Side Story 6: The Collapse of the Xie Family Legacy

 

Xie Guoan’s wife, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xie family, had finally conceived after a long wait, and the family had high hopes that it would be a boy to carry on the family name. However, when she was about five or six months pregnant, a tragic accident occurred—the Xie Family’s second son’s son bumped into her, causing her to miscarry. Blood flowed heavily, and the long-awaited child was lost.

 

Xie Guoan and his wife, He Cuihua, had already had two daughters. After waiting for another three or four years, they were thrilled when He Cuihua finally conceived again. The village women all commented on the sharp shape of her belly, confidently predicting that it must be a boy.

 

Xie Guoan was over the moon. After years of pressure to produce a son, he was finally going to have an heir. He treated He Cuihua with the utmost care, constantly worrying about their unborn son’s safety. Even when working in the fields, Xie Guoan no longer insisted that He Cuihua work as hard as before. He allowed her to rest when she needed to, believing that protecting the pregnancy was now the top priority.

 

He Cuihua, too, was filled with hope and anticipation. After giving birth to two daughters, she had never held much power in the family. She was often overshadowed by her in-laws, unlike her outspoken and headstrong second sister-in-law. But now, with a son on the way, He Cuihua felt her status rise. Soon, she would finally earn the respect she deserved.

 

But things took a devastating turn. The second brother’s son, Xiao Guang, had been hearing rumors in the village that if his uncle and aunt had a son, the family’s attention and affection would shift away from him to the new baby. The idea unsettled him, and in his childish mind, he believed that having a new cousin would mean he’d no longer be the favorite.

 

One afternoon, as He Cuihua returned from the fields, tired but content with thoughts of her growing family, Xiao Guang rushed out of the house, colliding directly with her pregnant belly. She fell to the ground with a cry, blood pouring from her as she screamed for help.

 

“Guoan! Our child! Save our child!” He Cuihua shrieked in panic, clutching her abdomen in horror as the blood continued to flow. Her screams echoed through the village.

 

Xie Guoan, who was on his way home, heard his wife’s cries before he even reached the house. His heart raced, and his steps quickened. Upon arriving, he saw his wife lying in a pool of blood at the doorway, his nephew Xiao Guang standing nearby. The color drained from his face.

 

“Cuihua, what happened?” Xie Guoan cried as he ran to his wife’s side, lifting her into his arms. Villagers who had been passing by began to gather, alarmed by the commotion.

 

It was a chaotic scene. He Cuihua, wracked with sobs, was rushed to the village doctor. In her grief and fury, she cursed Xiao Guang, blaming him for her unborn child’s death. But despite their efforts, the child couldn’t be saved. Their long-hoped-for son was gone.

 

He Cuihua’s anguished wails filled the room, while Xie Guoan’s face turned ashen. Tears filled his eyes. For a man who had rarely cried in his life, this loss hit him hard. He Cuihua continued to sob uncontrollably, blaming Xiao Guang and the second family for their misery.

 

Consumed with rage, Xie Guoan stormed out of the doctor’s house, grabbing a wooden stick as he headed toward his brother’s home. His heart burned with fury. He would teach that boy a lesson for what he had done.

 

But before Xie Guoan could reach his nephew, his second brother and sister-in-law stood in his way, pleading for mercy. “Guoan, Xiao Guang didn’t mean it! He’s just a child. He didn’t do it on purpose!” his brother pleaded, trying to defuse the situation.

 

Xie Guoan’s blood boiled at his brother’s words. How could they dismiss the loss of his child so easily? Without a second thought, Xie Guoan swung the wooden stick and struck his brother, breaking his leg in the process. “You think life is just a mistake? You think I’ll let this slide?” he bellowed.

 

The village was in an uproar, with neighbors stepping in to break up the fight. But the damage had been done. Xie Guoan’s brother, now crippled, was carried to the hospital, while their family relationship was shattered beyond repair.

 

The incident didn’t just divide the brothers. It shook the entire Xie family. Blame was cast, grievances were aired, and soon, the family was calling for separation. Xie Guoan, devastated by the loss of his child and the lack of support from his parents, agreed to the split. He no longer cared to maintain ties with his parents or his brother’s family.

 

Xie Guoan and his wife took their two daughters and left the village after the split, heading for the coast in search of a new life. They never returned.

 

Years later, He Cuihua, once so desperate for a son, finally came to terms with her loss. Despite her sorrow, Xie Guoan never abandoned her. He supported her and raised their daughters, teaching them to be strong and independent. Over time, as their lives improved, He Cuihua let go of her dreams of having another child.

 

Meanwhile, back in the village, Xie Guoan’s brother, crippled and unable to work, fell into a spiral of laziness and dependency. His wife, emboldened by the fact that they had a son, stopped caring about the household and left the burden of raising their family on Xie Guoan’s parents, who struggled to keep up with the demands of the farm and the grandchildren.

 

As time passed, Xie Guoan’s parents grew old and frail from overwork. Regretgnawed at them. They missed their eldest son, realizing too late that they had driven him away. They had chosen to protect their younger son out of fear for the family’s legacy, but in doing so, they had lost everything.

 

When Xie Guoan’s parents finally passed away, they died alone and neglected, with no one to care for them in their final days. Their younger grandson, Xiao Guang, treated them with the same disdain he had learned from his parents, leaving them to die in filth and hunger.

 

And so the cycle of neglect and betrayal continued. Years later, when Xie Family’s second daughter-in-law lay on her deathbed, begging her son for help, Xiao Guang coldly turned away. “Mom, you did the same thing to Grandpa and Grandma,” he sneered. “What goes around comes around.”

 

As she lay dying, her final moments were filled with regret and bitterness, realizing that the seeds of cruelty she had sown had come back to haunt her. She died with tears in her eyes, alone and unforgiven.