Chapter 36: She is really good at pretending.

Qiu Shitou didn't know about the division of the clan. He stood in front of the clan mother's yard and shouted loudly, thinking that Qiu Yun was hiding in there and deliberately not coming out.

"The old thing that's haunting me." The grandmother was kneading dough in the kitchen. When she heard the sound, she slapped the table with her palm.

She had long heard about the Qiu family from Zong Xiao, and had also heard that the two families had severed their relationship, but she never expected that Qiu Shitou would have the nerve to come.

Zong Anji soothed her, "Mom, don't get angry with him. Let's see what he wants to do first."

The clan mother was a little annoyed and said in a displeased tone, "What else can he do? He definitely has bad intentions. Maybe he wants to use his connections to get our family to support him."

Outside the door, Qiu Shitou sat down on the steps.

He was afraid that no one was at the Zong family, so he came early in the morning. How come no one responded after so long? Could it be that everyone had really gone to town?

Just as he was thinking about it, the door to the courtyard opened and a cool breeze blew in from behind him.

"Why are you knocking so early in the morning?" The clan mother looked at him with disgust. "What are you doing here?"

Qiu Shitou hadn't expected it to be the clan mother who would open the door. He held up the meat in his hand, put on a smile, and said, "Mother-in-law, I've been missing my daughter, so I came to see her."

The clan mother held the door open with both hands, showing no intention of inviting him in. "Who is your mother-in-law? We're already cut off from our relationship, so don't try to establish a relationship."

Qiu Shitou's face froze, and he felt a little embarrassed.

"What are you talking about? It's a foregone conclusion that Qiu Xuan is my daughter. How could I, as her father, make a mistake when I come to see her?"

"Go away, go away! Stop getting in my way. I've never seen such a shameless old thing as you. Not to mention breaking off the relationship, just take the debt repayment issue. She was married into our family as payment for a debt, so what relationship does she have with your family?"

The grandmother didn't want to mention the debt repayment, but Qiu Shitou was so unreasonable and arrogant that she could only say this in order to drive him away.

"You...even if it's to pay off the debt, so what? She's my daughter, live and die." Seeing that things had fallen out, Qiu Shitou became even more cautious in his words. "I have to see her today. I don't believe she'll stay out of this house for the rest of her life."

As he said that, Qiu Shitou lay down directly on the steps.

The mother was so angry that she wanted to kick him twice. She had never seen such a shameless person. She slammed the gate shut, out of sight, out of mind.

In the next yard, Qiu Xuan was eating a dry bun with some vegetables. While eating, she listened to the noise outside.

She heard everything they just said, but her face showed no expression, as if she was not the one being talked about.

Zong Xiao was sitting next to her. When he heard the last part, he was so angry that he stood up directly, as if he was going to fight.

"Are you going to hit him?" Qiu Yu stretched out her foot to block his way. "If you touch him, he will definitely blackmail you."

Qiu Xuan knew what Qiu Shitou was trying to do without having to guess. She could even imagine what Qiu Shitou would do if he couldn't see her today.

Shameless people only know these few tricks.

But she didn't understand why Qiu Shitou came to her again after such a long time.

"I'll go talk to him." Qiu Xuan narrowed her eyes and looked at him, and warned him, "Don't believe anything I say later."

Seeing him frown, Qiu Yu repeatedly warned him, "I'll go ask him why he came here. Don't believe anything else he says."

Qiu Xuan put down the dry steamed bun in her hand, stood up and slowly walked to the door.

The gate opened, and she feigned surprise and called out, "Dad, why are you here?"

The word "Dad" instantly gave Qiu Shitou hope. He didn't care about the others and half sat up, complaining, "My dear daughter, Dad missed you so much that he wanted to come and see you, but your mother-in-law wouldn't let me see you, saying she'd severed the relationship. You're my daughter, how could Dad sever the relationship with you?"

Qiu Xuan wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, looking aggrieved and ready to cry. "Dad, you know I was brought here to pay off our family's debts. My mother-in-law divided the family as soon as I got married. If you feel sorry for your daughter, it's better not to come to me again."

Not coming to see her? How could that be possible?

Thinking of what Lin Cuihua said yesterday, Qiu Shitou couldn't help but open the door and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Your mother saw it yesterday. You and your mother-in-law bought cotton together. How could your mother-in-law not love you? Don't try to scare Dad."

It turns out that he was seen yesterday. No wonder he came to block the door so early today.

When Qiu Xuan knew the reason, she immediately came up with a solution. Her tears started to flow and she couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Qiu Shitou was stunned for a moment.

"It turns out Dad didn't really miss me. He saw the cotton and thought I had it in my hand." Qiu Xuan's body softened and she barely held onto the wall. She covered her heart and kept crying. "Dad came here because he wanted the cotton, right?"

"You...what are you talking about, kid? How could your father be that person?" Qiu Shitou wanted to go up and cover Qiu Yun's mouth. How could she say such words to others? If outsiders heard it, how would he save his old face?

Qiu Xuan cried for a long time. When she saw her neighbor finally open the door and look out, she cried even louder. "Dad, I'm married into the Zong family now. I'm a member of the Zong family. I can't give you anything from the Zong family."

"I am grateful that you have me in your heart, but... I cannot accept your things. I am already married. If mother... knew that I took your meat today, she would be angry... and would beat me. You'd better take this meat back for Hu Zi to eat." Seeing that more and more people were watching the fun, Qiu Xuan repeated what she had just said in a hoarse voice.

The people around pointed and talked at Qiu Shitou. They all heard that the old man came to his son-in-law's house to beg for something. He brought pork with almost no fat and wanted to exchange it for cotton.

Zong Xiao stood inside the door, his heart trembling.

This was the first time he had seen Qiu Yun in this state. If Qiu Yun had not repeatedly warned him, he would have believed her lies.

"How shameless! You've already married her off in exchange for the betrothal gifts, but you're still thinking about her things."

"That's right, he's still thinking about a little bit of cotton. I really don't know what this dad is thinking."

"I don't think this father is a good person. Who would come to the house early in the morning to ask for something if they really love their daughter?"

Qiu Shitou had never imagined that things would turn out like this. Those people actually blamed him! He was Qiu Xuan's father!

"You...you." Qiu Shitou raised his hand and slapped Qiu Yu in anger.

There was a sound of "ouch", but the slap did not fall. Instead, Qiu Shitou's wrist was grabbed by Zong Xiao.

Zong Xiao was very strong, and Qiu Shitou screamed in pain when he exerted a little force.

"Get lost, don't let me see you again." Zong Xiao wasn't as good-tempered as Qiu Xuan. His eyes were so cold they could freeze someone to death. "Remember, Qiu Xuan broke off the relationship with you a long time ago. If you come back to me, don't blame me for spreading all your family's dirty deeds."

Qiu Shitou was the most afraid of him. He nodded repeatedly in pain and didn't think about the word "dirty" at all.

"I'm going, I'm going, I'm going, please let go."

Zong Xiao let go at the right time, and Qiu Shitou quickly slipped away when he saw this. He ran so fast that he didn't forget the piece of meat he brought with him before leaving.

He rubbed his wrist and cursed, "You bastard, you dare to lay hands on me? Tomorrow I'll make you spit out your money."

Qiu family.

Lin Cuihua had been anxiously waiting for news in the yard. When she saw Qiu Shitou returning empty-handed, she knew that the matter had not been accomplished.

"That damn girl doesn't give you anything?" she asked.

Qiu Shitou snorted, "Nothing to give? She's still pretending not to recognize me as her father."

"She didn't recognize you?" Lin Cuihua frowned slightly. "Why? Didn't anyone see you go find her? Didn't those people help you scold her?"

It is only natural for a father to scold his children.

"There's nothing interesting in their whole village." Qiu Shitou is not someone who gives up easily. After all, the things from the Zong family are really tempting, including cotton and noodle stalls.

Now that they have fallen out again, it is no longer just about wanting things.

He wants money and wants the Zong family to give him money.

He just didn't believe that he couldn't control others with his filial piety.

The next day, Qiu Shitou set out again. He deliberately wore shabby clothes and suddenly appeared at the noodle stall at noon.

"My daughter, you are living a good life now, why don't you recognize me as your father?"

There was a cry and everyone around looked over.

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The author has something to say: After cleaning up the Qiu family, let's continue making money [come on]