Chapter 42: Chapter 42: If I tell a lie, may lightning strike me down Chapter 42: Chapter 42: If I tell a lie, may lightning strike me down “I wish I had never given birth if I knew it would only bring suffering to my child, what nonsense!”
“Thank goodness Lu Youxi is promising!”
“Shut up!” Old Madam Lu’s hands trembled with anger, “What do you know! Don’t listen to her nonsense!”
“Which of my words is nonsense? If there is a single untruthful word, let lightning strike me down, let me die a horrible death!” Liu Yushu swore to the heavens.
Everyone was taken aback, as the usually timid Liu Yushu showed such grit.
It was evident that even the meekest of people can be pushed to their limits and become capable of anything!
“And the couple, Lu ZhenjiaLiu Yushu continued, pointing to Lu Zhenjia and his spouse, “It was great news that Lu Youbang got into Jing University, and our whole family was happy for them. When Lu Zhenjia came to us saying they were short on money, we didn’t hesitate to give them all we had, just so the child wouldn’t miss out on schooling.”
“Our thought was that we’re all family, when your house has urgent needs, we help, and when our house has urgent needs, you help. We support each other and the family grows stronger and more prosperous together,” Liu Yushu explained to the crowd.
This won applause from everyone, “Yes, yes, it’s true.”
“It’s truly so, we’re all family, helping each other is proper.”
“But these two ingrates took the money and disowned us!” Liu Yushu, with eyes red and grinding her teeth, exclaimed, “We weren’t even expecting them to repay the money. Honestly, knowing them, they definitely held some back, they had money. They spent all of ours. We know, Youxi and Youxue know, and I believe Lu Zhenguo knows too! But that’s his brother, his nephew’s education at stake, so even if he knows, he wouldn’t speak. After all, they are family, there are no distinctions.”
At this, Liu Yushu couldn’t help but reveal a mocking expression and tone.
Lu Zhenguo moved his lips but found no arguments because he indeed knew and actually thought the same. Liu Yushu, his wife of many decades, understood him very well.
“Now our Youxi has also been admitted to Jing University, and her score was much higher than Youbang’s was!” Liu Yushu said, “But all our money went to paying for Youbang’s education. Now when we need help from Lu Zhenjia, they not only forget the help we gave but also plan to marry off our Youxi to Foolish Hu to get money! They dress it up as using the bride price for tuition, but what family would force their child to marry a fool just to afford education? Youxi has a bright future, why should she marry a fool!”
“And after taking the money, would they really use it for Youxi? Or would they instead use it for Youbang to get married?” Liu Yushu scoffed coldly, “After all, in my in-laws’ eyes, only Youbang counts as a person, everyone else doesn’t! Even my son Youxue is barely considered! To send Youbang to university, Youxue had to travel from the town school to home four times a day to save money! Once he almost had an accident during one of the midday trips; it was Youxi who saved Youxue and got hit herself!”
“How could they be so heartless! Youxue is just a twelve-year-old kid, yet he had to save money for a man in his twenties. Including Youbang, don’t they feel guilty using this money? And now they want to sell off our Youxi! Such a cannibalistic family, why should I stay!”
“That’s too much!”
The village chief grimaced, “Normally, I always encourage reconciliation rather than separation, but this time, I fully respect Liu Yushu’s wishes.”
“You Lu family, have indeed done too much!” the village chief declared bluntly.
Lu Zhenguo, utterly ashamed, said, “Yushu, I know, these years with me have been tough for you. But we’ve been married for so many years, do you really mean to say divorce just like that?”
Liu Yushu looked at Lu Zhenguo pleading, and unable to bear the sight, turned her head away.
She did have feelings for Lu Zhenguo.
Though they met through a matchmaking arrangement, through years of marriage, she had built a relationship of trust and familial love with this honest and straightforward man.
Aside from having no limits when it came to his own family, Lu Zhenguo was actually good to his wife and children privately.
The elders of the Lu Family favored sons over daughters, and so did Lu Zhenjia.
But Lu Zhenguo did not.
Privately, he treated Lu Youxi and Lu Youxue the same and would even secretly save some treats for Lu Youxi.
He truly supported Lu Youxi’s university education.
If it were not for the elders and the blood-sucking ways of Lu Zhenjia’s family, even if Lu Zhenguo was not financially well-off, Liu Yushu would have gladly endured hardships with him.
“Dad.” Lu Youxi spoke.
Lu Zhenguo looked over, a bit hesitant to face Lu Youxi.
He felt guilty towards Lu Youxi, but there was also a hint of resentment.
Just now Liu Yushu had blurted out about divorce in her anger. If Lu Youxi hadn’t brought it up, maybe Liu Yushu could have let it go.
Or perhaps they could have settled it privately.
But Lu Youxi had to bring it up in front of the village chief and so many villagers.
“Just now, all the things mom mentioned, aren’t they enough? Do you still want to let grandma and grandpa, let uncle’s family keep exploiting us, draining our blood?” Lu Youxi said dispassionately, “You can be filial, but why does your filial piety have to come at the cost of sacrificing us all? Why does uncle’s family get to benefit from our sacrifices? Mom has suffered for your sake for most of her life. If you don’t divorce, do you really intend to drag her down into the abyss of the Lu family to suffer through the few remaining years?”
“Every time, grandma and grandpa loudly claim that mom is an outsider. She’s been in this family for decades, serving them, never competing or grabbing, watching as you gave all the family’s money to uncle. In the end, she is still treated as an outsider by grandma and grandpa and uncle. She has never been recognized by this family, so what right do you have to ask her to stay?”
“Grandma and grandpa are your biological parents, they have the grace of raising you, you can be filial to them, fine, but why must you drag mom, an outsider, into this? What have they offered her? Except for resentment, they have given her nothing. Why should mom be filial with you?”
“And Youxue, if grandma and grandpa favor boys over girls and disregard me, then why do they also disregard Youxue? Youxue might have a slightly better living condition than me. But his textbooks and school bags are all hand-me-downs from Lu Youbang. Lu Youbang is nine years older than him. What condition are the leftovers in when they get to Youxue? All to save money for Lu Youbang. How can Lu Youbang stand to spend it!”