Chapter 66
"I must head to the government office now. As for Zhiwei, I’ll have to trouble you, Mother, to look after her." Xu Heming truly didn’t have much time to stay at the estate.
If not for his concern over Li Zhiwei, he would have left for the office long ago.
"Go with peace of mind. This old woman will hold down the fort here," the Old Princess nodded reassuringly.
"Father, I want to go with you."
Just as Xu Heming was about to leave, Xu Qingshi reached out and grabbed his hand, speaking with earnest determination.
"Uncle Xu, we’d like to come too," Xie Yanzhi and Jiang Yu chimed in simultaneously.
Li Zhiwei had been injured because of them, and they wanted to seek justice on her behalf.
"What would you all do there? Stay at the estate," Xu Heming frowned. The children wouldn’t be able to solve anything—it was better for them to remain at home.
"Father, those villains came because of me. Stepmother suffered for no reason. It’s only right that I help catch the culprits and avenge her," Xu Qingshi clenched his small fists, his face burning with indignation.
"The children of An Manor are no cowards. Let them go," the Old Princess interjected, her voice filled with approval.
She was pleased by Xu Qingshi’s growth and trusted that with Xu Heming present, no one would dare harm her grandson.
At the countryside estate—
Madam Jin, the wife of Yongning Marquis, glared furiously at Jiang Hanhai. "Say that again!"
She thought Jiang Hanhai must have lost his mind—how could he send her precious son to Rushan Academy?
Had he enrolled the boy in the Imperial Academy, she might have accepted it. After all, children must attend school when they come of age.
But Rushan Academy? Did he not know how terrible its reputation was?
"Ah, my dear, don’t be angry! It’s not just Yu—Xie’s Yanzhi and An Manor’s Qingshi are also attending. The three of them will have each other’s company and thrive there," Jiang Hanhai coaxed, his tone ingratiating.
"Jiang Hanhai, you tricked me into coming to this wretched estate just so you could send my son to that dump? If even a single hair on his head is harmed, you’ll pay for it!" Though furious, Madam Jin knew there was little she could do now except retrieve her son later. That miserable academy could take whoever else wanted to go.
Hmph! If nothing else, she’d send this infuriating man there himself. Since he loved school so much, he could attend to his heart’s content!
Truly, it wasn’t the godsent opponents one should fear, but the pig-brained allies.
The pig-brained Jiang Hanhai continued placating her. "My dear, don’t be upset. I only did this because you’ve been eating poorly and sleeping restlessly lately. I figured it must be that rascal causing you trouble, so I sent him off to school."
Madam Jin’s anger had just begun to subside when his words reignited it.
Why had she been eating poorly and sleeping restlessly?
Because this clueless fool had planted another child in her belly!
Blame Jiang Yu?
Hah! If anyone was at fault, it was Jiang Hanhai.
"Jiang Hanhai, do you have no conscience? You know exactly why I’ve been unwell!" Madam Jin fumed.
"My dear, I’ll give that brat a beating when we return," Jiang Hanhai chuckled.
Despite Madam Jin’s fiery temper, she complemented Jiang Hanhai perfectly. A general’s daughter, she was bold and decisive, while he was indecisive and preferred deferring to his wife.
After all, thanks to his family’s inherited privileges, he didn’t need to lift a finger to live comfortably for the rest of his life.
"Jiang Hanhai, I’ve been unwell because I’m pregnant! What does that have to do with Yu? If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself—without you, would I be pregnant?" Madam Jin snapped, displeased that he was shifting the blame onto their son.
"Pregnant? How? How did this happen?" The moment Jiang Hanhai heard his wife was expecting, his face fell. He didn’t want her to be pregnant!
All he desired was to snuggle up with his wife and enjoy their time alone. Jiang Yu was already enough of a nuisance—another child would only push him further down the priority list.
His gaze drifted to Madam Jin’s belly, a dark thought crossing his mind: if only the child could vanish into thin air.
"Jiang Hanhai, what’s that look for? You dare resent me bearing your children?" Madam Jin glared at him.
"No, no, of course not!" Jiang Hanhai shook his head frantically. Even if he disliked the idea, he’d never admit it aloud.
"My dear, how about giving me a daughter this time?" Thinking that sons were utterly unappealing, he longed for a soft, adorable little girl who resembled his wife.
"You think this is like picking cabbages? ‘I want a son, I want a daughter’—as if it’s up to you?" Madam Jin rolled her eyes.
If this child turned out as dim-witted as its father, she’d rather have given birth to a roast pork!
"Heh, it’s definitely a daughter," Jiang Hanhai ignored her sarcasm, convinced in his heart that this one would be his darling little girl.
"Master, Madam, someone from the Xie family has arrived."
Just as Madam Jin was about to retort, a servant hurried in.
Jiang Hanhai’s heart sank. Glancing at his wife—who had only just been pacified—he saw her glowering at him again.
He cursed inwardly: sons were truly the worst. No doubt Jiang Yu had stirred up trouble again—otherwise, Xie Jincheng wouldn’t have sent for them so soon.
"Jiang Hanhai, you’d better pray Yu is unharmed, or I’ll skin you alive!" Madam Jin threatened.
Government Office—
Madam Luo couldn’t fathom why her mother-in-law had dragged her to such a place without warning.
But now that she was here, she had no idea what the old woman intended. She wanted to ask, but one sharp glare silenced her.
Standing in the courtyard without even a chair to rest on, she grew increasingly weary. The officials here truly lacked manners.
"Mother, why did you summon me here?" Zhou Fenghua staggered in, reeking of alcohol, his voice thick with complaint.
The Princess of Zhennan eyed her drunken son with disdain. This boy was beyond redemption—drunk in broad daylight!
"Mother, let’s go home. What’s the point of staying in this wretched place?" Zhou Fenghua waved a hand before his nose as if swatting away a foul odor.
Not far away—
"Mother, why aren’t you going over?" Luo Jing’an had been watching his elder sister for a while, itching to vent his grievances to her.
But his mother forbade it—not only from approaching but even from making a sound.
Luo Jing’an was counting on Zhou Fenghua to take his side, to punish those who had wronged him.
That would teach them to dare cross him again!
