Chapter 368: Hero
Lin Tian suddenly looked up, staring at the old man in disbelief!
He could hardly believe what he had heard!
A father actually thought it was good that his son died?
Lin Tian couldn’t help but want to ask, to ask why he said such a thing!
But he never had the courage!
Because... he bore a large responsibility for Ye Feng’s death!
"Ye Feng was originally a good child. It was my fault, I allowed him to leave home, to go to that temptation-filled big city!"
The old man ignored Lin Tian’s shocked gaze, still looking out the window, seemingly talking to himself, or maybe telling Lin Tian something.
"There, he learned plenty of skills and even started to help support the family. I was happy, that child who only clung to me and softly called me dad had grown up!"
"But until one day, when villagers came back and told me they saw him being caught for thievery, and his learned skills were how to steal, I was very angry. I advised him not to continue stealing!"
"But he was a stubborn child, identical to me in temperament, once he was set on something, he would never turn back!"
A father knows his son well, for a son to be like his father is very normal.
Especially since Ye Feng grew up in a single-parent family.
For him to be like his father was entirely natural!
"So I kicked him out and cut ties with him!"
"I told him never to come back in this lifetime, that I, Ye Zhongwei, did not have a son like him!"
"Unless one day, he could rethink his ways, stop being a thief, and voluntarily turn himself in, serve his sentence and be released!"
"Then I would still be his father and could wait for the day when he would return to repay the favor!"
The old man seemed to be talking to himself, seemingly venting the pain that had been in his heart for so many years!
As if he had completely forgotten there was another person here.
"But..." When he got to this point, the old man’s voice choked up, yet his face remained calm, as if it always bore this expression: "He died!"
"Died quietly!"
"That’s good too!" The old man continued, not stopping: "He did so many wrongs, using death to atone is also a good thing!"
"My son could be unsuccessful, he could be a farmer!"
"But I absolutely did not want him to be a thief!"
"Being a thief is degrading!"
"How could my son, Ye Zhongwei’s son, be so low?"
"He was a lifetime disgrace, my biggest failure!"
"Now he’s dead, I’m very sad, but also relieved because heaven didn’t let him continue to do wrong!"
"Instead, it took his life away, which is a good thing!"
"It was his destined misfortune!"
"For every cause, there is an effect. The thieving deeds he did might have caused others’ families to be ruined, indeed deserved to die!"
The old man said a lot in one breath, as if venting his anger and disappointment at Ye Feng over the years.
But after saying all this, the figure sitting in the corner looked even more desolate, like a lamp in the dark night that might extinguish at any moment!
"Creak, creak..." The old man picked up a hookah, filled it with tobacco, and continued to smoke, the room filled with thick smoke, completely obscuring his old face, revealing no change.
"But, he is your son!" Lin Tian looked at the old man in disbelief: "How can you think he deserved to die?!"
Lin Tian didn’t understand, nor did he comprehend!
Ye Feng was his biological son, how could the old man say such things, which should not have come out of his mouth, with such a tone?
Disgrace?!
Perhaps Ye Feng’s profession was shameful, but the last thing he did before he died commanded everyone’s respect!
Such a person can only be described as a hero, how could he be called a disgrace?!
"My son should be a hero who stands tall, a tough man!" The old man’s voice was firm and strong, no longer the low and deep voice from before: "But instead, he did such shameful things!"
"So he’s my disgrace! So he deserved to die!"
"Even a tiger wouldn’t harm its cubs!" Lin Tian felt an indescribable pain, at this moment he suddenly realized why Ye Feng didn’t want to come back even upon death!
Ye Feng was stubborn, just as his father was!
Both were stubborn, both thought what they believed was correct!
So they never managed to meet again before death!
Lin Tian finally understood why Ye Feng could face death so boldly, yet refused to live and see his father one last time!
Because... Ye Feng knew he couldn’t convince his father!
Maybe, only death could finally earn the old man’s approval?
Unfortunately... Ye Feng’s guess was wrong, not only did the old man not change his mind, he thought his death was well-deserved, and right!
"Once Ye Feng embarked on that path, he was no more my son!" The old man said calmly, accompanied by thick smoke that filled the room with its heavy smell: "His death was deserved, the Heavenly Dao has cycles, you reap what you sow!"
"Evil is met by evil!"
The old man was so calm, as if speaking of nothing significant, such calmness gave a chilling sensation!
"You think my attitude is cruel to him!" The old man looked directly at Lin Tian, facing him: "But you don’t know, once I had such high hopes for him!"
"The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment!"
"I have always believed in one principle, the kind of person dictates the kind of deeds!"
"Since Ye Feng chose this path and refused to change despite repeated admonishments, he was no longer my son!"
"But what Feng did before dying was truly for the country and the people!"
Lin Tian didn’t want Ye Feng’s father to misunderstand him this way!
He wanted to improve Ye Feng’s status in Ye Zhongwei’s heart!
Such a hero who sacrificed for the country should not be described as a worthless person, wasting air alive, wasting land dead!
How could Lin Tian not defend Ye Feng?!
"You said Feng committed many evils, caused countless families pain, separation and ruin!"
"But these are merely your assumptions, did he really do such things? Did you witness it yourself?"
"All I know is that in Feng’s last moments, he chose to sacrifice for the country, rather than be a coward and betray it, can such a person be called evil?"
"If even someone like Feng could be called evil, then I can no longer imagine who on this earth could be considered good!"
Lin Tian was emotional, infuriated by Ye Zhongwei’s belittling of Ye Feng, filled with indignant injustice!
In his eyes, Ye Feng was a hero!
At least in that dying moment, Ye Feng’s demeanor deeply shook him!
Such a person should be remembered!
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