191 Why are you Acting Crazy?
Xie Yunjin responded unhappily, "If he performs another surgery like this, don't go inside."
Of course, a woman would get scared to witness such a scene.
Xie Yunjin then looked back at Qi Lei poorly. Qi Lei wanted to kneel and make him aware of who truly was the one who almost died from shock.
Lu Jiao ignored Qi Lei. She drank some water and ate some snacks. Since it was already noon, she figured it was time to leave.
Zhao Lingfeng smiled and walked over, "It's already noon. You should stay for lunch before heading home."
Lu Jiao didn't decline. Xie Yunjin also didn't publicly decline. That would make him look small-hearted.
The group headed to Baohe Tang's backyard. There in the middle, a large round table was set up with various delicious dishes.
The food wasn't cooked by Baohe Tang. They were ordered from the neighboring restaurant by Manager Li.
Lu Jiao pushed Xie Yunjin and led the four little ones to the table.
Just then, lots of footsteps could be heard and several people entered.
Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao glanced over and Lu Jiao recognized one of the guys right away. It was the man she once saved.
It appeared that he was healing well. He was high energy and he didn't look at all like someone who was near death not that long ago.
When the man saw Lu Jiao, he walked up to her, "Lady Lu, you're here?"
After he spoke, Xie Yunjin, who was in his wheelchair, suddenly stood up.
As if he had forgotten about his leg injuries, he leaped over and aimed his fist at that wealthy-looking man.
The man's expression changed and he retreated. Beside him, Mo Bei blocked the punch.
Lu Jiao panicked. Mo Bei was a fighter and Xie Yunjin was in no condition to take any hits from him.
If they fight, Xie Yunjin would for sure get injured and his legs may break again.
Lu Jiao shouted, "Mo Bei, stop."
Mo Bei was in the middle of throwing a punch and it landed against Xie Yunjin's. Due to Lu Jiao, he weakened his punch but it still managed to force Xie Yunjin back a few steps.
Lu Jiao went to help Xie Yunjin. Her expression was ugly as she stared at him coldly, "Why are you acting crazy?"
Why would he hit that man out of nowhere?
An eerie puff of cloud surrounded Xie Yunjin and his eyes went dark. With the intent to kill, he stared right at the wealthy-looking man.
"You hypocrite who's devoid of gratitude, how dare you show your face!"
The man's expression changed after he heard those words. Beside him, Mo Bei was furious and pointed at Xie Yunjin, "How dare you curse at my young master! You're seeking death!"
He then tried to reach for Xie Yunjin.
The man stopped him, "Stop!"
He turned to look at Xie Yunjin, "Young master, I don't believe we've met. Why would you describe me as a hypocrite?"
Xie Yunjin laughed mockingly, "Do you remember getting hurt four years ago? If someone didn't save you at the time, there's no way you would still be standing here. But how did you treat those who saved you?"
The man's face dropped and he walked up to Xie Yunjin, "You mean…"
He thought of something and stopped talking. Then, he said to Xie Yunjin in a low voice, "Let's chat in the back."
Xie Yunjin continued to fixate on him with a gaze that threw daggers.
Mo Bei saw the look in Xie Yunjin's eyes and was worried, "Young master, you have to be careful."
The man glared at Mo Bei then respectfully gestured to Xie Yunjin, "This way."
Xie Yunjin was not scared of him. He wheeled himself in the pointed direction. Mo Bei tried to follow but the man stopped him, "Don't follow us."
Though Mo Bei was worried, he didn't dare to disobey his master and stared from afar.
The four little ones watched Xie Yunjin go and asked Lu Jiao, concerned, "Mommy, will daddy get beat up?"
"What if they hit daddy?"
Lu Jiao was too lazy to find out just what happened between Xie Yunjin and that man. Right now, she only wanted to eat and go home.
"They won't hit your dad. If they wanted to, they would've already. They went elsewhere to talk."
The Second, Third, and Fourth Born stared at the First Born. The First Born frowned tightly but was helpless. The children then finally sat by Lu Jiao and started to eat.
Not far from them, Zhao Lingfeng and Qi Lei watched how heartless Lu Jiao acted and their respect for her grew.
Her husband left with someone else and she was not at all worried. On the contrary, she had the appetite to eat.
They were worried to death and no longer cared about food.
After Lu Jiao and the children were done eating, Xie Yunjin reappeared. His expression remained grim and the air around him was cold.
"Let's go."
The First Born asked, "Daddy, do you want to eat something?"
Xie Yunjin suppressed his desire for violence and answered gently, "I'm not hungry. I'll eat later."
The First Born didn't persist and went to grab Xie Yunjin's hand, "Okay, let's go back then."
His dad didn't like these people so he didn't like them either. They wanted to go home.
The First Born suggested to Lu Jiao, "Mommy, let's go home?"
Lu Jiao was full now and naturally didn't object, "Sure, let's go."
She said to Qi Lei, "Give us a ride in the horse carriage?"
Qi Lei went to organize that right away. The family didn't have to wait long before Baohe Tang's horse carriage was brought out. Lu Jiao carried Xie Yunjin inside, then the four little ones, then finally, got in herself. Behind her, Qi Lei whispered, "If something happens to the pregnant lady, I will send someone to go find you."
Lu Jiao nodded. Inside the carriage, Xie Yunjin didn't seem to have paid attention to Qi Lei and Lu Jiao. He was occupied in his own rage and sat there like an ice sculpture. The children were a little worried.
"Mommy, what's wrong with daddy?"
"He's being scary."
"Do his legs hurt?"
Lu Jiao glanced at Xie Yunjin and comforted the children, "It's okay. Don't perry. He'll be fine. He's just deep in thought."
The horse galloped its way to the Xie Village. On the journey there, Xie Yunjin finally restored some calmness and he scanned around the carriage.
The four little ones appeared scared because of him. Lu Jiao was comforting them at the moment.
Xie Yunjin felt bad and looked over at the four little ones.
"I saw a bad man…"
192 Could it be that you like me?
Before Xie Yunjin could finish, Lu Jiao warned him, "Xie Yunjin…"
Xie Yunjin looked up at her and found her gaze to be unfriendly.
"I don't care why you went so crazy just now but please do not infect the four little ones with your personal emotions. That's not good for them."
Her words reminded Xie Yunjin. She was right. He shouldn't pass any of his own negative emotions down to the four little ones. If he told the children that the guy was a bad man, the children will for sure hate that guy.
Xie Yunjin glanced at the four little ones before he calmly said, "That guy and I have gotten into a fight before. That's why when I saw him, I got angry and hit him."
The First Born's face turned stern, "Is he a bad guy?"
The other three also stared at Xie Yunjin with aggression.
Before Xie Yunjin could answer, Lu Jiao jumped in and started to educate the four little ones, "What are you implying? Just because two people got into a fight, it doesn't make them bad guys. Sometimes, people fight over certain objects or events. For example, someone may think this food tastes bad while I think the food tastes good. We might start fighting due to our disagreement. Does that mean the other person is a bad person?"
The four little ones explained, "But when Maodou and Caidou fought us, we thought of them as bad guys."
"That's a conflict between children. Perhaps Maodou and Caidou will grow up to be good people or perhaps they remain bad. You cannot judge their character purely based on the fact that you fought. You have to judge them based on the things they do.
Your dad had a fight today with someone, it doesn't make that person automatically bad. You have to determine what kind of person he is based on what he does or doesn't do."
The four little ones didn't seem to fully understand but had a good idea of what their mom was trying to say. Nobody should decide who's bad just because of one fight.
The four little ones turned to Xie Yunjin, who nodded in order to support Lu Jiao.
He was thankful that Lu Jiao reminded him in time. He needed someone like Lu Jiao with him who was willing to give him wake-up calls in order to remain calm.
The four little ones quieted down and surrounded Xie Yunjin to comfort him, "Daddy, then don't be mad. We don't have to acknowledge him."
"When I grow up, I will beat him up for you."
"Yes, once I learn medicine from mommy, I will stab him with needles."
"Daddy, just you wait. Once I make lots of money, I will hire five people to help you fight."
Xie Yunjin felt comforted and his unpleasant mood evaporated. Scared that the four little ones would fall inside the carriage, Lu Jiao warned, "Sit down. If you keep this up, we won't bring you out next time."
That threat scared the four little ones and they sat down in their seats.
Xie Yunjin turned to Lu Jiao, "How come you don't ask me what happened."
Lu Jiao was uninterested, "I'm not interested."
Xie Yunjin felt angered by that response. She didn't want to listen but he was now determined to tell her.
He was about to tell the story when the horse suddenly accelerated. Subconsciously, Lu Jiao grabbed Xie Yunjin's legs to protect them but her whole body slammed into Xie Yunjin instead.
Worried that she would bounce away and fall, Xie Yunjin held onto her waist.
The horse carriage slowed down quickly and the coachman apologized, "I'm sorry, Lady Lu, there was a child and I had to do what I could to avoid him."
Lu Jiao responded, "It's okay."
She then tried to sit up straight but the person holding onto her didn't let go.
Lu Jiao looked up at Xie Yunjin and found him staring at her with a profound look and there were even some sparks in his eyes.
Lu Jiao was stunned at the fight. She suddenly recalled all the strange behaviors he's displayed lately and her mind flashed. Could it be that Xie Yunjin liked her? Was that why he's been acting so strange?
Lu Jiao's mouth reacted faster than her head, "Could it be that you like me?"
Xie Yunjin's arms froze and he became uncomfortable. Color rose crawled onto his cheeks and the shyness he felt turned his ears red. However, his mouth also reacted faster than his head, "What nonsense are you talking about? I wonder what you think about every day."
Lu Jiao felt a reality check. He was right. Just what nonsense was she thinking about?
She became embarrassed by her question and pushed Xie Yunjin away.
Now that his arms were no longer holding onto her, he felt uncertain. Quickly, he looked toward Lu Jiao but found her to be calm and not at all mad.
Xie Yunjin sighed in relief. Something felt wrong. But what was it?
Inside the carriage, Lu Jiao found him staring and her cheeks burned as she remembered the question she just posed. Why did she think so much lately? She shouldn't be so delusional.
She didn't want to spend more time on this and asked Xie Yunjin, "You know that guy?"
This topic distracted Xie Yunjin and he answered in a low voice, "Remember how I told you about Chen Ying?"
Lu Jiao nodded and had a sudden realization. Xie Yunjin agreed to marry Chen Ying before, which meant he liked her. Her question just now was too thoughtless and she needed to remember never to ask something so unreasonable again.
The more she thought about it, the more at ease she felt. Xie Yunjin didn't know what she was thinking and was to speak more when he remembered the children. He looked towards them and found them to be close to falling asleep and swaying left and right. Lu Jiao picked them up and laid them down on the seats.
Now that the children were asleep, Xie Yunjin finally explained, "Four years ago, someone attempted to assassinate that man and he ended up tending to his injuries outside the Qingyue Nunnery. Chen Ying saved him and took care of him until he was fully healed. During that period of time, the two of them developed feelings for each other.
However, once he healed, he suddenly disappeared one day. Because of him, Chen Ying…"
Lu Jiao sympathetically stared at Xie Yunjin. So Chen Ying didn't like Xie Yunjin and liked the man she saved. That was why Xie Yunjin wanted to punch the guy when he saw him.
Xie Yunjin sensed that there was more to the way Lu Jiao looked at him but he wasn't sure what it was.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lu Jiao shook her head, "Nothing."
She then asked, "It was because of that man that Chen Ying got sick and ended up dying?"
Xie Yunjin was silent, which Lu Jiao interpreted as confirmation.
193 Why did this man Enjoy making her Safekeep Things?
Lu Jiao thought about the man she saved. He was rather handsome and he also had a rather extraordinary mannerism. Who knew he was actually a f*ck boy? If he got hurt again, she would not save him.
Inside the carriage, Xie Yunjin continued, "That man told me just now that he suffered from amnesia and had forgotten about Chen Ying. Recently, he was pierced by an arrow, and that injury somehow brought his memories back. He told me he is sorry for what happened to Chen Ying."
Xie Yunjin asked Lu Jiao, "Do you find his words believable?"
Lu Jiao was in awe. Wow, what he described was the plot of a classic drama. As for whether or not that man was lying, time will tell.
"We will have to observe. Since you recognized him, you will run into him again. If he truly did lose his memory, people around him would know about it. If it was true, then there's nothing you can do. If he lied…"
Lu Jiao shut up. Based on how wealthy that guy appeared, there wasn't much anyone could do even if he did lie.
Xie Yunjin's face turned cold, "If he lied, I will avenge Chen Ying."
Lu Jiao couldn't help but silently exclaim how deeply in love this man was.
That wasn't her business though.
Lu Jiao closed her eyes to nap. Xie Yunjin studied her and he felt like the way she looked at him was strange.
"Lu Jiao, what was the meaning of the look in your eyes just now?"
"What do you mean?"
"You seemed to sympathize with me. What did I do to receive your sympathy?"
Lu Jiao snorted, "You're overthinking."
Xie Yunjin wanted to say more but Lu Jiao abruptly turned her head away from him.
Xie Yunjin continued to study the resting woman and wondered about all the possibilities as to why she pitied him.
Once the family finally arrived home, Lady Ruan came over.
"Xie Sangou, hurry up and give me the indenture that sl*t Wang signed. I am going to sell her."
Lady Ruan screamed at the gate.
Xie Yunjin heard the screams and his first instinct was to look at Lu Jiao. Lu Jiao glanced between Lady Ruan and Xie Yunjin, dumbfounded.
What Xie Yunjin saw was first dumbfoundedness, then suppressed laughter from Lu Jiao. His face dropped and he turned to Lady Ruan, "Mother, what are you saying?"
Lady Ruan burst in and pointed at Xie Yunjin in fury as she yelled, "Hurry up and give me the indenture she signed. I am going to sell her."
Lady Ruan gritted her teeth as her desire to kill that widow, no, that sl*t, intensified.
That woman made her lose face and also stole her man. Xie Laogen no longer listened obediently to Lady Ruan because of the other woman. He also warned Lady Ruan that if she hurt Widow Wang, he would leave her.
Lady Ruan went crazy thinking about what he had said and wanted to kill Widow Wang right there and then. However, the widow had Xie Laogen's protection and Lady Ruan couldn't win the fight. Right now, nobody in the family helped her.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She was most disappointed in her youngest son, who didn't step up to help her either.
What Lady Ruan did know was that the widow signed an indenture and the family had the right to sell her.
This was what Xie Lan told her. The moment Lady Ruan found out, she ran over here to ask Xie Yunjin for the indenture.
At the front of the house, Xie Yunjin coldly stared at Lady Ruan, "What do you want with Widow Wang's indenture."
Lady Ruan screamed angrily, "I am going to sell her."
Xie Yunjin declined instantly, "I cannot give you the indenture. No matter how poorly Widow Wang behaves, she remains my father's concubine. Without his approval, I cannot sell my father's woman."
Lady Ruan didn't expect Xie Yunjin to decline and she completely froze. Once she gathered herself, she couldn't help but curse.
"Xie Sangou, are you really my son?! You watch your mother get taken advantage of and you still stand on that woman's side?! I am going to end you!"
Lady Ruan lunged at Xie Yunjin and tried to pull on him. Lu Jiao stepped out and pushed Lady Ruan away.
With Lu Jiao's strength, Lady Ruan was shoved away easily.
No longer able to take all this, Lady Ruan dropped her butt to the ground and started to howl.
"The entire Xie family is heartless. Everyone takes advantage of me! I no longer want to live! My old man bullies me, my son bullies me too, and my daughter-in-law dares to hit me! I might as well die!"
As Lady Ruan cried, mucus and snot came out of her nose. She was already thin, small, and ugly. With all the liquid running out of her eyes and nose, she looked like an old grandma. Now, not only did Xie Laogen find her hard to look at, but so did Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao.
Xie Yunjin ignored Lady Ruan and calmly took out the indenture Widow Wang signed. Before, he had taken this paperwork and forgot to give it to Lu Jiao.
Now that Lady Ruan mentioned it, he remembered again and took the paper out of his sleeve.
Lady Ruan's cries quieted down a little. She thought because she made a scene, Xie Yunjin was now willing to give her what she asked.
Sadly, Xie Yunjin gave the indenture to Lu Jiao, "This is Widow Wang's indenture, keep it safe."
Lu Jiao was astonished. Why did this man enjoy making her safekeep things? This was something that belonged to the Xie family.
However, given how angry and shocked Lady Ruan looked, Lu Jiao took it, "Okay."
She was happy to infuriate Lady Ruan.
Lady Ruan started to curse, "Xie Sangou, how did I manage to give birth to such a thing? I would've drowned you if I knew how unfilial you would be!"
Xie Yunjin's expression remained unchanged as he looked at Lady Ruan, "If I am unfilial, why don't you ask your filial sons to help you out?"
Lady Ruan became mute. Xie Yunjin reminded her out of the goodness of his heart, "Mother, now that the woman is officially in the family, you should decide whether or not you want to live peacefully with dad. Remember, times are different now and you cannot act as you did before and do everything the way you want it done. If you keep it up, father may really leave you."
Xie Yunjin turned to go back home.
From the gate, Xie Daqiang and Chen Liu unwillingly came into the yard.
Widow Wang saw Lady Ruan come over here. Scared that Lady Ruan would successfully get the indenture from Xie Yunjin, she quickly asked Xie Laogen to send his son and daughter-in-law to take Lady Ruan home.
Xie Daqiang and his wife weren't too willing but Xie Laogen was resolved.
Xie Daqiang felt that he was no longer the priority to his father. This made him feel stuffy.
He walked over and pulled on Lady Ruan.
"Mom, what are you doing? Come home with us, hurry."
Xie Yunjin already stifled Lady Ruan and now she completely lost it. She started to howl once again, "I should just die! I cannot live like this! Let me die!"
194 The First Born is Constantly Worried
Lady Ruan rolled around in the Xie family's yard. Many people from the village rushed over to watch the show and spoke their opinions. Of course, nobody really spoke ill of Xie Yunjin or Lu Jiao, they mostly commented on how fussy Lady Ruan was.
Xie Yunjin was exasperated. He didn't even want to see Lady Ruan.
Xie Yunjin looked up and called out to Xie Daqiang, "Brother, come here. I have something to say."
Xie Daqiang detested his third brother and didn't want to come.
Xie Yunjin coldly glared at him, which reminded Xie Daqiang that he was a scholar and will one day write the imperial exam and become an official. It would be better if Xie Daqiang didn't offend him.
Xie Daqiang finally marched over and unhappily asked, "What is it?"
Xie Yunjin said in a low voice, "Brother, I think I've seen you enter Widow Wang's home before. Do you think dad knows about that?"
Xie Daqiang stared at Xie Yunjin in awe and panicked. He glanced around anxiously.
That was right. Before, Xie Daqiang was also interested in spending nights with Widow Wang and he was very close to succeeding too.
However, Widow Wang stopped humoring his attempts.
In hindsight, it was because she had decided to seduce Xie Loagen.
Though Xie Daqiang didn't end up succeeding, he had no desire on letting his father find out about that.
Xie Daqiang was quick to respond to Xie Yunjin, "Okay, I am going to bring mom back and ask her to not come to you to make a scene.
Behind him, Xie Yunjin added, "I also hope my eldest sister-in-law visits less."
Xie Daqiang didn't even look back. He went to Lady Ruan, grabbed her hand, and headed out.
Lady Ruan struggled, "Xie Daqiang, you are a coward who calls a sl*t your mother. You cannot even protect your biological mother! Let me go! I am not going to admit you as my son anymore!"
Xie Daqiang covered Lady Ruan's mouth, "Mother, settle down. If you keep making a scene like this, dad may really leave you."
Even now, Lady Ruan still refused to believe that and screamed, "See if he dares! If he dares, I will fight him until one of us dies!"
Xie Daqiang rolled his eyes. Every day, she threatens with her life when she herself is scared of death the most.
Xie Daqiang dragged Lady Ruan out. Behind them, Chen Liu didn't follow, which made Xie Daqiang angrily snap his head around, "Are you not coming back?"
Chen Liu had to follow and the two of them left.
Outside, the villagers said to Xie Daqiang, "Daqiang, talk to your mother. The other person is now officially a part of your family so there is no point in being so angry. Plus, that woman signed an indenture so you can literally treat her like a servant. Find her housework to help out with."
"In a sense, Widow Wang went into your family with dowry. She has her own home with a nice yard. You basically got a three-room home for free. What's there to complain about?"
Xie Daqiang truly listened. If he could get possession of Widow Wang's yard, that would be pretty nice.
Inside Xie Yunjin's home, Lu Jiao pushed Xie Yunjin inside. The First Born went to them quickly and said to Lu Jiao, "Mommy, daddy hasn't eaten lunch."
Lu Jiao's heart ached, "My son, you're only four years old and you're so worried about all the little things. Worrying like this will impact how tall you grow."
The First Born froze. Xie Yunjin rolled his eyes at Lu Jiao, "Don't scare him like that."
Xie Yunjin then patted the First Born's head, "Your mom is joking with you. But you should just worry about yourself now that my legs are healed. You don't have to worry about me anymore."
The First Born glanced at Xie Yunjin's legs and smiled, "Daddy, I got it."
Lu Jiao saw his heart had settled down and giggled.
Out of the four little ones, she ached the most for the First Born. He was the same age as his brothers but he took on the elder brother role and took care of the others. He even kept an eye on his old dad. She must spoil him more in the future.
Lu Jiao asked Xie Yunjin, "What do you want to eat?"
Xie Yunjin didn't have many requests, he was fine as long as the food was edible. He was not someone who acted all noble and honorable.
"Anything."
Lu Jiao smiled, "Okay, then I will go and make 'anything'."
She then went to cook. Behind her, Xie Yunjin chuckled. Sometimes, this woman acted very serious, other times, she was fun.
Here in the Xie family, Xie Yunjin's legs slowly recovered and the family's lives went back on track.
Other than taking care of Xie Yunjin and the four little ones, Lu Jiao studied to read and write.
As for Xie Yunjin, he taught the village children, the four little ones, and Lu Jiao different reading materials. He also started to study again. Since he had decided to take the exam next year, he couldn't let his knowledge go to waste.
Since Lu Jiao had told Aunt Guihua about how people gave her a hard time when seeking treatments, Aunt Guihua passed on the message to the Village Leader. The Village Leader, in turn, ordered that nobody was allowed to go straight to Lu Jiao for consultation. Only those he approved were allowed to go ask Lu Jiao for help.
This saved Lu Jiao lots of trouble and created more time for her to read books and write.
Very quickly, she finished learning the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Surnames, and the Thousand Character Classics. After that, she didn't need Xie Yunjin to teach her anymore. She would find books for herself to study and if there was something she didn't know, she would ask Xie Yunjin.
Because of this, she mastered a large number of different characters very quickly. Her writing skill also drastically improved.
Xie Yunjin was now more and more convinced that where Lu Jiao came from, they simply used different forms of the same characters. That was why she didn't know how to write before but was able to learn this quickly.
The four little ones continued to stick to Lu Jiao's exercise schedule and they got stronger and stronger. They've also formed very good habits and their actions and words revealed how educated they were.
While over here, the family's lives were improving, Xie Laogen's family was getting more and more chaotic. Lady Ruan didn't want to accept her fate and continued to cry and howl every day and scream at Xie Laogen to sell Widow Wang. Pity though, Xie Laogen was hooked and ignored Lady Ruan.
Because of Lady Ruan's behavior, she pushed him closer to Widow Wang. Those two acted like they were a young couple falling into a honeypot. Their relationship grew sweeter.
This triggered Lady Ruan, who decided to curse shrilly every day until she lost her voice. Nobody in the Xie family was able to live peacefully because of her.
195 Classmates who Despise each other
Though Lu Jiao never had any intention to ask about her in-laws, there was always someone who provided her with updates.
"I have to say, she is truly stupid. Her husband obviously had a change of heart but she still cries and screams needlessly. Sooner or later, she's going to hurt herself. If a man values you, he would do whatever he can to treat you well. For her to behave in such a manner will only make their relationship awkward."
Lady Zhao talked about Lady Ruan with frustration but there was also some sympathy in her expression. She couldn't help but imagine how she would feel if she was in Lady Ruan's shoes. It was so hard being a woman.
"But Xie Laogen truly is not a good person. Before, for Lady Ruan, he infuriated his own parents to death. And today, he is infuriating his wife to death because of Widow Wang. This is karma."
Lu Jiao raised an eyebrow, "Historically, men have always ended up luckier. Why do women rely on women for happiness? Why can't we work for our own happiness?"
Lady Zhao stared at Lu Jiao in awe, "Your statement sure is unusual."
Lu Jiao wanted to say more when she heard the sound of a horse carriage arriving. Lu Jiao turned to look at her own door.
She was now very experienced. Everyone who visits on a horse was normally here for Xie Yunjin or herself. Her neighbors or families rarely visit with a horse.
The point was, it was always either Xie Yunjin's classmates or Baohe tang.
Lady Zhao heard the horse galloping as well, "You have another visitor?"
Her tone was envious. Being educated sure was a good thing. Sadly, they still had no grandchildren in her household. She thought of Lin Chunyan, who was barren and became angry. She asked Lu Jiao, "Are you sure Chunyan is okay?"
Lu Jiao instantly comforted, "I examined her recently. She's recovering well. Don't pressure her too much and she may just get pregnant soon. If you give her too much stress, she may be unaware of her pregnancy and get hurt. Huzi may blame you then."
Lady Zhao was scared, "Ah, then I will watch out."
Lu Jiao nodded in satisfaction. Lin Chunyan was a great person and she didn't want Lady Zhao to kick her out. In this era, the women whose husbands left them normally killed themselves.
Lu Jiao could tell that Lin Chunyan was a dutiful woman. She always repaid those who did anything nice to her. Just because Lu Jiao examined her, she made the four little ones two sets of clothes each, plus a set of pajamas. She even kept the leftover cloth in order to make the children a pair of shoes each.
Lu Jiao went outside and saw Qi Lei get off the horse carriage.
Thinking that there was a patient who needed assistance at Baohe Tang, Lu Jiao went to him.
Behind Qi Lei, walked two more people. The first one was a young master. He was handsome, of moderate height, and wore very expensive clothing. It was obvious he came from a well-off family.
Lu Jiao thought he was sick and checked him for a few extra seconds. She discovered that he was not sick, so why was he here?
Qi Lei went up to Lu Jiao and introduced, "Lady Lu, this is the husband of the pregnant lady you helped save before. This is Young Master Hu."
Lu Jiao understood right away. This was Li Yuyao's husband and Xie Yunjin's classmate.
Lu Jiao greeted politely, "Hello, Young Master Hu."
Lu Jiao studied him carefully and found him to be arrogant. The sight of Lu Jiao shocked him.
"This is the Lady Lu who saved my wife and my son?"
Qi Lei nodded, "That's right."
Though Hu Shan was shocked, he remained polite and paid his respect, "Thank you, Lady Lu, for saving my family."
He then ordered his subordinate, "Go get the gifts."
The subordinate nodded and brought down a pile of stuff from the carriage.
Lu Jiao's expression remained calm while Lady Zhao was dying from jealousy. She didn't stay and went home after saying bye to Lu Jiao.
Lu Jiao brought Hu Shan and his subordinate inside.
Hu Shan knew Lu Jiao's husband was Xie Yunjin, his rather aloof classmate.
Today, he came to both thank Lu Jiao and visit Xie Yunjin. He heard his classmate was wounded and paralyzed, and only recovered after surgery. Since he was here, he should also visit his classmate.
Hu Shan asked, "I heard classmate Yunjin had surgery. How has he recovered?"
"He's doing very well. He'll be able to walk in a couple of days."
It's been about a month since the surgery and he was ready to walk for a short period of time every day. However, he should still take it easy and let things heal.
Hu Shan smiled, "That's great. Next year is the provincial exam."
The group went to the living room. In the east bedroom, Xie Yunjin was reading at his desk. He heard the commotion and looked up to find Lu Jiao, Hu Shan, and Dr. Qi entering.
The sight of Hu Shan didn't bring much joy to Xie Yunjin's face.
He didn't have a harmonious relationship with the young master.
It wasn't just unharmonious, because of what this young master had spread, Xie Yunjin had to suffer somewhat.
Therefore, he wasn't excited to see Hu Shan. Xie Yunjin knew that he didn't come to visit him, he was here to thank Lu Jiao.
However, the surgeon who saved Li Yuyao was Dr. Qi, he only needed to thank Dr. Qi and it was not necessary for him to make the trip here.
In front of the door, Hu Shan smiled at Xie Yunjin, "Classmate Yunjin, you're studying. How disciplined of you. With your intelligence, you don't even need to study to pass the exam next year."
Hu Shan wasn't being sarcastic. He truly felt that Xie Yunjin was good enough to score high without studying.
Xie Yunjin raised an eyebrow, "Confucius once said, 'learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.'"
Lu Jiao translated that as knowledge has no limit.
She was too lazy to hear them talk in code and went to make some tea.
Once she was back, she found Hu Shan and Xie Yunjin throwing personal attacks at each other.
"You're just a poor scholar who lives in the countryside. You act all mighty and honorable every day for whom to see?"
"Hehe, I'm still better than you guys. Who pace around without considering anyone else's feelings. All you have is a somewhat wealthy family that you were born into."
"How are we not considerate?"
"All the classmates run away from your group when they see you. Even the wheelers hide away from you. That tells you how inconsiderate you act."
"We never provoked anyone and we are not inconsiderate. It's other people's choice to stay away from us. Why is that something we should care about?"
196 A Violent Strike to the Soul
Xie Yunjin snickered and stared at Hu Shan.
Hu Shan gaped back. Here they go again… That man constantly acted so aloof and solitary, as if he was too good to hang out with the other groups. How infuriating.
Hu Shan's father, however, constantly praised Xie Yunjin as being smart and asked Hu Shan to learn from him. In the past, he intentionally co-existed with Xie Yunjin but everything Xie Yunjin did pissed him off.
Hu Shan got up and was ready to leave.
Lu Jiao came in with tea and warmly said, "Young master Hu, have some tea."
Since he was here, he might as well have some tea before leaving.
Hu Shan saw Lu Jiao and, given that she had saved his wife and son's lives, sat back down.
Lu Jiao gave Hu Shan the tea, who sipped slowly. The annoyance in him dissipated a lot.
He looked up at Xie Yunjin and made a meaningful statement, "Classmate Yunjin, I must warn you, with that attitude of yours, you will not be viewed positively even if you do pass the exam."
Xie Yunjin responded nonchalantly, "Hu Shan, I have to warn you, with that poor eyesight of yours, which cannot tell right from wrong, it's better for you not to become an official."
Hu Shan wasn't a bad man. However, out of all the people who constantly tried to butter him up, most of them were wealthy playboys. Hu Shan was constantly involved in the poor decisions the others made. Sooner or later, he will be dragged down but sadly, he had no awareness.
"When the conversation gets disagreeable, to say one word more is a waste of breath. Classmate Yunjin, I wish you well."
Hu Shan put down his cup and headed outside. He didn't want to talk to Xie Yunjin anymore. That man was different from the rest and someone ought to teach him a lesson sooner or later.
Xie Yunjin watched Hu Shan leave coldly. Lu Jiao quickly walked the guests out.
Qi Lei followed Lu Jiao and chatted with her as they walked to lighten the atmosphere.
Xie Yunjin raised an eyebrow at the sight. For some reason, he felt that Lu Jiao treated Dr. Qi better than others.
This made him feel unhappy. Even if Dr. Qi did perform the surgery, she didn't need to treat him this exceptionally well.
Xie Yunjin decided to talk to her about this once she came back.
After Lu Jiao helped Hu Shan and Qi Lei get into the carriage, she saw Lady Ruan heading her way.
Lady Ruan was now not only skinny and small, but she was also haggard and appeared like a 70-year-old elderly. Her current state made Lu Jiao realize why Xie Laogen spoiled Widow Wang with all he's got. Lady Ruan in her current state was no competition to young women like Widow Wang.
When Lady Ruan saw Lu Jiao, her face deformed into a violent wolf, "Why are you looking at me like that?! You are not greeting me even though I am your mother-in-law?"
Lu Jiao coldly asked her, "Mom, what are you doing here? You have settled your family matter?"
That was an attack straight at Lady Ruan's heart. With her face atrocious, she stared at Lu Jiao, "Shut up."
Then, she headed straight into Lu Jiao's home. Lu Jiao followed her. Soon, the four little ones' voices were heard.
These days, the four little ones were allowed to roam around in the village. When they were bored, they would go play in Gousheng, Tiedan, and Niuniu's homes.
This morning, Lu Jiao gave them permission to go to Tiedan's home. They were just returning.
"Mommy, the third grandma said we have guests. Is that true?"
Lu Jiao nodded, "Your dad's classmate was here but he had left."
"Oh." The four little ones were not interested in Xie Yunjin's classmates. However, once they entered their yard with Lu Jiao, they instantly noticed Lady Ruan, who was now in their living room.
The four little ones' faces dropped. The First Born looked up at Lu Jiao, "What's grandma doing here?"
Nothing good ever happened when she was here. How unfortunate it was for them to have such a grandma.
The Second Born's face changed and she ran into the living room, "She must be taking advantage of daddy."
The four children fled to the living room, terrified that their dad would be hurt.
Lu Jiao made a face. Their dad's legs were almost healed and nobody was capable enough to hurt him.
Lu Jiao went into the living room and heard Lady Ruan howl from the east bedroom.
"My third son, I am going to spend the rest of my days with you."
Lu Jiao froze then mockingly grinned. Now she remembered her third son. Sadly, it was too late.
Inside the east bedroom, the four little ones spoke up, "Grandma, don't you have a house? Why are you at my house? My house is so small and there's no place to sleep."
"You don't like us, remember? Why do you want to live with us?"
"I thought you liked the fourth uncle and fifth aunt? Why don't you live with them?"
"Did they abandon you? Is that why you want to live here?"
The Fourth Born's last statement was a violent strike to her soul. Lady Ruan wobbled and almost slammed into the ground.
In the end, however, she didn't faint and only glared at the four little ones.
The children were scared at first but then quickly realized that this was their home and they had their parents' protection. There was nothing to be afraid of.
The four little ones straightened their chests to show fearlessness.
Lady Ruan's been making a fuss on the daily and was now drained of energy. She cried to Xie Yunjin, "My third son, I will spend my days with you."
Xie Yunjin found this ridiculous and asked Lady Ruan mindlessly, "Mother, so you are giving away my father on a silver platter."
If this was before, Lady Ruan would fight Xie Yunjin for saying that. But now, she absolutely hated how heartless Xie Yunjin was, "I don't want him anymore. He likes to fool around with Widow Wang so let him. I sure want to see how well that will turn out for him.
That sl*t thinks being with him will make her life good. I sure want to see if she gets what she wants. You're my son. If anyone gets to benefit from that, it should be me, not her."
Xie Yunjin's sarcastic grin widened. So she was only here now because she didn't want Widow Wang to enjoy the benefits of having a scholar for a son. There was no way he was going to let her stay.
Xie Yunjin was about to speak when Xie Danqiang burst in.
"Mother, why are you here? Why did you run over here instead of staying home?"
Terrified that Xie Yunjin would tell their father about his history with Widow Wang, Xie Daqiang ran over here right away after he found out Lady Ruan was here.
Lady Ruan angrily cursed, "You coward, get the hell out of here! I don't want to see you! I am going to live with your third brother from now on, just you wait! Sooner or later, you will regret treating me this way! Once your third brother becomes an official, he will give me a title. When that happens, none of you will get any of the benefits!"
Xie Daqiang darted a look towards Xie Yunjin, curious to see if Xie Yunjin agreed to keep their mother.
What he saw, however, was Xie Yunjin's cold and warning gaze.
Xie Daqiang jumped. He wanted to curse his own mother for having the audacity to think that Xie Yunjin would want to spoil her.
"Mother, let's go home. Let's go."
197 Such a Moron
Xie Daqiang grabbed Lady Ruan and pulled her. Lady Ruan struggled and failed. She then looked towards Xie Yunjin and shouted for help, "My third son, they want to prison me at home. Save me!"
Xie Yunjin's expression didn't change at all. Everyone inside the house looked at Lady Ruan emotionlessly.
This sight made Lady Ruan realize something abruptly. Her own third son didn't want to acknowledge her as his mother. There was no way she was going to benefit from his government position later.
Lady Ruan's vision went dark and she passed out.
Xie Daqiang easily carried her away.
Behind her, the four little ones sighed in relief. They were terrified that this grandma of theirs would actually move in with them.
Lu Jiao laughed at the children. There was no way their dad would've let that happen. She wanted to tell them that there was nothing to worry about but knew better than to let them know that.
"It's noon, I will go make lunch."
The First Born followed. As he walked, he said, "Mommy, I will light up the logs for you."
These days, Xie Yunjin's been teaching the four little ones to help Lu Jiao do more housework.
Though they couldn't do the heavy lifting, they helped out where they could.
The other three volunteered as well, "I can pick the vegetables."
"I will go with the Second Born."
The Fourth Born yelled, "I will wash the vegetables later."
The family busied themselves.
Lunch included rice, vegetables, meat, and soup. Everyone had a great meal.
Right after lunch, however, Xie Lan came to visit.
"Third brother, it's bad… Dad wants to divorce mom. Come and stop dad."
Though their mother's been making a big fuss lately, as her daughter, Xie Lan didn't want their parents to separate. What if her father divorces their mom and marries Widow Wang? They would end up with a widow as a mother.
Xie Lan almost cried thinking about that possibility and almost grabbed Xie Yunjin's hand and dragged him over.
Xie Yunjin was annoyed. What was it now? Why did his mother constantly stir up trouble?
Xie Yunjin asked Xie Lan, "Why does dad want a divorce?"
Xie Lan whispered, "Mom's been unconscious since getting home this morning. Dad was worried and went to visit. Who knew that the moment mom woke up, she clawed dad's face? In a rage, he said he wants to cast her off."
Honestly, after living together for so many years, Xie Laogen was worried to hear his wife had passed out. He went to see her right away, who in a rage and moment of irrationality, clawed and wounded his face.
Xie Laogen's been clawed once and now clawed again. No longer able to endure Lady Ruan's constant uproar, he shouted for a divorce.
Xie Yunjin's face was gloomy after he heard the story. He didn't expect his mother to be so stupid. At a time like this, she really should go along with his father and get him on her side. She shouldn't be throwing tantrums constantly thinking she had the wager to.
Xie Yunjin looked toward Lu Jiao, "Are you going?"
Naturally, Lu Jiao wanted to go see the show. It would be a pity to miss the mess.
But she looked at the four little ones and decided against it.
The First Born offered quickly, "Mom, you should go with dad. I will take the brothers to Xiaobao's place."
He then looked at his brothers.
The brothers were rather happy to hear that. Lately, Lu Jiao allowed them to go play around in the village and they've been feeling kind of wild.
Lu Jiao didn't stop them and only cautioned, "Remember to be polite when you are visiting others."
"Okay, mommy."
The four little ones happily went to play with their neighbor.
Lu Jiao pushed Xie Yunjin in his wheelchair and headed to the Xie home with Xie Lan.
Currently, a large group had gathered at Xie Laogen's place, including the Village and Clan Leader.
Once Xie Yunjin arrived, people greeted them, "Yunjin and his wife are here."
The leaders gestured for them to sit.
The leaders really dreaded dealing with Xie Laogen's family business. The troubles never seemed to end.
The leaders truly didn't want to get involved given how private the matter was. If they make the wrong choice, they would end up being the bad guys. Therefore, they were happy to let Xie Yunjin handle this.
The living room was filled with people. Xie Laogen cupped his cut-up face and angrily stated, "I want to kick out this malicious woman. I do not want to spend another day with her."
Lady Ruan was honestly a little flustered. However, she didn't believe Xie Laogen would really divorce her. He must be trying to scare her.
For so many years, Lady Ruan oppressed Xie Laogen. To ask her to lower her head now was impossible. She angrily glared at Xie Laogen, "Xie Laogen, you want to kick me out? Try it!"
Xie Laogen gaped back just as angrily, "I am definitely going to leave you."
Lady Ruan's face twisted up from rage. She gritted her teeth and jumped up to claw Xie Laogen again. This time, Xie Laogen's heart did not soften and he decisively shoved her away, forcing her to fall to the ground.
Lady Ruan was stunned. This was the first time Xie Laogen had laid a hand on her. She didn't even know how to react as she looked at Xie Laogen.
Xie Laogen avoided her gaze and said to the leaders, "I want to divorce her. She doesn't deserve to be my wife. I only married her back then because she seduced me."
His words startled everyone in the room. They all turned to look at Lady Ruan, whose mind buzzed and face whitened. Dumbfoundedly, she stared at Xie Yunjin.
Only now did she realize the severity of this matter. At the same time, she finally realized that this man had completely changed his heart and was no longer the man he used to be.
Many people started to mumble and look at Lady Ruan mockingly. So she was only able to marry Xie Laogen by seducing him.
Back then, Xie Laogen was young and eager when it came to relations with a woman. This was why he ignored his parents' objections and married Lady Ruan.
People now recall that Xie Daqiang was born less than nine months after their marriage. This meant Xie Daqiang was a baby created out of seduction.
Everyone's eyes now fixated on Xie Daqiang, whose expression was utterly unpleasant to look at. He glanced at his mother, then at his father. At this point, he didn't know who to be mad at.
The leaders exhaled deeply and asked Xie Yunjin, "Yunjin, how do you think this should be handled?"
Though Xie Yunjin was the reason why Widow Wang was able to enter the family, he never truly wanted his dad to kick out his mom. After all, they were his parents.
Not even in his wildest dreams did he think his mother would be so stupid and single-handedly break apart this family.
When Widow Wang was accepted into the family, she was merely a concubine. If his mother wanted to control her and oppress her, it would've been easy. All she had to do was treat his father well. His father wouldn't have dared to do much. Then, his mother could've still acted like the head of the family and simply ordered Widow Wang around. They only got here today because of her own doing.
Xie Yunjin could not understand how his mother could be such a moron.
198 Are you Stupid?
Xie Yunjin raised his head and looked at his father, "Father, can you give mother a chance? She raised so many children with you."
Xie Yunjin's words made Xie Laogen hesitate. However, during the quiet time while he pondered, Lady Ruan screamed at Xie Yunjin.
At the moment, she felt like she was only in the situation she was in now because her third son didn't help her. If he let her sell Widow Wang, Xie Laogen wouldn't dare to divorce her.
She lost all logic and screamed at Xie Yunjin, "Xie Sangou, I don't need your fake kindness! You're an unfilial and disobedient bastard! If I knew how unfilial you would be, I would've drowned you in the manure bucket!"
All eyes turned to Lady Ruan in disbelief. That woman must be crazy! They thought Lady Ruan might actually be brain damaged or else she wouldn't be in the situation she was in.
Xie Yunjin's face turned cold right away as he looked at her in disdain.
He truly had no idea why Lady Ruan detested him this much. Not only did she hate him, but she also gave him a hard time every chance she got. When he was first born, his grandparents wanted to take him and raise him but Lady Ruan reacted like a crazy person, which eventually made the grandparents give up on the thought.
Though she kept him, she didn't act like a mother. She left him there and tried to starve him to death.
Sometimes, Xie Yunjin wondered if Lady Ruan was not his biological mother. Because not only did she hate him, he hated her just as much. They didn't share any bond biological parents and sons should have.
No matter how much he dug into it, no evidence suggested he was not her biological son. That year, Lady Ruan did give birth to a child.
Xie Yunjin grinned and challenged, "Yes, I am unfilial and disobedient. How come your filial and obedient children aren't speaking up for you then?"
Lady Ruan subconsciously looked over to Xie Yunhua and Xie Lan, who met her gaze and retreated. They only felt embarrassed at the moment for having such a shameless mother.
Xie Yunhua honestly wanted to say something on his mother's behalf. However, his dad had warned him earlier that if he meddled with this family's business, he would pay for it.
If his parents continued to fight so publicly, will young lady Du still marry him? However, he's already held her hand and even kissed her. Who else would she marry if not him?
Xie Yunhua calmed down a little.
Lady Ruan's heart ached when she saw the expression her youngest son and daughter had.
She turned to her eldest and second eldest sons. Finally, she looked toward Xie Yunjin.
Xie Yunjin looked away and landed his gaze on Xie Laogen.
Xie Laogen was at first hesitant but when Lady Ruan cursed at Xie Yunjin, he became determined about the divorce again.
His third son will one day become an official and he will be the father of an official. Lady Ruan, however, continued to treat their third son poorly. If he doesn't leave her now, his relationship with their third son will deteriorate even further. When that happens, he won't be recognized as the father of an official.
Xie Laogen made up his mind and said to the leaders, "Village and Clan Leader, I am resolute on divorcing Lady Ruan. I hope you can agree to it."
Now that Lady Ruan has heard Xie Laogen's decision, she became flustered.
"Xie Laogen, if you dare to divorce me, I will die in front of you right now!"
Xie Laogen mocked, "Die and show me! All these years, you threaten to kill yourself every time I do something you disagree with. Yet here you still are, alive. You really don't think I know you're bluffing?"
Lady Ruan's face turned even paler. The leaders looked toward Xie Yunjin, who remained silent.
The leaders sighed deeply and finally said, "Since you've made up your mind, then we grant you the right to divorce."
Their decision made Lady Ruan's vision go dark and her body swayed. She struggled and screamed, "No! Nobody is allowed to kick me out! I married into this family for so many years and I gave birth to so many children for him! He has no right to divorce me!"
The Clan Leader responded, "Lady Ruan, based on your normal behavior, he should've divorced you a long time ago. To have waited so long is him giving you face. You were only able to marry him because you seduced him. After you became a part of the family, you angered your in-laws to death. You are not kind to your children and convinced your husband to exile your third son the second he got injured.
Afterward, you went into your son's home and caused scenes time after time. And now, because your man has gotten a concubine, you dare to fight your man physically and claw his face. Look at all the things you've done… Singling out any one of these events is enough to make him divorce you. Therefore, we grant him the right to divorce such a shrew woman."
The Clan Leader no longer had any patience. He initially didn't want to make a decision to be considerate of Xie Yunjin. However, it appeared that Xie Yunjin didn't want anything to do with this. The Clan Leader understood him. To have a mother like this meant once he became an official, she would drag him down. It was better for his parents to divorce now.
The Clan Leader asked for someone who knew how to draft a divorce letter.
The Clan Leader didn't ask Xie Yunjin to write it out. After all, this involved his father.
Lady Ruan finally was dumbfounded. Her eyes went dark and her head felt dizzy. She didn't dare to pass out for fear that someone would ship her back to her home.
Lady Ruan turned to her children and cried, "You are really going to watch your mother get kicked out?"
Xie Daqiang glanced at his father. He wanted to say something but Xie Laogen glared at him in disgust.
Xie Daqiang shut up.
Xie Erzhu saw how sad his mother was crying and felt bad. He said to Xie Laogen, "Father, you should give mother a chance. She will treat you well going forward. Though mother never treated others well, she's always been kind to you."
That was true. Though she was never nice to her in-laws or children, she always prioritized him when it came to good food, clothing, and daily care.
Xie Laogen watched Lady Ruan, thinking that if this woman begged him and vowed to stop making a scene at every possible moment, he would allow her to stay.
Lady Ruan saw the way Xie Laogen looked at her but was too prideful to beg. All these years, she's acted like she was better than him. To her, Xie Laogen was essentially useless. She didn't think she would be able to beg him to not leave her.
Xie Laogen noticed how she didn't appear regretful and how her face remained stern. Without any desire to keep her, Xie Loagen hollered at Xie Erzhu, "Why would you take the side of a mother who is neither virtuous nor kind? Are you stupid? She hasn't tortured you enough?"
Xie Erzhu instantly became mute. Out of habit, he turned to his third brother, who stood there silently and coldly. Xie Erzhu knew then that his third brother no longer wanted to get involved. That meant he should stop talking as well.
The divorce letter was drafted quickly after. Xie Laogen placed his thumbprint without hesitation, indicating the end of his marriage with Lady Ruan.
The Clan Leader ordered Xie Daqiang and Xie Erzhu to accompany Lady Ruan back to the Ruan home.
199 Should my Third Daughter-in-Law be in Charge?
Xie Laogen asked Xie Daqiang to gather his mother's things and bring her home.
Lady Ruan desperately glanced around at everyone and didn't see a single person who spoke up for her.
By now, it became clear to Lady Ruan that she was definitely getting kicked out. She couldn't help but to cry.
As she cried, she remembered all the silver she's saved throughout the years. Even if she does get sent home, she was determined to take all the silver with her. With all those savings, her life with the Ruan family will be easier.
Lady Ruan rushed into her room. Everyone watched her scramble and worried that she might have bad thoughts.
"Is the fourth grandma having a hard time digesting this?"
"Someone should check up on her."
Xie Laogen hissed coldly, "No need. She won't die."
Everyone stared at Xie Laogen. They found this man to be weak and selfish. Before, to marry Lady Ruan, he infuriated his mother to death. And now, he divorced Lady Ruan for Widow Wang.
Everyone was confident that if Widow Wang wasn't around, there was no way he would leave Lady Ruan.
No matter how bad Lady Ruan was to everyone, she's always been nice to Xie Laogen. All these years, she took care of all his needs and worried about him constantly.
Now that Xie Laogen decided to leave her so easily, people started to view him more poorly.
As everyone thought about it, Widow Wang caringly walked to Xie Laogen, "Laogen, if my sister is going home, it's not ideal for her to leave empty-handed. I think it'd be good if you let her have all the silver you've saved."
Xie Laogen didn't think about his money until Widow Wang mentioned that. The silver was the property of the Xie family and shouldn't be taken by that woman.
Just then, Lady Ruan came out with some baggage. Behind her, Xie Daqiang and Xie Erzhu each carried one for her as well.
Xie Laogen leaped over and pulled on her baggage. Lady Ruan's expression changed as she tried to take it back.
Xie Laogen shook the bundle and everything flew out. Other than clothes, there was some jewelry including silver earrings and bracelets. There were also 60 taels of silver.
Lady Ruan screamed and lunged at the ground as she tried to pick up the silver. Chen Liu beat her to it and snatched it over while saying, "Mom, you are no longer a part of the Xie family. What right do you have to take our silver? You have to leave all this behind."
Lady Ruan went nuts and tried to fight Chen Liu. However, she was much taller and bigger, so struggling against her was futile.
Xie Laogen picked up the silver jewelry and checked to make sure Lady Ruan didn't carry any more before he requested, "Send her home."
This time, Lady Ruan fully lost it and cursed like a deranged woman, "Xie Laogen, you're a worthless wimp! You don't know how to act when you see a woman! You old b*stard who sneaks into women's pants! All you're into is that sl*t's cr*tch! You are divorcing me because I am old and can no longer satisfy you. Even if you leave me now, you will never get rid of your perverted trait!
It's true that I am not a good woman. Then how come back in the day you didn't step out when I fought against your mother and father? For my loins, you stayed silent. And now, for that widow's, you are kicking me out! Haha, everyone, come over here and look at this shameless b*stard!"
Xie Laogen felt humiliated and didn't want to see Lady Ruan anymore. He ordered Xie Daqiang and Xie Erzhu, "Take her away."
Xie Daqiang pulled Lady Ruan away.
Inside the living room, Xie Yunjin spoke up, "Give the silver earrings and bracelets to her. And give her 10 taels of silver for the road."
Though Xie Yunjin didn't like his mother, he still wanted to fulfill his responsibilities.
As long as he did what he should do as her son, that was enough.
Honestly, when he plotted to get Widow Wang with his father, he did it to restrain his mother. He had no intention of causing separation between his parents. He also only got the idea because his own mother tried to shove him a concubine. He honestly didn't understand why his mother was ok with his son having concubines but not ok with her husband having them. She was old now after all.
Xie Laogen was still at his peak madness given Lady Ruan's speech and refused to give her anything.
"This is the Xie family's silver, why should I give it to her."
Xie Yunjin glared at Xie Laogen, "I said give it to her."
If it wasn't for the unreasonableness of Lady Ruan and the fact that having her around would eventually harm him, Xie Yunjin wouldn't have allowed this divorce. However, he had learned that as long as Lady Ruan was around, he would never acquire a peaceful life. That was why he didn't step in.
Xie Yunjin's authoritative voice scared Xie Laogen. In the end, he did as he was told.
Lady Ruan glanced at all her children with her lips parted. Only at the end, did she look at her third son, whom she's always hated.
She disliked this son of hers the most. Growing up, he never received the slightest love from her yet in the end, he helped her. The children she spoiled all her life didn't even speak on her behalf.
Lady Ruan started to laugh. She laughed until her vision went dark and passed out. Xie Yunjin said to Xie Erzhu, "Send mother to our uncle's home. Tell them to treat her well. We'll visit sometime."
Xie Yunjin intended to warn his uncle to not treat his mother too poorly.
Xie Erzhu answered, "I got it, third brother."
After Lady Ruan was carried away, everyone complimented Xie Yunjin for his niceness and considerateness. Honestly, Lady Ruan never asked or cared about this son of hers. Yet in the end, only he helped her.
Just what was this?
Back in the living room, Xie Yunjin said to the villagers, "OK, we have some private matters to deal with now. Everyone, go home."
The leaders were eager to leave. Once they got Xie Yunjin's word, they gestured for their people to go home.
Everyone in the Xie family sat down. Xie Yunjin said to Xie Laogen, "Father, what do you plan on doing next? Without mother around, the family needs another woman to manage the house."
Xie Laogen thought Xie Yunjin was hinting that Lu Jiao should be in charge and responded, "How about asking my third daughter-in-law?"
Lu Jiao rolled her eyes. How dumb did she have to be to get involved with this family?
Before Lu Jiao said anything, Xie Yunjin spoke up, "We've separated from the family. It shouldn't be Lu Jiao who cares for this family."
He then looked toward Chen Liu, who became instantly excited. She was going to be head of the house? That meant she got to manage all the silver?
Chen Liu enthusiastically looked over to Xie Yunjin.
Widow Wang quietly pulled on Xie Laogen's sleeve. However, in front of his third son, Xie Laogen didn't have to guts to ask for Widow Wang to be the head of the house.
Xie Yunjin said, "The eldest sister-in-law is like a mother to everyone. Without mother, eldest sister-in-law, you should manage this house."
Chen Liu was ecstatic and shouted, "OK! I will do a great job!"
All that money was going to be hers!
The fourth brother, Xie Yunhua screamed, "I am okay with that! I just ask that when I get married, I get my fair share."
Chen Liu instantly smiled, "Naturally. Fourth brother, do not worry."
200 It's been a Month
Xie Yunhua honestly wasn't too happy with the turn of events. He didn't know why things turned out the way it did. He wanted to stop his dad from divorcing his mom. After all, his mom spoiled him. But these days, his dad acted possessed.
Xie Yunhua glanced at Widow Wang. It was all that woman's fault.
Xie Laogen was happy to hear Xie Yunjin's suggestion. Chen Liu was his eldest daughter-in-law and he found it appropriate for her to be in charge.
"Sure."
Beside him, Widow Wang's face dropped. Silently, she realized that being with Xie Laogen was a miscalculation on her part. Like Lady Ruan said, this man was a worthless wimp. On the inside, Widow Wang hated Xie Laogen but she didn't show it.
Inside the room, Xie Yunjin looked at Chen Liu and continued to speak calmly, "First sister-in-law, you should delegate tasks accordingly and make sure everyone does their part."
Chen Liu was happy to hear that. Widow Wang, Xie Yunhua, and Xie Lan however, disliked that.
Xie Yunjin ignored them, "As for Lady Wang… though she is our father's woman, she is a cheap concubine. Being a cheap concubine is the same as having a servant. You should make sure she's kept busy."
Xie Laogen interrupted, "She has to take care of me."
Xie Yunjin glared at him, "She can take care of dad at night. In the morning, she has to do her part around the house."
Xie Yunjin's eyes were cold. Widow Wang dared to convince his dad to leave his mom. She didn't deserve a comfortable life.
Xie Laogen didn't dare to butt head against his third son and stayed quiet.
Xie Yunjin turned to Chen Liu, who happily agreed, "Third brother, do not worry. I know how to manage everything well."
No longer wanting to spend more energy here, Xie Yunjin said to Lu Jiao, "Let's go back."
Lu Jiao smiled and helped Xie Yunjin with his wheelchair. Ah, what a great show they put on today. From now on, her disgusting mother-in-law will no longer bother her. She felt the sky above her has cleared up.
In a great mood, Lu Jiao pushed Xie Yunjin home in his wheelchair. On the way back, Xie Yunjin couldn't help but comment, "How can such a stupid woman exist? How did she end up living such a life?"
Lu Jiao knew he was referring to his mother and didn't want to get involved.
Xie Yunjin noticed her silence and took a look at her. He smiled, "If she was as intelligent as you, she wouldn't end up the way she did."
Lu Jiao rolled her eyes. She didn't find what he said to be a compliment. It was not an honor to be compared to Lady Ruan.
"We are like the sky and the ground."
Xie Yunjin knew Lu Jiao wasn't happy and his tone softened, "You're right. You're much smarter than her."
He was truly fortunate to have met her.
The two of them chatted casually and went home.
When the four little ones saw them return, they dashed over at lightning speed.
"Mommy, daddy, you're home!"
Lu Jiao saw that they were sweating and wiped their faces dry.
"You can run slower! Look at all the sweat."
The four little ones smiled and looked up at them. They didn't object to Lu Jiao wiping their foreheads. With their cheeks slightly pink and extremely soft, they were unbelievably cute and pretty.
Lu Jiao pinched them and love poured out of her eyes. Xie Yunjin watched her move and felt jealous.
He mumbled to himself…. It appeared that Lu Jiao didn't treat him as well as she treated the four little ones. Was he overthinking it or was she too shy to get close to him?
Lu Jiao didn't care what Xie Yunjin was thinking. She bathed the children and got them ready for their afternoon nap.
Xie Yunjin also napped. Later, he'll have to teach the children. After all these lessons, he's closely observed and found a few children with high potential. He was ready to suggest to their parents to send their children to school.
At night, Lu Jiao made dinner and was getting ready to eat when Xie Erzhu arrived. His eyes were a little red. It was obvious that he was sad about Lady Ruan.
Lu Jiao didn't know what to say. Lady Ruan was both a failure and a success. She managed to have two sons who treated her nicely but she chose to spoil the heartless ones.
"Ah, you're here in time for dinner. Have some with us."
Xie Erzhu said sullenly, "I have no appetite."
He then went to sit on the side.
Xie Yunjin watched him. He knew his brother was sad about Lady Ruan.
Xie Yunjin knew Xie Erzhu's personality and didn't blame him. He simply asked, "You've dropped off mom?"
Xie Erzhu nodded, "Yes."
He then said, "Third brother, why did dad divorce mom? Though she treated us poorly, she's always been nice to dad. How's he cold-hearted enough to leave her?"
Xie Yunjin raised an eyebrow and simply said, "What's happened has happened. Don't be too sad."
Xie Erzhu remained depressed, "I know. I am afraid her days at uncle's will be hard."
He didn't feel good when he saw where his mother ended up.
Xie Yunjin reminded him, "If you're worried about that, you should visit with gifts sometimes. As long as uncle doesn't cross the line, it should be fine. If uncle knows you might visit, he wouldn't dare to give her a hard time."
This was the last filial thing he was willing to do for his mother.
Xie Yunjin then said, "Okay, don't be too sad. Come and eat."
Xie Erzhu shook his head, "It's okay. I'll eat at home."
These days, Xie Yunjin was now fully independent again and didn't need Xie Erzhu's help anymore. Therefore, Xie Erzhu got ready to go home.
Lu Jiao stopped him, "Since you're here, sit and eat."
Xie Erzhu didn't decline then and went to the table. As everyone ate, he suddenly remembered something and said to Xie Yunjin, "Third brother, it's been a month since your surgery, no?"
Xie Yunjin smiled, "Tomorrow it'd be a month."
Xie Erzhu looked over to Lu Jiao, "Sister-in-law, Dr. Qi said my brother can try walking a little after a month of healing?"
Lu Jiao nodded, "That's right."
Because Xie Yunjin's been having spiritual stream water, he was fine to walk as long as he didn't overdo it.
Xie Erzhu was ecstatic, "Congratulations, third brother."
Xie Yunjin smiled just as brightly. Even the air around him was soaked with gracefulness and gentleness. His normally dark eyes were now bright like the stars in the sky.
"Thank you, second brother, for all your help."
Xie Erzhu embarrassingly waved around his hand, "No worries. I did what I should've done."