Chapter 23: Bottomless Pit

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

“Bullsh*t, you little b*tch! Just got married and already trying to sow discord in our uncle-nephew relationship. Tang Ye is my nephew, and it’s only right for him to provide money for his aunt’s medical treatment,” Tang Fu blustered. He had initially intended to charge forward, but with Tang Ye standing in front of Chen Lan, he didn’t dare to. After all, he had been beaten up by Tang Ye once.

Chen Lan couldn’t help but sneer at how self-righteous his words were. He insisted that because Tang Ye was his nephew, he must provide money for his aunt’s medical expenses. Even if parents abandoned their children, the children could choose not to support them any longer. Tang Fu’s audacity was truly remarkable.

It seemed that Chen Lan wasn’t the only one with this mindset. Many of the onlookers shared the same sentiment.

“I must say, sir, do you not have a son of your own? Demanding money from your nephew for medical expenses is quite unusual.”

“That’s right! If you had raised Battalion Commander Tang properly and he doesn’t show filial piety to you, then we won’t stand with him but you mistreated him when he was young and even kicked him out. Now, he’s grown successful elsewhere, and you’re rushing to demand money. How shameless!”

“To come demanding for money is one thing, but to resort to violence against someone’s wife. How can you have a cheek?”

The crowd continued to criticize Tang Fu and his wife. Tang Fu knew that it was impossible to obtain money from Tang Ye now. He threatened, “You’re all in cahoots, bullying us country folks. I’m going to find your leader right now, I don’t believe there’s no one to reason within this world.”

Saying this, he pulled Xu Cui and started walking towards the entrance of the military family housing area.

Chen Lan didn’t rush to chase after them but instead looked at the people around and bowed slightly. “Ahye isn’t here today. Thank you, sisters-in-law, for standing up for me. Otherwise, I might have been bullied by them.”

Xiu Lian gently patted Chen Lan’s head and comforted her, “Sigh, it’s nothing. We all live together, and our husbands are comrades. We have to help each other. Don’t you think so?”

“Yes, that’s right,” the people around echoed.

“Those two are going to complain to the chief now. We don’t know what they’ll say about both of you. You should be mentally prepared for it. Although these two are despicable, they are still Battalion Commander Tang’s relatives. In the end, you may have to fork out the money, or it might affect Battalion Commander Tang’s career.”

Giving money? Chen Lan didn’t want to give money to people like them. She held back her frustration and nodded to Xiu Lian, saying, “Thank you, sister-in-law. But I’m also worried that they might twist the truth. Besides, they might accuse me and Ahye of bullying them. If the chief inquires about it, I wonder if you can help me testify.”

“That’s not a problem at all. So let’s not have everyone go over there together. I’ll stay here, and when the chief wants to talk to you, I’ll go with you.”

Chen Lan nodded, and after comforting words from others, they all dispersed.

Chen Lan, along with Tang Ye, returned home with Xiu Lian. When they arrived home, Tang Ye poured a cup of tea for Xiu Lian and then walked over to Chen Lan.

“How are you? Are you hurt? Next time you encounter such a situation, let someone come find me instead of rushing into it yourself.”

Chen Lan nodded and replied, “I’m fine, I didn’t get hurt at all. He didn’t even touch me.”

“Sister-in-law Xiu Lian and I will go there in a while. You don’t need to come along. It might be frustrating for you,” Tang Ye said. He had already made up his mind that, regardless of how far this situation escalated, he wouldn’t throw money at these relentless relatives. This time would be the last.

When he was a single man and had no close family ties, he cherished the warmth and vibrancy of this extended family, which had given him a sense of belonging. Back then, no matter how unwilling he was, he would reluctantly give some money whenever Tang Fu came asking.

However, now that he was married, he had to be responsible for their little family. He didn’t want Chen Lan to endure this kind of relentless extortion for the rest of her life.

Besides, he knew that Chen Lan came from a harmonious family where she hadn’t encountered such situations before. That’s why he didn’t intend to let her follow him.

“No, I have to handle this myself. Some things are inconvenient for you to deal with directly. Trust me. It will be fine,” Chen Lan insisted.

Xiu Lian, who had been observing the loving interaction between the two, took a sip of her tea and said with a smile, “You two have a great relationship. Battalion Commander Tang, she is right. In a situation like this, she should handle it. You’re in military uniform, and many times, your actions represent not just yourself but the entire army. So, there are many things you can’t do.”

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