Wang Kai also took a sip of his drink:
"Mom, you are the one making things difficult for me. Qingxiu is my wife, but you always belittle her, look down on her, and even curse at her.
"I will tell you one more time. She is not some cheap good, nor is she desperate. She just loves me.
"That is why when you did not give her a bride price, she turned around and gave me one.
"Hundreds of thousands! Since you accepted it, you should understand that I married into her family. You cannot demand anything more from us.
"We came back today just to make things clear with you. I will never return to this house again, and do not ever call me about changing the child's surname.
"I will not change it, never!"
"You!"
Wang Jianguo suddenly threw a cup at him:
"You useless thing! How did I raise a son like you who cannot even be kept?
"Are you trying to make me unable to hold my head up in the village for the rest of my life?
"Are you trying to make me a laughingstock to everyone?
"Wang Kai, your surname is Wang, and it will always be Wang."
The cup missed Wang Kai and shattered on the floor.
Liu Chunlan's tears flowed uncontrollably:
"Son, I know you still blame me for not supporting you when you got married.
"But we really could not come up with that much money back then. If we had borrowed it, we still would not be able to pay it off.
"You know you have a younger brother. We could not just take care of you and ignore him, right?
"It has been so many years. Just forget it, let it all go."
"I cannot forget."
Wang Kai said bluntly:
"Mom, back then you also said I was incompetent, that I had to rely on my parents to get a wife.
"But when you asked Li Jun for hundreds of thousands, why didn't you think about how they were also relying on their parents? Why didn't you say anything then?
"Forget it, I really do not want to bring these things up anymore. Just sign that agreement.
"From now on, we go our separate ways!"
Liu Chunlan naturally would not sign. Her voice grew louder:
"You are my son. I gave birth to you and raised you, so you have to provide for us in our old age. This is your obligation, and you cannot escape it."
"What obligation?"
Chen Qingxiu finally spoke up:
"I gave you half a million when we got married, and I said then that Wang Kai would have nothing to do with your Wang family anymore.
"But you keep calling every few days, and constantly dropping by our house.
"Meddling with my son's name, I have had enough of you.
"I came back today for one purpose only: to draw a clear line with you. Do not ever appear in front of us again."
"You!"
Liu Chunlan was furious. She could not hold back anymore, pointing at Chen Qingxiu's nose and cursing:
"You desperate, money-losing tramp, trying to steal my son? Let me tell you, it is impossible. We are mother and son, blood relatives. My blood flows in his veins, and you cannot drive a wedge between us.
"Aren't you just acting tough because you are from the city?
"Bah! What is so great about that? You are still just a cheap slut my son played with.
"What are you so arrogant about? When my son dumps you one day, let's see how high and mighty you act then.
"Bah! You worn-out shoe, I have put up with you for over a decade.
"Do you think you are my only daughter-in-law? If you will not provide for me, I still have Lin Wanyi, I still have Wang Hao.
"Do you think I am begging you?"
Just as she finished her tirade, Lin Wanyi put down her chopsticks and chimed in:
"Mom, what are you thinking? Why would an outsider like me provide for your old age?
"Like my sister-in-law, I cannot wait for you to die sooner!"
"You!"
Liu Chunlan was so angry she could not speak, her lips trembling for a long time:
"What nonsense are you spouting? Cursing me to die during the New Year?
"Lin Wanyi, what exactly are your intentions?"
Lin Wanyi glanced at Chen Qingxiu before speaking:
"I am not spouting nonsense. You dead old hag, I have wanted to say this for a long time.
"Today, I will tell you right in front of my brother and sister-in-law.
"I, Lin Wanyi, will never provide for you in your old age. Never.
"Don't you know yet? Wang Hao and I are getting a divorce. You can soon spend hundreds of thousands to find him a local girl.
"Isn't that great? You finally will not have to look at an outsider like me anymore.
"And you can finally hold your head high in the village, right?"
Lin Wanyi finished in one breath and looked at Chen Qingxiu again:
"Sister-in-law, she is not satisfied with a local like you, and she is not satisfied with an outsider like me.
"What kind of daughter-in-law does she actually want? Who could possibly satisfy her?"
Chen Qingxiu clinked glasses with Lin Wanyi:
"I do not know. Maybe she will only be satisfied if her two sons stay single for the rest of their lives."
Liu Chunlan was so furious she almost fainted. Wang Hao panicked and grabbed Lin Wanyi's hand:
"Wife, what are you talking about? Didn't we agree not to mention divorce?
"My brother and sister-in-law are here. They rarely come back, do not let them see us as a joke."
Lin Wanyi raised her glass to toast Chen Qingxiu:
"Please bear with me, sister-in-law. I just wanted to take the opportunity while you are here to make things clear.
"I will not take care of these two old things. Wang Hao and I cannot even live together anymore, why would I care about them?"
Chen Qingxiu wore an expression of complete understanding. Wang Hao grew anxious:
"Do not talk nonsense, wife, please do not talk nonsense. Look, my mom's high blood pressure is going to flare up."
"Let it flare up. She deserves it."
Lin Wanyi did not care at all if she died of anger:
"She knows how to be angry now? She knows how to be anxious? But what about when she would not let me go back to my maiden home to see my father one last time?
"What about when she fed Keke peanuts and almost killed her?"
Lin Wanyi grew angrier as she spoke, staring dead into Liu Chunlan's eyes:
"My daughter almost lost her life. Did you think I forgot all these things?
"How could I? I remember them clearly. You almost killed my daughter, and you stopped me from seeing my father one last time.
"You old witch, I hate you. I hate you to death.
"Hahaha!"
Lin Wanyi started laughing loudly as she spoke:
"After all this, you still want me to provide for your old age? What the hell is going through your mind?
"Am I sick? Am I a masochist?
"Listen to me carefully. Even if you died right now, I would not spare you a glance, let alone provide for you. Keep dreaming!"
Liu Chunlan clutched her chest, panting heavily.
Wang Hao hurriedly fetched her blood pressure medicine and had her swallow it.
She stared fixedly at Lin Wanyi but could not utter a single word.
Wang Jianguo slammed the table:
"Rebellion, both of you are rebelling.
"What is the damn point of having two sons? Besides angering me, tell me, what use are you?"
He coughed as he spoke:
"Raising sons for old age, raising sons for old age!"
Chen Qingxiu looked at Lin Wanyi with some sympathy. She had always known Liu Chunlan was no good, but she hadn't expected her to be such a bully.
Thinking of the father she never got to see one last time, tears welled up in Lin Wanyi's eyes.
Wang Hao did not know what to do. He never expected a nice reunion dinner to turn so hostile.
He pleaded with Wang Kai for help:
"Brother, say something!
"Do something about this! It is your wife who started all this trouble. My wife was perfectly fine, but the moment you came back, you brought out some non-support agreement.
"Since you are doing this, how could my wife feel balanced? How can she provide for them all by herself?"
Wang Kai slammed the table:
"What does this have to do with us? Didn't you hear what your wife said?
"It makes my blood boil just hearing about it. What right does she have to stop someone from going back to their family for a funeral? What right does she have to deny someone the chance to see their father one last time?
"And she even fed peanuts to Keke! She really wanted to kill her own granddaughter."
At that thought, Wang Kai turned to look at Liu Chunlan:
"If you could bring yourself to do something like that to Keke, your own flesh and blood, how could I ever dare to bring my son back here?
"Who knows what kind of heartless things you might do to hurt him?"
