Liu Zhaodi’s father, Liu Dagen, was also unable to step forward. There were so many people gathered at the entrance of the courtyard that it would look improper for a grown man to intervene directly.
“Zhaodi, hurry up and separate your mother and your mother-in-law!” Liu Dagen could only shout at his daughter.
A neighbor who was on good terms with the Liu family also stepped in to persuade them.
“Auntie Lu, you’ve already beaten her. That should be enough. Don’t go too far.”
“Too far?” Old Madam Lu snapped. “Fine then! If I go to your house and take your things, would that be acceptable too? It’s easy to say I’m being excessive when it’s not happening to you!”
The neighbor was immediately silenced and dared not say another word.
“Big Sister-in-law, go help Mother over here,” Lu Qianqian said at that moment.
“Huh?”
Lin Gui was stunned. She had always known that her second sister-in-law was scheming, but she had never expected her to do something like this.
“Alright!”
She quickly stepped forward and grabbed her mother-in-law. Seeing that Old Madam Lu was still trying to hit someone, she said,
“Mother, Little Sister asked me to bring you back.”
Hearing that her daughter had sent Lin Gui, Old Madam Lu finally stopped beating people and allowed herself to be led away.
“Qianqian, don’t worry. Your mother will stand up for you in this matter,” Old Madam Lu said.
Lu Qianqian smiled.
“Mother, let me handle this myself.”
The old lady wanted to say more, but since her daughter insisted, she held back. If she wasn’t satisfied with the outcome, she could always step in later.
“Fine.”
Lu Qianqian turned toward her second brother, who had remained silent the entire time.
“Second Brother, you should understand what happened by now. On our way back from the prefectural city, I asked you who Liu Hua was because I already knew someone had taken my things and registered them.”
Seeing that Lu Zhengjun had no response, she continued:
“Second Brother, you know my personality. What belongs to me is mine. If I willingly give it away, then that’s my choice. But if someone touches my things without my permission, then they must bear the consequences.”
“So, Second Brother, how do you think this matter should be handled?”
Before Lu Zhengjun could answer, Wang Daling, who had just been helped up by Liu Zhaodi, began cursing.
“What do you mean, how should it be handled? If you lost something, why come make trouble at our house? Besides, your family is dirt poor. Who would want your worthless junk?”
Lu Qianqian looked at her coldly.
The icy gaze startled Wang Daling.
Why did this little girl seem like a completely different person?
“Second Brother, what do you say?”
Ignoring Wang Daling, Lu Qianqian continued to question Lu Zhengjun.
He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
“Little Sister, Zhaodi was wrong this time. I’ll talk to her when we get home. I promise she’ll never do something like this again.”
“Is that all?”
Lu Qianqian’s tone was calm.
Lu Zhengjun felt helpless.
He knew what kind of person Liu Zhaodi was. He knew she was in the wrong.
But what could he do?
She was the mother of his two children. Was he really supposed to divorce her?
“Little Sister, I apologize on Zhaodi’s behalf. In the future, I’ll do anything you ask of me.”
Old Madam Lu immediately exploded.
“You ungrateful fool! Your sister has done so much for you, and you’re still protecting Liu Zhaodi? A woman like her cannot stay in the Lu family. Divorce her immediately!”
At those words, Liu Zhaodi’s face turned deathly pale.
She absolutely could not be divorced.
The Lu family might have been poor before, but things were different now. Their meals were far better than before. If she were sent back to her parents’ home, not only would she never find another good husband, but she would also be burdened with endless work there.
“Mother, please don’t divorce me!”
She immediately threw herself forward, no longer caring about her fear.
Old Madam Lu snorted.
“Our Lu family doesn’t need a daughter-in-law who likes to steal.”
“Husband, you can’t divorce me! We still have two children. Please don’t send me away!”
Knowing that pleading with her mother-in-law was useless, Liu Zhaodi grabbed Lu Zhengjun and cried desperately.
At this point, all the spectators understood the truth.
Liu Zhaodi had indeed stolen from the Lu family.
Otherwise, why would she be so terrified of being divorced?
Lu Zhengjun had never considered divorcing her from the start. Seeing her cry so miserably, he felt distressed as well.
“Little Sister…”
He looked at Lu Qianqian, his eyes full of helplessness.
“Mother, let’s go home.”
Lu Qianqian had followed Old Madam Lu here today largely to see where Lu Zhengjun stood.
Now she had her answer.
There was no reason to continue putting on a show for everyone.
The fact that Liu Hua had registered the Cold Beauty flower was already irreversible.
Losing the registration of a single plant wasn’t much of a loss to Lu Qianqian. The only thing that bothered her was that the Liu family had profited twenty taels of silver from it.
Still, she felt that twenty taels was a reasonable price to pay to see people’s true attitudes.
“Qianqian, you…”
Old Madam Lu was unwilling to let the matter go, but after seeing her daughter’s expression, she swallowed her words.
The Lu family had arrived in grand fashion but ultimately left empty-handed.
The Liu family felt quite smug about it.
They had come making such a fuss, only to leave with their tails tucked between their legs.
Liu Zhaodi followed Lu Zhengjun back to the Lu family home.
After returning, Lu Qianqian brought Old Madam Lu into the main hall, where Old Master Lu had been waiting.
“What exactly happened?” he asked.
Old Madam Lu looked upset as she recounted everything.
By the time she finished, Old Master Lu’s face had darkened considerably.
“Father, Mother, let’s divide the family assets,” Lu Qianqian suddenly said.
“No!”
Before Old Master Lu could respond, Old Madam Lu immediately objected.
She had worked hard all her life to raise her two sons. Now that they were grown, they should be taking care of their parents.
Besides, if the family split up, she intended to stay with her daughter. She absolutely would not let her sons take advantage of the situation.
“There’s so much work at home. How will a young girl like you manage on your own after the family splits? Your brothers work the fields, and your sisters-in-law take care of the household. We can’t divide the family.”
Hearing that her mother’s concerns were entirely for her sake, Lu Qianqian felt warmth fill her heart.
“Mother, you’ve seen it yourself. In the future, I’m going to create many different things. I can’t watch over everything all the time. Today it was Second Sister-in-law. Tomorrow it might be someone else.”
“That’s why I said your second brother should divorce Liu Zhaodi. Keeping someone like her in the family is asking for trouble!”
Lu Qianqian quickly interrupted.
“Mother, Second Brother and Liu Zhaodi are husband and wife, and they have children together. Naturally, their priorities are different. Dividing the family doesn’t mean Big Brother and Second Brother can’t continue helping me. We’d simply live separately. That way, the things I develop will be safer too.”
Old Master Lu sat quietly, listening to the conversation between mother and daughter.
Deep down, he didn’t want the family to split apart.
But for the sake of his daughter, he was willing.
No one was allowed to stand in the way of her future.