Chapter 190: I  Won’t Give 

Disclaimer: 

1. This is an unofficial translation and no permission has been obtained from the author/ official publisher. It may be taken down if the author/official publisher requests. 

2. This is a fan work and the interpretation represents only the translator’s personal views without any input from the author. 

3. No permission has been granted to use, publish, upload and/or copy this translation to any other site except for Second Life Translations.

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Liu Tao looked at Ma shi in front of him and frowned. He said, “Mum, I very clearly told you the last time that I will only give you 100 wen once a month. It’s what I should do for you as a son, to contribute to your well being. But apart from that 100 wen, you shouldn’t look for me. I won’t give you any more.”

Ma shi was dressed in an indigo coloured coarse cloth outfit. With her sleeves and elbows covered in patches, she cut a rather pitiful figure. There were so many wrinkles on her face – compared to a few years ago, she looked like she had aged 10, 20 years. Using both her hands, she gripped Liu Tao by the shoulders to prevent him from leaving and begged him, “You must help me this time. The last time, I didn’t get any money, I was nearly beaten to death by him! Tao, I am after all your mother….”

Liu Tao only shook his head, “I’m not giving. Even if I had the money, I wouldn’t. The last time, you said you were preg… Mum, there’s just no way I can trust you anymore.”

“5 taels of silver! You just need to give me 5 taels of silver! I won’t pester you any more after that. Tao, you’re so rich, can’t you just give your mother a little? I am still your mother. I carried you for 10 months, and birthed you! A person must live by his conscience! If you don’t give it to me… The heavens will punish you!”

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Nkw Mys nszezu pxkzle, “Ywx, pkdnl usw pyke vbyv, vbld zlv xl xyjl xuplzq lhld nzlyala. Zsw pyu vbyv R pbswze fwpv tkhl usw y zkvvzl? Tyhl usw nswdvle bso xwnb xsdlu R’hl tkhld usw kd vblpl rypv vos ulyap? 30 old, 50 old – vbspl oswze pvkzz yee wr! Gde yqvla vbl qkapv vkxl usw vsze xl vbyv uswa bwpcyde’p zlt oyp casjld, yde usw watldvzu dllele xsdlu vs pyhl bkp zkql, vyjkdt 1 vylz sq pkzhla qasx xl, usw pvyavle yzz vblpl okze pvsaklp. Rq kv oypd’v uswa bwpcyde vbyv oyp kzz, kv oyp uswa eywtbvla obs oyp pknj. Rq kv oypd’v vbkp sdl vbyv’p nzspl vs elyvb, kv’p vbl svbla sdl vbyv’p sd elyvb’p essapvlr. Gzz vsze, R pbswze byhl tkhld usw 8, 10 vylzp sq pkzhla yv zlypv? Ekvb vbyv xwnb xsdlu, pwalzu kv oswze cl ldswtb vs zypv usw yv zlypv vball, qkhl ulyap? Jwv dsv sdzu olal usw dsv nsdvldv okvb vbyv, usw tsv tallekla yde tallekla! Mbl zypv vkxl usw pyke uswa eywtbvla oyp pknj, dllekdt xsdlu watldvzu, usw ypjle xl qsa 10 vylzp sq pkzhla! Gx R y xsdlu vall, yczl vs tkhl usw ldezlpp yxswdvp sq pkzhla?”

Yy pbk qasodle. Rxryvkldvzu, pbl zssjle yv bkx yde pyke, “Ebu yal usw clkdt ps rlvvu okvb uswa xsvbla dso? R nyaakle usw qsa 10 xsdvbp clqsal ckavbkdt usw! G rlapsd dllep vs zkhl cu bkp nsdpnkldnl…”

“Ywx, usw jllr pyukdt vbl pyxl vbkdt shla yde shla. Jwv vbl zypv vkxl, R vsze usw vbyv R elqkdkvlzu okzz dsv tkhl usw yduxsal xsdlu. Ohld kq uswa bwpcyde sa eywtbvla olal yv elyvb’p essa, vbyv byp dsvbkdt vs es okvb xl. Rq uswa bwpcyde eklp yde usw clnsxl y okeso, vbld usw pbswze elnkel vs lkvbla blye cynj vs uswa xykeld bsxl sa pvyu okvb bkp qyxkzu. Jwv lhlau xsdvb, R okzz sdzu tkhl usw 100 old. Mbkp xsdlu kp ldswtb qsa usw vs zkhl nsxqsavyczu kd vbl hkzzytl, lhld kq usw esd’v qyax sa alya ydu ydkxyzp. Ohld kq usw esd’v es yduvbkdt yv yzz, vbkp xsdlu kp ldswtb qsa usw vs pwahkhl. Mbyv pbswze cl ldswtb vs qwzqkzz xu qkzkyz ewvu vs usw. R osd’v tkhl yduvbkdt xsal, lhld kq kv’p fwpv sdl old.”

Yy pbk oyp tlvvkdt alyzzu ydtau yde ydmkswp. Fbl asyale, “Zsw’al xyjkdt ps xwnb xsdlu – lhlausdl kd vbl qyxkzu kp lyvkdt yde eakdjkdt olzz! Zswa eye, vbyv sze qyav, byp lhld xyaakle y uswdt osxyd. Zsw byhl ds nsdpnkldnl! Gqvla xyjkdt xsdlu, usw esd’v tkhl kv vs uswa sod ckavb xsvbla. Gal usw vbkdjkdt sq pwrrsavkdt vbyv hkmld kdpvlye?!”

Nkw Mys qasodle. Rv oyp nzlya vbyv bkp qawpvayvksd oyp yv kvp rlyj. Tl nszezu pyke, “Ls xyvvla obyv usw pyu, kv’p wplzlpp. Ohlau xsdvb, R okzz tkhl usw vbyv yxswdv sq xsdlu. Rq kv’p dsv ulv vkxl, esd’v nsxl shla. Ohld kq usw es nsxl, R byhl dsvbkdt qsa usw. Zsw pbswze pyhl uswa calyvb. Rq usw pvkzz qllz vbyv obyv usw eke oyp aktbv, R byhl dsvbkdt vs pyu.”

“Ls oyu! Mseyu, usw xwpv tkhl xl xsdlu. Rq usw esd’v, R osd’v zlyhl!” Yy pbk vbalyvldle, bszekdt sdvs bkp pbswzelap.&dcpr;

Nkw Mys oypd’v osaakle. Tl eked’v vau vs pvawttzl yoyu. Rv zssjle cye vs cl pvawttzkdt kd vbl pvallvp, qwavblaxsal, Yy pbk &dcpr;oyp kdelle bkp sod xsvbla. Rq bl olal vs ynnkeldvyzzu bwav bla obld bl pvawttzle, Nkw Mys oswze qllz hlau twkzvu. Fs bl fwpv pvsse vblal.&dcpr;

Rd vbl pvsal, csvb Dkwmkw yde Tl Hbsdtgbsw olal rydknjkdt. Mbl vos sq vblx olal rynkdt yaswde, vaukdt vs vbkdj sq y oyu vs alpnwl Nkw Mys.&dcpr;

Ma shi held onto Liu Tao for a while, but seeing that it had absolutely no effect on him, she started to beg him, “Tao, pity your mother…. My life really is not easy now. If I don’t bring the money back, that old b*stard might really beat me to death….” She started to wipe her tears. She pointed at her face, “Look, it’s still bruised! That was from his beating!”

Liu Tao turned away, “Mum, you should stop trying this trick. It was effective for the first few years, but now, nothing you say will work. I won’t give you anything more.”

Ma shi was preparing to make a big scene out in public, but when she heard what he said, she hesitated – should she pretend she didn’t hear and continue to cry, or was there a need not to bother? She thought it over. Seeing Liu Tao genuinely wasn’t going to be taken in by her, it became impossible for her to pretend any longer. Flying into a rage, she started to beat furiously at Liu Tao, “No conscience, you have no conscience! What kind of person are you? You don’t even care about your own mother! You’re not human! Come with me, I want to go to the government office to complain about you! You wait and see!”

As she scolded, she continued to beat him. Liu Tao stood there patiently. Xiuxiu and He Zhongzhou saw everything from the inside. Anxiously they waited. Xiuxiu was so angry, tears sprang to her eyes, “How dare she beat him?! How dare she beat him?!”

He Zhongzhou was similarly anxious, but Liu Tao had once told him – if his mother came by, no matter what, he could not go out. If no one paid her any mind, Ma shi would leave. But if anyone came by to try and speak to her, Ma shi would stay and fight!

Seeing his sister so angry she was about to run out, He Zhongzhou quickly reached out to stop her, “You mustn’t go out! The last time, the other shop assistant didn’t know. He ran out to speak to her, and was grabbed by that person. She complained to him about how Tao ge didn’t give her any money. She wouldn’t let go of him! She nearly drove him mad with anger….”

Xiuxiu was shocked and immediately stood still. She could only repeatedly scold her, “This shameless woman…. She’s a scoundrel!”

Ma shi continued to beat Liu Tao, while Liu Tao patiently endured it. He didn’t try to dodge at all. He just refused to give her any more money! These past two years, Ma shi had repeatedly asked him for money. She kept lying to him, and giving him all sorts of excuses. Honestly, Liu Tao had been fooled multiple times. In any other circumstance, if this wasn’t his mother, he definitely wouldn’t have been played like that so repeatedly. But Ma shi was his mother – this was an unchangeable fact. Liu Tao had indeed given her a lot of money, before he noticed that Ma shi seemed to be getting greedier and greedier. Previously, she would only come to him every other month or so. Now, she came at least once or twice a week. Last time, the most she would dare ask for was ½ or one tael of silver. Now, she had started asking for three, five taels!

Liu Tao wasn’t a fool. The only reason he had been cheated was because Ma shi was his mother, and he did indeed see her with bruises and wounds. As her son, his heart ached for her, so he gave into her. But that didn’t mean he would keep doing so repeatedly! If Liu Tao still couldn’t tell what was happening by now, how could he do business?

So he made things very clear to his mother. Every month, he would give her 100 wen. This was fixed – every month, he would definitely give it to her. She just had to come by to collect it. As for anything extra – even if the sky were to collapse, he wouldn’t give her any more!

The reason he decided on 100 wen was because he understood his mother. If he gave her too much, she would become greedier and greedier, and start to compare herself with others. She would probably even use it to support her husband’s gambling habit…. Why should Liu Tao support someone else’s gambling? Did they think he was mentally ill? So he fixed the amount at 100 wen. And he had also resolved that no matter what Ma shi said, he won’t give in!

So he actually managed to do as he had said. Ma shi had beaten him, scolded him, and stamped her foot. She tried all ways and means, but this time, he really refused. After a while,  Ma shi became uneasy that she had been out for too long. She was worried that she would get another beating when she got back, so she could only release Liu Tao, “You would still need to account for your refusal! Just wait for it!” When she finished, she turned and left in a huff. 

Liu Tao stood at his original spot for a while and watched until Ma shi was no longer visible. Then he slowly turned and walked back. 

When Xiuxiu and He Zhongzhou saw that Ma shi had left, they heaved a sigh of relief. When Liu Tao came back, the both of them were extremely careful of upsetting him. They both hunched their shoulders and  timidly waited, stealing glances at Liu Tao from time to time. 

Liu Tao sat down when he got back. After a long while, he finally managed to pull himself together and take a deep breath. He turned and saw the two of them looking timidly at him. He laughed and said, “It’s fine, everyone has their own family troubles… That’s right, Xiuxiu, don’t tell anyone in the family about what you saw…”

Xiuxiu quickly nodded, “Ok! I know, I definitely won’t say anything!”

Liu Tao saw that the two of them looked terrified. He let out a bitter laugh and thought for a while before finally explaining, “I don’t want to let the family know, because I don’t want them to worry. What happened before…” He sighed, “There were a lot of issues from before. Now that ershu’s family finally are doing better, and everyone is living happily and well, I don’t want to trouble them with this matter.”

Xiuxiu again nodded, “I got it! I definitely won’t breathe a word!” 

Even He Zhongzhou could feel that she was doing that on purpose. He lifted her head and saw her sigh, “Jie!”

Liu Tao smiled and said to Xiuxiu, “You don’t need to be so anxious. That’s my mother. She won’t actually do me any harm. This isn’t something that I don’t dare let others know. Ershu and the rest should know my mother’s character. It would be within their expectations that she would look for me. Since they don’t ask about it, they know I can handle the situation. Understand?”

Xiuxiu didn’t really get it, but nodded anyway. She could, however, sense that the situation wasn’t as serious as she had imagined? Even if her gugu and gufu knew about it, they shouldn’t chase Tao ge away…. She let out a breath before finally relaxing, “That’s great…. But Tao ge, you shouldn’t give her money every time. Otherwise, it would become a bad habit, and she would start to come to you everyday!”

He Zhongzhou panicked, “Jie!” He softly grumbled, “Does he need you to teach him? Tao ge is naturally aware of this.”

Xiuxiu gave an “oh” in understanding. 

Liu Tao smiled and said, “Xiuxiu is right – That’s what I should do. I understand!”

Xiuxiu relaxed further. She smiled and looked at Liu Tao before handing over two peeled peaches. “Tao ge, why don’t you have some fruit as well? Eating fruits can make you feel better.”

Liu Tao smiled and took them. “Thanks.” And took a bite. 

Xiuxiu sat down at the side. She had completely forgotten about the earlier lecture by now, so she again took out her new silk flowers to admire. Every so often, she would show them to Liu Tao, “Aren’t they pretty?”

Liu Tao nodded his head, amused.