Zhang Xiaowei's expression froze instantly.
He looked at his great-aunt in disbelief, wondering if he had heard wrong.
"Great-Aunt, didn't you say Hongmei was Dawei's wife? Why do you want her to sleep with me?"
The old lady looked at Zhang Xiaowei, who was visibly nervous, yet her expression suddenly became forlorn.
With a heavy sigh, tears began to well up in her eyes that had seen so much of life.
"Didn't you say you wanted to scare Dawei? I'll take you to see him, but don't let him give you a fright when the time comes."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaowei's heart skipped a beat, and he had an ominous premonition.
The old lady led him quickly to the main room on the far east side.
As soon as he entered, an unpleasant odor assailed his nostrils.
His eyes were drawn immediately to the single bed in the room.
A young man with no consciousness, a tube inserted in his nose, was lying on the bed, his face pale and motionless.
Wasn't this Dawei, his cousin whom he had played with since childhood?
"Great-Aunt, what's wrong with Dawei?"
With a deep sigh, the old lady sat down on a chair before she began to speak.
"Your cousin Dawei ended up like this because he brought it on himself. Although I've been telling outsiders that he was in a car accident, in reality, he was working as a driver for a big boss and got involved with the boss's woman. When the boss found out, not only did he beat Dawei into a vegetative state, but he also left him impotent."
The old lady's words struck Zhang Xiaowei like a bolt from the blue.
He simply couldn't believe that his cousin had encountered such a thing.
"And what about my uncle and aunt?"
"You know about that quarry they opened in the village, right?"
As the old lady spoke, her eyes were brimming with tears.
Zhang Xiaowei knew about the quarry even before he went to college – it was common knowledge to him.
Seeing Zhang Xiaowei nod, the old lady began to choke up.
"The villagers initially thought that with the quarry, everyone would be able to work and make money close to home. But who would have thought that although there was no shortage of money, it was all blood money.
Your uncle and aunt both worked at the quarry; after only a few years, they fell ill. They were always coughing, and even breathing became difficult. When they went to the hospital in town, they were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis."
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaowei's face was filled with horror.
"The doctor said that the disease was incurable and that even spending money wouldn't add many years to their lives, so they could only come home to wait for death. Last year, both of them passed away."
By now, the old lady was crying uncontrollably.
It took a while before she could wipe away her tears and look seriously at Zhang Xiaowei.
"Xiaowei, you are now the only male in the Zhang family; you must help continue the Zhang family line!"
As she spoke passionately, the old lady gripped Zhang Xiaowei's hand, her gaze becoming incredibly determined.
"Go back to your room and wait for Hongmei to bring you food, and then you will take her."
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaowei shook his head vehemently in refusal.
"Xiaowei, didn't you see everything just now? Not to mention Hongmei's beauty, she has such a good figure, and from the way you looked at her, your great-aunt knows you like Hongmei. What's there to refuse in such a good thing?"
The more she spoke, the more agitated the old lady became, and she even started coughing.
"Great-Aunt, are you alright?"
Seeing this, Zhang Xiaowei asked with concern.
The old lady took a deep breath before calming down.
She furrowed her brows, glaring at Zhang Xiaowei with a grave expression, and angrily gritted her teeth.
"Xiaowei, if you're still a man, then sleep with Hongmei for your great-aunt!"