Chapter 25: The Heartless Scholar Who Abandoned His Wife and Child (3)

“Little brother, Mother is confused from her illness, but you shouldn’t be confused too. How old is Mo’er now? Letting him focus on his studies is the proper thing to do; there’s no rush for marriage.”

“Everyone in the village knows that Mother favors you the most. She must have made a mistake because of her illness.”

Xie Hui took a step forward, gripping Xie Fu’s arm excitedly. His words left not only the onlookers stunned but even Xie Fu himself was momentarily dumbfounded.

Xie Mo was even more shocked—he had never imagined that his father would go against Grandmother’s wishes.

Xie Fu instinctively shook off Xie Hui’s grip, his brows furrowing tightly. Marrying a slave as a wife would bring nothing but ridicule.

Besides, his plan was for Xie Mo to marry the slave first, so that later, when Xie Mo had no direct heir, his own descendants could be chosen as successors. That way, he could use this connection as leverage to secure a noble marriage for his own children in the city.

The clan elders who had come along also sensed something was off and hurriedly spoke up:

“Xie Hui, when your brother came to us, he was very clear—your mother said it was your son who was to marry.”

Xie Hui’s eyes widened in disbelief. He turned to the old clan leader and said,

“Clan Leader, could it be that you and these elders are also confused? My Mo’er has just passed the provincial examination and is about to travel to the capital for the imperial exam. As a scholar, how could he be so foolish as to take a slave as his wife?”

The villagers watching the commotion huddled together, feeling that this situation was utterly absurd.

If it had been Xie Fu, the ignorant and uneducated younger son of the family, trying to marry a slave, it might have been believable.

But Xie Mo—the grandson of the Xie family, a scholar who passed the provincial exam before even coming of age, with a bright future as an official—how could he do something so self-destructive?

The current emperor deeply despised corrupt officials. Their family members were reduced to slaves to ensure they lived lives worse than pigs and dogs, atoning for the innocent lives lost due to their misdeeds.

Some of the clan elders who had taken bribes from Xie Fu noticed that Xie Hui’s words were starting to turn the tide in his favor. Seeing that the arranged marriage might slip away, they quickly intervened to stop him from speaking further.

Xie Fu was a reckless troublemaker. If they didn’t settle this matter properly, he would undoubtedly come to their doors demanding money, completely ruining their reputations.

“Xie Hui, Uncle knows you are the most filial. Your mother is gravely ill, and her dying wish is to see your son married. You won’t even fulfill her last request so she can pass away in peace?”

If this had been the original Xie Mo, he would have been deeply moved and guilt-ridden by his uncle’s words, agreeing immediately.

But instead, Xie Hui grabbed his younger brother and turned to chastise him.

“Mother is bedridden and only wants to see you married. How could you bear to refuse her?”

At this point, Xie Fu couldn’t care less about his previous agreement with his mother. The only thought in his head was that he would never marry a slave.

In the neighboring village, there was a man who had been unable to find a wife and ended up marrying a slave. At the time of his wedding, people threw rotten eggs at him whenever he went out.

“I’d have to be insane to marry a lowly slave as my wife! Brother, have you been faking your filial piety all along? Now you won’t even grant Mother’s only wish—she’s doted on you for nothing!”

Xie Hui’s face was full of injustice as he let go of Xie Fu’s hand and turned to the villagers watching the scene unfold.

“Aunties, uncles, you’ve all seen with your own eyes whether I have been filial to my mother or not! How can my younger brother accuse me of being unfilial?”

The villagers nodded in agreement.

Even though the old lady was not Xie Hui’s biological mother, he had always taken good care of her. Even now, as she lay bedridden, she was kept clean and tidy, without the slightest unpleasant odor.

“Clan Leader, since you are here today, we should quickly settle my younger brother’s marriage. Mother is gravely ill and unconscious, so as the eldest brother, it is my duty to act as the head of the family and make the decision.”

On the surface, Xie Hui seemed like a devoted son fulfilling his mother’s last wish, carefully arranging his brother’s marriage without any selfish motives.

Perhaps because the villagers had just been misled into believing that their village’s only scholar had intended to marry a slave, the clan leader found the idea of an ordinary villager marrying a slave less shocking.

“Very well. Since it is your mother’s wish, and there are many elders here to bear witness, let’s pick a date for the wedding.”

“However, remember this—since you, Xie Fu, wish to take a slave as your wife, from this day forward, according to tradition, you must fetch water and chop firewood for the elderly in the village who have no children to support them.”

The laws regarding marrying slaves in this dynasty were incredibly complicated, but the central idea was simple—even after marrying, slaves were not meant to have a good life.

Just as Xie Fu was about to start cursing, Xie Hui suddenly reached out and covered his mouth, patting his back before pressing on his mute acupoint, rendering him speechless.

“Little brother, Mother loves you so much that even knowing you would do something as reckless as marrying a slave, she would not blame you. There’s no need to be so overjoyed.”

The clan elders who had accompanied the clan leader still wanted to salvage the situation.

“Xie Hui, your mother wanted to see her grandson get married!”

From the memories of his past life, Xie Hui knew that the reason Xie Mo had given in was not just guilt over ruining Qi Niang’s reputation. His father had relentlessly pressured him, and these clan elders had also played a role in forcing the decision.

“Oh? So my mother crawled out of bed last night and personally told all of you this in secret?”

With just one sentence, Xie Hui made it clear that he was no longer easy to manipulate. The clan elders who had taken Xie Fu’s bribes started feeling uneasy, as if the money in their pockets was burning hot.

“I appreciate the trouble you elders have gone through to visit my home today. Once my younger brother’s wedding date is set, I will surely invite you all to my house for a celebratory feast.”

Xie Hui saw them off with a smile. Once everyone had left, he bolted the door from the inside.

Turning around, he saw Xie Mo standing in the courtyard in a daze. He frowned and said,

“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go back to your study. Just focus on reading—I’ll take care of everything else.”

After saying this, Xie Hui grabbed Xie Fu by the back of his neck, as if lifting a stray dog. Under Xie Fu’s terrified gaze, he tossed him into the pigsty. He also grabbed Qi Niang, who had been outside, and threw her in as well.

After finishing this, he clapped his hands clean and prepared to make lunch.

Xie Mo had reached the age where he should have gained some build, yet he remained unreasonably thin. The journey to the capital was long, full of mountains and rivers, and he might struggle to adjust to the climate. If he built up his strength now, he could suffer less in the future.

Xie Hui picked out the fattest chicken from the ones free-ranging (roaming) in the courtyard. With a sharp kitchen knife, he swiftly slit its throat and drained the blood.

The original owner of this body had raised these chickens hoping they would lay eggs to nourish the elderly woman. But Xie Hui had no patience for that. He counted the chickens and decided he would cook one per day for his son in the coming days.

In the study, Xie Mo held a book in his hands but couldn’t focus on a single word.

Everything that had happened today felt like a dream.

Did his father really just stand up to his grandmother’s arrangement for him?

When he saw his uncle bringing the clan elders over, Xie Mo had felt utterly powerless. He was ready to accept his fate, believing that he would never escape this heavy shackle.

He even thought that perhaps his ill-fated connection with Miss Li was the will of heaven.

Since he was already trapped in the mire, why drag another innocent person into it?

But who could have predicted that things would unfold so differently from his expectations?

His father not only refused but even… even pushed that slave onto his uncle instead.

Realizing that he was letting his thoughts wander again, Xie Mo quickly pulled himself together and forced himself to focus on his book.

During the meal, Xie Mo stared at the bowl of chicken meat in front of him, momentarily wondering if his father had served it to the wrong person.

Xie Hui had already eaten half of his own bowl of chicken. Seeing his son sitting across from him, chopsticks untouched, he couldn’t help but ask,

“What’s wrong? Do you not like the taste? Why aren’t you eating?”

Xie Mo quickly shook his head in denial. Under his father’s gaze, he hesitated before whispering,

“I think it’s better if you and Grandmother eat it instead. I can fill my stomach with cornbread. I’ve already spent so much of the family’s money studying—I should try to be more frugal…”

Hearing this, Xie Hui felt a twinge of pain in his heart.

That old woman had never shown Xie Mo a shred of affection, yet the boy was still thinking of her even when eating a simple meal.

If this had been the old Xie Hui, he would have mocked him for being weak-willed and unable to stand his ground.

In his previous mission worlds, Xie Hui never hesitated, even against his closest relatives. He would strike ruthlessly, making them kneel before him and beg for mercy.

But raising a child was completely different from those face-slapping missions. After experiencing the previous world, Xie Hui finally understood what it meant to have someone to care about.

In the end, everyone was just a common person, willing to compromise and give in for the sake of those they cared about.

“Every coin in this household was earned by me. You’re my son—what’s wrong with eating something good?”

Xie Hui pushed the bowl closer to Xie Mo and continued,

“I used to think your grandmother was just biased. I didn’t expect she actually wanted to destroy you completely.”

“From now on, you don’t need to treat her as your grandmother anymore. I woke up last night to check if she needed water, and I overheard them planning to make that slave your legal wife. Since she nearly drowned as a child, she’s likely infertile. Their plan was to wait until then and force you to adopt your uncle’s descendants.”

Xie Hui worried that his son’s kindness would be exploited, so he laid everything bare for him to see.

“…I understand. I’ll remember this,” Xie Mo replied. His voice carried a trace of suppressed emotion.

Noticing the slight tremor in his tone, Xie Hui finished his meal, picked up his bowl, and left, giving his son space to process everything.

After all, in this world, Xie Mo was no longer a child. It wasn’t like the previous world, where Xie Hui could comfort him with a simple hug.

Parental love in this era was even more reserved than in the last.

Xie Mo had always known that his grandmother disliked him and favored his uncle. But he never imagined that she would go so far as to ruin his life just to benefit his uncle’s family.

At least… at least his father was still standing up for him.

If his father had changed because of that incident… well, perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.

Once Xie Mo calmed down, the only thought left in his mind was that the chicken soup was way too salty.

Meanwhile, Xie Hui took some of the stale cornbread Qi Niang had made and handed out two pieces each—to Xie Fu, to Qi Niang, and even to the old woman inside the house.

When he entered, the old woman was still asleep, so he simply placed the cornbread beside her bed.

After finishing, he stepped outside and saw Xie Mo, his eyes red from crying.

To distract him, Xie Hui decided to start some casual conversation.

“I think your grandmother is about to die soon.”