Urban Martial Saint

(Mid-Autumn Festival, wishing everyone a happy holiday, today ten more chapters.)

Although they had not seen each other for many years, the elder still recognized Ye Qing at a glance.

Ye Qing was very moved and nodded, saying, ”It’s me.”

”Qingzi, is it really... really you...” The aunt was overjoyed, holding Ye Qing’s hand, unable to hold back her tears. When people get old, they always want to see their younger relatives, and she was no exception.

After talking a lot with Ye Qing, the elder finally came to her senses, looked at the two people behind Ye Qing, and asked, ”Qingzi, who are these two?”

”They’re my friends,” Ye Qing hurriedly introduced Da Fei and Lin Tianyou.

The elder was delighted and promptly invited the three of them into the house, boiling water and pouring tea with great enthusiasm. Even Da Fei, who was normally composed, was made flustered by the elder, and kept waving his hands saying it was not necessary.

After taking care of the three guests, the elder sat by Ye Qing with exceptional happiness and inquired about Ye Qing’s past few years. Ye Qing did not conceal anything, recounting her schooling, military service, and her move to Shenchuan City.

Hearing that Ye Qing was doing well now, the elder was also very happy. After Ye Qing finished talking about her situation, she then asked about the elder’s recent years.

”Ah!” Speaking of her own circumstances, the elder could not help but sigh and said, ”Your uncle was working in a coal mine a few years ago and had his arm broken by falling rocks. For these years, he’s been a gatekeeper at a gold mine in the neighboring village and hasn’t left there. Your auntie couldn’t stand the life at home and ran off with someone from the village. We don’t even know where she is now. She left behind a little daughter who is still studying in the city, mainly staying with your second aunt. But, your second aunt’s situation isn’t good either. The poor child, living in someone else’s house, always comes back much thinner!”

At this point, the elder could not help but wipe away tears and waved her hand, saying, ”Let’s not talk about this anymore. Qingzi, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Come, I’ll go make you something to eat!”

As the elder spoke, she went off to the kitchen to get busy. Ye Qing sat in the living room, filled with a deep sense of melancholy. The elder spoke of Ye Qing’s uncle and second aunt—their son and daughter. Ye Qing had seen them in her childhood; her uncle was an honest and simple farmer, and such incidents must have been quite a blow to him. As for the second aunt, although she lived in the county town, Ye Qing had not seen her for years nor had heard her father mention her, which was somewhat odd.

The elder was busy in the kitchen for a while, and soon had prepared a meal. Of course, there weren’t many dishes, but the elder cooked everything available in the house to treat Ye Qing and her friends.

Ye Qing and her friends were indeed hungry, and they picked up their bowls to start eating when two people walked into the courtyard—a woman in her thirties and a girl about fourteen or fifteen years old.

The young girl hung her head, following behind the woman with a wronged expression on her face. The woman’s expression was also not very pleasant as she parked her bicycle at the door and went straight into the house. Seeing the three people in the living room, the woman was visibly startled; she hadn’t expected anyone to visit.

”Second Aunt,” Ye Qing stood up, recognizing the woman—it was his second aunt Feng Xuehua.

”You... you’re Qingzi?” Feng Xuehua was evidently astonished, rushing into the room and grabbing Ye Qing, getting emotional. Although they hadn’t seen each other for many years, the bond of kinship still existed.

At that moment, the elder also came out of the kitchen. Seeing Feng Xuehua and the young girl, she was clearly surprised and asked, ”Xuehua, how come you’re back? Yingying, aren’t you supposed to be in class today?”

The young girl kept her head down, vigorously twisting the hem of her clothes without speaking. Feng Xuehua seemed a bit embarrassed and spoke softly, ”Mom, Yingying... Yingying said she doesn’t want to continue school...”

”Ah? Why? Why doesn’t she want to continue?” the elder looked at the young girl, urgently asking, ”Yingying, you said you wanted to complete university and get a good job, right? How can you just quit?”

Feng Xuehua said, ”Mom, Yingying’s schooling in the city costs too much. She’s in high school there, and she eats at school every day; just the living expenses alone cost about seventy to eighty yuan a month. And that doesn’t even cover the cost of books and stationery. Each month she needs at least one hundred yuan—you know our home’s circumstances. After selling our grains, we barely have enough for her tuition. And with my brother’s salary, it’s really not enough for her education. Mom, to be honest, I think it’s better not to let her study further. After all, for a girl, what’s the use of so much education? Eventually, she’ll get married anyway. It’s better for her to come back early, help out with farm work at home, then in a couple of years when she’s old enough, go out to work for a couple of years, earn some money to support the family, and then find someone decent to marry!”

The elder did not even look at her, still focusing on the young girl and said, ”Yingying, tell me, why don’t you want to continue? Confide in me, whatever the trouble, I will help you solve it!”

The young girl kept her head down, and after a long silence, she finally spoke in a low voice, ”Grandma, I... I don’t want to continue!”

”What did you say!” the elder shouted angrily, ”You don’t want to continue? Then what do you want to do? Do you want to come back and farm? Do you want to spend your whole life stuck in this small mountain village? Yingying, have you forgotten? You told me that you would definitely get into the best university, find the best job, and live like the city folks, eating white flour every day, wearing nice clothes. How... how can you give up halfway?”

”Mom, don’t blame the child,” Feng Xuehua said, ”Studying outside isn’t as simple as you imagine. Yingying, compared to other kids at school, really falls short. Nowadays, how many city kids wear patched clothes? Oh, let’s not talk about that, but the child is growing. The seventy yuan a month I mentioned is the bare minimum. Yingying eats a lot now; seventy yuan is definitely not enough for her food. If this continues, even before her education is finished, her health will collapse, making it hard to find a good husband later!”

”Don’t speak!” the elder said angrily, ”Xuehua, don’t think I don’t know what’s going on. It’s Zhao Bin being angry with you again, isn’t it? He wants to send Yingying back and doesn’t want her to attend school there anymore, does he? Xuehua, have you forgotten? That year when you were sick and had a high fever, it was your older brother who carried you twenty-some miles to the town to see a doctor. Have you forgotten? The year you got married, to save up money to buy you a bicycle as a wedding gift, he went out and sold his blood for money, and he bought you those things. What was his condition at that time? He had just broken an arm, and he nearly crawled back with the money from selling his blood. Oh, now that you’re living well, can’t you give Yingying a hand? How much could Yingying possibly eat at your place? Even if you don’t consider your brother’s kindness, you should think about it, Yingying is your own niece!”

The words of the elder made Feng Xuehua flush with embarrassment; she bowed her head in silence for a long while before saying softly, ”Mom, I really have no choice. You know what Bin Zi’s temper is like. He insists that I send Yingying away. What can I do? If I don’t send Yingying back, he’s threatening to divorce me. Mom, I can’t divorce Bin Zi; what would I do if we divorced?”

Hearing this, the elder couldn’t help but cry, her tears streaming down as she covered her face and sobbed.

”Grandma, grandma, don’t cry,” the little girl Yingying came over and hugged the elder, crying, ”I can go out and earn money even if I don’t go to school; I can support you and dad. Grandma, don’t be angry, I won’t blame Auntie!”

Feng Xuehua finally couldn’t hold back either, and turned her head, wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes repeatedly.

Inside the house, Da Fei and Lin Tianyou were stunned by everything they were witnessing, and they couldn’t even eat anymore, just placing their bowls on the table.

Ye Qing felt a deep surge of emotions; he had no idea his aunt’s family was living like this. Had he known, he would have come earlier and helped them no matter what.

Ye Qing sighed, stood up about to speak when suddenly another person staggered into the courtyard. Ye Qing looked carefully, and it turned out to be his uncle, Feng Jianshe.

”Big brother?” Feng Xuehua said in surprise as she looked at Feng Jianshe, ”What are you doing back?”

Seeing Feng Xuehua, Feng Jianshe also looked surprised. But, he didn’t have time to talk, hurriedly running into the living room and handing a bag to his mother, saying, ”Mom, hide this. When you have time, sell it and use the money for Yingying’s schooling. I have to go now. Remember, no matter who asks, don’t tell them I was here!”

After saying that, Feng Jianshe turned and left; he appeared to be in a hurry.

”Uncle!” Ye Qing hurried after him, blocking Feng Jianshe, saying, ”What happened?”

”Are you Qingzi?” a flicker of astonishment crossed Feng Jianshe’s face, but he soon shook his head and said, ”Qingzi, I don’t have time to explain, I need to go now. Remember, do not tell anyone I was here!”

Feng Jianshe bypassed Ye Qing, and left straightforwardly.

Ye Qing didn’t know what was going on. Seeing his uncle’s hurried demeanor, he could only gesture to Da Fei to follow Feng Jianshe.

Inside the house, the elder opened the bag Feng Jianshe had given her, and a gleam of gold flashed, making her startle.

”This... this is gold!” Feng Xuehua was also greatly astonished. The bag was filled with gold.

Although the bag wasn’t large, it contained at least over two kilos of gold. Where did Feng Jianshe get so much gold?

Feng Xuehua and her mother exchanged glances, no need to think twice, they both understood the origin of the gold.

”Jianshe, how could you do such a thing?” the elder shouted, turning to chase after Feng Jianshe, but Feng Xuehua hurriedly stopped her.

Feng Xuehua said urgently, ”Mom, you’re old now, you can’t get too upset!”

”This... this is stealing. If he’s caught, he’ll have to go to prison. No, we have to return this gold quickly, or your big brother is done for!” the elder, gasping for breath, said in agitation, ”Quick, take me to the gold mine in the village ahead. We can’t let your big brother make a mistake, we can’t let...”

The elder’s voice grew weaker and weaker until she finally collapsed to the ground.

”Mom! Mom!” Feng Xuehua was terribly shocked, and Ye Qing also jumped, hurrying over to help the elder, while Lin Tianyou came over and immediately took hold of the elder’s wrist to take her pulse.