Chapter 63: The Wang family arrives, and Song Xuechen encounters her current predicament...
In the dead of night, the main courtyard of the old house was brightly lit.
The questions were interspersed with intermittent coughs, and the voices were hoarse and strained.
"Why should you just divorce me like that?" Wang Manshu shouted, her voice rising higher and higher, disregarding her status. "Pei Wenxian, over the years, I've done my part, even if I haven't made any great contributions!"
She then addressed the room, from which coughs were coming from, saying, "At least I gave birth to the eldest grandson for your Pei family."
More than 20 years have passed, and he says he'll just get a divorce?
"Merit? Hard work?" Pei Wenxian could only laugh when he heard these words coming out of her mouth. "Where is your hard work? For so many years, I've given you the status of the eldest wife of the Pei family, and you've been the center of attention wherever you go. Isn't that enough?"
"Pei Wenxian!" Wang Manshu clenched her fists in anger, her whole body trembling. "Are you even speaking human language?!"
"Yes! I'm not speaking human language." Pei Wenxian's voice also rose two octaves. "Then why do you insist on living with me? Wouldn't it be better to get a divorce? I already said I'd compensate you after the divorce, ensuring you'd be well-off for the rest of your life, and you still have to make a scene here with Father. What, are you still eyeing the position of the Pei family's matriarch?"
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
Wang Manshu had indeed been looking forward to this ever since she married him.
At that time, Pei Yanli was still young, only five or six years old, while Pei Wenxian was a young man, considered one of the best among the Pei family's descendants, and the family head's own son. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be the next head of the Pei family.
So she waited eagerly for so many years.
Now that it's all gone, and my spouse has exposed it in public, I feel like I've been stripped naked and exposed to everyone, losing all my dignity and face!
"I'm talking nonsense? Hahaha!" Pei Wenxian couldn't help but laugh loudly. "You know best what you're thinking."
"Pei Wenxian, you're useless, all you do is bully me!"
Enraged, Wang Manshu shoved him, saying, "You're so tough outside! You treat your brother like this too! Do you dare? You don't dare, you only act this way towards me!!"
"Oh, sir, madam, please stop arguing."
Originally, the conflict between the couple was something that Zhang, as an outsider, shouldn't have interfered with. But since it had escalated to the point of physical violence, continuing to let it go would only make things worse.
As he tried to persuade him, he kept glancing outside the courtyard, saying, "The head of the family is still ill."
“Yes.” Pei Yanli rushed over after receiving the call. “Father is still sick. How can my elder brother bring his wife here to make a scene?”
"Pei Yanli!" Turning her head and seeing him, Wang Manshu was even more furious, her eyes turning red. "This is a private matter between your brother and me. What right do you have to speak on this!"
“As the younger brother, I am indeed not qualified.” Pei Yanli walked past her to the door of the room, glancing back at her. “As… the acting head of the family, I have the right to handle all matters, large and small, of the Pei clan.”
"you!"
"Alright, it's windy in the yard, let's go inside and talk."
Pei Yanli went in first.
The old man, with his hands clasped around his cane, sat in a mahogany chair with his eyes closed, coughing occasionally, "You're here."
"Father."
"Yihuai, that's why I called you here for something like this." The old man slowly opened his eyes and looked behind him. "Didn't Xiaoluo come with you?"
"He also needs to take care of the children to avoid having to travel around."
"It's better if you don't come." The old man coughed twice more, then turned to look at his eldest son. "Tell me, why do you have to get a divorce?"
“My son had mentioned before that he wanted to take Xiaoheng around to see doctors, get his illness treated, and get some rest.” Pei Wenxian explained the situation in a few words: “I asked her to come with me, but she refused. Since she didn’t want to, why not just get a divorce? Divorce isn’t illegal.”
This is the norm in today's society.
“It’s not illegal.” The old man asked again, “What do you plan to do after the divorce? After all, Manshu has been with you for decades and gave birth to Xiaoheng. You can’t treat her badly.”
“My son has already thought it through. He will give her all the dividends from his shares over the past ten years.” Pei Wenxian said, glancing to the side. “I’ve already had my assistant settle the accounts. It’s 34.87 billion. I’ll round it up and give you 35 billion. That’s enough for you, not just in this life, but in the next life and the life after that.”
So far, no family in Yanjing has ever given this much in a divorce settlement.
Pei Wenxian was the first one.
“Three hundred and fifty billion,” Pei Yanli murmured, then asked, “Is there anything else you’re dissatisfied with, sister-in-law?”
Wang Manshu had countless grievances. Why should they actually get a divorce just because she mentioned it? What would she be after the divorce? What would others think of her? How could she stay in Yanjing?
"I won't divorce you!" That was all she said. "Pei Wenxian, don't even think about getting a divorce."
"Why?" Pei Wenxian was puzzled. "What else do you want? Isn't 35 billion enough?"
Before Pei Yanli came in, she had overheard a few words of their argument outside. Combining this with the hostility she had shown towards her over the years, she thought, "You want the status of the matriarch of the Pei family, you want fame and position, don't you, sister-in-law?"
Wang Manshu exhaled heavily and glared at him.
He was clearly told what was on his mind.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten so angry that she attacked Pei Wenxian.
"It's a pity that my sister-in-law's wish will be dashed." Pei Yanli ignored her intense hatred and said clearly, "Being the matriarch is not so easy. While enjoying the pleasure that comes with power and status, one must also pay the corresponding price and have the ability to gain the trust of the clan."
Over the years, apart from giving birth to Pei Hengzhi, she has accomplished nothing. All of Pei's affairs have been handled by Uncle Zhang and her elder brother.
In the first few years, we could say we were unfamiliar with each other and inexperienced, but more than 20 years have passed and we still don't care or ask about him, using all means to guard against him.
Is this how a matriarch should behave?
"Ha! Look at what you're saying, second brother, as if Luo Yunqing could be one." Wang Manshu directly mocked, "A man can become the mistress of the house? It's a joke!"
“There wasn’t before, but there will be later.” Pei Yanli stopped in time and returned to their matter, “Sister-in-law has never mentioned your relationship with brother, and now brother is determined to get a divorce, so your relationship must have broken down a long time ago. Since it has already broken down, why keep sticking together and suffering?”
"Pei Yanli, this is none of your business!"
“I am the acting head of the Pei family. You have brought this trouble to the head of the family, so I have a responsibility to intervene.” Pei Yanli’s voice suddenly turned cold: “Internal mediation is an option. If you want to listen, great; if you don’t, you can file for divorce in court.”
…………
Luo Yunqing waited for him until 2 a.m.
After hearing the whole story, he frowned and said, "Sure enough, you shouldn't meddle in other people's family affairs. What kind of scene is it when you get involved?"
"You don't know this. If I were just the second master of the Pei family, I would never be able to interfere in my elder brother's affairs."
Pei Yanli understood this principle clearly, but now, as the acting head of the family, and with Uncle Zhang calling me, it was obvious that my father wanted me to go and handle things on his behalf. Not to mention that the couple was arguing and getting a divorce, even if other younger members of the Pei family had a falling out and brought it to the head of the family, I would have to come out and uphold justice.
"Why do I feel... being the head of the family is so miserable?" Luo Yunqing imagined the head of the family to be dignified and untouchable, but in his case, he's almost become a neighborhood committee auntie.
"Being the head of the family means taking responsibility."
Pei Yanli sighed deeply, "Some things may seem small, but think about it, they've all reached the head of the family. Are they really small? As the head of the family, if you don't resolve these hidden conflicts quickly, one day they will snowball and grow bigger and bigger. When they reach the point of no return, the family will fall apart."
This is a major taboo for aristocratic families.
Wang Manshu only wanted to enjoy the feeling of being respected as the matriarch of a noble family. She never thought about these things, let alone the future of the Pei family.
How can we give her such great power?
Luo Yunqing seemed to understand but not quite, and asked again, "So what do they plan to do now?"
“My elder brother insists on getting a divorce.” Pei Yanli paused. “Father also thinks so. I’m afraid the Wang family won’t give in easily.”
Before the marriage alliance with the Pei family, the Wang family was considered a low-ranking family.
Unlike their lineage which spans generations, their members, besides those residing in Yanjing, are scattered throughout the country and even overseas.
The Wang family has only been established for less than a hundred years. In order to demonstrate the prosperity of the Wang family, many children were born out of wedlock after the family rose to prominence.
Wang Manshu was one of them. She stood out from the group of illegitimate children because she had a connection with the Pei family.
As a result, the Wang family also benefited from the Pei family's influence, and their status among the prominent families in Yanjing rose steadily.
But perhaps because it came too easily, they began to forget their roots.
The day after Pei Wenxian and his wife started their divorce proceedings, the Wang family came to their door with people to support Wang Manshu, express their grievances, and criticize the Pei family.
Internally, Luo Yunqing could choose not to attend or get involved with Pei Yanli, but externally, she couldn't afford not to go.
Upon returning to the old house, they found a large group of people from the Wang family, numbering about fourteen or fifteen. Those who knew them were there to stand up for Wang Manshu, while those who didn't might have thought they were there to cause trouble for the Pei family.
But it's about the same.
In addition, Luo Yunqing also spotted a familiar figure among the Wang family members.
"This Pei family mansion is indeed a magnificent old building, over a hundred years old."
Not just anyone can enter the main courtyard of the old house; apart from the current head of the Wang family, only the heirs are allowed inside.
Everyone else, regardless of their background, has to stay in the guest quarters.
One of the young men lit a cigarette, walked onto the covered bridge, took a deep drag, turned his head and blew the cigarette into the face of the person next to him, and asked with a smile, "Isn't that right, Xiaoxue?"
Song Xuechen's expression darkened slightly, and she silently turned her face away.
The next moment, someone grabbed her chin and turned her back, saying, "Don't be silent. Isn't this your ex-boyfriend's house? Tell me, why are you so upset? Even if Pei Hengzhi is crippled or stupid, you'll still be the young mistress if you marry into this family. Isn't that great?"
He still didn't say anything.
The man casually tossed his half-smoked cigarette into the pond, grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into his arms. "Since we're already here, let's go see your ex-boyfriend."
As soon as he stepped off the covered bridge, he bumped into Luo Yunqing.
The man's eyes lit up immediately.
He released Song Xuechen, put his hands in his pockets, took two steps forward, bent down slightly, and looked up with a sly look: "Oh, the Pei family has such a beautiful person hidden away."
He reached out his hand as he spoke.
Luo Yunqing didn't even try to dodge; the bodyguards behind her quickly seized the man.
"Ouch, ouch, that hurts." The man quickly grabbed the arm that had been grabbed, still grinning: "I'm a member of the Wang family."
Luo Yun glanced at Song Xuechen, whose face was full of gloom, behind him, and then looked away: "Just because someone from the Wang family can throw cigarette butts around in the Pei family's house?"
He slightly raised his chin, letting it fall into the pond. "Or is it that the Wang family has always been so unruly?"
"Oh! About that." Wang Yizhou glanced at it quickly, then turned back. "Sorry. Is this alright?"
Luo Yunqing stared at him for a long time before raising her hand to signal the bodyguard to let go.
After swinging his arm, Wang Yizhou leaned closer and asked warmly, "Are you from the Pei family? What's your name... Hey! Don't go!"
Luo Yunqing turned and walked away with her two bodyguards.
"You've got a temper, I like that." Wang Yizhou withdrew his hand and stroked his chin.
Upon hearing this, Song Xuechen's eyes flickered slightly, and she stepped forward. "His name is Luo Yunqing."
“Luo Yunqing? Oh—” Wang Yizhou remembered, he had seen him on the news, “The one who was switched at birth with you, I remember he was given to Master Pei to bring good luck… No wonder he’s here.”
Song Xuechen stared at him and asked in a low voice, "You like it?"
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