Having not slept all night, An Chaoli was already exhausted, but the noise outside made Xiao Yuanyuan frown even more. Without saying a word, he went out.
"I have met Mother. May I ask what brings you here today?"
The old lady, leaning on her cane, slammed it on the ground: "You unfilial son, you know perfectly well that Fourth Sister has caught the flu, and everyone knows that the flu is contagious. For the safety of everyone in the manor, I plan to take Fourth Sister to another courtyard to recuperate."
An Chaoli sneered and said sharply, "Mother, you're not taking Yuan'er to recuperate; you're clearly sending him to another courtyard to fend for himself. My son is already delicate; how can he withstand such a bumpy journey?"
The second son was originally a filial and respectful person, but this was the first time he had ever talked back to the old lady like this. The old lady's true thoughts were exposed so nakedly, and she looked somewhat embarrassed.
She angrily struck An Chaoli hard with her cane. The cane hit him with a loud thud, but An Chaoli didn't utter a sound.
The old lady simply laid it all out and said, "It is common for girls to grow up too young. It is Fourth Sister's bad luck. For the safety of the manor, I had no choice but to do this."
Fearing that An Chaoli might refuse, the old lady reassured her, "Don't worry. Your mother will carefully select a second wife for you, then you won't have to worry about not having children. Yuan'er, just let her go."
Although official families are wealthy, they are also cold-hearted. Even though she was clearly their own granddaughter, in the old lady's words, An Yuan'er's life was not worth the safety of the whole family.
An Chaoli trembled with excitement. He had always known that his mother was materialistic, but only today did he truly understand her ruthlessness.
He knelt on the ground, but his voice was firm: "Your son is unfilial, please forgive me for being unable to obey. To Mother, Yuan'er may just be one of many granddaughters, but to me, Yuan'er is unique. I watched Yuan'er grow up from the time she cried as a baby. I still remember the first time Yuan'er called me 'Daddy,' the first time she took her first steps. Mother doesn't know how happy I was to have Yuan'er. She is a gift from God, and I will never give her up."
"Besides, Rou'er is only missing, but my son has not lost his wife, so how can he remarry?"
After saying this, An Chaoli kowtowed three times to the old lady, his attitude resolute, refusing to let his mother take Yuan'er away.
The old lady was so angry she was practically fuming: "You unfilial son, are you only satisfied when the whole family is buried with your precious daughter? Men should focus more on the interests of the dynasty; being too attached to emotional ties is not a good thing."
"Mother is overthinking it. My future is the best among my brothers, and I have never disgraced you."
"You...you..." The old lady pointed at An Chaoli, unable to utter a complete sentence.
An Chaoli, however, calmed down and made up his mind.
“Mother only knows one side of the story about this flu. Although the flu is contagious, as long as we eat and wash separately and avoid frequent contact, it will not harm the family. Starting today, I will ask someone to close down this Liting Garden. The people who take care of Yuan’er will not go out. Please rest assured, Mother.”
The old lady was somewhat relieved after hearing this, but still tentatively asked, "What if Mother doesn't agree?"
An Chaoli's attitude was firm: "Then you can go as your second son and your little granddaughter."
A mother knows her child's temperament, and the old lady naturally knows that if An Chaoli can say these words, he can certainly do them. These words are not a threat, but rather a warning.
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