Chapter 9: Hitting the Bull's-Eye

clasped his hands together and said, "My name is Ma Changan. My home is in...""If any of you brothers go to Miao Village, just ask anyone for Lao San Ma.""Okay, okay..."Once the price is agreed upon,...Xu Mao-yuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up. “Huai-yi, please get up…”

"Uncle" Xu Huaiyi hesitated, looking this way and that, his expression unsure of what to do. He looked like a weak and ineffectual person no matter how you looked at him.

But now, everyone else in the house feels they were too naive before.

"Get up and speak again!" Xu Mao'yuan scowled, emphasizing his words slightly. "You did nothing wrong. Why are you kneeling A man has gold under his knees, stand up!"

"Yes, I'll listen to my uncle..." Xu Huaiyi stood up quickly this time. His gaze was a little dazed, with a hint of honesty. A closer look revealed clear and innocent eyes in his depths.

Xu Maoyuan sighed, "What you just said, it's fine to say it here in the room, but don't spread it outside. It wouldn't be good for you, or for our Xu family..."

Xu Huaiyi wore a face of grievance, "I don't want to say it, but if I don't say it, my mother will misunderstand me as unfilial. What can I do"

When Zhao's wife heard this, she almost gasped for breath. "You, you..."

Xu Maoshan cast her a deep, unwavering glance. He didn't say a word, but his silence was enough to make Zhao Pozi bow her head. She had held in her anger for too long; her hand trembled uncontrollably.

Xu Huaiyi let out a cold smile in his heart and pretended not to see it.

Xu Maoyuan slammed his fist on the table, making a decisive statement. “Who dares say you are unfilial You have done so much for this family... how could you be any more filial”

This statement was directed at both Xu Maoshan and Zhao's wife. When the proposal to have someone marry into the Gu family as a son-in-law was first made, he disagreed. The Xu family wasn't desperate, they didn't need a member of their family to make such a sacrifice.

It's so embarrassing, it's a disgrace to our ancestors.

By the time he could intercept it, the document, tempting as it was, had already been decided.

Now, by revisiting old grievances, he can vent his anger.

"Uncle..." Xu Huaiyi's emotions came and went quickly, his eyes immediately reddened, looking as if he was moved to tears. "Thank you, with your words, I can die without regrets."

Xu Mao-yuan immediately rebuked angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about What's the matter with death What bad luck!"

Xu Huaiyi readily agreed and said, "You're right. I need to live well. I have to fulfill my father-in-law's wish, take care of my wife and raise our daughter."

Xu Maoyuan nodded slightly, with a hint of concern in his voice, and asked, "How is your wife doing Has she improved after taking Dr. Jiao's medicine"

"Finally, we've reached this point. Xu Huaiyi sighed with worry and said, "I still don't know. Right now... Sigh, Dr. Jiao said to wait until after she finishes those few doses of medicine and then see. Even if she recovers, she won't be able to do any work in the future; she'll have to rely on medicine for the rest of her life. Otherwise... Sigh, I have no solutions right now. I even sold her remaining dowry. I'm not skilled at anything and can't earn much money. What will happen to us then Will we just be at the mercy of fate Sigh, if that day ever comes, I won't be able to live either. The only thing I can do is die and apologize to my father-in-law..."

There is no need to say more, the meaning is clear.

Give me the money!

Without money, you are forcing them to be concubines and die.

The house fell silent all of a sudden.

Wang Suyun clenched her heart and secretly signaled to her husband with her eyes.

Xu Huai-ren didn't receive it. He was completely immersed in his complex emotions. He couldn't figure out why, since he had initially called Lao San in to settle accounts, how did things develop so muddledly now

Xu MaoYuan waited for a while, but seeing that no one spoke up, his heart sank. He simply asked Xu Maoshan directly, "What do you say about this"

Xu Maoshan looked embarrassed and sighed deeply, "Brother, what can I say The family silver, well... it's my mother who manages it. You ask her, see how much she's willing to give..."

Xu Mao yuan had not yet opened his mouth, when Zhao pozi shrieked, "No! Not a single copper coin! Our family has long been struggling to make ends meet. We are so poor that we barely have enough for one meal a day. We're all just waiting to die, where could there be any silver to pay for medicine"

Xu Huaiyi, upon hearing this, immediately put on an expression of shock and disbelief. "Not a single penny left How will my fifth younger brother study then I heard that even just registering for the exam for Xiucai (a low-ranking civil service degree) costs dozens of taels of silver, and monthly tuition is another two taels. Then there's the ink, paper, brushes, and other necessities - where can we possibly get all that money Could it be that my fifth younger brother will have to go back home and farm"

Zhao Po listened to this, she simply wanted to bite him, “You dare to curse your younger brother…”

Huaiyi innocently said, "No, I was just curious. You said your family had no money left. Besides the medicine my wife needs, where did you get the silver for our fifth brother's studies"

Zhao Pozi spat, "What's your daughter-in-law She's nothing compared to your fifth brother! Your fifth brother is a celestial Wenqu Xing who descended to earth, while your daughter-in-law is just a wretched life..."

"Shut up!" Xu Maoshan shouted at her. Turning his head, he explained to Xu Maoyuan, whose face was ashen with anger, "Big brother, she's narrow-minded and lacks foresight. Don't hold it against her…"

Xu Maoyuan patted the kang, "Alright, I won't hold it against her. I just want to ask you, what are we going to do about this Don't try to brush me off with empty words. I know your situation well enough. People in our village aren't all blind; those with clear eyes can see. You live in a large tiled house, and Huaiyu is still studying in town..."

Letting out a long sigh, he said in a serious tone, "Even if you don't care about Huaiyi and his wife, or even your deceased father-in-law, and don't mind the reputation of our Xu family, shouldn't you at least think about Huaiyu He is a scholar, and scholars value their reputation above all else! If people knew that because we supported his studies, his sister-in-law died, he would be ruined, even if he were a reincarnation of the literary star."

Xu Maoshan's face finally changed; this threat struck at his vital point.

Seeing this, Wang Suyun panicked and pushed Xu Huai'ren hard. Xu Huai'ren finally woke up at this moment, looking unusually sober.

“A flash of inspiration struck him, “Uncle, you forgot one thing. Huaiyi, Huaiyi is a family man now! He has nothing to do with the Xu family anymore. He's just temporarily living there...”

Xu Maoyuan was stunned.

"Zhao's wife became agitated and exclaimed, "That's right! The eldest one is right! This scoundrel has been a member of the Gu family for two years now. Whether his wife lives or dies from her illness, that is the Gu family's business! What right does he have to use money from the Xu family There is no such logic in the world! Everyone in the village knows that the Gu and Xu families are two separate families. It's written in black and white on official documents. No matter how much we talk about it, they are still two separate families. Since they are two separate families, why should his wife's life or death implicate our Huaiyu's reputation"

After a furious outburst, Zhao Pozi felt a sense of satisfaction in her heart. She looked at Xu Huaiyi's eyes with undisguised malice and pleasure. She had never liked this son, never...

Xu Maoshan was relieved, but he still put on a troubled expression, "Big brother, you see this, this matter has gotten out of hand... alas, it's all because I didn't manage things well..."

Xu Mao-yuan asked Xu Huai-yi with a stiff expression, "Is there anything else you want to say"

What's he saying He's so happy right now that he wants to go out and set off fireworks to celebrate!

I didn't plan on doing anything, but unexpectedly, I stumbled upon success!

He's such a clever guy!

Xu Huaiyi suppressed his excitement and put on a heartbroken expression, “I have nothing to say. What my elder brother said is right, what mother said is also true. I never had a choice.”

He only has one way out of this house. the restroom, I slipped into a carriage and had those kids guard outside. If they wait for a while and I don't come out, they'll definitely check the back garden. If they can't find me, they'll thin...