Plus, the old lady has always been kind to others, so people in the clan are willing to help her out. Even the loafers in the village don’t dare to mess with her family. I remember hearing a story when I was young, there was a loafer in the village who tried to peek through people’s windows at night and ended up having his leg broken and never daring to do it again.
"It was the He Family from our village, of course. How could we let outsiders bully us?" Old Stick puffed out his chest. He looked so proud as if he had personally broken the man’s leg.
"Ha! Old Stick, you call the old lady auntie, didn’t Boss He give you some managerial position or something?" Someone beside him teased.
Old Stick blushed: "Don’t talk nonsense! I may not be highly educated; I didn’t even finish elementary school. Boss He’s company is full of college graduates. What could I do there? I wouldn’t be more than a nuisance. But when the old lady passed away, Boss He did toast me during the feast."
Then Chen Yan shifted the topic to Mrs. He, who was Sun Chen.
Everyone present said they didn’t know much about it.
Sun Chen rarely showed herself, like a shadow by the old lady’s side. People only saw her when the old lady appeared. This wealthy wife mostly stayed in the mansion and went out only occasionally by car, rarely interacting with the villagers.It was said she had a younger brother, but he passed away a few years ago.
People couldn’t help but lament... with Boss He’s wealth, as long as the brother was alive, he would’ve been well taken care of, living a rich life, right?
"Nonsense! What brother? That was a cousin! Boss He’s wife’s last name is Sun, and she is the only daughter. Where would the brother come from? The one who died was a cousin, her uncle’s son." Old Stick retorted.
Old Stick seemed to have a bit of a show-off tone and winked: "You all don’t know anything, just spreading rumors! They even came to make a fuss about it twice back then."
Chen Yan was intrigued: "What fuss?"
"Boss He’s wife’s cousin wasn’t a good person," Old Stick said mysteriously, "In my opinion, someone like him deserved to die."
Chen Yan immediately offered him a cigarette: "Tell us more. I love listening to gossip. Her cousin died, why would they make trouble for the He Family?"
Old Stick arranged the cards while speaking: "To say Boss He’s wife did right by her relatives...
Her cousin, her uncle’s son, was much younger than Sun Chen. After Boss He became successful, they came asking for help. It was said the He Family found him a job, earning quite a bit of money.
But that kid didn’t behave, heard he learned to smoke..."
As he spoke, Old Stick made a gesture that everyone understood.
"Once you get into that, you’re done for."
"Yeah, getting into that ruins you."
Two other card players nodded.
"The kid was caught later, sent to a rehab center for a while. His family even came to the He Family, asking for help to get him released. But when the old lady heard about it, she said: We help with other things, but not this. Our He Family won’t tolerate this kind of person.
Not only did they not help, but they also cut off contact with that family—no longer allowed them to visit. That was the old lady’s decision.
The old lady, with her kind heart throughout her life, was very decisive on this matter."
Chen Yan nodded: "She did the right thing. Who wants to be involved with someone who smokes that stuff? It brings bad luck to any family!"
"Exactly. The old lady made the right call." Old Stick continued: "The He Family cut ties with him, took back his good job. Later, heard he got into some trouble outside, ended up owing a lot of money.
One year, he came to the He Family for help again.
But the old lady’s attitude was still firm, no involvement, no help. The old lady made it clear, and Boss He’s wife followed her orders, didn’t intervene.
Soon after, we heard the kid died."
"How did he die?" Chen Yan paid attention.
"No idea," Old Stick shook his head: "Heard he jumped from a building and died. Maybe the drug messed up his mind, or maybe he was cornered by creditors. I’m not a cop, so I don’t know the details."
"What’s there to make a fuss about? His death had nothing to do with the He Family." Chen Yan shook his head.
"Who says differently?" Old Stick said fiercely: "That kid messed up his own life. What’s it to the He Family?
But, there are unreasonable people in the world. After the kid died, his parents came to the He Family, making a scene, saying the He Family’s lack of help drove him to his doom... In the end, the old clan leader had enough and drove them away. I was there then."
"Pah! As they say, look at the father before judging the son. With unreasonable parents like that, no wonder the son turned out so bad." Another card player chimed in.
Chen Yan agreed with a few words.
It was already dark after they finished playing cards. After settling accounts, Chen Yan’s family lost to the other three players. He alone lost over three hundred yuan, while the other three won some, especially Old Stick who won two hundred by himself.