Who could have imagined that Nan Dashu’s timid, submissive son would erupt like this over such a matter, becoming a completely different person?
Watching Nan Yu in his violent, fist-swinging rage, Nan Dashu actually felt he looked remarkably like his grandfather when the old man used to throw punches.
"Nan Yu! You've caused such a scene today—what on earth are you trying to do!"
Unable to bear the pointing fingers and whispers of the villagers, Nan Dashu had no choice but to aim his frustration at Nan Yu.
Nan Yu, having heard exactly what he wanted to hear, turned calmly to look at Nan Dashu, who was gripping the doorframe.
"Didn't I say it before? Severing ties! You've already started selling your daughter. If we keep following a man-eating father like you, we’ll be sold off sooner or later. By the time that happens, none of us siblings will have a way to survive! I’ll repeat what I said: if you, Nan Dashu, want us four biological children, then let Li Guihua get lost. If you only want Li Guihua, then the four of us will sever ties with you. We don’t dare follow a father who sells his children to curry favor with others; otherwise, we won't even know how we end up dying! Everyone here has seen the kind of life the four of us have been living. Since things have reached this point today, let's just lay it all out and get it done once and for all!"
Nan Yu stared at Nan Dashu with a look of such grim sincerity that Nan Dashu didn't doubt for a second that Nan Yu meant every word—he truly wanted to cut ties.
Nan Dashu was a man besotted with his wife, but he wasn't an idiot. He had raised so many children precisely so they would provide for him in his old age and bury him when he passed! He was kind to Li Guihua and her two children only to ensure she would live properly with him; he wasn't foolish enough to rely on Li Guihua's children to look after him in his twilight years. They weren't his own flesh and blood, and there would always be a barrier between them. Nan Dashu wasn't that muddled. When he finally grew old and couldn't move, he would have to rely on his own children. How could he possibly sever ties with them?
But he couldn't bear to lose Li Guihua, either! His family had no money, and life was hard. It had been difficult enough to find a woman willing to live with him; if he let Li Guihua go, he would have no wife. Where else could he find a woman willing to settle down with him? Nan Dashu was already forty, penniless, and powerless—who else would have him? Nan Yu was forcing him to choose, putting him in an impossible dilemma!
Nan Yu, of course, knew exactly what was going through his father’s mind. But his goal was to sever ties, so how could he let Nan Dashu off the hook?
"Father, I see it now. You just can't bear to part with this vicious woman. Since that's the case, we children will help you make the decision."
With that, Nan Yu looked at the villagers crowding around to watch the spectacle and said loudly, "Could someone do us a favor and fetch the Village Chief, the Brigade Leader, and the Branch Secretary? Tell them we are severing family ties."
"Don't go! Nobody go! We are not severing ties!" Nan Dashu shouted, frantically slapping the doorframe.
Nan Yu turned back, looking at Nan Dashu with a mocking glint in his eyes. "So, Father, you're choosing to get rid of Li Guihua? Fine, I'll go throw this vicious woman out right now. Since you two never even registered your marriage, I can just kick her out."
Nan Yu moved to grab Li Guihua by the collar, intent on tossing her out. Seeing the situation turn dire, Li Guihua immediately burst into wailing.
"Nan Dashu, you have no conscience! After I’ve been with you all these years, you’re actually going to abandon me? My sincerity has truly been thrown to the dogs!"
"Nan Yu, you little bastard! You dare lay a finger on your mother, see what happens!"
Nan Yu had found Nan Dashu’s struggle amusing moments ago, but the moment he heard the word "mother," his face darkened.
"My mother died years ago. How could I still have a mother?"
Having been a multimillionaire in his previous life, Nan Yu’s presence was formidable when he turned cold. He glared at Nan Dashu, who instinctively shrank back, though he quickly straightened his posture again.
"Li Guihua is my wife, so why isn't she your mother? You've been calling her that for years, so why start now?" Nan Dashu said, his voice clearly lacking conviction.
"Have you ever seen a mother who sells her children? And besides, are you blind? Have you not seen how this woman has treated us these past few years? Oh, that's right, you aren't blind—you were standing right there cheering her on! We called this woman 'mother' for your sake, and we genuinely wanted to treat her like one. But all these years, has she ever done a single thing a mother should do? She never saw us as her own children, only as servants and laborers. Why should we keep calling her 'mother'? Enough! Nan Dashu, hurry up and tell us who you want!"
Nan Yu didn't even want to call him "Father" anymore. If Li Guihua was no mother, what kind of father was Nan Dashu?
"I... I..." Nan Dashu was seething. He truly wanted to strike Nan Yu down. In front of so many people, the boy wasn't giving him an ounce of face!
"What is all this commotion?" A booming voice filled with authority made everyone turn their heads.
Nan Yu followed the sound and locked eyes with the newcomer. It was the Brigade Leader he had sent for, accompanied by the Branch Secretary.
The Brigade Leader had already gotten a rough idea of the situation at Nan Yu’s home before arriving. He cast a fleeting, indifferent glance at Li Guihua, who was sitting on the ground, and her daughter. Everyone in the village knew what kind of person Li Guihua was; the Brigade Leader didn't like her either, so he had no intention of intervening on her behalf.
"Nan Yu, your home is certainly lively today."
Nan Yu offered a faint smile to the Brigade Leader. "I apologize for the spectacle, but we were forced into this. If we hadn't done this, my sister might really have been sold."
Nan Zhi, having heard the Brigade Leader’s voice, hurried out from the kitchen. When Li Guihua had started pounding on the door earlier, Nan Yu had explicitly told his siblings to stay inside, so they had obediently remained in the kitchen. Now that the Brigade Leader was here, Nan Zhi was afraid Nan Yu might suffer, so she rushed out.
"Brigade Leader, this really isn't my brother's fault, they..."
Before Nan Zhi could finish, the Brigade Leader raised his hand to stop her. "I have a general understanding of your family's situation. You don't need to say anything; I know it all."
Hearing this, Nan Zhi fell silent and simply stood by Nan Yu's side.
The Brigade Leader walked up to Nan Yu, patted his shoulder firmly, and smiled. "Good lad. You know how to protect your sister. You’ve grown up."
The Brigade Leader knew the situation at the Nan household perfectly well, though as an outsider, he had found it difficult to interfere in family matters. After all, domestic disputes were notoriously hard to judge, and if Nan Yu himself hadn't stood up for his rights, there would have been little the Brigade Leader could do. But today, Nan Yu had truly impressed him. Having heard from the messenger that Nan Yu had beaten Li Guihua—and quite severely at that—the Brigade Leader had been genuinely shocked.