Chapter 73

Wu Ping never expected that even after he had clearly refused, his cousin’s family from back home still wouldn’t give up.

He wasn’t sure if they’d seen the livestream and were now trying to guilt-trip him in front of a national audience, but they actually brought their kid to the night market!

Seeing his cousin and his wife put on that familiar “We’re doing this for your own good” face again made Wu Ping feel like throwing up last night’s leftovers.

Ever since their daughter’s unexpected death, the relatives back home had all suddenly turned into “good people,” showing an unusual concern for him and his wife’s retirement situation.

At first, those relatives had urged him to take advantage of the fact that he was still physically able—to divorce Yuan Fang and marry a younger woman who could give him more children.

In their eyes, even if a man only had one daughter, it wasn’t the end of the line—he could always bring in a son-in-law who would carry the family name. But if even that only daughter was gone, wouldn’t that mean there’d be no one left to send him off when he died?

But Wu Ping and Yuan Fang had spent most of their lives together, always looking out for one another, and deeply in love. There was no way he’d divorce his wife! Besides, he was already over sixty—who knew if he could even father a child anymore?

When it became clear that he wouldn’t remarry and try for another child to carry on the family line, the relatives back home came up with a new plan.

Especially those cousins whose families weren’t doing too well—after the three-child policy was introduced a few years back, many of them had rushed to have several kids in a row!

At first, they figured—if you’re going to raise one, you might as well raise a few more. What’s a few more bowls and chopsticks on the table?

But while the older generation might’ve been okay with that, the daughters-in-law definitely weren’t!

The first baby drank formula—what, the second and third should just survive on rice water and sweet potatoes?

The first wore diapers and new clothes—should the second and third go around with bare bottoms?

It was manageable when the kids were small, but as they grew up, they started comparing. If you bought something for the eldest, you had to buy the same for the second and third, or else expect chaos in the house.

The joy of having a second or third child quickly turned into a massive headache once reality set in.

That’s when Wu Ping and Yuan Fang, an older couple who had lost their only child but had a comfortable pension, suddenly became prime targets in the relatives’ eyes.

After all, they were family. With so many kids at home, what harm was there in giving one to Wu Ping and Yuan Fang to raise? Easing the burden was one thing, but what the relatives really had their eyes on was the wealth the couple had accumulated over the decades.

Rumor had it that the two of them had saved up at least several million yuan!

Think about it—Wu Ping was already over sixty, and Yuan Fang was nearly sixty herself. How much longer could they live?

If they adopted a kid now, legally or not, it wouldn’t matter. First, Wu Ping was still part of the Wu family—if the adopted child shared the surname and was raised away from the couple’s home, what difference did it really make?

Second, once the couple passed away, their house and savings would definitely go to their adopted son. And the kid was so young—who would manage all that money and property? Of course, the birth family would. Over time, that inheritance would essentially become theirs.

For the past couple of years, every time there was a holiday or gathering, the relatives would take the opportunity to brainwash Wu Ping and Yuan Fang. Even Yuan Fang nearly gave in and started to think adopting a child from the Wu family wasn’t a bad idea.

With their pension, raising a kid wasn’t a financial burden, and having a child around would make life livelier. It even gave her a bit of hope for the future.

Only Wu Ping firmly opposed it.

“If you really want a kid, we can adopt from the orphanage. But we are not taking one from our relatives. If we do that, we can forget about living in peace for the rest of our lives.”

“But at least they’re blood relatives,” Yuan Fang said, struggling to understand her husband’s stance.

“It’s because they’re blood relatives that it’s a problem!” Wu Ping snapped, then explained his suspicions.

If the child came from an orphanage and had no known birth parents, they’d naturally form a deep bond and might truly be able to rely on the child in old age.

But if the child came from back home, their real parents were still around!

As long as the couple was healthy, the child’s biological parents would let them raise the kid in peace. But what if they got old and frail one day? What if the birth parents wanted to move into the city too?

What if the child brought their real parents to live in the couple’s house, used their pension, and if there wasn’t enough space, shoved Wu Ping and Yuan Fang into the basement?

They’d be helpless, trapped—and that would be the end of them!

Frightened by her husband’s warning, Yuan Fang finally dropped the idea of taking in a relative’s child.

But even after the couple made it clear they wouldn’t adopt from family, the relatives wouldn’t stop. Even the few elders who were still around tried to pressure them, saying they should adopt while they were still able—otherwise, when they died, all their savings would just go to the state…

“Pingzi, you’ve lived this long and still can’t tell right from wrong?”

“Just look at my grandson—such a strong, chubby boy! So adorable! And he’s a boy, too! Anyone else would never give him away, no matter how much money you offered. If you weren’t my little brother, you think I’d care about you?”

Wu Ping’s cousin Wu Jun stood holding the child. Behind him, his son and daughter-in-law carried the baby’s belongings. The three of them hadn’t even tried to discuss it—they just dropped the kid off and were about to leave.

Their thinking was clear: We’ve brought the kid. What’s Wu Ping going to do, throw him out?

Heh. With Wei Sheng around, there was no need to throw anyone out.

Watching Wu Jun’s family walk away, and seeing Wu Ping so furious he looked about to pass out, Wei Sheng’s eyes lit up. He raised his voice and shouted—

“Oh no! Whose child has been abandoned here? Mr. Wu, if I’m not mistaken, isn’t child abandonment illegal? What’s the max prison sentence again?”

Wu Ping blinked, then couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Five years, I think.”

“Then we’d better call the police!” Wei Sheng pulled out his phone and was about to unlock it when Wu Jun and his family came rushing back, furious.

“Wait! Don’t call the cops! He’s our kid!”

“Yeah! It’s a family matter—what business is it of yours?”

“We’re giving the kid to my uncle and aunt willingly! We’re not abandoning him—why call the police?”

“I didn’t agree!” Wu Ping said coldly, arms crossed.

Yuan Fang looked at the baby lying in the stroller, hesitated, then turned away.

It wasn’t that she was heartless. After living with Wu Ping for decades, she didn’t blindly trust him, but compared to the relatives back home, of course she trusted her own husband more.

If what Wu Ping said was true—if this was all a scheme by his cousin to use the child to grab their life savings—then keeping this child now wouldn’t give them comfort in old age. It would be like raising the very person who’d destroy them.

To put it harshly, they had no children now. When they were old, the state and the community might step in. Even if they went broke, they could still apply for government support and be taken care of.

But if they kept this child? That would truly be the beginning of the end.

If they had a child—even if that child never cared about them or even leeched off them—they would still, legally, have a child to rely on for support in old age.

Adopted children also count. For elderly people who have children, the state won’t step in to provide elderly care.

Over there, when Wu Jun’s son saw Wei Sheng helping Wu Ping and his wife, he got furious and threatened to call the police. With eyes glaring, he rolled up his sleeves, ready to charge in and throw punches.

The cameraman nearby and the young woman in charge of Wei Sheng’s livestream group were both stunned.

The over a hundred thousand viewers in the livestream chat were also shocked. The comment section was flooded with messages urging the show’s crew to call the police immediately.

But Wei Sheng himself wasn’t the least bit afraid.

He cheerfully leaned his face forward and arrogantly shouted at Wu Jun’s son—

“Come on! Hit me right here! I haven’t even bought a car yet—if you land a few punches, I’ll have the down payment ready, hahaha~”

Wu Jun’s eldest son: “…”

The fans who had been fuming in the livestream just now: “…”

Damn! That might’ve sounded wrong at first, but the more they thought about it, the more it made sense… some even started feeling tempted themselves.

While the Wu Jun family was still in shock over Wei Sheng’s shamelessness, the SWAT team patrolling near the night market arrived. After asking what happened—and finding out it involved the criminal offense of child abandonment—they immediately brought both parties to the nearby police station.

Jin Yannian couldn’t believe it. They had already switched to a different show, and the drama was still this toxic?

Back when Retracing the Road to Poverty Alleviation was still called Back to Hometown with My Bros, every episode seemed to churn out one or more “legal case celebrities.” The crew had become regulars at the police station and were often the butt of jokes among their colleagues at the network.

She thought that after the name change, with the new cast being mostly civil servants and “our own people,” they could finally stay clear of legal messes.

Yet here they were, late at night, headed to the police station again to bail someone out?

Jin Yannian rushed in looking completely bewildered. After asking the cameraman a few quick questions, she finally realized it wasn’t a regular cast member who had gotten into trouble, but the aid recipient who had run into issues.

When she heard that Wu Ping’s cousin had forced his own grandson onto Wu Ping’s stall and insisted Wu Ping and his wife adopt the child, Jin Yannian was left speechless.

What kind of misfortune did this poor child suffer in a past life to be born into such a ridiculous family?

Wu Ping and his wife adamantly stated that they never had any intention of adopting the child. More importantly, legally speaking, it wasn’t as simple as the villagers thought—losing a child and wanting to adopt doesn’t mean it’ll just happen. If the couple didn’t agree and didn’t go through legal adoption procedures, even if someone forcibly left a child at their door, they wouldn’t bear any responsibility.

That might sound heartless toward a toddler who could barely speak, but for Wu Ping, his wife was always the most important.

He could tolerate hardship himself, but he would never let his wife grow old with no one to care for her!

“You! If you don’t take him now, just wait till you’re old and bedridden—who’s going to wipe your ass and feed you? Don’t end up dying at home with no one even noticing!” Wu Jun cursed in rage.

Was the drama always this explosive?

Jin Yannian, who’d been sulking just a moment ago, now had stars in her eyes. She quietly signaled the cameraman to start rolling.

“How could that happen?” Wei Sheng chimed in cheerfully. “Nowadays, lots of city communities have specialized elderly care centers, offering full home-care services. As long as you can pay, some volunteers are even more attentive than biological children.”

He thought for a moment and then enthusiastically turned to Wu Ping and Yuan Fang with a suggestion—

“Mr. Wu, Auntie Yuan, if you’re worried about not being cared for when you’re older, why not move into our neighborhood?”

“Our community’s elderly care center is run by the subdistrict office—totally legit! The volunteers are all hired through official channels, and many have professional caregiver certifications. The fees aren’t high either. If you and your wife sign up together, there’s even a 20% discount. If you already have housing in the area and just need home visits from caregivers, the monthly fee for both of you together is only a little over 3,000 yuan.”

“As for meals, it’s easy too. If you eat at the community canteen, it costs less than 500 yuan a month per person to eat really well. I heard the subdistrict even offers meal subsidies for local elderly residents. If you’re over 70, you get 30% off when topping up your meal card. Over 80? Half price. Over 90? Free meals!”

His words made Wu Jun and his family turn pale with shock.

What kind of community care was this—was it some kind of charity? The benefits were better than what many rural children provided for their own parents!

Wu Ping couldn’t hold back a smile. He held his wife’s hand and said with a grin, “Did you hear that? I’d already been planning on this. While we’re still able to move around, we can enjoy a few good years. Once we’re too old to manage, we’ll just find a nearby care center. As long as we’re willing to spend the money, why would we have trouble finding someone to take care of us?”

“Hmph! Don’t get too comfortable just yet. Haven’t you seen the news? There are plenty of stories about caregivers abusing the elderly. When you end up with a caregiver shitting on your head, don’t come crying back to us relatives!” Wu Jun sneered.

“What’s there to be afraid of? The government already thought of that!” Wei Sheng shot back like a lit firecracker. “Don’t you know every elderly person in home care has an emergency call button next to their bed? And if they give consent, they can even have surveillance cameras installed at home. There are staff on duty at the care center 24/7. That ‘elderly dying alone with no one knowing’ stuff? That’s ancient history! You don’t look that old, uncle—how come you sound like you’re still living in the last century?”

“So many young people these days don’t want to get married or have kids. What, are they all supposed to just wait to die when they’re old? The government’s way ahead of us!”

“If you ask me, instead of worrying about Mr. Wu and his wife, maybe you should be worrying about yourself.” Wei Sheng threw a sly glance at the young couple behind Wu Jun. “Think about it—Mr. Wu and Auntie Yuan have pensions and no kids draining their resources. They’re probably going to live the good life!”

“But you—I heard your son gave you three grandsons? Let me do the math. Raising one grandson and helping him get married costs, at minimum, two million. Three grandsons? That’s six million! My God!”

“If I were you, uncle, I’d be working overtime right now. With three grandsons, you’re going to be working like a horse your whole life!”

“You’d better take care of yourself. That’s three grandsons! Three homes! Three dowries!”

Now that was a brutal hit—straight to the soul!

Wu Jun was absolutely furious. If they hadn’t been totally unable to afford raising three grandsons, would he have clung so tightly to his cousin and refused to let go?

He’d already planned it all out. The youngest grandson was just over a year old. Wu Ping was 65 (in nominal age). In a little over ten years, Wu Ping would probably be bedridden if he was still alive.

When the child was still young and needed care, who’d take care of him? Of course it’d be Wu Ping’s son and daughter-in-law—who’d also be looking after the old couple.

And in another few years, once Wu Ping and Yuan Fang passed away, their big city home and the millions they’d saved up would all be his family’s!

Perfect—three grandsons, each gets two million. By then, they’ll all have homes in the city, and their whole family will be city folk.

The plan sounded great. Unfortunately for them, Wu Ping wasn’t an idiot.

He’d spent most of his life working within the system. If he couldn’t see through his cousin’s little scheme, all those years might as well have been wasted.

And on top of that, they had Wei Sheng as their secret weapon. With just a few words, he managed to completely convince Yuan Fang, who had still been a bit hesitant.

Think about it— even biological children have their own families to take care of. You can’t expect them to serve you three meals a day and wait on you hand and foot. But if you rely on a neighborhood-run eldercare service center, they don’t just deliver meals, bathe you, and clean your house. If you can afford it, you could even pay someone to sit and chat with you—fifty yuan an hour! Why would it be hard to find someone?

They’d all heard that with the current tough economic climate, even food delivery workers were earning less than thirty yuan an hour after running around all day.

Wu Jun and his family had shown up all proud with the kid in tow, thinking they could guilt-trip everyone on a live broadcast. They figured they’d use the show’s popularity to pull a moral hijacking. But they didn’t expect the show’s guest to be completely devoid of “compassion,” standing there watching them without lifting a finger—and even threatening to call the police!

What was with today’s celebrities? Why are they so heartless?

They swore they’d go online and expose Wei Sheng for having no sympathy for the poor!

Little did they know, before they could even post anything online, they were the ones who got completely exposed by the internet’s all-powerful users.

(End of Chapter)