As soon as he entered, Wu Caiwei noticed him, but she couldn't be bothered to acknowledge him and continued to do her own thing.
Liu Wenwen adjusted her mindset and then stepped forward with a smile, saying in a gentle tone, "Mother, after much thought, I believe it's not appropriate for us to only listen to the doctor in town. After all, doctors in the county and prefectural cities have higher medical skills, and perhaps my husband's leg can still be cured. We cannot delay him."
Wu Caiwei finally looked up and said calmly, "You want to take him elsewhere for treatment?" Seeing Liu Wenwen nod without hesitation, she continued, "You can decide these matters yourself; there's no need to consult me."
"But traveling will cost money, and I need your help, Mother." Liu Wenwen stared at her intently.
Wu Caiwei was somewhat speechless. Did they think she was a fool just because she wasn't showing her authority?
Putting down her work, she wanted to have a good talk with her. "When you got married, your family asked for twenty taels of silver, and Wang Changqing was still able to produce it. Don't tell me you don't have money; I don't believe it. And I know where you went today, and you know it too. If you don't have the money, ask them for it."
Upon hearing this, Liu Wenwen's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected that something they had hidden for so long would be discovered by her. Then she felt indifferent. After all, he was the only son on that side, and she didn't believe they wouldn't acknowledge him. It would be a good excuse for them to live at the Li family's residence.
"So Mother has been holding a grudge about this all along. I thought that after a year, Mother would see my efforts and my filial piety. I didn't expect you to have an opinion of me from beginning to end. Even if that's the case, Changqing is still your biological son, isn't he? Why do you resent him too?" Liu Wenwen looked at her with a sense of heartache.
Wu Caiwei raised her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn't expected her daughter-in-law, who was usually quiet, to be quite cunning. Of course, otherwise, how could she have bewitched Wang Changqing to the point where he insisted on marrying her?
"He doesn't care if I live or die, why should I care about him? Do you think contacting them will have good results? Haven't you considered that with your status, you won't be taken seriously by them? Perhaps you'll end up like me. Believe it or not, the moment you acknowledge your ancestors, they'll kick you out." Wu Caiwei was both instigating discord and speaking the truth.
"I don't know what Mother is talking about. What do you mean by acknowledging ancestors? I don't understand." Liu Wenwen quickly lowered her head, her voice a little shaky. In fact, she had also considered this issue and felt a bit scared. But the allure of wealth was intoxicating, and she wanted to take a gamble, believing that with her intelligence, she wouldn't follow her mother-in-law's path. Besides, she and Changqing had inquired, and it was Mother who insisted on leaving with her husband back then.
Her husband still resented her for intervening, otherwise, he would have been the legitimate young master of the Li family and wouldn't have suffered so much and lived such a poor life for so many years.
"You know whether you understand or not. If you need money, don't talk to me about it anymore. And in the future, you and your husband should bother me less. If you want to acknowledge your ancestors, I can fulfill that immediately." After saying this, Wu Caiwei turned and went back to her work. She couldn't afford to have a son who wanted to kill her. Since the Li family wanted him so much, let him be a scourge to the Li family.
Liu Wenwen stood there at a loss, unsure whether her mother-in-law's words were true or not. If she was truly willing to let go, why would she and her husband resort to indirect methods? Unable to figure it out, she couldn't be bothered to think about it further and decided to take her husband to the county town.
Wu Caiwei didn't care about them. She had already examined Wang Changqing's leg. With a slight manipulation, even a divine doctor couldn't cure his leg.
Liu Wenwen happily went to the prefectural city and stayed at the Li family's residence. She had initially thought her husband's leg still had some hope, but every doctor who examined him shook their head with regret. Her heart sank to the bottom. Finally, escorted by the Li family's servants, they arrived at the prefectural city, but the outcome was the same.
They had no choice but to return. What was worse, she clearly felt that the attitude of Father and Mother Li towards them had changed significantly. They were no longer as enthusiastic as they had been on their previous visits.
Even when she relayed Wu Caiwei's attitude this time, she didn't feel they were particularly happy, which made Liu Wenwen somewhat uneasy.
Father Li also felt uncomfortable. The thought of the Li family having no heir made him unable to sleep at night, feeling like he had failed his ancestors.
Seeing his father, who was full of worry, approaching him, Li Zixin knew without asking what he wanted to say. He said helplessly, "I've already heard about Wang Yumeng's attitude, and I have a sense of unease. Logically speaking, Changqing was raised by her, and they should have a bond. But why does it feel like she can't wait for us to take him away? Could there be a conspiracy behind this?" Sudan Novel Network
"Regardless of whether there's a conspiracy or not, he is your only child now. Although he can't participate in the imperial examinations, he can at least leave an heir for the Li family. You, my boy, don't try to change the subject. You know I came today to talk about taking a concubine. What are your thoughts? Are you going to endure her displeasure for the rest of your life?"
"I will arrange the matter of acknowledging ancestors. As for taking a concubine and having a son, you need to give me some time to persuade her properly." Li Zixin felt a headache whenever this was mentioned. He could imagine that if he said this to Wu Lian'er, she would definitely explode. But he really lacked a son. Wang Changqing was basically ruined, and he wanted to have a son, provide him with the best education, and have him pass the imperial examinations to bring glory to the family.
Meanwhile, Wu Caiwei, to everyone's surprise, welcomed a matchmaker. She enthusiastically invited them in.
Both parties were willing, and the matter proceeded smoothly. The matchmaker left, and news of it spread throughout the small town shortly after.
Father and Mother Wang couldn't sit still upon hearing the news and quickly went to their daughter's shop. They said earnestly, "We are not against you remarrying, we are just curious. When you were young, we told you many times to find someone else, but you always refused. How did you suddenly change your mind?"
Seeing her parents' worried expressions, she knew what they were thinking. They probably felt that she was no longer young and should be enjoying the happiness of grandchildren, so why was she going through more trouble? She decided not to hide it from them any longer and directly told them her suspicions about Wang Changqing.
The Wang family members were stunned. Wang Songlin was the first to react, "No matter what, he is still your son. You must clarify things and not wrong him, which would hurt your mother-son relationship."
Wu Caiwei then recounted the events that happened when Wang Changqing had his accident in front of them. Afterward, she saw her parents looking at her with pity. Mother Wang said tearfully, "Tell me, what wrong have you done in this life to encounter these two, father and son?"
Wu Caiwei smiled and comforted them, "This time, my hardships will end, and I will have joy. He is a very good person. Without the burden of children, we will live together very happily."
"What do you plan to do with that little beast, Wang Changqing?" Wang Songlin said indignantly, feeling that his care for him over the years had been wasted.