Chapter 120 The Show
Inside Yujin Hall, all was silent.
In the evening, Xie San Niang's Su Xue Zhai sent a message, asking all branches of the Xie family to come to Yu Jin Tang that night, saying that there was an important announcement to make.
Hua Nanzhi had been serving Xie Sanniang, and upon Xie Sanniang's orders, she informed Xie Boyu and his son of her health condition in advance.
Therefore, Xie Boyu and Xie Xuchuan learned earlier that Xie Sanniang was in poor health and was probably nearing the end of her life.
Xie Xuchuan felt a pang of sorrow, forcing back his tears and feeling heartbroken for a long time. Xie Boyu, on the other hand, sat in the room in silence, and unusually, he took out his water pipe and smoked it all night, coughing and choking.
When Xie Chengzhi and his wife arrived, they didn't know what was going on. However, the couple were guilty and afraid that their previous swindling of money would be exposed, so they behaved themselves and sat quietly in the corner, looking extremely obedient.
When Xie Jingyuan arrived, Xie Xuchuan was half-supporting Jiang Wansu, carefully helping her to the soft couch.
Shen Yuanzhu and Xie Qi arrived last. Xie Qi carried a half-sized wooden box in his hands and placed it on the table next to him after entering the room.
He didn't know what was inside; he just saw Shen Yuanzhu holding it in her hands when she left, and fearing she was hot or tired, he snatched it away.
The last person to enter was Xie Shan, dressed in plain linen clothes.
Xie Shan had a sandalwood bracelet wrapped around his hand. As he entered the room, he fiddled with it, making clicking sounds.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Hua Nanzhi's expression turned solemn as she said, word by word, "The reason I've gathered everyone here today is because of the old lady's health..."
She paused for a moment, her gaze sweeping over Xie Qi and his wife subtly: "It's not good, so I wanted to call everyone to come and see."
"What? Mother's unwell? What's wrong? Is it..."
Zheng Shu stood up and stared at Hua Nanzhi.
Xie Chengzhi also said, "Good, our mother is in very good health. How come she became unwell after you took care of her for a few days?"
"The old lady has quite a few good things. Your eldest son's family, you must be having some improper thoughts."
As he spoke, Xie Chengzhi was about to go find Xie Sanniang.
"Insolence! What nonsense are you spouting?"
Xie Boyu slammed his hand on the table: "I didn't care about your reckless behavior in the past, but now is not the time for you to throw a tantrum."
"You sit down and see what Mother has to say and what she needs to tell you."
“In the past, if you wanted to make a fuss, I wouldn’t stop you. But not now. You’d better shut up and wait quietly on the side, or don’t blame me for turning my back on you and disowning you as a brother.”
It was rare for Xie Boyu to get angry, and his tone was solemn, which surprised both Hua Nanzhi and Xie Xuchuan.
Even Xie Jingyuan looked up at his older brother and then grabbed Xie Chengzhi, who was about to jump up.
Xie San Niang doted on Xie Xu Chuan the most. After hearing the news, Xie Xu Chuan was heartbroken and depressed. He sat blankly to the side with red eyes and a sore nose, lost in thought.
It wasn't until Jiang Wansu met Shen Yuanzhu and her husband that she approached Xie Xuchuan and gently wiped away the tears that weren't actually on his face with a handkerchief, and he finally reacted.
Xie Qi and Shen Yuanzhu exchanged a glance, unable to pretend anything, so they both lowered their heads and stared at the wooden box beside them as if it were a treasure.
Xie Lurong remained as shy as ever, only approaching Xie Yingshou when he was running around and pulling at him.
Hua Nanzhi took in everyone's reactions and sighed heavily.
"The old lady instructed us in the afternoon to go to Suxuezhai in the evening, but I don't know what else she wanted to tell us."
"If you don't want to go, you can go back now."
After saying that, Hua Nanzhi picked up a handkerchief and dabbed at the corner of her eye, then turned and walked towards Suxuezhai.
Xie Chengzhi glanced at Zheng Shu, who winked at him, as if afraid that if she arrived late, she would miss out on the benefits.
Xie Jingyuan stepped forward in silence, followed closely by the others.
Shen Yuanzhu followed, while Xie Qi remained standing still. Shen Yuanzhu turned around and stepped on his foot.
Xie Qi snapped out of his daze, realizing that Hua Nanzhi's words were just empty threats. If he didn't go today, he feared he would be drowned in the spittle of the people of Suzhou.
The group went to Suxuezhai in a grand procession, but Xie Shan left halfway there and his whereabouts are unknown.
It was as if they had never existed.
The Suxuezhai was filled with a strong medicinal fragrance. In the height of summer, the doors and windows were tightly closed, making the not-so-small room feel cramped and suffocating.
As soon as Zheng Shu entered the room, she pinched her nose. Xie Chengzhi pulled her, and she reluctantly let go.
Xie Sanniang lay on the bed, her cheeks sunken and her face pale and sallow, looking quite unwell.
"Mother."
Xie Boyu stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and took Xie San Niang's hand.
His voice choked with emotion; the burly middle-aged man's eyes were bloodshot, and he couldn't utter a single word.
A few days ago, he thought his mother was in good health, so how could she suddenly...?
Turning her head to wipe away her tears, Xie Boyu gently called out to Xie San Niang.
Xie San Niang slowly opened her eyes, took Xie Boyu's hand, and called out, "Boss..."
She opened her eyes, as if searching for something, but her eyes were cloudy due to her illness, as if she couldn't see people clearly.
As Xie San Niang's gaze swept across the room and she saw Chen Yuanzhu, she was about to say something when Xie Chengzhi took a few steps forward and slid to his knees by the bedside with a thud, instantly pushing Xie Boyu aside.
"Mother, Mother, you can't leave us behind!"
Xie Chengzhi cried with snot and tears streaming down his face, holding Xie Sanniang's hand tightly for a long time: "Mother, what will happen to our family if you leave?"
"Our family can't be without you..."
As he spoke, Xie Chengzhi's eyes darted around.
The old lady had quite a bit of savings, and she kept it all in her own hands.
He was quite familiar with the sandalwood box next to his pillow; before he got married, the old lady had often given him pocket money.
All that silver came from this sandalwood box.
"mother……"
Thinking of this, Xie Chengzhi suddenly pounced on Xie San Niang and reached out to touch the old lady's neck.
The old lady has a string of family heirloom jade beads, which are priceless. He has asked for them several times over the years but has not been able to get them. He can't let the eldest son's family secretly hide them away.
Xie Chengzhi's movements were not obvious, and apart from Xie San Niang, who was lying in bed pretending to be sick, no one else noticed.
Seeing his younger brother's heartbroken appearance, Xie Boyu felt a little better.
The second son is just a bit of a troublemaker, but he's a good person at heart.
Seeing her husband crying so hard, Zheng Shu was not to be outdone and started wailing loudly. Shen Yuanzhu huddled at the back, holding a handkerchief to her mouth and nose.
Xie Qi stood beside her, his expression blank.
Looking at the frail old man, Xie Qi's gaze was complicated.
He thought he hated his grandmother who inexplicably loathed and abused him, but now that she was about to leave, he no longer felt any hatred.
As a child, he hated Xie San Niang and Hua Nan Zhi because he hated that they never cared about him, never cherished him, and never loved him...
now……
Xie Qi raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at Shen Yuanzhu beside him.
Along with Xie Chengzhi's cries, sobs began to rise and fall in the room, with Xie Xuchuan sobbing the most violently, which made Xie Sanniang's heart ache.
After finally managing to overturn Xie Chengzhi with the help of Hua Nanzhi, Xie San Niang took a deep breath and turned to look at Chen Yuanzhu.
She raised her hand, pointing directly at the Shen Yuan Pearl, muttering something unintelligible.
Seeing the other person's appearance, Shen Yuanzhu couldn't help but slightly raise her lips, which were hidden under the handkerchief.
The main event of the day has only just begun.
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