Chapter 780: Chapter 674: The Troublemaker

One look at Mr. Wei’s vicious expression was enough to see that not a trace of his once-gentle and scholarly demeanor remained. And to think Wei Zhenling had once admired and respected his father so much, placing him on a pedestal as a learned, dignified, and upstanding gentleman.

Mrs. Wei descended the steps with a light gait, calling out with a smile, "Manman, Shaojun, you’re here! This is wonderful! No wonder I heard magpies chirping on the branches this morning. Grandma was so happy she had Ah Gui start making pastries. They’re steaming right now. Quick, come inside!"

Gu Shaojun and Xiao Man greeted her as "Auntie" and exchanged a few polite pleasantries.

Over on the side, Mr. Wei finally managed to glance over. He recognized Gu Shaojun but had no time to talk. While Mrs. Wei was occupied with her guests, he grabbed his travel bag and strode toward the courtyard gate. The woman behind him, holding a baby, cried out in alarm, "Honey, I—I’m scared!"

Mr. Wei snapped impatiently, "If you’re scared, then don’t follow me! Go sleep on the streets with the child!"

The woman hurriedly scurried after him.

Xiao Man was at a loss for words.

’Just how far had Mr. Wei fallen? He’d thrown all his manly dignity to the wind.’

The man and woman had just stepped onto the stone stairs when a figure flashed in the gateway, blocking their path. It was a woman of about thirty-five or thirty-six. This was Ah Gui, Grandma Wei’s distant niece. Her hometown had been struck by disaster, so she came to Beijing to seek refuge with her great-aunt and now helped with the Wei Family’s housework. Ah Gui wasn’t tall, but she was stout, sturdy, and incredibly strong. The last time Wei Zhenling came home to visit, he had gone ahead and trained this distant relative of his as a bodyguard.

Ah Gui was currently leaning on a broom with her left hand. It seemed she was the one who had just driven Mr. Wei out of the house.

Ah Gui glared at Mr. Wei and his mistress and said:

"Still want to test my skills? Let me tell you, Zhen Ting taught me twelve staff-fighting techniques, and I’ve only used three. If I used just two more, I could break your legs and leave you unable to get up off the ground! But I won’t do that. My great-aunt said if I hurt you, we’d have to pay the medical bills. I’ll just make it hurt. Guess it wasn’t painful enough for you just now, was it? Then let’s go again! Let’s go!"

Xiao Man was amused. ’Sister Gui is one heck of a bodyguard.’

Mrs. Wei turned her head to the side and glanced at them, saying coolly, "You’ll only be thrown out again if you go in, so why bother? Stop making a scene. You may have no shame, but I still have my dignity to consider. This is Zhenling’s home, and I have to guard its gate for him. As for children of concubines, illegitimate children, and the like... forget living here. Don’t even think about setting foot inside this house."

The woman holding the child flushed red, yelling emotionally, "You’re talking nonsense! What era is this? There’s no such thing as a child of a concubine! And he’s not an illegitimate child, either! We were married before he was born!"

"That’s right, you were married when the child was born. But when you got pregnant, he hadn’t managed to finalize his divorce from me. If I had simply refused to leave back then, this child would be, without a doubt, illegitimate! And as for ’child of a concubine’? What was it your man just called me? He called me ’cast off.’ Isn’t the term ’cast off’ from the same era as ’child of a concubine’? I was merely following his line of reasoning!"

The woman was so angry her face paled. Just then, the baby woke up and began to cry weakly. The woman, with tears in her eyes, called out "Honey" again. Mr. Wei had to suppress his anger. His expression softened, and he said to Mrs. Wei in a placating tone, "The baby is sick. It’s harder on him out here in the sun. He’s a precious grandson of the Wei Family, too. For the sake of our ancestors, please let us come inside first!"

Mrs. Wei’s face was cold. "The Wei Family has only one grandson, and that is my son, Wei Zhenling! The child you gave birth to is not one of them. Back when you refused to listen to the old man’s advice and secretly transferred away that portion of the family assets instead of returning it to Zhenling’s name, Mr. Wei had already expelled you from the Wei Family. That property was to be your severance payment. I’m embarrassed for you, daring to come back now!"

"And isn’t this all your fault? ’A day as a couple means a hundred days of grace.’ We even have a son together, yet you showed no regard for our past relationship. To get revenge on me, you conspired with others to bring me to such a ruinous state! You cruel-hearted woman!"

Mr. Wei’s face turned livid. He threw down his travel bag and reached for Mrs. Wei’s shoulder. Gu Shaojun shifted his body to block him, calmly deflecting his arm and saying in a deep voice,

"Mr. Wei, you were once a teacher. You should know that a gentleman uses his words, not his fists. Please, speak civilly."

Xiao Man was speechless again. ’Comparing Mr. Wei to a gentleman? Any real gentleman would be furious at the comparison.’

Now that they were face to face, Mr. Wei seized the opportunity to speak to Gu Shaojun, adopting the air of an elder. "Shaojun, you’re back. You’re still serving with Zhenling, right? I can never get through on Zhenling’s phone. Could you do me a favor and call him? Just tell him there’s a family emergency and that his father is not doing well. Ask him to take leave and come home for a bit."

Gu Shaojun looked at Mr. Wei. "You seem perfectly fine to me. You still have the strength to raise a hand to Auntie."

"I’m not a barbarian! I wasn’t going to hit her! It’s her—she’s being completely unreasonable! Shaojun, you don’t understand. I’m really not doing well. I... I was set up! I’m bankrupt! This family now... SIGH... it’s a complete mess. It’s heartbreaking to see!" Mr. Wei said, forcing a dry cough and a sigh.

Mrs. Wei shot him a contemptuous glance. "Stop putting on an act. Even if this family really were a mess, who would be the one to start it all? Besides, our family isn’t in chaos. If anyone’s life is a mess, it’s yours! Enough. Shaojun and Manman rarely get to visit, so stop wasting our time. Weren’t you looking for Mr. Wei? He’s at Uncle Luo’s place at the end of the street. A new chess and card room just opened there, and Mr. Wei has been enjoying the novelty and lively atmosphere for the past two days. If you want to talk to him, go there."

Mr. Wei asked, "You’re not lying to me?"

Mrs. Wei sneered, "Do I have any reason to lie to you?"

"...Let us come inside first for a drink of water and a rest. It’s hot, and the baby is too young to handle it."

"Sorry, this is Zhenling’s house. I’m only a temporary resident here. I can’t make that decision."

"Isn’t Mom home? Go talk to her. Yu’er, I’m begging you!"

"Don’t you dare call me that. It’s disgusting! Once divorced, we’re strangers. If you call me that again, believe me when I say I’ll have Ah Gui beat you up!"

Mrs. Wei’s face darkened with fury as she glared at Mr. Wei. "Go ahead and ask him! If Mr. Wei agrees to let you move back into the old house, then Zhenling’s grandmother and I will have nothing more to say. You can have whichever room you want; we’ll make space for you. Otherwise, even if you manage to sneak in once or twice, you will definitely be thrown out the moment you’re discovered!"

With that, Mrs. Wei pulled Gu Shaojun and Xiao Man into the house and had Ah Gui shut the courtyard gate. This time, they didn’t hear Mr. Wei shouting or cursing. There was only the sound of the woman’s plaintive murmuring and the baby’s crying, both fading into the distance. They must have actually gone to find Mr. Wei.

The Wei family residence was a large, traditional courtyard house. It was well-maintained and preserved, exuding an antique charm without feeling dated at all. The courtyard was filled with lush, vibrant flowers and trees, all personally tended by Mr. Wei.

Grandma Wei came out from the main hall to greet them. With a benevolent smile, she took Xiao Man’s hand and welcomed Gu Shaojun as well. She had clean towels and warm water ready for them to wash their faces and hands and eat some pastries. She had clearly known they were at the gate for some time, but she only asked about other matters, not mentioning Mr. Wei even once. It was obvious the old woman was thoroughly disappointed in her adopted son and couldn’t be bothered with him anymore.

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