The Blessed

"Take this with you and don't hesitate to spill it if you meet bad people."

Before they left, Ling Jingxuan handed the two buns a simple white hop-pockets each, which he had made under the oil lamp last night since he couldn’t fall asleep. The first time using a needle was not that hard as he imagined. But the stitches were not that good. Inside was some poison he made, which he used on Ling Jingwei that day. For the safety of the kids, he wouldn’t mind hurting others, as long as those people didn’t hurt them. He believed that the buns wouldn’t run amuck with it.

"Hmm, daddy, we are leaving."

Two buns did not ask much, under Ling Wen’s lead, two of them ran out one after another. Watching their backs, Ling Jingxuan chuckled and shook his head. Kids are kids!

"Ge, are we going in the mountains today?"

Now that they got those jars, aren’t supposed to start working?

"Well, brother Zhao will come later. I promised Shopkeeper Zhang that I would make one thousand jin of jam as soon as possible."

Sitting back, Ling Jingxuan said casually while taking a sip of his tea, but thinking of another thing in his head. It’s been two days, they are supposed to come.

"Oh right, ge, you teach me to discern mushrooms, OK?"

Ling Jingpeng who had been keeping this in mind asked expectantly. He had almost learnt how to make jam. Since mushrooms could also exchange for money, he’d also want to share the burden with his big brother.

"Huh? Sure, but..."

"Jingxuan, you didn't lock the door, I just saw Xiaowen and Xiaowu run out, saying they are going to Zhao Dalong’s place. You are so careless. What if something happens again?”

Before Ling Jingxuan finished his words, Lady Want’s loud voice was herd outside. Soon, Lady Want wearing coarse linen clothes walked in. The two brothers gave each other a look, then both stood up to greet her, “Mom, don’t worry. They’d be fine. But you, you are pregnant. How can you still walk so fast? What if you startle my little sister inside?”

"Yes, mom, we are looking forward to the arrival of our little sister."

The two brothers echoed each other, one on the left while the other on the right, making Lady Wang blush, "Who told you it is a girl? It's not the first time I've been pregnant. When I was pregnant with you, I still worked in the fields. But you were still out. So, don't worry."

Now in her thirties, she still had her two sons to worry about her. The only thing Lady Wang felt is shame.

"You can’t make such comparison. Mom, now you belong to elderly parturient woman. You should pay extra attention.

Supporting her to sit down, Ling Jingxuan nagged. He was really expecting this baby’s arrival.

"We country people aren’t that dainty."

Although she was still grumbling, the smile on Lady Wang's face was unabated. Feeling ashamed though, how could she not feel overjoyed since her two sons care so much about her?

"Mom, just because you are too honest, so others would ride over your head. Don’t be like this anymore. My big brother is a doctor. You should pay attention since he said so. If something bad really happens, you are the crying one.”

Ling Jingpeng was not that polite, with undisguised carefulness presenting before his family. This time Lady Wang dare not talk back, only moving her lips. After quite a while, she raised her head and said with a both exciting and gingerly tone, “Jingxuan, guess what happened on that side?”

"What?"

Seeing her gossipy appearance, Ling Jingxuan shook his head helplessly, asking casually, showing not much interest. He is an androgyne person. And it’s a fact that he could get pregnant. But after all he is not a woman, so he has no interest in those gossips, especially gossips about old Ling family.

"Today, early in the morning your big uncle and aunt went to town, and came back just now, looking devastated, and also brought that son of a bitch Ling Jingwei back. I heard his father-in-law said that the reason he and Suhua haven’t had any kid after having been married for so many years is all because he is born with cold sperms, he couldn’t let his wife get pregnant at all. They are going to get divorced.”

Ling Jingpeng did not tell her the details about what had happened that night, but she knew it should be Ling Jingxuan who said that. Seeing the his big brother’s family got in a mess, she felt happier than anyone else, like what she had been suffering all those years got vented out in an instant.

"Oh? So are you divorced or not?"

For such a result, Ling Jingxuan wasn’t surprised at all. Shopkeeper Zhao only had this daughter and still expected her to have a kid to take over the family business. Before, he thought it was his daughter Zhao Suhua’s problem, so he could only bear with it. Now that he knew it was because of Ling Jingwei, plus he had always had a word of him, it was only reasonable they got divorced. Although a peaceful divorce was better for a woman than being repudiated, people would still say something. But given Shopkeeper Zhao’s status and Zhao Suhua’s beautiful face, it wouldn’t be a problem to find another son-in-law he was satisfied with.

"How is that possible? A peaceful divorce is comparatively good to a woman, but it also means the man does something wrong. Do you think your big uncle would agree with that? When I came out, they were quarreling and crying in the room, even your grandpa was invited back. I’m afraid later they’d go to town to reason with Shopkeeper Zhao.”

"What's there to say? It’s because he can't get his wife pregnant, does he still want to repudiate his wife?”

Twitching his mouth, Ling Jingpeng said unreservedly. His big uncle had two sons and a daughter. The big son Ling Jinghong, twenty five years old, a few years ago, he married a landlord’s daughter from the neighboring village. These years he had been helping the old running his private school. The second son Ling Jingwei, twenty two years old, he had got married with Shopkeeper Zhang’s daughter in town and became the young shopkeeper himself. The only daughter Ling Xiaotong, nineteen years old, three years ago, he got married with a son from a rich family in the neighboring town and gave birth to two sons, living a good life. Before this thing, the big son’s family was all smooth, riding over the second son and third son in everything. So when at home, their big uncle and his whole family got above themselves, now it was their turn to taste the bitter pill.

"What? You really ‘look down on’ your big uncle. They only want to try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all.”

Snorting coldly, Lady Wang said with undisguised sarcasm. Even a blind person could see they were coveting that family’s business!

"Hehe…Shopkeeper Zhang is not a pushover. Mom, you stay out of it. Let them fight.”

Ling Jingxuan smiled, picked up the cup and took a sip of his tea, as early as right after he said Ling Jingwei’s cold sperms thing, he had anticipated this. But, he still underestimated their shameless level. Now they still wouldn’t give up. So unbelievable! So unreasonable!

"I’d rather take some rest home. Do you still think I am like before? Now I only wish that Jingpeng could get cured soon, then we could move out. And your father and I, and you three brothers could support out small family together.”

Feeling her own belly, Lady Wang withdrew the former sarcasm tone, with that face showing undisguised sheen as a mother. Seeing this, the two brother took a look at each other. That’s the spirit. They could fight or quarrel or what as they liked, as long as they didn’t come make trouble for them. Want them to lend a hand? Two words-no way! They already showed mercy not to add insult to their injury!