Chapter 133 Severing Ties

Xu Ruojin's prompt and carefree agreement shocked everyone present!

Li Zhonglin's mouth hung wide open as he stared at Xu Ruojin's resolute expression, utterly speechless for a long while.

Concubine Liu did not know what to say; she could only look at Xu Ruojin with a pleading and anxious gaze.

At this moment, she dared not interrupt without authorization, yet deep down, she harbored intense doubts about this matter.

Ten thousand taels of silver—where could the Xu family possibly find such a sum?

Furthermore, how could the master of the house ever agree to it?

However, Concubine Liu was ultimately a shrewd person. She merely watched with skepticism, without uttering a single syllable.

"Y-You're certain?"

Li Zhonglin moved his lips for a long moment before squeezing out these few words.

Xu Ruojin nodded immediately. "Does the young maternal uncle doubt my character? I have always meant what I say."

"No, no, I have no doubts."

Li Zhonglin felt somewhat at a loss, coupled with a lingering sense of guilty cowardice.

The reason he had rushed so recklessly to the Xu household was not without cause.

Knowing that his sister had passed away, Li Zhonglin had felt that as her brother, it was only right for him to make an appearance at the Xu residence. After all, Li Qiuping had given birth to the eldest legitimate grandson, and he truly harbored grievances over the Xu family's hasty handling of the funeral.

Yet, because the Master of the Xu family had previously shown him much consideration, Li Zhonglin had not held onto deep-seated resentment.

Who could have known that shortly before his visit, while resting at a teahouse, he had unexpectedly encountered Yuan Yang and Yuan Huailing?

These were two people Li Zhonglin had long wished to curry favor with but had never found the opportunity. The Yuan family possessed extremely high standards and simply could not be bothered to acknowledge a minor figure from a neighboring county like him.

However, this time, a companion of Li Zhonglin who happened to recognize Yuan Yang had taken him over to exchange a few words. When Yuan Huailing learned that he was an in-law of the Xu family, she had asked a few more questions.

Upon discovering Li Zhonglin's identity, she launched into a torrent of mockery against the Xu family.

She even ridiculed Xu Ruojin to the point where she was made to sound worse than a street fly.

Initially, Li Zhonglin had not been pleased, as his impression of Xu Ruojin had always been quite favorable. But given the high social standing of the Yuan family, he had kept his objections to himself.

Yet, under Yuan Huailing's subtle instigations, Li Qiuping's death and Xu Ruojin's marital prospects became completely intertwined in his mind. Being a man easily swayed by others, Li Zhonglin listened to these remarks for so long that he eventually came to feel the Xu family had indeed gone too far.

After downing a few cups of wine, his pride swelled, and he had stormed straight to the Xu mansion to demand an explanation.

Yet, now that he was actually seated in the Xu family's parlor, the alcohol had worn off by several degrees, though his primary objective remained securing the silver.

The dead could not be brought back to life; aside from forcing the Xu family to pay compensation in silver, what else could be done?

Demand shops or land? They were located too far away and were troublesome to manage, making silver the most practical option.

Li Zhonglin had originally expected a grueling process of bargaining, never anticipating that when he brazenly demanded ten thousand taels, Xu Ruojin would agree on the spot without hesitation.

Li Zhonglin's alcohol-induced haze vanished entirely.

Once fully sober, he also realized that his demands had been somewhat excessive.

Yet, matters had already reached this point, and there was no turning back...

"Miss Ruojin, I suggest you reconsider carefully. Ten thousand taels of silver is no small amount. Are you certain you can make decisions on behalf of the Xu family?"

Li Zhonglin raised his teacup and took a sip. "Actually, I do not wish to completely sever ties with the Xu family either; I was simply overwhelmed by resentment and felt a sense of injustice for my sister."

"Whether or not we can produce ten thousand taels is not something you need to worry about. Even if the Xu mansion refuses to pay, I will sell off all my dowry, scrape together whatever I can, and humble myself to borrow money from others. I will not come up short by a single copper coin when it comes to you—not to mention that I am doing this entirely for my eldest sister-in-law, and certainly not for your sake."

Xu Ruojin's tone was exceedingly calm, yet it deepened Li Zhonglin's guilty conscience. "Why must it come to this? It makes it sound as though I've come to ruin your family and drive you to desperation."

"You had the audacity to demand ten thousand taels of silver, yet you still wish to preserve a good reputation?"

Xu Ruojin knitted her brows tightly. "Once the silver is handed over, the Xu family will owe your sister-in-law not a fraction, and we will be even less indebted to the Li family. My little nephew will remain with the Xu family to grow up and will have no further ties to the Li family whatsoever. Furthermore..."

"Furthermore, when my eldest brother eventually remarries and takes a new wife, it will likewise have nothing to do with the Li family. There will be no further courtesies exchanged, and the new mistress of the house will not be bound by old traditions to treat the Li family as her maternal relatives. If the young maternal uncle deems this acceptable, we shall draw up a written agreement right now, affix our fingerprints at the county yamen, and I will gather the full ten thousand taels within half a month."

Li Zhonglin was frightened by Xu Ruojin's words. "Y-You are determined to make a complete and irreconcilable break?"

"Correct, a complete and irreconcilable break."

Xu Ruojin did not deny it. "There is no need for further discussion. Whether you agree or not, simply give me your final word."

"You have truly lost your mind!"

Li Zhonglin dared not agree rashly because he was not the head of the Li family.

Besides, if such a scandal were to erupt, his personal reputation would be utterly ruined.

Even so, weighing ten thousand taels of silver against his reputation proved to be a difficult dilemma.

Li Zhonglin had already begun calculating how much of the ten thousand taels would end up in his own hands and how he might manage to salvage his reputation afterward.

"I will give you my answer the day after tomorrow."

Li Zhonglin decided not to linger any longer. "However, since these words were spoken by Miss Ruojin herself, I trust you will not go back on them."

"A promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold; I, Xu Ruojin, still care greatly for my face and dignity."

Xu Ruojin picked up her teacup. "See the guest out."

Hongxing went to the doorway and lifted the curtain. Without offering any further pleasantries, Li Zhonglin strode out of the room.

The moment he stepped out of the main hall, Concubine Liu hurried forward anxiously. "Second Young Miss, how could you possibly agree to him? He is merely acting like a shameless scoundrel! Besides, besides ten thousand taels of silver—how could the master ever agree to such a thing? What... what are we to do now!"

Xu Ruojin was already feeling anxious and agitated over the matter concerning Li Zhonglin, and Concubine Liu's questioning made her frown even deeper.

"If my father refuses, I will sell my dowry to raise the ten thousand taels. What I said just now was by no means spoken in jest."

"Second Young Miss, you are truly, truly acting foolishly."

Concubine Liu bit her lip. "The master will surely be furious. Why don't... why don't we simply claim that the demand came entirely from the maternal uncle himself and that we never agreed to it? After all, everyone here is our own people; if we simply deny it when we tear faces with him, there is nothing he can do."

Xu Ruojin looked directly at her. "Concubine Liu, I expect you to be aware of your station. I will let these words pass this once, but I do not wish to hear them a second time."

"Second Young Miss."

A trace of resentment flickered in Concubine Liu's eyes. "W-Why must you always keep me at such a distance? What on earth have I done wrong? I only wished to draw closer to you, and it was with your initial support that I..."

"You still remember the beginning."

Xu Ruojin stared unflinchingly at her. "Back then, seeing that you had nowhere else to turn, I offered you an idea. Ultimately, it was your own choice to become my father's concubine. This is my home. I must protect my younger brother, respect my father and eldest brother, and ensure only that they live better lives. Aside from that, I have no other intentions. You have misjudged me."

With that, Xu Ruojin summoned her maids and prepared to leave. "When my father returns, I shall give my own explanation. I must trouble Concubine Liu to take care of my little nephew for a short while longer; I will discuss the matter with my father and arrange for someone else to take charge of his care."

Hongxing lifted the curtain, and Xu Ruojin walked out.

Concubine Liu clenched her fists tightly as bitter tears of humiliation slipped down her cheeks.

She refused to accept this. She would not be treated as a mere insignificant nobody—she was determined to make something of herself!