Chapter 686: 686 deed of sale is gone.
Xiao Qinghe also looked taken aback.
Yuchuan strongly nodded, “I swear by the parents in my grave, really!”
Her drained shoulders stiffened, “You’re always using your parents to swear…”
“Only to show how serious the matter is.”
“Alright.” She asked calmly, “When did this happen?”
“A while ago. It was the day when I went to sell goods, came back quite late, and made thirty copper coins.”
“That was indeed some time ago.” Su Qingyue nodded, “So, am I free now?”
“Yes.” He nodded. Actually, he had first taken her deed of sale to the town’s government office and only after that did he tear up the contract. Although she was no longer a slave, in the Household Marriage Registration records at the government’s office, she was his… Xiao Yuchuan’s wife.
This was done behind everyone’s back. Second Brother and Fourth Brother were both oblivious.
Except for him and those involved in the Marriage Registration, nobody knew.
Xiao Qinghe was confused, “Third Brother, the deed of sale of Second Brother’s wife has always been kept by Second Brother. How did you find it?”
“The day Second Brother kept the deed of sale, I happened to see him wrap the contract with a piece of cowhide paper and put it into a mouse hole on a beam in the backyard thatched cottage.” He said, “I found it and tore it up. To prevent Second Brother from finding out and scolding me, I stuffed another piece of paper I picked up on the street some day into that hole. Second Brother can’t read, so any piece of paper with writing on it would do. He wouldn’t know if it wasn’t the deed of sale.”
“…” Su Qingyue did not know what to say, “Why did Second Brother hide my noble deed of Sale in the thatched cottage?”
“No one would look there…” Xiao Yuchuan said, “Had I not seen it right then, I wouldn’t have known that he put it there.”
“Just happened to see?” She looked at him skeptically.
He smiled sheepishly, “No…no, I was following Second Brother.” He didn’t want to admit that he had initially planned to sell her behind Second Brother’s back, so he spied on Second Brother to see where he’d put her deed of sale.
She did not inquire further into why he was following Second Brother. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Now that the deed of sale is gone…” She glanced at Third Brother and Fourth Brother, “You are surnamed Xiao and I am surnamed Su. We have no relation now, right?”
Xiao Yuchuan wanted to say that their relationship was significant; she was his registered wife. However, after stealing a glance at Fourth Brother, he realized neither Second Brother nor Fourth Brother agreed with his secret marriage registration, and he didn’t agree with them either…
They even argued about it secretly behind her back several times.
He had secretly registered the marriage a long time ago…
Yet pretended to be arguing about who was going to register… If this were revealed, Fourth Brother and Second Brother would certainly be furious with him. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he would not expose it.
Xiao Qinghe’s eyes were filled with melancholy sadness, as Second Brother had prophesied, without her deed of sale, she could not be retained, could she?
He always wished for her happiness, “Qin…Qingyue, if you want to leave the Xiao Family, you can. Don’t worry about the money.”
Looking at his handsome face, filled with sadness and worry, close to tears, she said, “Fourth Brother, it seems like you can’t bear to let me go?”
“Wife, I won’t let you go!” Xiao Yuchuan forcefully hugged her and put his head on her shoulder, “Without the deed of sale, I still won’t let you leave! I want you to be my wife for life!”
She twisted his hand away, “Get lost, I don’t know you.”
He cried out in pain, “Wife, if you use a bit more force, you’ll break my hand…”