Chapter 87: A Man Remains a Boy Until His Last Breath

This gave Xu Guiming an illusion, greatly encouraging him. “Brother Tang, I have a bit of a bond with Comrade Tang, so I don’t want to see her continue being deceived.” As he spoke, his face turned red, as if embarrassed. “I… Brother Tang, please try to persuade Banxia.”

“That Wen Mubai is really not a decent man—he’s only after Banxia’s money. You can ask around the village, that Wen Mubai has deceived so many women comrades. Banxia is just too naive, and that’s how she fell for his tricks.”

“Brother Tang, you really must stand up for Banxia. Her whole life can’t be ruined like this!”

Xu Guiming’s expression was earnest, as if truly concerned for Tang Banxia’s future.

Seeing the person standing behind Xu Guiming, Tang Qiming smiled slowly. “Oh? Then tell me, what other faults does he have?”

Xu Guiming, thinking this was approval, almost pictured Wen Mubai being abandoned by Tang Banxia. “That Wen Mubai also likes to hit people. At our commune, no one dares to provoke him.”

“After he married Banxia, I saw her with bruises on more than one occasion. Brother Tang, I really can’t bear to see it anymore.”

“I hadn’t planned to tell you, but… I really care about Banxia, and I don’t want to see her deceived any longer.”

Tang Qiming said, “Is that so? Comrade Wen?”

Xu Guiming was startled, whipping his head around, only to see Wen Mubai standing behind him, smiling.

Xu Guiming: …

No exaggeration—he nearly saw his great-grandmother’s ghost behind Wen Mubai.

Tang Qiming cracked his knuckles. “I’ll leave him to you.”

Wen Mubai grinned, beaming. “Don’t worry, Second Brother.”

Tang Qiming shot him a disdainful look and jogged off.

If not for the rules, he would rather have handled this personally. Did the man really take him for a fool, coming here to sow discord? Though he wasn’t satisfied with this pretty-boy Wen Mubai, he could see Banxia was with him willingly.

After spending these days together, he wasn’t blind—most matters at home were decided by his sister, and the pretty boy followed her lead in everything.

So what if the man was a freeloader? Their family had the means to support Banxia and her pretty-boy husband.

Still, something about it didn’t sit right with him.

In the days that followed, Tang Banxia noticed that her second brother seemed to have started another rivalry with Wen Mubai.

It manifested in him dragging Wen Mubai out to run every morning, all the while picking fights with him on every front.

After breakfast, he’d haul Wen Mubai out to split firewood, and they’d even compete—whoever lost couldn’t have sugar with their medicine.

At meals, sitting across from each other at the table, neither yielded an inch. If one reached for a piece of meat, the other had to snatch it first.

Tang Qiming: “I saw it first.”

Wen Mubai: “But I picked it up first.”

Tang Qiming: “You don’t respect your elders!”

Wen Mubai: “And you don’t cherish the young!”

Tang Qiming: “I’m your second brother.”

Wen Mubai, refusing to let go: “And I’m your brother-in-law!”

Tang Qiming ground his teeth in frustration. “I don’t acknowledge that.”

Tang Banxia: …

“If you’re not eating, get out!”

This was so annoying—every meal turned into this!

At her words, the two immediately quieted down and ate in peace.

But inwardly:

Tang Qiming: Just you wait!

Wen Mubai: Who’s afraid of whom!

Afterwards, the two would help clear the dishes, leaving the courtyard one after the other.

Watching their retreating backs, Tang Banxia was rendered speechless.

How childish could these two be?

She shook her head—people always said it: a man remains a boy at heart until his dying day.

No matter the age, they’re still childish brats.

When the two returned, Wen Mubai was walking with a limp, and Tang Qiming’s arm seemed stiff.

Tang Banxia pretended not to notice and called, “Come drink your medicine.”

The two silently sat down, took their medicine, got their injections, and then lay flat side by side.

“Hey, what’s with your skills?” Tang Qiming, tongue rolling a candy in his mouth, asked indistinctly.

Wen Mubai had a lump swelling on his left cheek. “After getting beaten enough, you know which parts hurt most.”

Tang Qiming narrowed his eyes. “But you look like someone with systematic training.” As he spoke, the aura of his years in the army surged forth.

Wen Mubai remained unmoved. “Yes, I have been trained.”

Tang Qiming turned his head, a similar bump on his face. “Comrade Wen, you seem to have a lot of secrets. Why did you marry my sister? What’s your purpose?”

Wen Mubai also turned, meeting his gaze, a sly smile on his lips. “You’re mistaken. It’s not ‘marry’—it’s ‘be married off.’”

“What?” Tang Qiming was puzzled.

“I was married off to your sister,” Wen Mubai emphasized.

Tang Qiming was speechless—was that the point?

Wen Mubai went on, “No matter who I was before, I am only Wen Mubai now, and will always be Wen Mubai.”

Tang Qiming wanted to believe him, but, “That’s just empty talk—how am I supposed to trust you?”

Wen Mubai silently mouthed two words, and Tang Qiming’s expression changed at once.

“Where’s the proof?”

Wen Mubai’s smile remained unchanged. “Banxia and I met mother-in-law together—she seemed oddly familiar, you know~”

Now Tang Qiming was truly serious. “Why are you here? Will my sister be implicated?”

Wen Mubai replied, “Like I said, I am only Wen Mubai.”

“I hope you can live up to that,” Tang Qiming said, giving him a long look.

Wen Mubai let out a soft laugh, turning his head. “I finally have a home—I’ll do everything in my power to protect it.”

When Tang Banxia came in, the two men instinctively changed the subject.

“So, are you really planning to keep living off my sister?” Tang Qiming asked with hostility.

Wen Mubai shamelessly replied, “Why not? My wife is happy to support me.”

“Pah! A disgrace to men!” Tang Qiming spat.

Wen Mubai stabbed back mercilessly. “My wife likes it.”

Tang Banxia, her face expressionless, pulled out the needles swiftly. Hearing this, she shot Wen Mubai a fierce look. “Show some shame.”

Wen Mubai grinned like a flower. “If I had any shame, I wouldn’t have a wife.” As he spoke, he threw a meaningful glance at Second Brother Tang.

Second Brother Tang: …

This kid really needs a beating!

“Sis, dump him. There are plenty of good men in my camp—if you married one of them, we siblings could see each other all the time.”

Wen Mubai, infuriated, kicked him. Then Tang Banxia asked, “Are they good-looking?”

Wen Mubai: ???

Having finished the needles, Tang Qiming straightened his back and sat cross-legged. “Of course, plenty of handsome ones.”

“Better looking than the pretty boy?”

“Loads more attractive.” Seeing Wen Mubai’s face darken, Second Brother Tang was positively delighted.

Tang Banxia mused, “I’ll think about it.”

“Wife~” Wen Mubai whined, clutching her sleeve, his eyes misty like an abandoned puppy.

Tang Banxia patted his head. “Don’t be afraid—you’re the main wife. You have to carry yourself with the dignity of the first wife, with the confidence that as long as you live, the others are just concubines.”

Tang Qiming chimed in, “That’s right, sis!”

Tang Banxia continued, “Don’t worry, I won’t abandon you. No wildflower can compare to the one at home. We’re legally married—what are you afraid of?”

“Listen to my sister,” Tang Qiming said.

Wen Mubai was nearly speechless from dealing with this pair of siblings.

“Wife?”

Tang Banxia retorted, “You’re the older one—show some tolerance.” She was determined to rile him up.

Tang Qiming jumped in, “Exactly. Our Tang family recognizes only you as a brother-in-law. Anyone else, my sister’s just having fun.”

Wen Mubai scowled. “Keep dreaming!”

Tang Banxia held back a laugh. “You can always treat it as a dream.”

“That’s right, this is a dream.” Tang Qiming was about to burst out laughing.

Wen Mubai was practically numb with frustration!