Chapter 10: Siblings

The elder sister treats him as if they have deep-seated enmity, and Han Wei has always been puzzled about how he might have offended her, or whether his mother had wronged her while she was alive. However, whenever he innocently inquires about his biological mother from his elder brother, the latter immediately darkens his face and sternly reprimands him. When he secretly tries to gather information about his mother's cause of death from Uncle Hu and the servants, everyone’s expressions turn awkward, as if the topic is too sensitive to discuss.

"You shameless person, not only have you opened a brothel but also a male escort service, and you still occupy both. Look at you, getting into all sorts of trouble, and you want my maternal family to come and help you clean up the mess, don’t you?" The elder sister's words were not really cursing her brother-in-law; it was just a different way of pressuring her elder brother to help.

Is it valuable? That depends on who is buying it. To the Chu family, this amount of money is nothing more than a drop in the bucket. The elder sister displayed a haughty demeanor, as everyone knows that the Chu family she married into is one of the wealthiest households in Longcheng

Han Chen seemed to perceive the younger brother's grievances, using his gaze to suppress the younger brother's anger

Han Wei saw his sister's crooked smile and the disdainful expression that came from the heart, and said, "Brother, you really overrate this little thing, making it look more and more like a person. It's just a trinket that the old man kept while he was alive."

"Almond Blossom Lane?" Before the brother-in-law could finish speaking, the eldest brother, Hancheng, blurted out, "Brother-in-law, are you going to open a brothel?"

As expected, the gentle voice of my elder sister came through: "Brother, after all, it's just your word, isn't it? It's all our own business."

Elder sister, brother-in-law, you have arrived at mhetushu.com. Hanwei respectfully greets you

Sister-in-law's husband said with a voice full of guilt: "I feel ashamed to say this. I have invested in two restaurants in Xinghua Alley."

Brother-in-law Chu Zhongliang smiled, his face full of flesh gathering in one place, exuding a gentle demeanor akin to that of a smiling Buddha: "Little brother, it has been a few months since we last met, and you have grown even more handsome, like a tall and elegant tree. In the future, you will be just as handsome as your elder brother."

The elder brother lay beside him, pouring out the sleeping pills from the bottle and taking them with plain water

Han Wei turned his head aside, ignoring his elder brother, and wriggled into the inner side of the bed like a worm

Han Wei's face broke into a contemptuous smile, and he heard his elder sister say: "When the old man was alive, he would give this little thing the stars instead of the moon. Even if I consider the deceased father's sake, I might as well help the old man 'feed the birds'"

Your wife doesn't always use her private funds to order custom suits for your younger brother from the UK, does she? The eldest sister also cannot allow the Yang family to lose face

"Weier, you may go down now," the elder brother instructed

Han Wei secretly cursed, how cruel his elder brother was. Knowing that his elder sister often bullied him, he still allowed her to stay at home to keep him company. Wasn't this like leaving a little lamb in the care of a wolf? By the time he returned, there would only be a pile of bones left.

The brother-in-law took out a beautifully packaged gift box and handed it to Hanwei

Han Wei rolled over in pain, letting out a cry of "Ouch," and then began to sob.

Han Wei particularly detested his arrogant elder sister Feng Rong, who, after marrying the wealthiest man in Longcheng, became haughty and dismissive of everything. Especially since the elder sister and elder brother were legitimate children of the Yang family, they seemed to consider themselves superior to him, the son of a concubine. On ordinary days, the elder sister often mocked him in a veiled manner, saying, "You're just a trinket bought by the old master back in the day, a mere egg laid by a little wife. You're hardly better than our family's servants."

Seeing Han Wei turn his head in silence, he knew that he was still sulking. Han Chen said: "Ah, Young Master Yang, act like a man and look after your elder brother! Tomorrow, when your elder brother goes out, you will be the only man of the Yang family. This household will be entrusted to you."

My brother-in-law wore a humble smile, his eyes filled with affection: "Little brother, your sister has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. You haven't seen it, but when she saw this silk shirt in the shop window, she immediately said, 'Such an exquisite shirt, only my little brother is worthy of wearing it,' and bought it without asking the price. When I went to pay, I found out, hey, it's Japanese double-draw blended fabric, five thousand dollars for one piece"

"Hmm" Han Wei tacitly agreed, and his elder brother tapped him on the back of the head and scolded, "What does 'Hmm' mean? You are not a little pig."

Seeing Han Wei sulking, Han Chen smiled, casually ruffled his younger brother's hair, and leaned forward to slide his arm under his brother's body, intending to lift him up

"Younger brother, it's not that your sister-in-law is criticizing you, but how can you let your wife act on her whims? When she throws a tantrum and says she wants to go back to her parents' home, what kind of rule is that? In a marriage, it's not about one side overpowering the other; you must maintain control."

The gentle and kind voice of Huber, who grew up with picture books, was just as it had always been. Hanwei slowly got up, wincing in pain from his injuries.

Han Wei stubbornly turned over, signaling Hu Bo, "I will not go!"

Younger brother, come here to your brother-in-law's side, don't listen to your sister's nonsense. She has been bored in Shanghai, and she doesn't understand the chatter of those talkative Shanghai women. After holding back her words for a few months, she brought them all back to her family to talk about.

In the evening, the elder brother came to Hanwei's bedside and gently woke him, saying: "Younger brother, lie down inside; I will keep you company tonight"

Well, that is, a friend forcibly pulled me into the investment for profit sharing. Who wouldn't want to turn dead money into living money? But who would have thought that not long ago, a girl from 'Mudantang' died, and her body floated down the Huanglong River. The police then sealed off the entire establishment. Long Guaner, you must take charge of this matter.

The elder sister flaunted a string of colorful rings on her fingers—emeralds, cat's eyes, and jade—together they were utterly gaudy, as if she had transported a jewelry store onto her person

"Younger brother, there is something that requires you to speak up about it." As the eldest sister began to speak, Han Wei couldn't help but smile wryly, realizing that indeed, no one comes to the temple of the Three Treasures without a reason

Brother-in-law, Han Chen will be going to Xijing for a meeting early tomorrow morning and will not return for three days. After he comes back, he will assist you with this matter. Didn't sister and brother-in-law mention that the Chujia Manor is under renovation? It would be advisable to temporarily move into the house for a few days. During these days when Han Chen is away, the household will be managed by the younger brother.

Han Wei stepped out of the hall, tears streaming down his face in humiliation, yet the topic in the hall suddenly shifted direction

Han Weili stood on the stairs, listening to the laughter and conversation of his elder brother, sister, and brother-in-law in the hall, yet he felt utterly confused. How did this case grow larger like a rolling snowball, involving so many people? Even the "Peony Hall," where the deceased woman was found, was actually a establishment run by his brother-in-law, which meant that he must be quite familiar with this "Er Meizi".

It is! Big brother

Is it a matter of being upset with the elder brother, or is it anger over the few jokes made by the elder sister

Han Wei was astonished by such a coincidence; it turned out that the "Peony Hall" where Er Meizi resided was the property of his brother-in-law. As the case was investigated, it ultimately led back to his own family.

Han Wei cursed inwardly, seeing how her brother-in-law and sister were behaving; they might as well go become a brothel keeper or a madam.

Han Wei arrived at the hall door, and his elder brother Han Chen wore an unusual expression of joy. With a hint of playfulness in his voice, he said to his brother-in-law on the sofa: "Brother-in-law, this is what elder sister said, so you must remember it."

In the evening, elder sister Fengrong and brother-in-law Chuzhongliang returned from doing business in Shanghai. Hu Bo went downstairs to greet Han Wei, who was lying on the bed recovering from his injuries.

It was a cream-colored silk shirt with a faint sheen reminiscent of silk, the touch was delicate and cool, and the texture was exceptional, exuding a sense of weight that clearly indicated it was a valuable item. Han Wei recalled having seen the young general Hu Ziqing from the Northeast Army wearing a similar shirt once, with two buttons slightly undone at the collar, carrying a hint of melancholy amidst his elegance, which always reminded him of the melancholic prince in "Hamlet".

The elder brother sat beside Han Wei, gently stroking Han Wei's head, seemingly affectionate, yet also subtly indicating that he should not act recklessly

Han Wei rarely heard his elder brother speak in such a relaxed and teasing tone. Especially after his elder brother had just beaten him, he was now chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened

Elder sister, this is not about seeking sister-in-law Yuning

It is simply shameless, and Han Wei was so furious that he felt as if his chest would explode. He then heard his elder brother's teasing words: "Don't say that, the Yang family does not engage in such dealings. If our father were to know, he would jump out of his coffin and flay Han Chen alive."

Han Wei had just moved to the hallway when the elder sister's sharp voice echoed throughout the entire building. Han Wei's feelings of annoyance flared up immediately; every time the elder sister returned to her parental home, she would pick at everything, never finding anything satisfactory

Hu Bo tugged at Han Wei's quilt and whispered, "Young master understands best. With guests at home, the elder will surely want you to go down and pay your respects. Rather than waiting for the elder to speak, it would be better to be obedient and considerate now, so that everyone can be happy with the situation. Hu Bo knows that our Wei'er young master is feeling wronged, so just bear with it and be obedient."

Han Wei stared in astonishment at the expensive shirt, while his elder brother seemed equally taken aback by the lavishness of his sister and brother-in-law's gesture. With a hint of reproach, he said: "Sister, brother-in-law, you care for your younger brother, Han Chen knows that. However, Wei'er is still a child; why buy him such an expensive piece of clothing"

Han Wei felt furious, wishing he could throw the shirt in his elder sister's face and turn to go upstairs

"Elder sister, the younger brother cannot discern the truth from the jest." Han Chen laughed and interjected, gesturing for Han Wei to take a seat