Chapter 1303: A Sly Mind (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Cui Xiong felt a deep respect for this maternal grandfather he had never met.
"I asked you for it because..."
Reason told Cui Xiong that he couldn't have been adopted, but Er Mi's expression was too strange, forcing him to abandon reason and think about it.
Cui Mi nodded firmly: "That's exactly what you think."
Cui Xiong's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, muttering, "Impossible, right? He deliberately provoked Father?"
This guess seems more credible.
Why would my maternal grandfather adopt his brothers out of nothing?
The brothers and sisters on the maternal uncle's side are the maternal grandfather's biological grandchildren.
"It seems that it's because my cousins and the others lack the aptitude for cultivation..."
Cui Mi said the problem was not complicated.
Cui Xiong: "...Father will not agree, and even if he does, my grandparents and the elders of the clan will not agree."
Even if the grandparents favored their cousin and were always cold towards their brothers, it didn't mean they would allow their grandchildren to be adopted by others. The Cui family wasn't that destitute! It didn't make sense either emotionally or logically, so Cui Xiong didn't take it seriously.
To see the whole leopard from a single spot.
This detail alone reveals the poor relationship between the father-in-law and son-in-law.
It's not just Cui Xiao and Cui Zhi who have trouble managing their relationship with their father-in-law.
Cui Zhi also has a daughter.
Cui Zhi doted on this daughter.
After her eldest daughter came of age, she stayed in bed for another three years until she was eighteen before preparing for her marriage. The dowry alone emptied forty percent of Cui Zhi's private treasury, and when combined with the items she had accumulated since birth, it was truly a ten-mile-long procession of red bridal procession. However, the son-in-law was not someone Cui Zhi had carefully selected.
She was dissatisfied with her son-in-law back then, and now she hates him to death!
"My two gentlemen, please save my master."
The brothers Cui Xiong and Cui Mi had barely sat down to reminisce when someone rushed in. Cui Xiong was about to reprimand him when the man suddenly knelt down with a thud. He raised his face, but it was an unfamiliar one.
Cui Xiong asked, "Which family are you from?"
Cui Mi vaguely recognized the face: "It's from the Yuan family."
To be precise, he was a trusted confidant of Yuan's son.
Why are you in such a panic? Has something happened?
With Cui Mi's reminder, Cui Xiong roughly guessed what had happened.
The only Yuan family that had a close relationship with Cui was the one whose eldest sister had married. Cui Xiong, realizing something was wrong with his elder sister, immediately sat up straight and asked the visitor, "Tell me slowly, what is it? Is it my sister or my brother-in-law who is in trouble?"
Either way, it's quite dangerous.
Cui Mi stepped forward calmly and helped the man up.
In just a few breaths, his expression shifted from relaxed to serious, then gloomy, and finally angry. His fingers tightened around the man's wrist, leaving bruises in an instant. The servant cried out in pain, and Cui Mi finally released his grip: "Continue!"
The servant wiped away his tears and said, "Our master is going to be beaten to death."
Who dares to kill the young master of the Yuan family?
Cui Xiong stood up abruptly: "Lead the way immediately."
He walked quickly, not noticing the fleeting look of unease and hesitation on the servant's face, before finally gritting his teeth and leading the way. Cui Mi, his face cold, followed slowly. The Yuan family was not a small or insignificant clan in the southwestern state of Qi. Yuan's eldest son was outstanding among the younger generation, and the "Master" the servant spoke of was his youngest brother, the fifth in line. The two brothers had little contact with this fifth son, Yuan, and had heard that their father's most favored marriage prospect was Yuan's eldest son, but somehow it ended up being Yuan's fifth son.
Before meeting his brother-in-law, Cui Xiong had considered countless possibilities, but he never expected to see his father here.
To be precise, it was the father carrying a sword.
Cui Xiong stopped in his tracks, unsure whether he should step across the threshold.
"Why is Father here?"
Also, where is my brother-in-law?
The room was a mess, with several low tables overturned on the floor and a faint scent of perfume lingering in the air. Yuan Dalang, whom he had met a few times, stood in front of his father, the two facing off. In a corner behind Yuan Dalang, Cui Xiong finally saw his disheveled brother-in-law and... two disheveled women trembling with fear.
This setup looks exactly like catching someone in the act of adultery.
When Cui and Xiong arrived, the Yuan brothers looked even worse.
He glared at the servant.
When asked to find reinforcements, he brought over two men surnamed Cui.
Since the Cui brothers were already here, it was too late to say anything now. Yuan Dalang said, "You two Cui brothers have come at the right time. Please persuade your father not to get angry, as anger is bad for his health. No matter how big the matter is, the two families can sit down and discuss it. Why resort to violence? If someone gets hurt, wouldn't that damage the harmony between the two families?"
Cui Xiong couldn't care less about his conflict with his father.
"Father, what's wrong?"
Cui Zhi refused to answer and turned to Yuan Wulang in the corner.
"What is my brother-in-law doing now?"
Seeing Yuan Wulang's expression, Cui Xiong couldn't keep up his smile. Although he was unmarried, it didn't mean he was ignorant; judging from the situation, he knew that his brother-in-law had a foul mouth.
Yuan Wulang dared not show his face and stammered.
Only then did Cui Xiong notice that his hair ornament had been sliced off by a sharp sword, and that his face bore bruises and sword marks, with lingering fear in his eyes. Needless to say, the culprit was the man beside him. Yuan Wulang's disgraceful behavior made Yuan Dalang lose face as well. He said, quite embarrassed, "My younger brother serves with me as a servant to the emperor. When Lord Cui suddenly came to our door, he drew his sword and attacked us without a word. Although it is said that a father-in-law and son-in-law are like father and son, and a father disciplining his son is a matter of course, no one should try to kill someone like that..."
"Do you think your family can bully a young lady like me, Cui?" Cui Zhi, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up. "Why don't you go and ask your good younger brother what he did and said here!"
Yuan Dalang was slightly embarrassed.
To put it bluntly, this is something that happens in my younger brother's room; how can it be discussed in public? He turned his face away, saying awkwardly, "It's just that the elders in the family pity my brother and are worried that he won't be taken care of while he's away, so they've given him two younger maids to serve him. The Cui couple are deeply in love, but we can't expect everyone to do the same; that would be too much to ask..."
He thought Cui Zhi was angry because he had accidentally caught his son-in-law playing around with a maidservant... From a father's perspective, this was indeed something to be angry about, but anger was one thing, but why draw a sword and hurt someone? This kind of thing is commonplace in any family.
If you don't allow your son-in-law to take a concubine, you should agree on that when choosing a son-in-law, instead of making a scene afterwards, which is unbecoming!
Moreover, Yuan Wulang did not take a concubine.
Neither of the two maids had any official title, so they couldn't be considered concubines.
Cui Zhi sneered: "Should you speak, or should I?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Wulang shuddered and buried his head behind the maid beside him, wishing he could disappear into the ground. Yuan Dalang sensed something was amiss, but he calmed himself down and prioritized protecting his own people.
Cui Zhi said, "Fine, if you won't tell me, I will!"
He hadn't known beforehand that his son-in-law was also there. Having been mistreated by Cui Xiong, he thought he should go and ask about his daughter and son-in-law's recent situation.
As a result, they caught their son-in-law having fun.
It wouldn't be too much of a problem if it was just about seeking pleasure—the elders of the Yuan family could send maids to Yuan Wulang, and he could send his daughter some clean and pleasant companions. If his daughter wanted to stay, she could stay; if she didn't, she could divorce and return home. It wasn't a big deal—then he heard Yuan Wulang say some outrageous things, and in a fit of rage, Cui Zhi drew his sword.
Yuan Dalang glanced at his younger brother out of the corner of his eye.
The younger brother lowered his head and shrank his neck guiltily.
This scene made Yuan Dalang feel uneasy.
As it turned out, things were indeed not going well.
Yuan Wulang's original words were: "[...How can that little woman from the Cui family be as lovely as you two? She married in but has no children. Someone secretly checked her and said she can't have any... She has such a father, she can't even get a divorce... You two should try harder, get pregnant for the master, and say she's the father... What's the use if she doesn't agree? She has such a spineless personality...]"
He can't divorce his wife, and she can't conceive, so wouldn't that mean he'd be childless for life? Ultimately, it's her own fault for not being able to conceive.
Why does she have to be the one who gave birth to her?
Guess how much her dowry was?
If she doesn't bear any children, Madam Cui will want her dowry back. Mother's plan is a last resort...
Cui Zhi couldn't listen to this anymore.
Yuan Dalang looked at his younger brother in the corner in disbelief.
The younger brother stammered, "...I didn't want this either. If she could have children, we wouldn't have all these troublesome problems."
Even a large and prosperous family has its troubles, namely, not having enough money.
This dowry was very important to the Yuan family. The dowry that Cui Zhi prepared for his daughter was not just pots and pans, coffins and bedding; nine-tenths of it consisted of gold, silver and jewelry, shops and fertile land, all of which were high-quality assets that would generate more net profit for the entire Yuan family in two or three years each year.
There's no way the Cui family can take it back.
The couple initially had a good relationship.
This situation has come to this entirely because the other party is unable to give birth.
"We can't let my younger brother die without an heir, can we?"
Yuan Dalang, somewhat despairing, covered his forehead with his hand, his face flushed with shame. A son-in-law plotting to take advantage of his daughter's dowry was far more shameful than a father-in-law beating him! This incident not only exposed Yuan's moral failings but also revealed his precarious financial situation...
"I will definitely give Lord Cui an explanation for this matter." Yuan Dalang was angry, but he could not let Cui Zhi kill his younger brother. "Considering the long-standing friendship between our two families, please forgive my younger brother this time."
Cui Zhi felt that his blood pressure was fluctuating.
"Big Bear, Second Deer, go and get the pen and ink."
Yuan Dalang immediately realized something was wrong and stepped forward to stop him.
"Lord Cui, why have you come to this?"
Cui Zhi sneered, "Why did it have to come to this? Get out of the way!"
He immediately wrote a strongly worded divorce agreement, practically hurling insults at Yuan Wulang, and threw it in front of him, demanding he sign it.
"My sister-in-law might not be willing."
Cui Zhi is being far too autocratic and domineering!
"That's not your business."
Yuan Wulang stared at the paper for a long while, then suddenly jumped up like a fish thrown into hot oil, veins bulging on his forehead, his face flushed with anger, and said, "Why? Your Cui family daughter was in the wrong first, why treat me like this? Do you think your daughter is just infertile? She's also having an affair with some other man, and I haven't said anything to her!"
Cui Mi couldn't help but step forward and push him away.
"Don't you dare slander my elder sister!"
"What slander?" Yuan Wulang was so angry that tears were about to fall. He pointed to his eyes and said, "I saw it clearly with both eyes! She didn't choose the son-in-law your father liked, but insisted on choosing me. Isn't there something fishy going on here?"
Cui Xiong: "???"
Yuan Dalang: "???"
Yuan Wulang realized what he had said and couldn't help but slap himself, his regret evident. He forced himself to say, "It wasn't just me who made the mistake. Either we both get punished equally, or we can pretend nothing happened. Why should I be the one to be hit?"
Cui Xiong glanced at his father, whose expression was subtle.
Cui Zhi took a deep breath: "Who is that person?"
“She seems to be a follower of the Eternal Life Cult… She makes donations every month…” Yuan Wulang simply gave up. It was indeed wrong of him to scheme for Cui’s dowry, but Cui’s daughter was not entirely innocent either. If they were to lose face, they would lose face together. “They have been seeing each other for some time.”
Upon hearing the words "Eternal Life Cult," Cui Zhi's expression was quite interesting.
Yuan Dalang almost cracked his voice; it was trembling.
Incredulous, he asked, "Have you been seeing each other... for quite some time now?"
Why haven't you mentioned it before?
Yuan Wulang stammered, "...They had been in contact before they got married...I even saw them chatting and laughing outside the temple once."
He was shocked when he was engaged to the Cui family.
That Miss Cui couldn't possibly be unaware that he enjoyed playing around.
A somewhat philandering young son with no inheritance rights—why would she specifically choose him? It's all for the sake of controlling her. Even if she has affairs with other men after marriage, and things are ambiguous, he can't say a word.
This model is not uncommon in this circle.
As long as the couple completes the important task of continuing the family line, it's not considered shocking for them to keep a few mistresses in private, as long as they don't cause a scene and stick to their bottom line—that is, their children's bloodlines are not mixed.
The Cui brothers swallowed hard and looked at their father.
I hope the other party can make a decision.
Speaking of almsgiving, their elder sister did indeed have this habit, usually on the first and fifteenth of each month. She also did have close relationships with several followers of the Eternal Life Cult. Yuan Wulang, fearing that the three men wouldn't believe him, said, "The Eternal Life Cult, in order to develop more followers within the inner quarters, specifically keeps beautiful maids and servants, tricking them into donating more money... You know that, right?"
Cui Xiong was exasperated: "You know quite a lot about this!"
Yuan Wulang said, "My mother is..."
He'd been around these people before, so he naturally knew the inside story.
But before he could finish speaking, Yuan Dalang quickly covered his mouth.
The three members of the Cui family: "..."
Yuan Wulang used all his strength to pry open Dalang's fingers, finally managing to catch his breath: "...Most of these people are slaves."
Of course, a slave could not become Cui Zhi's son-in-law.
That's why he chose to be the sucker.
Yuan Dalang didn't want to listen anymore.
If we continue, both sides will lose face.
"Master Cui, how about... we just give each of us equal punishment?"
The Cui family didn't mention that their family coveted the dowry, and the two families didn't care about the Cui family's private life. So the two families pretended that nothing had happened.
Cui Mi said, "No rush, we need to hear what my elder sister has to say first. We can't let you all tell us everything..."
Yuan Dalang chuckled awkwardly, "That works too."
This farce started strong but ended weakly.
"Ermi, what do you know?"
Cui Zhi used a confident tone.
Cui Mi didn't know where to begin.
As the three siblings grew older, the differences between boys and girls diminished, and their interactions became less frequent and intimate than in their childhood. Furthermore, the future was uncertain, so Cui Mi knew little about his elder sister's future. However, his brief encounter with Yuan Wulang had allowed him to glimpse fragments of his life. Yuan Wulang had seen his elder sister chatting and laughing with someone, and that person's appearance… his appearance was exactly the same as the young scholar at his maternal grandmother's grave…
In other words—
Was the young man Yuan Wulang saw actually his maternal grandfather?
Cui Xiong angrily asked, "Then he slandered my elder sister's reputation?"
Isn't this just a misunderstanding?
The older sister's side has a misunderstanding; Yuan Wulang is truly evil!
Cui Mi whispered, "No, not exactly."
Cui Xiong, who had lifted his buttocks, sat back down: "Huh?"
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