You Jin's footsteps were swift. She arrived at Patriarch's house in several minutes.
Yue family wasn't a well-known family, but they had proliferated at the foot of Cuifeng Mountain for a hundred or two hundred years. Patriarch's family still had some foundations. Patriarch's house was a beautiful and stylish brick and tile house; located in the center of Cuifeng Village. You Jin knocked on the door of the patriarch's house. A moment later, someone answered the door: "You are Uncle Da Fu's granddaughter, right? What's matter bring you here so late?"
"Uncle Chang Sheng, I have something important to request Grandpa Patriarch, please let me in!" Looking distressed, You Jin begged Yue Chang Sheng, the grandson of the patriarch.
As soon as he heard that it was something important, Yue Chang Sheng hurried made way at the door: "Come in and talk about it!"
He led her to the hall, where Yue Shan Chuan, the patriarch of the Yue clan, was sipping tea. Although he didn't have any good tea leaves, Yue Shan Chuan had always enjoyed it.
You Jin walked to Yue Shan Chuan and knelt down at once: "I beg Patriarch to save me and my few younger siblings!"
Yue Shan Chuan was getting older now. On top of that, he hadn't seen You Jin for some years. So he didn't recognize who she was for a moment. Yue Chang Sheng, who was beside him, hurried to his side and briefed, "It's Uncle Da Fu's granddaughter from the second branch, named You Jin."
Only then, Yue Shan Chuan recalled. He twisted his gray beard and looked at her with cloudy eyes: "Little one, why did you come here at night and kneel as soon as you come?"
"Grandpa Patriarch, You Jin came to disturb you so later because I have no other choice. The reason is that my grandfather and my grandmother want to kill my two younger siblings who have just been born for more than ten days! You Jin is too young to have any say. I can only ask Patriarch to take pity on the few of us and take care of us!" After saying that, she kowtowed several times in succession.
"You girl, why are you saying such scary things? Tell me what's happened." When Patriarch heard that Yue Da Fu couple were going to kill the two infants, he couldn't help frowning. This had reoccurred at Yue Family back then. At that time, he gave Da Fu a good persuading. Why did it reach this point again after a few years?
You Jin kept the long story short and told Yue Shan Chuan what she heard with thirty percent false and seventy percent truth: "I beg Patriarch to protect us!"
After listening to her words, Yue Shan Chuan sighed deeply: "If that's the case, I'll go to Yue's house to have a look!"
After all, they were the descendants of Yue Clan. If they were to drown two innocent babies due to a fortune-telling monk, it would be a bit too much.
Hearing that Yue Shan Chuan wanted to go out, Yue Chang Sheng hurriedly came over with a lantern. Afterward, he carefully supported the old man and walked slowly towards the direction of Yue Family.
***
Outside the gate of Yue Family Courtyard stood a lot of neighbors looking in at the lively scene. Although it was already night, the neighbors who hadn't yet slept heard the sudden sound of adults and children crying and ruckus from Yue Family and ran over to stand outside the earthen wall to watch the drama.
You Jin walked slowly behind Yue Shan Chuan back to the entrance of Yue's house when she heard the cries of several girls from inside. She knew that something had happened. Don't know which person turned their head back first, the crowd hurried to make way at the sight of Patriarch being alerted. Now there was hot drama to watch!
Yue Family's door was currently closed. You Yin and Mrs. Su's each tightly held onto the two babies. Old Mrs. Chen's condition had improved a lot, so she joined in on snatching the babies. Seeing that they didn't let go, she hit the two of them with the bamboo whip: "Each and every one of you are calamity stars. How dare you cry here! So what if I beat you all to death today!"
You Zhu and You Bao also closely guarded the three little ones. The whole family sobbed and kicked up a fuss trouble. It was complete chaos. Yue Da Fu and Yue Chang Fu didn't even show their faces from beginning to end.
Old Mrs. Chen was out of breath. Standing in the middle of the yard, she shook a few times. Mrs. Chen hurriedly supported her: "Mother, you are still ill. Don't get angry!"
"These calamity stars are staving off my life. How can I be good!" Old Mrs. Chen was so furious that her teeth were itching. She thought how if the family hadn't been forestalled for so many years, she might have become an old Madam enjoying life long ago. Then she stuffed the bamboo whip in her hand into Mrs. Chen's hand: "Go and beat for me. Have to kill those two little calamity stars today!"
"Who are you going to kill?" An old and majestic voice boomed outside the door. It turned out that it was Patriarch Yue Shan Chuan who pushed open the courtyard door that You Jin had left a slit when she went out. His displeased expression looked at old Mrs. Chen who was like a fighting cock: "Mrs. Chen, it seems that your temper has grown in the past two years!"
"Pa, Patriarch?!" The sky was dark. Old Mrs. Chen hadn't realized who dared to come in and interfere with their own affairs. It was the nearby Yue Chang Lu who recognized Yue Shan Chuan.
As soon as she heard that Patriarch was here, the once arrogant old Mrs. Chen shied away a lot. She had been brazen all her life. From young, she was doted by her parents. After marrying into Yue Family, Yue Da Fu never beat her or scold her. If there was someone she was afraid of in this life, it was Yue Shan Chuan, the patriarch of Yue Clan.
"It seems that although this old man doesn't go out often, there are still people who remember me!" Yue Shan Chuan coldly took in the chaotic scene in Yue's house and asked, "What's happening? If I didn't know, I would think your family was going to have a slaughter!"
Old Mrs. Chen, who had just threatened to kill the two little calamity stars, can't say a word now. Mrs. Chen was also afraid to speak. On the other hand, Yue Da Fu, who had been away from sight for a long time, heard the movement outside and hurriedly came out: "Uncle Shan Chuan, why did you get alerted to come?"
Yue Shan Chuan had high generation rank in the village. The already grandfather, Yue Da Fu had to greet him properly when he saw him.
"Last time I came back to your house, I told a good wife means less misfortune for the husband and that you should discipline your family members. Now that a few years have passed, it seems that you haven't disciplined them at all!"
Yue Shan Chuan can said to be not giving old Mrs. Chen any face: "Old Second has being without a son for many years. Now, he has a son with great difficulty, you want to kill him instead of carefully nurturing him?"
All dignity was wiped off Yue Da Fu's face by this scolding. Though old Mrs. Chen poisonously glared at Patriarch, she didn't utter anything. She could only attribute all the faults given to her by Patriarch to You Jin who was by Patriarch's side. This calamity star, she will kill her sooner or later!
Now that the fish was dead and the net was broken, how can You Jin be concerned about this? As soon as she entered the door, she saw Mrs. Su and her younger sisters covered with red marks left by the bamboo whip on their faces. Distressed, You Jin helped them up and then took little Tenth, who was in You Yin's arms, into her owns. Her eyes were slightly red. She praised the younger sisters who were crying so hard: "Everyone did wonderful. You protected little Tenth and Kang'er!"
Seeing that Third Elder Sister had finally came back, the children were all relieved. Each and every one of them stood beside her with peace of mind and faced old Mrs. Chen and the others as if they were facing the enemy.
Yue Shan Chuan glanced at the villagers outside the earthen wall, who were on their tippy-toes to watch the drama, and sighed. Better leave some face for Yue Da Fu and others: "Don't stand. Go in and talk about it."
Yue Da Fu breathed a sigh of relief. Fearing that Patriarch wouldn't save face for himself in front of the villagers, he ushered everyone in as soon as the these words were said. You Jin sisters marched in behind Mrs. Su into the main room. Standing beside Mrs. Su, You Jin was a little relieved. Mrs. Su finally entered the door of the main room of Yue Family with a straightened back.
Yue Shan Chuan looked at the naked hatred in the eyes of several children from the second branch in the dim candlelight. He couldn't help shaking his head. Unrest was in the family! He turned to look at Yue Da Fu and spoke, "Da Fu, your family affairs aren't something I should interfere with. But if you overstep the line, I can't just sit back and watch. I said back then; though my Yue Clan isn't a famous family, we had taken root in Liutun Town for nearly two hundred years. Although there are no meritorious people, we are good families. Tiger doesn't eat its own children!"
Yue Da Fu's old face had been stomped to the ground by Patriarch. His face flushed as and he hesitantly spoke: "Uncle Shan Chuan, it's not that I want this. It's just that these children are a hindrance to my Yue Family. I can't forsake the future of my Yue Family's dozen for two children who were only born for more than ten days, right?"
Yue Shan Chuan helplessly shook his head: "Da Fu, you said that the few children are blocking your Yue Family's luck. After so many years, your family's life can be regarded up in the tops in our village. Is it not enough?"
Looking at Yue Da Fu's stubborn expression, Yue Shan Chuan understood in his heart: "Da Fu, your heart grown ambitious!"
Then he turned to look at Yue Chang Lu and the others who were silent. His mind thought how this family was too cold-blooded. They were determined to exchange their own blood for an unseeable future!
"It's just a few money-wasting things. Is it worth making such a fuss for!" Although old Mrs. Chen didn't dare to contradict Patriarch, she still dared to whisper: "Intervening in my own family affairs!"
Although old Mrs. Chen kept mumbling, she was very careful not to let others hear what she said.
Sitting on the edge of the kang, Yue Shan Chuan glanced at a few children and shook his head. DaFu is getting more and more muddled-headed as he gets older! He turned to look at Yue Da Fu again: "So no matter what, you are determined to drown two children?"
"Grandpa Patriarch, my grandmother also said that she will sell me and Third Elder Sister!" Staying at the side, You Zhu received You Jin's signal and threw out the words that old Mrs. Chen had spoke when she was beating them. "She said my third elder sister and I are both calamity stars. So we have to be sold far away!"
"Da Fu you!" Yue Shan Chuan couldn't believe it: "Even in a disaster year, which household would sell their children when they can feed their children?" The heartbroken Yue Shan Chuan coughed violently as soon as he finished speaking.
Yue Chang Sheng hurriedly patted him on the back and calming him down: "Grandfather, don't get angry. Let's talk slowly if you have something to say."
After a while, Yue Shan Chuan calmed down: "If I didn't come today, will the two little ones die and the two big ones will be sold? Da Fu, you are muddled-headed!"
Everyone in Yue family were silent for the berate. Yue Chang Lu turned his head and fiercely swung a slap at You Zhu: "Who told you to speak! How can you a money-wasting thing speak when adults are talking!"
But before the slap landed on You Zhu's face, it was blocked by the nearby Mrs. Su: "Yue Chang Lu, I've had enough of you and your Yue family! I won't let you touch a single one of my children's hair again!"
It was the first time in Mrs. Su's life that she toughen up as an old hen protecting her young with high fighting power.