Chapter 21 Do You Know to Come Back?

The old woman had stared at Qi Younian for quite some time, finally giving up on recognizing him, tentatively asking, "Is it Ercheng? I'm from Qi Yougui's home; you had left shortly after I got married."

Qi Younian took another look at the old woman; was this his sister-in-law, Lady Wang? He sorrowfully realized he had been away for so long that it was enough for him not to recognize many people he once knew, and likewise, they couldn't recognize him.

Seeing them standing there didn't seem right, He Quantai directed one of the boys, "Go to the fields and bring back Qi Sanshun's grandfather, tell him we have guests at home and ask him to come back to greet them."

He didn't dare to say that Qi Yougui's younger brother had returned. Uncle Yougui, being of old age, often mentioned he had a younger brother, but his fate was unknown. Hearing suddenly that his younger brother had come back might cause undue excitement and possibly lead to other complications.

After sending the boy off, He Quantai then said to Lady Wang, "Auntie, please take them inside first. Uncle Yougui will be back any moment, and then you can catch up properly."

"Yes, yes. Come inside, come in, and take a rest, have some hot water to drink." Lady Wang came to her senses and quickly ushered Qi Younian and Ye Xinyan inside along with the child.

The three of them entered the courtyard. It was a large courtyard with a three-room main house, and under the east wall, there were three rooms built as an eastern wing. Near the west wall and the southern courtyard wall was a large chicken coop and a pigsty; the air in the yard had a pungent odor.

Even though the courtyard was quite spacious, the buildings were clearly dilapidated, and together with the pigsty and over a dozen chickens running loose, it was a typical old farmhouse.

Qi Younian tied up the donkey cart in the yard, then led Ye Xinyan into the room.

Standing firm in the main room, he first introduced Ye Xinyan to his sister-in-law, Lady Wang, "This is my granddaughter, Ye Zi." Then he turned his head to Ye Xinyan and said, "Ye Zi, this is your great aunt, go ahead and greet your great aunt first."

Ye Xinyan courteously offered her respects to Lady Wang, "Great-grandniece greets the Great Aunt, hope the Great Aunt is well."

"Good, good," Lady Wang quickly supported her, "We're all family here, no need for such formalities. Did you travel a long distance? Come on, go into the inner room and rest."

He Quantai and Qi Younian each took a seat on the kang, and Lady Wang went to fetch two bowls of water.

Ye Xinyan quickly stepped forward to take them, placing them on the table by the kang for Qi Younian and He Quantai.

"Such a sensible good child, how old are you?" The old woman took Ye Xinyan by the hand, sitting her down on a stool, and began asking about family matters.

He Quantai and Qi Younian engaged in sporadic small talk.

During the conversation, they mentioned that Qi Younian's elder brother, Qi Yougui, was now living with his two sons and that during the busy farming season, the whole family was out working in the fields. Qi Younian's parents had passed away seven or eight years earlier, which made his expression even more somber.

It wasn't more than half an incense stick's time before footsteps sounded in the yard and an aged voice called out, "Old woman, which family's guests have come?"

Alongside the elder's questioning, there were also the chirpy voices of small children, "There are three people..." "One old grandfather..." "And two women."

Lady Wang hurried out to meet them, while helping Qi Yougui to the house, she said, "He claims to be Ercheng. After so many decades, I hardly recognize him; you go and see for yourself."

As soon as Qi Yougui heard that the visitor claimed to be his younger brother, his step indeed faltered, but thanks to Lady Wang's grasp, he avoided falling. Although he staggered, his pace didn't stop as he hurried into the house.

Upon entering, he just stood there, staring intently at Qi Younian who stood beside the kang.

Qi Younian, upon hearing the conversation in the courtyard, had already tensely stood up. Then, seeing an old man with grizzled hair and beard come in, staring directly at him, he vaguely recognized the visage of his elder brother from those years past, and his vision blurred.

Despite being brothers for many years, although Qi Younian left home when he was merely fifteen or sixteen, the bond of brothers' blood was naturally extraordinary. Qi Yougui recognized this good-for-nothing younger brother with just one glance.

There was no tearful reunion, as one might imagine. Despite his advanced age and unsteady legs, Qi Yougui stepped forward the moment he recognized Qi Younian and kicked him to the ground. Not satisfied with just one kick, he kicked him twice more.

With vicious words, he cursed, "You still know to come back? You bastard, you still know to come back?"

Ye Xinyan had been waiting to witness a touching scene of brothers reuniting, but in the brief moment she was taken aback, Qi Younian was kicked to the ground by the old man who had just entered.

She hurriedly stepped forward to block her grandfather, "What are you doing? Can't you speak nicely? Why resort to violence right away?"

Turning back to help Qi Younian up, she reproached, "Is he your elder brother? Why didn't you tell me earlier that he had a bad temper, so we could have been prepared? Who ever sees their brother for the first time in years and starts hitting without saying a word? Both past the age where you have old arms and legs, what would we do if you hurt yourself?"

Ye Xinyan was not exaggerating, she truly feared Qi Younian would suffer a mishap.

In ancient times, sixty-year-olds did not have the luxury of modern-day activities like shopping, traveling, or dancing for fitness that came a thousand years later. In that era, after decades of arduous living, people were already worn and frail. There's an old saying after all, "It is rare for a man to reach seventy," and in ancient times, seventy was an extraordinary age, a mark of longevity.

With a bitter smile, Qi Younian responded, "When I left home without a care back then, never to return for decades, not even to see my parents for the last time, it was indeed unfilial. I don't blame my great uncle; it is indeed my own fault and deserving of beating!"

When Qi Yougui suddenly heard that his younger brother had returned, a mixture of emotions filled his heart, recalling how their parents had passed away still longing for their second son, struggling with feelings of joy, sorrow, anger, and resentment.

At this moment, He Quantai stepped forward to mediate, "Uncle Yougui, after all, it is a reunion of brothers who haven't seen each other for decades. Uncle Younian must have had his reasons for drifting away all these years. Don't be angry, please sit down, and let's talk slowly."

With He Quantai's interjection, Qi Yougui's mind slightly relaxed, and he couldn't help but burst into tears, "You no-good thing! You're right, you do deserve a beating! All these years, even if you couldn't return, you could have sent a message. Even if you did not think of us, surely, our parents worried about you. How could you be so heartless?"

In a village, unless one deliberately keeps to oneself, there are hardly any secrets. In no time, Qi Yougui's two sons heard that their father was warding off a visitor at home.

Not knowing what had transpired, the brothers hurried back home, leading their respective wives and children.

A crowd surged into the main hall, only to see their father and the village head seated on the Kang bed, talking with an elder.

There was also an unfamiliar young woman sitting by the edge of the Kang, with a middle-aged woman standing beside her.

When Qi Yougui saw his family members had returned, he quickly called the younger ones over to greet Qi Younian.

Qi Yougui had two sons and a daughter. Except for the daughter, Xiuzhu, who had married into a different village and was not present, the rest of his children and grandchildren were there.

The eldest son was named Qi Dazhu, already past forty. His wife, Lady Xu, had given birth to two sons and two daughters: Qi Cheng, Qi Ercheng, Meizi, and Xinger.

The second son was named Qi Dagen, thirty-five years of age this year. His wife, Lady Han, bore him three sons: Qi Shun, Qi Ershun, and Qi Sanshun, with the youngest, Sanshun, being only eight years old.

Among Qi Yougui's grandchildren, only Qi Cheng had married, his wife being Lady Li, and they had been wed for less than a year.