Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Unfilial piety
Shanlai entrusted Liu Shen to the hay storage area and asked the military household to take good care of him.
The woman from the military household was very puzzled. When she received the money, she asked Shanlai, "Isn't he your father-in-law? Why is he living here? Don't we have spare space at home?"
Shanlai was a little embarrassed. He nodded and chuckled awkwardly, saying, "There are indeed vacant rooms, but no heated kang (traditional Chinese bed) has been built. How can anyone live here at this time of year?"
The woman frowned, looked around, and seeing no one, she felt relieved and spoke frankly to Shan Lai: "Don't think I'm being nosy, I'm just doing this for your own good. You two are young, and sometimes you don't act reliably. I have to give you some advice. What kind of young couple would move into their own nice house and send their father-in-law to live in someone else's? That's no laughing matter! Listen to me, you two come out first and invite your father-in-law in to stay for now. Once the kang (heated brick bed) is repaired, you can move back in."
That's so embarrassing!
“...What the old lady said is true...Actually, that was what we originally planned too...It's just that he didn't want it...After all, it's the house where our young couple lived..."
That's really dangerous.
To preserve this half of your face, you have to show the other half...
"Oh! I really didn't think of that! What a waste of my time!"
If we discuss it, it's fine. If we discuss it, it's not unfilial.
The woman laughed.
She genuinely liked her neighbors and was worried they might suffer.
Now that things were out in the open, everyone felt lighter. The woman glanced discreetly at the guests, then turned to Shanlai with a smile and said, "I knew you were a family! You all look like immortals! It's quite an eye-opener for me! Don't laugh at me, but I was dusting the mattresses when I heard a knock at the door. I grabbed a big stick and rushed up, and when I saw who it was, I dropped the stick! Good heavens! I've never seen anyone like him before! I was completely stunned! When he saw me, he smiled... I blushed and my heart pounded. He said his surname was Liu and he was looking for his son. I immediately understood and quickly led him over to you. Young Master Liu is truly blessed, not only with such a father but also with a wife like you. Everyone treats him so well; he's certainly lived a worthwhile life!"
Is that good fortune? Young Master Liu doesn't think so.
"He's gone? He's gone, hasn't he?"
Seeing that Shan had finally returned, Liu Min quickly grabbed her and asked anxiously.
"Let's go." Shanlai nodded, his eyes fixed on him, watching his reaction.
He felt a sudden sense of relief, let out a long sigh, beamed, hugged Shanlai, kissed her on the lips, and muttered softly, "What bad luck! It was such a nice day..."
He was so happy that Shanlai felt a little reluctant to let him go.
"I lied to you, I didn't leave, and I'm never leaving again... The master has resigned from his official post, and he has already divorced his wife..."
"What?" He thought he had been possessed and misheard, so he grabbed Shan Lai's shoulder and asked again, "What did you just say?"
It's only possible to be like this if one is possessed by an evil spirit.
"The master said... he originally wanted to fight to the death to get justice for you, but you told him that you wanted to repay the lady for raising you... so he didn't make a scene. He first handed over his duties smoothly, then went to the lady to ask for a divorce... and then came to find you..."
Liu Min sneered, "What does he mean by that?"
Shanlai considered it for a moment and said, "I want to fulfill my responsibilities as a father..."
"I don't need it!" Liu Min looked agitated, his brows furrowed, his face grim. "I already made it clear to him, we're even! Who is he trying to impress with this act! Fulfilling his responsibilities as a father..." He sneered, "Go do it to someone else!"
Indeed, Liu Shen had more than one child. Besides Liu Min, there was Liu Qi, and Lady Yue was pregnant with another.
Liu Qi is already a teenager, so it's impossible for her to go back into the womb, but she still has a choice regarding the child she didn't give birth to.
Liu Shen's original words were,
"We've come this far, there's really no need to keep the child in your belly. Childbirth is a painful thing, you suffer, and I suffer along with you... When Lian Si's mother gave birth to Lian Si... I didn't want you to have her in the first place... It was too terrifying, one wrong move and you could lose your life... I have a son, I can face my ancestors with peace of mind, but you are a woman after all, I can't prevent you from becoming a mother just because I'm afraid, that would be too unfair to you, and in the end you did too... Why bother? You suffered when you were young, now that you're older, I'm afraid the risks will be even greater, but I don't intend to argue with you about this, it's all up to you. Apart from the ancestral property in Pingcheng, everything in the house will be left to you, as a token of our marriage."
As for Liu Qi...
Of course, he considered her feelings as well.
Although Liu Qi no longer lives with her mother, she gets wind of her parents' arguments and runs over to them.
She dared not utter a word of complaint to her father. It was all her uncle's fault for being so ruthless; how could he do this for his sister's good? He practically killed her! But it wasn't always like this. At that time, her mother was afraid, and she was afraid along with her, fearing her father's wrath. But her father never said a word. Although he didn't utter a single word all day, he still diligently went to court as if nothing was wrong, which reassured her. At this point, she didn't blame her uncle. Instead, she praised him in her heart for his decisiveness, for removing the obstacle so quickly. It turned out that he only had that brother because there was no other way. Now that he had a biological brother, of course he didn't want that one. He wasn't of one mind and couldn't be tamed, so why keep him in the way? She thought her father thought the same way. Her father loved her mother, of course he loved her mother. How could that country woman compare to her mother? It was because her mother couldn't have children, and he had no choice, so he brought in the child from the previous marriage. Everything was for her mother's good; the brother was completely unimportant.
That's what she always thought.
But no!
The father actually wanted to divorce the mother, and even said he would abandon her.
How can this be allowed?
Her father loved her more than her brother. He never liked her brother and treated him very harshly when they were in Pingcheng. He even sent him to the Imperial Academy, a place where servants were not allowed and he had to do everything himself.
She thought she could keep her father with her; between her and her brother, her father would definitely choose her.
But she was wrong again.
She hugged her father and cried, begging him not to leave, saying how could her father abandon her?
The father was moved; his eyes filled with tears, and he kept stroking her head.
Her father's appearance made her believe that she was able to leave behind a husband and wife for her mother and herself.
But her father only asked her if she would like to go with him to Wuyunwei to find her brother.
She hadn't expected it to be like this.
That should have been thought of.
All of this should have been considered.
How could a father like that truly abandon his own flesh and blood? If he did, he would be heartless and ungrateful; he wouldn't be her father at all.
She knew she should agree. For her mother's sake, she should agree, stay by her father's side, and plead for her mother's forgiveness.
But, but...
The lives of those in Wuyunwei are so miserable!
It's been snowing for half a year...
How cold must it be?
It's snowing. There are no flowers, just a vast expanse of white. There are no vibrant colors, no fragrance, only cold...
She got scared and backed down.
So her father was disappointed in her.
Her father told her not to be afraid, saying that even without him, she would have a bright future and that he didn't need to worry about her.
Her father left, and no matter how much she pleaded, he didn't look back even once.
Liu Shen wasn't exactly disappointed by his daughter's condition, but he was very sad—not for himself, nor for his daughter, but for his son.
The child has never been close to him.
It's not that I didn't try; I tried to get closer to him, but he seemed reluctant. I didn't force him; I just presumptuously treated him well.
How arrogant!
She thought she was doing it for his own good, but she didn't really understand him at all. She had no idea what he truly wanted or his situation. His stepmother wasn't genuinely kind to him, and his sister didn't treat him like a real brother. If his stepmother was like that, then of course her relatives wouldn't be genuinely kind to him either...
There was only one kind person who genuinely cared for him, but even he was forced to leave.
He's absolutely right.
I really feel sorry for him.
He's willing to atone for his sins, no matter what.
He had always known that Shan Lai was better than his daughter and more like a young lady, but he never expected her to be so much better. He had truly been blind to her true worth.
So what if she was born a slave? Her character is so noble, it's rare to find someone like her in this world.
I really regret it.
If they had understood back then, why would they have had to suffer like this?
He is the one who has wronged them.
Fortunately, he's still alive, so he still has a chance.
Shanlai asked Liu Min to go out and find someone to repair the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove).
Liu Min didn't understand her meaning and thought she was talking nonsense because she was exhausted. "Isn't everything fine? Why are you fixing it?"
Shanlai was still calming down when he finally answered, "It's not here, it's to the east..."
Liu Min always thought she looked her best at this moment. Exhausted, she appeared languid, and her eyes were full of charm and allure, unlike her cold demeanor in public. She could make people's hearts flutter at first glance, and no amount of love could be enough. That's why he said she was tormenting.
But this time, he had no interest in appreciating her beauty, because he understood what she meant.
What are you going to do?
It's not an inquiry, it's an interrogation.
"It's too cold to move earth, but we can't keep letting Master stay at someone else's house... or they'll say I'm unfilial..."
"What do you mean by unfilial! Who even knows him! If it's about filial piety, it shouldn't be directed at us!"
That's so easy to say.
I'm already tired, and having to listen to him say this is so annoying.
Are you going or not?
"I'm not going!"
“If you won’t go, I will!” He added, “You’re really something, hiding yourself while your wife has to show her face in public.”
What a terrible injustice!
But I didn't dare to blame her, so I had to endure it.
But thinking about it carefully, you really can't blame her.
She had no one to turn to for justice; it was all other people's fault that she was implicated.
He had to find a solution for her.
"You don't need to bother. I'll go find him tomorrow and get rid of him."
He said such things again.
What's the use?
If you keep arguing, I'm not going to talk to you anymore.
Liu Min was confused. "How am I being unreasonable?"
Liu Min hadn't been polite to her earlier, so she really didn't have the energy to argue with him anymore.
"Okay, go ahead. If you can really get rid of them, I'll have an easier time."
She's going to sleep again.
It's always like this. He doesn't care about people, and he makes people grit their teeth in hatred. She also feels sorry for him, knowing his shortcomings, so she lets him do as he pleases. As long as he doesn't go too far, she won't interfere. But what's the point of being alone? If she really punishes him severely, although she might feel good for a while, she will inevitably feel sorry for him in the end. What's the point? So she always wrongs herself.
The resentment runs deep.
Some people deserve their bad luck.
I got up early, washed up, and headed straight to the hay yard.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com