Back to the Countryside

Chapter 33: to borrow money

 借钱

"Cousin, you've gone to buy chicken broods?" Before He Ling could even think about whether to pay attention to him or not, He Zhen had already greeted him and stopped in front of him.

        He was not covered with a cloth scarf, and the skin that was exposed did not look like there were any major problems anymore, except for some areas that looked pinker in colour, which were new flesh that had grown after the scabs had fallen off. It seemed that he had found a cure after the visit to the town's clinic two days ago.

        "If my cousin wants to buy chickens, why don't you go to our house? Our chickens have hatched in the past two days, and they are all in good spirits!" He Zhen spoke in a familiar tone, as if they were really cousins who had played together since childhood and were extremely close.

        He Ling did not say anything, he did not know what to say to him, nor did he want to say more to him.

        Seeing that he kept silent, He Zhen grabbed the hem of his shirt, his expression timid, "Are you still angry with me, cousin?"

When the occasional villager saw them, they deliberately slowed down their steps and didn't move far away for a long time, obviously paying attention to the situation.

        He Zhen's bullying behaviour was just for them to see, He Ling closed his eyes and said, "I'm not angry, He Zhen, if there's nothing wrong with you, I'll go back!"

        "Wait!" He Zhen reached out and took his arm, "If cousin is really not angry with me, why doesn't you even want to talk to me?"

        He Ling gently brushed his hand away and moved back a step, "If you have something to say, just say it!"

        When he broke his hand, He Zhen dropped his head and looked gloomy, "Cousin misunderstood me, I was just cured of my illness and wanted to talk to Cousin about this happy event!"

        "Congratulations!" He Ling gave him a nod. 

        Seeing his cold expression, as if he didn't want to talk to him any longer, He Zhen was annoyed in his heart.This He Ling is really becoming more and more arrogant, just because he has someone to back him up!

He bit his lip, as if he had a hidden trouble hard to mention*难言之隐, hesitated for a long time before saying, "Cousin, the medicine for my illness costs 300 wen each set, and you know the situation of my family, can you lend me some money? Actually, I didn't want to bother you, but I really have no other choice!"

[难言之隐* : nán yán zhī yǐn : sth too embarrassing to mention / an embarrassing illness/Hidden deep down the reasons or things that are inconvenient to say]

 He had been begging his father for days, but his father wouldn't let him do as what he want, and there was only one of medicine left. If he didn't do something about it, he would have to go back to his ghostly appearance self! 

It just so happened that he had met He Ling. If he doesn't give him the money, he'll have a reputation for being called as cold-blooded again! 

He Ling knew that He Zhen would not show weakness to him for no reason, "Fifty taels of silver for the betrothal gift have you spent it all so quickly?" 

He Zhen stiffened, and then sighed, "There are many people in the family, and my elder brother and second brother are also watching. I need to take this medicine every day, it's a lot of money, but if I don't take it, my face will rot again, how could I marry someone then? Please help me, cousin, I will definitely pay you back later!" 

They had fifty taels of silver in their hands yet unwilling to spend it, but they came to him for money! The medicine that he had to drink day in and day out, if he really lent it out, he is afraid there would be no end to it, the character of the He family, He Ling who had been with them for more than ten years was very clear, "He Zhen, I'm sorry, I can't help you!" 

"Yo, you married a good family, so you don't care about your family? You don't even think about the person you married, from whose hand you snatched it!"

Before He Ling could say anything, a voice interjected from the side so He Ling turned his head to see a ger standing there, he looked familiar but he couldn't name him.

 "Brother Que, why are you here?" He Zhen did know the other person and opened his mouth to call out. 

The ger was none other than Liu Que,the fu lang of the youngest son of the Zhao family. He had an argument with Li Zao at Qi Yue and He Ling's wedding banquet, and smiled at He Zhen, "Just passing by!" 

After speaking to He Zhen, he shifted his gaze to He Ling, looking at him, dressed in silk and with a white jade hairpin on his head, he couldn't help but feel envious His husband had never bought him such good things, "He Ling, even if you have become a phoenix, you must not forget your roots. Even though Zhen ge erl has begged you like this, you refuse without even a frown, you're too hard-hearted!" 

He Ling was not familiar with him and did not know why he was targeting him, but there were many people in the village who dislike him so he did not find it strange.

He Zhen didn't really know Liu Que well, but he could see that he didn't seem to like He Ling very much, which was good for him, so he walked over and took his hand, "Brother Que, don't say it like that! It's me who did something wrong before!"

Liu Que patted him, deliberately raised his voice, "Who hasn't done something wrong before? why do you have to be so narrow minded and hold on to it and do not let it go? Besides, if he hadn't done something shameful or underhand way, maybe this Qi Yue would be someone's else husband, it's exactly just because he depend only on his good-looking skin! "

There were quite a few people passing by who were already paying attention to them, and when he shouted out, most of them stopped and responded to his words.There were those who thought that was the case, and those who thought it was nonsense, but either way, they didn't say a word. Both the Zhao family and Qi Yue are now wealthy families in the village, and it would not do them any good to offend either one.

He Zhen bowed his head, seemingly stunned by the scene, but in fact he was secretly happy, there were too many people in the village who didn't like He Ling, so what if he had a good life, he was just a 'hu meizi' in everyone's heart!

He was surrounded by people, looking at him with different eyes, He Ling's hand trembled a little as he held the basket. He took a deep breath and resisted the urge to look down and run away, he straightened his body and looked directly into the eyes of the other party and said: 

"It's exactly because I am good looking that xiang gong like me, so what?"

 Choke by his words, Liu Que was speechless for a moment, He had already admitted that he depend on his good looking, so what else could he do?

He Zhen was also a bit stunned, others might not know well, but he knew how inferior he had been regarding the matter of his face and now he was saying such things! 

"He Zhen!" He Ling turned his attention back to him, "Even if our family has a lot of money, it's still something that my xiang gong has worked hard to earn, I won't lend it to you!"

He Zhen's face distorted that he lowered his head to hide it, and in his heart he simply hated him to death!

He Ling looked at those people around him again, turned his head and walked away, these people, he didn't owe them anything, by merely just backing off would only make them stomp on his nose! He had people he wanted to protect, a family he wanted to protect, he couldn't always hide behind those who loved him, he had to learn to protect them too!

        He had just walked out a few steps when he saw Qi Yue standing not far away, looking at him with a face full of smile. 

        He Ling paused in his steps, his eyes dodged, and he asked, somewhat a little bit guilty in his heart, "When did you come?"

        Qi Yue walked up to him and raised an eyebrow at him. "Just when do you want me to come?

Looking at his expression, He Ling knew he must have heard everything, and he instantly turned red, not even daring to look at him, such a shameless words, to be heard in red handed!

 "Why is Ah Ling blushing?" Qi Yue came up to his ear and whispered, "Ah Ling is right, I (wei fu) am indeed bewildered by my husband (fu lang) 's beauty!" 

His nostrils hit the skin on the side of He Ling's neck, burning so hot that he hurriedly took a step to the side, grabbed the basket in his hands and walked away quickly, "Going, I'm going home!"

Qiyue followed him unhurriedly, with a particularly wide smile on his face! His Ah Ling had not returned for a long time, so he did not feel at ease and came out to look for him, but, he did not expect to hear those words, which were really interesting, he put his hands behind his back and spoke leisurely, "Husband's beauty, it really makes me salivating*(垂涎欲滴), I cannot help myself!"

[垂涎欲滴 :chuí xián yù dī :

to drool with desire (idiom); / to hunger for, ex I was so greedy that my saliva dripped ]

         In front of him,suddenly He Ling stopped his step and turned around, glaring at him with a red face, "Qi Yue!"

It was the first time he had ever been yelled at, quite uncommon, and it was also the first time he had ever seen A Ling so angry, so he put his hands together and bent down and made a deep bow, "A Ling, don't be angry, it's husband's (wei fu) fault!

        "You, what are you doing?" He Ling hurried over to hold him up, he regretted what he had said , this man is still like this!

        Qi Yue smoothly took the basket with the chicken in his hand, and with his other hand, he took him by the shoulders, "If Ah Ling is not angry anymore, let's go home!"

        Knowing that he was teasing him again, He Ling raised his hand and punched him on the chest, glaring at him again.

        "Hehe ......" Qi Yue let out a low chuckle, and kissed the person in his arms on the forehead, and took him home! 

(Tl: (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))(˵ ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°˵)ﾉ⌒♡*:･。.) 

Unable to get the money from He Ling, He Zhen's heart was angry and anxious, that bitch was getting harder and harder to deal with now! If he didn't get the money to buy medicine, his face would be rotten again! 

He entered the house with a sad and miserable face and saw Qian playing with her three-year-old grandson, while He Tian sat watching with a smile on his face, when he entered the house, no one even aware of it. 

"Father, mother, I'm back!" Even if he was unhappy in his heart, he still had to speak up and call out.

        "Zhen'er is back!" Qian raised her head to greet him, and then looked back down at her grandson.

        "Humph!" He Tian pulled a long face and lectured, "You're not so young anymore, don't go out all day, do more chores with your two sisters-in-law, so as to avoid you won't be unable to find a household*(人家) !"

[人家 : house of woman's/ger's husband -to-be]

He Zhen was already unhappy, and now he was even more feel wronged, "If I don't continue to drink the medicine, even if I do all the household chores, no one will want me!

He Tian stood up slowly, pointed at him and scolded him,"Dare to rebel,are you?! Are you accusing me of something?"

"Husband*(当家的) , calm down, calm down!" Qian hurriedly held him up and patted his chest to smooth out his anger, while saying to He Zhen, "Come over and apologize to your father!"

(当家的 : the head of the family) 

He Zhen bit his lip and went over to him and knelt down in front of him, "Father, I am your own ger ah~~, can you really stand by and watch me turn back into that ghostly appearance? So I can't even hold my head up in front of He Ling for the rest of my life? I can't even get married for the rest of my life ma?"

Seeing him kneeling in front of him with tears on his face, the anger in He Tian's heart was mostly gone, "There are so many mouths to feed at home, can I spend all that money on you? What should your brother and the others think in their hearts?"

        "Father, didn't you say before that with these fifty taels, you could buy me a good dowry!" He Zhen gritted his teeth, "If you give me twenty taels of silver, I won't need a dowry when I get married later!"

        "Twenty taels? It only costs five taels of silver to marry a wife, and you dare to ask for twenty taels of silver for your dowry?" Zheng, who had come out to wash her daughter's nappies, shrieked when she heard his words.

        After being glared at by Qian, Zheng coughed dryly and lowered her voice, "I'm not wrong, mother, who would ask for twenty taels to marry a ger? It's already not bad to have a dowry of two or three taels!"

He Zhen hated her for causing trouble, but had no way to argue with her. No one would pay 20 taels of silver for a dowry unless he was a ger of a wealthy family, that's a lot of money for nothing!

        He Tian pursed his lips and said nothing, clearly meaning to refuse.

        "Father, would you consider it a bet?" He Zhen knelt down and tugged on the hem of his shirt, "If I can marry a good family, I will pay you back ten times over!"

        "How can you find a good family? It's rare to find one like Qi Yue, but it's a pity he doesn't see you!" Zheng was afraid that He Tian would be swayed, so she hurriedly interrupted.

        "Who says no!" He Zhen glared back at her, "Last time we went into town, we saw Qi Yue having dinner with a young gentleman who was the young proprietor of a big restaurant in town, Mother can vouch for me!"

        "Yes, yes, Zhen'er is not lying, we did accidentally meet him!" Qian hurriedly agreed with him, "He's even richer than Qi Yue!"

"Father, he knows Qi Yue well, I'm sure I can find a chance to get close!" He Zhen tugged at He Tian again, expecting him to say yes.

        Seeing that he had actually named someone, Zheng bristled, so what if he had, he didn't necessarily will turn out well!

        He Tian pondered for a long time, and He Zhen's legs were numb from kneeling, before he spoke, "I'll give you five taels of silver first, what happens later is up to you!"

        "Thank you, Father!" He Zhen kowtowed to him happily, five taels was good enough, he hadn't really wanted to ask for twenty taels from him.

        Seeing that he had really got the money, Zheng's face did not look good as she took the nappy and went to wash it, last time one tael, this time five taels, if this goes on, all the money in father and mother's hands will be gouged out by that He Zhen! If he did marry a rich man, it would be fine, but if he didn't, the money would be wasted!

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Translator's update : My target so far is to post one chapter a day 

So 65days more before it finished? 

Could I do it?