“Yes, although Mother said it was hard and tiring, she never let go of my father. As soon as we arrived in the capital, she immediately asked us to set up a memorial tablet for him,” Ling Dapeng added.
They weren't against their mother remarrying, but she had to marry someone they could control. This general was just too illustrious.
Ling Yunzhou frowned upon hearing this. If that were true, Tao Wanniang shouldn't have treated him this way.
"What's all this chattering about?" Tao Wanniang chuckled as she walked into the living room. She wanted to sleep, but her stomach was growling, so she had to get up.
Upon seeing Ling Yunzhou, Tao Wanniang subconsciously composed herself and asked warily, "General, what brings you here?"
“I think it’s time to tell the children who I am,” Ling Yunzhou said solemnly.
"Say what? What should I say?" Tao Wanniang was shocked. What was he planning to do so suddenly? Was he going to kidnap her?
“That’s right, I think the children are all grown up now, we can’t keep it a secret forever!” Ling Yunzhou nodded seriously and said, “You’ve worked hard all these years too.”
The Ling family members felt increasingly uneasy as they listened. Could it be that this general really wanted to be their stepfather?
“Mother, we don’t want to know,” Ling Dahu said immediately. They didn’t want a stepfather like that.
Had something happened that she didn't know about? Tao Wanniang looked at her two sons with suspicion, and finally looked at Ling Yunzhou, saying with displeasure, "General Ling, my family has just suffered a misfortune, why are you getting involved at this time?"
“It’s precisely because the small restaurant is gone that I should let you know even more that you still have me when you encounter difficulties,” Ling Yunzhou said forcefully. “Tao Wanniang, should you say it or should I say it?”
"Um, big sister, how about Xiao Qiao and I leave first?" Bai Yumei felt that the atmosphere was not right, and that she and Xiao Qiao seemed to be out of place.
"Why are you leaving? You're my old sister, and Xiao Qiao'er is my daughter. There's nothing you can't hear about," Tao Wanniang said irritably. "Keep them all here as witnesses."
"Go ahead and tell me if you want to." Tao Wanniang's mindset changed quickly. This matter would be exposed sooner or later. She guessed that the restaurant being burned down was probably related to Lingyunzhou.
"I am the father you've been talking about for so many years, your biological father!" Ling Yunzhou said to the Ling brothers with a stern face. "Don't you even know your own father's name?"
"Our father's name is Ling Yunzhou, but we don't know your name, General." Ling Dahu looked at Ling Yunzhou suspiciously, thinking that this might be a trick he and his mother had put on to make them accept their stepfather!
“Impossible, absolutely impossible!” Ling Dapeng shook his head and said firmly, “Our father has been gone for many years, and he has become an official in the lower ranks.”
Ling Yunzhou's head throbbed as he listened. What kind of nonsense was this?
Tao Wan's mother sighed, helpless. Her son was just so foolish; he still believed everything she had said.
“Yes, you can’t be our father. Our father died a long time ago,” Ling Dahu emphasized, then looked at Tao Wanniang, “Mother, don’t you agree?”
“Tao Wanniang!” Ling Yunzhou looked at Tao Wanniang and said angrily, “What kind of nonsense have you been telling the children?”
“Even in the worst of times, people need a glimmer of hope. When life was tough, I told you that our children’s deceased father was watching over us from below,” Tao Wan’s mother said lightly. “General Ling, I’m so sorry!”
"I'll handle the rest," Tao Wanniang said, clearing her throat as she looked at her son and daughter-in-law.
“This person is indeed your biological father. He is not dead, but he has suffered from amnesia over the years and has forgotten us. Therefore, even though he is a great general, he has never come to look for us. Of course, I don’t blame him. After all, seventeen years have passed, and I wouldn’t recognize him if he stood in front of me.”
“But Mother, this isn’t right. If it weren’t for Father protecting us…” Ling Dapeng asked without thinking. The white rice, white flour, and water were all given to him by his father, who was an official in the underworld.
But before he could finish speaking, Tao Wanniang interrupted him.
“There’s nothing wrong with this. This person is indeed the real Ling Yunzhou, your father.”
"Did you hear that? I am your father." Ling Yunzhou was furious that his two sons still didn't want to acknowledge him.
"However, you don't need to overthink it. It's impossible for him and I to get back together. Your mother still prefers the old farmer!" Tao Wan's mother sighed. "General, now, tell me, what are you here for?"
Ling Yunzhou was surprised that Tao Wanniang could be so decisive in front of the child, and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
"And you two?" Ling Yunzhou then looked at his two sons, "Do you acknowledge me as your father?"
"You should all leave for now, General Ling. The children have just heard this news and need some time to think it over," Tao Wanniang said to the bewildered Ling brothers. "Go back inside. General Ling must have come here for more than just this!"
“What do you mean by ‘this little thing’? What could be more important than letting the children know I exist?” Ling Yunzhou said, dissatisfied.
"Why are you shouting? Didn't you see the children's faces turn pale with fright?" Tao Wan's mother said unhappily. "You all go back."
Ling Dahu and Ling Dapeng were a bit bewildered as their wives pushed them away. Bai Yumei also quickly left with Xiao Qiao'er, leaving only Tao Wanniang and Ling Yunzhou facing each other in the hall.
"Is the divorce agreement ready? If it is, give it to me quickly," Tao Wanniang urged. "I must sever all ties with you."
"Tao Wanniang, what do you mean? Is all your so-called deep affection just a lie to the children?" Ling Yunzhou looked at Tao Wanniang with complicated feelings. What was the reason for her behavior?
"General Ling, do you know how my little restaurant caught fire?" Tao Wanniang didn't answer Ling Yunzhou's question, but looked at him with a heavy expression. "This little restaurant is under the protection of Prince Rui's mansion, yet it was set on fire. Guess who did it?"
"What do you mean?" Ling Yunzhou wasn't oblivious, but he found it hard to believe that the Eldest Princess would do such a thing.
"It doesn't mean anything. I just feel that recognizing the General won't bring any good to our family. On the contrary... well, you know."
Ling Yunzhou's face turned pale; this was a slap in the face! Immediately, he took out the divorce papers he had already written.
Tao Wanniang's eyes lit up; this was proof of her freedom!
"I'll get the brush and ink right away!" Tao Wanniang said impatiently, a cheerful smile on her face.
This scene seemed incredibly ironic to Ling Yunzhou.
Tao Wanniang quickly signed and pressed her fingerprint on the divorce papers, and then hurriedly dried them.
"From now on, there will truly be no relationship between us. As for the two sons, whether they acknowledge you or not, they know of your existence. My suggestion is to continue as before. Otherwise, who knows if they will end up like the small restaurant?"
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