Chapter 420: Chapter 421: Claiming Kinship

"What ’important business’ could a girl in mourning possibly have? We have so many elders waiting out here. How unfilial must she be to hide inside and refuse to see us?" Seeing the crowd grow, the corpulent Mrs. Xu Zhong spoke with even greater satisfaction.

They lived in a neighboring town and had only found out a few days ago that the entire Zhou Family had been wiped out, leaving only the daughter of Xu Wenhua’s former wife.

With such a vast fortune in the hands of a single girl, how could they—her biological father and stepmother—not come over to assert their interests?

Fearing Xu Nuo would refuse them entry, they had even made a point of persuading a few elders from the Xu Family to come along. After all, she was still a child of the Xu Family; they didn’t believe she would be so ill-mannered.

Turning to see Xu Wenhua still hiding behind the others, Mrs. Xu Zhong dragged him to the front. "Her father is here now! He’s the head of the family. How can you tolerate a mere servant blocking the door?"

If it weren’t for this oaf Dazhuang blocking the way, they would have been inside long ago. Still, this worked out as well; their visit was also meant to make it clear to the neighbors that from now on, this brokerage had a master.

Xu Wenhua cleared his throat. "Go inside at once and tell Xu Nuo to come out. Say that her mother and I are here to see her."

"You wait here." Dazhuang was starting to panic. Although he had heard a few things from the old maids in the house, he had no idea what his young mistress’s attitude toward her biological father was.

But even as simple and honest as he was, he could tell from the way they were sizing everything up that they harbored ill intentions.

He slipped quickly through the crack in the door and promptly shut it again.

"See? This is what happens when there isn’t an adult in charge. Servants like that are just so reckless," Mrs. Xu Zhong said with a smug smile. ’I really didn’t expect such a windfall. Now my son’s and daughter’s betrothal gifts are all sorted out.’

When Xu Nuo heard the news from Dazhuang, she was so furious she wanted to storm into the kitchen, grab two knives, and rush outside.

’If that woman hadn’t interfered back then, my mother never would have taken me back to my maternal grandparents’ home when I was just a child.’

’In all these years, this so-called father has never once shown his face. Both families had long ago tacitly agreed to cut off all contact.’

"Miss, what do we do now?" Sanhua was so nervous she was on the verge of tears. "The Gu family is coming to deliver the betrothal gifts later. They’re going to run into each other!"

Despair began to rise in Xu Nuo’s heart. She knew that if this so-called biological father was determined to interfere in her life, there was really no way for her to escape.

She closed her eyes, then snapped them open again, her gaze fierce. ’This is my maternal grandparents’ legacy. The Xu family won’t touch a single bit of it.’

She straightened her clothes, re-pinned the small white mourning flower she had only just taken off that morning, and took a deep breath before walking outside.

As Dazhuang opened the main gates, Xu Nuo saw only a group of strangers standing outside. "I hear my so-called birth father has come to see me. I wonder, which one of you is he?"

At her words, someone in the crowd burst out laughing. "Miss Xu, you’re all grown up. Don’t tell me you don’t even know who your own father is?"

Xu Nuo ignored the ugly expressions on the faces of the group opposite her and turned to the familiar neighbors. "Which of you old neighbors doesn’t know that my mother brought me back to my maternal grandparents’ home when I was still in swaddling clothes? I’ve probably never even had a sip of water from my father’s house. How could I possibly be expected to know who he is?"

At this, the onlookers, who were enjoying the drama and didn’t mind seeing it escalate, began to jeer. "That’s right! Where did this father of yours pop up from? We haven’t seen him around for years, but he shows up the moment your mother passes away.

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"And he comes in with such arrogance, demanding to run your life. Looks to me like he’s using the ’father’ excuse to get rich right out in the open!"

Everyone roared with laughter, pointing at the Xu family. "They must think we’re young and don’t know about the older generation’s grudges. Listening to them yelling out here earlier, I really thought Miss Xu was some wicked, unfilial monster."

"Exactly! Especially that woman at the front, acting all high and mighty. Turns out she’s not even related to the girl."

"..."

Xu Wenhua glared at Xu Nuo. "This is a family matter. Must you cause such a public scene? Don’t you know not to air your dirty laundry in public? Let’s go inside to talk."

But Xu Nuo just frowned at him. "Do I know you? Who are you? Showing up at my door first thing in the morning acting like you own the place."

The onlookers started heckling again, answering for Xu Wenhua before he could speak. "No way! He’s your biological father, and you don’t recognize him?"

"Know him how? Do you expect a newborn baby to recognize her own father? Even we adults might not recognize someone after more than a decade, let alone the daughter he abandoned as a child."

Right now, Xu Nuo was a prime piece of meat. They, her neighbors, hadn’t even gotten a bite yet; how could they let an outsider swoop in and steal her away?

Although everyone was clearly just there for the spectacle, they were completely opposed to the Xu family.

Mrs. Xu Zhong’s greasy cheeks spread into what she believed was a kind smile. "You must be Xu Nuo. Child, I’m your mother. Whatever you have to say, let’s go inside and talk."

Xu Nuo shot her a disgusted look. "My mother’s memorial tablet is on display in the main hall right now. For some woman who popped out of nowhere to dare come to my door and claim to be family... do you have any shame at all?"

’If it weren’t for this woman, my mother wouldn’t have been depressed for so many years.’

Perhaps provoked by the contempt in Xu Nuo’s eyes, Mrs. Xu Zhong flew into a rage. "You unfilial wretch! I’m honoring you by being willing to be your mother! You’re just an orphan girl—"

"AHEM, ahem, ahem." Xu Wenhua coughed dryly several times, finally stopping her from saying more. "Your mother... she means well. She’s worried that you’re living here all by yourself and that people might bully you. Now that your father is here, I’d like to see who dares bully my daughter."

Xu Nuo looked him up and down. "So you’re the treacherous, philandering, heartless man my mother always talked about.

"I seem to recall my mother instructing me never to allow you to take a single step into our Zhou Family home in this lifetime. She raised me all by herself, and I can’t be unfilial to her by letting you in."

Xu Wenhua was furious. "Your mother was talking nonsense! As a woman, she was jealous and intolerant. The fact that I granted her a mutual divorce instead of formally repudiating her was already an act of great generosity! I can’t believe she would speak about me like that behind my back."

Xu Nuo asked coldly, "So what my mother said wasn’t the truth?

"I don’t care what happened between you in the past. Since my mother left a final wish, I will have nothing to do with you. You can go now!"

"You wretched girl! Your own father is standing right at the door, and you can’t even bring yourself to call him ’Father’?" an old man standing behind Xu Wenhua said, forcefully tapping his cane on the ground.

Meeting Xu Nuo’s gaze, the old man held his head high. "It seems we’ll have to take you back and have your grandmother teach you some manners. A girl your age can’t be so ignorant of how the world works."

Standing on the steps, Xu Nuo asked with contempt, "And who might you be?"

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