CHAPTER 428: CHAPTER 430: IF JIAZHI IS YOUR BIOLOGICAL CHILD, SWEAR IT TO ME.

Wang Xueyong, with Gao Guihua in tow, had rushed to the Guangming Production Team. He had initially been unaware of Gao Jiaxing’s return, but Xue Baozhu’s visit demanding her son had spread the news to the Red Star Production Team, which is how Wang Xueyong came to learn of it.

Wang Xueyong had been meaning to visit in the next couple of days, but Gao Guihua, upon receiving the news, had immediately gone back to her family’s home and told them, which led to the confrontation with Old Lady Gao, Gao Guofu, and Lin Xuebi arriving aggressively at the scene.

Gao Guihua did not join Old Lady Gao and the others; instead, she returned to the Red Star Production Team to inform Wang Xueyong, who then hurriedly came with Gao Guihua.

By the time Wang Xueyong arrived, Old Lady Gao was pressuring Zheng Xianghong to swear, "If Jiazhi is your child, then swear to it. If Jiazhi isn’t born of you, may you be struck by lightning and never die in peace."

The moment Old Lady Gao’s words fell, everyone gasped. Old Lady Gao was true to form, as fierce as ever, with threats of lightning strikes and a terrible death.

"Mom," Gao Guoqiang bellowed, feeling a deep disappointment towards Old Lady Gao, coupled with even greater anguish.

"If she birthed him, why wouldn’t she dare to swear?" Old Lady Gao was intent on dragging this out.

"Jiazhi is mine and Xianghong’s son. Yet, Mom, you’re pushing us like this; you’ve really disappointed me," Gao Guoqiang said, completely distraught. This was the mother he had always respected. Even if Old Lady Gao had bullied Zheng Xianghong in the past, Gao Guoqiang chose not to blame her out of respect for his own mother. But now, he was consumed by sorrow and anger.

Zheng Xianghong was holding up better, having long since understood what kind of person Old Lady Gao was. She said coldly to Gao Guoqiang, "You always told me to endure because she is your mother, that she was hurt by the deaths of your elder brother, second brother, and your father and that her drastic behavior was a result of her trauma, urging me to empathize with her. But now you see what your mother is like for yourself, Guoqiang. I can’t live like this anymore."

With those words, Zheng Xianghong turned to go back to her room, but Old Lady Gao tore after her. Gao Guoqiang hurried to intervene, and Gao Jiazhi also rushed forward.

Suddenly, Old Lady Gao, in a fit of anger, lunged at Gao Jiazhi, screaming, "You bastard, get out of the Gao family, get out!"

"Jiazhi, let’s go. I can’t live with your father anymore. Come on, we’ll go find Jiaxing," Zheng Xianghong said angrily.

It was then that Lin Xuebi spoke up, "Sister-in-law, just make the oath. If Jiazhi is your and big brother’s child, what are you afraid of?"

"Lin Xuebi, you never had regard for me as your sister-in-law. All these years, you’ve stirred trouble without my countering. Don’t think that just because you’ve spent a few years in the city you’re really a city person now. My family’s affairs are not your business to poke your nose into."

Zheng Xianghong’s rebuttal left Lin Xuebi agitated, retorting, "Sister-in-law, what do you mean by that? What ’your family’s affair’? This is all the Gao family’s affair. If you’re not guilty, then take the oath."

"Why should I swear? Why must I comply just because you demand an oath from me? Those born to great households like to play these mind games, always picking fights. You should count yourself lucky to have a good husband; otherwise, you wouldn’t be so proud."

Zheng Xianghong’s words revealed her utter disdain for Lin Xuebi. Lin Xuebi’s silence might have been forgivable, but her speaking up rekindled Zheng Xianghong’s contempt and old grudges.

Lin Xuebi was also infuriated by Zheng Xianghong, deeply resentful whenever her background was mentioned, as being a landlord’s daughter was not an advantageous status.

"You think so highly of yourself. Who knows if you were fooling around with someone else when big brother was at war? Perhaps Jiazhi isn’t big brother’s son at all, but a child you secretly had with another."

The room erupted, and the crowd exclaimed in shock at Lin Xuebi’s audacious accusation.

"So in your eyes, I’ve always been a bastard?" Gao Guoqiang shouted angrily, turning to Old Lady Gao and Gao Guofu, "Is that what you all think too?"

"Big brother, Xuebi didn’t do it on purpose, and it was sister-in-law who badmouthed Xuebi first," Gao Guofu said.

"So just like that, you smear your sister-in-law’s reputation. Do you all have such a grudge against her? What did she ever do to you that you insist on pushing her to her death?" Gao Guoqiang was even more disappointed with Gao Guofu in his heart.

Slap—Zheng Xianghong charged forward and slapped Lin Xuebi across the face, starting a fight with her.

Lin Xuebi was no match for Zheng Xianghong and screamed out as she got hit. But Lin Xuebi was tough, too, with long fingernails that she scraped across Zheng Xianghong’s face.

As soon as Gao Guofu saw Lin Xuebi getting hit by Zheng Xianghong, he rushed up to her, but Gao Guoqiang bellowed, "Gao Guofu, don’t you dare."

Old Lady Gao, however, had no such reservations. She charged forward and joined in hitting Zheng Xianghong, while Wang Xueyong and Gao Jiazhi tried to intervene. Gao Guoqiang directly confronted Gao Guofu, and seeing her mother get hit by Zheng Xianghong, Gao Guihua also stepped in to help.

Unfortunately, Old Lady Gao, Gao Guihua, and Lin Xuebi were no match for Zheng Xianghong. Old Lady Gao fell to the ground, howling as if she were dying, then suddenly fainted.

Everyone gasped in shock, and Lin Xuebi let out a piercing scream, "You’ve killed Mom."

"Mom, Grandma!" both Gao Guofu and Gao Guihua cried out in alarm.

Wang Xueyong was furious. He had always wanted to get on good terms with Gao Jiaxing’s side, not to mention that Gao Jiaxing was also the Deputy Company Commander, while his own brother-in-law was injured and couldn’t even secure the position of platoon leader.

How could he have expected his in-laws to drag him down like this? With the relationship now soured with Gao Guoqiang’s side, could things ever get better?

Gao Guoqiang, seeing Old Lady Gao like this, also started to worry.

"She’s not going to die; Old Lady has a strong life force. I happen to have a special skill, silver-needle acupuncture, which can revive her," Zheng Xianghong said, then instructed Gao Jiazhi, "Go get Mom’s set of silver needles from the cabinet, a few pricks with these needles and the Old Lady will wake up."

Zheng Xianghong truly didn’t believe Old Lady Gao would die so easily—good people don’t live long, but misfortunes last a thousand years, and Old Lady Gao had that kind of long-life look.

Gao Jiazhi immediately ran inside the house. Everyone knew Zheng Xianghong practiced some traditional medicine and the people from the production team had benefited from it, so they all expressed their agreement.

Lin Xuebi naturally objected, insisting on taking Old Lady Gao to the hospital. Gao Guoqiang said, "If we take Mom to the hospital and it delays her treatment, and if something happens to her, then you can’t blame us here."

As soon as Gao Guoqiang finished speaking, Gao Guofu quickly tugged at Lin Xuebi and shook his head at her.

Zheng Xianghong came out holding the long silver needle, slender and long, making everyone gasp.

Zheng Xianghong plunged the needle into an acupoint on Old Lady Gao’s head, and everyone drew a breath as the fine, long silver needle gradually disappeared into her scalp.

Zheng Xianghong took out another needle, and someone commented, "Zheng Xianghong, one needle isn’t enough? You’re going to stick her again?"