Chapter 20: Quarrel
Chu Yian rubbed his face and got out of bed. After washing up, he took Xiaofu to Hua's yard.
By then, Hua and Chu Xiuyuan were both sitting quietly at the table. Both of them looked unhappy, with dark circles under their eyes, and no one spoke.
Chu Yian raised his eyebrows. Could it be that they had been arguing all night?
Are we in a cold war now?
That’s not right. Why didn’t Hua slap Chu Xiuyuan in the face?
Look, Chu Xiuyuan, a useless guy who neither supports his family nor raises his children and has no contribution to the family, dares to turn his back on Hua Shi. He is so bold.
Chu Yian coughed and walked slowly to the table, complaining in his heart, looking at Chu Mianmian who was leaning against Hua Shi.
Chu Mianmian winked at her, then looked at Hua Shi and then at Chu Xiuyuan. Her meaning was very clear: they had indeed had a quarrel, and both of them were still angry.
Chu Yian understood and was about to speak, but before she could say anything, Chu Xiuyuan also saw her and immediately gave her a sharp look.
Thinking of what Chu Yian had said to him in public yesterday, Chu Xiuyuan felt his head still buzzing.
I have the urge to never go out and see people again in my life. I have lost all my face and dignity, not a single bit left.
He slammed his hand on the table in anger, pointed at Chu Yian's nose and cursed: "Evil girl, evil girl! How dare you show up in front of me? I, do you know that because of you, I have lost all my face! I am too ashamed to go out and see people."
"I'm your father! You're making sure he can never hold his head up in front of his colleagues again. What good will this do you? We're a family, we share both our success and our failures!"
Before Chu Yian could say anything, Hua Shi became unhappy when she heard Chu Xiuyuan put all the blame on Chu Yian. She slammed the table, stood up, and angrily yelled, "What does it have to do with her?"
"Don't involve the child. If you lose face, whose fault is it? Did Yi An say anything wrong?"
"After all, your shame is your own fault. If you were truly an honest man, who would dare to slander you like this?"
"You're still blaming the child for this? Does she owe you anything? She just wants her father to change his ways. What's wrong with her?"
Chu Xiuyuan started arguing with Hua Shi after he sent away those headmasters yesterday, and they have been arguing until now, and he hasn't slept all night.
Hua Shi's words made him so angry that his chest ached. She had never been so unreasonable before.
His daughter was obviously very well-behaved before.
Why does it seem like in just one day, my daughter has become so rebellious and my wife has become so aggressive?
Is this still his home?
They felt strange to him.
Chu Xiuyuan's chest was heaving. He was old and his body was hollowed out by alcohol. He was afraid of getting angry and fainting again, so he simply flicked his sleeves and turned his face away. He took a few deep breaths to suppress the anger in his heart.
Chu Xiuyuan snorted coldly: "Oh, you ignorant woman, I won't say any more to you. I don't want the incident of yesterday to happen again, otherwise you can just wait to be divorced and sent back to your parents' home."
Hua Shi was already tired of arguing and didn't want to argue anymore, but when she heard Chu Xiuyuan's words, the fire in her heart suddenly burned hotter than the fire in the incinerator.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you say? You still want to divorce me? Ha, Chu Xiuyuan, who do you think you are? You still want to divorce me? Don't forget who has been supporting the Chu family all these years?"
"I've worked diligently for the Chu family and suffered so much injustice. I just told you a few truths, and you want to divorce me?"
Hua Shi was really aggrieved this time, her eyes were red, and she almost shed tears when she saw Chu Xiuyuan's indifferent back.
When I think about all the hard work I've done over the years only to get Chu Xiuyuan's words that he wants to divorce him, I feel that when I look back on my life, I realize that it's really not worth it.
She wasted her youth and best years, but ended up like this with her husband?
It was clearly not her fault. She had managed the Chu family very well and had never done anything wrong to the Chu family. Why did Chu Xiuyuan divorce her?
Even if she wanted to divorce, it should be Hua Su'e who should divorce her husband.
What qualifications does Chu Xiuyuan have to ask her to divorce him?
Chu Yian was so shocked by Chu Xiuyuan's brainless words that she almost lost consciousness. She exclaimed, "Wow, Chu Xiuyuan really didn't understand his position in this family."
Hua was about to cry, and the look in her eyes when she looked at Chu Xiuyuan was filled with endless disappointment and heartbreak.
Chu Yian was also very angry and stepped forward and said, "Father, have you thought it through? If you want to divorce mother, then I will come to cancel the marriage with the Qin family."
"I was raised by my mother. To repay her kindness in raising me, I volunteered to stay by her side for three years as a token of my filial piety."
"If the Qin family doesn't mind marrying me later, you can also let the Third Young Master Qin wait for me for three years."
Chu Xiuyuan's eyes were almost bloodshot, and he almost thought there was something wrong with his ears: "How dare you! Marriage is not a joke!"
"Besides, that's the Duke's Mansion! How can you cancel the engagement and postpone it just like that? Who do you think you are?"
Chu Yian said indifferently, "Who am I? I'm just the daughter of a mere sixth-rank censor. I'm really not qualified."
Chu Xiuyuan: ...was suddenly stabbed.
Chu Yian: "But then again, father, you also know that marriage is not a joke. Then how can you casually say you want to divorce your wife?"
"Father, let me say something truly disrespectful. Although you are my father, you are no different from a stranger to me."
"If I must say it, it's even worse. You're not even as good as a stranger."
"It's not just me, but also my brothers, sisters, and younger brothers. You and I are only related by blood."
"If we didn't have this blood relationship, do you think I would be standing here and talking to you?"
"No, I'll just have you kicked out. I'd consider it bad luck to even say a word to you."
Chu Xiuyuan opened his mouth to scold and refute, but for a long time he couldn't say a word.
The censor who was always eloquent in the court suddenly felt that the woman in front of him had an even sharper tongue than him, like a knife stabbing into his heart.
This was the first time Chu Yian spoke his true feelings to Chu Xiuyuan so directly.
Over the past ten years, Chu Xiuyuan has been living freely and unrestrainedly, doing whatever he wants.
With Hua taking care of the household and raising the children, he doesn't have to worry about anything at all.
The children were actually brought up quite well by the Hua family. The eldest son has already passed the imperial examination. If he passes the palace examination this year, he will be able to become an official directly if he is lucky.
If you are unlucky, you can wait a few more years or move around, and maybe you can get a job.
The two younger sons have also taken the exams and are said to have achieved good results.
As for Chu Yian, his eldest daughter, she had been engaged to General Dingyuan, the third son of the Duke's Mansion, a few days ago. They were about to get married, and she would be the legal wife.
The children are all promising. If the Chu family can change its fortunes, it will definitely depend on these children.
Chu Xiuyuan knew very well that his official career had come to an end in this life, and it would be as difficult as climbing to the sky to move forward.
But it is also good if children have a promising future.
Although the children were not very close to him, they still respected him, and there was nothing wrong with it being like this.
But after hearing what Chu Yian said in Zhuangyuan Building yesterday, Chu Xiuyuan vaguely felt that his image in the hearts of the children seemed to be very bad.
They don't think he is very powerful like outsiders, nor do they think he is a well-educated scholar and different from others just because he can quote the words of sages.
Chu Yian's words just now hit the bottom of my heart, knocking on the door of my heart and reaching my soul.
She said that if there was no blood relationship between them, she would not recognize him at all.
Apart from Chu Yian, do the other children think the same way?
Chu Xiuyuan wanted to say something, but after stammering, he defended himself in a low voice: "For my father, I did all that for you..."
Chu Yian raised the corner of his mouth, and that smile was somewhat sarcastic no matter how you looked at it: "Father, you can just lie to me about this, but don't lie to yourself about it."
"Ever since my biological mother married you, you've been hanging out at the Champion's Building every day. You're obsessed with fame. The world is just full of vulgar people chasing after fame and fortune, yet you insist on being given a different reputation, as if that reputation would completely separate you from ordinary people."
"But father, you are just an ordinary person, just an ordinary and common person among the countless people. You were able to get your current official position because of your grandfather. Why do you think you are different from others?"
"You said you did all this for us, so let me ask you, father, have you done anything for my eldest brother's studies, marriage, and even his future career?"
Without waiting for Chu Xiuyuan to answer, Chu Yian said directly: "No, you didn't do anything. Since you didn't do anything, don't label yourself like this."
"My mother has sacrificed so much for the Chu family over the years, yet my father still dared to tell her to divorce me. I think it's good enough for my wife to do what she has done."
"But it still can't satisfy your greed. You only care about your own happiness, but don't forget to walk around the mansion more often when you have nothing to do."
"In the entire Chu family compound, except for this house, everything inside was earned by my mother through hard work over the years. It has nothing to do with you. Even if she divorces you, it should be my mother who divorces you, not you who divorces her."
"If father still wants to live a peaceful life, he should reflect on whether he has really gone too far wrong, instead of letting others indulge him blindly."
"I still say the same thing. This is your first time as a human being. There's no reason why your mother should take care of you and understand you for the rest of your life, while you never have to do anything."
Chu Yian's words really touched Hua's heart.
She turned her head to look at Chu Xiuyuan and snorted coldly: "Chu Xiuyuan, if Yi An wasn't about to get married, it wouldn't be good to make any noise at this time, otherwise I would definitely move out of here immediately."
"When Yi An gets married, I will take my people and leave the Chu family. There is no need for you, Lord Chu, to drive them away personally."
After saying this, Hua Shi didn't even look at Chu Xiuyuan again. She took Chu Yian's hand with one hand and Chu Mianmian's hand with the other and left the main courtyard directly.
Hua walked very fast, and Chu Mianmian was small, so she had to jog to keep up with her.
Chu Yian turned his head to look at Hua Shi. Her eyes were red and she had obviously reached her limit.
Chu Yian sighed silently. Every family has its own problems.
In the yard, Chu Xiuyuan watched Hua and her two daughters walking away without chasing after them.
He felt a little uncomfortable. Since ancient times, wives should accommodate their husbands. The husbands work hard outside while the wives take care of the home. It has always been like this.
He knew that Hua had suffered a lot over the years, but which lady hadn't gone through the same thing?
Wasn't everything fine before? Why did everything change overnight?
Chu Xiuyuan was silent for a long time, then turned to ask the servant beside him: "Am I...really wrong?"
How could the servant dare to speak after hearing this? He could only remain silent...
Chu Yian made up an excuse and ran away with Chu Mianmian. Hua Shi obviously wanted to cry, but it was difficult for her to vent with her and Chu Mianmian present.
Let her vent her emotions first. Crying won't do any harm to her health.
Chu Mianmian looked up at Chu Yian, her eyes sparkling: "Sister, you were so awesome just now. This is the first time I've seen Dad like this."
Chu Yian raised his eyebrows, chuckled, and began to brainwash the child: "But my sister is going to get married soon, and she can no longer protect mother. After my sister gets married, Mianmian must remember to speak up for mother more often. Don't be afraid of hurting father's heart. He has no heart and can hurt at will."
Chu Mianmian seemed to be thinking: "Really? Just like what my sister did just now?"
Chu Yian nodded and said firmly: "Of course it's true. It's not easy for us women to survive in this world. If even we don't help her, who can protect us when we encounter difficulties in the future?"
After all, Chu Mianmian is still young and doesn’t understand many things.
But she still understood what her elder sister said about protecting her mother.
Chu Mianmian nodded vigorously: "Then after my sister gets married, Mianmian will definitely protect mother and will never let father bully her again."
Chu Yian smiled and took Chu Mianmian to his yard.
Xiao Fu's eyelids twitched as she listened from behind. It was all over. Her young lady was planning to harm the second young lady.
But to be honest, it does feel good to be angry with people.
After Chu Yian returned to the yard, he took Chu Mianmian to look at the conversation book. Not long after, Tao Shuang came over, and her eyes were full of satisfaction when she looked at her.
Tao Shuang is Hua's personal maid, and she knows Hua's difficulties better than anyone else. Chu Yian's speaking up for Hua not only makes Hua feel touched, but also makes her feel relieved.
The children all know that the wife works hard for the family.
Being able to get along so well with the children left by the previous wife, Hua has done better than most stepmothers.
Tao Shuang bowed to Chu Yian and said, "Miss, Madam asked me to come and tell you that you don't have to be estranged from the Master because of her, and you don't have to quarrel with the Master. It will be bad for your reputation if the news gets out."
"Also, Madam has arranged for an embroiderer to come this afternoon to take your measurements and make your wedding dress. Please wait in the yard for her to arrive, but you must not climb over the wall again."
Chu Yian touched his nose and said, "I see. Actually, I don't go over the wall every day."
Tao Shuang smiled without saying anything, and took Chu Mianmian away when she left.
The little girl Chu was brainwashed by Chu Yian for the whole morning. Although her personality was still soft and she had no killing power, Chu Yian firmly believed that she would grow up soon.
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