Chapter 9: Making a Choice

Everyone looked at him in shock, as if they had never seen such a shameless person before.

Wang Miaomiao felt dead inside. She wanted to say many things, but after her lips trembled a few times, she didn’t know what to say.

She looked at the crowd, whose expressions were all different, and hopelessly closed her eyes.

Zhao Maizhou couldn’t hold back anymore. With a furrowed brow, he said, “Big Brother, you should think it over. After all, this isn’t right. Big Sister-in-law has worked hard for this family, and you can’t just dismiss her with a light word like that.”

“You don’t get to speak here,” Zhao Jiagu retorted, not at all intimidated. He shot him a glare. “Are you jealous of me? I’ve finally got the chance to have a son, and now I can’t even bring his mother home? What good is Wang Miaomiao? No matter how good she is, she’s just a hen that doesn’t lay eggs. Am I supposed to keep her at home and feed her for a lifetime without her contributing!”

“You—”

His words were truly excessive. Even Li Xiaoxing couldn’t bear it. She pointed at Zhao Jiagu with clenched teeth, furious.

Zhao Jiagu paid her no mind. He didn’t even care about his own wife, let alone his sister-in-law.

“Get lost, get lost. Stop talking nonsense and mind your own business.”

Zhao Jiagu coldly snorted at them, then turned back, suddenly smiling again as he faced Chen Shuilian.

“Mother, what do you think of what I said? Should we just do it the way I suggested?”

Chen Shuilian scoffed. “Your words sound so nice. A hen that doesn’t lay eggs? How can she lay eggs when you’re not around? Can a child be born just because she decides it? How did I end up with such a bastard like you! But this is good, at least today everyone can see your true nature.”

“Huh?” Zhao Jiagu expressed a clueless and foolish confusion. Why was his mother suddenly speaking up for Wang Miaomiao?

“Mother, no, wake up! This is your grandson!”

Zhao Jiagu scrambled to find any words that might help his case.

After a moment, he finally squeezed out, “Mother, listen to me, the matchmaker is from the county, and she’s the only daughter in her family. Her parents are both gone. If your grandson is born, he can live a good life. We can all work together to send him to school, and who knows, he might even become a scholar. Then our Zhao family’s ancestral tomb will have green smoke rising!”

“Green smoke, you say? With the child you raised, we’d be lucky if he didn’t cause trouble!” Chen Shuilian sneered. “I’ll say this just once: You and—”

Is it absolutely necessary for Miaomiao to be divorced?

Seeing that his mother was clearly furious, Zhao Jiagu felt conflicted. Should he soften his stance first and let time solve the rest?

But Liu Hong didn’t want to waste any more time, nor could she afford to. She quietly poked Zhao Jiagu in the back, out of view of the others.

Under this silent pressure, Zhao Jiagu gritted his teeth and said, “Yes, I will divorce her!”

Hearing his firm words, Wang Miaomiao instantly felt all her strength drain away, collapsing to the ground.

In a moment of despair, she thought to herself: This is it. If he divorces her, where could she possibly go?

Back to her parental home?

But she had no parental home left…

All that awaited her was a dark and uncertain future.

But just as everything seemed lost, a soft voice appeared from the darkness, as if it were pulling her out of the fire.

It was as if she had crawled back from the edge of hell.

Chen Shuilian looked straight into Zhao Jiagu’s eyes and said, “Since you’re so determined, let me tell you: I don’t agree with this. Either you let her leave alone, never to appear in front of us again, or you go with her. This family can’t accommodate both of you!”

“Mother! What are you saying?” Zhao Jiagu shouted in disbelief, momentarily questioning if he was hearing correctly.

Chen Shuilian didn’t give him time to doubt. She repeated every word with resolve: “Either she leaves, or you go with her!”

Her words were firm and clear, leaving no room for negotiation. Even Zhao Maizhou and Li Xiaoxing were stunned.

What happened to Mother today?

Did she hit her head and suddenly change her personality?

Or was something dark possessing her, making her act this way toward Big Brother…?

Zhao Jiagu clearly thought the same. In a panic, he rushed forward, attempting to pat Chen Shuilian on the head.

“Mother, are you out of your mind? It’s me, your son, Jiagu.”

Chen Shuilian once again swatted his hand away with disgust. “I told you not to touch me. My mind is perfectly fine. I’ve never been this clear-headed. Stop talking nonsense and give me your answer.”

Zhao Jiagu immediately fell silent.

He glanced this way and that, his mind a blur, unable to decide what would be most beneficial for him.

Liu Hong could tell he was hesitating, and this wouldn’t do. She quickly moved up and wrapped her arm around Zhao Jiagu.

Zhao Jiagu’s arm.

“Jiagu, this is your son. You can’t just abandon us. If you do, I’ll go to the government and ask the magistrate to step in. I won’t let my child grow up without a father.”

When Zhao Jiagu heard these words laced with a threat, his body stiffened instantly.

The government?

He knew Liu Hong’s temperament—when cornered, she was capable of anything. If she went to the authorities and accused him of some illicit affair, even if he didn’t die, he would be in serious trouble.

Moreover, he hadn’t planned to separate from Liu Hong. She owned a house in the county, small though it was, it was still much better than anything in the village.

The last six months had been quite comfortable for him. Even without his mother’s support, things weren’t that bad.

His mind started to shift.

He gritted his teeth and thought, This is my mother.

She had been partial to him for all these years, so how could she suddenly change her mind overnight?

There had to be a reason for this. Even if there wasn’t a clear reason, once time passed and the baby was born, his mother would calm down when she saw her big, healthy grandson.

Things would go back to how they were, and she would continue supporting him.

Thinking this way, he seemed to know what to do.

After all, he was still betting on his mother’s favoritism.

So, Zhao Jiagu pretended to choke up with emotion and said, “Mother, you’re forcing me into this. The child in Liu Hong’s belly is my own flesh and blood. I can’t abandon my child. If you keep pushing me, I’ll have no choice but to leave with Liu Hong…”

Chen Shuilian crossed her arms and said, “Fine, since you’ve made your choice, don’t blame me for being harsh. Second! Go and call the village chief over here!”

“Huh? Call the village chief?” Zhao Maizhou repeated dumbly, not understanding what his mother meant.

Chen Shuilian shot him a glare. “Go now!”

“Okay, okay!” Zhao Maizhou shuddered in fear and quickly ran out.

When Zhao Jiagu heard that his mother was calling the village chief, his heart also started trembling.

What could be so serious that they needed the village chief?

Could it be…?

No, it couldn’t be, it wasn’t that bad. His mother was just angry that he wasn’t coming home, it couldn’t have escalated to this level…

Before long, the village chief arrived with Zhao Maizhou.