"Apologize? You're dreaming!"

"Her daughter stole my good fortune, and now she's trying to steal my man. Are they here to punish me?"

Lu Yi, have I ever wronged you in any way since we were children? Why are you humiliating me like this on our first day of marriage?

Ruan Baozhu's voice was loud, yet her crying face was beautiful.

Her voice attracted a crowd, including staff from the Civil Affairs Bureau, who curiously peered over.

Lu Yi understood her intentions: to ruin his second aunt's reputation and, incidentally, force him into a corner. His expression grew even colder, and Lu Yi laughed in exasperation.

"What have you done to wrong me? Fine! You don't know, then I'll tell you."

She started corresponding with upperclassmen in high school and was simultaneously flirting with three men at school. Ruan Baozhu, should I name those men?

"You investigated me?" Ruan Baozhu was incredulous, never expecting this man to investigate her. "You scoundrel."

Lu Yi released his grip and took a step back. "Investigate you? I don't have that much time. The brother of your ambiguous partner is my comrade-in-arms. The letter has already reached me. Do I need to say more?"

"You're slandering me! You're slandering me for the sake of the woman next to you who's already married!"

"Lu Yi, Shan Jing, I'm going back to tell Grandpa, tell Second Uncle, you just wait."

The onlookers pointed and whispered, and fearing that she would be recognized if she stayed any longer, Ruan Baozhu covered her face and ran away crying.

How could this happen? How could this happen?

Were Ruan Xianxian and her mother sent by God to torment her?

As soon as she left, Lu Yi and Shan Jing also quickly departed. The two arrived at a secluded alley. Shan Jing was a little flustered; her niece had said before leaving that she would tell her father-in-law and husband…

She came with a blank mind, having not thought about anything. What should she do when she gets back?

Lu Yi lit a cigarette, and seeing the worry faintly showing on her face, he stubbed it out.

"Don't panic! Don't go home yet. Does the Ruan family want the Lu family to die out by marrying a sick daughter to me? I will ask Grandpa to intervene in this matter."

The Ruan family—!

Ruan Baozhu ran home and complained bitterly to Shan Jingyi. She buried her face in her grandfather's arms and cried. Ruan Kangri, who was slurring his words, cursed his second son as his grandson.

Just as Aunt Ruan was enjoying the show, Old Master Lu arrived with Lu Yi.

When the truth about his granddaughter contracting an infectious disease was revealed, Ruan Kangri was speechless as he faced the scrutiny of his old leader.

He clearly wanted to wait until the two children were married and some time had passed before letting Baozhu fall ill.

It will be unclear at that time whether she or Lu Yi infected the other, and the Lu family will not make a fuss about it, but will only give the two children proper medical treatment.

Now... he was somewhat at a loss as to how to face the scene ahead; Lu Tianming's imposing aura was too overwhelming.

"Fighting the Japanese." The old leader called to him, "From the day I became a squad leader, you have been my soldier. We have been through thick and thin for most of our lives. Have I ever wronged you in any way?"

"say!"

At his first words, Ruan Kangri, whose eyelids were drooping from drinking, shuddered. "No."

Lu Tianming nodded. "Then why did you choose to rush into marriage and hide it from me when Baozhu was diagnosed with liver disease? What are you planning to do?"

Now that things had come to this, Ruan Kangri knew there was no point in hiding it. "I'm afraid that if you find out, you'll break off the engagement with the two children. My granddaughter's innocence has already been proven..."

"So, after all these decades of brotherhood, this is how you see me?" Lu Tianming laughed angrily, then stood up, unwilling to say anything more.

"Let things cool down, let the two children get a divorce. I'll send Lu Yi to the west. Old Ruan, do you have any objections?"

What could Ruan Kangri say? He lowered his head and remained silent.

Ruan Baozhu rushed over at this moment, her face contorted with rage, pointing her finger at Lu Yi repeatedly.

"Divorce? On what grounds? He's my fiancé, he's taken advantage of me, and now he wants a divorce just because he knows I have an illness? I just want to ask him one question: on what grounds?"

For the first time in many years, Ruan Tianming carefully examined the granddaughter-in-law he had personally chosen back then.

"Ruan girl! Grandpa will only ask you one question: Did you know all along that this boy secretly likes your second aunt?"

Ruan Baozhu was taken aback by the question and her eyes darted away.

After all, she was a young girl who was inexperienced in the ways of the world. How could she hide her thoughts from Lu Tianming?

He continued, "Have you ever thought about correcting his values, or informing me about them?"

Ruan Baozhu's lips moved slightly. She felt disgusted when she discovered it, and she didn't even think about telling anyone, for fear that if it reached Old Master Lu's ears, he would force her to marry Lu Yi.

Seeing his granddaughter unable to utter a single word, Ruan Kangri felt a pang of heartache. "Leader! Don't blame her. This child is quite innocent. Who would have thought that Yi boy..."

"I don't blame her." Lu Tianming's back was ramrod straight, but his steps revealed a sense of old age. "I can't even take care of my own grandson, how can I have the face to blame others?"

"Grandpa..." Lu Yi didn't like hearing this.

"Shut up." The old man snapped, turning around abruptly. "And you? Would you be willing to start over in the West after the divorce?"

Lu Yi thought a lot. His grandfather's idea was to send him to the west to start all over again. He lowered his head deeply and said, "I will not get a divorce."

Ruan Baozhu was overjoyed.

Lu Tianming didn't say another word, turned the doorknob, and disappeared into the darkness.

Looking at Ruan Baozhu who had moved closer to him... Lu Yi smiled. He stood there for ten minutes. Someone knocked on the door, and he opened his eyes and said calmly to the person who entered:

"This is a problem! My wife has contracted an infectious disease and needs to be hospitalized for treatment. Once she recovers, I will personally pick her up from the hospital."

He emphasized the phrase "personally picked her up from the hospital".

Ruan Baozhu panicked and cried out for help: "I'm not sick! Grandpa, I don't want to be hospitalized."

Grandpa Ruan wanted to stop him, but Lu Yi looked at him and said, "You must know how contagious liver disease is. Not just Baozhu, I suggest your whole family go to the hospital for a checkup."

Baozhu and the Ruan family are welcome to visit anytime. I have other matters to attend to, so I must leave now!

...

When Shan Jing returned home, she was greeted by Ruan Tai's furious beating.

That night, in the same study, Ruan Kangri summoned his third son. His aged face could no longer muster a smile. Father and son stared at each other for a long while, then Ruan Kangri suddenly said:

Of my three sons, you are the one who resembles me the most.

"Go! The Ruan family's ancestral graves contain wealth accumulated by our ancestors over many years. Your time has come; I'm getting old, and you will be in charge of this family from now on."

Ruan An suppressed his excitement. After so many years, he had finally gotten the chance to be in charge. However, he was used to hiding his feelings and habitually bowed his head and agreed in front of his father.

Ruan Kangri was extremely satisfied. "Go! Don't use that money without waiting for the situation to become clear."

Outside the door, a slender figure quietly left, and in the darkness, Aunt Ruan's eyes were filled with resentment.

Why? They are all the old man's biological children. He left the family property to his third son but forced his daughter to go to the countryside in the northwest. Why?

She was angry, she was resentful...

She rushed to the ancestral graves overnight and searched all night. Not to mention the Ruan family's graves, she dug up the graves of several nearby families, but she couldn't find any trace of the Ruan family's legacy.

She crawled and rolled into her house early in the morning, covered in dirt.

"Dad! Dad! Dad! I've searched the ancestral graves, but there's not a single piece of gold or silver, not even a feather. Are you sure you haven't made a mistake and hidden the money somewhere else?"