Back to the Countryside

Chapter 56:报复 (Revenge) 

Translator: Little Yen

While eating the late lunch meal, He Zhen sat down and looked at the hypocritical faces of the people at the table and laughed coldly in his heart. His family, for the sake of money, would sell out anything -- previously it was He Ling, now it was himself. Unfortunately, the former (HL) was able to break out of their control so they no longer could scheme over him. Yet he, moreover, would not do as they wished!

"Zhen Er, you used to love fried eggs. Have some more today!" Qian gave him a piece of fried egg, smiling as if they were still the same close mother and son.

        He Zhen picked up his chopsticks and flipped that piece of egg, but didn't bite into it, "I've been eating it every day at Ma's house, I'm a bit tired of it!"

He loved it before but only because Qian is particularly petty. It was something that took a long time for him to be able to eat it again. Each time Qian made a small plate, he could only have a bite. In the early days, it went into the three men's stomachs in the family, but later it was mostly eaten by their beloved little grandson.

Now, as far as he was concerned, these eggs were readily available (easily obtained) and were nothing rare to him. It was just like how the He family had treated him. Unnecessary to look at them even when he was bored.

        Seeing that he put down his chopsticks and had no intention of eating, Qian was a little awkward. "Then, just pick the ones you like and eat it."

        He couldn't eat a single bite of the 'plain tea and simple food' on the table so he said indifferently, "It's fine, you guys just eat."

        "Grandma, I want to eat eggs!"

        The little kid who was almost four years old, held in front of his mother, Liu, pawed at the table and asked Qian for food with his still unclear speech. 

        Before Liu could give him an egg to eat after she heard her son's words, He Zhen already picked up her own bowl and poured the egg into his, saying with a smile, "I don't want it anyway, so I'll give it to you."

        The words were full of mockery, 'aloof and remote' attitude like treating a small beggar on the roadside.

Liu's anger flared up. When she was about to snap,Zheng, who had a very quick response, stopped her by pressing her shoulder.

        The young boy didn't know anything about it so he reached out to grab the soft egg and ate it with his mouth full of oil.

        Seeing her son like this, Liu's eyes were red with anger and distress.At least she was the eldest sister-in-law of the family, but she could not even speak back after being bullied like this.Her man was also in such a state that he can't even back her up.How she would be able to live in the future?

        He Tian was also a bit annoyed.No matter what, he was his only grandson, when he was being looked down in front of him, how could it be possible for him to bear to watch it? But when he saw the wink He Gui gave him, he held back and ate with his head down.

        For a while, the atmosphere at the dinner table was a bit stagnant.All of them ate in silence and did not speak again.

        He Zhen looked at how they were so angry but didn't dare to speak so he was in a very happy mood.He beckoned to the maid beside him and asked her to bring back a jar of wine, saying, "I know that my father and brother are good drinkers, so I have brought back a good wine. You guys, try it?"

As he spoke, the maid had already opened the wine. Immediately, the strong scent of wine wafted through the room.

        "Good wine!" Attracted by that smell, He Gui raised his head and sniffed carefully, his face full of joy, "I'm afraid this wine is not short in age!"

        He didn't have any other hobbies, but he loved this kind of wine. Since they were not a wealthy family, the thing they drank to satisfy their cravings was only a cheap and poor quality wine.When they suddenly smelt such aroma of wine, they were naturally delighted.

        He Tian was not as fond of wine as he was, but as a man, he wanted to taste good wine therefore his face was softened.

        "Pour it!" He Zhen instructed the maid as he watched the maid pour the wine for both of them, "Drink as much as you like!"

        He Gui took a shallow sip and closed his eyes to savour the aroma that remained on his lips and teeth. His expression was intoxicated, "This is real wine, if it weren't for di di (little brother), we wouldn't be able to drink this!"

        He Tian's face finally had a smile on it. This ger was not that unlikeable after all, he knew to bring some good things to honor his father and brother.

        "Brother,you are too polite. If you like it, I'll bring it again for you later." He Zhen smiled at He Gui first before he glanced at Liu, full of mockery. See? give a little benefit, no one will care about her.

        Liu gritted her teeth and turned her eyes away from him. She was afraid that if she couldn't control her anger then she would be the one who would be blamed by the whole family later.

"Didn't Zhen Er bring something for Mom too?" Qian saw the two men were drinking happily, she was a woman who did not drink, so she asked.

The wealthy family must have a lot of good things.How could he be so eccentric as to honor only his father?

        "Naturally, Mother has a share. The landlord gave me some bird nests. It's good for the girls and ger, so I brought some back this time. I've asked the maid to stew it, so you and two of my sisters-in-law can taste it together later." He Zhen smiled at her and said to the maid, "Go and see! If it's ready, bring it over!"

        Qian was so happy that she patted his hand. To say that he was filial, she really did not spoil and loved him for nothing!

        "Oh, we are really getting benefits from Zhen Ge'er!" Zheng was overjoyed as she didn't expect them to also get a share. She had heard of bird's nests. It was a very good tonic, but it was so expensive that ordinary people could not afford it.

        Liu's face was expressionless. With He Zhen's expression as if he was giving something to the poor, so what was there to be happy about? Why do you guys have to go up and lick people's toes?

        Because bird's nests were expensive, the quantity of bird's nests being made was not much. There was only a small bowl for each person. However that was enough to satisfy them since many people had never even seen it before, let alone eat it!

        Qian and Zheng ate the bird's nest. They were so pleased with themselves that they would be able to show it off to others when they went out later. They had eaten bird's nests before like the rich people. 

        Only Liu didn't move, just thinking about the look in He Zhen's eyes when he gave her son the egg, she felt that she couldn't eat even a bite with him looking at her like that.

        He Zhen took a bite of the bird's nest in the bowl but when he saw that she hadn't moved, he said, "Sister-in-law, why haven't you tasted it? Do you not like it?"

        Liu didn't say anything, she just fed some more vegetables into her son's mouth, ignoring him completely.

        "It seems that my sister-in-law doesn't dislike food but rather she....." He Zhen put down the bowl in his hand, the smile on her face narrowed a bit, "It's because she doesn't like me, this younger brother!"

        "How could it be?! Sister-in-law is just afraid it is still hot so she wants to let it cold before eating!"

Zheng saw his face change and hurriedly intervened, holding the bowl on the table and handing it to Liu, winking at her repeatedly, "It's not hot anymore, elder sister-in-law,please drink it!

Qian, who was sitting opposite her, also kicked her leg under the table, gesturing for her to take it quickly and not make everyone look bad.

        Under their watchful eyes, Liu reluctantly took the bowl, tilted her head and poured the bird's nest into her mouth, then put the bowl down and wiped her mouth with her sleeve, "Is Di di (littld brother) satisfied now?"

        "Yes, satisfied! If you like it, I am naturally satisfied! " He Zhen smiled again. He greeted the other two to finish the food as it would not taste good if it got cold.

        The table was lively again. It was as if all the previous awkwardness had been just a dream. They were a close family again.There was no such thing as a grudge that cannot be resolved.

Only they know in their own hearts that everything is just like 'flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in the lake' that with the slightest touch, everything will fall apart and cease to exist.

[镜花水月: lit. flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in the lake (idiom) / fig. an unrealistic rosy view / viewing things through rose-tinted spectacles /illusory scene, also written as 水月鏡花|水月镜花]

        Most of the small jar of wine today went into He Gui's stomach, but He Tian was too old to drink much. He Gui was still young and had a rare encounter with good wine, so he naturally drank it to his heart's content.

        Even when he finished washing up and was ready to go to bed, his belly was still hot and warm, which was quite comfortable.

        He heard a knock on the door before he had a chance to lie down,wondering in his heart, who was looking for him so late in the night? 

        "It's bedtime. Who is it?" Zheng, who was lying in her bed, patting her daughter on the side and coaxing her, rose to her feet while she frowned with discontent.

        "I'll go and see!" He pulled on a coat and walked over to pull the door open, surprised to see the person outside.

        "Master asked you to come over. He has something to say." The maid at the door gave him a salute after she conveyed what He Zhen had ordered.

        "Now?" He Gui froze, "Did he say what it was about?"

        The maid shook her head, " He only said to bring you over."

        He Gui wrinkled his brow and told her to wait for a moment before going back inside himself to speak to Zheng and tell her to go to bed with the child first.

"Looking for you this late? Why does he have so much to do? He doesn't stop at all!" Zheng's face was full of displeasure. Since she had put up with him all day, yet he wouldn't let them sleep in peace at night.

        He Gui couldn't help it. Since he had money in his hands and they had to please him if they wanted it. 

        He followed the maid who was waiting outside, expecting to go to He Zhen's room but he was surprised to find that she had taken him to his elder brother's room, which made him feel even more strange.

        "Zhen Ge'er is here?"

        Why would He Zhen stay with Liu when she and he had such a bad relationship? What kind of medicine was he selling in his gourd?

        "Exactly, you can go in yourself!" The maid gave him another salute before she turned her head to leave.

        "Mysteriously suspicious...." He Gui muttered in wonder, raised his hand to knock on the door, but no one answered him for a long time.

        He knocked again while he increased his strength. He shouted, "Zhen Ge'er, I'm coming."

        Inside, there was still no answer, but the door opened a small crack.It had been hidden all along.He pushed the door open and went in.It was dark inside since not even a candle was lit.

        "Zhen ge'er?" He Gui called out tentatively. Suddenly he caught a scent he had never smelt before. He can't say whether it smelt good or bad, but he felt that his body was uncomfortably hot afterwards.

He was just about to exit to blow off the smell. Suddenly,he heard a bang behind him. He turned around then he found that the door had been closed. There was also the sound of a lock being put on it.

        He pounced on the door and slapped it a few times, calling out, "Zhen Ge'er?"

        No one answered him. Only now did he realise and afraid that he had been set up. When his heart was fully annoyed by this, inside the pitch black room,came the sound of a woman, her sound was sweet and unctuous. 

All He Gui felt was a 'buzz' in his head as the heat in his body intensified, only to rush there. He swallowed his own saliva and kept telling himself to calm down, but he couldn't help but turn around. If there was a light,his red eyes would have been seen.

        The woman's voice was interspersed with soft gasps, enticing him, step by step, with the light of the moon, he saw the condition in the bed then his sanity completely burned away ...

        He Zhen , accompanied by his maid, stood outside the house. Every movement in the room, he could hear it in his ears. He Zhen hooked his lips as he looked up at the white moon, in a very happy mood.

        Each and every one of them will sleep well tonight. Perhaps, they would have wonderful dreams as well. When tomorrow morning comes, a wonderful show will take place so he is full of malicious anticipation.