CHAPTER 110: CHAPTER 109: WITHIN HALF A MONTH, HE’LL COME BEGGING ME

Su Jingchen sneered, "She’s thinking of us?"

Whatever Yao says, their father always believes; but when it comes to the words of his two sons, he chooses to ignore.

All these years, Yao has been basking in the prestige of being the household mistress, she must have long forgotten that she still belongs to the class of lowly status, hasn’t she?

"She always pretends in front of you, don’t you know how long she’s been deceiving you?"

Even a six-year-old like Su Jingyue can see it, yet Father Su remains blind to it, which is truly puzzling.

Father Su glared angrily at Su Jingchen, "I forbid you from speaking ill of your stepmother. Give me her deed of servitude!"

"Return?" Su Jingchen’s tone changed abruptly, "Yao was my mother’s dowry maid. Before my mother died, she handed me Yao’s deed, not you. Don’t you understand why?"

Father Su’s face flushed with embarrassment; he knew exactly why.

During Madam Zheng’s pregnancy, he’d already been having an illicit affair with Yao in secret. Presumably, Madam Zheng had some suspicion at the time, but passed away in childbirth before she could expose them.

When Madam Zheng just passed away, Father Su did feel guilty. However, that guilt has vanished over time.

When Father Su was young, his parents died of illness one after another, causing him to be a child raised on the food of a hundred families.

Upon coming of age, he left Lower River Bend alone to make his way in Jiangnan.

He eventually settled in the Zheng family’s medicine shop in Funan, working as a long-term laborer for three years, transporting herbs for them.

Later, by a stroke of luck, he saved a concubine-born daughter of the Zheng family who accidentally fell into the water. The Zheng family’s matriarch claimed that because she got wet and was seen and held by an outside man, her reputation was no longer clean, so she betrothed her to him.

Thus, he leapt from being a long-term worker to becoming a son-in-law of the Zheng family, who even gave him a sum of money so he could return home gloriously with Madam Zheng.

With money, Father Su had capital to start a business.

Thanks to over three years of experience working for the Zheng family, he began imitating what he had seen and learned, entering the business of reselling herbal medicines. He quickly earned his first pot of gold.

Since then, his business skyrocketed, and it didn’t take many years for him to tear down the old, shabby thatched house and build a grand blue brick and tile house.

Once Father Su had money, his mind transformed.

He realized that no matter how much money he earned, Madam Zheng would only give a calm smile, neither encouraging nor praising.

In contrast to Madam Zheng’s indifference, Yao would cheer and flatter him without reservation each time.

With money, he was no longer the young worker in the Zheng family, having multiple wives and concubines was quite normal for men.

Father Su began to entertain ideas.

When Madam Zheng was pregnant with their second child, Yao brought him a late-night snack to the study, seducing him with a sultry glance. He lost his head in the heat of the moment and took Yao then and there without thinking.

The practice of a dowry maid becoming the concubine of the male head of the house in large families was quite common and thus, Father Su convinced himself.

But when confronted with Madam Zheng, Father Su was guilty.

He didn’t dare mention the matter of taking a concubine to Madam Zheng, continuing his secret affair with Yao behind her back.

Later, after Madam Zheng died from complications during childbirth, he mourned for a few months before naturally getting together with Yao.

"What do you, a child, know by holding onto your stepmother’s deed? The grievances between elders are not for you to meddle with. Hand over your stepmother’s deed, or don’t expect to spend another penny from the family!" Father Su demanded sternly.

If he could get hold of Yao’s deed and erase her slave status at the county government, surely Yao would be overjoyed.

Thinking of Yao being in low spirits lately and carrying a child, Father Su made up his mind to retrieve her deed and make her happy.

Su Jingchen’s eyes were icy, his tone turned cold, "I will not give you Yao’s deed. As for your fifty taels, I have no use for them."

Su Jingchen hadn’t expected that after such a long separation from his father, they would end up in such a conflict over a deed.

His intention was to stop his father from going to Maizhou, fearing he might be in danger, but all his father cared about was getting Yao’s deed.

His patience and the already thin remnants of familial affection had now been exhausted.

"Fine, fine, fine, you don’t care, do you? But someone will!" Father Su snatched the fifty-tael silver note and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Without me, how will you eat? What will you wear? How will you attend school?"

Just because he passed the scholar examination, he doesn’t even remember his last name. Father Su stormed out the door.

Determined to humble Su Jingchen’s arrogance.

He was confident that once he let some time pass and Su Jingchen faces hardships, he’d come back to beg him and hand over Yao’s deed.

Father Su shouted, "Aunt Li, come with me!"

He couldn’t leave someone behind for the two brothers, or it would only delay their time of admitting their wrongdoings and yielding.

As the master of the Su family issued the order, Aunt Li had to comply as she was bought by Master Su.

With a heavy heart and constant backward glances, Aunt Li packed her belongings and followed the fuming Father Su.

"Master, the two young masters can’t cook, and the living expenses you gave last time are almost gone. Do you really have the heart to ignore them?" Aunt Li ponderously followed Father Su, carrying her bundle.

Father Su kept a resolute face, hands behind his back, "Give it half a month, I will make him come to me."

Aunt Li’s lips moved as if to say, you don’t truly understand your son. Even in six months, he won’t come to you.

But realizing it wasn’t her place to meddle, she kept silent and focused on her duties.

Su Jingchen comforted the sobbing Su Jingyue, cradling him in his arms.

"Jingyue, your brother will surely take good care of you."

Su Jingyue blinked his big eyes and asked with distress, "Brother, does Father only care about the little one in Yao’s belly and doesn’t want us anymore?"

Su Jingchen didn’t expect that just by preventing his father from going to Maizhou, things would escalate to straining the father-son relationship to such a frosty level.

"Be good, Jingyue, brother loves you."

If not for his mother’s dying wish, he wouldn’t have let Yao live freely for all these years.

Deep loss filled Su Jingchen’s eyes.

If something truly happened to Father in Maizhou, he would absolutely not let Yao get away with taking their family’s wealth.

Past scores needed settling too, one by one.

Yu Xiaolian found two books in the supermarket stationery section, "Medicinal Diet and Health Care" and "A Bite of China."

As it was inconvenient to give these books directly to Zheng Yuanfeng, she decided to hand-copy a version.

Though she chose to transcribe select parts, it still took over a month of copying.

During the period she stayed indoors, except for attending the restaurant opening.

Yangcheng’s winter was really too cold, unsuitable for venturing outside.

Sun’s belly was now nearly five months along, and it showed prominently.

Because it was twins, her belly appeared quite large for five months.

Besides chopping wood and feeding the horse, Yu Changhe looked after Sun every day.

Zhao Erya did the cooking and laundry, and as they entered into the twelfth month, every household began preparing for the New Year’s goods.

"What’s today’s date?" Yu Xiaolian asked.

Zhao Erya replied with a smile, "It’s the tenth."

Lately, Zhao Erya had been busy with many tasks, yet visibly put on weight.

During this time, Yu Xiaolian and Zhao Erya’s relationship grew more harmonious since they were of a similar age and had endless topics of conversation.

Sun and Yu Changhe truly liked the diligent and capable Zhao Erya, so they discussed and decided to take Zhao Erya as their adopted daughter.