Chapter 635: Chapter 635: Marry or Not?
He indeed has three brothers; his elder brother and elder sister-in-law had a son last year and can have more in the future. They aren’t worried about lacking a male heir to carry on the Chang family lineage.
Ms. Chang was shocked and pointed at him, exclaiming, "You, what did you say? You’re willing to go childless all your life for Qi Kangle? Have you gone mad?!"
Throughout history, which man could do such a thing?
Ms. Chang was so infuriated that she grabbed a wooden stick from the house and beat Chang Errui with it, pounding him severely.
Chang Errui bore the intense pain and simply refused to beg for mercy, not even when Ms. Chang broke the stick hitting him.
Ms. Chang cried out of anger, pointing at Chang Errui and cursing, "You’re blinded by a woman, get out and kneel outside for me!"
Chang Errui had knelt quite a lot over the years. Enduring the pain, he got up and knelt in the main courtyard.
Yuan Laorong is someone who cares deeply for his daughters-in-law, and since Chang Errui is supposed to continue the Chang family line, he normally doesn’t say anything when Ms. Chang disciplines Chang Errui.
After Ms. Chang finished beating him, he went inside to comfort her: "Stop crying, don’t you know your own son? Aren’t you tired of hitting him for three years?"
He sighed, "Brother Rui’s feelings for the Gu Family’s daughter probably can’t change in this lifetime. The method he suggested might work. After all, they are both your sons, it doesn’t make much difference to adopt to the second or third son."
Yuan Laorong even joked, "I don’t mind, what are you upset about? All three are seeds of the Yuan Family."
When Ms. Chang heard his words, she recalled what Qi Kangle had said and Brother Rui’s stubborn temper, which made her angry and cry again.
Seeing her cry so miserably, unlike before, Yuan Laorong frowned and asked, "What’s wrong? Were you offended at the Qi Family? I told you not to go personally, but you insisted, and now you cry by yourself."
Ms. Chang ignored him and just kept crying, mourning her own son and Qi Kangle.
Seeing that something was truly amiss, Yuan Laorong pressed her, "What exactly happened? Speak up, why the tears?"
Ms. Chang had always confided everything to Yuan Laorong. After restraining herself for a moment, she took him into the inner room and spoke softly of Qi Kangle’s situation.
Yuan Laorong was stunned to hear it, but he was by no means a simple character; he was someone who managed to talk his way into owning a green brick house by delivering auspicious words to rich old ladies offering incense.
"Is the Qi Family’s young lady still pure?" Yuan Laorong asked.
Ms. Chang nodded, "Yes, the scar on her face was to preserve her chastity."
She also heavily criticized the Li Family, "The Li Family is truly vile. The Qi Family protected them so much, and in the end, this is what they got. Thankfully, the Qi Family isn’t too bad, and the Gu Family’s timely rescue meant no mishap occurred."
Yuan Laorong asked again, "What about the Li Family now?"
Qi Kangle had already told Ms. Chang about it; she replied, "Ruined. The men in the family are either paralyzed or have lost their minds. The remaining Elder Li San doesn’t know how to manage, and times are tough at home. If the Qi Family hadn’t given them a mansion, the Li Family would be homeless on the streets."
Yuan Laorong, confused, questioned, "The Qi Family gave the Li Family a mansion? Doesn’t Master Qi do business with the Gu Family? With the Gu Family’s daughter’s protective nature, how could she let the Qi Family shelter the Li Family like that? Wouldn’t she tear up the contract and find someone to beat up Master Qi?"
Ms. Chang said, "The Gu Family’s daughter is behind the Li Family’s downfall. Her doing business with Master Qi is to keep the Li Family under close watch, ensuring they descend further into misery, never allowing the Li Family to rise again."
Yuan Laorong exclaimed in admiration, "That’s a good strategy. If the Li Family were driven away, given their family wealth, they could probably live well for a few more decades."
Keeping one’s enemy under close watch, preventing them from ever turning the tables - that is the most satisfying form of revenge.
Elder Yuan Laorong finished listening and said, "The Li Family is no longer a threat, and it is impossible for them to disclose the matter of the Qi Family’s daughter. As long as the Qi Family’s daughter does not go to the Prefecture, where she might run into people from her past, this matter can be kept secret; it’s not that big of a deal."
Ms. Chang was startled, "Not a big deal? Are you crazy?"
Elder Yuan Laorong patted her hand and smiled, "No need to look at me as if you’ve seen a ghost. I truly believe it’s not a big issue. The Gu Family and the Qi Family have kept this matter well concealed, and the Qi Family’s daughter told us the truth because she has feelings for our Brother Rui and didn’t want to harm him."
He then spoke of his own past, "You know that when I was young, I nearly starved to death. I thought I was on the verge of death when kneeling by the roadside saved my life, allowing me to live so well."
"See, what I thought was a dead-end turned out to be survivable," said Elder Yuan Laorong. "Having escaped death several times, and since you were mocked for being an only daughter since you were young, we should live with greater clarity than others."
Ms. Chang frowned, "What are you implying now? Should Brother Rui continue with marrying the Qi Family’s daughter? You truly don’t mind?"
Elder Yuan Laorong didn’t answer directly but instead asked her, "Do you feel sorry for the Qi Family’s daughter? Do you feel it’s a pity at all?"
Ms. Chang was silent for a while before eventually nodding.
Elder Yuan Laorong said, "I have the same thoughts as you. I find the Qi Family’s daughter good, but there’s a part of me that minds. However, it’s Brother Rui who will live with her. If Brother Rui can accept it, we might just endure for a few years, and after we’re buried in the ground, we won’t know anything anymore."
As a child, he just hoped to have enough food to survive. Now with a family and business, he has enjoyed plenty of blessings. He believed in fate and wouldn’t meddle too much in the younger generation’s affairs; he would leave it to destiny.
"He truly cares for the Qi Family’s daughter, not even minding the excuse of calling her an infertile woman. Tell him the truth, and see how he decides."
Ms. Chang was still uncomfortable and said, "Let me think about it some more."
Elder Yuan Laorong replied, "Don’t think any further. Just leave the matter to Brother Rui. If he can’t accept it, there’s no need for you to worry anymore. It’s much simpler."
Ms. Chang glared at him, "What kind of father are you? You don’t care for your son at all. Could it be that you think because Brother Rui must carry on the Chang family lineage, he can be left to his own devices?"
Elder Yuan Laorong felt quite aggrieved but knew Ms. Chang well and didn’t take her words to heart. He suggested, "Call Brother Rui here and tell him the truth yourself."
Dragging things out wasn’t their family style.
Ms. Chang didn’t speak and Elder Yuan Laorong knew this meant she agreed, so he went out to call Chang Errui.
After hearing what his mother had to say, Chang Errui was completely bewildered, not expecting things to be this way: "Mother, are you deceiving your son?"
SLAP! Elder Yuan Laorong smacked Chang Errui on the back of his head, scolding, "Dare talk to your mother like that again, and I’ll chop you to pieces. Your mother has broken her heart over this matter, and this is the reality. Whether to marry or not is up to you."
He continued, "Let me make myself clear beforehand, if you choose to marry, you cannot be resentful afterward, and must treat her well, otherwise, don’t marry her at all."
...
In the Qi Family residence, the atmosphere was heavy with sorrow.
Qi Panzi said, "How could Sister Le have revealed this matter?"
After keeping it secret for so many years, what would have happened if they continued to conceal it?
Yet, Qi Kangming said, "It’s better that she spoke. It would be worse if she married into the Yuan Family and they found out the truth later, possibly drowning my sister."