His audacious declaration of seeking a concubine sent a deafening buzz through Mother Chen’s mind, leaving it blank. After decades of weathering storms together, she never imagined he would abandon her for some young hussy.
“No, I absolutely refuse. Don’t you forget, you were just a villager back then. Your current wealth was all thanks to my dowry when I married you. And now you want to cast me aside?” Mother Chen shook her head, her words laced with resentment.
“You can only blame your foolish son for entangling himself for a woman. Do you think I’m willing to father a son at my age and raise him again? But I cannot dishonor the ancestors of the Chen family. Men my age are already grandfathers, enjoying their retirement while their sons manage the businesses. Can I?” Father Chen spoke with deep sincerity. Had he known his son was infertile, he would have taken a concubine much earlier. By now, his younger son would be a teenager, ready to take over the business.
“Was the son born to me alone? You blame me for everything. I never liked Liu Wenyu from the start, wasn’t it you who arranged the marriage?” Mother Chen had originally intended to marry her niece, but Father Chen had set his sights on the Liu family next door, believing that marrying into a prominent business family would benefit their own enterprise.
“Whatever the case, the situation has reached this point. Tell me, what shall we do? The Chen family cannot be without an heir, and Yan cannot bear children. How about we keep the child but abandon the mother? You can raise that child,” Father Chen said, a hint of guilt in his voice. The alliance with the Liu family was primarily for business interests, and, secondly, because their son liked her, and he wanted to fulfill his wish.
“If the son cannot bear children, we can adopt. There are plenty of orphans outside struggling to survive. Moreover, there are relatives within the Chen family who are parentless or cannot afford to raise children; we can foster one,” Mother Chen suggested. Regardless, she refused to have another woman enter their household, nor could she bear the thought of the man she had shared a bed with for decades embracing another woman.
“No matter how we adopt, they won’t be of my blood. Who knows if they’ll turn out to be ungrateful when we’re old? I cannot bear that risk.” The thought of entrusting the shops he had painstakingly built over decades to someone else’s inheritance filled Father Chen with reluctance.
“To put it plainly, you just dislike me for being old and want a young, pretty one,” Mother Chen accused, tears streaming down her face.
“Think whatever you wish. Regardless, I’ve made up my mind to take a concubine,” Father Chen turned away, no longer looking at her weeping face.
Mother Chen felt this day marked the darkest moment of her life. It was all Liu Wenyu’s fault.
The next morning, Father Chen took over the family businesses, instructing Chen Yan to return home and rest, prioritizing his health above all else.
Initially, Chen Yan felt a touch of gratitude, thinking his father was considerate of him. However, upon returning home, his mother’s first words upon seeing him were, “Why are you back? Shouldn’t you be at the shop at this hour?”
“Father is worried about me and told me to come home and rest, to recuperate,” Chen Yan replied casually.
“How can you be so foolish? You came back just because he told you to? How could I have such a silly son?” Mother Chen’s voice rose in agitation. This was clearly the old man’s ploy to regain control of the business and oust their son.
“Didn’t Mother always tell me to obey Father?” Chen Yan asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
“Isn’t this all your fault? Liu Wenyu is already married, why did you still get involved with her and end up in this state? Your father wants to abandon us and take a concubine to have another son.” Mother Chen felt compelled to reveal the harsh truth. Though painful, she didn’t want her son to unknowingly surrender the entire family fortune.
“He’s given up on me?” The worst had indeed happened. Chen Yan’s voice trembled as he asked.
“Yes, he said he doesn’t want the Chen family fortune to fall into the wrong hands after he’s gone. So now, don’t think about anything else. First, focus on recovering your health, and second, hold onto these shops tightly.” This was the plan Mother Chen had devised after a sleepless night.
Watching his mother’s lips move, Chen Yan’s mind went blank. He stumbled into his room in a daze, closed the door, and felt the need for some serious rest.
Wu Caiwei was well aware of the events unfolding in the Chen family. At the dinner table, she tactfully brought up her desire to leave, which was met with universal opposition.
“I am still young and can remarry. I want to live a normal life. I’ve endured more than ten years of hardship in the Chen family, and I’ve had enough,” Wu Caiwei knew their intentions. They likely believed that since she was already known to be infertile, they could continue to shift the blame onto her while maintaining their reputation for benevolence. However, if she left, she would expose their lies, and they couldn’t bear the thought of gossip.
“I know you’ve suffered greatly over the years, and we will compensate you handsomely. But leaving is out of the question. You are a woman with a complicated family background. No one will take you in. How will you survive in this world? It’s better to stay here,” Old Master Chen tried his best to persuade her. Letting her leave would make the Chen family appear uncharitable.
“You want me to stay primarily for your reputation, don’t you? I’ve finally seen clearly. The meek are bullied, and the gentle are ridden over. If you don’t let me go, I will turn the Chen family upside down. Then, it will be harder to send me away than to invite me,” Wu Caiwei said meaningfully, looking at them.
“I advise you to behave yourself. You haven’t experienced the dark side of the world. Don’t push us too far. If you push me too far, I’ll break your legs, and you won’t be able to walk. What can you do to me then?” Father Chen threatened her, his tone laced with menace. He had overheard his daughter-in-law asking their son for money recently. At the time, he had dismissed it as harmless, as the money stayed within the family. But now that she wanted to leave, the situation was different.
“Do you think I’m scared? If you hit me, won’t I fight back? Besides, you might not know that I possess innate divine strength. You should be grateful I haven’t beaten you up all these years,” Wu Caiwei let out a cold laugh. This family was too shameless.
Father Chen had never been subjected to such disrespect. He stood up abruptly. “Don’t think I can’t deal with you. You still have the Ouyang family behind you, don’t you? From today onwards, I will suppress them. Then you can wait for them to beg for help.”