Chapter 264: Ten Years of Hard Work in the Mines, Ten Years of Hardship Determines Fate

In fact, Wu Lian's words were already very tactful and polite.

After all, when Chen Nianhe found out what Uncle Xu had done, his first reaction was to immediately grab the man and chop him up.

General Chen hated traitors the most in his life. No matter what the reason was, he would kill anyone he saw with a knife.

Uncle Xu's action may seem insignificant, but in fact, once Mo Cheng notices something unusual and the news leaks back to Kyoto, the famine chaos in the northwest that has been finally quelled may be exposed as something even more strange.

Chen Nianhe survived the crisis thanks to the connections opened up by Xu Yu and the timely provision of food from Sang Zhixia.

In the days that followed when the Xu family took root in the northwest, Chen Nianhe and the hundreds of thousands of mouths in the northwest camp also waited for food from the Xu family farm.

Sharing weal and woe, Chen Nianhe had long been tied to the Xu family, who had become criminals.

If something goes wrong with the Xu family, Chen Nianhe will also be implicated.

Second Uncle Xu was so bold and presumptuous that he was able to save his life from Chen Nianhe's sharp knife. It was not because General Chen could no longer lift the knife, but because Chen Nianhe wanted to save face for the Xu family.

Wu Lian came here to communicate with the Xu family.

Uncle Xu is a member of the Xu family, so it is not easy for them to deal with him directly.

But it is not okay to let people go and let them do whatever they want and let them die.

Wu Lian thought for a moment and whispered, "The general's intention is to let Second Master Xu rest in a quiet place for the time being. Once the imperial envoys leave the northwest and arrive in Kyoto, it won't be too late to send him back to the Xu family."

As if afraid that the old man would be unhappy, Wu Lian quickly added: "During Mr. Xu's recuperation, all matters, big or small, will be handled by us. We will never let Mr. Xu down."

It's just that I'm not free temporarily.

There is no way Chen Nianhe would release such a hidden danger before the dust settles.

No matter how wicked and evil he is, Second Uncle Xu is still the nominal elder of Xu Yu and Sang Zhixia.

Since it concerns the elders, they are reluctant to speak up.

All eyes were focused on the old man for a moment. He closed his eyes and said, "Mingyang's mother, what do you think?"

Aunt Xu didn't expect someone to ask her this. She was startled and forced a smile before saying, "You should make the decision on matters like this. How could it be..."

"I can make the decision, but I have to ask for your opinion."

The old man said slowly, "He's Minghui and Mingyang's father, and your husband. You should know everything about him."

Second Aunt Xu pinched her palms tightly, her face turned pale and she opened her mouth repeatedly but couldn't speak.

Xu Mingyang blinked his big eyes and looked around. He ran over and grabbed her hand, saying crisply, "Mom, brother said no!"

Aunt Xu looked at him with a headache: "Do you know what we are talking about?"

"I know!"

The boy, who had just turned ten, still had the chubby face of a baby, but his large, distinct black and white eyes were filled with silent determination, and he said in a resounding voice: "Father did something wrong, so he should pay the price for his mistakes!"

Xu Mingyang held Aunt Xu's trembling hand tightly and said seriously, "My brother said that father doesn't care about our family's life or death. So we don't need to get involved in the trouble that father has caused. Let him be!"

Seeing Second Aunt Xu remained silent, Xu Mingyang glared and said, "It's not like anyone forced Father to make a mistake. He's already grown up, so what's wrong with him taking the responsibility himself?"

"Mom, listen to your brother! What your brother says must be right!"

The boy spoke in a crisp voice and a clear tone. Right was right and wrong was wrong.

Xu Mingyang did not have any father-son affection for his father who had not been home for a long time and had a very weak sense of presence. His heart was filled with indescribable annoyance.

There aren't so many things that are hard to let go of in children's logic.

If it's not good, then don't have it.

Anyway, if my father comes back, it will only make my mother sad, and he will beat me and my brother.

Xu Mingyang grabbed Aunt Xu's hand and shook it repeatedly: "Mom, don't worry about him."

"Father doesn't want to come back. Aren't we fine without him? I..."

"Xu Mingyang."

Sang Zhixia tapped Xu Mingyang on the back of his head, pulled his ear and said, "Don't talk nonsense."

If he continues to talk like this, it would be like Xu Mingyang, the son, blaming his father.

In this age where filial piety is paramount, it would be bad if it got out.

As long as the meaning is conveyed.

Xu Mingyang curled his lips in dissatisfaction, and stood aside as Sang Zhixia pulled his hand.

The hesitation in Aunt Xu's heart was completely dispelled by Xu Mingyang's words. When she looked up again, the struggle was gone, replaced by an unspeakable determination.

She said, "Grandpa, Mingyang is right. If he's wrong, he's wrong. We, mother and daughter, have no say in what to do."

The reason why Aunt Xu was hesitant was because she was concerned about the future of Xu Minghui and Xu Mingyang.

Having a father alive, even if he is useless, is better than having no father at all.

But now...

Second Aunt Xu lowered her eyes to hide the coldness in them, and sneered in her heart: If this person is not a help but a burden if he is still alive, then what is the point of him living?

For some people, it is better to die than to live.

The old man nodded slightly when he heard this, opened his eyes and looked at Wu Lian and said, "Is the place he is in now secluded?"

Wu Lian quickly said, "It's absolutely quiet and no one will disturb us."

"That's fine."

The old man twirled the two walnuts in his hand, and said, emotionless amid the clinking sound, "I remember there's a mine about eight hundred miles north of the Northwest Camp."

"yes."

Wu Lian was puzzled as to why the old man suddenly asked this. After a pause, he said, "The Northwest Camp is stationed here, firstly to prevent foreign enemies from harassing us, and secondly for this mine."

When the Xu family was exiled, if it weren't for the fact that Marquis Jiaxing and the old man had some private connections through years of business, the entire Xu family would have ended up in that mine.

Wu Lian was still considering what to say next when the old man said calmly, "Wait until Mo Cheng and the others leave, and send him to work at the mine."

"Is…is this appropriate?"

Wu Lian blinked in surprise and said weakly, "Old man, the mine is heavily guarded. Once you enter, you can't get out. Moreover, people who enter the mine are considered miners and have to work in the mine every day. Master Xu..."

"If he were unlucky enough to die there, the Xu family would have another memorial tablet for the Second Master. If he could come back alive and survive the full ten years, the Xu family would naturally still have a place for him to eat."

Under Wu Lian's incredulous gaze, the old man spoke slowly and slowly, "He is a member of the Xu family. Whether he can come back alive in ten years and eat a bowl of rice from the Xu family again depends entirely on his fate. His life or death has nothing to do with others."

Ten years of working in the mines.

Ten years of hard work.

Whether he can survive depends entirely on Uncle Xu's fate.

This was the last mercy that the old man, as a father and the head of the Xu family, showed to Uncle Xu.