Chapter 1588 - 1577: Honest Fool

Chapter 1588: Chapter 1577: Honest Fool

The matter of Ye Qiu breaking ties with the Ye Family caused a tumult, and almost the entire village gathered at the Land Officer’s House.

"That Old Lady Wang is really ruthless. She didn’t care whether Ye Qiu lived or died before, and now she wants to force him to hand over his means of livelihood."

"Isn’t it true? But Ye Qiu’s demand to sever the personal relationship also seems a bit unreasonable."

"Isn’t it because he was pushed too hard? I heard that if Ye Qiu doesn’t hand over the marinade recipe, Old Lady Wang would make a scene!"

"Where did you hear this from?"

"The Jia family said so. You wouldn’t believe the scene at that time; Ye Qiu was on the verge of breaking down, a grown man crying uncontrollably."

"Alas! An honest man being bullied! He really had no choice."

"Isn’t it true? If this isn’t handled cleanly this time, in the future, if Ye Qiu makes any money again, will Old Lady Wang stir up trouble and let the third and fourth give it to the oldest and youngest?"

"Don’t be surprised, given Old Lady Wang’s favoritism, she would certainly be that kind of person."

"How come Old Man Ye didn’t say anything about this at home? Why is he so useless and listens to Old Lady Wang’s every word?"

"Do you really think Old Man Ye can’t speak up at home? He’s exactly the same as Old Lady Wang."

"This couple is really biased beyond belief."

"If Ye Qiu were in my family, I’d cherish him too, but here Old Lady Wang and Old Man Ye just push him outside."

"I say, if Old Lady Wang and Old Man Ye don’t save up some money, life won’t be easy in the future. If the eldest and fourth treat their blood brother with such cruelty, they probably won’t be much kinder to their own parents."

"Do you remember Old Liu’s family from the neighboring village? Didn’t they also favor their youngest son, and in the end, no one looked after them till they died of hunger for days before being discovered? The body was almost eaten by wild cats."

"These are all lessons. We can’t make such mistakes in the future."

Due to Ye Qiu’s strong demands, it was written in the document dissolving parental ties that he had given the marinade recipe to the eldest and fourth. Henceforth, he would have no responsibility to support Old Lady Wang and Old Man Ye, nor would he need to care for them in their old age or fulfill any of their demands, thus using this as evidence.

"Ye Qiu, once you sign this, there’s really no turning back. Are you sure about this?" the village chief kindly advised.

Ye Qiu looked pained and conflicted but finally nodded, "I am sure. Please, village chief and fellow villagers, bear witness."

"Alright then, Old Lady Wang, Old Man Ye, Ye Chun, Ye Dong, you all need to sign and stamp here as well."

Ye Chun and Ye Dong, thinking about the money-making method they were about to have, were not reluctant at all. Especially Ye Dong, who didn’t even know what went down from start to finish, only that his mother had plotted much for him. Who doesn’t love a pile of silver?

Seeing their happy faces, the village chief had a look of disdain in his eyes; he held them in contempt. He thought, if Ye Qiu ever faced trouble from this family again, he would righteously defend Ye Qiu.

Receiving the proof of severed parental ties, Ye Qiu bowed deeply to the village chief and neighbors, saying with helplessness and sadness, "Thank you for the trouble today. In the future, if any of you ever need my help, I, Ye Qiu, won’t decline."

"Ye Qiu, well done, you will surely succeed." Someone in the crowd loudly said, moving Ye Qiu deeply.

"Yes, you should live better than your two brothers."

"Keep fighting."

"We bear witness for you."

One by one, everyone voiced their support for Ye Qiu, encouraging him with a sense of justice.

"Thank you, thank you, everyone." Ye Qiu’s eyes reddened, bowing again.

In contrast, Old Lady Wang and Ye Chun, Ye Dong, their expressions were quite grim, as everyone was speaking for Ye Qiu. This clearly pointed to them being heartless.

But this was Wang Family Village, and those were other people’s words, who could control it?

Wang Hong, though with an awkward expression, thought disdainfully: Soon she would be making big money and moving to the city, never to cross paths with these people again. Even if others spoke ill of her, what’s the use? It would just be jealousy over her prosperous future.

After thanking the village chief and everyone, Ye Qiu did not spare another glance at Old Lady Wang or Ye Chun and Wang Hong. Old Lady Wang looked at his retreating figure, hesitated to speak, feeling impossible not to be saddened. After all, he was the child she bore for ten months, but she knew she had truly hurt the third’s heart this time.

Yet she had no choice but to make this decision. The third was her son, but the eldest and fourth were too, and though she knew the third might be the most filial, she could only choose the eldest and fourth.

She knew she went too far and decided never to acknowledge this son again.

Ye Qiu returned to the Jia Family with a lighter heart; he could have refused his mother today, but he didn’t. He intentionally blew things up with his mother and Ye Chun. It’s just a small business and money now. Later on, when they see him become successful and regret not having supported him, they will regret it until the day they die.

"Second sister, second brother-in-law, sorry, we can’t do this business anymore." Ye Qiu said with a guilty expression.

Ye Chun comforted him, saying, "It’s not your fault; it’s just that mother is too biased, and our eldest and fourth brothers are too greedy."

Jia Zhihe patted Ye Qiu’s shoulder. He felt a lot of sympathy for his wife’s younger brother at this moment. Having done business for so many years, he’d encountered all kinds of people, but a mother-in-law like Ye Qiu’s was rare. He had never seen anyone eager to push one son to ruin to supplement another. Fortunately, his wife had a clear head and never thought about subsidizing her natal family, and precisely because of her dedication to their family, he respected her so much.

"But although we can’t do this business, I have another idea. Brother-in-law, would you like to invest in it?"

Hearing Ye Qiu had another idea, Jia Zhihe and Ye Chun were somewhat surprised, then motioned for him to continue.

"While working outside, I discovered another dining style, different from the county’s restaurants. There are places specializing in hot pot, which do particularly well. With winter approaching, this business might be popular."

"But restaurants have hot pots too, along with other dishes. Why would people come to us? There’s no competitiveness!" Jia Zhihe said, frowning.

"That’s why we need to create something distinctive." Ye Qiu then slowly shared his ideas, which made Ye Chun and Jia Zhihe’s eyes brighten as they listened.

The three discussed for most of the day, and finally, Jia Zhihe decided to invest. He even personally went out with Ye Qiu to select a site. Jia Zhihe thought his wife’s brother was indeed a treasure. His mother-in-law and brother-in-law were likely to regret their decision endlessly in the future.