Chapter 144 Showing No Mercy

“If I leave, he will definitely bring his wife and children to make trouble, smash the door and steal things, and force you to move out.”

"How can you, a woman with three kids, possibly hold them off?"

The village chief nodded in agreement: "Yes, Mulan, your father is right."

He touched the stubble on his chin and said with a serious expression.

"If we don't get things sorted out, that family might come knocking on our door right away."

"People from the same village are most afraid of these kinds of family disputes."

“The house is still legally in his name even if the property isn’t transferred to his name. It’s not proper for you to live there.”

"If his son sues you for seizing the property, you really won't be able to explain yourself."

"Getting the paperwork done as soon as possible will be a way to protect you and the children."

Shen Cuifen lowered her head and thought for a moment, then sighed and finally nodded in agreement.

She raised her head, looked calmly at Lu Qiming, and said softly, "Dad, I'll listen to you."

"However, there's something I need to make clear first: I've changed the surnames of the three children to mine."

"They now have the surname Shen, and it's been changed on their household registration."

“I used to take the Lu family name, but you said, ‘The whole family should take the Lu name,’ and that’s why I reluctantly agreed.”

"But things are different now."

"Lu Weidong just said that the two children will have to take Zhou Wenjuan's surname from now on."

"Since he can let his own son change his surname, it's not unreasonable for me to let my child take my surname, is it?"

In other words, the Lu family line has been completely severed.

The chain of bloodline inheritance came to an abrupt end in this generation, and could no longer be continued.

Lu Qiming simply waved his hand, his expression calm.

“I’ve never taken these things to heart.”

The reason he took in Yang Juanhua was simply because he saw that she was all alone and wanted to find someone to live with.

They never expected anyone to continue the family line, nor did they ever dream of having children around them.

That's how it was settled.

There was no argument, no pleading; everything seemed so straightforward.

After lunch, we borrowed a car and took Qiming to town to complete the property transfer procedures.

The sun was shining brightly, and the courtyard was quiet.

All that could be heard was the noisy chirping of cicadas in the treetops.

Shen Cuifen invited the village chief to stay for dinner, speaking sincerely, and even added an extra set of chopsticks and bowls.

She is a meticulous person and is always afraid of neglecting her elders.

She turned around and planned to go to the kitchen to see if there was anything she could help with.

She wanted to personally check if there was a shortage of firewood by the stove, or if the stew in the pot was about to burn.

As soon as I reached the door, I heard a commotion outside.

The noise was deafening, mixed with angry shouts.

"Why are you coming in? This isn't your home anymore, why are you still getting involved?"

That's the voice of her older brother, Shen Dayou.

He stood in the middle of the courtyard, his back to the door, his shoulders hunched high, clearly furious.

Upon hearing this, Shen Cuifen quickly ran out.

My footsteps were hurried, and the soles of my shoes made a rapid "thump-thump" sound on the ground, which made me feel uneasy.

She could also vaguely hear Yang Juanhua's voice.

Didn't I just see her leave in a carriage?

Why are you back now?

And they brought people with them, carrying lots of bags and packages.

The village chief also came out.

He is old and walks slowly.

But with a serious expression, he slowly moved to the doorway, leaning on his cane, wanting to see what had happened.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw Yang Juanhua standing at the gate of the courtyard with Lu Zhonghe and Lu Shui.

The three of them squeezed into the narrow open space in front of the door, their shadows stretched long and thin by the sun.

The bundle was brought back again, bulging with old cloth and tied in a crooked knot.

They carried rice and flour bags again, the bags covered in dirt, and red marks were left on their shoulders.

"Brother, what exactly happened?"

Shen Dayou glared at the two men with annoyance.

"Hmph, these two are shameless, saying they want to stay here for a few more days!"

Lu Zhonghe's face turned bright red, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Yang Juanhua, however, stood there defiantly, her neck stiff and the veins bulging.

“I’ve been with Lu Qiming for decades, through thick and thin. Every single day, I’ve been the one serving him tea and water, doing his laundry and cooking for him.”

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, and her voice began to tremble.

“Now that Jianguo is in the hospital, we don’t even have a place to stay. What’s wrong with staying a few more days?”

She spoke with conviction, her eyes glistening with tears, yet she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

Shen Cuifen snorted coldly, her sneer filled with sarcasm and disgust.

"How long do you plan to stay? You've already been kicked out, yet you're still refusing to leave. Do you really think you're the owner of this house?"

"You dare to talk about sentimentality?"

She took a step closer, her gaze piercing.

"After decades of marriage, neither of their two children bears the surname Lu. The old man has been supporting a family of outsiders for nothing!"

Yang Juanhua was so angry that she trembled all over, her face turned from red to white, and her lips trembled so much that she couldn't speak.

She placed her hand on her chest and patted it repeatedly, as if trying to catch her breath.

"Shen Cuifen! Don't go too far!"

Seeing that her mother was so angry that her face turned pale, her breathing became rapid, and her body trembled slightly, Lu Shuixian quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, afraid that she might lose her balance and fall to the ground.

She was both anxious and angry, her eyes were red, and she gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the surging emotions in her chest, and shouted loudly at Shen Cuifen.

Shen Cuifen glanced at her with disdain, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

"Excessive? How have I gone too far? As for you, did your mother tell you who your father is? It's true you were born of her, but what is that man's name? What does he look like? If even she can't say for sure, then you're just like Lu Weidong, a child of unknown origin. To put it bluntly, you don't have a name on your household registration, and you don't even know where your biological father is. What kind of legitimate child are you?"

These words were like a resounding slap across Lu Shuixian's face.

Little did she know that simply going back to her parents' home to spend a few days with her mother in peace would result in her being publicly humiliated as a bastard.

"You...you..."

Her lips trembled violently, her fingers clenched the hem of her clothes so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.

"My family doesn't accept outsiders. If you keep making a scene here at the door, I really won't be polite!"

Shen Cuifen coldly scanned the area, emphasizing the words "my home".

As soon as she finished speaking, heavy footsteps sounded behind her.

Her two older brothers and sister-in-law immediately stepped forward, forming a semi-circle, and stood menacingly in front of the door.

The eldest brother was carrying a hoe, while the second brother had his sleeves tucked in and a fierce look in his eyes.

The two sisters-in-law were not to be outdone; they stood with their hands on their hips, pointing and gesturing with cold smiles.

This family clearly intended to physically drive them away, showing absolutely no mercy.

Yang Juanhua and her family were terrified; their legs went weak, and they retreated repeatedly.

The child burst into tears, and the adults dared not comfort him, fearing they would incur even harsher scolding.

"Village chief! Say something fair!"

Yang Juanhua caught a glimpse of the village chief standing to the side, trying not to laugh. Her last glimmer of hope ignited, and she immediately shouted out, her voice filled with grievance and pleading.

Her voice was hoarse, trembling with sobs.

The village chief quickly suppressed the smile that was creeping onto his lips, straightened his collar, put on a stern face, and adopted a fair and impartial demeanor.