Free Web NovelChapter 126: Chapter 126: Resolved
Zhou Da Kui was filled with a rage he couldn’t vent.
Though he hadn’t written the IOU himself, could he really refuse to acknowledge it?
He couldn’t. If he didn’t, everyone in the village would think his family was ungrateful. He had to acknowledge it, but he felt incredibly wronged.
The IOU didn’t list much. The money and grain were nothing to him now; he could produce them without breaking a sweat. The problem was, back in the day, those things had been a very big deal.
Watching Zhou Da Kui’s expression, Gu’er secretly shook her head.
Zhou Erpao was also at a loss for words. He was one of the debtors, too. He had come today with the same intentions as Zhou Da Kui, hoping he might even persuade Sun Jiaming to marry his daughter. He never expected things to turn out like this. They had all been utterly humiliated.
"Do you have anything else to say, Uncle?"
Sun Jiaming waved the IOU in his hand, questioning Zhou Da Kui.
Zhou Da Kui was so angry he could have spat blood. The IOU was a glaring eyesore, and to him, Sun Jiaming’s expression looked utterly punchable. He desperately wanted to snatch the IOU and tear it to shreds, but he couldn’t.
"I have nothing to say. This is your family’s business. Since you don’t need me, I’ll just consider myself a busybody."
Zhou Da Kui’s voice trembled slightly. He had intended to humiliate the Sun family today, but in the end, he was the one who had been humiliated.
Since he had said as much, it was a clear sign his side had given in. Sun Jiaming couldn’t press the issue further, and Grandma Sun stopped paying Zhou Da Kui any mind.
Zhou Da Kui felt like he was on pins and needles. He wanted to leave but couldn’t, so he could only sit there with a dark expression.
The rest of the matters were resolved smoothly.
Everyone unanimously agreed on the Sun family’s affairs: Sun Jiaming would stay in the village to care for Grandma Sun. After Grandma Sun passed away, the contents of the chest would belong to Sun Jiaming. Any woman Sun Jiaming wished to marry in the future would require Grandma Sun’s approval. If Sun Jiaming chose someone himself, Sun Zhuzi and Cao Qiu were not to interfere.
No matter how reluctant Cao Qiu was, she had signed the agreement herself. Now, with the village chief and several elders all acting as witnesses, even they couldn’t change the outcome, so neither could she. She couldn’t very well have the entire village turn against her, could she? Even if she didn’t return to the village, she still had her own family to go back to. If she truly made an enemy of the whole village, her life wouldn’t be easy either.
With the matter settled, people began to get up and leave in groups.
"Auntie, about that IOU... I wonder if you could return it to me? Don’t you worry, Auntie, I’ll have someone bring over the money and grain listed on it tomorrow. I’ll even pay back double the money."
Zhou Da Kui said this through gritted teeth. He wanted the IOU back. He didn’t care about the other families, but he didn’t want his family’s IOU to remain with the Sun family. He had to get it back, or else he wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep properly.
"There’s no need to repay it. Back then, both my father-in-law and my husband said there was no need. How could I possibly ask for it now? Besides, we didn’t force anyone to write these IOUs. Your grandmother and your father wrote it willingly. They said it was to commemorate the Sun family’s kindness and leave a record of it. My father-in-law and husband are both gone now. If I made you repay it, I’d be too ashamed to face them in the afterlife. I won’t be collecting on these. They’re just keepsakes for future generations to remember by. Isn’t that right, Nephew?"
Grandma Sun looked at Zhou Da Kui. She had never intended to collect on the IOUs, nor had she ever thought of holding them over anyone. If Zhou Da Kui hadn’t pushed things too far today, she would never have had Sun Jiaming read them out loud in public. fгeewebnovёl.com
"You’re right, Auntie."
Zhou Da Kui nodded, holding back his anger. What could he say when Grandma Sun had put it like that?
"Leaving already, Uncle? I won’t see you out, then."
Sun Jiaming’s words were tantamount to kicking Zhou Da Kui out. He had no intention of giving the IOU back to the Zhou family. Though he didn’t need it, it wasn’t a bad thing to have something to vex them with.
Zhou Da Kui led his people away, dejected and humiliated, a far cry from the swagger he had arrived with. After this, if the Zhou family wanted to oppose the Sun family again, they would have to think twice.
Gu’er watched Zhou Da Kui’s retreating back. ’The Sun family has so many of these IOUs. In my past life, Sun Jiaming never left the village, not even after Grandma Sun died. He and Zhou Mei had a falling out, and Zhou Mei had an affair. Did he know about the existence of these IOUs back then?’
Gu’er continued to ponder, but she didn’t know the full details of the Sun family’s affairs in her past life. Sun Jiaming had never liked Zhou Mei and had always been indifferent toward her. Grandma Sun died within two years. Zhou Mei had accidentally discovered these IOUs, taken the chest, and given it back to the Zhou family. After Sun Jiaming found out, he became even colder to Zhou Mei, practically refusing to share a bed with her. Later, when Zhou Mei’s cousin returned, she wanted to leave the village for the city and, resentful of Sun Jiaming’s years of coldness, she did what she did.
But Zhou Mei regretted it later. Her reputation was ruined, and her eldest cousin’s wife found people to deal with her. Her cousin didn’t take her to the city as she had wished. On the other hand, there was Sun Jiaming. Because Gu’er hadn’t kept up with the Sun family’s situation, she had no idea that he later went to the city and did very well for himself.
But because Gu’er hadn’t paid any attention to the Sun family in her past life, she wasn’t clear on the details.
"Third Grandpa, you all should eat before you go. You’ve been busy for half the day, you should at least have a bite."
Over on the other side, Third Grandpa and the others were also about to leave, and Sun Jiaming was expressing his gratitude.
"No need, we have food at home. Jiaming, ah, take good care of your grandma. If anything comes up, just give us a shout and we’ll come over. Your grandma... she hasn’t had an easy life."
Third Grandpa and the others sighed, exchanged a few more words with Sun Jiaming, and then left.
Everyone had dispersed. Gu’er looked at Grandma Sun, who was leaning back against her quilt, her expression full of exhaustion.
Gu’er went over and took Grandma Sun’s hand. ’She knew that betrayal by family hurt the most. Grandma Sun was strong in front of outsiders, but facing her own family, she must be in a lot of pain.’
"Good girl. I’m fine. You’ve been dragged into this and wronged."
Grandma Sun patted Gu’er’s hand, her eyes filled with a soft light.
"I’m fine. Grandma, are you hungry? I’ll go bring the food in."
Gu’er didn’t mind. ’If she hadn’t wanted to, no one could have forced her to get involved. Besides, she hadn’t done much. Compared to what the Sun family had done for her, her contribution was insignificant.’
"The food is already made? I was just about to go make it."
Sun Jiaming came back inside after seeing everyone off.
"I made it earlier. Brother Jia Ming, you stay and keep Grandma company. I’ll go get the food."
Gu’er gave him a small smile.
As she went to get the food, Gu’er’s thoughts turned to Sun Jiaming. ’He must be feeling terrible, too, right? Cao Qiu is his mother, after all. I could be ruthless toward Zhou Mazi because he wasn’t my biological father. Besides, he was always awful to me, constantly cursing or beating me. In my past life, he even sold me to Zhang Da without a care for whether I lived or died. So when I broke away from Zhou Mazi, all I felt was relief.’
’I still found it hard to leave my adoptive mother, and Cao Qiu is Sun Jiaming’s biological mother. Although Cao Qiu wasn’t good to her mother-in-law, she was undeniably good to her own son. Even if she tried to control Sun Jiaming, it was only because she wanted to find a daughter-in-law she approved of. Cao Qiu had many faults, but she never mistreated Sun Jiaming. Because of that, she would always be his mother. That was something that could never be changed.’
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