Chapter 29 Severing Ties

Li Xiaojun bent down and whispered to his wife, "Honey, I know you've worked hard. Just bear with it a little longer. Besides, Mom and Dad haven't finished picking the fruit yet. If you go down the mountain now, you'll just be waiting in the car. At least you can get some fresh air here..."

Qianqian's voice became even sharper, and she irritably snapped, "Then what are you dawdling for? Hurry up and pack your things! I'm telling you, there's not enough space on the bus. It's already difficult enough to bring so many people, so don't bring any junk."

Li Xiaojun nodded repeatedly in a humble tone, but when he looked up at his parents, there was a hint of impatience in his eyes: "Mom and Dad, hurry up and pack your things, the car is waiting at the foot of the mountain."

After looking at the shack, Li Xiaojun felt that his wife was right. It was full of old and heavy farm tools, which were indeed inconvenient to carry. "Mom and Dad, there's not much to pack. Just take a few clothes and we'll buy the rest at the base."

Aunt Li's eyes were filled with tears: "Jun, how will we live after we leave the orchard?"

She had nurtured the orchard with her own hands, and every tree in it was like her child. She had dedicated half her life to the orchard; what could she do without it? Besides, nobody knew what the situation was like at the base; would they even have a chance to come back after they went?

Li Xiaojun sighed: "Mom, to be honest, even if you take care of the orchard, life is still tough. The temperature is so high now, who knows when it will cool down? What are you going to do if the fruit trees die from the heat in two months? This is a rare opportunity. Qianqian's relatives went to great lengths to get a spot. If you want to go to the base in two months, you won't have such a good opportunity anymore."

"Now that there are fewer people at the base, I can find a good job there. Isn't that better than planting trees in the orchard? Mom and Dad, I've said everything I can to you, even if you don't trust the base, you should trust me."

Jiang Xiaoheng cried harder, and now he was shivering softly. He hugged his father's neck and complained to Uncle Li and Aunt Li, "Grandpa and Grandma, the tree... the tree is hurt."

Aunt Li wiped away her tears, stood up, and walked towards Jiang Xiaoheng. She hugged Jiang Xiaoheng in her arms and wiped away her tears, saying, "Don't cry, sweetie. The tree will grow back, it's okay."

Seeing this, Qianqian sneered: "He doesn't care about his own grandson, but is busy coaxing other people's children."

Li Xiaojun's expression changed, and he lowered his voice: "Don't talk nonsense, how could I not care?"

Since becoming pregnant, Qianqian's temper has become much more volatile. After the major crisis, she rarely went out and was unaware of the power of those with superpowers. In this world, there are no laws anymore; whoever has the strongest fist rules. There have already been cases of people with superpowers committing murder. He didn't know how powerful Jiang Rong was, but avoiding conflict was always the best option.

Clearly, his wife didn't understand. Qianqian scoffed, "What nonsense did I say? Your parents dote on this child. They bring him bayberries one day and peaches the next."

Uncle Li and his wife both looked at their son. Yesterday, when it rained, their son went up the mountain and saw a basket of peaches. He wanted to take them home, but Uncle Li stopped him and told him they were for Jiang Rong and his son. If they wanted to eat them, they could pick more tomorrow.

At the time, Li Xiaojun nodded without saying anything, but he didn't expect that he would tell his wife about it when he got back.

Uncle Li sighed in disappointment. Li Xiaojun blushed and muttered a few words in a low voice: "Qianqian, don't say anything. They helped save so many fruit trees, so it's only right to give some fruit to the children."

Qianqian shrugged: "Yeah, I didn't say anything." As she spoke, she picked up the peach next to her and took a big bite, while also rolling her eyes at Jiang Rong and his son.

Jiang Rong lowered his eyes, concealing his emotions. After the major crisis, supplies had become scarce, and the basket of peaches Uncle Li had given them was indeed a rare treat; many people would be envious if they saw them. His young wife was easily offended, and he wouldn't hold a grudge against a pregnant woman.

Uncle Li was now in a dilemma. He reached into his shirt pocket, but the cigarettes inside were already finished. He rubbed his hands together and looked at Jiang Rong, a dependence he himself was unaware of in his eyes. "Xiao Rong, do you think your aunt and I should go to that base?"

Jiang Rong glanced at Li Xiaojun, not missing the unease in the man's eyes. He pursed his lips and said to Uncle Li, "Uncle, you need to discuss this with Li Xiaojun and consider it yourselves."

The orchard doesn't belong to Jiang Rong, so even if all the fruit is picked, it's none of his business. The fate of Uncle Li and the others should be their own decision. Although he wanted to tell them that the base wasn't a good place, with Li Xiaojun around, they might not believe him.

Seeing the blank look in Uncle Li's eyes, he added, "Uncle, the base is not a charity. We don't know the specifics inside. If possible, you should reconsider."

Li Xiaojun glanced at Jiang Rong with an unpleasant look, frowning unhappily. "Dad, would I harm you?"

Just then, Li Xiaojun's parents-in-law came over carrying two large bags full of peaches. "In-laws, are you all ready? Hurry up, we're about to leave."

Uncle Li sighed deeply and remained silent. He and his wife had poured half their lives into this place, and emotionally, they didn't want to leave.

Uncle Li didn't say anything, but Li Xiaojun kept saying, "It'll be soon, Mom and Dad, you get in the car first, my parents will be there soon."

Li Xiaojun's mother-in-law took a large peach out of the bag and handed it to Qianqian, saying, "Qian, this peach is ripe. Have one to cool down in the summer heat."

Qianqian smiled broadly: "Thank you, Mom. It's true that only a real mother cares about me."

Aunt Li's swollen eyelids twitched twice; she found it ridiculous. Cao Qian had eaten so much fruit from her family without a single word of thanks, and now her mother was offering her homegrown fruit so eagerly—she was being a good person.

Li Xiaojun's father-in-law had another important thing to do. He pointed in the direction of Huzi and said, "Xiaojun, come and untie the rope. I'll take the dog to the car first."

Li Xiaojun ran over like a yes-man: "Dad, don't move, let me do it. Tiger recognizes people, don't let him bite you."

Seeing Li Xiaojun grasp the chain, Tiger whimpered and shrank back, refusing to move forward no matter how much Li Xiaojun pulled. The large wolfhound strained with all four paws, its neck twisted to the side by the chain. It looked tearfully in the direction of its old master, and seeing him standing there blankly, it barked anxiously.

Li Xiaojun's father-in-law reached out to help his son-in-law pull on the iron chain, but no matter how hard he tried, the dog wouldn't budge. The father-in-law complained, "This dog is really stubborn. Come on, Uncle and Uncle, let's lend a hand."

After the father-in-law finished speaking, two lean men walked out of the woods. Their exposed skin was covered with scabs, and their eyes gleamed with greed as they looked at Tiger: "The base leaders said that what the base needs most are mutant pet dogs. One mutant dog can be exchanged for several good houses. Tiger is so powerful, exchanging him for three houses won't be a problem."

Hearing the two people's voices, Jiang Rong felt a sense of familiarity. After a moment's thought, he remembered. He had seen these two people in Chu Qiang's yard when he first discovered that his superpower could attach itself to plants. The two had tried to sneak into the Chu family mansion under the cover of darkness, but they were caught in a mutated wild rose, which resulted in them being injured.

It turns out that the petty thieves Li Auntie mentioned earlier were referring to her in-laws.

With the four of them pulling, Tiger was clearly struggling. It braced itself on all fours and shrank behind the orange tree. The collar around its neck tightened, constricting its throat, and the dog could only whimper helplessly. Perhaps realizing something bad was about to happen, large tears rolled down its cheeks, wetting the fur beneath its eyes.

When Tiger cried, the person holding him laughed instead: "Look, this dog is so intelligent, it's actually crying!"

"It's good that they understand human nature. That way they'll be obedient and can be driven by other superhumans once they get to the base."

"This dog is huge, it must eat a lot in one meal. Luckily we only had a short time on the road, otherwise it would have eaten us out of house and home."

Li Xiaojun said with a smile, "Third Uncle, Tiger can't go hungry. Our future depends on him." After saying that, he coaxed Tiger softly, "Tiger, be good. Come with me to a good place. It's better than watching the orchard."

The dog's barking grew more and more pitiful, and Jiang Xiaoheng's tears, which she had just stopped, welled up in her eyes again: "Dog, they're hurting the dog. Dad, please help the dog..."

Jiang Rong took his son and stepped back a few paces; there was nothing he could do to help with this.

From the moment Li Xiaojun helped his father-in-law pull the dog away, Uncle Li's body began to tremble uncontrollably. Despite the high outside temperature, he felt waves of cold air running down from the top of his head.

Looking at her son's ugly face as he dragged the dog, listening to those so-called relatives discussing how to use Tiger to exchange for a house and a job at the base, and seeing Tiger's tearful eyes, the thought that had been swirling in her mind countless times during this period resurfaced once again: What use is a son like this?

Since Li Xiaojun got a good job, everyone says that he and his wife have raised a good son, but who knows their suffering? Over the years, their son only contacts them when he needs money. He doesn't make a single phone call on ordinary days. When they call him, he only tells them that he is busy and in a meeting.

They know they are not very useful, and their child's success is entirely due to his own hard work. They try their best not to trouble their child in daily life. When their child needs help, they will drop everything to assist him.

What did they get?

They spent all their savings to buy a house for their son, but they didn't even know where the new house was. Since their daughter-in-law came into the family, they haven't drunk a glass of water she poured, eaten a bite of food she cooked, and had to endure her and her family's cold words and sarcastic remarks.

After the major crisis began, they had no objection to their son bringing his family back. Their wife's family only had one daughter, so it was only natural for them to come along. However, the fact that more than a dozen relatives from their wife's family also came along placed a heavy burden on them.

They had discussed the issues with their son, but he hadn't uttered a single word from their perspective. Now, even worse, he's using the guise of doing what's best for them to meticulously plan their future.

Over the years, he should have long since seen through his son's true nature. But deep down, he still held onto a sliver of hope that his son would understand the hardships and sacrifices of parenthood after having children of his own. Now it seems his son will never understand.

Li Xiaojun would rather let his parents suffer than fail to please his in-laws.

Uncle Li believed that this group of people didn't genuinely want to take them to the base; they were only after Tiger. If Tiger left with them now, this group would leave without hesitation.

Even a dog knows to protect its owner, yet Li Xiaojun, whom he's raised for decades, doesn't understand this principle. Leaving aside blood ties, Li Xiaojun is even less than a dog.

Uncle Li's heart sank instantly.

"stop."

Uncle Li uttered those two words, but his voice was too soft and trembling, drowned out by the teasing laughter of his relatives.

No one paid attention to Uncle Li's words, except for Tiger, who pricked up his ears.

Uncle Li's eyes gradually turned cold: "Tiger, go—"

At a command, Tiger lunged forward, causing the men pulling him to lose their balance and fall backward. Tiger leaped over Li Xiaojun and landed squarely on Li Xiaojun's father-in-law's body. Its two front paws pressed against his father-in-law's chest, and its head reached towards his neck.

If Tiger had tried to bite someone, Li Xiaojun's father-in-law would have been bleeding profusely. However, Tiger didn't hurt anyone; it simply used its weight to pin Li Xiaojun's father-in-law down. Looking at the huge dog's mouth, the father-in-law screamed in panic, "Murder—!"

The sudden turn of events startled Qianqian and her mother, who screamed, "Ah—!" Their relatives followed in a panic, with one or two even running down the mountain without looking back.

Li Xiaojun scrambled to his feet, speechless with shock. He quickly reached for the iron chain around Hu Zi's neck, shouting, "Get down! Hu Zi, get down!"

Once Tiger had its target under control, it would only obey Uncle Li and Aunt Li. No matter how Li Xiaojun tried to drag it, it wouldn't budge. After a few moments, the father-in-law cried out repeatedly, "Quick, quick, get this dog off me! Ouch, you're crushing me..."

Seeing her husband pinned down by the dog, Li Xiaojun's mother-in-law asked in a trembling voice, "My dear in-law, what are you doing?!"

Qianqian's voice was shrill: "Li Xiaojun! Tell your parents to stop the dog!"

Li Xiaojun looked at Uncle Li in utter shock: "Dad, what are you doing? Tell Hu Zi to stop!" Uncle Li had told them to stop earlier, but no one listened. However, when he told Hu Zi to go, they heard him clearly.

Although he had made up his mind, when he actually said it, Uncle Li's eyes were still red and his voice trembled: "Li Xiaojun, from today onwards, I no longer have you as my son, and you no longer have me as your father."

Li Xiaojun laughed as if he had heard something funny: "Dad, what are you saying? How can blood ties be severed?" Then he turned to Aunt Li, "Mom, you should persuade Dad. What kind of occasion is this? Qianqian's relatives are all here. If you have any opinions about me, we can talk about it behind closed doors later."

Aunt Li handed Jiang Xiaoheng to Jiang Rong and straightened the child's hat. Her hands trembled slightly, but when she turned around, her words were incredibly firm: "Your father means that he wants to sever his father-son relationship with you. I think so too, Li Xiaojun. You're an adult now, you're married, and you'll be a father soon. You should have been able to stand on your own long ago."

Li Xiaojun stared in disbelief, "Mom and Dad, are you out of your minds? What do you mean by severing ties? I'm your only child! If you don't want me, who else do you want?"

Uncle Li smiled bitterly: "I can't afford a son like you."

He couldn't see his own parents dying on the mountain, but he would eagerly do anything his in-laws wanted. He was a good son, living off his parents to support others; he was indeed a good son whom Uncle Li and his wife were raising for others.

Uncle Li said, "I don't want to say anything unpleasant. I just want to say one thing to you and your wife's relatives: Your mother and I don't owe you anything. We can't control where you go, but we will never follow you."

Li Xiaojun stared blankly at the two familiar faces. He knew his parents had suffered during this time. Qianqian's family had moved into their home, and his parents had given them all their belongings... But wasn't this all for the future?

His family is just an ordinary family. If no one helps them, how will they live a good life in the future? Being nice to Qianqian's family now is an investment in their future, isn't it?

A surge of resentment suddenly rose in Li Jun's heart. His parents were always like this. Whenever he needed their help, they would always hold him back. Apart from giving him some tuition fees when he was in school, they couldn't help him with anything else.

All his classmates had their parents arranging jobs and futures for them, but he had to rely on his own hard work for everything. This was true when he was looking for a job, and it was also true when he got married and had children. For so many years, he's been subservient to his wife's family, barely daring to breathe, simply because he has no family wealth or connections. If his parents were as capable as his wife's parents, he wouldn't still be a low-level clerk.

Countless nights, the thought of his classmates, who were less capable than him, doing better than him, felt like a knife was cutting into his heart. He never complained to his parents about this. Now, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself, and he finally seized it to connect with Qianqian's family's connections. But at the most crucial moment, it was his parents again who jumped in to trip him up.

Li Xiaojun laughed in fury, his facial muscles twitching twice: "Are you still my parents? What kind of time is this? How can you say such things?! Going to the base is to harm you? So many people are begging for this opportunity, and you not only don't cherish it, but you also want to sever ties with me?"

Li Xiaojun was so angry that his blood pressure rose. After pacing back and forth a few times, he said angrily, "Fine! Sever ties then! I've had enough of this all these years! You're no help at all, and you only cause trouble when it matters most. Having parents like you is truly my misfortune!"

Uncle Li and Aunt Li exchanged a glance, their disappointment finally becoming unbearable. What terrible things had they done to raise such a treacherous and selfish son?

They admit that as parents they can't offer their children much help, but they've done their best for them within their means. You could say they'd give their lives for their children.

But it's a different concept for someone to willingly give their life than for their son to actively seek theirs. The former is selfless love, the latter is selfish desire.

Li Xiaojun's breathing was heavy. He glared at Hu Zi and said fiercely, "Give me Hu Zi and I'll leave right now!"

Uncle Li and Aunt Li were speechless; it seemed their earlier suspicions had come true. In their eyes, their son was less loyal and devoted than a dog, and in their son's eyes, they were less useful than a dog.

With red eyes, Li Xiaojun looked at his parents, attempting a final negotiation: "Give me Tiger, and I'll leave immediately and never come back!"

Uncle Li and Aunt Li supported each other; in just a few minutes, they had aged considerably. After a long silence, Uncle Li finally spoke: "I can't make that decision..."

Li Xiaojun found it amusing: "If you don't want to give it, fine, but why come up with such a ridiculous excuse?!"

Uncle Li's eyes were cloudy, and his voice was weary: "Not only do sons grow up and leave home, but dogs also grow up and have their own ideas. Whether you want to come with me or not, you should ask Tiger yourself."

Li Xiaojun snorted coldly: "You raised it since it was a puppy, how could it leave you?" If Tiger was willing to go with him, he would have taken it with him in the car just now, why bother with all this trouble?

Uncle Li's eyes were filled with tears, "We raised you from a baby, and yet you left us, didn't you?"

Li Xiaojun choked on his words: "How can I, a living, breathing person, be compared to a dog?!"

Just as Li Xiaojun was about to argue with his parents, Qianqian threw herself at him, crying, "Are you dead? Can't you see my dad can barely breathe? Are your parents trying to kill my parents?! Let them go! Tell your parents to let them go!"

Seeing how protective her daughter-in-law was of her parents, Aunt Li tried to smile, but her smile was more like a grimace. She envied other people's parents, who received such protection from their children. If her son had even a tenth of the kindness Qianqian showed her parents, she and her husband would have gone to the base with him without hesitation.

Forget it. With her son's attitude, she and her husband wouldn't have a good life even if they moved on. Why be so foolish as to invite trouble?

Cao Qian's mother ran towards her father-in-law, sobbing, but when Hu Zi looked up, she was so frightened that her legs went weak and she couldn't stand up. She could only wail, "Old Cao, hold on, hold on!"

Seeing his wailing wife and mother-in-law, Li Xiaojun deflated like a punctured balloon: "Fine, I agree. I'll sever ties, I won't take Huzi with me, and you can release him..."

Li Xiaojun and his group carried the fruit basket down the mountain. Uncle Li and Aunt Li stood under the shack, watching their son's retreating figure, tears streaming down their faces. The strength they had maintained in front of Li Xiaojun crumbled at this moment. That was their son, someone who should have stood by them, someone they could rely on, but now he had become the one who hurt them the most.

Seeing Uncle Li and Aunt Li's distraught state, Jiang Rong remained silent. No matter the circumstances, a family falling apart was a tragic thing. If one day Xiao Heng treated him like this for the sake of outsiders, he felt he wouldn't be any better off than Uncle Li and Aunt Li.

Thinking about Uncle Li and Aunt Li's hard work and Li Xiaojun's sense of entitlement, Jiang Rong felt uneasy. He wished he could arrest Li Xiaojun and his group and lock them up on the mountain, making them water the fruit trees so they could experience the hardships Uncle Li and Aunt Li had endured.

But then he thought about it again, and realized there was no point in doing so. It's better to offend a gentleman than a petty person; if he really did that, he would only offend this group of people.

He wasn't worried about the fruit these people took; his real fear was that they would leak information once they arrived at the N City base. The base's ability users sometimes traveled hundreds of miles to gather supplies. If they revealed the orchard's existence, the fact that ability users would come to pick fruit every year would be a minor issue; more importantly, his and his son's house might also be exposed.

Thinking of this, Jiang Rong couldn't help but sigh: "Sigh..." He really wanted to cause some trouble for Li Xiaojun and his group, to make them fear the orchard. But with Guan Shao and Jiang Hao at home, it wasn't very convenient to do so.

Just then, Guan Shao's voice came: "Do you feel like you have a breath stuck in your chest?"

Jiang Rong turned his head and saw the same emotion in Guan Shao's eyes: "Hmm?"

Guan Shao smiled slightly: "I can't stand ingrates the most."

Jiang Rong raised an eyebrow slightly. Was Guan Shao willing to go with him to put sacks on burlap sacks? After considering for a moment, Jiang Rong smiled and said, "Want to go for a walk to clear your head sometime?"

Jiang Rong's face was reflected in Guan Shao's pupils, and he smiled gently and sincerely: "Okay."