Chapter 03 The Unwanted Son

The thirteen-year-old Zhu Mingyang stared at an old wooden shed outside the outskirt of Chu Village, waved to his mother, "Mother…mother…" He stopped in front of their small old wooden shed. "Look at what I caught?" He showed her a rabbit he held in his hands. "We will not be hungry tonight. I will cook for us. ''He helped his mother get up and walked into the shed. "Mother, wait for me inside next time. The winter wind will make you sick."

Zhu Lin coughed and smiled at him, "Little fool, I'm already sick. I need some fresh air."

For the next two days, it snowed very badly and there was no food in the house. He looked at his sick mother, who was half dead laying in bed. He felt his mother's forehead, and she felt very hot. He pulled the blanket to cover his mother.

Zhu Mingyang kissed Zhu Lin's forehead and said, "Mother, I will be back. I'm going to go into the village and see if I could find any work and buy some food for us."

Zhu Lin said weakly, "Be careful. You can beg for food, but don't steal.."

Zhu Mingyang smiled and kissed Zhu Lin's forehead. He said, "I know, mother." He looked back at her and smiled. He walked out the door and looked back at his mother again. He saw his mother smiling at him with a beautiful face, as if she was not sick. A blast of cold wind blew and the cold air poured into his bones, but he continued to walk slowly towards the town.

When he entered the town, and he walked to the Lee Mansion. He swallowed his pride and knocked on the door. A door greeter came out and looked at him.

The door greeter said in an angry tone, "Stay here, you are not allow to go inside."

After a while, Chu Xue and his wife walked out. Chu Xue looked at Zhu Mingyang and asked coldly, "What do you need this time?"

Zhu Mingyang said without looking at Chu Xue, "My mother is very ill. I want some money to buy medicine for her."

Then Madame Chu laughed and said, "Every time you appear here is always related to money. Every... single... time...you and your whore mother. Didn't you and your mother have the same hands and feet like everyone else?" Her tone indicated her hatred of Zhu Mingyang and Zhu Lin. "Do you think money grows on trees and can be easily picked up?"

Zhu Mingyang did not answer, but accepted Madam Chu's verbal assault, and clenched his hands tightly until his nails began to hurt his palms.

Chu Xue took out his money bag and handed it to the door greeter, but Madam Chu quickly sizes the money bag.

Madam Chu then said, "If you want to beg for money, you need to be gentle or even kneel down. If you don't show compassion, how can we spare you money?"

Zhu Mingyang looked at Chu Xue coldly, but he said nothing. He knew that if he knelt down, then his mother would be able to eat something tonight. He knelt in front of Chu Xue and Madam Chu. He kowtow and begged, "Please give me some money so that my mother can eat something tonight. Please give me some money."

Madam Chu took out six liangs and two taels of silver. She spit on the money in her right hand and threw the money at Zhu Mingyang.

Madam Chu said, "This is the last time. Don't every show your face again. Tell your whore mother that if she doesn't want to see you being humiliate in front of everyone again, she should hang herself and save you and her from suffering." She gave Zhu Mingyang an evil expression. "Don't think you can spend Chu's money at will. Always remember that you are the son of a whore, the nasty bastard unwanted son."

Zhu Mingyang picked up the two taels of silver and the four liangs. He got up and looked at Chu Xue and Madam Chu angrily. He went to buy some medicine and food, and then went home.

When he approached the the small woodshed, he lived with his mother. He adjusted his clothes to make sure they weren't inappropriate. He wiped away his tears and put on a smile. He exclaimed happily, "Mother, I'm back. I found work today in town. I bought some medicine and a bowl of soup." He opened the door and dropped the soup and medicine package on the ground.

Zhu Mingyang saw his beloved mother hang herself inside the shed. He walked over to help her, but she was dead. He picked up the letter on the table left by his mother. His mother wrote in the letter:

"My beloved Ming'er, you are too little to find a job. I know that every time when you went into town, you always go back to Chu Xue to beg for money. I'm sorry for being the reason that Chu Xue and his wife humiliated you. From now on, take care of yourself and never let anyone insult you again. Always remember not to shed your tears in front of others, because it shows them how weak you are. I will protect you from heaven."

After he buried his mother with the help of the local monks. He met a pregnant woman begging on the street. The woman reminded him of his mother. He thought deep in his heart, so this is what his mother have to go through after Chu Xue impregnated her and left her to fend for herself. He reached inside his robe, and he took out the last sliver tael. He placed his last sliver tael into the woman's broken bowl.

The woman looked up and the face emerged was Li Liqin. Li Liqin said, "Xiao didi, take your sliver back. I may be a beggar, but I can't accept so much money."

Zhu Mingyang, "You keep it. You reminded me of my mother."

Li Liqin then asked, "Do you know where the Cao Manor is?"

Zhu Mingyang shook his head.

Li Liqin asked, "Where is your mother?"

Zhu Mingyang looked at her and said, "She is dead. I just buried her."

Li Liqin said sadly, "I'm sorry." She reached inside her robe and gave Zhu Mingyang a booklet.

Zhu Mingyang read, "Devil Fist."

Li Liqin, "I saw you asking for money from that rich man and rude woman a few days ago. Take this and practice it. Before you practice, you need to learn the basics of martial arts."