Lu Xing frowned and said helplessly, "I told you not to come. The way you treated them before... how could you expect them to forgive you so quickly?"
"Slap!" Granny Chen slapped Lu Xing. Ostensibly to discipline him, she was speaking to Lu Ye. "No matter how much hatred we had in the past, we are still family. What kind of unresolved issues can't be settled within a family? Blood is thicker than water!"
Because Granny Chen was so short, the slap landed on Lu Xing's mouth. It hurt so much that Lu Xing covered his mouth, seeing stars.
Seeing this, Granny Xu glared and kicked Lu Dahai, who had been silent behind her.
Lu Dahai actually didn't want to come either. He knew better than anyone how his mother and wife treated the second branch of the family over the years. However, he dared not disobey his mother or wife. Moreover, the family was truly on the verge of dying of thirst and starvation, so he could only brace himself and come.
Lu Dahai felt deeply bitter. With a desolate figure, he walked forward and suddenly knelt before Lu Ye, sobbing, "Xiao Ye, your eldest uncle is sorry to you, sob sob... Your eldest uncle has been too cowardly his whole life, fearing his own mother and unable to control his wife, which is why you suffered so much.
It was also wrong for your grandmother to bring us to disturb you today. Your eldest uncle doesn't know where to put his old face, sob sob... We, your unqualified elders, have no right to ask anything of you.
But these younger ones, your cousins, I still hope that for the sake of your deceased grandfather, you will lend them a hand and let them live, sob sob...
The well that the Zhang family in the village occupied is getting murkier and murkier. It looks like it will dry up soon, and they also don't allow our family to use the water anymore.
Xiao Ye, your eldest uncle begs you, save your cousins. Your eldest uncle... was truly wrong before, so wrong..."
Lu Dahai spoke with increasing grief, all the grievances and cowardice of his life pouring out at this moment.
Lu Ye coldly raised his voice, "What blood relations? When my family was pushed to the brink, I never heard you mention blood relations. Moreover, it was you, these blood relations, who personally pushed us to the brink. So, go back. We have already split the family and severed ties, and we have no relationship whatsoever."
Lu Yang stepped forward, his expression annoyed. "Father, get up. How can an elder kneel to a junior? We don't need to beg anyone. Is it just because they have a few stinking dollars? What's so great about that? The wind blows from the east today, and the west tomorrow."
Lu Dahai stood up and pulled Lu Yang, saying, "Lu Yang, how can you speak like that? Hurry, hurry, you also plead with your brother. Zhang Jiàwàng has cut off our water supply. It doesn't matter if we old ones die, but you all... sob sob..."
Lu Yang stiffened his neck and said, "At worst, I'll go work in the mines!"
"How dangerous is it in the mines! The little wage they give you isn't even enough to support yourself, let alone this whole family!" Lu Dahai lost his temper for the first time.
Lu Hua's eyes were red. She said to Lu Dahai, "Eldest Uncle, it's not that my brother is heartless, it's that—Grandmother, Eldest Aunt, and Third Aunt treated our family too badly before. We won't even mention how they bullied my parents before. Our house was set on fire by people they instigated in the middle of the night. They are too vicious, wanting to burn our whole family alive."
Except for Granny Chen, her daughter-in-law, and her third daughter-in-law, as well as Lu Dahe, everyone else showed surprised expressions. They found it hard to believe that no matter how great the conflict with the second branch, it was still an internal family dispute, just some arguments. It wouldn't go so far as to spare their lives.
Granny Xu and Granny Yao's faces fell, and their gazes towards Lu Hua turned somewhat sinister.
Granny Chen said sarcastically, "Xiao Hua, I am your grandmother. I admit, in the past, I really wasn't very good to your family. I am an elder, and I have apologized in person. But you can't just say anything. I didn't set your house on fire."
"How dare you say you didn't set it on fire?" A voice suddenly came from behind. Everyone turned their heads and saw Lu Fengshou and Li Qiang walking over together, followed by quite a few onlookers.
Li Qiang said, "Granny Chen, it was your idea to set the fire to burn Lu Ye's family alive! You saw me having an affair with the wife of Lu Fuping in the village, and you've been threatening me with this matter, making me do bad things for you!"
Lu Fengshou also scratched the back of his head and said, "You discovered me peeking at Zhang Lanlan taking a bath, and you threatened me with this, making me do bad things for you!"
With sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren to support her, Granny Chen was a notorious idler in Huangsha Village. She often wandered around the village, naturally discovering many secrets.
Granny Chen's face showed panic. "I... I had my reasons for doing that! It's because the origin of Lu Ye's mother's jade pendant is unknown, and Lu Ye's mother's identity is also very suspicious. I... I was afraid of attracting danger and harming our entire family!"
"Nonsense, you just wanted to get the jade pendant in Lu Ye's hand and sell it for money!" With Lu Ye as his backing, Li Qiang dared to speak the truth.
Granny Chen glared at Li Qiang, wishing she could cut out his tongue.
Looking at the skin-and-bones children of both branches, Lu Dahai finally couldn't help but get angry at his mother for the first time. "Mother, you are truly muddled! Second brother and second sister-in-law are our family after all. Yet you've tormented them repeatedly while fawning over outsiders.
Xiao Ye and the others are also your grandchildren. What offense did they commit against you that you wanted their lives? Look today, retribution has arrived! Our whole family can't even live anymore!"
"You unfilial son!" Granny Chen, seeing her usually obedient eldest son directly scold her in front of so many people, became extremely angry and raised her hand to slap Lu Dahai.
Lu Dahai cried out with a "wa" sound and again knelt before Lu Ye. While fiercely slapping his own cheeks, he cried and begged, "Xiao Ye, your grandmother has wronged you. I beg you, for the sake of your deceased grandfather, save these children of ours. We don't ask for much, just a mouthful of food, a mouthful of water, enough to live is fine."
Seeing this, Lu Xing was heartbroken and also knelt down crying, "Brother Xiao Ye, I know I have no face to beg you, but I still have to beg you. Please give my family a chance to confess. I will definitely make them all correct their mistakes, work hard, and be honest people from now on! Never bully others again..."
Lu Hua also started to wipe her tears. In fact, apart from Brother Lu Xing, her eldest uncle had always treated them well. But he was too cowardly, never daring to say no to his mother or wife his whole life. For him to have come this far today was already a great breakthrough.
She walked up to Lu Ye and tugged at his sleeve, "Brother..."
Lu Ye raised his hand and stroked Lu Hua's head, saying coldly, "Xiao Hua, some people are inherently bad. Even if you give them a chance to reform, they won't truly repent. Because of the circumstances, they are just temporarily suppressing their bad nature. If they have the opportunity later, they will still do bad things."
Lu Hua wiped her tears, "But Brother Lu Xing and Eldest Uncle are good people. Those bad people are their relatives, and they can't abandon them. And if we abandon Brother Lu Xing and Eldest Uncle, we will feel guilty in our hearts later."