Chapter 276 Fever

"Father, didn't you promise me?"

"What did you promise?"

Xie Chengzhi had been crying so hard he was about to suffocate, and now his vision was still blurry.

But after crying and sweating profusely, and drinking some hot porridge, his mind cleared up considerably.

He glanced down at the contract in his hand and clicked his tongue, saying, "I know this shop is tiny, barely the size of a fingernail, and can't do much. It's far inferior to the Xie family's businesses."

"But didn't Father promise me?"

"Promise what?"

"Father promised me that he would make a comeback with this shop, and even if he failed, we would still live a peaceful life..."

"Tsk, what do you know, you little kid? This tiny shop isn't even enough for me to stay at Miss Chunyan's place for half a month. How can I make a comeback with this?"

"Go and rest. Don't meddle in your elders' affairs."

Xie Lurong looked at Xie Chengzhi, her face pale.

"Father, you said you would..."

"oops."

Xie Chengzhi rolled over and covered his head with the blanket.

Xie Lurong stared blankly at him, not understanding why her father's ability to change his expression was so strong.

Tears streamed down her face silently; Xie Lurong couldn't understand...

"Get out of the way."

Zheng Shu pushed Xie Lurong away and stepped forward to pull back Xie Chengzhi's blanket.

Xie Chengzhi was still running a fever when someone suddenly pulled off his blanket, making his teeth chatter from the cold.

"You shrew, what are you going to do?"

Without a word, Zheng Shu stepped forward, grabbed his shoulder, and tried to pry Xie Chengzhi's fingers apart. He was gripping the contract tightly, and Zheng Shu pinched his wrist and pried his fingers apart one by one.

The contract was crumpled into a small ball, and Zheng Shu desperately pried it out.

"You're going to die, you shrew!"

"Go and bring the basin of water."

Zheng Shu turned to look at Xie Lurong, who stood there blankly until her mother called out again, at which point she brought over the basin of water.

Another bucket of cold water was poured on him, and Xie Chengzhi let out a howl.

"Walk."

Zheng Shu grabbed the blanket with one hand and pulled Xie Lurong with the other, and walked out.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, she shook off Xie Lurong.

Xie Lurong saw her mother throw the contract on the ground and walk away without saying a word.

Xie Lurong looked at it, and her nose felt hot.

After a while, she stepped forward, picked up the deed, unfolded it little by little, and carefully placed it in her bosom.

She thought she would never trust her father again.

Xie Lurong wiped away her tears and went back to her room.

Xie Chengzhi was doused with cold water and had his blanket pulled away. When Zheng Shu came to see him the next day, he was burning up with fever and barely breathing.

She stood by the bed for a long time before turning to call Xie Chengzhi for a doctor.

This illness lasted for more than half a month.

On the day he recovered from his serious illness, Xie Chengzhi staggered out of his room and saw Zheng Shu having a meal with her two children in the hall. He casually pulled up a stool and sat down with a gloomy expression.

"You all know how to avoid trouble. Even though I'm seriously ill, not one of you came to take care of me, and you still have the appetite to eat..."

"Bullshit! If we didn't take care of you, you'd be dead by now. What are you doing here spouting nonsense?"

Zheng Shu slammed her chopsticks down and glared at her.

Before the family was divided, the public treasury managed everything. Xie Chengzhi had no worries about food and clothing, and Xie San Niang kept him in check. So Zheng Shu used to think that although he was a bit of a scoundrel, he still cared about her and their child.

But after the family separated, she realized that Xie Chengzhi really didn't care about the lives of the three of them.

He would rather spend all his money on prostitutes than spend a single penny on her and the children!

When the heart is dead, the good complexion of the past naturally disappears.

Xie Chengzhi was startled by her shout and glared angrily at Zheng Shu, but dared not say anything.

After a long pause, he frowned and asked, "Did the old lady leave something for me?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shu paused, and Xie Lurong quickly lowered her head, afraid that he would notice something.

"I spared your worthless life..."

"That's not right, I clearly remember..."

Zheng Shu slammed her hand on the table. "I think you've gone delirious with fever. You're having a dream in broad daylight. Tell me, what did the old lady leave you?"

“They reserved a shop for me, one of the shops that I asked the old lady for when we first got married.”

Zheng Shu scoffed, "A shop? I think you've lost your mind. Even when your mother was most fond of you after your marriage, she wouldn't give you one. After you angered your mother to death, do you think she'd leave you a shop?"

"Xie Chengzhi, you're dreaming far too much."

Xie Chengzhi frowned, feeling uncertain himself after what Zheng Shu said.

For the past two weeks, he's been delirious with fever, unsure whether the old lady's promise of the shop was real or just a dream.

Xie Chengzhi thought for a moment, then turned to Xie Lurong: "Lurong, I remember you were the one who told me that the old lady left something for me."

Xie Lurong lowered her head and said after a moment, "Father, are you still not well? I never said such a thing."

"Yeah?"

Xie Chengzhi frowned, unable to make up his mind.

It wasn't until Zheng Shu let out a cold laugh that he said resentfully, "What do you know? I'm going to find my older brother."

"My elder brother and sister-in-law don't know that Xie Qi is the manager of Jixia Manor. If they did, they would definitely make a scene against Xie Qi."

"If this causes a commotion, I might be able to get a share of the profits."

After saying that, Xie Chengzhi picked up his chopsticks, but after holding them for a long time, he realized that there wasn't a single dish on the table that he could bring himself to eat...

"I'm not eating anymore. I'm going to the main house to find that woman, Hua Nanzhi. If she finds out that Jixia Manor belongs to Xie Qi, she definitely won't let Xie Qi off the hook."