dognovel Chapter 116 Expelled from the Family
Chapter 116 Expelled from the Family
This is intolerable! Enough is enough! Master Yang Yu, his face ashen with rage, stormed into the hall. His sharp gaze swept over everyone present, especially landing on Yang Yuyan and her child, where it was filled with resolute indifference. Then, straightening his posture, before all his children, he solemnly declared in an unquestionable tone: "I hereby declare that Yang Yuyan and this bastard are expelled from this family! From this day forward, they shall never set foot in the Yang residence again!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Yuyan froze, as if struck by lightning. Her eyes widened, staring at her father in disbelief, her heart filled with grievance and resentment. After a moment, she regained her composure and shouted defiantly, "Father! How can you be so heartless! Even if you disregard my dignity, can't you even spare your grandson's feelings?" As she spoke, she tightly embraced the child in her arms, as if seeking warmth and comfort from the tiny life within.
However, Master Yang remained unmoved. He snorted coldly, coughed a few times, and then shouted angrily, "Hmph! What's there to see? In short, what I said is like water spilled, it can't be taken back! Get out of the Yang family right now!" After saying that, he flicked his sleeves, turned around, and ignored everyone.
At this moment, Yang Yuxuan, who had been silent all along, saw the situation becoming increasingly tense and quickly stepped forward to act as a peacemaker. He walked quickly to Master Yang's side and softly advised, "Father, my sister rarely comes back. Now that she's already here, please let her stay a few more days. After all, blood is thicker than water, and there can't be any deep-seated hatred between father and daughter. As long as my sister is willing to admit her mistake and apologize to you, please be magnanimous and forgive her this time."
To everyone's surprise, Master Yang flew into a rage upon hearing this. He turned around abruptly and berated Yang Yuxuan, "You brat! When did it become your place to interrupt? Shut up! Don't you think about how much trouble she's caused since she brought this child into our house? And now you dare to plead for her? Do you think our family isn't chaotic enough already?" With that, he glared fiercely at Yang Yuyan and her son again, his eyes blazing with anger that seemed ready to erupt at any moment.
Just then, Yang Yuxuan froze, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word. His once bright eyes now dulled, filled only with pity as he gazed at his sister and nephew. Watching their retreating figures, carefully escorted by the butler, slowly disappear from sight, Yang Yuxuan felt a complex mix of emotions.
Meanwhile, in the bustling town, He Shuiqing was frantically searching for Yang Yuyan. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, soaking his collar, but he paid no heed, his mind focused on only one thing: he had to find her as soon as possible! However, just as he was feeling increasingly anxious and helpless, a servant rushed in with news that struck him like a thunderbolt—the lady was gone!
"What? You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want! Repeat yourself, what happened to Madam?!" He Shuiqing's eyes widened, and he roared at the servant with disbelief. His voice trembled with shock, and his hands clenched into fists involuntarily.
The servant trembled with fear and stammered again, "Madam...Madam is gone."
Upon hearing this, He Shuiqing felt a buzzing in his head, as if the whole world had stopped spinning. He stood there blankly for a long while before he came to his senses, muttering to himself, "Everything was fine yesterday, how could this happen today? It all happened so suddenly..."
Seeing He Shuiqing so distraught, the servant quickly recounted the whole story: "Yesterday you went to the school to find Miss Yang, but Madam secretly followed you all the way and saw everything. After she returned home, she sat in her room crying and wouldn't eat anything no matter who tried to persuade her. This morning, the maid went to bring her breakfast as usual, but after knocking on the door for a long time without any response, she went in and found that Madam had already committed suicide by poisoning herself..." At this point, the servant couldn't help but tear up.
"Oh dear, what am I going to do?!" He Shuiqing paced back and forth in the room like an ant on a hot pan, muttering to himself, "What am I going to say if my father-in-law and mother-in-law ask? This is giving me a splitting headache!" He rubbed his temples as he walked, his face full of worry.
Just then, a servant cautiously stepped forward and said respectfully, "Master He, you have always treated me well. I am willing to help solve this thorny problem this time. I only ask that you treat my family well in the future, considering my loyalty."
Upon hearing this, He Shuiqing's eyes lit up as if he had grasped a lifeline. He readily nodded and replied, "Of course, of course! Leave this to me! As long as you can resolve this troublesome matter for me, I promise to take good care of your family and ensure they don't suffer the slightest grievance!"
Time flew by, and it was already the next morning. Upon receiving the news, He Shuiqing's parents-in-law rushed over anxiously. As soon as the mother-in-law entered her daughter's room and saw her daughter's haggard appearance, she was overcome with grief and burst into tears, which flowed like a flood. The father-in-law, however, had a stern face, his sharp gaze fixed on his son-in-law, He Shuiqing, and demanded in a low, stern voice, "What exactly happened? Tell me the truth!"
Faced with his father-in-law's sharp questioning, He Shuiqing felt a surge of panic, but he knew he absolutely could not admit to having fallen in love with someone else, or the consequences would be unimaginable. So, he braced himself and fabricated a story, shifting all the blame onto the innocent servant: "Father-in-law, please calm down! It was all that damned servant's fault. He had long been dissatisfied with his wages and harbored resentment, so he secretly sneaked into the inner room while I was away and poisoned my wife as revenge..." As he spoke, He Shuiqing feigned deep sorrow, secretly praying that this lie would fool everyone.
The father-in-law asked expressionlessly, "So, what are your plans for the future, son-in-law? Life has to go on." His tone was so calm that it was impossible to discern his true thoughts.
He Shuiqing felt a pang of sorrow, but still forced a grief-stricken expression as he replied, "Father-in-law, after experiencing so much, I only wish to find an ordinary woman to marry, so that we can serve you and Mother-in-law wholeheartedly together. Perhaps this will bring peace to my late wife." With that, he sighed softly, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
The father-in-law nodded slightly after hearing this, but then suddenly changed the subject, saying, "In that case, I will betroth Xiao Cui to you. This child is not only beautiful, but also very talented, and she is now of marriageable age. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, He Shuiqing was so startled that cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He quickly waved his hand and declined, saying, "Father-in-law, you mustn't! Miss Xiaocui is Madam's own sister. How could I, your son-in-law, dare to have such improper thoughts? I really cannot bear such a responsibility." As he spoke, he nervously glanced at his father-in-law's face, afraid that his refusal would anger him.
Just then, my mother-in-law strolled over leisurely, her face beaming with smiles, and chimed in, "Yes, son-in-law. Xiao Cui has always been fond of you since she was little, and we elders have all noticed. Besides, I also think you two are a perfect match. Let's settle this matter then; life has to move on. You're a grown man, always working hard away from home, so you really need someone to help with laundry, cooking, and household chores."
However, at this moment, He Shuiqing only had Yang Yuyan in his heart. Her every smile and gesture was deeply etched in his soul, irreplaceable by anyone else. Faced with his in-laws' kind offer, he was truly torn, unsure of how to respond.
Just as He Shuiqing stood frozen in place, as if under a spell, caught in a dilemma and at a loss, a clear and loud voice suddenly rang out: "Father, Mother, I'm here!" Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that Miss Xiao Cui had appeared at the door uninvited. Her petite and exquisite figure was particularly eye-catching at this moment.
Xiao Cui strode into the house, her big eyes fixed on her parents, and then she retorted loudly without any politeness: "Dad, Mom, how could you do this? He almost drove my eldest sister to her death! Don't you care about our second daughter at all?!"
Upon hearing this, the old man, who had been sitting in the chair, immediately frowned, his face filled with anger. He stood up abruptly, pointed at Xiao Cui, and angrily questioned, "You ignorant little brat, how dare you spout nonsense here?! Who said this has anything to do with your brother-in-law?!"
Faced with her father's questioning, Xiao Cui showed no sign of backing down. Instead, she smiled and replied, "Dad, please don't get angry. I didn't just say it offhand. I have witnesses here who can prove that everything I said is absolutely true!"
Upon hearing this, the old man's face grew even darker. He stared intently at Xiao Cui and said coldly, "Fine, since you say you have a witness, then bring him here right now! I want to see who's so bold as to give false testimony!"
He Shuiqing's heart tightened suddenly, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind: Who could it be? Could it really be one of those treacherous servants in the mansion, just as she feared?
Just then, a crisp slap rang out, followed by a figure slowly walking in. He Shuiqing stared intently, stunned—it was him! The eldest son of the Su family! This man, with whom she had shared many entanglements, was now standing before her.
The eldest son of the Su family strode to the center of the room, bowed to He Shuiqing and his wife, and said loudly, "Greetings, Master and Madam! I am just a villager from Xinghua Village. I have come here today to testify that this lady was indeed angered to death by her husband!"
Upon hearing this, He Shuiqing's face turned ashen with anger, and she glared at him, demanding, "Stop spouting nonsense! What have I done to offend you? Why are you here to frame me for no reason?"
However, faced with He Shuiqing's questioning, the eldest son of the Su family remained calm and composed. He slowly and deliberately replied, "Isn't the grudge of having your wife stolen an offense? Back then, in order to pursue my wife, you would run to the school every few days, inquiring about her everywhere. Wasn't such behavior an insult to me? Now you dare to deny it outright. Isn't this framing me?"
Hearing this, He Shuiqing was somewhat flustered, but he still refused to back down and argued, "Even so, how can you prove that my wife's death is related to this matter? Don't spout nonsense!"
Just as the two were at an impasse, suddenly, the lady's personal maid timidly entered. She first cautiously bowed to everyone, then took a deep breath and mustered her courage to recount the entire incident…
The sun shone brightly that day, but for our household, it was a gloomy one. Not long after Young Master He left, my gentle and refined young lady eagerly pulled me along to follow him. All the way, she seemed unusually anxious, as if she sensed something bad was about to happen.
As expected, Young Master He's destination was indeed the school, and it was clear he was there to find Miss Yang. However, to his disappointment, Miss Yang was not there. Upon seeing this, the young lady's face instantly turned ashen, and tears welled up in her eyes.
After returning home, the young lady seemed to have lost her soul, spending her days in tears and refusing to eat or drink. Seeing her so depressed and distressed, I was extremely anxious and had no choice but to inform the steward. The steward was also greatly alarmed upon hearing this and immediately sent someone to fetch a doctor, hoping to cure the young lady's illness.