They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 368 Refusal to Accept
Bai Shuilian now stands in front of Yang Xiaoan and his son, and Zeng Xiaojuan, and the contrast is indeed quite pitiful, but who is to blame?
He brought it on himself.

Yang Ming is an honest man. Back then, Bai Shuilian ran away with everything, leaving behind a penniless and destitute child. Everyone in the village knew how miserable Yang Ming's life was during those years.
Children don't grow up on their own; they need clothes and food. There are no sanctimonious scholars here who only know how to uphold the hierarchy of ruler and subject, father and son. There are only farmers who know how hard it is to earn a living by digging in the fields and how difficult it is for a father to raise a child on his own.

Bai Shuilian's attempts at moral blackmail based on filial piety are completely useless.

While Bai Shuilian was playing the victim and making accusations, she was also listening attentively.

No.

She didn't hear a single person speak up for her.

Unfilial! Unfilial!
Bai Shuilian glared at Yang Ming with resentment: "You taught him that, didn't you? You taught my son to hate me and disown me! Yang Ming, how could you be so vicious!"

Yang Xiaoan stepped in front of her father to protect him: "My father never taught me that. Don't wrong my father."

Bai Shuilian was going crazy, "You—"

The village head's wife interrupted her rant: "Shui Lian, what's wrong? Just tell me what's going on. There's no point in talking about the past, right? We've come this far, let's look forward."

"exactly!"

Everyone agreed that this was the right thing to do.

Bai Shuilian had originally intended to use the sob story and moral blackmail tactic, but that clearly wouldn't work. She understood that no matter how much she cried and made a scene, it would only make her a laughingstock and wouldn't achieve her goal. So she made her stance clear.

This statement was expressed in an exceptionally roundabout way.

First, she confessed that she had been young and impetuous and made a foolish mistake. In fact, she regretted leaving the village as soon as she did, but she was too embarrassed to come back, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and leave. She worked as a servant in a wealthy family in the provincial capital, hoping to save up enough money to return. However, saving money was too difficult, and working in a wealthy family was too hard. She finally couldn't take it anymore and left after her contract expired.

She knew she had let them down, and that she had missed them all these years. Seeing that they were doing well now, she was relieved.

Let's live well from now on.
Everyone was completely confused.

You look at me, I look at you.

I understand, but it also feels like I don't.

So, what does "live well from now on" mean?

Zeng Xiaojuan gave a silent, cold laugh. She wanted to come back?

Yang Ming and Yang Xiaoan remained silent.

The village head's wife understood, secretly sneered, but pretended not to understand, and continued to ask her, "How have you been all these years? We don't know, and we can't find out, but it's good to see that you're doing well. You still haven't told us what you came here for?"

Bai Shuilian was furious!
She finally couldn't bear it any longer and tore off her mask: "Yang Ming and I are not divorced. This is my home. I'm home now, and I'll never leave again. Yang Ming, Xiao An, our family is reunited. I will take good care of you from now on! Xiao An, with your mother here, I will protect you. No woman outside will dare to bully you or take advantage of you!"

Yang Xiaoan angrily turned her head away and ignored her.

Yang Ming, Zeng Xiaojuan, and the village head's wife were all secretly terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat.

No one expected Bai Shuilian to come back.

Everyone thought that since she left, she would never come back.

Therefore, everyone thought it was reasonable for Zeng Xiaojuan to marry Yang Ming, and no one thought there was anything wrong with it.

Only Xu Zhichun said one more thing at the time.

After thinking it over, Yang Ming felt it would be better to cleanly sever ties with the past before marrying Zeng Xiaojuan. So, he went to the trouble of having Liang Lizheng write a divorce agreement for him, making two copies. He kept one copy for himself and recorded it in the family genealogy, while returning the other copy to Bai Shuilian's brother and sister-in-law.

Fortunately, we have this divorce agreement.
Otherwise, if Bai Shuilian were to claim she wanted to go home and start making a scene, Yang Ming really wouldn't know what to do.

He naturally wouldn't want her anymore. She said she was working as a servant in a wealthy family outside, but who knows if that's true? Can a young woman really live a clean life for over ten years?

Although he is honest, he is not a sucker.

He's not so stupid as to believe everything Bai Shuilian says.

Besides, there were rumors back then that there was a hoodlum in Baijia Village who was Bai Shuilian's childhood sweetheart, and that the two had been lovers; that hoodlum was the one who seduced her. There's no concrete evidence, but that's basically true.

Yang Ming didn't want to bring this up; he didn't care what Bai Shuilian said, he was just trying to save face for his son.

Yang Ming: "We have already divorced."

"We are not divorced!"

"Yes. I asked the village head to help me write a divorce agreement and sent a copy to your brother and sister-in-law. It's also written in the Yang family genealogy."

Bai Shuilian stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"What."

So, she's no longer a daughter-in-law of the Yang family? She's no longer a member of the Yang family?

"How could you do this? How could you do this? You have such a cruel heart!"

Yang Ming said coldly, "You've been gone for over ten years, and I only just wrote the divorce papers. Isn't that enough?"

Bai Shuilian choked.

Even the village head's wife couldn't stand it anymore: "Shui Lian, you can't say that."

Yang Ming: "Xiao An and I will take you back to Baijia Village. Don't come here again."

"I do not go!"

Bai Shuilian roared angrily, "Why should I leave? I'm not leaving! What divorce? I don't agree! I won't divorce! Yang Ming, your only son is my child, I've continued the Yang family line, you can't treat me like this. If you force me, I'll kill myself rather than leave."

She then launched a frenzied attack on Zeng Xiaojuan: "Sister, these are my man and son. I beg you, please take your child and go find your man. Give me back my man and my son, I beg you!"

Zeng Xiaojuan covered Qiao'er's ears: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

"Enough! Bai Shuilian, shut up!" Yang Ming said angrily, "Xiao Juan is my lawfully wedded wife, it's you who should leave."

"I won't leave! I won't leave!"

The scene quickly descended into chaos.

It has to be said that when Bai Shuilian started making such a ruckus, no one really could do anything about it.

She's barefoot and doesn't care about those wearing shoes; if she refuses to leave, what can anyone do?

Even if we send her away, she has legs, who knows when she might come back on her own?
In short, this matter cannot be left unresolved.

After observing coldly for a while, Granny Qin Qing realized that Yang Ming and his son's attitude was genuine, and that neither of them had any feelings for Bai Shuilian anymore.

That's easy to do.

Granny Qin Qing whispered something to Yang Xiaoan, who was taken aback and nodded slightly.

Granny Qin Qing then said loudly, "Steward Yang, you must take care of your household affairs, but you can't neglect important matters. Steward Xiao An, didn't you say yesterday that you had something important to discuss with Steward Xiao Man today? Your father is here, so you should go quickly."

Yang Xiaoan agreed and hurriedly ran off.

He went to stay with Liang Xiaoman for two or three days to find out that things at home had been settled before returning.

He understood as soon as Qin Qing reminded him. After all, Bai Shuilian was his own mother. If she cried and clung to him, he, as her son, would be in a difficult position.

Whether he is willing or not is not important; he cannot completely disregard the concept of "filial piety."

However, he didn't want to care.

Then let's avoid it.