Chapter 228 My biased mother wants me to adopt my younger brother’s son!
Ning Yucheng lamented in his heart that he had been unlucky recently, otherwise how could he have lost two sons in a row? If Ning Zhen were still alive, the six-year-old Ning Zhen would also be a good candidate for adoption.
Ning Ji is ten years old. Although he is the legitimate son, he is old and can remember things, so he does not meet Si Yuan's adoption standards.
This is also the reason why Ning Yucheng mentioned to Si Yuan about adopting another child when his son Ning Yun's body was still warm.
When Si Yuan heard what Ning Yucheng said, he just sneered in his heart and glanced at the sad Zhang. These two people are indeed worthy of being a biological mother and son. They both liked to force him to adopt another child when the child just died and the body was still there.
Ning Yucheng was even more cruel. Ning Yun, who was lying there without a breath, was his biological son.
But since he himself doesn't care about his own son, it is even less likely that Si Yuan will care for him.
So Si Yuan looked at Zhang and asked, "Mother, I want to adopt a younger child. If Zhen Ge'er was still alive, I would definitely be willing to adopt Zhen Ge'er, but Ji Ge'er is already ten years old..."
Li, who pretended to be sad, had been listening to their conversation with her ears perked up. Now when she heard Si Yuan say that Ning Ji was a little old and seemed not to want to adopt Ning Ji, she said anxiously: "Zhen Ge'er is not so lucky. Young children are prone to die. Ji Ge'er is ten years old and has already established himself. It is more suitable for eldest brother to adopt him. What's the big deal about a child's memory? The blood relationship is so close, we are all a family. Ji Ge already respects his uncle and aunt..."
Li wanted to push her second son in front of Si Yuan to promote him.
Si Yuan did not comment, but Zhang's expression changed slightly and she began to doubt Li.
Before, Zhang thought that Li had no reason to attack Ning Zhen. However, when Si Yuan proposed that if Zhen Ge'er was still alive, he would be willing to adopt Zhen Ge'er after Yun Ge'er's death, Zhang suspected that Zhen Ge'er, who also died of a cold, might have been killed by Li.
After all, if Zhen'er was alive and Yun'er was dead, the two legitimate sons of the Li family would not be the candidates for adoption.
Only if Zhen Ge'er died, would Li's two legitimate sons have the opportunity to be adopted into the first wife's family.
Li's motive was very clear. Zhang suspected Li and didn't even need to investigate any evidence. Just having a motive was enough to convict Li.
After all, Li had done too many harmful things in order to let his son inherit the title of Duke of Chengguo.
Over the past decade or so, Zhang has been tired of helping Li clean up the mess.
But Zhang found that even if she guessed the culprit who killed her two illegitimate grandchildren Ning Yun and Ning Zhen, what could she do? Could she still deal with Li openly? Can she still kill Li secretly? If Li died, what would happen to the three legitimate grandchildren, Ning Chi, Ning Ji and Ning Rong?
In the end, Zhang could only hold her nose and pretend that she didn't know about this matter. After all, the two dead illegitimate grandchildren could not be compared with Li, who had two sons and one daughter.
She also had to help Li whisper in Si Yuan's ear to facilitate the adoption of Ning Ji.
After all, if Si Yuan adopted a child from a branch family, wouldn’t all her planning for so many years be in vain? In the future, not only will the Chengguo Mansion not fall into the hands of her beloved second son's family, but it will also fall into the hands of outsiders' bloodlines. Zhang will be so angry that she will die.
Zhang said to Si Yuan, "The second elder's family is right. It is easier for a child to stand on his own feet when he is older. You have watched Ning Ji grow up. Although he is your nephew, he is no different from your own son. Why should you care about age?"
Si Yuan looked convinced by Zhang. He pondered for a moment and said hesitantly, "Mother is right. It is too risky to adopt a young child. My son should adopt an older child so that he can be raised. In this case, it is better to adopt Ning Chi directly. Ning Chi is sixteen years old and is about to get married. There is no need to worry about him not being able to stay. Ning Ji is ten years old, so he is still a little young."
Li, Zhang and Ning Yuchengcai didn't care whether Si Yuan wanted to adopt Ning Chi or Ning Ji, as long as Si Yuan was willing to continue to adopt the second wife's legitimate son.
Si Yuan continued, "Then ask Ning Chi to move to Songyun Hall in the front yard. After a few days, we will open the family tree and officially adopt him. Then I will submit a petition to make him the crown prince."
Li was almost grinning with joy. Hadn't she been planning for more than ten years just for this day?
Even Ning Yucheng had forgotten about the body of his youngest son still lying there, his heart filled with ecstasy that his eldest son was about to become the Crown Prince of the Chengguo Mansion.
Zhang was also smiling happily, and this joy was in stark contrast to her previous sadness and crying.
Cheng looked coldly at the joyful expressions of the second wife and Zhang, and suddenly objected, "No, I don't agree!"
As soon as Cheng opened her mouth, the smiles on Zhang, Ning Yucheng and Li's faces froze. The three of them looked at Cheng with unfriendly eyes for raising objections.
Cheng Shi didn't seem to feel the unkindness. She said unhappily, "Master, if you want to adopt someone, you should adopt Ji'er. Ji'er is only ten years old. He can still be with me for a while. But Chi'er is already sixteen years old and will soon get married. How can I cultivate a mother-son relationship with him? Besides, Ji'er is ten years old, not young, and he has already established himself. Chi'er is the eldest son of my second brother and his wife. How can I adopt the eldest son instead of the adopted child?"
Ning Yucheng, Li and Zhang were relieved to see that Cheng was only against adopting Ning Chi and not the adoption itself. To the three of them, it made no difference whether to adopt Ning Chi or Ning Ji, as long as they could adopt a child to inherit the title in the eldest house.
Si Yuan pretended to be persuaded by Cheng, and Cheng took the opportunity to persuade him a few more times, and Si Yuan changed his mind: "Then let's adopt Ji Ge'er."
Whether it was Ning Chi or Ning Ji, they were both the biological sons of Ning Yucheng and Li. The couple naturally felt that it didn't matter which child they adopted. Zhang also felt that it would be fine to adopt any good grandson.
But they never imagined that adopting a child would be a life-changing and destiny-changing event for that child.
Ning Chi, the eldest son of the second house, noticed that the servants in his yard were looking at him with regretful eyes after returning home from the academy, and a strange atmosphere surrounded him.
Ning Chi frowned, then sent his personal servant to inquire.
The servant soon got the news and came back, hesitatingly telling him: "Master, the young master died of a cold and high fever today..."
Ning Chi thought of his younger brother Ning Yun, who was extremely lucky to be adopted by his uncle. His jealousy towards him turned into ridicule: "It seems that my younger brother is not that lucky."
Ning Chi's heart skipped a beat. Ning Yun was dead, and his uncle had no son. So should he adopt a new child? Ning Zhen had died of a cold a long time ago, and he and Ning Ji were the only two sons left in the second house. His father and mother valued him the most as the eldest son. If his father and mother recommended him to be adopted by his uncle, wouldn't he be the one to inherit the title of Duke of Chengguo in the future!
Ning Chi had taken the imperial examination once, but failed. He could not even pass the examination to become a scholar. It was too difficult for him to make a future by studying.
When he socialized abroad, he didn't want to use his identity as the son of a fourth-rank official. He always used his identity as the nephew of Duke Chengguo, otherwise many high-level circles would not accept him.
Ning Chi knew very well that there was a huge difference between being the son of the first wife and being the son of the second wife.
He secretly hated himself for not being born in the first wife's family. If he was the eldest son of the first wife, he would have been the prince of Duke Chengguo for sure. Why should he be ridiculed as the son of a fourth-rank official who was disguised as the nephew of Duke Chengguo?
However, when Ning Chi was excited, the servant poured cold water on him: "After the young master passed away, the Duke said that he would adopt you as his heir, and he also planned to submit a petition to make you the crown prince. But the eldest lady said that you are too old and the second young master should be adopted. In the end, the Duke chose to adopt the second young master..."
Ning Chi's heart was going up and down like a roller coaster. He first heard the servant say that his uncle wanted to adopt him as his heir and also asked him to be made the crown prince. He was so excited that he almost jumped up. Then the servant told him that his aunt did not agree and his uncle changed his mind and decided to adopt his second brother instead!
Ning Chi's heart, which had been flying to the sky with joy, suddenly fell to the bottom of the abyss.
If Si Yuan had said from the beginning that he wanted to adopt Ning Ji, Ning Chi would only be jealous of his younger brother. However, Si Yuan first said that he wanted to adopt him and even planned to ask for him to be made the Crown Prince of Chengguo. It was only later that he changed his mind and decided to adopt his younger brother.
For Ning Chi, this was like getting the position of the Crown Prince of Chengguo and then losing it. The pain of getting it and losing it again was far more unbearable than never having it at all.
Ning Chi's jealousy towards his younger brother Ning Ji turned into resentment. He hated Ning Ji for wanting to snatch his position as crown prince.
Ning Chi couldn't control the expression on his face, revealing jealousy, resentment and indignation. When his servants saw this, they were so scared that they lowered their heads and dared not look at him anymore.
However, after Ning Chi came back to his senses, he rubbed his face, sorted out his mood, and finally adjusted his expression management.
Ning Chi took a deep breath, stood up and said, "Let's go, let's go pay our respects to our mother."
Ning Chi went to the courtyard where his mother Li lived to pay his respects to her.
However, before he entered the house, he heard his mother talking and laughing to his second brother Ning Ji.
"Brother Ji, when you go to live with your uncle and aunt, don't forget your mother."
Ning Ji's clear voice, which had not yet changed, sounded so proud: "Don't worry, mother. I will definitely remember who my biological parents are."
Ning Chi stood in front of the house for a while with an expressionless face. After the mother and son in the house finished talking, he put on his usual smile and walked in: "Son greets mother!"
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