“Big Brother, what’s really going on at home?”
“Why do Sister-in-law and Rong’er owe so much money?”
Qian Jinglan asked.
Qian Bowen fished a cigarette from his jacket pocket, trembling as he put it to his lips, his shaky hands fumbling with the lighter, failing to spark it after several tries.
Ye Qiu lit it for him.
Qian Bowen took a deep drag, then spoke, “Ye Qiu, do you think your aunt is harsh, rude, like a shrew?”
“Don’t you wonder how, in a scholarly family like ours, I ended up with a woman like that?”
Ye Qiu nodded.
From the moment he met Cao Chunmei, he’d found it baffling—how could someone like her enter the Qian family?
“Truth is, Chunmei wasn’t always like this.”
“She used to be refined, virtuous, a perfect wife and mother who kept everything in order.”
“But Father never approved of her, all because she bore a daughter, not a son.”
“Father’s old-fashioned, obsessed with male heirs, believing a century-old scholarly lineage like ours needs a boy to carry on.”
“As the eldest son with no son, I’m a dead end in his eyes.”
“Because of this, for decades, Father never gave Chunmei a kind look, yet she bore it without complaint, serving him dutifully.”
“Until ten years ago.”
“Ten years back, Chunmei got pregnant, a checkup showed it was a boy, Father and I were thrilled.”
“But she was over forty, an older mother, at seven months, she went into premature labor, the child didn’t make it.”
“That hit us hard, especially Chunmei, she nearly lost her mind, crying all day, dazed.”
“Worried she’d break, I had Rong’er take her to unwind, they went to Macau, and both got hooked on gambling.”
“They burned through our savings, then secretly sold off Father’s students’ antique gifts, losing millions over time.”
“That’s when Chunmei and Rong’er changed, like different people.”
“Father was furious, wanted them out, I begged him, promised to cure their addiction, and he relented.”
“I locked them in the house, had people watch them, for six months they didn’t step outside.”
“For a few years, they stayed clean.”
“But last year, they found a gambling app on their phones and dove back in.”
“It’s my fault too, I thought they were just messing around, didn’t pay attention.”
“A month ago, I came back late from a trip, saw Chunmei’s light on at midnight, heard her and Rong’er arguing, I listened outside and learned they weren’t just gambling—they were deep in debt.”
“I stormed in, pressed them, and found out they’d maxed out a dozen credit cards, cashed out nearly two million.”
“They took small loans too, at least another million.”
“And borrowed three million from loan sharks, with interest now likely over ten million.”
“They made Jinglan sign that inheritance waiver, probably to sell the old house and pay it off.”
“They… they…”
Qian Bowen choked on his rage, growling low, “They’ve got guts, plotting against Father.”
“I want to strangle them.”
He stubbed out the cigarette, cradling his face, sobbing and blaming himself, “It’s all my fault things got this bad.”
“If I hadn’t let Chunmei get pregnant, she wouldn’t have changed, wouldn’t have gambled.”
“If I hadn’t sent Rong’er with her, Rong’er wouldn’t be hooked too.”
“If I’d had the means to clear their debts, they wouldn’t have angered Father or borrowed from sharks.”
“I hate myself, I hate…”
Smack, smack, smack!
In his anguish, Qian Bowen slapped himself hard.
Ye Qiu hadn’t expected this backstory, sighing softly, gambling ruined heroes and beggared the rich— even vast wealth couldn’t survive it.
The Qian family wasn’t even that loaded.
“Uncle, how do you plan to handle Aunt and Cousin harming Grandpa?” Ye Qiu asked. “The Qian family’s a century-old scholarly house, if this leaks, it’s a disgrace.”
“I suggest keeping it quiet, only we three know the truth, if we don’t talk, no one else will.”
“Ye Qiu, thanks for thinking of me,” Qian Bowen said, pained. “But can this stay quiet?”
“They plotted against Father, that’s unforgivable, if I shield them, I’m the unfilial one.”
“When Father wakes, how do I face him?”
“Even hiding it from him, I’d lose sleep every night.”
“Besides, their gambling’s too deep, sparing them won’t change them.”
“Let’s find the cursed objects, get the full story, then let Father decide once he’s awake!”
Tears welled up again as Qian Bowen trembled, “Knowing Father, he’ll turn them over to the police.”
“They’re my wife and daughter, if that happens, their lives are ruined.”
“Jinglan, when the time comes, plead with Father for me, anything but the police, okay?”
Qian Jinglan, her heart a mess, nodded slightly.
…
Cao Chunmei and Qian Rong stood in the courtyard.
“Mom, that bastard and Dad have been in there forever, why aren’t they out?” Qian Rong asked. “Did he find something?”
“What could he find?” Cao Chunmei scoffed. “He’s waving that compass around like some fraud.”
Qian Rong fretted, “He said he found the cause, could he…”
“Don’t buy his nonsense, the old man’s not even sick, how could he find anything?”
“Then why’d the three medical sages back him up?”
“Those old geezers are no good either, probably in cahoots with him.”
Cao Chunmei added, “I don’t know why, but that kid gives me a bad vibe, we need him out of here fast, no complications.”
“Yeah,” Qian Rong agreed.
Just then, the main room’s door opened.
Ye Qiu, Qian Bowen, and Qian Jinglan stepped out.
