Volume 1 Chapter 45: The Embarrassing Relatives (Please Collect)

  The middle-aged rickshaw man hesitated for a moment and said vaguely: "I've offended someone, got my leg injured. The one in charge just now is new here, doesn't know about this, otherwise you'll get into trouble."

  He paused for a moment, and Huang Li looked at the middle-aged rickshaw driver hopefully and said: "Would you mind showing us the way? We're new here and don't know our way around..."

  Zhang Xiaoshun thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, but you have to wait a while. I'll go ask the person in charge for leave first."

  Although he was mentally prepared, Huang Li was still surprised when he arrived at the Wopeng District near Ghost City. Behind the seemingly prosperous metropolis, there was such a dirty and disordered slum.

  In a small hut, no more than six feet long and three or four feet wide, often lived an entire family. A man, a woman, and a group of children would huddle together to get through rainy days and cold nights. As soon as it got light, the man would get up, and the whole family would have to follow suit, because they only had one large piece of clothing to share among them. The men generally worked at hauling hides or carrying heavy loads, while the women went around picking up scraps and gathering vegetable peels to prepare for cooking. They didn't wash their faces or clothes; washing their faces would waste time, and their clothes were too old - if they washed them, they'd fall apart with just one wring, and couldn't be mended. The children weren't idle either; some went to help pick up scraps, while others went from door to door begging.

  Zhen Niang's face turned very unsightly, obviously worried about the future. Relying on relatives is to get help, but looking at this appearance, the original idea will be disappointed.

  Zhang Xiaoshun led Huang Li and others to a dilapidated hut, shouting inside: "Dai Kui, are you home?"

  A hoarse response came from inside the hut, and a figure emerged with a sack slung over his shoulder. The man had a tall and thin build, with hunched shoulders and a slightly humped back. His eyes were narrowed, with a hint of bloodshot, as he walked with the aid of a wooden staff, limping along.

  "Shunzi, you've come to see me again." A faint smile appeared on He Dakuai's face, and then he saw Huang Li and Zhen Niang, his expression immediately becoming guarded.

  "Haoyi, this is a relative from your hometown, don't you recognize him?" Zhang Xiaoshun asked with some curiosity, looking at Haoyi's expression.

  Huang Li opened his mouth and said, "Is it Uncle He? I don't know how to address Zhang Lao Suo and you." Things must be asked clearly, this is his consistent cautious personality, what if this He Daguai is just a namesake!

  "Zhang Laosuo, that's my brother." He Dakuai's eyes lit up and carefully examined the yellow calendar, shaking his head slightly before turning his gaze to Zhen Niang, after a while, he said with some surprise: "You, you're Zhen'er?"

  Zhen Niang was taken aback, and in her memory, there was no impression of this uncle, but how could the other person call out her own name, she stuttered and called out: "Uncle, uncle, I am Zhen Niang."

  Haha, He Daku burst out laughing, pointing to his brow and saying: "When I saw you before, you were still young, but this mole hasn't changed at all."

  After a brief joy, He Daku suddenly realized that something was wrong. Huang Li's appearance must have nothing in common with Xiaosuo, and this niece-in-law suddenly came to Tianjin, did something happen to her brother's family?

  "Something happened at home? How... Who is this..." He Da Kui put away his smile and asked worriedly.

  One sentence triggered Zhen Niang's long-suppressed sadness, and tears flowed out uncontrollably. Choking with sobs, she couldn't speak clearly.

  Huang Li sighed and said that he was also one of the parties involved, so it's better to clarify things as soon as possible and come up with a settlement plan.

  He Daku listened to Huang Li's narration, his fists clenched tighter and tighter, his eyes bulging bigger and bigger. When he heard that Zhang Lao Suo had died unfortunately, and Zhang Xiao Suo had fallen into the river, narrowly escaping death, he couldn't help but feel indignant and resentful. With a loud "hiss", he heavily pounded his fist on his thigh, cursing: "The Bai family is devoid of all conscience! Two generations of people, both destroyed by their hands! How hateful, too hateful..."

  Zhang Xiaoshun listened to this miserable thing and also shook his head and sighed endlessly, with a painful expression.

  He Daku vented for a while, calmed down slightly, and then realized that he should thank Huang Li. At the same time, he felt quite embarrassed. His current situation was not much better than a beggar's, and now he had two more mouths to feed - how were they going to survive?

  "Huang brother, as a straightforward and honest man like you, I, He Daguai, admire you from the bottom of my heart." He Daguai bowed to Huang Li and said sincerely: "Thank you very much."

  "He's being polite." Huang Li hurriedly stretched out his hand to pull him, saying: "To repay kindness is a matter of course. This life of mine was saved by Old Man Zhang and Young Master Zhang, so this small matter doesn't count as anything."

  "One code for one code, this thank you is necessary." He Daku insisted on finishing the ceremony, glanced around four times, and said with some embarrassment: "Look at it like this, there isn't even a place to sit, really —"

  Yes, it's really too shabby. Huang Li thought so in his heart, but he couldn't say it out loud. He hurriedly expressed that he didn't mind and used his own trunk as a stool to sit on, in order to reduce He Dakuai's embarrassment.

  Alas, He Daku sighed and said in a low voice: "It's a good thing to see relatives, but my cousin and nephew... looking at me like this, some things are really hard to say!"

  Huang Li fully understands He Dakuai's feelings, now that he is struggling to support himself and has relatives coming to rely on him, it can be said that the snow is adding to the frost. As an elder, he cannot fulfill his responsibilities, and a sense of guilt is inevitable.

  "Hey, Uncle He, I heard you offended someone and got your leg broken. What's going on?" Huang Li found a topic to discuss and had finished introducing his own situation, so it was time to listen to He Dakuai's experience.

  He Da Kui let out a bitter laugh and said, "That little brat of mine is young and has a bad temper. He offended the Footloose Gang's thugs. I saw it wasn't going well, so I sent him running away, but now this old body of mine will have to suffer!"

  "Those rascals are also too much, wherever there is a way to survive, who would tolerate the abuse of those bastards." Zhang Xiaoshun said with a huff: "How come, Strong Horn is still letting you guys get away with this, how long has it been?"

  He Da Kui shook his head and said uncertainly: "Who knows? It was tight before, maybe it's been forgotten now."

  "How come I'm being watched and can't even move?" Huang Li asked in puzzlement.

  "Hah, the master has run away, and they're taking it out on the old, young, women and children!" He Dakei laughed dryly.

  At this time, He Daku's wife and three children returned, holding a bunch of broken things in their hands, introducing the cold noise, and another busy scene.

  He Da Kui slipped into the hut, and when he came out again, he was holding a foreign banknote in his hand, which he handed to his wife, whispering something to her.