Chapter 501 - 515: Maiden Family

The man at the door looked terribly embarrassed by An Guoming’s question, "Who are you?"

"I... I... I’m your... I’m... Lin Cuifeng."

Lin Cuifeng?

An Guoming was no fool. He asked directly, "Are you from my mother’s side of the family?"

"I’m her second older brother."

For the first time, An Guoming truly sized up the simple-looking farmer before him. The man’s skin was dark and wrinkled, and the hair peeking out from under his cap was grayish-white. Lin Cuihua was forty-six this year, which meant this man couldn’t be more than fifty. Yet he looked older than the sixty- and seventy-year-olds in the village.

No one ever mentioned Lin Cuihua’s family. He remembered asking about them once when he was little, and all he could recall was Lin Cuihua saying they were all dead.

Apparently, there was more to the story.

Still, An Guoming’s impression of the farmer had already hit rock bottom. The An family’s reputation was growing, and everyone in the county probably knew it. ’Is he here to leech off us?’

"Wait here. I have to ask my mom."

An Guoming shut the door unceremoniously. The man’s lips moved as if to say something, but in the end, he just nodded obediently. He remained standing at the door, back hunched, and waited.

An Guoming hurried into the backyard and called out for his mother in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, startling Lin Cuihua, who was sitting on the kang playing cards.

"What are you yelling about? You scared me so much my heart is hammering! And my eyelid has been twitching all morning..."

An Guoming entered amid Lin Cuihua’s grumbling, his eyes nervously glancing at the others in the room.

After a moment’s thought, he turned and went back out. He knocked on the door of the room across the hall, called An Ning out, and whispered, "You know first aid, right?"

An Ning’s eyes widened slightly, but she gave a firm nod.

"Good. Just keep a close eye on our mom."

Sensing that something was about to happen, An Ning followed closely behind An Guoming.

"Second Son—you little brat—what did you call me for?!"

Lin Cuihua’s voice drifted from the room across the way. An Guoming opened the door again and went inside, a grin on his face as he looked at her.

"Mom, calm down. I have something to tell you."

The moment she heard him, Lin Cuihua, who was on the kang, snatched up a small dust broom and started swatting at An Guoming.

"You little brat! Did you go and get some girl into trouble? How many times have I told you not to get cocky just because you have a little money!"

"Hey, hey—no—it’s not that—"

An Guoming hastily dodged the blows. An Ning stood frozen, unsure whether to intervene. ’What in the world is going on?’ she wondered.

"Lin Cuifeng is here to see you!"

At An Guoming’s shout, the small broom slipped from Lin Cuihua’s hand and CLATTERED to the ground. Her eyes stared blankly for a moment, then she let out a gut-wrenching scream, "Tell him to get lost!"

"I don’t know any Lin Cuifeng! Tell him to get lost!"

At the mention of Lin Cuifeng’s name, An Sancheng, who had been leaning against the windowsill, bolted upright.

"Wife—let’s at least see him before we decide. If he’s really just here to claim kinship for favors, we can just say we don’t know him."

An Sancheng knew his wife best. Lin Cuihua had a deep-seated resentment toward her side of the family. Every year on the second day of the Lunar New Year, she would be simmering with a nameless anger.

Lin Cuihua gasped for breath, with An Ning holding her steady.

"Mom, no matter what they’re here for, it’s better to have some closure."

An Ning didn’t understand the history, but it was clear that Lin Cuihua harbored some powerful emotions toward her maternal family, and resolving them could only be a good thing.

Lin Cuihua collapsed onto the kang and waved her hand weakly.

"Second Son, go bring him in."

"Right!"

An Guoming dashed out, calling for An Guoping and An Guoqing on his way.

In less than two minutes, the three brothers were back, flanking an elderly, stooped man. The man carefully wiped his shoes several times at the An family’s doorway before entering, his movements clumsy and awkward.

In the An family’s kitchen, which also doubled as their living room, several chairs had been arranged. Lin Cuihua sat in one against the wall, with An Sancheng standing next to her.

Meanwhile, An Ning was helping her eldest sister-in-law. Her morning sickness hadn’t gotten better yet, so An Ning told her to wait in her room, as her eldest brother would be coming in as well.

"Mom—he’s here."

An Guoming entered first, with the old man right behind him, followed by An Guoqing and An Guoping.

An Guoping stood in the doorway while An Guoqing remained outside, both of them staring at the old man positioned between them.

"Lin Cuifeng? Are you Lin Cuifeng?"

Lin Cuihua stared at the stooped man before her, a man who looked so much older than she was. For a moment, she couldn’t decide whether she felt more hatred or heartache.

"It’s me, Cuihua. You haven’t changed a bit."

Lin Cuifeng’s eyes were somewhat clouded, and while his clothes were clean, his hands looked as if they were stained with dirt down to the very bone, a color that no amount of scrubbing could ever remove.

"Second Son, get... get him a chair."

Only after Lin Cuihua spoke did An Guoming move.

The old man thanked him apprehensively, sat down stiffly, and took a deep breath.

"Cuihua, I know you hate us, but I’ve swallowed my pride and come today. My... my daughter... she went away to work and earned a little money. But the moment she came back, the villagers started gossiping. You know how they talk; it’s awful."

"We couldn’t get a word in to explain, so in a moment of panic, we told them she’d gone to work for the An family."

"I’m not here today to ask for anything else. I just need someone to vouch for my daughter. I’ll pay for the travel costs myself, and I swear we’ll never trouble you again."

Lin Cuifeng blurted it all out in one breath, then waited nervously for Lin Cuihua’s response.

Lin Cuihua was a whirlwind of emotions. She ignored his plea and asked a question of her own, "How are Lin Cuishan and Lin Cuihong?"

A complicated expression appeared on Lin Cuifeng’s face. He lowered his head to the side and said, "Eldest Brother and Second Sister... they’re gone."

Gone?

Lin Cuihua shot up from her chair. Ignoring a wave of dizziness, she pressed him, "Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

"Mom, calm down. Sit down. Why don’t we hear the whole story from the beginning?"

An Ning steadied her mother, then turned to Lin Cuifeng. "What exactly is the history between my mother and you all? Please explain it clearly. We won’t help you otherwise."

Lin Cuifeng stood up, looking frightened. He wanted to speak but hesitated, though his thoughts were still on his daughter’s plight.

The simple farmer yanked the hat from his head and slammed it violently against his knee.

"SIGH! What a sin!"

"Cuihua... Eldest Brother and Second Sister, they passed away less than a month after you left."

"There was a famine back then. Our region doesn’t even have mountains; we couldn’t even find tree bark to eat. When we sold you all those years ago, we were just trying to give you a chance to live."

Lin Cuihua’s body went limp. ’How could this be?’

"That’s not what happened! What about Cuihong?!"

Crouching on the floor and covering his face with one hand, Lin Cuifeng stammered, "They were originally going to buy Cuihong... but Cuihong said that only the one who was sold would survive. So she told them to take you."

"Eldest Brother said you were the youngest, so you had a better chance of surviving."

"Mom—"

It was too much for Lin Cuihua to accept, and she fainted. ’She had hated them for a lifetime!’

An Ning scooped Lin Cuihua up in her arms, bridal-style, and placed her on the kang. After performing CPR and giving her a jolt of spiritual power, Lin Cuihua slowly regained consciousness.

"AHHH—SOB...—It’s not true!"

"You’re lying!"

"How could it be like this?!"