Even a Straight Man Has to Become a Fulang Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Wedding Procession

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“It’s Zhou Dahu!”

 

Old Liu, panicked in the moment, said everything he could, trying to clear himself of any involvement, and ended up fully exposing the Zhou family.

 

“Zhou Dalang had been rejected by Ning Ger and felt wronged and resentful, so he came to me, asking me to spread gossip behind Ning Ger’s back, to say all sorts of bad things… like… having an affair, being improper, that sort of talk…”

 

“It was really all Zhou family’s doing. I rented land from the Zhou family, and last year’s rent hadn’t been fully paid. They said that if I helped them with this matter, the rent for last year would be waived!”

 

The villagers murmured in shock, gradually understanding. It turned out that Zhou Dalang, unable to marry Ning Ger from the Ye family, harbored a grudge and devised this scheme to slander someone behind their back.

 

Cheng Zhao’s face was full of astonishment. He exclaimed, “This Ning Ger, clearly a proper Ger, is so clever—he even managed to rattle Old Liu!”

 

Yu Yuan, like a shadow behind him, suddenly appeared and said flatly, “What’s the matter? You look down on Ger?”

 

Cheng Zhao jumped in fright. Yu Yuan rarely showed himself in front of others and usually stayed in the background to protect Jiang Changxin. Now he appeared out of nowhere, sending a shiver down Cheng Zhao’s spine; his hairs even stood on end.

 

Cheng Zhao explained, “It’s not like that. It’s just… the Gers in Qingtian Village are all so timid, they hardly dare speak a word. But this Ning Ger… he’s truly exceptional, so calm, as if he’s seen the world!”

 

Cheng Zhao spoke casually, but Jiang Changxin overheard every word. Standing at a distance, he observed Ye Ning, letting his suspicion slowly spread. Ye Ning was clearly an exceptionally intelligent person; the way he had handled the questioning was methodical, step by step, with a commanding presence, completely unlike the confused Ning Ger who had married into the Zhou family in the previous life.

 

It was as if… he had become an entirely different person.

 

Ye Ning scanned the crowd and finally fixed his gaze on Father Ye and Mother Ye. He said, “Father, Mother, you should now know whether it was your son at fault, or whether it was some unrelated gossipers who caused all this.”

 

Father Ye and Mother Ye couldn’t lift their heads. They had come to the noodle stall and scolded Ye Ning indiscriminately, saying everything hurtful they could think of, assuming Ye Ning was improper and promiscuous. Now reality struck swiftly, and they felt a burning shame on their faces.

 

Father Ye, caring most about his dignity, leaned on his cane, lowered his head, and slipped out of the crowd without a word.

 

Mother Ye, without guidance, looked at Father Ye and then at Ye Ning, and finally turned and ran as if fleeing disaster, shouting, “Old man! Wait for me! Wait for me—”

 

Ye Ning exhaled and shook his head. His parents had come to the stall and unleashed a torrent of curses, but now the truth was clear. Not only was there no apology from them, but the people who had slandered his son had not uttered a single word in his defense. Yet Ye Ning wasn’t overly disappointed. He had never harbored any wild expectations of these “parents”; this only strengthened his resolve to leave this so-called family behind.

 

Many onlookers had gathered, and Ye Ning didn’t intend to take this loss for nothing. He decided to use the opportunity to promote his noodle stall. He planned to sell roasted small fish in the future and set up a small tasting. With so many people present, it was the perfect chance. He divided the small roasted fish into portions and handed them out to the crowd.

 

The villagers, surprised to receive food while watching the spectacle, immediately surged forward, surrounding the stall tightly from all sides.

 

The whole day passed in such busyness. Since business had been good the day before, Ye Ning woke earlier the next day to prepare more broth, ensuring there would be enough to sell.

 

Zhang Zhiyuan had just arrived at the stall to help clean tables, move chairs, and arrange the shop when someone began peeking in, moving stealthily like a thief outside the door.

 

“Who’s there?!” Zhang Zhiyuan rushed out, and both sides were startled at the sight.

 

“Aunt?” Zhang Zhiyuan was surprised.

 

Early in the morning, the sneaky visitor turned out to be Mother Ye.

 

Ye Ning frowned slightly, uncertain why Mother Ye had come. He had already learned from experience: when the Ye elders weren’t around, things could remain peaceful, but whenever they appeared, trouble followed.

 

“Ning Ger…” Mother Ye smiled awkwardly, wringing the hem of her clothes as she edged forward slowly.

 

Ye Ning replied softly, “Mother, why have you come? I was busy this morning, and there’s too much to do at the stall, so I didn’t have time to attend to you.”

 

“No need for formalities! No need for formalities!” Mother Ye laughed nervously, folding her hands. “Ning Ger, yesterday’s matter… it was indeed thoughtless of your father and me.”

 

It was curious—Mother Ye had come to apologize to Ye Ning? He didn’t believe she was here purely to apologize. If she were truly sincere, she would have apologized when the incident had been clarified last night. Now, after a whole night had passed, could lingering guilt have tormented them all night? Unlikely.

 

“Your father… he feels guilty in his heart, but he’s too proud to lower himself to apologize to someone like you,” Mother Ye explained. “That’s why today he didn’t go to the fields. He prepared a big table of dishes and wants you to come home and eat!”

 

Mother Ye added earnestly, “There are your favorite eggs! Your father prepared two large eggs just for you!”

 

Here’s a full, natural English translation of the passage you provided, paragraph by paragraph, keeping the essence, details, and past tense intact:

 

Ye Ning didn’t speak. Instead, he picked up a small basket and gently set it by the stove. It was a basket of eggs—not just two, but over twenty in total.

 

Mother Ye: “…”

 

In truth, the Ye family wasn’t unable to afford eggs. Although not wealthy, they were well-off enough in the village not to worry about food or clothing. Father Ye and Mother Ye simply believed that since Ye Ning and Ye Zhu were both “Gers,” raising them well might benefit another household in the future. Feeding them eggs would be a waste; the best food should go to Ye family’s male heirs, to avoid squandering it.

 

Mother Ye’s embarrassment didn’t subside; if anything, it deepened. Stammering, she said, “Ah, Ning Ger… you can’t hold a grudge against us. You’re the flesh of my flesh! Come now, your father’s already prepared breakfast, don’t let it get cold! Look at you, haven’t eaten yet this morning? You’ll get a stomach ache if you skip it! Hurry, let’s go home…”

 

Ye Ning didn’t want to leave with Mother Ye—the stall still needed him, and there was plenty to do—but Mother Ye refused to let go, standing stubbornly in front of the stove, insisting she wouldn’t leave, and beginning to cry.

 

Zhang Zhiyuan, unable to hold back, said, “Ye Ning, why don’t you go eat breakfast first? I can watch the fire at the stall for you. Eat, and then come back. It won’t waste any time.”

 

“Exactly, exactly!” Mother Ye quickly agreed. “Eat breakfast and come back. It won’t take long, it won’t delay anything. Hurry now.”

 

Ye Ning had no choice but to take off his apron, tidy his clothes, and go out with Mother Ye.

 

Mother Ye’s face was full of joy, no longer the awkward expression from before. She was even a little excited, tugging Ye Ning’s arm. “Hurry, hurry! We’re almost there. Don’t be slow—if you are, the food will get cold!”

 

Ye Ning felt Mother Ye was overly attentive—definitely not just calling him home to eat. There had to be something else going on.

 

At the doorstep, Ye Zhu leaned against the frame. Seeing Ye Ning, his expression was cold and jealous. He rolled her eyes at him, from top to bottom radiating envy, and even spoke with a twinge of bitterness: “Ah, Ning Ger finally came back? Father, Ning Ger’s back!”

 

Father Ye emerged, leaning on his cane. His face showed not a trace of guilt, not a hint that he intended to apologize. He glanced at Ye Ning. “Back, are you? And you still know to come back? Always showing your face outside—what a sight you’ve made of yourself.”

 

Ye Ning couldn’t help but smile a little. They had sent him to the stall, yet scolded him for being there. His lips were merciless. “Father, didn’t you send me to the stall? Now you’re sending me back. If there’s nothing else, I’ll return to the stall to continue working.”

 

“Ah!” Mother Ye grabbed Ye Ning, so hastily that she even scratched the back of his hand.

 

“Ah…” Ye Ning winced, quickly shaking her hand off. A streak of blood appeared on his hand where the skin had broken.

 

“You! You!” Father Ye raised his cane, ready to yell. Mother Ye grabbed his arm. “Look at you both! What’s the matter? We called Ning Ger to eat a warm meal at home! Stop arguing, stop!”

 

She cast a meaningful glance at Father Ye. Normally, he was the master at home, and Mother Ye had to obey. Today, after her glare, Father Ye surprisingly shut his mouth—it was unusual.

 

Mother Ye forced a smile. “Ning Er, don’t mind your father. He’s just stubborn… haha… go wash your face and change your clothes first. Look at you, covered in flour from the stall. Breakfast is ready—hurry along.”

 

Ye Ning didn’t want to talk with them further. He turned back to his room to pack some things before returning to the stall, intending not to come back again.

 

He opened the simple wardrobe, picked a few items, and—bang! A loud noise startled him. He turned quickly, thinking something had fallen, but saw the wide-open door suddenly shut.

 

Click.

 

Another crisp sound. The door was locked from the outside.

 

Ye Ning’s heart skipped a beat. He rushed over and tried to pull the door open. It rattled with a loud clatter but wouldn’t budge.

 

He immediately abandoned the door and ran to the window, only to find the outside already prepared. Bang! The window was slammed shut, then came a series of knocks, and wooden planks were nailed across it!

 

Ye Ning pounded on the doors and windows. “Who’s out there? What’s going on?”

 

Then Mother Ye’s voice rang out, full of smug laughter. “Ning Ger, stay put inside where it’s safe!”

 

Ye Ning’s voice turned cold. “I need to go back to the stall. Open the door.”

 

Father Ye shouted sharply, “Go to the stall? A Ger always showing off outside, still not embarrassed enough? I sent you there because I thought you’d achieve nothing, but all you do is make a mess! You will stay put and marry properly!”

 

Mother Ye’s voice echoed, “Yes, Ning Ger, stay calm and prepare to marry! Last night, Zhou Dalang came to our house to apologize! Oh, he cried, saying he had urged Old Liu to gossip behind your back in a moment of impulse. He didn’t want his future Fulang to be showing off outside, so he resorted to this scheme!”

 

Ye Ning frowned. “Future Fulang? I’ve already ended the engagement with the Zhou family.”

 

Father Ye barked with certainty. “Zhou Dalang has come to apologize. What more do you want? Clinging to his faults? You, a disabled Ger, being wanted by the Zhou family, is a blessing you earned over eight lifetimes. Are you to pick and choose?”

 

“From today onward, you are not to go anywhere. Wait for the Zhou family to come for the wedding!”

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