Chapter 176 Take Responsibility for Your Own Choices
Seeing that her father-in-law was also angry, Zhang Man was so scared that her whole body trembled, her shoulders unconsciously shrank, and her lips trembled slightly, but she dared not make any sound.
Her fingers were twisted together so tightly that her knuckles turned white. It was obvious that she already knew how despicable what she had done was.
After hearing what Zhang Man said, Lu Feng's face instantly turned gloomy, the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly, and his fists were clenched so hard that they made a crackling sound.
The shame and anger in his heart intertwined together and almost overwhelmed him.
He was not as good as his eldest brother, nor as outstanding as his third brother, and being stuck in the middle made him feel ashamed.
However, Zhang Man’s family members were like a group of greedy vampires, clinging to them and demanding more.
In previous years, the Zhang family only asked for some food coupons and change.
Now that the country's economy has been liberalized, some people have money in their hands. They are jealous and eager to get rich overnight, so they keep targeting Zhang Man.
If she was not a member of the Zhang family, why would Zhang Man secretly take money out of the passbook time and time again?
If he wasn't a member of the Zhang family, how could he have been burdened with so much debt?
He was not in debt, so why would he take the risk of borrowing high-interest loans in an attempt to turn his life around?
Now, Zhang Man has caused such trouble again, which has completely humiliated him and made him a joke in this family.
He especially didn't dare to face the look in his stepfather Lu Huaizheng's eyes.
That look made him feel even more ashamed of himself. He felt like a useless person who had accomplished nothing and had married a wife who knew nothing.
The more Lu Feng thought about it, the angrier he became. A hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.
Without saying a word, he strode forward, raised his hands left and right, and gave Zhang Man two loud slaps.
The slap was so powerful that the crisp sound echoed in the living room. Zhang Man's face instantly became red and swollen, and a trace of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth.
She covered her cheeks and let out a shrill cry. The sound was so sharp and piercing that it scared Lu Yiyi in Lu Feng's arms and made her burst into tears.
Upon seeing this, Aunt Lin hurried forward and held Lu Yiyi in her arms, comforting her softly, and hurriedly took her upstairs to avoid the chaotic scene.
Lu Feng grabbed Zhang Man's arm with such force that he almost crushed her bones.
He pushed her hard and kicked her to the ground.
Zhang Man fell heavily in front of Xu Nuo and Lu Chen, her knees hitting the ground with a dull sound.
Lu Feng had a cold face and ordered sternly: "Apologize to your elder brother and sister-in-law! If they don't forgive you, then divorce them directly! I, Lu Feng, will keep my word and kick you out today!"
Zhang Man was trembling all over, tears streaming down her cheeks, mixing with the blood at the corners of her mouth, making her look miserable.
She did not dare to disobey, so she knelt on the ground, supported herself with her hands, and banged her forehead heavily on the floor, making a "dong dong" sound.
She kowtowed and raised her hand to slap herself hard, crying out in a trembling voice, "I'm not a human! I shouldn't have done this! Brother, sister-in-law, please forgive me! I beg you!"
Cheng Wanying stood aside, watching this scene, her eyes already wet.
She kept wiping her tears with her handkerchief, her lips trembling slightly, but she couldn't utter a word.
Lu Huaizheng frowned, his face livid, and he slammed the table, shouting, "Lu Feng! You are making a fuss! What's the difference between this and the old society? It's ridiculous!"
Xu Nuo stood aside with a frown on her face. She looked at Zhang Man kneeling on the ground, but she did not feel any sympathy in her heart.
What Lu Feng did was clearly an attempt to morally blackmail her.
She took a deep breath, her tone calm but a little cold: "Lu Feng, you don't have to do this to me. The damage has been done, I can't just forgive you."
Although her voice was soft, every word was clear and carried an irrefutable force.
Lu Chen gently took Xu Nuo's hand and whispered, "You are tired. I will go upstairs with you to rest."
His voice was low and gentle, with a soothing tone.
Xu Nuo nodded, let him lead her, and turned to walk towards the stairs.
The reason why Lu Chen did this was very simple.
He knew very well what his wife Xu Nuo was thinking. She was unwilling to forgive Zhang Man, and even more unwilling to compromise under such circumstances.
If you force her to express her opinion, it will only make her more unhappy.
What's more, no matter how he and Xu Nuo deal with this matter, it will leave an unhealable gap in Lu Feng's heart.
Xu Nuo might not be aware of these inside stories, but Lu Chen saw through them clearly.
On the surface, Lu Feng was vicious to Zhang Man and threatened to divorce her again and again, but in fact, he had never really thought about separating from Zhang Man.
If he really wanted a divorce, he should have let go long ago when she had been taking money out of her savings account and paying off debts for her family.
But he didn't. Lu Chen remembered clearly that when Zhang Man gave birth to Lu Yiyi, she had a difficult labor and the doctor asked whether to save the adult or the child. Lu Feng chose to save Zhang Man without hesitation.
At that moment, there was no hesitation in his eyes, only deep fear and determination.
Later, Zhang Man suffered severe postpartum hemorrhage and there was not enough blood in the blood bank. Without saying a word, Lu Feng rolled up his sleeves and let the doctor draw his blood.
His face became paler and paler, and his lips turned purple, almost reaching the dangerous critical point, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to stop.
It was not until the doctor forcibly stopped him that he slumped in his chair, too weak to speak.
Lu Feng loves Zhang Man, his love is deep and forbearing.
But he also loves face, almost to the point of obsession.
He could not tolerate Zhang Man's actions that made him lose face in front of his family, and he could not tolerate his dignity being trampled upon again and again.
That's why he attacked Zhang Man in anger and threatened her with divorce.
But these are just the externalization of his inner conflicts.
Lu Chen understood that the best solution to the current situation was to leave the problem to his father Lu Huaizheng and mother Cheng Wanying.
Both of them are experienced and thoughtful, so they will naturally weigh the pros and cons and make the right decision.
No one knows a son better than his father. Lu Huaizheng naturally understood what Lu Chen meant.
The difficult problem of how to deal with Zhang Man has obviously been thrown to him now.
He sighed inwardly in his heart. Lu Feng had been sensitive and slightly inferior since he was a child. Even though he had loved him very much over the years, he could never truly get into his heart.
As a stepfather, he can only give care and concern, but cannot scold him harshly like he would his own son.
Even so, Lu Feng still looked at him with a reserved look, unable to let go.
Now that something like this has happened again, he really doesn't know how to deal with the situation. He can only look at Cheng Wanying and signal her to come forward.
Cheng Wanying naturally understood that it would be most appropriate for her to step forward at this time.
She glanced at Lu Feng and Zhang Man with a calm expression, yet with an unquestionable majesty.
When he spoke, his tone was cold and resolute: "You should move out. From now on, don't step into this door again. Including Lu Yiyi, you should take him with you."
Her voice was not loud, but every word was like a hammer, hitting Lu Feng and Zhang Man's hearts.
Lu Feng suddenly raised his head, a hint of shock and disbelief flashing in his eyes.
"Mom, you want to chase us away? You don't want me and Zhang Man anymore, so do you not want your own granddaughter either?"
Cheng Wanying's eyes did not waver at all. She continued, "Lu Feng, since you have chosen Zhang Man, you must be responsible for your choice. This family can no longer accommodate you. Take Lu Yiyi with you and live your life well."
Her tone was calm, but it carried a determination that could not be refuted.
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