Chapter 549: A Bad Thing, and Also a Good Thing
Chapter 549: Chapter 549: A Bad Thing, and Also a Good Thing
Everyone thought the same way. They all felt it was unfair to Granny Cai.
The moment they thought of Liang Xiaoyu’s fiery temper, they knew she would hit the roof if she found out what had happened.
Han Xiaorui gritted her teeth. "It’s getting late. Let’s eat, wash up, and get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll go and figure out what to do about Godmother."
"After my divorce, I started fishing with Sister-in-law Xiao Yu, and we’ve worked our way up bit by bit to where we are today. It’s all thanks to Godmother’s help."
"No matter what, we’ll stand firmly by Godmother’s side and help her. Since Old Man Cai doesn’t want to be civil, we won’t show him any civility from now on."
Ye Feng scratched the tip of his nose. "I’ve been so busy lately and staying in the city, so I haven’t been paying attention to what’s going on in Jinshan Bay. I didn’t expect so many outrageous things to happen."
"That Old Man Cai must be getting senile. At his age, even if he can’t let go of his other son, he could have just given him some money. Why did he have to take it this far?"
Wu Yao pouted. "Brother Ye, I actually think you’re all wrong. How do you know Old Man Cai isn’t perfectly happy with this arrangement?"
"My mother-in-law often sees Old Man Cai out shopping with Chen Xiaoxiu. They don’t dare do it openly in Jinshan Bay, so they go into the city. I also heard that Chen Xiaoxiu is looking at houses now, getting ready to find a wife for her son."
"Just you wait. My mother-in-law is good friends with Sister Cai and will definitely tell her everything. There’s no way she’ll let this insult slide."
Everyone was disgusted by Old Man Cai’s actions.
Han Xiaorui raised a hand. "Alright, that’s enough. No matter how serious it is, it can wait until tomorrow."
The others were also exhausted, and the children were tired out from playing and getting sleepy.
After putting the children to bed, Han Xiaorui couldn’t sleep. She just tossed and turned.
Ye Feng was already feeling heated, but he knew Han Xiaorui was exhausted from their travels, so he didn’t make a move.
But now, with Han Xiaorui tossing and turning, Ye Feng couldn’t resist any longer. He rolled over, pressing himself onto her, and began kissing her neck.
Han Xiaorui pushed and kicked, shoving Ye Feng off her. "Keep your hands to yourself! Men are all pigs!"
Ye Feng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He panted heavily. "That’s a pretty wide net you’re casting. You can’t just lump all men together. I admit there are a lot of bad men in the world, but there are plenty of good ones like me, too."
"You can’t just focus on the bad ones and ignore the good ones. And since you’re not sleeping, and the night is long... we could..."
"No!" Han Xiaorui was in no mood for it. She remembered talking about this with her godmother once. Back then, her godmother wanted the big house to be kept for her children and grandchildren.
’She just wanted to leave her assets to her own descendants, but now it’s obvious Old Man Cai has other plans.’
’The woman on the outside sweet-talks him, and he has another son over there. Old Man Cai feels like the family has money now, and he doesn’t want to be pushed around anymore, so he’s thinking of leaving.’
’It’s not that Godmother still has feelings for Old Man Cai. It’s that getting a divorce at their age... she’d probably feel embarrassed, like she was losing face.’
Seeing this, Ye Feng nestled into the crook of her neck. "Xiao Rui, you really don’t need to be so anxious. I know this seems bad, but for Godmother, it might not actually be a bad thing."
"A man who cheats becomes tainted. Even if you stay together for the family’s sake, there will always be a rift between you. Godmother strives for perfection in everything she does; she must be utterly disgusted by this."
"In the past, because of their financial situation, Godmother might not have made a scene. But life is better now. Maybe she doesn’t want to be with Old Man Cai anymore and will just kick him to the curb. Once she’s free again, she might be even happier!"
Han Xiaorui sat up in bed, cradled Ye Feng’s head, and kissed him. "Honey, you’re right. You keep the good men and throw out the tainted ones. Just like when I dumped Yang Jianming—it was like taking out the trash."
"And you’d better remember that. If you ever dare to betray me, I’ll dump you too, and I’ll throw you out for good. I won’t give you the children, either. You’ll end up all alone."
Ye Feng was already fired up, and now, being provoked like this by Han Xiaorui, how could he possibly restrain himself?
He not only rushed to pledge his loyalty but also swore up and down that Han Xiaorui was the only one for him.
All their joint assets were in Han Xiaorui’s name; this was Ye Feng’s assurance to her and the children.
They hadn’t seen each other in over two weeks. Drawn by their mutual attraction and deep affection, they were soon lost in a river of passion.
Meanwhile, after returning home, Granny Cai sat down to eat the congee her son had made, served with a side of pickled vegetables.
It had to be said, it was perfectly suited to her tastes.
"Where’s your father?" Granny Cai asked as she ate. It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet.
Usually, Old Man Cai would be watching television at this hour.
Cai Xueqin didn’t want to upset his mother the moment she got home, planning to wait until she was well-rested to tell her the next day.
"Dad’s unit needed someone for the night shift, so he’s working over there," Cai Xueqin replied, his head lowered. "Mom, there’s still more congee in the pot. Do you want another bowl?"
Liang Xiaoyu kicked Cai Xueqin under the table. "Why are you so gloomy? Did something happen at home?"
"N-nothing’s wrong!" Cai Xueqin quickly looked up and retorted. "Why would anything be wrong?"
Granny Cai just smiled. "Your father? That man would pretend to be sick just to get out of a night shift. Now that he’s getting on in years, why would he suddenly be so enthusiastic?"
"You’re my son. I can tell when something is on your mind. So, tell me. What sort of trouble did your father get into while we were away? Don’t worry about me. I’ve been through my share of storms; I can handle it."
Seeing her husband’s expression, Liang Xiaoyu knew it was something serious. "Xueqin, just say it! If you don’t, we won’t be able to sleep tonight. Or do you want us to find out what happened from someone else tomorrow?"
Cai Xueqin looked up at his mother, then over at his wife. "I was going to wait until you were rested before telling you. But since you’ve already figured it out, I’ll just say it."
"Then hurry up and say it. With that look on your face, anyone who knows you can tell something’s on your mind," Granny Cai said with a chuckle. "Xueqin, remember this: as long as you, Xiao Yu, and the two children are all right, I’m not afraid of anything else that might happen. So, go on. Is it your father? Did he cause trouble again?"
Hearing his mother’s words, Cai Xueqin spoke slowly. "If it were just ordinary trouble, that would be one thing. But he’s... he’s shameless. He actually... he actually got back together with Chen Xiaoxiu."
"Chen Xiaoxiu and her son have sweet-talked all the money out of Dad’s hands. And that’s not all. She even instigated him to take money from the dessert shop. Luckily, my brother-in-law called the police, and they found him and got the money back."
"What?" Liang Xiaoyu’s voice shot up. "That... That’s just despicable! Utterly shameless! Weren’t they supposed to have broken things off? How did that Chen Xiaoxiu show up again with her son?"
Cai Xueqin gritted his teeth. "Chen Xiaoxiu’s husband died. She claims all their money was spent on his medical bills, so now they have nothing. Her son has no money and no house, can’t find a wife, and they can’t get by anymore."
In stark contrast to Liang Xiaoyu’s fury, Granny Cai’s expression was calm, even confident.