Chapter 867

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

"Who you're with, I don't give a damn — even if you're with a pig, even if you're with a dog, it's fine, but you can't bring them back home and disturb this family's harmony!"

Zhang Zhongtian was huffing with anger, and he also said:

"Let me ask you — are you really willing to marry that Ma Xiaolin you just brought back? Are you truly certain she's your woman for life!"

Zhang Zhiqiang couldn't say a word.

He actually wasn't certain Ma Xiaolin was his woman for life, just like back when he was with Li Xiaohe, he wasn't certain Li Xiaohe was his woman for life either.

It was more to satisfy physiological needs.

Bringing Ma Xiaolin home this time was entirely because he couldn't hide it anymore, and Ma Xiaolin was pressing him to give an attitude.

That's why this farce happened.

Seeing Zhang Zhiqiang silent in response, Zhang Zhongtian knew what Zhang Zhiqiang was thinking, so he continued:

"Since you're not certain, why did you bring her back? Isn't this making trouble where there was none?"

Zhang Zhiqiang finally spoke at this point:

"If I don't bring her back, she'll make a scene, she'll argue, she'll break up with me."

Zhang Zhongtian said:

"Break up then, break up — anyway you've already played around, after breaking up you can go find the next one, isn't that a good thing for you?"

Zhang Zhongtian's words were harsh to hear, but they were his innermost true thoughts.

Only to his own son would he speak these true-hearted words.

To anyone else, he'd only say polite, smooth, pleasant words.

Zhang Zhiqiang fell silent again.

Because he had to admit, his old man's words made a lot of sense.

"Dad, then what do you say we should do now?"

Zhang Zhiqiang asked after a long while.

Zhang Zhongtian said:

"With the current situation, wait until Xiao He's emotions stabilize a bit, then you go back and apologize to her, admit fault."

But Zhang Zhiqiang said:

"Why should I apologize to her, admit fault? I didn't do anything wrong."

Zhang Zhiqiang truly thought this in his heart — he felt he and Li Xiaohe had no feelings left, separating from Li Xiaohe was the most correct thing.

Zhang Zhongtian rebuked angrily:

"You still think you did nothing wrong? You suddenly brought another woman back without a word, stirred this household into chaos — that's a huge mistake!"

But Zhang Zhiqiang said:

"Anyway I absolutely won't apologize to her — I have face and dignity."

When Zhang Zhiqiang spoke these words, it made Zhang Zhongtian so angry his hands trembled.

Truly pity his misfortune, rage at his failure to live up to expectations!

But Zhang Zhongtian took a deep breath, and still pressed down the anger in his heart.

Because he knew, now wasn't the time to argue with this rotten brat.

Handling things properly was far more important than arguing.

"Fine, let's say you're not wrong, you don't have a single bit of wrong, you have face and dignity too." Zhang Zhongtian began switching to a different approach to persuade: "But you need to know, the adult world doesn't speak of right and wrong — whether you apologize or not, and whether you did wrong or not, those have absolutely no relationship. Understand what I mean?"

"What meaning?"

Zhang Zhiqiang very obviously didn't quite understand his father's words.

His father, as Village Committee Secretary, had muddled through the grassroots of towns and townships for decades — upward he'd seen all kinds of unreasonable Leaders, downward he'd encountered countless overbearing, tyrannical difficult people.

While he, Zhang Zhiqiang, a blockhead who had no grades to speak of, no understanding of human relations whatsoever.

How could he understand these words his father spoke?

Zhang Zhongtian could only continue explaining patiently:

"You apologize, not because you did something wrong, but because you have to consider the overall situation — think about it, if you don't apologize, Li Xiaohe insists on divorcing you, because you found another woman, you're definitely the at-fault party, even if it goes to Court, the Court will definitely side with Li Xiaohe — by then, we'll not only have to split half the assets to Li Xiaohe, even your son's custody might be taken away by Li Xiaohe — how huge a loss would that be! And you, right now you only need an apology that isn't worth a single cent, to resolve this crisis! Which way is more profitable, even a fool who came along would know!"

Hearing this, Zhang Zhiqiang finally understood a bit.

If divorce, Li Xiaohe would split his family assets — this point he hadn't thought of before.

Actually he didn't have much money, the money was all under Zhang Zhongtian's name — Zhang Zhongtian knew this son was unreliable, so he hadn't given the money to him — but family assets aren't just money.

Zhang Zhongtian had bought him an apartment in the County Town.

If Li Xiaohe wanted to fight for that apartment, what would he do?

"Alright alright, then I'll go back in a few days, and apologize to her then — that should be fine, right?"

Zhang Zhiqiang finally compromised.

Human nature is like this — you lecture him on grand principles, he won't listen.

But as soon as you say it affects his interests, he'll immediately become very obedient.

This has nothing to do with whether he has education or ability — purely because the bottom-layer logic of human nature is at work.

"Good, then you come back in a few days — before coming back remember to give me a call, remember, from now on whatever you do, use your brain more, if you really can't decide, ask me first — I'm your dad, your dad only has this one son, no matter what, I'd never screw you over!"

Zhang Zhongtian hung up Zhang Zhiqiang's call, smoked a cigarette, then went upstairs to the second floor to comfort Li Xiaohe.

Li Xiaohe had calmed down considerably.

She sat inside the Bedroom, holding her son, silently shedding Tears.

"Xiao He, I've already given that stinking brat a good scolding for you. Look on the bright side. Even if that stinking brat doesn't want you, we'll still want you. I'll be your Backing!"

Zhang Zhongtian comforted Li Xiaohe.

Li Xiaohe handed the child over to Zhang Zhongtian:

"You take the child downstairs. I want to rest alone for a bit."

Zhang Zhongtian took his Grandson, Stunned, and persuaded her:

"You mustn't Can't Figure Out anything. For the sake of the child, you must be strong. Same Sentence as before: I'll be your Backing."

"Knowing. Thank you."

Li Xiaohe looked dejected:

"You take the child downstairs. I really just want to be alone and quiet for a while."

Seeing this, Zhang Zhongtian couldn't bring himself to Say anything more.

So he carried his Grandson downstairs to play.

But he didn't know that the moment his Front Foot left, Li Xiaohe's Back Foot went to find a Rope and came back.

She wanted to hang herself and commit Suicide.

Because just now she had gone downstairs once.

She happened to run into Zhang Zhongtian on the phone with Zhang Zhiqiang.

In other words, all those words Zhang Zhongtian said to his son were overheard by Li Xiaohe.

If Li Xiaohe hadn't overheard those words, she certainly would have lived on strongly under Zhang Zhongtian's Comfort.

But having heard those words, things were different.

It turned out all her father-in-law's kindness to her was Fake, all Fake, merely to Deceive her.

Hehe, but this is normal too. Zhang Zhiqiang is their own biological son. How could they possibly not side with their own son, and instead side with her, a woman who married in from Outside?

Thus, her entire world Collapsed/Broke Down.

There was no longer a single fulcrum to support her living on.