Chapter 238 I've Dislocated Your Legs

"Divorce?"

Song Chunxue was puzzled. "Your first wife should be a wealthy young lady. You are a good match, and her family is certainly not an ordinary one. Aren't you afraid of offending people by divorcing her?"

"Isn't there also divorce?"

Lord Xie's expression was strange, as if he had something difficult to say.

Song Chunxue quickly said, "We're just asking, sir, you don't have to answer."

Xie Zheng lowered his head. "Back then, I was young and stubborn. She was also stubborn. After a big fight, I was afraid of dragging her down and proposed a divorce. But she insisted on changing it to divorce, saying that I had wronged her and owed her for life, and that I should remember it for the rest of my life."

At this point, he gave a bitter smile, "She also said that she would never marry in this life, and if she divorced him, no one would come to her door to ask for marriage or bother her anymore."

"But now, she has married someone else and has two children."

"..." Song Chunxue looked at him, never expecting that someone like Lord Xie would also have family discord.

She once thought that cultured, educated people wouldn't make a scene like ordinary people like them, and they wouldn't easily get divorced.

“Since that’s the case, and she’s a heartless and ungrateful person, why don’t you remarry and take two more concubines? You can have them on both sides and she’ll laugh at you then.” The fourth brother said irritably, “You are a man, and she is a woman. What do you have to worry about?”

Song Chunxue kicked him under the table. "The master is a man of great integrity and loyalty. He doesn't want to implicate others, which is why he keeps himself pure. But you, do you think taking wives and concubines is as easy as buying objects?"

Thinking of the fourth son's future behavior, Song Chunxue kicked him again, "If you take concubines all the time in the future and keep mistresses behind your wife's back, I'll break your legs!"

The fourth brother lay on the table, hugging his legs and shouting.

"Oh my mother, I was just asking casually. How can you be so unreasonable? Who said I would take a concubine or keep a mistress in the future? How can you say such things about your own son?" the fourth son grumbled. "Ouch, it hurts so much! Mother, you're just getting back at me because you see I'm unhappy about leaving."

Xie Zheng was amused by the mother and son.

"Actually, taking a wife or concubine is fine, it's just a momentary pleasure. Someone as restless as me, Xie, is just dragging others down for no reason. My daughter is now of marriageable age, but she has to worry about my situation."

"In a few months, it will be her wedding day. I have already asked for leave to visit my family, but I haven't been granted leave yet. I don't know if I will be able to see her get married in person."

At this point, Lord Xie's eyes reddened.

"It is already a great sin to leave a girl without her parents. If I marry someone else and have children, wouldn't that mean I would also be causing them to have a father who is constantly being demoted?"

Song Chunxue nodded. If she had had this awareness back then, she wouldn't have had so many children.

You work yourself to the bone your whole life, only to end up with children who don't care for you, leaving you full of complaints, and feeling miserable, pitiful, and hateful.

But now there's no chance anymore; the fourth son is already thinking of divorcing his wife before they've even gotten married.

However, she still hasn't figured out whether or not to stop Sanwa and Xia Mulan's marriage, as well as their children's affairs.

If they hadn't been stopped, they would have had five children in total in their quest to have a son, working just as hard as she did.

If she were to stop them, wouldn't she never see those children she watched grow up again?

"Sister-in-law, it's time for me to take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality."

Xie Zheng stood up and thanked them, "I've troubled you for a long time. You need to take your lunch break, so I should go back now."

The fourth brother's eyes darted around. "Is the master off today? Why don't you stay for a nap? The master has nothing to do anyway... Hiss!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was pinched hard on the thigh, and the fourth brother was in so much pain that tears streamed down his face.

"Mother!" The fourth son jumped up and down on the ground. "Mother is getting more and more rude to me. I haven't done anything outrageous."

"Do you think Lord Xie is as idle as you? Do you expect him to stay and do chores for me? That's outrageous." She smiled at Xie Zheng and said, "It's just childish talk, don't take it to heart, sir."

Two small wolfhounds were lying in the yard sunbathing. When they saw the guests come out, they just twitched their ears but didn't even glance at them.

Song Chunxue thought to herself, "These two idiots can't guard the door at all."

"It's alright, he's just a kid, it's good that he's straightforward." With that, Xie Zheng walked to the door. "By the way, there's a play on the mountain tomorrow, does your sister-in-law want to come?"

"There are often opera performances on the mountain, but since the fourth brother is leaving tomorrow, I won't be going. I didn't expect the adults to care about this. Will they be able to enjoy our local opera?"

"Of course." Xie Zheng looked at the fourth brother and couldn't help but add, "Be careful when you're out and about, and don't trust anyone, especially acquaintances."

"Thank you for reminding me, sir. I've got it." The fourth brother smiled and waved to the master. "Take care, sir."

He turned his head and muttered, "Why do you always say to be careful of acquaintances? Aren't you all dealing with acquaintances all the time?"

Song Chunxue walked towards the north room, saying, "You'll understand later."

"I'm too tired, go wash the dishes."

"Oh." He's leaving tomorrow anyway, so what's a little dishwashing?

*

The next day happened to be the day Sanwa was off work.

He carried the fourth brother's luggage and saw him out of the courtyard.

"Sanwa, why do you think your mother is unwilling to send me off?"

As they walked out of the courtyard, the fourth brother couldn't help but complain, "When the second brother left, she personally saw him off, but why did she make you see me off?"

"Because your mother knows that you will come back sooner or later."

"Then Second Brother will come back too."

The third child seemed thoughtful. "It's hard to say."

The fourth brother kicked a pebble on the road. "Yeah, I'm already feeling uneasy even before we've set off. I might sneak back in a couple of days."

"Yeah, I think so too. Mother said she's inquired around and your cousin isn't very reliable. Be careful." Sanwa saw him off at the city gate without saying goodbye to his classmates. "Do you have enough money? Do you need me to lend you some?"

The fourth brother laughed, "Don't be so formal. If you want to give it, just give it. We're brothers, how can you say it's a loan?"

"Even between brothers, accounts should be kept clear. I once wanted to buy a storybook, but you didn't pay me back when I lent it to you." Sanwa took out an ounce of silver from his pocket. "But now that I have money, it's fine if you don't pay me back."

The fourth brother gritted his teeth and puffed out his cheeks.

"You're quite vengeful. I'll pay you back when I make a lot of money." The fourth brother put the silver in his pocket, looked at the third brother and sighed, "Ah, studying is really good. They say girls change a lot as they grow up, and I think you're no exception. You look much more energetic than your eldest and second brothers did back then."

Sanwa moved his lips and said, "Your mother had already agreed to let you go to school, so why didn't you go?"

The fourth brother turned to look at the camel caravan and said, "What a waste of time. I can't sit on a hard bench. You should go back."

Sanwa looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

"Just say what you have to say. When did you start acting like a girl?"

Sanwa lowered his head and said, "Now that Mom has money, you should train hard. If you become capable in the future, you can start your own business on the street."

The fourth son laughed, "You're quite generous. If your mother heard what you said, she'd break your legs."

"That's right, Sanwa, you're already eyeing my secret stash of money for your brother. I'll break your legs." Song Chunxue walked up to the fourth brother with a bag of dry food. "You've left without any food. Do you want to starve?"