Chapter 191: Family Severance Is Family Severance

A few people bowed their heads; hearing this, they really couldn't persuade any further.

"Sigh, we were also entrusted by the dean; don't be impatient. The main point is that when you go on the Shizi, your reputation will affect your official prospects."

"I am glad to serve the people if I become an official; if I cannot become an official I am not discouraged. My wife, being just a woman, holds no official rank, yet she can still do good for the people, whereas those high officials drink the people's blood, eat their flesh; if it were like that, they'd be better off not being officials. I, Yuan Jiaqi, would rather be a Matrilocal Husband, tending to my wife front and rear, caring for the household so she can work peacefully, and I refuse to be such a man."

"But you, a man living behind a woman, is really absurd."

Yuan Jiaqi slammed the table, sprang to his feet, and glared with angry eyes:

"Your family's woman being belittled, I say nothing; but my wife being belittled is unacceptable."

Seeing that he was truly angry, the others hurried to hold him down and make him sit.

"We don't mean that; we just want to advise you to find a way to resolve the relationship between your two families' parents and you, so that you can still come to the Academy later and we can keep studying together."

"If it can't be resolved, Family Severance is Family Severance; my wife and I, no one is willing to keep dealing with such parents, and besides, they don't have only our one Dizi."

"Isn't it simply because your family is wealthy?"

He galloped back to Jixiang Yuan on horseback, and as soon as he entered the room, he collapsed onto the kang and began to weep.

Whenever he is at home, he washes his own and Chuan'er's clothes himself, rarely letting the maid help the father and son.

Looking across the entire Imperial Court, only she possesses such ability; items like the Water-Avoidance Talisman, a celestial artifact that even high monks and Old Daoists lack, she can casually take, and she sticks two of them on each household door.

Since learning of her ability, he often wonders whether the events happening in Jingcheng are somehow related to her.

From the moment his wife died, she no longer owed them.

"Wang Jiaru's Student also thinks so!"

"Right, sorry for making you watch a joke."

One life for another; Chuan'er's mother exchanged her life for that of their father and son.

"Indeed, as long as you are born and don't starve, and can walk, you spend the whole day doing this work, that work, like a slave; may I ask, do your parents treat you like that?"

These days, he has secretly observed the talismans on the door lintel; no matter how strong the wind, they don't blow away, no matter how heavy the rain, they don't get wet. If they're not celestial artifacts, then what are they?

Thinking further, which of the things she obtained could an ordinary person procure?

"The oversight is truly lax; a person like that becoming an official would surely be a corrupt official, but you are the same. What's there to be upset about? This is your family matter; you haven't harmed any heavenly principle, why be saddened by others' words? Getting angry only harms yourself, and you'll have to suffer it."

"Perhaps there are conditions?"

Sitting on the horse, he gave a self‑deprecating laugh.

The old gentleman almost said, if your parents want to die quickly, keep tormenting them; someday the servant girl will lose patience and take action against them.

Thinking of his parents, who, to hoard silver, spent it only on themselves while ignoring Chuan'er's high fever.

When the old gentleman heard he had returned, he also went to see him; the two discussed the parents matter thoroughly, and in the end, Mr. Wang spoke.

"Indeed, poverty—when they are old they eat, clothe themselves, drink wine and eat meat; without experiencing his hardships, they shouldn't preach virtue. I don't know if you understand this. Anyway, enough words; more is useless. Farewell!"

Yuan Jiaqi stared in disbelief at Qiao Mai; she even spoke of royal affairs so casually, using them as analogies.

His parents, for silver, ground to death Chuan'er's mother, and still wanted to arrange his marriage and deceive others.

"I will not mock you; I discuss matters as they are, because I am like you, but I know that when others are kind to me I repay them a hundredfold, and when they are cruel I return a hundredfold. Though our parents gave us life, that is no excuse for their oppression. Even the current emperor constantly preaches filial piety, yet the Empress Dowager seeks to put him to death; do you think he will let the Empress Dowager live?"

A few fell silent, and after a long while said, "Perhaps it's because your family is poor?"

In this lifetime, he will never reconcile with his parents; the deeds they committed, he will never forgive.

After Qiao Mai finished speaking, she turned and left; Yuan Jiaqi lowered his head to look at his clothes, which were all soaked.

"How could that be? If so, how did you grow up?"

"Don't think I'm exempt; the royal family are also humans, mortal flesh. The notion of a true dragon emperor is merely an excuse for them to dominate the realm. If they were truly dragon emperors, why would dynasties fall one after another? They overestimate themselves; the common people are the true dragons. Without the people, they have nothing. If all the people of the world perished, would the royals pick up a hoe and have to farm to fill their own stomachs? Even the emperor might have to lift a hoe and till the fields—what a pretentious dragon emperor, bah!"

What about the parents? Just because they are parents, should they die? He refuses; he is also Chuan'er's father, he wants to protect himself and the child, and he believes he did nothing wrong!

He gave them retirement silver, a full hundred taels, which he earned by copying books day and night.

The more Yuan Jiaqi thought, the more sorrowful he felt; his own parents entangling him was one thing, but even strangers wouldn't leave him alone—so infuriating.

In the village, giving an elder a hundred wen per month was already generous; a year amounted to only a few taels. When he performed Family Severance, he gave them nearly a hundred years' worth of retirement silver, and he no longer owed them.

"I always knew things would go awry; you've been home so long, they never came, and when they finally sought you, something must have happened."

"I"

"The dean told them to find me and return to the Academy."

"Walking one's own path, whatever others say is their business; after following the teacher and reading so many books, and listening to the Great Master's Sutra Lecture, why can't you comprehend?"

Remembering that kind woman, who, at the moment of death, grasped his hand and looked at him and the child in her arms with lingering reluctance, made his heart ache unbearably.

Since childhood he faced troubles alone, no one pitied him or shared his burdens; after finally turning his life around, he gained a home, a teacher, and friends.

"You, pfft"—Yuan Jiaqi couldn't help laughing out loud.

"Let me settle the matter with the Yuan family; I hope such incidents won't arise again."

His face flushed bright red, and he hurried to the Yuanzi, fetched water to wash his face, then changed into fresh clothes, and upon stepping out he casually washed the garments.

Yuan Jiaqi rose and left without hesitation, went to the counter to settle the bill, mounted his horse, and rode back.

"Go freshen up, change your clothes; the garments are soaked with tears."

"Refuse to acknowledge; no matter how high you are, you won't admit. Once you do, not only you and Chuan'er will face endless entanglement, but even this home won't find peace."

"So, you hit the nail on the head; if my wife and I were penniless, would people like them ever help us? They'd have long since kept their distance."

"Alright, cheer up; their words are just nonsense. Just live the life you like, act properly, sit upright, and don't mind others' words."

"Hmm, I'll listen to my wife!"

But they urged him to reconcile with those shameless parents—on what grounds?

Never, never!

At some point, Qiao Mai stood at his doorway; a sigh startled Yuan Jiaqi, who scrambled up from the kang.

"Y-you, why did you come?"

The 'overseas person' she mentioned was probably just an excuse; the old gentleman grew sharper with age, he saw through it but said nothing, not even to the old lady, let alone anyone else.

Since returning from this gathering, Yuan Jiaqi has been studying even harder and doesn't leave the house each day.

Qiao Mai is very annoyed with Mr. Lin over the School matter.

Is this forcing her to also run a School? Fine—since he's already gone this far, she'll return the favor.

(End of Chapter)