Liu Hongxing was hardly intimidated by Xue Xingzhou; she was still tearing at Xue Yue.
Xue Xingzhou strode over, snatched Liu Hongxing by her clothes, and tossed her aside.
Liu Hongxing was stunned for a moment when she hit the ground, but she immediately started wailing and cursing again.
The crowd gathering at the courtyard gate was growing larger.
Xue Xingzhou looked at Xue Yue. "Are you all right?"
Xue Yue's hair was a mess and a button had been torn from her clothes, but other than that, she didn't seem to have any other injuries.
Xue Yue shook her head. "I'm fine, Brother. What about you?"
Xue Yue was worried that his sudden movements would trigger his headache.
"I'm fine."
Only then did the two of them turn to look at Liu Hongxing. Her hair was disheveled, a lock had been torn out by Xue Yue, and her face was covered in scratches and tears. She looked quite pathetic.
But no one felt sorry for her.
With a grim expression, Xue Xingzhou looked at Xue Changlin, who was standing by helplessly.
"Aren't you going to do something? You think the Xue family hasn't been embarrassed enough?"
Startled by the hostility in his son's eyes, Xue Changlin hurried over and dragged Liu Hongxing into the house.
Seeing that no one was paying him any mind, Xue Xingjun, who had been crying for ages, finally stopped, though he was still hiccuping. He walked up to Xue Xingzhou and mumbled, "Big brother, you're not dead? Why did Mom say you were?"
When his mom told him his big brother was going to die, he'd cried for a long time.
Xue Xingzhou looked at the five-year-old boy before him. This was his half-brother. In Xue Xingzhou's memory, the child wasn't anything like Xue Changlin or Liu Hongxing. He usually liked to follow Xue Xingzhou around, but he was a little scared of Xue Yue.
"I'm fine."
Things finally quieted down for a bit, but the commotion started up again when it was time to make dinner.
The reason was Liu Hongxing had noticed some cornmeal was missing and the oil bottle was half-empty, so she started cursing again.
"You damn wastrels! Thieves in our own home!"
Hearing the shouting from the courtyard, Xue Xingzhou pinched the bridge of his nose.
Xue Yue stood up, ready to go out and fight her again.
"Come back. There's no point wasting your breath on her. We're going to the He family's place tomorrow, and the day after, we're splitting from the family." 'Xue Yue isn't living with the Xue family anymore,' Xue Xingzhou thought. 'I might as well separate, too. Otherwise, there'll never be any peace.'
He Lang arrived the next morning.
"Shouldn't we get your father and the others?" He Lang asked Xue Yue.
He Lang didn't know the Xue family had another fight after he left yesterday. His mother had just told him that since the two families were meeting today, the entire Xue family should be there.
"No, it's fine. My brother can come, but the others don't need to."
'If they came, they'd probably just cause a scene. This is supposed to be a happy occasion, not a chance for them to make trouble.'
He Lang glanced at his future brother-in-law. Seeing that he silently agreed, He Lang just smiled.
"All right, let's go."
But just as they were leaving, they ran into Xue Changlin returning with water.
He Lang paused awkwardly. "Sir, our two families are meeting today to discuss a wedding date for Xue Yue and me."
Xue Changlin nodded. "Go on, then."
With that, he went into the house, ignoring Xue Yue and her brother.
He Lang was baffled. 'What was that about? Did he not understand what I said? Or is he just not coming?'
'Liu Hongxing is their mother, after all,' Xue Changlin thought, fuming. 'How could they raise a hand to her?' Besides, when he'd checked last night, Liu Hongxing didn't just have a bald patch—her scalp was exposed, and there were several scratches on her face.
After Liu Hongxing tearfully complained to him some more, Xue Changlin became even more convinced that the two siblings were disrespectful to their elders and had no manners.
The He family was very welcoming, especially Mrs. He. She couldn't stop praising Xue Xingzhou.
"I thought my third son's bride-to-be was pretty enough, but I didn't expect Kid Xue to be so handsome as well! I hear you don't have a wife yet. I'll have to introduce you to a nice girl one of these days."
Xue Xingzhou smiled and nodded. "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Auntie."
"Don't thank me, we're all family."
Xue Yue watched her brother sitting on the kang, deep in lively conversation with the He family. 'I never realized my brother was such a smooth talker,' she thought, watching him now.
"Uncle, Auntie, when I was injured, it was my little sister who ran herself ragged taking care of me. For my sake, she even took her future into her own hands. I feel terribly guilty about it. The five-hundred-yuan betrothal gift is a significant sum, but it doesn't mean my sister should be treated as lesser than anyone. I will pay you back that money in the future. My only hope is that you will treat her well. She's young and has lived under a stepmother for a long time. If she ever does anything wrong, please don't hit or scold her. Just hand her over to me, and I will be the one to discipline her. Our mother passed away young, and you're likely aware of the situation in the Xue family. I am in a position to make decisions on my sister's behalf."
Mrs. He glanced at Mr. He. "Kid Xue, you can set your mind at ease. We're not the kind of family that would hit or scold a daughter-in-law. His father and I have already discussed it. Once our third son is married, we'll let the three brothers establish their own households. As for the five hundred yuan, it's a lot of money, but we gave it willingly, didn't we? All that matters is that the two of them have a good life."
Xue Xingzhou nodded. "Thank you, Uncle and Auntie. I tend to speak my mind, so I hope you don't take offense."
Mr. He smiled and spoke up. "Kid Xue, I like your straightforwardness. You should come visit often."
"I certainly will, as long as Uncle and Auntie don't get tired of having me around."
"Haha, we won't."
Listening to their words, Xue Yue felt her eyes turn red and her nose tingle, for reasons she couldn't quite explain.
A piece of candy was offered to her. Xue Yue glanced at He Lang beside her, meeting his deep gaze, and felt a stir in her heart.
After lunch, Xue Yue and Xue Xingzhou headed back.
The two families had already come to an agreement. Although circumstances had forced Xue Yue to move in with the He family early, the wedding banquet was a crucial formality in the village. Only after holding the banquet would it feel like they were truly married.
The date was set for the day after tomorrow. He Lang would come to the Xue family's home to pick up Xue Yue, and then they would host a meal for the villagers at the He family's home. With that, it would all be official.
The first thing the siblings did upon returning home was to talk to Xue Changlin about splitting from the family.
"Split from the family? What are you talking about?"
Xue Changlin's eyes filled with disbelief.
Xue Xingzhou watched him calmly. "You heard me. We're splitting from the family. I'm not asking for much—just give me my grain allotment for the year and the room I'm living in."
"No. You're not even married. What's this about splitting from the family?"
Xue Changlin shook his head firmly. He would not agree to it.
Xue Xingzhou chuckled softly. "Why don't you ask your wife? She might want me to."
As he spoke, he glanced toward the door.
Xue Yue strode over and threw the door open. A figure tumbled in—who else but Liu Hongxing.
"OW! You'll be the death of me!"
Liu Hongxing stood up, rubbing her rear.
"What are you doing here?" Xue Changlin's face flushed.
Liu Hongxing's eyes darted around, and she sneered, "This is my house. I'll go wherever I please."
Xue Changlin sighed in resignation.
Xue Xingzhou shot a sideways glance at Xue Changlin. "My offer still stands. Why don't you two discuss it?"
Liu Hongxing said urgently, "We can't split from the family."
Xue Xingzhou sneered. "Are you sure? Because if we don't split, I won't be so courteous. When I left the hospital, the doctor said I'd need to rest for several months at a minimum. If my recovery doesn't go well, it could even be several years. I almost died, after all, didn't I? I was thinking, with Yue'er getting married, I'd be on my own and didn't want to be a burden. But from the looks of it, you want to support me from now on? I couldn't be happier."
"How is that possible? You look perfectly fine now!" Liu Hongxing was not about to give up a valuable worker like Xue Xingzhou so easily.
"Fine? On a good day, my head hurts so much I can't sleep all night. On a bad day, my mind might get muddled and I could do something... well, even I can't guarantee what. I also have to go to the hospital for a monthly check-up. You'll be paying for that, of course. If you don't believe me, feel free to go ask my doctor. Here are the discharge instructions he wrote for me. Have a look."
As he spoke, Xue Xingzhou pushed a piece of paper across the table. Then, he reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking as if he were in discomfort.
If Xue Yue hadn't known her brother was just putting on an act, she might have believed him herself.