When Old Lady Xiao heard Xiao Hanzheng call her that, she frowned.
“What kind of wife did you marry? She has led you astray.”
Her grandson must have learned it from that wretched girl.
Xiao Hanzheng’s expression became a little paler. “My wife is very good. I don’t need to worry about her.”
He continued, “Just tell me why you’re here.”
Old Lady Xiao walked over and sat down. “I heard that you are now awake, so I came to see you.”
Xiao Hanzheng did not say anything and waited for her next verse.
Old Lady Xiao’s eyes looked around the courtyard. “Have you finished exchanging your tofu?”
Xiao Hanzheng nodded. “Yes.”
Old Lady Xiao saw that Xiao Hanzheng’s attitude was very cold and very unhappy.
However, when she thought about the purpose of her visit today, she resisted the urge to throw a tantrum.
“I just heard that a horse carriage sent you a lot of things?”
Xiao Hanzheng raised his eyebrows. “Whether it did or not, what does that have to do with you?
“If I remember correctly, we have already broken off ties and separated. No matter how our family lives, it has nothing to do with you, right?”
He paused and said, “Back then when I was unconscious, my mother went to the old residence to ask for help, that reply came personally from you.”
Because he had been studying in the old residence, although the expenses were mainly supported by his grandfather and the allowance he earned from copying books, the others were not happy.
It was as if he had taken advantage of the family and had been criticising him since he was young.
The more they were like this, the more he wanted to change his fate and protect his mother, little brother and little sister.
After he was admitted as a tongsheng, the people in the old house had changed their attitudes towards him a lot.
Therefore, as long as he was at home, he could fight for some benefits for his mother and his siblings.
When he was admitted as an elementary scholar, these people’s attitudes became better again, and they even started to praise him.
They only wanted him to include Xiao family’s land into the list of households exempted from taxes, to gain some glory as his relatives and have more face when they went out.
He knew what kind of morals these people had, so he didn’t fall for their tricks.
Sure enough, once his scumbag father came back and found out that he had become a general, all the relatives in the old residence began to regard him with utmost respect.
After knowing that his scumbag father loved that woman, these people tried all sorts of tricks, just to please that woman.
His scumbag father threatened him to break off their kinship and these people also backed him up.
That was how later he ended bringing his mother and his siblings out and lived separately from them.
Of course, it was also because they were so snobbish that he was able to live separately as he wished.
Old Lady Xiao’s expression changed. “Do you really have to be so ruthless? You’re already having an easy life, and you’re not caring about your grandparents?”
She continued with a deeper meaning, “Don’t forget, you’re an elementary scholar. You still have to continue taking the imperial examinations.”
Xiao Hanzheng narrowed his eyes. “So grandma wants to use this to threaten me?”
Old Lady Xiao said, “It’s not really a threat. It’s just telling the truth.”
Xiao Hanzheng’s eyes were cold, and there was even a hint of hostility in them. “Then go and accuse me of being unfilial. See if I can continue to take the imperial examinations.”
When he woke up in his previous life, his mother, brother, and sister had all died.
He wanted to take revenge, and the only path he could take back then was to go for his imperial examinations.
However, it was his biological grandmother who listened to Xinghong’s instigation.
When he was about to matriculate in a school in Nanxi county, she went there to cause a commotion and said that he was unfilial.
She also said that he had caused the deaths of his mother, brother, and sister.
A teacher of that school had always thought highly of him.
In addition, since he had already broken off ties with his family, he still admitted him into the school.
Who knew that the old lady would be instigated by her again.
She brought Mdm Wang and others to the school to create a scene every day.
At that time, they happened to meet a first-class official who had come to Nanxi county to visit his family members and stayed in the county for quite some time.
In order not to affect that person’s impression of the county school, and other students were also annoyed by the old lady and the others making a scene every day, the school’s senior teacher could only persuade him to leave.
These people forcefully cut off his path towards the imperial examination.
He ended up walking another path filled with thorns.
He was riddled with scars before he climbed to a high position.
His body had even become worse from the side effects of the medicine he had taken when he was unconscious.
Fortunately, his scumbag father, that woman, and those from the old residence had perished together with him.
Now that he heard the old lady threatening his future with the imperial examination again, he could not help but think of his previous life, and his hostility began to spread little by little.
Suddenly, someone held his hand.
He turned his head to look and met the worried yet comforting gaze of his little wife.
The coldness in his eyes quickly faded, and as he felt the warmth from his hand, his heart seemed to warm up a little.
When Shi Qingluo heard the old lady’s words, she wanted to vomit.
Just as she was about to speak, she saw that his young husband’s face was getting colder and colder, with that kind of anger he had when he had just woken up.
Only then did she hurriedly hold his hand, telling him not to be angered by these troublemakers.
Old Lady Xiao had indeed gone too far.
She had already forced him to break off ties and split up his family, yet in light of some additional benefits she still wanted to use the imperial examinations to threaten him and planned to end his future.
The imperial examination was not only important to Xiao Hanzheng, they were also very important to Shi Qingluo.
She was still waiting to hug his thigh.
Besides, her young husband was hers.
Other than her, no one else could bully him.
Thus, she continued to hold Xiao Hanzheng’s hand and looked at Old Lady Xiao. “These words were instigated by that outsider, Xinghong, weren’t they?”
If it wasn’t for the fact that she was an elder, she would have whipped her.
However, since that woman wanted Xinghong to incite Old Lady Xiao and others to disgust them, she would do the same back.
Old Lady Xiao said with a cold face, “So what if it is?
“If you want Zheng’er to continue taking the imperial examinations, hand over the tofu workshop to your eldest uncle and third uncle.
“Then, let us take the things you brought back from the county today.”
She had come today to ask for these benefits.
Shi Qingluo suddenly laughed out loud. “Old lady, I think you are quite smart. Why did you act so foolishly at this crucial moment?”
Old Lady Xiao frowned. “What do you mean?”
Shi Qingluo said, “We have already broken off our kinship. Even if we are in front of the emperor, my husband has no reason to show filial piety to your entire family.
“So we are really not afraid of your threats. Just like what my husband said, if you want to sue, just go ahead and do it. Let’s see if the magistrate will pay any attention to you.”
“I even sent Doctor Shi, who was treating my husband’s illness, to prison today.
“If you guys want to stay in there for a while, I can help.”
Old Lady Xiao remained silent. Only a ghost would want to stay there for a while.
“No matter what, I’m still your grandmother,” she insisted.
This was what Xinghong had taught her.
In any case, even if they broke off their marriage, it wouldn’t change the fact that she was Xiao Hanzheng’s grandmother.
Shi Qingluo laughed dejectedly. “Even if you are a grandmother, you are at most an ex-grandmother.”
“So if we don’t give you anything, no matter if you go to the chief or the magistrate, they won’t care. After all, we’re two families now.
“Breaking off and splitting up into two families isn’t a joke. Otherwise, what was the purpose of clans and the law?
Shi Qingluo then changed the topic. “But when I said that you were foolish, I didn’t mean this.”
Old Lady Xiao said with a headache, “What exactly do you mean? Just say it clearly.”
She was almost confused by this wretched girl.
