She Became A Downfall Noble Lady-Chapter 42 - Making Silver

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Making Silver

Chapter 42 -42: Making Silver

Qi Yougui certainly wouldn’t snatch someone away, he continued, “Another choice is that I take this child to the clan so that the clan elders and the Lizheng can judge whether the injuries on this child’s body are appropriate for disciplining a four-year-old. If the clan determines that Liangzi’s wife mistreats the child, then let Liangzi divorce her. Without a malicious stepmother, you can naturally take him back.”

Qi Yourong’s face changed immediately, “Big brother, you can’t do this. Just for him, Qi Younian, the unfilial son who abandoned his parents for decades, you want me to hand over the grandson I’ve raised for years? Why should I?”

Qi Yougui said with a stern face, “Then what do you suggest? Your second brother is nearly sixty and has no descendants. We’re blood brothers; can you bear to watch him become a lonely soul without descendants to worship him?”

“But that doesn’t mean you can just take our child! No matter what, Qi Congming is also my legitimate grandson, raised by my third house,” Qi Yourong said with a face full of disapproval.

Then he turned to Qi Younian, disdain in his eyes, mocking, “I say, second brother, you’re not being upright in this matter. If you wanted to adopt a child, just say it. What’s this all about? How long have you been eyeing my house? Have you finally caught your opportunity?”

Qi Younian had also fought on the battlefield and was not one to be trampled on without a fight. Hearing Qi Yourong’s harsh words, he truly wanted to kick him to death.

“Yourong, you know what your household has done; even if nobody speaks out, you’re aware in your heart. Before today, I had never thought of adopting someone else’s child, breaking apart a family. It was really because Nanny Jin brought the child back looking so pitiful that I thought of this solution. Since you’re unwilling, then let’s do this: I won’t adopt the child after all, he’s still the descendant of your third house. However, for his better future, let him stay with me for now. I’ll raise him on behalf of you and Liangzi until he comes of age, then you can take him back home, and I won’t have a second word against it.”

“How can that be?” It’s not about who raises the child, but without the child around, Madam Pang will make trouble with Qi Liang, and Madam Song will make trouble with him.

Qi Younian smiled, looking at Qi Yougui, “Big brother sees it now, right? It’s not that the third brother can’t bear to give the child away; it’s that the child must suffer in his household.”

Qi Yougui looked coldly at Qi Yourong, feeling extremely disappointed in him. Just for his own peace, he would hand over his own grandson to be mistreated. Did he have any humanity left?

Feeling uneasy under Qi Yougui’s gaze, Qi Yourong said reluctantly, “I, my family can certainly afford to raise the child, how can we let the second brother do it? If this gets out, it won’t sound pleasant, right? I still plan to face people.”

Qi Yougui remained silent with a stern face, pondering in his heart that Madam Pang harbored malicious intentions towards this child. The indignation he faced today, she would surely take out on the child later. If the child were taken back by the third brother, who knew how he might be tormented, and whether he would even have a chance to grow up.

It was only when Qi Yourong became anxious under their stares that Qi Yougui slowly said, “Third brother, you should be very clear about what kind of person I am. Even if I saw another family’s child being mistreated like this, I wouldn’t be able to stand idly by, let alone when it’s our own kin. Today it was Ye Zi’s nanny who saw him; if Nanny Jin hadn’t seen it, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be long before the child would be tortured to death by your family. Without knowing the cause, some might even think the child died from his own stupidity.”

It was this grandfather who, despite seeing his grandson covered in injuries, still kept calling him stupid and dull, trying to pin the reasons for his grandson’s wounds on the child himself.

“I…”

Qi Yougui raised his hand to stop him from speaking, “Don’t say any more. Qi Congming is only just four years old this year. Other children his age are still playing around, yet he works every day without a day of rest. Looking at his scars, I’ve never heard your family sought out a doctor for him. He probably works with those injuries, right? Even adults need to rest when they’re wounded, don’t they?”

“Third brother… your heart has gone bad.”

Qi Yourong’s expression grew darker as he listened—his eldest brother had actually offered such a damning verdict of him.

He had been defending Madam Pang, his family, and himself, but deep down, he knew that no excuse or reason could justify the scars that should never have appeared on a child. That was an undeniable fact. Such scars shouldn’t even befall any innocent adult.

If this matter were to spread throughout the village, his entire family would likely suffer the villagers’ accusations and be metaphorically spine-crushed by their condemnation.

Qi Younian had no intention of letting him off the hook as he asked with a detached expression, “Third brother, where does Congming usually sleep? What does he eat? Do you know?”

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Qi Yourong was taken aback.

Qi Younian continued, “The child is already over four years old yet is exceptionally thin and frail. In the short time he has been with me, he seems as if he’s never been on a heated brick bed, and he doesn’t even know how to use chopsticks or a spoon to eat… So I’m asking you, where does he sleep every day? What does he use to eat?”

“With so much going on at home, how could I pay attention to these things?” Qi Yourong replied defensively without thinking.

Qi Yougui’s face became even more displeased, “You don’t need to tell me whether you’ve been paying attention or not, just answer this—have you ever seen him at the dining table when your family eats? Have you ever seen him eat?”

There was no need for words; Qi Yourong’s expression said it all.

Shaking his head, Qi Yougui didn’t even know what to say to him. “Like this, you still want to take him back. Tell me, what for? Can you actually control Liangzi and your wife? Or can you wholeheartedly take care of the child, ensuring he doesn’t suffer anymore?”

Qi Yourong’s face was filled with remorse, not expecting Madam Pang to harbor such malicious intent, causing him to falter so greatly in front of his elder and second brothers.

He had always been indifferent and naturally would not pay much attention to a child without a mother. He just thought that since Congming wasn’t Pang’s own, she would naturally not love the child, and at most would scold and pinch him a bit, causing him some physical distress. After all, the child would eventually grow up.

Little did he anticipate that she could be so cruel, leaving so many scars that even torture would hardly compare. Now, at his age, he was still being reprimanded by his two elder brothers. He also reflected on the foolish child outside—couldn’t he even cry out? If his cries had been loud enough, maybe he would have checked on him, perhaps intervened.

At this point, Qi Yourong had little else to say, only able to express his unwillingness, “Eldest brother, no matter what, the child was raised by Madam Pang. Even if we gave the child away for nothing, Qi Liang and his wife should agree, right? I need to go back and discuss it with Qi Liang.” He thought to delay the matter further.

Qi Yougui said furiously, “Is this how you act as a father?”

Qi Younian’s tone, however, remained indifferent, “Third brother, you’ve said several times that you can’t give the child away for free. What do you mean by that? If Qi Liang feels that he’s spent energy and resources on the child, then go ask how much silver they want as compensation for raising the child. If it’s not much, I can help you make up the amount, and even if I can’t provide it all at once, I can write you an IOU and pay you back as soon as possible.”