Tan Xing then stepped forward, staring coldly at Liu Rumei. "Surprised? I'm not dead yet."
"Tch—"
Liu Rumei merely scoffed, then stepped forward and kicked Tan Ye hard. "Hey, the debt-collecting ghost you gave birth to is back! Weren't you always mumbling about him?"
"Hmm?"
Tan Ye stirred, sitting up from the ground, and looked at Tan Xing with drunken, hazy eyes.
"Impossible!"
The moment he saw Tan Xing, Tan Ye waved his hand with a smile. "How could it be Xiao Xing? His brother is dead, his mother is dead, he hates me to death, he wouldn't possibly come back!"
Perhaps at some moment, Song Chaoyu saw the pain and regret in Tan Ye's eyes. But when many things truly arrived at this moment, it was already too late.
"All of you, get out!"
Liu Rumei ignored Tan Ye's words, merely frowning and waving them, father and son, away. "Don't cause a ruckus at my doorstep. Get as far away as you can!"
Only now did Liu Rumei look at Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi, who stood behind Tan Xing.
She felt that the aura emanating from the two of them was different from others, and she dared not say anything excessive to them.
Song Chaoyu frowned and stepped forward, not wanting to clash with Liu Rumei at this moment.
So she took a silver ingot from her sleeve and offered it to Liu Rumei. "We've traveled a long way, and it's getting late. Won't you let us in to talk?"
"Oh, of course!"
The silver ingot was heavy in her hand, and the sight of it instantly brought a smile to Liu Rumei's face. She quickly made way for them and looked happily at Tan Xing. "Xiao Xing has done well for himself, earned money out there! Hurry, hurry, come in! You haven't eaten yet, have you? Shall I prepare some food for you?"
Only then did Song Chaoyu and the others have the chance to enter.
The room could only be described as "bare as a monk's cell," with an empty courtyard and only essential furniture.
Tan Xing looked around, seemingly unable to find the person he was looking for. He then asked Liu Rumei, "Where is my sister?"
He was a kind child, and despite having endured so much hardship, the only person in this family he didn't hate was probably the child born to Liu Rumei, his half-sister.
Liu Rumei froze for a moment. Tan Ye, standing beside her, spat on the ground. "What sister? That's not your sister!"
He pointed at Liu Rumei. "That's the bastard child born to this woman and someone else! She was taken back to Tan Prefecture City by her biological father long ago. That's not your sister!"
Even that child wasn't Tan Ye's child!
Song Chaoyu didn't know if she should pity Tan Ye.
After seeing the money, Liu Rumei's attitude towards Tan Xing improved significantly. "Xiao Xing, it's good of you to still be thinking of your sister! Why don't you persuade your father too? He's fallen this far, what else is he delaying me for? Why not divorce me early, and we can all live better lives, don't you think?"
Her words, however, cast a shadow over Tan Xing's eyes. "I don't care about your affairs. I'm here to see Tan Ye because I have something important."
"You little brat!"
Tan Ye, drunk, couldn't even speak clearly, yet he still cursed at Tan Xing. "I am your father, no matter how much you hate me, I am your father for life! You can't talk to me like this! Since you're back, I promise to teach you all my medical skills. From now on, you'll stay by my side and not leave, understand?"
He was still incorrigible!
His kindness towards Tan Xing now was probably just out of fear that no one would be there to care for him in his old age.
Song Chaoyu's expression turned a bit colder, then she looked up at Liu Rumei and said, "We have something to ask Tan Ye. Could you please excuse us?"
Liu Rumei rolled her eyes at Tan Ye, clearly displeased, and grumbled, "This is my house!"
Song Chaoyu sneered. "We are here to collect a debt. Since you wish to divorce Tan Ye, we won't make things difficult for you. But if you insist on staying here, do you mean to say that Tan Xing's debt will also be counted as yours?"
"Ah?!"
As expected, upon hearing this, Liu Rumei's face turned pale with shock. She glared back at Tan Xing. "You little brat, why haven't you learned any good habits?!"
She then acted as if she couldn't escape fast enough, waving at Song Chaoyu and the others as she walked out. "It has nothing to do with me, this has nothing to do with me! This little brat isn't my son, and I won't pay his debts for him!"
Liu Rumei scampered away, and the room instantly became quiet.
Tan Ye, without minding his dusty state, sat by the table and fumbled for his wine cup again, handing it to Tan Xing. "Go, pour me a cup of wine!"
Then he looked up as if to say something, but froze when he saw Mu Changxi.
"You—"
Tan Ye reached out and pointed at Mu Changxi. "Your appearance... truly resembles an old acquaintance! I must not be mistaken?"
He rubbed his eyes and hiccuped again. "Do you... know A Shu?"
Tan Ye's eyes were filled with deep affection, showing none of the hatred described by the noble consort.
His demeanor made Mu Changxi sigh. He then sat down in front of Tan Ye and looked at Tan Xing. "Find us something to eat. We've been traveling all day, and we're truly tired and hungry."
It was better that he said nothing; the moment he did, Song Chaoyu felt the same.
Tan Xing was a smart child and naturally understood. He quickly stood up. "I'll go see if there's anything to eat. You all chat first."
Tan Ye watched Tan Xing's retreating back and shouted, "There's nothing at home, go borrow some from the village chief. He'll know you're back and will definitely give it to you!"
Living his life to this state, it was as if this Tan Ye had died many years ago on that rainy night.
After Tan Xing left, Mu Changxi looked at Tan Ye, his gaze fixed. "I know A Shu. She is my mother."
This answer clearly stunned Tan Ye. "Mother? A Shu is your mother?"
Even his drunkenness seemed to have vanished. He suddenly looked at Mu Changxi seriously. "You say A Shu is your mother? Then who are you?"
Mu Changxi did not answer Tan Ye's question.
He simply stared at Tan Ye and continued, "She is dying."
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, Tan Ye suddenly stood up.
The alcohol made his body sway. He disregarded everything and grabbed the water jug nearby, pouring it over his head as if trying to sober himself up.
Clearly, this was effective.
His hair was soaked, and the water, mixed with the dust all over him, made him look even dirtier.
But his eyes gradually became clearer and brighter.
He stared at Mu Changxi and asked, "You came to find me for A Shu? Does she want to see me?"
It seemed that in Tan Ye's eyes, in Tan Ye's world, only this person could bring him a glimmer of light.