Chapter 481: Chapter 469: Adoption Controversy (2) Chapter 481: Chapter 469: Adoption Controversy (2) Seeing that Lu Shan and Da Mai disagreed with the adoption and Lu Yun was adamant about getting a divorce, Peng Xiangye hanged herself at home in a fit of anger. Luckily, Xiao Qiu discovered her and saved her life, sending her to the hospital.
Lu Shan was very heavy-hearted when he heard about the incident, thinking that Peng Xiangye’s threat of suicide was merely to scare them; he didn’t expect her to actually seek death.
“Wife, what do we do now?”
Da Mai sneered, “If she really wanted to die, she wouldn’t have hanged herself at home, especially when her mother and Xiao Qiu were around. If she truly wanted to die, she would have found a silent night to jump into the river or bought a bottle of pesticide to drink.”
She didn’t believe that Peng Xiangye had the will to die, suspecting the act was merely a ploy to force them into a compromise. She was willing to be tolerant with other matters and had swallowed many losses without holding a grudge. But a child was a piece of her own flesh; she could not give him up to someone else.
Fearing that Lu Shan’s softheartedness would reach an agreement, Da Mai said, “Even if she were to really die, that would be Lu Yun’s fault, not ours. If they want to adopt my Gou Sheng, they’ll have to step over my dead body.”
Lu Shan replied, “That won’t happen, I won’t agree.”
In the afternoon, Lu Jiazong went to find Lu Shan, still on the matter of the adoption, “If it weren’t for Xiangye’s father, I would have died long ago, and none of you would exist. Shanzi, if something really happens to Xiangye, I won’t know how to face her father.”
When he was young, Lu Jiazong encountered a wild boar while chopping wood in the mountains, and it was Xiangye’s father who saved him. Because of that, Xiangye’s father was injured and laid in bed for three months.
Shanzi, not skilled in argument, didn’t know how to rebut, but honest people have their own ways. Hanging his head, he said, “Dad, Da Mai said that if Gou Sheng is adopted out, she too would not want to live. Dad, you can’t let my brother’s actions tear my family apart!”
Lu Jiazong paused, responding, “She’s just scaring us, she wouldn’t really die. Shanzi, Dad really has no other choice, or else I wouldn’t have come to you.”
Shanzi expressed helplessness, “Dad, if my younger brother is short of money, I am definitely willing to lend, but adoption is out of the question. He can’t provide for or educate the child properly, giving Gou Sheng to him would be ruining him.”
Lu Yun had always been lazy, but before marriage, he would complete the tasks assigned to him. However, after the marriage, the couple would avoid or shirk their duties whenever possible, leaving their chores to him, his wife, and his parents. If Gou Sheng were adopted by them, what if he picked up all their bad habits? That child would be ruined.
Seeing that they could not be persuaded, Lu Jiazong left in a furious rage, “If you refuse, I will act as though I have no such son.”
Lu Shan was shocked, “Dad, what are you saying?”
Lu Jiazong’s words were spoken in anger, and seeing his son’s reaction, he immediately regretted it, “Shanzi, Dad is begging you, alright? If Xiangye really dies in our house, I won’t be able to explain it to her father!”
This time, Lu Shan remained defiant, “Dad, it’s true that Uncle Peng saved you, but grandpa had already helped Mother Peng get an easy job in the brigade and pulled strings for his second son to join the army, and you let Lu Yun marry their sister who doesn’t like to work. We have long since repaid that debt of gratitude.”
With no chance of him giving in, Lu Jiazong stormed out.
Even though Lu Yun knew that Peng Xiangye’s hanging was likely a farce, he still went to visit her in the hospital. However, they ended up arguing within a few words, and it escalated to a physical altercation.
Separated by others, Lu Yun declared that he would definitely divorce and only wanted to raise his own child, refusing to adopt another.
Peng Xiangye fainted from crying.
Da Mai was reluctant to visit Peng Xiangye in the hospital because she was eyeing her son, but social etiquette prevailed, and she went anyway.
“Peng Xiangye begged her again, claiming that as long as they were willing to let Gou Sheng be adopted by them, Lu Yun would not divorce.”
“Da Mai had disagreed before, and now it was even more impossible for her to consent. Peng Xiangye refused to divorce, and with the family pressuring them to stay together, Lu Yun’s intense desire to have a son would surely lead him to find another woman to bear his child. In such a messy situation, how could the child possibly be well?”
“Peng Xiangye, having exhausted all kind words and seeing Da Mai unmoved, cursed her for being heartless and cold-blooded, for she could stand by and watch her sister-in-law die.”
“Angered, Da Mai took back all the canned goods and chicken soup she had brought.”
“Three days later, Shanzi received a call from Lu Jiazong informing him that Mother Peng and Peng Xiangye’s elder brother and sister-in-law had arrived. They had come to the Forty-nine City this time because of the divorce dispute between Lu Yun and Peng Xiangye.”
“Da Mai didn’t stop him from going to Radiance Road, only saying, ‘You can go, but the matter of adoption is non-negotiable. If you dare agree, I’m done with you.'”
“‘Don’t worry, I won’t agree.'”
“He went over after three in the afternoon and didn’t return until after seven at night. As soon as he got home, Lu Shan poured himself water and chugged a bowl’s worth before sitting down.”
“Da Mai asked, ‘What was the purpose of the Peng Family’s visit to the Forty-nine City this time?'”
“The journey from their hometown to the Forty-nine City spanned thousands of miles, and just the travel expenses for three people would amount to two hundred. They couldn’t have come all this way just for the sake of justice for Peng Xiangye.”
“Lu Shan sighed and said, ‘The Peng Family agrees to the divorce, but they want compensation for Xiangye.'”
“Compensating Peng Xiangye in the event of a divorce was reasonable, but she feared their greed. However, what her in-laws owned had nothing to do with her, so Da Mai asked casually, ‘What compensation do they want?'”
“Lu Shan said disdainfully, ‘Aunt Peng demands the house on Radiance Road to be given to Peng Xiangye so that she has a place to live in the future and won’t end up on the streets. She even brought up Fifth Uncle, saying that he left the house to his ex-wife when they divorced.'”
“They certainly dared to dream, Da Mai thought, ‘Fifth Uncle left the house to his ex-wife back then because he could make money and buy another one anytime, but Lu Yun hasn’t contributed a dime. Moreover, the house on Radiance Road belongs to our aunt; it’s just rented to our parents. Where do they get the nerve to demand the house?'”
“Lu Shan grunted and said, ‘Mom said the house belongs to our aunt, and they are just lodgers. Then Aunt Peng went on to say that dad and mom should give the noodle shop to Peng Xiangye.'”
“‘Our family’s noodle shop is worth tens of thousands. They had the audacity to ask for it; such shamelessness,’ Lu Shan said with some emotion.”
“The noodle shop was hard-earned by his parents and was crucial for their livelihood; it couldn’t possibly be given to Peng Xiangye.”
“Da Mai, upon hearing this, realized, ‘Xiangye has lived on Radiance Road for so long, she couldn’t possibly be unaware that the house belongs to our aunt. She must have told her family when she went home.'”
“‘They demand the house knowing it belongs to our aunt, and knowing the noodle shop is the foundation of our household, they still ask for it. Shanzi, they are doing this deliberately; they want more money.'”
“The house and the noodle shop were out of the question, so naturally, they would have to give more money, right? With the house and noodle shop for comparison, giving more money seemed acceptable to his parents. Moreover, with the constant commotion, his parents were exhausted, and the business suffered greatly.”
“Da Mai said, ‘Originally, mom had her eye on a girl from uncle’s village for the second brother, but it was Xiangye’s father who deliberately got Grandpa drunk and settled the marriage agreement at the wine table. Mom disagreed at the time, but it was Grandpa who said, ‘A man’s spit is his nail,’ and the promise had to be kept, and so the matter was settled. The Peng Family are calculators, knowing that Lu Yun is determined to divorce, they must have advised Xiangye to divorce and take a much larger compensation.'”