sbdcsierra Chapter 475 What must be repaid eventually
Chapter 475 What must be repaid eventually
"Feng-ge'er is back."
"Yan-ge'er has also passed the high school entrance exam."
Xi'er rushed back; her shouts arrived before she did.
The two elders of the Lu family waited anxiously at the door.
"Where is Feng'er?"
What was Yan'er's ranking in high school?
"Top of the list... Yan-ge'er has topped the list, and Feng-ge'er has gone to the palace to report back." Xi-er said excitedly, gesturing as she spoke.
"Great, great, great! Double happiness! Hahaha..."
General Lu was so excited that he threw his head back and laughed. If his legs could run and jump, he would definitely be jumping right now.
Afraid of mishearing, he took his wife's hand again and confirmed, "Is the top spot the same as first place? Is there going to be a palace examination in a few days?"
"It's the palace examination. Once we meet the emperor, we'll know which one Yan'er has chosen: the top scholar, the second-ranked scholar, or the third-ranked scholar."
"Any one is fine." If his precious grandson can get into the top three, that's enough for him to brag about for a lifetime.
General Lu was filled with emotion: "From now on, our Lu family will no longer be just soldiers, but also scholars who will enter officialdom. We can finally hold our heads high! Quick, set off firecrackers! I'm going to book the Yipinju restaurant for a grand banquet."
General Lu had barely finished speaking when his wife slapped him hard on the shoulder.
"Are you getting senile? Yipinju is our daughter's place. Why would you need to book the whole place? Besides, is this the time for a big banquet and firecrackers?"
Madam Lu actually wanted to say that her grandson's surname was Jiang.
But I didn't want to dampen his spirits at this moment.
General Lu was taken aback.
Then I remembered that the national mourning period was not over yet.
"Look at my memory, I almost got into trouble." He chuckled and stroked his beard.
hold on.
Once the national mourning period is over, he will definitely throw a big banquet to celebrate.
In the past, he was feared by the old emperor, so he had to be cautious in everything he did and keep a low profile. He had money but nowhere to spend it.
Thankfully, he finally passed away.
Good things often come with difficulties; it's okay to wait a little longer.
"Weddings are out of the question, feasts and celebrations are out of the question, but surely a family reunion dinner is okay?" General Lu looked at his wife.
"Of course you can eat. Your daughter is already busy preparing food, so you'll definitely get some." As she spoke, Madam Lu tried to push him into the house, smiling as she said, "Go back inside. Your daughter and your precious grandson don't know about this good news yet."
As dusk fell.
The elderly couple walked one in front of the other, chatting and laughing...
The boy put down his book, got up and walked to the window. Looking out, a smile appeared on his face, warmer than the spring sunshine.
He lifted the hem of his coat and went downstairs to greet her.
When Miaomiao got home, she saw her maternal grandfather holding her second brother's hand, his face flushed with excitement.
When he saw her, he held her hand and wouldn't let go, and made her sit next to him.
“Grandfather, shall I take your surname?” The second brother knelt down with a thud.
General Lu was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
“I have discussed it with my mother. I will change my surname to Lu from now on. It’s up to my elder brother to decide.”
"That would be wonderful, and it would be best if both of you brothers took my surname." General Lu couldn't have been happier and nodded in agreement without a second thought.
When my daughter first got divorced, I wrote to her asking her to change the children's surname and return to the Lu family, but it has been delayed until now.
It's not too late, it's just right, who dares to say no?
That bastard Jiang Yunze doesn't deserve such a promising child.
He deserves to die alone.
Madam Lu nodded in agreement: "That's fine too. Your mother should write a letter to the elders of the Jiang family. They should be reasonable. However, your status is different now. After the palace examination, you will be employed by the government and become a member of the court. Changing your surname requires reporting to the Emperor."
"Grandson understands." Jiang Ziyan nodded.
He had thought this through a long time ago, but he's only putting it into practice now because there's the least resistance now.
From now on, his scumbag father will never come to his side again, and he can take whose surname he wants.
As for the elders of the Jiang family, whether they agree or not, it doesn't really matter.
What can you do if you disagree?
I've been thinking about it, and my scumbag dad has been gone for over half a month. He should be almost in Jiangzhou by now.
I'm curious to know how they are doing now.
Two months later, Jiang Yunze and his mother returned to Taoxi Village.
They are not doing well at all.
He was arguably the worst off in the whole village, barely better off than a beggar, subjected to ridicule, mockery, insults, and scorn...
These are all things they encountered after returning to their hometown.
Jiang Yunze felt that this place was not his hometown at all, but clearly Lu Qingyao's.
They were all won over by Lu Qingyao and sided with her.
It's a shame he used to teach the village children to read; now, they all treat him like an enemy.
Not only have the people of Taoxi Village changed, but its appearance has also changed.
The village roads have been repaired, new houses have been built for every household, and some have even bought oxcarts. They have several acres of fertile land, and during the off-season, they can go up the mountain to dig bamboo shoots to sell, or even go to town to work as temporary laborers.
They will never again be so poor that they can't even afford meat.
When Jiang Yunze entered the village, he thought he had gone to the wrong place.
But when he saw the thatched huts nestled between rows of brick and tile houses, his memories were instantly transported back to the past.
He looked like this when he left, and after all these years, he hasn't changed at all.
The dilapidated hut, the broken tables and chairs, even the doors and windows were rotten, even older and more broken than before.
The difference is that the paper on the window wasn't torn by the wind, but rather punctured by someone, leaving it in a terrible state.
Someone had deliberately poked a hole in the thatched roof.
The walls, the floor—nothing was in good condition.
Is this the house that Jiang Ziyan specially restored for him?
That kid is really ruthless!
How could he have given birth to such a wicked child?
When Grandma Jiang saw the room, she was stunned and couldn't even cry. She collapsed to the ground.
This is even more dilapidated than the house the Zhou family gave them; how can anyone live in it?
How did we end up back in Taoxi Village?
This place was her nightmare.
She spent half her life working hard to support her son's education and help him pass the imperial examinations before finally escaping from this hellish place. She never expected to be sent back in her old age.
She has been meticulously cared for for over twenty years, and now that she's this old, what can she possibly do?
If I can't lift it by hand or carry it on my shoulders, am I destined to continue washing clothes for others?
No, she doesn't want it.
She didn't want to spend her days being ridiculed and mocked.
She didn't want to return to her roots; she preferred to die away from home.
If it weren't for taking care of her son, she would have preferred to hang herself.
But what will happen to my son if I die?
We can't drag him down with us; it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death.
Grandma Jiang was on the verge of tears.
Lu Mingxi, who had brought them back, took out an abacus, clicked it a few times, and threw a stack of IOUs in front of them: "Look carefully, this is all the money you spent on food and drink since you came back from the capital, plus the rent for this house, totaling two hundred taels. I don't expect you to pay it back now. I will send someone to collect the debt every month, so don't even think about defaulting. If you default, you'll be sleeping in the sheep pen."
Jiang Yunze was stunned: "What expenses? What rent? Are you robbing me?!"
When the mother and daughter returned, they stayed in a warehouse and ate plain steamed buns, yet it cost two hundred taels of silver.
Besides, it's not like they wanted to go back.
They were clearly kidnapped and brought back; they are heartless and despicable.
Lu Mingxi glanced at him sideways: "You don't actually think that the food and lodging on the way back to Jiangzhou will be free, do you? You're dreaming if you think you can eat and stay for free."
"Then why are there so many?"
"Interest on interest, don't you know that?"
"You bastard, you heartless scoundrel!" Jiang Yunze trembled with anger. "What about the house? The house is mine. What right do you have to charge me? Have you broken the law?"
"Breach of law?" Lu Mingxi took a contract from her attendant: "Have you forgotten that your home was raided? Of course, all the properties and land under your name were confiscated, but Brother Yan bought them all and gave them to Miaomiao. They belong to Miaomiao now. Don't tell me that Miaomiao is also your daughter. You can't accept that."
"Miaomiao is now your creditor, remember that."
Jiang Yunze's face was greener than a roadside cucumber: "If you want money, go find Jiang Ziyan. He's my son. The son pays for the father's debts, don't you understand?"
"Hmph! You only remember he's your son now? Too late! Were you dead all those years they spent in Peach Creek Village?"
……