just let it go..." Zhang Shufang said, and went straight into the kitchen.
"Son, is this furniture really worth hundreds of thousands?" Yang Zhengfang asked furtively.
"No..." Yang Ming said. Yang Zheng had just breathed a sigh of relief and was about to light a cigarette to light the firecracker fuse when Yang Ming continued, "The ones in this living room are only about 100,000 or so, and even with the others in the other rooms, it's only a few hundred thousand..."
"You brat, why are you breathing so loudly?" Yang Zhengfang had just lit the whip when he heard his son's words, so he quickly extinguished it and glared at his son, trembling with anger.
"Go ahead and release it, it's fine. The living room is big enough, and it's in a metal drum, so it won't blow up the furniture. It'll just be a bit noisy," Yang Ming said.
"You spendthrift..." Yang Zhengfang glared at his son, put away the firecrackers, and stormed off.
In the mountain village, darkness falls quickly. After a long day of working in the fields, Liu Sao, exhausted, cooked dinner for her daughter and then, carrying a small basket with some mooncakes she had made the night before, went to Bao'er's grandmother's house.
"Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I'll go back to my parents' house then and send them some things." By the moonlight, Aunt Liu walked along the mountain path, thinking to herself, "Grandpa Bao'er is a quiet person, but Grandma Bao'er has a sharp tongue. I wonder what hurtful things she'll say this time..." Thinking of her mother-in-law's attitude towards her, Aunt Liu felt worried. She also blamed herself for not giving birth to a son. Otherwise, her father-in-law's lineage wouldn't have ended.
Bao'er's grandma's house is not far from Liu's house, also on the side of a gravel road, only about a hundred meters apart. However, since Bao'er's father died, the old couple has never been to her house again.
knock knock...
Aunt Liu knocked on Grandma Bao'er's door, and immediately a dog barked inside. As soon as the dog barked, all the dogs in the neighborhood started barking too.
"What are you doing here?" It was Bao'er's grandmother who opened the door. The old lady was sixty years old this year, but her hair had long turned white. As soon as she saw that the person was her daughter-in-law, she immediately became very hostile.
"Mom! It's the Mid-Autumn Festival, I've brought you and Dad some mooncakes," Aunt Liu said with a forced smile.
The old lady glanced at her daughter-in-law, said, "Come in..." and turned to go back into the house.
"Oh, oh, oh..." Aunt Liu immediately perked up. In the past, the two elders would never let her in the door.
Once inside, the old man was sitting cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), smoking a pipe, filling the room with smoke. A twelve-inch black-and-white television was on, but the screen was static, and the audio was so loud that it was impossible to understand what was being said, though it was definitely playing a video about a young man.
"Sit down, I have something to tell you." The old lady sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), crossed her legs, and pointed to a small stool.
Aunt Liu placed the mooncakes on the counter and sat down as instructed. "Mom, is there anything you want to tell me?"
"As you know, you and your father-in-law only have one son and one daughter, and your womb was uncooperative, only giving birth to a girl. Our family line will end from now on..."
"Mom and Dad, I'm sorry..." Aunt Liu lowered her head in shame, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Dazhi is gone, and we haven't even found his remains. My husband and I miss our son, so we took our anger out on you. I know you feel wronged..." the old lady said.
"I'm not wronged. Dazhi is gone, so it's my responsibility to take care of you two." Tears streamed down Liu's face.
"We can't let our branch of the family die out. Your father-in-law and I have been discussing it for a long time and we're planning to have you get pregnant again..." The old lady's words stunned Liu Sao on the spot.
"What did you say?" Aunt Liu suddenly looked up and asked in surprise.
"I said, I'll let you get pregnant again." The old lady said expressionlessly.
"I disagree..." Aunt Liu stood up excitedly.
"Even Zheng Yu's family has children now, how can you bear to let our family line end? Do you think I don't know? These days, the whole village is talking about you and that young man from the city having an affair. He even lent you the money to contract the mountain, and he helped you with the farm work. Let me tell you, as long as you give us a grandson, we can turn a blind eye to whatever you and that young man from the city do." The old woman's face was cold, and her words were like ice, chilling people to the bone.
Aunt Liu slowly sat down again, and then the old lady said, "We've already chosen the men for you. Da Zhuang, Da Han, and Da Yong are all from the close branch of the family. You can choose any of the three, but I think Da Han is better. Da Han is strong and sturdy..."
"What am I in their eyes? A tool for reproduction? Someone who can choose the right seed?" Aunt Liu's mind was in complete turmoil. At this moment, she only felt indifference, cruelty, and... humiliation.
"Da Zhuang, Han Da Yong, and Da Yong are all your cousins. If something happens to you, it won't sound good to others. Aren't all pig farmers artificially inseminated? We think people are about the same..." The old man who had been smoking suddenly said.
Aunt Liu didn't know how she left Grandma Bao'er's house. She only felt that all the humiliation of her life had been concentrated in this night. Pig farming? Artificial insemination? Humans are almost the same?
"Heh..." Aunt Liu gave a bitter laugh, "Give me a few days to think it over? If it weren't for Bao'er, I would have died in your house today..."
When they got home, Bao'er wasn't there. They went out to check and saw that Yang Ming's house was lit up, with flickering light and shadow on the east window. It was clear that little Bao'er was watching TV inside. Only then did Aunt Liu remember that when Wei Qingqing left, she had given little Bao'er the house key so that she could open the door and go in whenever she wanted to watch TV. The two of them had also left a lot of fruit for the little one.
Instead of calling her daughter home, Liu's wife went back into her room, buried herself under the covers, and burst into tears...
(Such absurd things happening are not surprising at all. If you don't believe me, you can watch programs like "Moral Observation" and "Today's Talk" on CCTV-12.)
"Hehe, Mom, let me tell you, last night I adopted a daughter..." In the spacious dining room, the fluorescent lights on the ceiling emitted a white glow. The table was laden with dishes, including chicken, duck, fish, meat, seasonal fruits, and seafood. Yang Zhengfang, Zhang Shufang, Wei Jianguo, Xue Hua, Yang Ming, and Wei Qingqing, a family of six, were eating dinner together. Yang Ming said with a smile.
"She's my goddaughter..." Wei Qingqing added with a hint of sourness.
"What happened? Tell Mom..." Zhang Shufang put down her chopsticks and asked curiously.
"Let me explain..." Wei Qingqing put down her chopsticks as well. "Yang Ming and I bought a courtyard house in a small mountain village, and we've been living there for a while now. Our neighbors are a mother and daughter. The mother is a widow, and the daughter is quite lovely and very attached to us. We like her too, so I told her mother to let her daughter recognize Yang Ming as her godfather..."
"A daughter is fine..." Zhang Shufang said.
There are many rules to follow when it comes to adopting godparents. There is a saying about "prevention." For example, Zhang Shufang can adopt a goddaughter, but she will not adopt a godson because she only has one son. If she adopts a godson, it will be seen as a threat to her own son, which would be bad for him. If her son is underage, he might even die young. If she had many sons, it would be fine to adopt a godson.
"What's the little girl's name?" Xue Hua asked, putting down his chopsticks.
"Zheng Bao'er is about ten years old this year and is in the third grade of elementary school," Yang Ming said.
"You're still buying a house in a small mountain village? If you want to live in the countryside, just go back home..." Zhang Shufang said. In front of her in-laws, Zhang Shufang would never let them see how much she longed for city life.
"Yang Ming said that if we go back, you might not be able to hold your heads up in front of the villagers. Your son got into university, but in the end, he still has to go back to farming..." Wei Qingqing said.
"The child is very thoughtful." Yang Zhengfang poured Wei Jianguo a glass of baijiu and then filled his own glass. "If we go back like this, we'll know they want to live in the countryside, but the villagers will have their opinions. They'll definitely think that Mingming can't make it in the city." He raised his glass to Wei Jianguo, and the two of them downed it in one gulp. Then, they started eating, their mouths watering.
Originally, pouring wine was the junior's job, but the two felt particularly compatible and chatted and drank together. Without Yang Ming, Yang Ming could only watch enviously from the sidelines, unable to join in at all.
"Old Wei, don't get drunk..." Xue Hua reminded him.
"Alright, alright, you're bothering me with raising dogs, and you're bothering me with drinking too? We hit it off with Lao Yang today, so let's drink until we drop," Wei Jianguo said with a smile.
"Hmph..." Xue Hua snorted twice, then looked at Yang Ming: "There's always gossip around a widow's door. Be careful when you're together, so the villagers don't gossip..." As a mother-in-law, this is all the advice she can give, especially in front of the other person's parents.
"That's right. Now that Zheng Bao'er is going to call you Dad, there will be a lot of gossip going around," Zhang Shufang added.
"It's alright, Aunt Liu is a respectable woman," Wei Qingqing said on Aunt Liu's behalf.
"You should be careful. Rumors don't care whether you're a decent person or not." Yang Ming picked up his chopsticks and ate some food.
"Yang Ming is the most sensible..." Xue Hua praised her son-in-law.
"When you have the chance in the future, bring the little guy over so your dad and I can see him. After all, he's our grandson," Zhang Shufang said.
"What should we bring? Yang Ming and Qingqing are getting married on October 1st and are planning to go to Qingdao. Let's go and look after their house. They even have a hot spring there, so the two of us sisters can soak in it," Xue Hua said.
"I've only ever heard that soaking in hot springs is good for the skin, but I've never actually done it before..." Zhang Shufang said with great interest.
"They've all left, so our homes aren't going to keep anyone here?" Wei Jianguo said.
"Who said we're not keeping anyone? My sister and I are going, and you two brothers have dogs, right? You can stay and take care of the dogs..." Xue Hua rolled her eyes at Wei Jianguo.
"Yes, yes, let them take care of the dog, and let's go soak in the hot springs..." Zhang Shufang added.
"You don't know yet, do you? If you go there, you'll have to serve more dogs than we do. Yang Ming keeps more than twenty dogs there." Wei Jianguo dropped a bombshell. In an unfamiliar mountain village, dogs are a guarantee of personal safety. Although Wei Jianguo likes dogs, he knows that the dogs have legitimate uses, so he doesn't feel comfortable asking for one.
"Hehe, yes, we have 27 dogs there: 18 Dalmatians, 5 Siberian Huskies, and the remaining 4 are all rather special mixed breeds, one of which is a cross between a Tibetan Mastiff and a bear," Yang Ming said with a laugh.
Wei Jianguo and Yang Zhengfang exchanged a glance and said in unison, "I'll go too..."
"Dog-crazy..." Zhang Shufang and Xue Hua said in unison.
"Mom... I heard you and Dad came? Why didn't you tell me?" The door was pushed open roughly, and Sun Fangfang barged in, shouting at the top of her lungs.
Following behind Sun Fangfang was Zhang Yang: "That's right, we're your son-in-law and daughter-in-law..."
"Is that Fangfang and Zhang Yang? Just got off work? Haven't eaten yet? Come and eat..." Zhang Shufang liked Sun Fangfang very much, so she quickly went to the kitchen to add bowls and chopsticks for the young couple. Wei Qingqing, being the daughter-in-law, naturally followed.
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