IDYTRAA - Chapter 120

Chapter 120 The use of prestige and power as inducements to sell son

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Mother Tian was speechless. Dang Hong dug a pit, and Mother Tian jumped into it.

"Our entire family likes Tian Yuan, so we can't wait for you to...what do they call it? Oh yes! To cut ties. If you break off relations, I'll instantly have Tian Yuan's registered residence added to our records, making him our true close relative. Threatening him with not seeing him is also fine. I wish to send him abroad to further his education as soon as possible. I'm not in favor of him returning if the conditions abroad are favorable. It's wonderful to be able to settle overseas! Pan Lei can be released from military service. If the young couple moves far away, we will immigrate as well, so that the entire family can be together. You gave him a good thrashing. I am both the dean and the child's mother. I'm treating the child. Pan Lei attempts to make him laugh since he is sad. No matter how deep and sincere the feelings are, they will fade away with time. Do you truly want them to leave? Don't you want someone on whom you can rely in your old age? You're getting older by the day and will eventually get a variety of ailments. Don't tell me you'd rather be alone as you get a glass of water with trembling hands. You could have two sons to look after you, but you don't want them? We all grow old, no matter how long we have been in charge. Everyone desires to have children and grandchildren at their knees. Don't tell me you want to be elderly and have no one to depend on?"

The pair, who had been teachers their entire lives, were at a loss for words at the time.

"But we want our son to marry a girl and have a child, not to spend his entire life with a man. Spending his life with a man... What a thing!"

"As intellectuals, you must avoid being inflexible. Don't allow conventional ideas to limit you. Love has nothing to do with right or wrong. What's the fuss about it? What about falling in love with someone you shouldn't? Who understands and can properly explain the development of feelings? From ancient times to the present, from foreign to at home, so many relationships like this have existed. Same-sex love is also common in the animal kingdom. It doesn’t violate the laws of nature. If you talk about moral issues, don’t tell me that just because everyone thinks a flower is beautiful, a person is not allowed to like a green leaf^[1]. As for having children and grandchildren around the knees, it’s very simple. Our sons will adopt a child once they have settled into a routine. Tian Yuan agrees with this. Is it possible that you won't like the child simply because they aren't his own flesh and blood? You're both teachers. You can't be that narrow-minded, can you?"

Dang Hong deserved to be regarded as a medical authority. She debunked everything, from physiology to psychology, from antiquity to the present, from animals to humans.

"We are not here to coerce you into accepting my son. We simply want you to be aware of the facts. You may not want your son, but we do. They will be less troubled if you cut ties with him. They won't have to move into a large house in order to take you in. You appear to desire to be an empty-nest old couple in the future, with no one to serve you. If something bad does occur, no one will be aware of it. Maybe you can afford to hire a caretaker? That's absolutely OK. You'll have a caretaker instead of your son by your side. We, on the other hand, shall be accompanied by our children and grandchildren. Our days will be peaceful and joyful, while your days will be depressing. Let us pause for a moment to consider. OK! Even if Tian Yuan abandons Pan Lei and marries to obey you, he would be miserable for the rest of his life. It has nothing to do with us because he is your son. In such case, we will undoubtedly find a suitable partner for my son. My son will have a happy relationship when the time comes, while your son will suffer for the rest of his life. You will have caused yourself to suffer as a result of your child's complaints, and you will continue to witness your son be miserable for the rest of his life. We have nothing to say if that is what you want to do."

Dang Hong's words were unequivocal. We want your son, but you don't want him. We'll live in peace; you can envy, regret, and hate.

Only a fool would be unable to understand it.

"He’s our only son!"

Mother Tian cried out. Tian Yuan was their only son, so he could not bring shame to the family. They wanted him to be obedient.

"Elder sister, you still don’t understand. After you agree to their relationship, just as Tian Yuan now calls me mother, Pan Lei will also call you mother. Think of it this way. You’ll have two sons instead of one."

"Tian Yuan will take you to live with them when the time comes, and our families will be extremely close. We can go shopping and play Mahjong at that time. Our family will be bustling with noise and excitement. I'll send Tian Yuan to further his education, and when he returns, he'll be the head of the Armed Police Hospital's cardiothoracic department. After a few years of training, I'll hand up my seat to him and make him dean. This type of son will give us more face. One son will be the dean, while the other will be a high-ranking army officer. When you say both my sons are highly promising, won’t it make everyone envy you?"

Dang Hong was terrific. Only an idiot couldn't tell the difference between the pros and cons. If the Tian couple consented, their son would skyrocket both socially and professionally, and the young lovers would enjoy conjugal love and live a happy life. They would have nothing if they disagreed. If their son listened to them, he would be unhappy for the rest of his life. On the other extreme, if their son flew alone to chase his own happiness, they would be left empty-handed. They'd grow old and have an empty nest. There would be no one to care for them if they became ill or needed someone to look after them. There were no elders who would not become concerned on thinking about this point.

Wasn't the purpose of having a son to protect against old age? Finally, use a rod to beat up the child and cut ties. What good would it do to the parents? So, those elderly people who oppose their son's relationship with a man should think carefully. If the son cuts ties, it is the parents who suffer and lose out, with no one to care for them in their old age. Nobody would care about their trembling hands when they poured a glass of water, or when they fainted at home. On their sick bed, no one would attend to them. To avoid this type of sorrow, it is best to reach an agreement with your child as soon as possible and allow him to love and be with whomever he chooses. On the surface, it's for your son's happiness, but in reality, it's also for your own.

This is counsel not only for the Tian family's parents, but for parents everywhere. If your children have feelings for someone of the same sex, don't try to stop them. As long as you agree, your good son will remain a good son, and your good daughter will remain a good daughter. Don't end up in old age with no one to rely on. That would be dreadful.

Dang Hong realized they had taken her words to heart when they remained silent.

"Old Pan, let's arrange a big house for my sons."

"What for? If they don't agree, who will live in the house? You’ve said everything that needed to be said, and explained things clearly. If they agree, it will be to everyone’s delight and satisfaction. If you don't agree, forget it. We’re happy to have Tian Yuan as a son."

Papa Pan launched a direct attack - In a nutshell, will you agree or disagree? If you don't agree, we'll simply kidnap him. There is no need for you to be concerned.

The Tian couple were choked. Isn't this blatant robbery? To put it simply, it made no difference whether they agreed or not. If they accepted, their son would be someone else's male daughter-in-law. If they refused, their ties to their son would be cut, and he would be taken away immediately by these people.

"You! You're forcing us to agree."

Papa Pan slammed the table.

"That's because you're not behaving reasonably. The kids came up to you and talked to you, but you beat them. We came and discussed it with you, but you still refuse to accept it. So, what can we do? Of course, we'll just take him. What's the problem with that? If you don't give Tian Yuan to our family, we'll find a means to keep him from coming to see you for the rest of his life. Try it if you don't believe me."

Commander Pan roared, and the guards behind him took a step forward, hands on their guns. If someone was disrespectful to Commander Pan, they would draw their weapons.

Father Tian moved back in fright and sat there with an embarrassed look.

"Humph! You’re being so stubborn. What do you want? Say it loud and clear!"

Dang Hong smiled, not at all concerned at Commander Pan’s outburst. One played the good cop, while the other played the bad cop. The husband and wife cooperated very well.

Many difficult problems can be solved by combining threats and intimidation with gentle persuasion.

"Elder sister, Pan Lei's father is very direct. Think about it carefully and weigh the pros and cons of the matter. You don’t want to suffer losses, do you? You’ll have a son on your left and right, isn’t that you making a profit? Although my son is a little bad-tempered, he is very filial and obedient. He listens to Tian Yuan's words the most. They will definitely be filial to you while they are together."

Tian Yuan's parents exchanged glances. What could be done? They couldn't come up with a way to refute Pan Lei’s parents.

Dang Hong observed their expressions and waited for the result. Father Tian stopped talking, and Mother Tian also had nothing to say. Could the Pans rob their son? They could. That was the power of a family’s influence. If the Tian couple disagreed, it would not hurt the Pans at all. But if they agreed, no matter how unwilling, their good son would simply be handed off to someone as a male daughter-in-law.

Both outcomes were depressing.

"Great! Then everything is settled. I'll take your silence as your consent. Xiao Zhou, will you bring the gifts?"

Dang Hong struck while the iron was hot and hurriedly gave the betrothal gifts.

"A small token of respect."

A small token? After opening, it was all pure gold, alright? In accordance with the local wedding customs, there were pure gold dragon and phoenix bracelets, and a complete set of jewelry, in addition to several boxes of ginseng, coarse worms, pilose antler, and reishi mushrooms.^[2]

"We are not buying Tian Yuan; it's our affection, that’s all. As long as Tian Yuan follows our Pan Lei, we guarantee Tian Yuan will rapidly rise in the world, climbing step by step, and have a bright future. I also guarantee that Pan Lei will not do anything to let him down. I further promise that if you agree, we will arrange for you to reside in a large house with three bedrooms and two living rooms, and then let them pick you up. This cannot be called suffering losses, right? You’ll certainly not lose out."

Huang Shiren used generous terms to force Yang Bailao to sell his daughter. They were now employing the same tactic to compel the Tian family’s parents to sell Tian Yuan.

No, no, it wasn’t selling off; it was marrying off. That sounds better.

The Tian parents were helpless and accepted the gifts. Not accepting was out of the question. The moment they opened their mouths to decline, Commander Pan glared at them.

"Accept it."

The two guards displayed the weapons around their waists once more, pushing them to take the gifts.

Just like that, Tian Yuan was sold off, incorrect, he was married off. His parents were in tears, almost ready to sign the deed of sale with their fingerprints.

Dang Hong kept smiling. Now that the gifts were accepted, the trip’s aim had been fulfilled.

"Also, if you have any difficulties, contact the Public Security Bureau. That’s the guard who came with me. He knows that we are related, so he will undoubtedly help you. There’s one more thing. Now that we are relatives, I have to ask you not to hit my sons when they come to visit you. I felt very sorry when I saw Tian Yuan beaten up. You, as their elders, must be tolerant and show an amicable manner the next time they visit."

"Old Pan, don't be like this. They are also the parents of our two sons. No parent would plot evil against their son. He suffered a concussion and a fracture as a result of being beaten, but that was just a slip of hand. Elder sister, don’t take it to heart. Tian Yuan had to be hospitalized after returning, but it’s nothing serious."

Dang Hong avenged her sons' resentment in a convenient way. Tian Yuan's parents' expressions turned green, red, purple, and then blue when she finished speaking. They were quite humiliated.

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Footnotes:

[1] This line also means that even if everyone appreciates the main character, a person cannot be forced to dislike the supporting character. flower=main character, green leaf=supporting character.

[2] All of these substances are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

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Translator:

In this chapter, I have paraphrased some terms to explain the meaning without regard for accuracy. Otherwise, I would have had to include a few additional footnotes, which I strive to keep to a minimum. As a reader, too many footnotes annoy me, unless they add to my understanding of the story. Or else, it's just an info dump.

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