Chapter 354

What kind of moral character does the Jia family have?

Xu Daming knows.

Without saying anything else, just the fact that Xiao Dang comes from the Jia family is enough to make Xu Daming raise his vigilance by several notches; he certainly doesn't want to end up with his family destroyed and himself dead.

Yi Zhonghai is in this situation solely because he got too entangled with the Jia family.

Even though he has been dead for so many years, the neighbors in the courtyard still from time to time hold up Yi Zhonghai as a negative example to warn certain people or certain matters.

Definitely on the track to leaving a stench for ten thousand years.

The bloody, cruel fact lies before one's eyes; not learning a lesson is simply not acceptable.

Regarding Xiao Dang's act of acknowledging a father and mother.

Xu Daming couldn't afford it and didn't dare to want it; he glanced at Qin Jingru, who was just like him, left speechless by Xiao Dang's shocking remarks.

He paused for a moment.

He slowly opened his mouth toward Xiao Dang.

"Xiao Dang, what did you say? Uncle didn't hear your words clearly."

Xiao Dang, following Xu Daming's instructions, deliberately repeated what he had just said.

Probably because he had said it once.

This time, her tone became much lighter, and her vocabulary showed a significant improvement compared to before.

"Aunt, Uncle, I don't want to be my mother's daughter anymore, nor do I want to be my grandmother's granddaughter. I want to call Uncle 'Father' and Aunt 'Mother', to be your daughter. As long as you agree, I can change my name and surname; I will cook, tidy the house, and fetch foot-washing water for Aunt and Uncle. I promise to obey Uncle and Aunt's words; you can have me do whatever you want."

The overly loyal Xiao Dang probably didn't expect that her words of breaking ties with the Jia family would not be liked by Qin Jingru and Xu Daming; hearing them, the two even got the impression that Xiao Dang was selling out her lord for glory, for profit even abandoning her own birth mother and grandmother.

Such is being human.

Also truly a white-eyed wolf.

The frowning Qin Jingru is the most genuine representative.

Although she brought Xiao Dang indoors, that doesn't mean she truly intended to take Xiao Dang as her own daughter. Who let the greedy, envious, shameless Jia family members stand behind Xiao Dang? It's unknown and uncertain whether Xiao Dang truly broke ties with the Jia family, or whether the so-called breaking ties and acknowledging a mother is all a scheme from start to finish, a plot to calculate the Xu family's property.

In her heart, an instinctive dislike and resentment welled up.

Just married.

The joyous wedding night.

Not to mention there was an extra super invincible light bulb in the room, which caused her and Xu Daming's bridal night to mysteriously turn into a talk-filled night.

What made Qin Jingru feel even more depressed was that Xiao Dang, by pointing at the mulberry and cursing the locust tree, used the act of acknowledging a father and mother to imply that Qin Jingru lacked the fate to be a mother; otherwise, how could this act of acknowledging a mother and taking in a daughter be explained?

Even if she truly could not become a mother in this lifetime, it doesn't necessarily mean they have to rely on that white-eyed wolf Xiao Dang from the Jia family to support them in their old age and see them to the end.

The fact that she bears the Jia surname is one aspect.

Blood relation is another aspect.

If they truly ended up with no heirs, Qin Jingru would adopt a child from her brother's or younger brother's line to take on the mourning duties for the couple.

Is the Qin family's bloodline not stronger than your Jia family's?

She let out a cold snort in her heart.

Her fondness for Xiao Dang dropped to the lowest point, and along with it she began to hate the Jia family members.

Regarding their lack of fondness for the Jia family, Qin Jingru and Xu Daming share the same view.

That is, they believe the Jia family members are not good people: an evil mother-in-law, a bad daughter-in-law, a boy who steals chickens and dogs, and now there's an additional white-eyed wolf who despises his own family.

Really, a bunch of talented people.

He opened his mouth.

He wanted to say something.

Seeing Xu Daming give him a look, he immediately suppressed his inner anger and swallowed the words he wanted to say back into his stomach.

Qin Jingru heard Xu Daming ask Xiao Dang such a question.

It involved the Jia family members.

"Xiao Dang, tell Uncle the truth: did you get the idea to call Uncle 'Father' and Aunt 'Mother' from someone, or did you think of it yourself? Or did your grandmother Jia Zhangshi tell you?"

Qin Jingru followed up on Xu Daming's remark.

She added a sentence.

"Or was it your birth mother Qin Huairu who gave you the idea? And what about your stepfather, whoever named Jia He—did he participate in this? Tell Aunt and Uncle the truth."

The couple's gazes.

They fell one after another on Xiao Dang's face.

In their two hearts.

Or they still thought that behind this matter there was an adult instigating.

"Uncle, Aunt, this matter is Xiao Dang's idea."

Xiao Dang recalled the content from the book.

A good child cannot lie.

A good child must be honest.

In order to become a child of the Xu family, Xiao Dang, following the book's teachings, honestly told the whole truth.

"Nobody taught Xiao Dang to do this; it was Xiao Dang's own idea. Aunt and Uncle have no children, in the Jia family I am not favored by the grandmother, and my mother Qin Huairu doesn't bother with me—she only cares about Huaihua."

Xiao Dang lowered his head.

Looking helpless.

Xu Daming and Qin Jingru, the couple, took this opportunity to exchange a glance, their eyes filled with shock.

They are not fools.

During the questioning just now, the couple's gazes had been fixed on Xiao Dang's facial expression, and even Xiao Dang's gaze lay within their field of vision.

Whether it's the expression on the face or the look in the eyes, there is no component of lying or pretense in any of them.

Good fellow.

Quite a good fellow.

For profit, they come to the door themselves, repeatedly saying they want to sever ties with the Jia Family, to call Xu Damu dad and Qin Jingru mom— isn't that typical white-eyed wolf behavior?

Who the hell are you?

You really think you're a delicacy.

"Xiao Dang, your uncle-in-law still isn't quite convinced— could it be that your grandma or your mom guessed he'd ask you this and specially instructed you to lie to him like this?"

Xiao Dang lifted his head.

He looked at Xu Damu with tear-filled eyes.

Again, it's a remark full of pretentious airs.

"Uncle-in-law, I'm not lying, and neither grandma nor mom taught me to say this—I came up with it myself. Grandma dotes on my brother, mom loves my sister, but I'm not liked by them, and they ignore me. At school, seeing classmates with mom or dad picking them up makes me especially envious; my greatest wish in life is to have a mom and dad who love me."

The tone shifted.

He expressed his stance again.

"Uncle-in-law, aunt, I sincerely want to acknowledge you as my father and mother—please accept me. I don't eat much: a bowl of sorghum rice porridge, half a steamed cornbread bun, and I'm full; if that's not enough, Xiao Dang eats just one meal a day, and I can still help you work."

While saying this.

He was about to kowtow to Xu Damu and his wife.

He probably thought that by doing this he could truly become Xu Damu and Qin Jingru's daughter.

Too bad.

Her movement was a bit slow.

Just as Xiao Dang knelt down to kowtow to Xu Damu and his wife, Xu Damu, sensing something amiss, grabbed him and lifted him up in one motion.

"Uncle-in-law, Dad!"

He changed his address damn fast.

He's already calling him Dad.

Xu Damu doesn't care whether Xiao Dang calls him Dad or not.

He just knows one thing: this cannot be allowed to continue.

Force won't work either.

He must resort to subtle tactics.

"Xiao Dang, your meaning is understood by your uncle-in-law and aunt; your uncle-in-law is not unreasonable either. This matter can't be rushed, nor should we rush it. Once we've all considered it, we'll sit down together in front of the neighbors, especially the two senior managers, and discuss your name change."

"Uncle-in-law, can I privately call you Dad?"

"No."

"Aunt."

"Listen to your uncle-in-law, or else your aunt will ignore you."

"Aunt, uncle-in-law, I'll listen to you; I'll be good."

"Alright, go home and sleep."

Xiao Dang was dazed.

I didn't expect to be sent back.

With Jia Zhangshi's character, sending her back really means she'll get a beating with a feather duster.

Her butt will surely end up bruised.

"Aunt, I want to sleep with you."

"Xiao Dang, if you keep being disobedient, don't even mention recognizing a father and mother."

"Aunt, I'm obedient."

"That's right—listen to your uncle-in-law, go home obediently and sleep; if you're worried your grandma will beat you, you can go to Zhong Yuan to find your mom, Qin Huairu."

Qin Jingru is literally an old fox.

While saying that.

He pushed Xiao Dang out the door.

Xu Damu was about to say something.

Then he saw Qin Jingru point toward the outside.

He immediately realized someone was eavesdropping outside.

Jia Family's Xiao Dang.

Real talent.

Even after being sent out, he knew to hide outside and eavesdrop on Xu Damu and Qin Jingru's movements.

He performed the whole act.

Anyway, he's a lakeside trickster.

"Damu, I never imagined my older cousin would have it so hard, nor that Jia Zhangshi and my older cousin would treat Xiao Dang this way—neither here nor there, basically a fate of being overlooked."

"Who says no? Otherwise he couldn't have said he wanted to recognize us as mom and dad. I guess this kid was also driven desperate. You don't know: at home, when there's something tasty, Bangeng always comes first, Jia Zhangshi second, and Xiao Dang last—true father doesn't love, true mother doesn't care; this kid has had a rough life."

"What should we do about her proposal?"

"What kind of person is Jia Zhangshi? You've gotten a taste of her today—if we as a couple show even the slightest intention to adopt Xiao Dang, Jia Zhangshi will surely demand a lion's share."

"Does she even dare to ask for money?"

"Take out that 'still' word—she doesn't just dare to ask, she will definitely ask, and that amount isn't small; at the very least it's five hundred yuan."

"Then what do we do?"

Wait, drag it out slowly; wait until Jia Zhangshi gets tired of the dragging, Qin Huairu also agrees, then we find Second Elder and Third Elder, hold a big meeting in the courtyard, at the courtyard meeting we transfer Xiao Dang's household registration to our family, and with the money saved we buy Xiao Dang a few sets of clothes and take her out for a nice meal.

Qin Jingru suddenly gestured to Xu Damu with a sign that Xiao Dang had already left.

There were no eavesdroppers left.

Some things can naturally be spoken about openly.

The voice was still low; only Xu Damu and Qin Jingru could barely hear it.

"What should we do about Xiao Dang?"

"Don't worry about her; today she can sell out the Jia Family for profit, tomorrow she can sell us out for profit."

"I think the same."