Silence fell over the study. Liu Jingze lowered his head, while Zhang Shouyi suppressed his anger.
There's no point in talking to someone like that. I jumped up and thought, "Instead of wasting time here, I'd rather go back and be with my wife."
"I beg you, I can't win against you in this lifetime, at least give me some comfort."
Okay, I won't force you. Just let Xiao Wu still recognize me as his godfather. Can he take my surname?
Zhang Shouyi, you know that if I were to risk my reputation to go find Hongmei, I could definitely succeed.
But I don't want to put her in a difficult position, nor do I want this to create a rift between you two, so please agree.
As you know, I wanted Xiao Wu because I wanted to give everything I had to her.
I spoke with San'er before, and he rejected the Liu family's influence. He is very clear that he wants to take over Hongmei's business in the future.
Don't worry, I won't take a single penny from the Liu family. It's all my own creation that I'm giving to Xiao Wu.
Think it over carefully, I'll come over tonight.
After Liu Jingze finished speaking, he glanced at the furious Zhang Shouyi, left the study, took a deep breath outside, greeted the old man, and went out.
The old lady watched her great-grandson leave, a dull ache in her heart. She knew without a doubt what he wanted to see Zhang Shouyi about.
Zhang Shouyi paced around his study several times, truly furious. It took him several minutes to calm down.
He sat down again, thinking about what Liu Jingze had said.
He didn't care about anything else. Couldn't he take care of his own son? Why did he need to raise him? But he was right about one thing: if he went to Hongmei and the old lady, there was a fifty percent chance that this would happen.
Zhang Shouyi sat in the study for ten minutes before returning to his room, where he saw his wife lying on the bed, smiling at him.
"What's wrong? Are you angry with Jingze again?"
After hearing his wife's words, Zhang Shouyi looked aggrieved and lay down. He turned to his side, propping his head up with his hand, and said, "Wife, Liu Jingze bullied me."
Zhang Hongmei looked at Zhang Shouyi helplessly, "Don't make that face, it makes me uncomfortable. I don't care about what's between you two."
"Wife, he threatened me. He wants Xiao Wu. He said from the beginning that I should give him Xiao Wu."
"How could I agree? That's my son, my son." Zhang Shouyi became a little agitated as he spoke.
Zhang Hongmei was exasperated. Why couldn't these people just have their own children? Why were they so fixated on her own son?
"He also said at the end that Xiao Wu should take his surname, Liu. He is Xiao Wu's godfather."
He said if I didn't agree, he would come looking for you. It makes me so angry!
Zhang Hongmei patted Zhang Shouyi's arm, "Don't be angry. We won't give our child to anyone else, but if he wants to be Xiao Wu's godfather, then let him be."
"But he wants Xiao Wu to have the surname Liu?" This was what angered Zhang Shouyi the most. Not content with just wanting his own wife, his third son had already recognized him as his godfather, and now he was going too far, wanting Xiao Wu to take his surname?
Zhang Hongmei fell silent; she truly hadn't considered this question. If the fourth mistress already bore the surname Gu, did she expect the fifth mistress to bear the surname Liu?
Seeing his wife's expression, Zhang Shouyi knew something was wrong. He moved closer to Zhang Hongmei with a wronged expression and buried his head in his wife's arms.
"Wife, I don't want to, my son is awake."
"Alright, stop it. I'll think about it. There must be a reason why Brother Jingze said that."
"Hmph! She says she wants Xiao Wu to inherit everything from her. Does my son need someone else to support him? Are you kidding me?"
"Oh? Doesn't the Liu family already have Chongyu and Yuhui?"
"He said it belonged to the Liu family, and the one he gave to Xiao Wu was his own. Anyway, he had no good intentions."
At this moment, Hu Aifen came in and brought soup to Zhang Hongmei.
"Get up and have some drink quickly. I added some pear this time, so it's not completely tasteless."
Zhang Shouyi reluctantly got up. He even helped his wife up.
Zhang Hongmei took the bowl and drank it all in small sips. Looking at Hu Aifen's gray hair, she gazed at the child with affection, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.
"Auntie, why doesn't my great-grandmother come in to see me?"
"Your great-grandmother said she's too old and might not treat you well. She'll come over in three days."
“Auntie, there’s no need for so many formalities. Please invite my great-grandmother in. I have something to say to her.”
"Okay, I'll go tell your great-grandmother."
A short while later, Hu Aifen helped the old lady in.
"What's wrong?" The old lady sat on the chair by the bed.
"Grandma, just now Brother Jingze went to see Brother Zhang. He wants Xiao Wu, and Xiao Wu has to have the surname Liu."
Zhang Hongmei spoke frankly and directly, without any need for concealment or hiding anything.
The old lady was stunned. Was that what Jingze was thinking?
“Hongmei, I know your brother Jingze’s request is excessive, but could you please grant it for the sake of the Liu family?”
You can still raise Xiao Wu, so that your brother Jingze will have something to worry about.
"Shouyi, I know you're not satisfied, but let's be frank. I'll say it again: if I had told Hongmei back then that she wanted to marry Jingze, you wouldn't have these sons now."
You know Hongmei, if she has this constraint in her heart, she will never give you a chance, even if she doesn't have Jingze in her heart.
So you've won, so give Jingze some motivation to live on. I'm begging you, at my age."
As the old woman spoke, she stood up and was about to kneel down.
Hu Aifen was also standing to one side, about to kneel down, which frightened Zhang Shouyi so much that he hurriedly rushed over. This was really unacceptable.
Zhang Hongmei grabbed the old lady's hand, "Grandma, please don't do this."
Zhang Shouyi helped the old lady sit down. "Grandma, please don't do this. San'er has already given Liu Jingze an adopted son. I've already given one son away."
"Shouyi, I know you don't want to, but think about it, it's just a matter of name. Even if Xiao Wu's surname is Liu, he is still your son, Zhang Shouyi."
Jingze was simply searching for something to cling to, something to motivate him to keep climbing higher.
Zhang Shouyi looked at Zhang Hongmei, whose face remained expressionless.
He turned around and sat back down without saying a word.
"Great-Grandma," Zhang Hongmei said, holding the old lady's hand, "Great-Grandma, the Liu family now has Liu Chongyu and Liu Yuhui. Jingze-ge's intention is to have Xiaowu inherit everything from him."
As you know, we don't care about these things; we're just worried about a rift between the children in the future.
“Hongmei, no, Chongyu and Yuhui are both for you to raise. And since Xiao Wu’s surname is Liu, then he belongs to the Liu family of San’er and his three brothers.”
"Grandma, I don't want this to happen. I don't want my child to become materialistic because of this."
“Hongmei, is that possible? Chongyu has always been by your side, and you know his temperament. Yuhui also came over when he was four years old. They all live together, and with your education, they would never have such a problem. You should trust the children; we two can't raise children like that.”
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