Grandpa Mo wiped away his sweat, not slowing his pace. "If you've got the guts, then bring it on! If I die, it's on me!"
Hearing the commotion, Granny Mo's face twisted with worry. She quickly shouted, "Old man, don't you go and die!"
Only then did Grandpa Mo stop and turn his head to reply, "Don't you worry, I'm not dead yet! I have to teach these dogs a lesson and blow off some steam!"
Mo Laoer also grabbed a bamboo pole, shouting breathlessly, "Uncle, don't push us too far! If we brothers really decide to fight you, you won't be able to take it!"
Furious, Grandpa Mo picked up the piece of wood again. "Come on, you little bastards! You want to beat me? Let's see what you've got!"
Boss Mo and Mo Laoer raised their "weapons" at the same time. Just as a real fight was about to break out, a loud roar came from the courtyard gate: "Stop!" Several big, burly men walked in, followed by a large crowd of women, children, and a few elders.
The Mo Family Courtyard wasn't in a remote location. Two paths ran alongside its walls, and villagers passed by from time to time. Someone must have run to inform the production team leader, because now even the brigade's party secretary had arrived.
Leading the group were three men. One was the brigade secretary, Mo Youliang, who was around fifty. Another was the production team leader, Guan Danian, in his early thirties. The third was a militia battalion commander whose name was unknown. This commander was in charge of the entire commune's militia, but his home happened to be in this village, so it wasn't unusual for him to be there at that moment.
Secretary Mo pointed a finger at Mo Guoqiang and Mo Laoer and barked, "The knife and the pole, put them down! Or I'll have the militia commander tie you both up and send you to the commune to be dealt with!"
The militia battalion commander stepped forward with a deadpan expression and, in two swift moves, disarmed Boss Mo and Mo Laoer.
Grandpa Mo put down the wood himself, then went back to the ruined shack to help Mo Xiaoman escort Granny Mo out.
Second Aunt Mo came over, clamoring, "Secretary Mo, you're just in time! You be the judge! Look, his older brother was the one who kicked the house down. But as soon as my husband's uncle got back, without even asking what happened, he blamed us for everything and tried to hit anyone he could grab—this has nothing to do with our family!"
"Then whose business is it?" Secretary Mo said. "Boss Mo kicked down the house, but the two elders live with Mo Laoer. You're Mo Laoer's wife. Where are the two of them supposed to live now? Are you saying you're not going to take care of them?"
"Th-that... I don't know where they want to live!"
"Good, that's all I needed to hear!" Secretary Mo clapped his hands and ordered several able-bodied young men behind him, "Go tear down the rest of that collapsed shack. A grass hut like this isn't safe anyway; it's not suitable for the elderly! Just move their things out and into Mo Laoer's house. From now on, the two elders will live in the tile-roofed house!"
This sent Second Aunt Mo into a panic. She shrieked, "No way! Those old coots are barren! Couldn't even have a child their whole lives! They're a jinx! If they move in, our whole family will be cursed with bad luck!"
Secretary Mo glared at Second Aunt Mo, then turned to Mo Laoer. "You let your wife insult your parents like this? You're really something, aren't you!"
Mo Laoer lowered his gaze and said nothing. 'They aren't my real parents, anyway,' he thought. 'So what if she says a few things?'
The production team leader shook his head. The onlookers in the back started murmuring amongst themselves, and the older women grew indignant. "Look at this pair! What kind of people are they? Even if they aren't his birth parents, they paid for his wife to marry into this family! Can't she show a little decency?"
"You younger folks don't know. Grandpa Mo and Granny Mo didn't just pay for the two brothers' weddings. They even paid to have this house built! The brothers' parents died when they were only two or three, and their aunt and uncle raised them. To act like this now... it's just pure ingratitude!"
"Isn't this what they call 'discarding your walking stick after crossing the river'?"
"That's exactly it. A classic saying from the old-timers, playing out right before our eyes!"
"Oh, my goodness! After seeing this, who would dare raise another person's child? Not even for your own brother!"
"Things like this are rare, maybe one or two cases out of ten! People are different. The world isn't filled with so many ungrateful ones!"
"That old couple is just too kind. It's true what they say: a kind person gets bullied. They worked themselves to the bone when they were young to raise those boys, and this is what they get in their old age? How pitiful!"
Seeing Mo Laoer play dumb, Secretary Mo turned to Boss Mo. "I'm not going to ask you why you kicked down the elders' house. Right now, it's almost dark. What are your plans for housing them?"
Mo Guoqiang turned his head away. "The family was split up a long time ago. They don't live with me, so it's none of my business!"
"You kicked down the house, so you have to pay for it! Give me the money for compensation, and I won't make you take care of the old folks!"
Mo Laoer shouted, and the crowd fell silent.
Granny Mo pulled Grandpa Mo close and whispered in his ear. Grandpa Mo nodded as he listened, his surprised gaze falling on Mo Xiaoman. He looked her up and down as if seeing her for the first time, but didn't ask anything else. He only said, "Child, have you thought this through? Are you certain?"
Mo Xiaoman knew Grandma had told Grandpa that she wasn't Mo Guoqiang and Liu Fengying's biological daughter. She nodded forcefully and said, "Yes."
Granny Mo said, "Old man, you're not thinking of letting her go back to those people, are you? If they don't beat her to death, they'll skin her alive!"
Grandpa Mo patted Grandma's hand. "I know what to do. Boss Mo owes us. Don't worry, from now on, Xiao Man is ours! Where's that note you kept? Give it to me!"
Granny Mo fumbled inside her clothes and pulled a piece of paper from an inner pocket, handing it to Grandpa Mo with a smile on her face. "I had this hidden under the pillow. After hearing what Xiao Man said today, I took it out and kept it with me. I never thought I'd need it so soon!"
Grandpa Mo took the note and looked at Grandma. At that moment, Mo Xiaoman felt a pang of regret that Grandma was blind and couldn't see the gentle smile on Grandpa's face, or hear the heart-melting softness in his voice. "You know," he said, "you've always longed for a daughter. It wasn't in the cards for us, but now we have a granddaughter. I suppose that's your wish come true, isn't it?"