UNCLTRD chapter 3

Without waiting for a reply, Yang Tao made a unilateral promise and ran off with his backpack. Skirting around the commercial area, he jogged a bit further until he reached the gates of his residential complex.

Once home, the first thing he did was grab the drawer phone watch to call his dad. As the busy tone played, Yang Tao tried hard to steady his breathing—he was already home late and didn’t want his dad to know he’d run back.

“Daddy!” Yang Tao shouted first, taking the lead. “Aren’t you back yet?”

After spending the whole day waiting for an agent at the insurance company without success, Yang Shao was already on his way home. If Yang Tao hadn’t called, he would have contacted the kindergarten teacher.

“Why are you home so late?”

Fiddling with the strap of his phone watch, Yang Tao retorted, “It’s not late! I just saw that the supermarket has discounts tomorrow.”

The subject was quickly diverted. While Yang Shao wasn’t easily led astray by a child, hearing Yang Tao was home safe was enough for him to let it slide.

“Stay at home and don’t open the door for anyone. I’ll be back soon.”

Since having Yang Tao, Yang Shao, lazy as he was, still managed to prepare meals regularly. Though his cooking skills were poor, at least he ensured they wouldn’t starve.

Once home, unable to cook with one hand, Yang Shao had resorted to buying ready-made meals from the small restaurant downstairs. They ate, leaving no dishes to wash.

At eight o’clock, Yang Shao dragged Yang Tao into the bathroom. The kid was always active, and even with the cooling weather, he needed a bath every two days.

Used to taking care of Yang Tao, Yang Shao had him strip down to just his briefs, sit on a small stool, and lie across his lap. Single-handedly, he managed to wash the boy’s hair with warm water.

“Daddy, did you get the money yet?”

Yang Shao pumped some shampoo onto Yang Tao’s head, quickly working it into a lather. “Not yet.”

Yang Tao rubbed at the corner of his eye and wiped away the water, sighing. “How much more do you need?”

“And what? You’re going to help me make up the difference?”

Yang Shao didn’t like to burden Yang Tao with financial worries, but the kid had a way of worming things out of him, his little brain seemingly far too sharp for his age.

After a moment of silence, Yang Tao asked, “If we don’t pay the mortgage, will we get kicked out?”

“Pretty much.”

If they couldn’t pay, the bank would repossess the house and auction it off.

Yang Tao was horrified. “What are we going to do? Are we going to live on the streets?”

“Of course, we’ll sleep on the streets. We won’t even have money for food.” Yang Shao exaggerated, teasing the boy. “Good thing selling children is illegal now. Otherwise, I’d find a rich family to sell you to. You could work for them in exchange for food.”

Yang Tao abruptly lifted his head, flinging shampoo into his dad’s face. “If you sell me, who’s going to wash my hair? Don’t sell me yet. I still have some money left. We can still eat.”

Yang Shao couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, “Pfft,” and laughed, “Close your eyes, you’re getting wet.”

Raising a child is a bittersweet experience—there are many worries and distractions, decisions are often made with hesitation, and it’s a big hassle. Yet, in these difficult moments, there’s still a flicker of comfort, a kind of joy amidst the suffering.

“Alright, I won’t sell you.”

Before going to bed, Yang Tao still couldn’t stop thinking about the mortgage. “Daddy, are we really going to move out of here?”

The sudden sorrow caught Yang Shao off guard. Yang Tao had shared in many hardships with him, and though it was an age when he should be mischievous, he was constantly concerned about adult problems.

Yang Shao lay on the bed, gently stroking Yang Tao’s head. “How could that happen?”

It wasn’t yet the point of being completely destitute. If it really came to that, even if he had to borrow money, he would make sure to keep the house.

Upon hearing his father’s words, Yang Tao finally felt reassured enough to sleep. After Yang Tao drifted off, Yang Shao, still sleepy, got up to tidy the house.

He threw the clothes Yang Tao had changed out of into the washing machine, mopped the floor quickly, and then took out the ledger and savings to go over the accounts.

Before the accident, he had collected a truckload of pomelos. The ones that didn’t spoil were left too long and had gone bad. This load of fruit would be a complete loss.

When they bought the house, they had borrowed from every possible source. A lot of the money still hadn’t been repaid, and relatives and friends hadn’t pushed him for it, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask anyone else for more.

But when it came to saving face, if things really came to that point, he wouldn’t be ashamed to swallow his pride.

Yang Shao tapped the phone screen, and just as he was debating who to borrow money from, the screen lit up, and the caller ID showed the insurance agent’s number.

“Hello?”

The insurance agent who had handled Yang Shao’s policy was named Qian. Yang Shao hadn’t expected him to call first.

“Mr. Yang,” Qian said, sounding apologetic. “You came to the office today, but I was off today.”

He hadn’t received any messages, and when he went to the insurance company, no one had mentioned anything about Agent Qian’s whereabouts. So, he couldn’t be sure if that statement was true.

“Accidents are something no one wants, but your situation isn’t covered by the insurance policy.”

The contract had been vague, but Yang Shao remembered clearly that Qian had verbally promised that all kinds of situations would be compensated. People like Yang Shao didn’t bother reading the long contract carefully—they just went along with what others said when purchasing the policy.

Yang Shao knew that arguing with Qian wouldn’t help, so he exhaled heavily. “You know my situation. I’m depending on this car for food. Now, I’m injured, the car is in the shop, I have a mortgage, and I’m raising a child. Without compensation, won’t that be the end of me?”

“How about this? I’ll try to ask my boss to get you the best possible outcome.”

Yang Shao wasn’t stupid. He realized from the start that Qian had intended to follow this compensation strategy. Although he was dissatisfied, he still expressed gratitude on the surface, “Thank you.”

“But even if we manage to secure the insurance payout, it still has to go through the process. The fastest it will be is half a month.”

Yang Shao clenched his teeth. “Half a month…”

After hanging up, Yang Shao wiped his face. Even if the money came in half a month, it would be too late to solve his immediate problems. He held the phone tightly, dialing his uncle’s number.

It was his aunt who answered the phone. Perhaps it was just Yang Shao’s impression, but his aunt’s voice sounded particularly tired. “Yang Shao?”

“You guys haven’t rested yet?” Yang Shao felt embarrassed, especially when speaking to his uncle and aunt.

His parents had passed away early, and he had lived with his uncle’s family since he was a child. His uncle and aunt were honest, hardworking people with no malice, and they had always treated him well. He was reluctant to return home with Yang Tao, but every year during the New Year, he would send them a small amount of money as a token of appreciation.

His aunt sighed. “Your uncle didn’t want me to tell you. Last month, the heavy rain washed away the pigsty. Your uncle tried to get the pigs out, but he didn’t manage to, and a rock fell on him.”

“What! How’s he doing?”

“He got hit on the waist, but it’s nothing serious. He can get up and walk now.”

Through the phone, Yang Shao could hear his uncle’s complaining voice. “Why are you telling Yang Shao all this? Let him focus on his work outside.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

His aunt hadn’t meant to tell him, but their son was still young, and she had been uneasy about the situation, needing someone to confide in.

“Don’t worry too much. We’ll use the money you sent us earlier; there’s no big problem. How are things with you? Is business still going well in the city?”

Yang Shao’s throat tightened. He was in the same situation, always reporting the good but never the bad. “Don’t worry about me. It’s the same as usual. I’ll try to send you some money in a few days.”

After the call ended, Yang Shao felt even heavier in his heart. Money, when you really need it, is more important than life itself. Without money, people really could die.

….

Chen Qiusu came home at an inopportune time, just as his mother and grandmother were picking out potential matches for him.

“Come, come, just in time, Qiusu, come and see the omegas your grandmother picked out for you.”

Chen Qiusu stood there, pursing his lips, as his mother kept signaling him with her eyes. He had no choice but to step forward.

“Look at this one, the youngest daughter of the Xu family. She just graduated from M country. Isn’t she pretty?”

Seeing that Chen Qiusu didn’t respond, his grandmother picked up another photo. “You don’t like girls? Well, this one, a boy from the Zhou family. They’re in real estate. He’s five years younger than you.”

Chen Qiusu still didn’t speak. His grandmother was persistent. “How about this one? He’s a beta. With current medical advancements, betas can have children easily.”

After a few attempts, his grandmother’s enthusiasm was finally worn out. “You don’t like any of them? Then tell grandma, what kind of person do you like?”

Chen Qiusu felt that the question itself was problematic. He liked excellent qualities, handsome appearances, and prestigious family backgrounds, but those were all external factors. They had nothing to do with the person themselves. Ultimately, what he liked wasn’t really the “person” at all.

This wasn’t like shopping at a mall, where you can decide if you like something or not based on just a photo.

“Did you go to the hospital again today?”

Chen Qiusu didn’t answer, silently acknowledging it. His grandmother was very angry. “If you ask me, treatments like this should be banned!”

Isn’t this just delaying the family from having grandchildren?

His grandmother grabbed the photo of the boy from the Zhou family. “Let grandma pick for you. Tomorrow, go meet him. If you’re shy, I’ll arrange it for you. You can’t refuse, you know how many days I have left.”

“I have an appointment tomorrow…” Chen Qiusu furrowed his brows, trying to find a reasonable excuse to decline.

“Appointment? I asked your secretary. You don’t have any work tomorrow!”

Chen Qiusu suddenly remembered the appointment with the child that afternoon. “I already have plans tomorrow.”