Chapter 175 A Joyful and Harmonious Moment: Heartfelt Comfort and Late-Night Talk about Marriage
Qin Zhen was taken away by the police.
Before leaving, he was still cursing and swearing, stubbornly believing that he hadn't made a mistake in getting to where he was today, but that the old man was biased, favoring the older brother and the younger one, and that he was the one suffering in the middle.
After Qin Ji had explained so much, seeing his reaction, Old Master Qin said no more. Even when Qin Ji tried to defend himself, Old Master Qin waved his hand wearily.
"That's enough, Aji, let him be, no need to say more."
Things have escalated to this point, and there's no longer any point in hiding it.
With Qin Shu's help, Old Master Qin entered the house, followed closely by the others.
The atmosphere was somewhat somber, but most of the people were worried.
"Father, have some water and calm down first."
Qin Jin poured a glass of warm water and handed it to the old man.
After resting for a while and calming down, the redness on the old man's face caused by anger gradually dissipated.
"Now you've all seen it. The reason I called you all here today is to give you all a warning—no matter who it is, if anyone ever acts like that bastard Qin Zhen again, I'll risk everything and have no descendants, I won't show the slightest mercy!"
The old man looked solemn and serious, clearly not taking these words lightly.
"Father, don't worry, we won't."
"Yes, Grandpa, everyone knows what's going on, they certainly won't be that confused."
Everyone responded readily, partly as a promise, and partly to put the old man at ease.
Qin Ji stood silently at the back of the crowd, head down, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides, his face deathly pale. He looked unwell.
As descendants of the Qin family, only the second branch has committed numerous evil deeds, resulting in their impoverished and destitute fate.
My mother has a criminal record for murder, and now my father has also committed a grave mistake.
His already desolate home was now empty except for him.
From a very young age, Qin Ji envied his cousins.
Auntie was strict with Qin Zhou, but when they got into trouble together, no matter how angry she was, she would discipline him behind closed doors. In public, she always gave Qin Zhou face. Uncle was busy with work, but whenever he had time, he would go home to be with his wife and children.
In contrast, his mother, Xu Jinhua, was just as strict with him, but the child's pride was of little concern to her.
"What's the point of saving face for a kid like you? If you care about face, get a better score and make my life easier! Just like your incompetent father, you're useless, so don't blame me for being disrespectful!"
Harsh words are commonplace, and even in front of outsiders, beatings and scoldings are frequent.
It is euphemistically said that "a loving mother spoils her son" and "spare the rod and spoil the child."
As for his father, Qin Zhen, he not only didn't speak up for him, but he also rarely came home.
He knew from a young age that his parents' relationship wasn't as good as that of his uncle and aunt. He had also seen many of the women his father had been with, and once he even asked one of them to attend his parent-teacher conference, but his mother refused to go because she thought his grades were too low and embarrassing.
After he grew up and officially joined the Qin family, his parents, who had previously not taken him seriously, finally began to treat him as an adult. However, behind all the kindness was the desire for him to help them embezzle public funds and line their own pockets.
After he refused, his previous ugly face was revealed again.
Even today, if he stands up and says a few words of justice, he is still scolded mercilessly by his father, as if he were truly unfilial.
Over the past two decades, Qin Ji has had this thought more than once—it would be great if they all died.
An immoral father, a selfish mother.
If only they all died.
Qin Ji was acutely aware of his own darkness.
The moment the police took Qin Zhen away, he even breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Among the Qin family's children and grandchildren of this generation, he was neither as talented as his younger brother Qin Shu nor as adept as his elder brother Qin Zhou. His existence was the most superfluous one, and also the one most deserving of no recognition.
Now, the old man has severed ties with the second wife, and Qin Zhen has been kicked out of the Qin family.
And what about him?
Qin Ji was somewhat confused.
Although he was unwilling to admit it, he was indeed Qin Zhen's son.
My father is no longer a member of the Qin family, so what reason could he possibly have to stand here?
What reason is there to stand in the Qin family's living room, in the Qin family's villa, and call the old man "Grandpa"?
Qin Ji was plunged into endless confusion and pain.
A moment later, he lifted his foot forward, took a few steps, and then stopped.
"Grandpa, please... take back the company and property you gave me before."
Qin Ji's voice was a little hoarse.
Rather than waiting for others to take it away, taking the initiative to withdraw is the best way to preserve one's dignity.
Qin Ji kept his head down, but he could still feel the many pairs of eyes looking at him.
However.
"You are you, and your father is your father."
A slightly weary voice came from ahead, "Aji, lift your head."
Qin Ji remained silent for a moment, then, as instructed, slowly raised his head and met the old man's cloudy yet bright eyes.
“Although I don’t acknowledge that scoundrel Qin Zhen, Aji, you are a good child. No matter what those two have done, you are still Grandpa’s good grandson. I’m at ease leaving those businesses to you to manage.”
Qin Ji opened his mouth slightly, "But..."
Old Master Qin interrupted him, "There's no 'but' about it. You are you, and they are them."
Qin Shu also said, "Second brother, don't overthink it. Grandpa was only talking about the matter, not the person. People are all independent individuals. You didn't do anything wrong, so there's no need for you to pay for their mistakes or bear the blame. We all believe in you, so don't blame yourself too much and make Grandpa worry."
Qin Yong patted Qin Ji on the shoulder, "Yes, Ji, you are different from them. Don't punish yourself for other people's mistakes."
Qin Zhou, Qin Jin, and Song Ying also offered words of comfort.
Even Li Biru apologized somewhat embarrassedly, "Aji, your aunt didn't think before she spoke. Because she had a grudge against your mother... against that person, she was always being sarcastic. But don't worry, your aunt definitely didn't mean to target you. I've always thought you were very well-behaved and good."
“The character ‘Qin’ cannot be written with a single stroke, and the character ‘family’ cannot be made with one more or one less person. You and A-Zhou have always been like brothers. If you don’t mind, then from now on, treat your uncle and me as your parents. We will definitely treat you like our own son. So please don’t say such discouraging things, understand?”
Li Biru is not a traditional virtuous wife and loving mother.
She also has many bad habits, such as being spoiled because she comes from a wealthy family and being petty and vindictive. However, she is not a bad person. She can distinguish right from wrong and dares to admit her mistakes.
Looking at everyone's earnest words of comfort and urging, Qin Ji, who had never felt warmth from his parents, suddenly had tears in his eyes.
As Old Master Qin gazed upon this harmonious scene, the pent-up frustration that had been building up in his heart due to the actions of Qin Zhen and his wife dissipated somewhat.
When it came time for dinner that evening, everyone was worried that the old man wouldn't be able to eat.
To everyone's surprise, the old man remained calm and composed, just as usual, showing no signs of change.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
After returning to his room to rest, out of sight of others, Old Master Qin picked up the family photo of the six of them from the bedside table, and tears streamed down his face.
Tears fell onto the glass of the picture frame, sliding down the smooth surface and seeping into the gap between the wooden frame and the mirror, gradually wetting the corners of the photograph.
To avoid disturbing the old man's rest, only Qin Shu and his wife, along with Qin Ji, stayed at the old house that night; everyone else went home after dinner.
"How about we stay at the old house for a few more days?"
On the soft bed, Song Ying nestled in Qin Shu's arms. The two sat on the headboard, thinking about the day's events. "Although Grandpa didn't say anything and seemed indifferent, I still feel that what happened between my second uncle and aunt will cause him a lot of distress."
Qin Shu and Song Ying were thinking the same thing.
“The old man has been strong-willed all his life, and now that this has happened, he must be having a hard time getting over it. I’m fine, but if you don’t mind, we can stay here for a few more days. That’s also why I asked my second brother to stay at the old house today. Now that something has happened to the second branch of the family, my second brother must be feeling bad too. Staying at the old house for a while will prevent him from overthinking and getting stuck in a rut.”
Song Ying nodded, "Anyway, there's nothing much going on at the company right now, so it doesn't matter whether I go or not. The reboot of 'Passion' will take a while, so I'll take this time to rest. However, there's a film I need to shoot next week, and the content is pretty good. I might have to go to Nancheng then. You'll have to keep an eye on Grandpa's side then."
"Are you going to film a new movie?" Qin Shu asked.
"Hmm," Song Ying responded. "I haven't had a chance to tell you yet. It's Fang Zhonghua's new film, the director of 'Temptation Star.' I worked with him before and thought it was pretty good. I just finished reading the script yesterday. If the filming goes smoothly, it will be a good subject for winning awards. Lately, I've been doing a lot of variety shows, and the company has been handling things personally, but I've put acting on hold for quite a while. Although I'm not short of money, I still want to take a step forward in my acting career and see how far I can go."
It is said that wealth and status are dazzling.
But Song Ying has never forgotten her original intention when she entered this industry.
Fortunately, Qin Shu always supported her work. "When the time comes, you can go ahead and film. I'll take care of things here in the capital, so don't worry about anything. I'll come visit you on set when I have time. The southern part of the city is the Fu family's territory. I'll have Peng Wen go with you and bring a lot of people with him. Don't find it troublesome. If they don't bother you, that's fine. But if they do cause trouble, don't be afraid of them."
"From what you're saying, it seems the Fu family and the Qin family have a conflict?" Song Ying asked.
Qin Shu patted Song Ying's head, then pressed his face against the top of her head and gently rubbed it, explaining.
"It's not a big conflict, really. Back then, the Qin family, the Fu family, your maternal grandfather's Jiang family, and my maternal grandfather's Li family were all vying for supremacy in China. They were all unwilling to give in, but in factional disputes, there always has to be a clear winner. The Qin family and the Fu family were especially fierce in their struggle, and it seemed inevitable that they would have to clash head-on. That's when my mother married my father, and the Qin and Li families formed an alliance through marriage. The Qin family suddenly became the head of the four families."
"Seeing this, the Jiang family took the initiative to withdraw and went into hiding in Mocheng, guarding Huaxi; the Li family of Donghai and the Qin family of the capital watched over each other; under such circumstances, the Fu family could only suffer in silence and gave up the idea of going north, guarding Nancheng for more than 20 years."
"Fu Yushu, the current heir of the Fu family, is known as a smiling, scholarly businessman. His father, Fu Hongyuan, is ruthless, and any heir recognized by him is certainly not a kind person. However, even if the Fu family has reservations about the Qin family, you still have the Jiang family and my maternal grandfather's family, the Li family, behind you. The Fu family shouldn't cause any trouble. It's just that I have some concerns, which is why I'm thinking a bit more. In short, it's better to be prepared."
After Qin Shu said that, Song Ying understood the situation.
"In that case, there shouldn't be any chance of conflict. The crew is filming in a closed environment, and the filming period for Director Fang's movie this time is very short, only one month. The scenes are concentrated and the filming is intense. Moreover, because of the special subject matter, after the editing is completed, it will be sent for review through a fast track, waiting to be released during the New Year's holiday season at the end of the year, and incidentally aiming for the Huaxiang Awards next year. The actors don't even have a chance to leave the set, so you can rest assured."
At this point, Song Ying looked at Qin Shu, "Compared to me going to Nancheng, I'm more worried about you here in the capital. After the Lanxiang Mountain incident, we were practically exposed to the public. I'm really afraid of CEW and Sheng'an Division..."
Qin Shu raised a finger and gently placed it against Song Ying's lips.
"Trust in our country, trust in me. Today's China is no longer the backward country that was bullied by others. The sleeping lion has awakened, and those people will always hesitate to act rashly. As for me, you don't need to worry. Everything is proceeding in an orderly manner. If you are really worried... then why don't you think about how to arrange the wedding?"
When Qin Shu suddenly brought up the wedding from the main business, Song Ying was taken aback and patted him, "Why did we suddenly get onto this topic?"
"You're not in a hurry, but I am."
Qin Shu sighed and tightened his grip on Song Ying's arm. "I always felt that I could only truly feel at ease marrying you in front of everyone with a grand wedding. Before, you were busy with work, so I didn't dare to urge you. Today, when you mentioned it, I thought it was time to schedule it, but then I heard you say you'd be going to Nancheng for a month. It's okay that you're busy, I can handle it, but you have to try on the wedding dress yourself, and the same goes for the ring. Now I'm afraid that when the time comes, you won't even have time to be a bride."
Sensing the resentment in Qin Shu's words, Song Ying sat up straight and turned to look at him. "It's not as exaggerated as you say."
"It's not an exaggeration at all, okay?"
Qin Shu gave a soft hum and then sighed resignedly, "Actually, in the end, it's because I don't want the wedding to be perfunctory, but I'm also afraid that if I were to handle it, it wouldn't be to your liking. After all, you only get married once, and I want to make you happy."
But given how busy Song Ying is, Qin Shu really doesn't know when she'll be able to find time for these things.
"Don't worry, I've already thought it through and set aside time, I just haven't told you yet."
As she said this, Song Ying picked up her phone from the bedside table, opened the chat history, and handed the phone to Qin Shu.
"Look for yourself."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
