Chapter 637 We can't let this go.

"Xie Kuan."

Second Master Xie stood up. "You haven't had time to eat today, have you? Sit down quickly and try Third Brother's steamed buns."

Xie Kuan was stunned, not expecting that his second uncle would grab him by the neck so quickly.

He stood up meekly, "Second Uncle, I've already eaten..."

"You rushed to my house this morning, but that's not what you said," Second Master Xie pointed at him. "You brat, you dare to use me as a scapegoat. I'll settle the score with you when we get back."

He had been caught up in the excitement of the morning, and only after hearing Xie Zheng's explanation did he realize what was going on.

Thinking of this, he looked at Xie Zheng with more relief and appreciation.

"I didn't realize it, Xiao Zheng. You used to be the most disdainful of reasoning with us. You had a lot of bad habits as a scholar, always thinking that we fools couldn't understand human language. But just now you were so calm and spoke so fluently. It seems that you have gained a lot from these past few years at the border and your temperament has been honed very well."

Xie Zheng stood up and cupped his hands in greeting. "Second Uncle, you flatter me. I'm glad you don't scold me for being stubborn. I have indeed learned a lot in the past two years and seen things I couldn't see before."

At this point, he respectfully apologized, "Back then, my second uncle tried to persuade me with great care, but I said a lot of things that were unpleasant to hear. I was young and hot-blooded and couldn't stand being lectured. Today, I apologize to my second uncle and sincerely hope that you can forgive my ignorance."

Xie Kuan's lips twitched, and he stood aside, feeling quite unconvinced.

"Hehehe, it's good that you realize your problem. It's all in the past. Everyone has their youth. Now that you're healthy and have someone by your side, I'm happy for you. Sit down." Master Xie broke open a steamed bun. "Oh, you ordered this especially for that person, right? The mushroom filling is indeed delicious."

These wild mushrooms, especially the dried ones, are hard to buy; they're expensive but unavailable, and you have to put in a lot of effort to snag them at the market.

Xie Zheng smiled sheepishly, "I love to eat it myself."

The others, who had been dragged into playing the villains, looked at each other in bewilderment. Suddenly, they felt that Xie Kuan's intentions were far too obvious, that he was making a big fuss over them and treating them like monkeys. They all stared at him with unfriendly expressions.

Xie Kuan shrank his neck, feeling slightly flustered, but he didn't intend to let Zhao'er suffer.

"Second Uncle, I didn't mean to lie to you. My wife didn't explain things clearly enough. I was in a hurry and acted rashly. I'll have her apologize to you later."

At this point, Xie Kuan changed the subject.

"But I was just angry. Zhao'er said she wanted to be my third brother's son. For the past two years, the family hasn't left her anything. Now, because of outsiders' instigation, Yun'er, a young lady, is going to be in charge of the household and even have a son-in-law come to live with us. A small matter has caused such a big uproar. It will be difficult for the girls of our Xie family to find husbands in the future."

Xie Zheng glanced at Xie Kuan indifferently, a hint of disdain in his eyes that vanished in an instant.

Xie Kuan was instantly enraged; it was clearly a sign of disrespect.

I always thought Xie Zheng was arrogant because he passed the imperial examination and became an official, but now he doesn't even bother to hide it anymore.

"Fifth brother, we two know this best. From beginning to end, I never thought of having someone else's son adopted by me. Put yourself in my shoes, you wouldn't want your own son to be someone else's son either, you would always feel unhappy. Besides, I'm very picky, so if I can choose who to be my son, I will naturally choose the one I like."

Xie Zheng paused for a moment, put down his chopsticks and stared at Xie Kuan. "I haven't told anyone about this. You brought Zhao'er here to show your loyalty. The child I liked was someone else. You said some touching words, saying that Zhao'er would be filial to me in the future and that you would forget about your biological father. As long as Zhao'er is doing well with us, everything is fine."

The others whispered in surprise, while Xie Kuan clenched his fists tightly, his eyes blazing with fury.

"You're talking nonsense. This was clearly something we discussed beforehand, and you actually..."

"What Heaven, Earth, you, and I know is beyond dispute. Even if it was pre-arranged, I genuinely wanted to take Zhao'er in at first. But when I was first demoted, you took Zhao'er away. That's a fact."

Xie Kuan gritted his teeth, unable to refute it; everyone knew about it.

"Later, you sent the corrupted Zhao'er back."

“Even if he wasn’t a good person before, he was still a good kid. But I don’t know who taught him to be hypocritical and deceitful in front of me, lying all the time. He deceived himself when he was studying, and then he solemnly told me that he would manage the family property for me. At that time, he was only a teenager.”

Xie Kuan's jaw tightened more and more, and his knuckles turned whiter and whiter.

“I have never called him out on it; in fact, I have gone along with his wishes. You are the ones who have been teaching him all along. In these eight years, whether it was real money or shops that were quietly seized or sold off, have I ever said a word to him?”

Everyone listened attentively, their gazes shifting between Xie Zheng and Xie Kuan.

"Is that so?" Master Xie said thoughtfully. "I never even noticed. I only knew that Xie Zhao had always wanted to live in your house, but you wouldn't allow it."

Xie Kuan moved his jaw. "Xie Zheng, you're making baseless accusations! My son Xie Zhao is simple-minded, just not very bright. How could he possibly do such a thing?"

He pointed angrily at Xie Zheng, his eyes bulging with rage.

"It's your business what you give your family's assets to, but you're slandering Xie Zhao, which is like killing him and destroying his spirit. If it weren't for you, he could have found a better path in life all these years through other means. You ruined him!"

Everyone was stunned.

Xie Zheng was also stunned, then chuckled softly, shook his head, and drank a sip of the jelly soup.

There's no need for him to say anything more. If he argues any further, it will only make everyone think that he's discarding someone after they've served their purpose.

"What are you laughing at? Xie Zheng, say something! If you hadn't gone back on your word, I could have found a way out for him and helped him pass the imperial examinations..."

"Did inheriting my family's wealth prevent Xie Kuan from passing the imperial examinations?"

Seemingly helpless, Xie Zheng said in a light tone, "He thinks he has nothing to worry about for the rest of his life, so he goes out to philander and is addicted to gambling. You, as his father, have set a bad example for him, and yet you blame me for paying for his prostitutes. Is there anyone like you?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

The others turned to look, feeling that the stool was a bit hot, and wished they could find a hole to slip away.

To kill someone is to destroy their spirit! To kill someone is to destroy their spirit!

When did Xie Zheng become so ruthless, hitting the nail on the head without any mercy?

Ruthless, extremely ruthless.

These are all the truths.

Master Xie chuckled, "This matter cannot be blamed on Xiao Zheng. Everyone has seen it. It was you two who were greedy and insatiable. You used Zhao'er to amass wealth for yourself, and then you ruined Zhao'er and now you're blaming Xiao Zheng."

He was almost led by the nose by Xie Kuan, who also spoke rudely to him.

"You haven't said a word about how much trouble Xie Zhao has caused him outside all these years by using Xiao Zheng's name."

Xie Kuan lost face completely, his plan backfired, and he stood on the ground with a livid expression.

Master Xie looked at him and said, "You are not only not grateful that they didn't take your son and even gave you money to squander, but you also turn around and criticize them. Xie Kuan is being unfair. You should apologize to Xiao Zheng."

Xie Kuan raised his eyes, "Second Uncle, what you said makes sense, but all these years we have not dared to get close to Zhao'er, treating him as Third Brother's child. He has played us for a fool, and this matter cannot be left unresolved."