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“I won’t say anything if you belittle your family’s women, but if my wife is belittled, I can’t accept it.”

Seeing that he was genuinely angry, the others quickly held him back to sit down.

“We didn’t mean it that way. We only want to advise you to find a way to mend the relationship with your parents so you can continue coming to the academy, and we can study together.”

“It’s not possible to mend it. Once the relationship is severed, it’s severed. My wife and I don’t want further dealings with parents like that. Furthermore, they have more than one son.”

“Isn’t it because your family has money?”

“You’ve hit the point. If my wife and I were destitute, would those people help us? They would stay far away from us.”

“How could that be? Then how did you grow up?”

“Yes, we survived being born, but then it was all about doing various chores all day long like slaves. May I ask, is that how your parents treated you?”

The other students fell silent before saying, “It might be because your family is poor.”

“Indeed, we are poor. As elderly parents, they live and eat well. Without experiencing hardship, you don’t know it’s hard for others. Do you understand this saying? Well, there’s no use continuing to talk about it. Farewell!” Yuan Jiaqi stood up and left, settling the bill at the counter, and rode back home.

Sitting on his horse, he laughed bitterly to himself.

He could never reconcile with his parents. He would never forgive the things they did for his entire life.

He remembered the kind woman from before, who held his hand and looked at him and the baby in her arms with reluctance as she lay dying. It filled his heart with sadness.

His parents were willing to let his wife for money. They even wanted to deceive someone else by getting him married again.

He thought of his parents, who were so obsessed with keeping the money for themselves that they neglected Chuan’er, even when he had a high fever.

Because they were his parents, did he and his son have to die? He disagrees. He was Chuan’er’s father, and he would protect himself and his child. He didn’t do anything wrong!

He gave them one hundred taels for their retirement. That was the money he earned from copying books day and night.

In the village, giving one hundred coins per month to the elderly was considered generous. That was a little more than one tael annually. He gave them nearly a hundred years’ worth of retirement money when he severed ties with them.

He didn’t owe them anymore from the moment his wife died.

One life for another. Chuan’er’s mother used her life in exchange for theirs.

The more Yuan Jiaqi thought, the more pathetic he felt. Even those who were not his parents were making life difficult for him, which made him furious. He rode his horse back to Lucky Garden. As soon as he entered the house, he lay on the heated brick bed and cried.

Since he was a child, he had always borne the burden himself whenever something happened, with no one to comfort him or share his worries. It was hard to finally turn things around and establish his family. Now, he had a home, a teacher, and friends.

However, they persuaded him to make amends with his shameless parents. Why should he?

No, absolutely not!

He didn’t notice when Qiao Mai stood at his door. She sighed and startled Yuan Jiaqi, who quickly got up from the bed.

“Why… Why did you come?”

“I knew things would not go well. You’ve been home for so long, yet they haven’t come to see you. They must be looking for you for a reason.”

“The headmaster asked them to persuade me to return to the academy.”

“I’m afraid they have conditions, right?”

“They asked me to settle things with my family and hoped such incidents wouldn’t happen again.”

“They’re quite a busybody. Such a person would surely make a poor official. Why get upset over this? It’s your family matter, and you haven’t harmed any moral principles. Why should you feel sad because of others’ words? It’s only detrimental to yourself, isn’t it?”

“Walk your path, and let others say what they want. You’ve studied under Old

Master Wang and listened to various teachings. Why can’t you grasp this?” “Right, I’m sorry for letting you see a fool of me.”

“I’m just speaking my mind because we’re in similar situations. But I know that if others treat me well, I’ll treat them a hundred times better. If they treat me badly, I’ll return it a thousandfold. Even though our parents gave us life, it’s not a reason for them to mistreat us. Even the current emperor, who preaches filial piety, would put the empress dowager to death if she posed a threat. Do you think he’d let her live?”

Yuan Jiaqi couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Qiao Mai. She was discussing royal matters casually and even used them as an analogy.

“Don’t mind me. Royals are just people with flesh and blood, not divine dragons. If every emperor were a dragon, how did dynasties fall one after another? They take themselves too seriously. People are the dragons; without them, there would be no rulers. If everyone in the world perished, do you think those royal folks would grab hoes and start farming to feed themselves? Even the emperors would need to pick up hoes and farm.”‘

With a snort, Yuan Jiaqi couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Alright, buck up. Their words are nonsense. Live life as you like, with dignity and integrity. Don’t worry about what others say.”

“Right. I’ll listen to my wife!”

“Go freshen up and change your clothes. They’re soaked in tears.”

Qiao Mai said before turning and leaving. Yuan Jiaqi looked down at his wet clothes, and his face turned bright red.

He hurriedly ran to the courtyard, splashing water on his face and changing into fresh clothes. When he came out, he began washing the clothes right away.

He’d always washed his and his son’s clothes and seldom asked the servants to do it.

Upon hearing that he had returned, Old Master Wang met him. They had a thorough discussion about his parent’s situation, and in the end, Old Master Wang made the final call.

“Don’t acknowledge them. No matter how much they insist, don’t do it. Once you do, it won’t be just the endless trouble for you and your son, but even this home won’t find peace.”

“That’s what I think too.”

Old Master Wang almost said that if his parents wanted to meet their end quickly, they should continue their antics. Eventually, Qiao Mai would reach a point where she couldn’t tolerate it any longer and would take action.

Since he learned about her abilities, he couldn’t help but wonder if she had any connection to the events happening in the capital.

Looking at the empire, she seemed to be the only one with such abilities. Things like water-repelling charms, which were considered mystical, were not even possessed by esteemed monks or Daoist masters. Yet, she casually used them, even pasting two on each doorway in their house.

These past few days, he secretly observed the charms. No matter how strong the wind or heavy the rain, they wouldn’t budge. If these aren’t magical objects, what else could they be?

Thinking further, he considered the things she had acquired. None of them were something an ordinary person could obtain.

That person from overseas was probably an excuse. Old Master Wang grew shrewder with age. He realized it but never mentioned it to anyone, not even Old Mistress Wang. And certainly not to other people.

Yuan Jiaqi came back from the gathering more dedicated, seldom leaving home.

Qiao Mai was annoyed with Mr. Lin because of the school.

It seemed like he was pressuring her to open another school. Fine, if that’s how he wanted it, she’d oblige..