Chapter 2 Family Rules
Xun Chen's eyes suddenly became sharp and locked onto her.
"I don't want either you or him. From now on, he is the son of your Lordship of Anping and the Lordship of Anping's family, not mine."
“Boom!”
A loud thunder exploded outside the window, and a pale light instantly illuminated the entire study.
"Jiang Qingning, say it again!"
Xun Chen slammed his hands on the table, and the lazy sarcasm in his expression disappeared, replaced by an expression of complete anger.
He couldn't believe his ears!
This woman, this woman whom he hated and neglected for eight years, actually dared to so casually say that she no longer wanted Mo Li, and also didn't want... him.
That's Xun Chen's eldest son, how dare she do that!
"The son is yours, and the dowry is mine."
Jiang Qingning repeated it clearly, his tone calm.
"It's all written in the divorce agreement. If Earl Anping has no objection, please sign and seal it. From now on, you and I will have nothing to do with each other."
"Unrelated?"
Xun Chen felt like he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
He laughed in anger, a terrifying storm swirling in his eyes.
"Jiang Qingning, what gives you the right to just say no? Who do you think you are?
You came whenever you wanted, and now you leave whenever you want. You can even abandon your own flesh and blood like a piece of trash?!"
"Or have you been blaming me all these years, and therefore taking out your anger on how you treated Li Qiye?"
"How dare I blame the Earl of Anping, whom the emperor values so highly." Jiang Qingning retorted with a sinister sneer.
She calmly looked at Xun Chen, who was furious because she didn't want a son.
The last ripple in her heart caused by his anger also completely returned to silence.
Satire.
Rather than saying that Xun Moli is her biological son, it would be better to say that he is just a piece of flesh that fell from her body.
And Xun Chen's only concern for her stems from this.
Three years ago, she was forced by her mother-in-law, Lady Anping, to go to the temple with her hair untied to pray for her husband Xun Chen, who was working thousands of miles away to provide disaster relief. Since then, she has not been allowed to return home for two years.
It was not until half a year after Xun Chen returned home after completing his mission that one of the countless letters she had sent back was finally opened by Xun Chen.
That day, Xun Chen met her outside the temple, with a blank expression on his face from beginning to end.
As she excitedly walked to the carriage, Xun Chen said, "You shouldn't be so ignorant. Mother did this for our own good."
"If you are truly a virtuous woman, you should continue to pray for your mother in this Taoist temple. She became ill last night because of your ignorance."
"My husband is wrong. My mother is bedridden. As her daughter-in-law, I should personally serve her medicine by her bedside to show my filial piety."
In order to save face between husband and wife, Jiang Qingning endured the pain in his heart for two years.
But she was extremely reluctant to continue staying in this Taoist temple. She suppressed her expectations for her son and finally spoke back to Xun Chen for the first time.
"Mother doesn't like you. Just be cautious and give in to her. You'll be able to get through this eventually."
Jiang Qingning was puzzled.
If he really liked her a little, how could he send his dear uncle's wife to the Taoist temple despite her pleading and regardless of the opinions of the world?
She had long been too lazy to maintain this difficult-to-reconcile relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
During these three years, if I hadn't had the skills to support myself, I probably wouldn't have saved enough money to bribe the hypocritical and dirty fallen woman in this Taoist temple.
It is possible that she, Zi Su and Aunt Zhang had been tortured to death long ago.
"Husband, I have made up my mind." Jiang Qingning insisted.
Xun Chen closed his eyes and stopped looking at her, and the carriage moved slowly.
With her expectations for her husband and longing for her son, she finally insisted on returning to the Anping Marquis' Mansion.
However, when she returned home, she saw her son whom she had not seen for three years. He still refused to call her mother.
The old lady of the Anping Earl said sarcastically, "I'm afraid you must have done too many evil things in your past and present lives, which is why your own son doesn't recognize you."
All the enlightenment books he had learned in the past were covered with a thick layer of dust. He had to be held by his wet nurse all day long and refused to walk. He would often make the servants kneel on the ground and pretend to ride a horse, and would make the maids who did something wrong lie on the ground and bark like a dog.
Her every move was completely unlike the well-behaved and sensible Mo Li she used to be.
Jiang Qingning's silence was like an invisible wall, which further ignited Xun Chen's anger.
"One only wants the dowry, the other wants nothing to do with either!"
Xun Chen was furious. He suddenly grabbed the white jade ring on the desk and threw it to the ground.
The crisp and sharp sound of breaking was even more startling than the sound of dishes breaking last night.
Jiang Qingning closed his eyes and said resolutely, "Xun Chen, please sign the divorce agreement. From now on, you and I are done with each other."
"Xun Jiang, you are so cruel!"
Xun Chen stared at her intently, his chest heaving violently.
Like a trapped beast, he wanted to see through her with his eyes, to see what kind of vicious thoughts were hidden beneath her calm appearance.
"I want to see who is so shameless as to ask for a divorce from her husband!"
Old Madam Xun walked quickly up the corridor with the help of the old nanny. She looked so healthy that she didn't look like someone who had been ill for three months.
Jiang Qingning watched this scene clearly, and the ridicule in his eyes was even more intense.
The voice of the old lady of Anping Earl arrived before she even arrived.
She walked into the study and shouted, "How dare you! A woman should obey her husband when she gets married. How dare you ask for a divorce from your husband? If you want to ask for a divorce, you should ask him to divorce you!"
Xun Chen frowned and asked, "Mother, why are you here?"
From the beginning to the end, he didn't like anyone interfering in any of his decisions.
"I don't agree! Jiang Qingning, isn't our Bofu good enough to you?
You don't even know how to be grateful, and you're trying to divorce my son in various ways!"
Old Madam Xun was so angry that she banged the cane in her hand on the ground.
"If our Bo Mansion hadn't taken you in back then, you would have fallen along with the Jiang family.
Or maybe she was married off to someone unknown by your cruel uncles. If the Jiang family hadn’t accidentally offended a nobleman back then, my son…”
"Mother!" Xun Chen growled, forcibly stopping her from speaking.
Jiang Qingning frowned. She had served her mother-in-law attentively for eight years.
But in the end, no matter what, her eight years of filial service and giving birth to Xun Chen's eldest son could not compare to the words "I feel sorry for my aunt" from her cousin who had no relationship with her at all.
Jiang Qingning was extremely determined. She pushed the divorce papers in front of Xun Chen. The paper rubbed against the smooth table surface, making a rustling sound.
"Mr. Anping."
Jiang Qingning shouted in a relieved voice, "Please ask Lord Anping to sign."
"Is it really because of this incident that I lost my job?"
Xun Chen stared at her intently, his jaw clenched tightly, veins throbbing on his forehead, and his gaze seemed to want to devour her alive.
"What? You, you're so angry that you want to divorce your husband just because he knocked over a bowl?"
"How could my Anping Marquis's Mansion have such a petty daughter-in-law like you? This is outrageous! You are so insolent! Someone, come and enforce the family law!"
Old Madam Xun was so angry that she was shaking all over. She raised the cane in her hand and swung it at Jiang Qingning.
Xun Chen didn't care at all. Instead, he turned his body to the side, indirectly approving of Madam Xun's actions.
Jiang Qingning sneered and raised his hand to hold the crutch firmly.
Old Madam Xun reached out to pull it hard, but found that it was still motionless in Jiang Qingning's hand. She was so angry that her whole body was shaking.
Jiang Qingning dared to disobey her mother-in-law!
"sign!"
Jiang Qingning looked at Xun Chen and suddenly raised his voice.
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