Chapter 226: Your Apology ≠ My Acceptance

Lin Heng and his Elder Brother took the kids out to play with firecrackers, blowing up mud and dog bowls.

It was a nostalgic return to the joys of their youth.

Inside the house, Xiulan, Caiyun, Mother Lin, and Liu Juan were playing cards, chatting and laughing among themselves.

“Where’s my dad?”

Lin Heng walked back into the house and asked curiously.

“He’s asleep, in the bedroom,” Mother Lin said, pointing toward the room.

Lin Heng poured a cup of tea and brought it in. His father was lying on the bed, snoring loudly. Setting the tea down beside him, Lin Heng looked at the sleeping man.

His father’s cheeks were sallow and rough, with two deep forehead lines etched by time. Life had left its marks on his face.

This man wasn’t perfect—he had plenty of little flaws—but he had never once shortchanged his children. From dawn till dusk, he worked the fields to support them.

Because of that, their childhood wasn’t exactly filled with joy. They were often sent to help with chores, and the happiest times were when he took them to the river to catch fish or occasionally carved them a wooden toy.

Most of their memories were of working in the fields.

But they couldn’t blame him. After all, he had so many mouths to feed and still had to hand over a large portion of grain as tax. It hadn’t been easy.

Letting out a breath, Lin Heng turned and walked out. He still needed to earn money. Otherwise, when his father got old, even putting food on the table would be a problem. They couldn’t rely on that measly hundred-yuan monthly pension.

But that’s just how the world worked. Those at the bottom always received the least in return. True fairness didn’t exist. Only by working hard and clawing your way up could you hope for something better.

Farmers, coal miners, road builders… in the end, they returned to the land they had toiled over, bodies worn and broken, to live out their final days. The prosperity they helped build rarely had anything to do with them.

Still, Lin Heng felt some comfort. At least in this lifetime, he wouldn’t let his family fall back into that kind of life. But it would take even more effort moving forward.

“Son, want to play a round of Fangkou?”

As Lin Heng stepped out of the bedroom, Mother Lin called out with a smile. This year’s New Year’s Eve had been a happy one for her.

“Don’t you already have enough players?”

“Your sister’s not playing. She wants to go for a walk.”

“Alright then, I’ll play a few rounds.”

Lin Heng nodded and sat down at the table. He teamed up with Xiulan, while Mother Lin and his sister-in-law Liu Juan formed the other team.

They started with 5, 10, and King, and after finishing that round, they’d move on to 2s and so on.

Lin Heng called Clubs as the trump suit in the first round, but the cards weren’t great.

Still, he and Xiulan had great synergy. They could always read each other’s intentions and play the right cards.

Maybe that was the unspoken understanding between husband and wife. After living together for so long, even a small gesture was enough to know what the other was thinking.

Before long, Lin Heng and Xiulan had already played through 5, 10, and King, and were now on to the 2s.

“I don’t want to play anymore. What’s the point? You two are basically reading each other’s hands.”

Mother Lin started pouting, insisting they start over.

“Hahaha!”

Lin Heng laughed heartily, and Xiulan just smiled without saying anything.

“Let’s switch it up. Xiulan, you team up with me,” Mother Lin suggested.

“Sure, let’s restart then.”

Lin Heng shrugged and changed seats. The four of them started over.

This time, though, they mostly just chatted. Originally, Lin Heng and Xiulan had planned to invite everyone over to their place for dinner, but Liu Juan insisted they come to her house instead. Unable to argue, they agreed and decided to host another day.

They also discussed their plans for New Year’s Day visiting.

In their area, the usual tradition was to visit the maternal uncle’s house on the first day of the new year, then the in-laws on the second day, followed by other important relatives.

But it was also up to personal preference.

Lin Heng’s family planned to visit his uncles first. He had three maternal uncles. The eldest and youngest were unmarried and lived together, while the second uncle rented a place in the suburbs, far away.

Mother Lin wanted Lin Heng to visit his second uncle since he had a motorcycle.

She suggested that Lin Yue, his Elder Brother, visit the eldest and youngest uncles, who lived with their mother on a nearby mountain.

But Lin Heng wasn’t keen on that plan. He shook his head and said, “How about this? Tomorrow morning we’ll all go visit my eldest and youngest uncles. As for my second uncle, we’ll find another time to go.”

“I mainly want to see my grandma. If we all go, my uncles will be thrilled too,” he added.

Last time his grandmother had gone to the city for a check-up, her condition had improved a lot. But in Lin Heng’s memory, she passed away not long after that New Year.

He didn’t know if things could change this time, but at the very least, he wanted to visit her for the holiday. If she did pass away later, it wouldn’t feel as painful.

“That’s fine. It’s good to go see your grandma. We’ll have lunch there and come back afterward.”

Mother Lin nodded. She missed her mother too.

They played a few more rounds of cards. Around four in the afternoon, Father Lin sobered up and got up. Looking at everyone, he said, “Let’s go. Time to light the candles for the ancestors.”

“Let’s go,” Lin Heng and the others stood up as well.

Ancestor worship on New Year’s Eve afternoon was a yearly tradition. Lighting candles, also called “sending light,” was part of the ritual.

In their area, they would place a candle at the entrance of the ancestral graves and let it burn out naturally.

This custom dated back to ancient sacrificial rites, when people believed that lighting the way would help guide the ancestors home and ward off darkness and evil.

The spirit money and incense had already been prepared. Lin Heng grabbed the paper offerings and brought along Xiong Ba. The whole family headed up the mountain to pay respects.

Xiao Xia held onto her little dog, Lai Fu, who followed her everywhere.

The Lin family only had three ancestral graves to visit: his great-grandfather, great-grandmother, and grandfather.

It was said their ancestors weren’t originally from this area but had fled here from the south. The mix of surnames in the village was related to this history.

As a result, their family didn’t follow strict naming conventions anymore. There was no family genealogy, and seniority didn’t really matter.

The whole family walked up the mountain, chatting and laughing. Along the way, they passed others also heading up for ancestor worship.

The three Lin family graves were all located in a place called Cypress Slope, a grove of cypress trees. Supposedly, when his great-grandfather was alive, he had a feng shui master choose the spot and planted many cypress trees there. It later became the Lin family’s ancestral land.

At that moment, Lin Yue pointed into the distance and said, “Hey, there’s smoke coming from Cypress Slope. I wonder if it’s Third Uncle or Eldest Uncle?”

“Oho!” Father Lin cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted in that direction.

His voice echoed through the mountains. Soon, a reply came back: “Second Uncle, you’re late this year!”

It was Lin Hai’s voice. Everyone understood that it was Third Uncle Lin Xutao’s family up there.

“Good thing you came early. You get everything ready, and we’ll take over when we arrive,” Father Lin called back loudly.

“Awoo, awoo!”

Little puppy Lai Fu barked twice, tugging Xiao Xia forward, running happily.

Before long, the whole family arrived at Cypress Slope. From there, they could see the vast mountain range stretching behind them, and just ahead was the Shiban River, winding like a jade ribbon. The view was beautiful.

“Third Uncle!”

Lin Heng called out with a smile.

“Come help clear the weeds. This place is overgrown with kudzu vines. We need to get rid of them,” Third Uncle Lin Xutao said with a grin.

“I’ll help with that. The rest of you go burn the offerings,” Father Lin said, picking up a curved knife and heading over.

Lin Heng exchanged a few words with Lin Hai, then went with Xiulan and Xiao Xia to burn paper offerings for his great-grandfather.

“Why do we burn paper?” Xiao Xia asked quietly as she tossed paper into the grave entrance.

“Burn the paper and bow your head, and you’ll get more candy next year,” Lin Heng said as he burned the offerings.

“Then I want to burn more! And bow too!”

Xiao Xia was burning the paper money faster than usual—clearly, the lure of candy was too strong.

After finishing the ritual and bowing, she muttered that she wanted to eat more candy.

Looking at the stone-piled graves, Lin Heng silently prayed for the health and safety of his family.

Once he finished burning the paper, he went to his grandfather’s grave to clear away some weeds, only to find that the perilla he had planted was gone.

When his grandfather was alive, he loved perilla and had planted a large patch at home. He liked to add perilla leaves to everything he ate.

After his grandfather passed away, twelve-year-old Lin Heng planted a few perilla plants in front of the grave. But now, they were nowhere to be seen—probably dead by now.

In a daze, Lin Heng remembered the days when his grandfather used to pick raspberries for him. Compared to his stingy and biased grandmother, his grandfather had been a truly good man. He treated all his grandchildren equally—when it came to food, everyone got a share.

But it seemed no one remembered that his grandfather had liked perilla. Lin Heng thought to himself that he’d come back during Qingming Festival to replant a few.

“Looks like it’s starting to snow!” Xiulan stretched out her arm and watched the snowflakes land on her sleeve.

“It is snowing.”

Caiyun, dressed in black as well, could clearly feel the scattered snowflakes.

Mother Lin smiled and said, “Snow is a good sign. A timely snow promises a good harvest. The moisture will help the crops grow well next year.”

Lin Heng glanced at the sky, then joined his Elder Brother in clearing the weeds and vines around the area. The cypress trees also needed some branches trimmed.

“When we have money in the future, we should turn this place into a proper cemetery,” Lin Yue said with a laugh as he chopped down a few vines.

Lin Heng had thought the same thing. He nodded. “I don’t think that day is too far off.”

With enough money, they could even build a road up here and let their ancestors rest in dignity.

Just as they were nearly done, voices came from below. Everyone’s expressions shifted slightly—they clearly weren’t pleased with whoever was approaching.

“Well, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, you’re here too. Thanks for your hard work.”

The first to speak was Lin Hui, the second son of Lin Heng’s Eldest Uncle, Lin Xuping. His face was full of smiles.

“Of course we’re here. Who wouldn’t come to honor their ancestors?” Father Lin replied blandly.

“Since you’re here, that’s great. These vines and weeds have taken over—help us clear them out,” said Third Uncle Lin Xutao.

“What’s the point of clearing them? Let them grow. But this cypress tree is big—I’m tempted to chop it down and take it home,” Lin Hui said with a grin.

Father Lin’s face immediately darkened. “Try it, and I’ll break your legs. This plot is registered under my name.”

“Haha, come on, Second Uncle, don’t be so serious. I was just joking,” Lin Hui laughed.

But no one joined in his laughter. Feeling awkward, he turned toward the grave and said with a smile, “Lin Heng, little brother, you must be making big money now—look at the offerings you brought for the ancestors, even meat. But our grandma hasn’t had a bite of meat at home. You could’ve brought her some too.”

Lin Heng smiled faintly. “She’s living with your family now. She always favored you the most. You should be the one bringing her food.”

“Of course I bring her food.”

Lin Hui walked over and tried to pat Lin Heng on the shoulder, but Lin Heng stepped aside before he could make contact, completely brushing him off.

Lin Hui kept smiling as if nothing happened. “My parents went too far this year. I’m here to apologize on their behalf. We’re all family—we should help each other, not act like enemies, right?”

Behind him, Lin Xuping smiled at Lin Heng’s father. “Xu’an, we made a mistake this year. We thought you dug up that ginseng from our forest. Sorry about that.”

Lin Xuping’s wife, Li Ping, also smiled. “Yes, we really are sorry. Our mom misled us. We found a ginseng in that part of the forest too, but it was too small so we didn’t dig it up. We thought you had taken it, so we rushed over to confront you.”

Everyone was stunned by this, and Lin Heng couldn’t help but laugh. These two were apologizing but still trying to make excuses. How ridiculous—pushing the blame onto the old woman?

But that old woman deserved it. No need to pity her.

Clearly, they’d seen how wealthy Lin Heng’s family had become—even Third Uncle was making money with them—so they couldn’t sit still any longer and came to patch things up.

In truth, Lin Xuping and Li Ping hadn’t wanted to apologize. But after their second son found out Lin Heng had made a fortune, he came up with the idea: go apologize at the ancestral gravesite. Surely Lin Heng wouldn’t cause a scene in front of the ancestors, right?

No one said a word. Father Lin and Mother Lin both looked at Lin Heng.

Lin Heng smiled faintly, took Xiulan’s hand, and said, “Since we’ve finished the offerings, let’s head back.”

What a joke. Now they wanted to apologize? After bullying his parents for so many years, they thought a simple “sorry” would fix everything? What a fantasy.

“Alright.”

Without another word, everyone turned and headed down the mountain, not even sparing the others a glance.

Lin Hui stepped in front of Lin Heng. “Lin Heng, come on, this isn’t necessary. My parents are still your elders, and they did apologize.”

“Pfft!”

Lin Heng burst out laughing again. His cousin really had a bit of a fairy-like attitude—acting like, “I already apologized, what more do you want?”

“Just because you apologized doesn’t mean I have to accept it.”

Lin Heng shrugged and sneered. Even if their ancestors crawled out of their graves, the answer would still be no.

And this wasn’t just about the ginseng incident. Over the years, they’d constantly come up with excuses—like paying for medical bills—to ask for money.

Watching Lin Heng and the others walk away quickly, Lin Hui angrily kicked a tree. “So what if you’ve got a little money? No need to act all high and mighty!”

Lin Xuping and Li Ping looked equally sour. Li Ping even started cursing, saying Lin Heng’s family would soon lose everything, and that all their fish and shrimp would die next year.

“Oh hey, I’m rich—mad about it?”

Down the mountain, Lin Heng laughed loudly after hearing their words.

When he heard another kick against the tree, his mood lifted even more. He loved seeing them furious over his success.

“Second Brother, you’re the best. That was so satisfying,” Caiyun laughed. Their parents always tried to leave some room for peace, but Lin Heng was nothing like that. She thought this was exactly how it should be.

“It really was satisfying. I bet they’re regretting everything now,” Mother Lin said with a smile.

“Regret? Their whole bodies must be turning green with it,” Lin Yue laughed.

Father Lin didn’t say anything, but his face was full of smiles. Thinking back, maybe Lin Heng’s way was the right one. Being tolerant had never worked with those people.

Thank goodness for a good son like Lin Heng. If not for him, his elder brother would never have swallowed his pride and apologized. Father Lin felt more and more gratified.

The only one who felt nervous on the way down was Third Aunt Li Xue. She was relieved she hadn’t offended them too badly back then.

At the foot of the mountain, the two families exchanged some polite words and agreed to visit each other during the New Year. Then they went their separate ways.

“Hurry home and light the lamps, stoke the fire. Tonight needs to be bright and festive.”

Father Lin said with a smile as he quickened his pace. They’d spent quite a while on the mountain, and the sky was already getting dark.

From the mountain, they could see lights glowing in every home, red lanterns shining in the distance.

“Time to go home!”

Lin Heng called out, scooping up Xiao Xia and heading down the mountain briskly.

“Wait for me!” Xiulan called, chasing after him while holding Lai Fu’s hand.

(End of Chapter)

— Translator’s Notes —

• Fangkou: A traditional Chinese card game, also known as ‘Fighting the Landlord’ or ‘Dou Dizhu,’ popular during festivals and family gatherings.

• sending light: A ritual where candles are lit at ancestral graves to guide the spirits home and ward off darkness, part of traditional Chinese ancestor worship practices.

• ancestral graves: Graves of family ancestors, where rituals are performed to honor them, especially during important festivals like Chinese New Year.

• spirit money: Paper money burned as an offering to ancestors in the afterlife, a common practice in Chinese folk religion.

• Cypress Slope: A grove of cypress trees, often planted in ancestral graveyards in Chinese culture as cypress trees symbolize longevity and mourning.

• feng shui master: A practitioner of feng shui, the Chinese philosophical system of harmonizing individuals with their environment, often consulted for selecting auspicious locations like gravesites.

• Qingming Festival: Also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, a traditional Chinese festival where families visit ancestral graves to clean them and make offerings.

• A timely snow promises a good harvest: A Chinese proverb meaning that snow at the right time (especially during winter) is beneficial for crops, as it provides moisture and protects against pests.

• light the lamps, stoke the fire: A New Year’s Eve tradition where homes are brightly lit and fires are kept burning to symbolize driving away darkness and welcoming prosperity in the new year.