Chapter 135 The Shameless Son (ETL) Part 2
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Chapter 135 How Heavy Are the Shackles of Morality?
Gu Ye pulled a blank talisman from his pocket and wrote his phone number on the back. Then he handed it to the child’s father, “Since you chose to jump off the bridge here, it means you live nearby, right? This is my phone number and WeChat. Give me your address, and my brother and I will come find you tomorrow. Believe me, your child definitely didn’t kill that old man. I’d like to see who has such a dirty heart, framing such a young child.”
“This…” The couple never expected that, having been driven to the brink of death, two strangers would suddenly appear and help them so much. Although the story sounded somewhat fantastical, like how could people they’d never met be so certain about what happened a year ago? Even so, the couple felt as if they’d grasped a lifeline, clinging tightly to it. Their eyes were red with tears as they gratefully said, “Thank you!”
“Alright, we’re leaving. See you tomorrow.” Gu Ye and Xie Cheng got into the car together. Xie Cheng waved his hand, reminding the couple, “Don’t try to keel yourself again!”
The couple watched Gu Ye and his companion drive away. Staring at the expensive sports car, they stood frozen in the cold wind for a long time.
The wife said blankly, “I feel like I’ve seen that young man somewhere before.”
“Which one?”
“That handsome young man who drives the sports car.” Shivering from the cold, she took out her phone. Enduring the pressure, she went online and used the search engine for the first time in a long time. “It really is him. That young man is Gu Decheng’s son, the one people call ‘Master Gu’ online.”
The man exclaimed in shock, “The one who could read fortunes? So young?”
“It’s him,” the wife sobbed, tears finally falling from her eyes. “He said our child is innocent, so our child might really have been wronged. Maybe we can be saved now. Heaven has opened its eyes, sending us a living Buddha. Maybe we still continue on living?”
Looking at his wife’s hopeful eyes, the man took the child and comforted her, “We should be able to, let’s go home.”
The couple looked at their child, both weeping. Who would want to die with their child if they could live?
In the car, Xie Cheng said in a deep voice, “There is definitely something going on with the nanny. This child is already sick and timid. After being frightened, who knows what he might have said? He was probably intimidated and could only nod and take the blame for her. Later, the child’s illness worsened, and he stopped saying anything, becoming the perfect scapegoat. Isn’t this just taking advantage of a child’s inability to speak? What’s most infuriating is that she demanded 6 months’ wages before leaving; that’s practically extortion.”
After that, Xie Cheng thought for a moment and added, “No, if it really was her, she’s incredibly audacious. Making a child take the blame and then extorting six months’ wages?”
Xie Cheng pondered for a few more moments, but it just didn’t make sense to him. “If she really made a child take the blame and then extorted money from this family, she’d be a complete bastard. There’s another possibility. What if it wasn’t something thrown from their house, but something from someone else’s house that happened to fall and kill the elderly person? The nanny probably thought it was a child’s toy that caused it and confessed on the spot. It’s been a year; is it even possible to find out what happened? I wonder if there are any security cameras in the neighborhood.”
Gu Ye’s head was throbbing from listening to Xie Cheng’s rambling. “Thinking about it now is useless. Tell them to call the police tomorrow. Previously, they didn’t call the police because they were afraid of affecting the child, but it’s already come to this point. It would have been better to have called the police from the beginning.”
Xie Cheng shook his head. “Who would have thought that after they compensated the victim’s family with their house, the victim’s family would still be so greedy and cause such a scene?”
Gu Ye said disdainfully, “That’s why, Xie Cheng, you’re really poisonous. We always run into trouble the moment you step out the door.”
Xie Cheng asked with dissatisfaction, “Why is it me again? You’re saying it like you’re not there each time. Even if we don’t admit you’re poisonous, we should each take half the responsibility, right? How can you wash your hands of it so easily? Gu San’er, have some shame!”
Gu Ye retorted, “If I hadn’t come to pick you up, I wouldn’t have run into this mess. Have some shame.”
Xie Cheng paused, “What you said seems to make sense.”
Gu Ye earnestly brainwashed Xie Cheng, “So, you’re really poisonous.”
Xie Cheng reluctantly admitted his mistake, “Sorry, this time is counted as my fault too.”
Gu Ye generously said, “I forgive you.”
Xie Cheng pouted. The more he thought about it, the more something seemed off. But he couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong with Gu Ye’s words. Gu Ye was definitely present every time.
When Xie Cheng and Gu Ye arrived at the hotel, everyone was already there. They had booked the entire hall for this gathering. There are 6 tables, and all the masters from the capital city had gathered together. Setting aside their equipment, these young men looked no different from ordinary young men. As soon as Gu Ye and Xie Cheng entered, they were grabbed by a group of people and given a lecture.
Fan Xiao, that kid, was quite amusing. He circled Gu Ye, asking with concern, “Our brothers all say you’ve been captured by the old hag jiangshi to be her husband. They said they’d come rescue you, Brother Ye. Are you still whole? No missing limbs, right?”
“Nonsense,” Gu Ye flicked Fan Xiao on the forehead. “If anyone’s going to be captured, it’ll be a delicate kid like you.”
As someone at the bottom of the food chain, Fan Xiao was used to being bullied. He covered his head, not knowing how to fight back, and muttered, “You’re not even 2 years older than me.”
Gu Ye tapped Fan Xiao, telling him not to talk back. Little kid, just stay obediently at the bottom of the food chain.
At this moment, Gu Ye also saw someone he knew, Luo Huai.
Luo Huai was once a devoted fan of Gu Ye. After his master, Huai Xiang Guo, died, Luo Huai was forced to follow his uncle. On one occasion, his uncle injured Sister Hong Dou, which led to a huge scene when Gu Ye confronted them, ultimately resulting in the disbandment of the Xuanshu Association.
This once naive and innocent boy now understands that his master’s death might have been due to revealing heavenly secrets and incurring negative karma1. The higher-ups of the Xuanshu Association were driven by greed, and they failed to make the promised donations for his master’s services, leading to his untimely demise.
The boy was disillusioned with the profession and deeply resented those who had learned it. He was only 16 or 17 then, still a teenager. When he had nowhere to go, Old Master Tang had Xie Cheng bring him back and send him to a technical school so he could learn a skill and a trade to support himself. Today, Luo Huai is here too. He’s shed his former naiveté and matured considerably. He nodded slightly to Gu Ye, and after greeting everyone, he thoughtfully helped move chairs and pour water for everyone.
Gu Ye clicked his tongue. This child had endured such drastic growth; he was truly talented.
At the side, Xie Cheng had already recounted what happened on the way, “That’s why we were delayed.”
Gu Ye chuckled and picked up the conversation, “So, I say Xie Cheng is just too poisonous. Every time I’m with him, nothing good ever happens.” Gu Ye then gave examples, saying that last time, the time before that, and the time before that, all happened because he was with Xie Cheng.
They both encountered such bad luck, and everyone nodded in agreement, “So Xie Cheng really is quite poisonous; most people wouldn’t encounter so many things.”
Throughout the meal, Xie Cheng was completely absorbed in the phrase ‘Xie Cheng is poisonous’, utterly dejected. Gu Ye patted Xie Cheng on the shoulder and said earnestly, “Don’t worry, buddy, I don’t mind that. Time may pass, but we’ll never part. As long as we live, we’ll never break up (the friendship).”
Feeling moved, Xie Cheng shielded Gu Ye from drinking requests all night. In the end, it made Gu Ye feel guilty, so he paid for Xie Cheng’s dinner. He also feared that Xie Cheng would be left unattended in his room, so he took Xie Cheng to his senior’s place before returning home.
Upon returning home, Gu Ye checked his phone and saw that the child’s father had already sent him a friend request. It was already past midnight. After Gu Ye accepted the request, the father immediately sent him their address. It seemed he had been waiting and hadn’t gone to sleep.
The man briefly introduced himself. His name was Li Yujie, his wife was Luo Xiu, and their son was Le Le. They lived near the overpass. After receiving the address, Gu Ye assured him: [I’ll definitely go tomorrow. Sleep well.]
The next day, around 10.00 am, Gu Ye called Xie Cheng, “Are you awake? I’ll come pick you up.”
Xie Cheng said weakly, “Why didn’t you stop me last night?”
Gu Ye suppressed a laugh, “What can I do if you’re having a good time?”
“Sigh, I’m getting up to wash my face.”
After picking up Xie Cheng, the two arrived at Li Yujie’s house at 11.00 am. Xie Cheng had just sobered up and bought a jianbing from a roadside vendor. While eating, he and Gu Ye went upstairs.
Before they even entered, they heard crying and shouting. The door was ajar, and someone was yelling inside, “If you don’t pay up, then pay with your life! You murderers think you’re in the right?!”
Gu Ye flung open the door and saw 2 families standing in a small apartment of about 60 square meters. One side was the family of 3 he had seen the night before, who had tried to jump. The other side was a family he had never seen before; the woman had her child with her, and both of them stood in the entryway with a grim expression, blocking the doorway without going in or out. The man inside was gesturing wildly, cursing at Li Yujie, seemingly ready to attack.
Luo Xiu was holding her child and watching their commotion with a blank expression, seemingly numb. On the other hand, little Le Le looked terrified, wanting to cry but refusing to. He was standing behind his mother, watching the family who had come to their door, his eyes filled with fear.
The arrival of Gu Ye and Xie Cheng broke the tense atmosphere. However, seeing them only fueled the man’s arrogance. He shamelessly declared, “Perfect! Let others judge this. You killed my father, what right do you have to not pay me?”
Li Yujie clenched his fists in grief and indignation. He was trembling with anger as he said, “I paid!”
“Can the little money you gave even compensate for my father’s life?!”
Upon seeing this, Gu Ye scoffed disdainfully, “You heartless, unfilial, rude, and immoral thing! You were unfilial when your father was alive, but now that he’s dead, it becomes clear that you’re his biological son.”
Hearing that, the man glared at Gu Ye and asked, “You pretty boy (derogatory), what did you say?”
Seeing the man’s thuggish manner, Xie Cheng coldly slapped the half-eaten pastry across his large face. “Call the police! Let’s resolve this legally. Pay whatever compensation is due. If this child is innocent, you’d better return all the money you stole! You piece of trash!”
Gu Ye narrowed his eyes and added, “Otherwise, I’ll summon your parents back to take you away, you bastard who drove your mother to death in anger and forced your father to scavenge for garbage.”
Raw word count: 7076 (whole chapter)
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[Banana: This chapter was particularly hard to translate, even worse than chapters with horror elements in it. It was not because the wording was hard to translate, it was because of the moral blackmail.
Moral blackmail in Chinese novels is one of the worst stories, in my opinion. Every time Banana reads about moral blackmail, the people in it was particularly shameless and it will make you question ‘Why would anyone be affected by it?’.
For me, it won’t affect me because community isn’t a thing at the place I lived. I don’t even know who are my neighbours ^^;; But for people in China, they mostly live in a community and a very dense one too. You will have neighbours, and will have to communicate with them unless you live alone in a mountain. Adding to the part that filial piety is a big thing, moral blackmail could happen easily. And so, it was really making my blood pump in rage while reading this chapter and it makes translation very hard orz
S O F R I G G I N S H A M E L E S S #
Anyway, the next chapter is a short one so Banana decided to release it as well~]