A Good Country Wife-Chapter 690 - 683_1

"Brother, I know our mother isn’t our birth mother. Xiaosi and I were so young when our real mother left; we barely remember what she looked like. I sort of remember that even then, she didn’t take much care of me and Xiaosi, let alone you and second brother, who weren’t her own. Mother was even worse towards you. After every quarrel with father, she would take it out on us by beating and scolding us. After mother passed away, we brothers were bullied and looked down upon by children of the same age in the village because we didn’t have a mother. Grandparents and great-aunt didn’t like us either," said Sanlang as if lost in his memories. Although he wasn’t old, the harshness of their family had made him mature early. The brothers were all smart and understood many things, forming their own opinions. Now, studying in the academy and guided by their teacher, they understood even more about right and wrong.

"Until mother came along, I’ve heard people in the village say that stepmothers are bad, and I was a bit scared. I was thinking about how to drive mother away, and you probably had the same idea, second brother. But mother has been really good to us, better than our own mother! We were still so poor back then. As for any good food or drinks, mother would always save them for us brothers first, then herself. Even one’s own mother might not do as she did. But deep down, knowing she isn’t our birth mother made me uneasy, yet I couldn’t help but grow fond of her. I wished she were my own mother and feared she might leave us someday."

"Later on, I realized that mother would be with us for a lifetime, forever my mother, and I was overjoyed. I swore to treat her as my own mother, to be even more filial than a birth son. Whenever I saw mother being bullied by those villains, I made up my mind to study hard and earn a title to protect her, to provide her a good life where no one could make her suffer!"

Hearing Sanlang’s words, both Dalang and the second brother were touched, and even Xiaosi, who was listening intently on the side, seemed to agree, although it was hard to tell if he really understood.

Dalang and the second brother exchanged looks, feeling a mix of emotions. They, as the older brothers, should have been taking care of their mother and looking after their younger siblings. Yet, it was their younger brother, whom they thought too young to understand, that had such thoughts and clarity. They were both proud and heartened by his sentiments, albeit at such a time.

"Sanlang, your words are clear to both me and big brother. We need to find a way to escape. Those people kidnapped us intending to threaten our mother. We can’t let their schemes succeed. Before father left, we promised to take good care of mother and the home. Now, it’s time for us to act like men," the second brother said solemnly.

"The second brother is right. We’d rather fight the kidnappers than let them use us to threaten our mother! From what those kidnappers let slip earlier, it seems they’ve already sent word to mother. They’ll surely take us with them. When the time comes, we’ll adapt to the situation. Second brother, if I’m busy dealing with the kidnappers, you protect Sanlang and Xiaosi. If I can’t get free, lead them to safety," Dalang said with the responsibility and dignity of an eldest brother.

However, the younger brothers were also full of loyalty. Sanlang spoke clearly once more: "Big brother, what are you talking about? We’re brothers; how can we leave you behind and run? We will not run. We will fight with you against those kidnappers. All of us brothers have been trained by father since we were little. After years of training, our skills are surely not weak. Together, we can fight our way out!" Sanlang’s words, perhaps influenced by too much storytelling, had a certain chivalrous flare—how embarrassing!

Xiaosi had been listening quietly to the side, but upon hearing Sanlang’s bold words, he could no longer hold back. "Big brother, Sanlang is right. Didn’t our teacher say that death is as light as a feather or as heavy as Mount Tai? For mother, it’s worth it. We will fight!"

Dalang slapped his palm on the heads of the third and fourth brothers. "What are you talking about? Sansan, Xiaosi, you guys are still young. With those little skills of yours, even though you had the upper hand when fighting with our schoolmates, those bandits we’re facing are ferocious, and who knows if they have blood on their hands. That’s why they engage in such sordid deeds. Your few moves aren’t enough. Just listen to me and take the chance to escape as soon as you can. Only if we escape can we send word to Mother, and I’m sure she will send someone to rescue me."

After hearing Dalang’s words, Sansan appeared contemplative and then said, "Big brother makes sense. If we all fight with the bandits and none of us escapes, who will send word to Mother?"

Er’lang watched them talk with such enthusiasm and didn’t interrupt, seeming somewhat dismissive, and only added solemnly at the end, "Don’t get too excited just yet. Those men are very cautious. Whether we can find a chance to escape is still uncertain. I’m reminding you just in case you get too ahead of yourselves."

Er’lang was speaking the truth, but his interjection at that moment was like cold water poured over the heads of the enthusiastic Dalang, Sansan, and Xiaosi—chilling to the core!

"Er’ge, you always know how to make snide remarks, why can’t you say something encouraging? Maybe we’ll be lucky," Sansan complained under his breath, voicelessly. Er’lang had always been like this, with a sharp and cool head on his shoulders.

Er’lang didn’t mean to discourage them; he just wanted to warn them not to get too cocky and slip up. Seeing Sansan and Xiaosi looking a bit deflated, he kindly added, "Still, don’t be too disappointed. I was talking about a possibility. If we disguise our plan well and don’t show any flaws to the bandits, we have a fifty-fifty chance of success. After all, they underestimate us because of our young age and won’t be particularly on guard. So you need to mask your emotions well to avoid ruining everything!"

Indeed, Er’lang was well-suited to be a strategist. With his words, the brothers’ morale soared once again, but without the previous arrogance. They all agreed silently to focus and prepare for the upcoming events, especially the youngest, Xiaosi. The older brothers, worried he didn’t understand the hidden meaning and might screw up, went out of their way to explain and instruct him on what to do next.

Hearing his brothers continually admonishing him, Xiaosi rolled his eyes. Even though he was the youngest, he was sharp enough, alright? There was no need for relentless nagging; didn’t that belittle him? But though he felt a tad upset, Xiaosi knew the gravity of the situation. He pounded his chest, assuring and re-assuring, until his brothers finally stopped lecturing him.