Rebirth to Save Myself

Chapter 117 The most benevolent and righteous

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Su Xia and Lu Lu left early in the morning to watch the parade of deities in the neighboring city. When Chen Chunqi saw them off, he said, "If you finish early, don't stay overnight, just go home."

"Mom, we'll see when the time comes," Su Xia smiled and then went out.

Lu Lu didn't ask until she stepped into the elevator, "Why isn't Chen Yuan going?"

"Because her maternal grandparents, uncles, and aunts are coming over today," Su Xia said calmly. She felt it was inappropriate for her to be present at such a family gathering to avoid embarrassment.

"Oh, okay." Lu Lu nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Not long after Su Xia and Lu Lu left, Chen Yuan's maternal grandparents arrived with her uncle and aunt's family. Chen's mother looked around as soon as she entered, and her expression softened slightly when she didn't see Su Xia. She shook her head at Chen's father and then began to change her shoes.

"Mom, what are you looking at? If you're looking at Xiaxia, she just went out to play today and might be back tonight." Chen Chunqi knew exactly what his mother was thinking, so he spoke up directly.

"Hey, you kid, I didn't say anything, what nonsense are you talking about?" Chen's mother was a little embarrassed by Chen Chunqi's words, and pretended to be angry as she walked inside.

"I'm not saying this to be rude, but you two are still supporting that girl?" Uncle Chen, standing behind Mr. and Mrs. Chen, asked incredulously.

"What do you mean, 'that girl'? She's my daughter. Watch your mouth!" Chen Chunqi slapped his uncle on the shoulder.

"Ouch, that hurts!" Uncle Chen rubbed his shoulder where he had been slapped, and said with a disdainful look, "You call yourself my daughter? If she were really your daughter, wouldn't you have changed her surname by now?"

“Yes, that’s right. I’m not trying to be mean, but I’ve told you so many times not to raise other people’s children. If you think Chen Yuan is lonely, you can go to the orphanage with your brother-in-law and adopt a boy!” Aunt Chen chimed in.

“That’s right, at least that way someone will take care of us when we get old.” Chen’s mother nodded in agreement when she heard what Chen’s aunt said.

"It's the Lunar New Year, and you've come all this way just to say this? If you don't have anything else to say, then go back home," Chen Chunqi said, his face darkening.

"Alright, Chunqi. Your mother and the others are only doing this for your own good, so please stop talking." Seeing this, Mr. Chen spoke up, trying to smooth things over and end the farce that had started as soon as he entered the door.

Chen Chunqi knew her family didn't have any bad intentions, so she didn't hold it against them and invited everyone to sit down and chat over tea. Chen Jianguo stood silently beside Chen Chunqi the whole time. They had discussed it the night before: Chen Chunqi would take the lead in dealing with her family, and he would assist her by stepping in to resolve the situation if Chen Chunqi couldn't handle it.

When everyone realized that they couldn't reason with Chen Chunqi, they turned to attack Chen Jianguo. While Chen Chunqi and Aunt Chen were in the kitchen, Chen's father asked with a serious expression, "Jianguo, how old was that child when he came to your house?"

"Not early, back in junior high school, I think," Chen Jianguo replied calmly.

"That's quite a long time indeed. Yuanyuan started her internship this year, right? Has she finished her internship?" Uncle Chen asked.

"Not yet, Xiaxia's postgraduate entrance exam results haven't come out yet. If she gets in, she'll continue studying for two more years." Chen Jianguo smiled; he was happy that the child wanted to study.

"It's no use for a girl to study so much. She can just find a good husband in the future!" Chen's mother disagreed. She had always been against Chen's father sending Chen Chunqi and Aunt Chen to school. She thought it was a waste of money and they wouldn't have time to help with chores.

"What are you saying? If I hadn't let Chunqi and Chunwan continue their studies, they would still be working in the fields right now," Mr. Chen said, blaming Mrs. Chen. Mrs. Chen was the wife his family arranged for him to marry when he was young, and he didn't object to her marriage, so he didn't refuse her either.

After marriage, Chen's mother was hardworking and diligent, managing the household perfectly. She also bore him a son and two daughters, and listened to him in everything, which pleased Chen's father. Even after becoming the village head, Chen's mother didn't become complacent. Their biggest disagreement lay in the education of their three children. He believed that both boys and girls should study, as more knowledge was always beneficial. However, Chen's mother thought that girls didn't need to study; they could work at home for a few years and then get married, and there would be no place for them to receive education in their husband's family. Chen's father and mother had a major argument over this, and from then on, Chen's father took the lead in the education of the three children.

Fortunately, Chen's father insisted, and the family had some money, so Chen Chunqi and Chen Chunwan (Chen Yuan's aunt) both graduated from high school. Chen Chunwan now works in finance at a state-owned enterprise, receiving continuous benefits and subsidies, and has even married a young man from the same company. Chen Chunqi, on the other hand, has always been pampered by Chen Jianguo. He never worries about her educating the children at home, and now that Chen Jianguo is a successful businessman, she is well-educated and cultured, a very respectable person. Chen's uncle, Chen Zhisheng, earned a junior college diploma back then, and luckily, he was smart enough to be assigned a job in the last wave of job placements. Now he has a stable job and a harmonious family.

"That's because she's lucky and found a good husband," Chen's mother muttered softly, somewhat dissatisfied with Chen's father's words but not refuting them further.

“Mother-in-law, you’ve misunderstood. Chunqi did a very good job educating Chen Yuan. I was busy working away from home for many years and didn’t pay much attention to my children’s education, just because Chunqi was educated.” Chen Jianguo immediately retorted when he saw his mother talking about his wife like that.

“Yes, Grandma. When I was in elementary school, I would ask my mom for all the homework I didn’t know how to do. My mom is much better than other moms.” Chen Yuan also spoke up to defend her mother.

"Where is Yuanyuan working now? Why didn't you take the civil service exam? Why didn't your mother choose you as a teacher? Being a teacher is so easy, with weekends and summer and winter vacations." Chen's mother immediately changed the subject, forgetting what she had said about Chen Chunqi earlier.

"She's just a kid, let her learn what she likes. I'm still waiting for them to manage the company for me in the future. If Yuanyuan becomes a teacher, won't Xiaxia have to come along?" Chen Jianguo said with a smile.

"How can that be!" Upon hearing this, Chen's mother was outraged. She immediately stood up and added, "You've raised her unconditionally for so many years, that's enough. The company absolutely cannot be handed over to her. Yuanyuan is your own daughter. At the very least, Jinxuan can help. Yuanyuan and Jinxuan are family!"

"Mom, what are you saying? Xiaxia is my daughter too, how can she be considered an outsider? Besides, whether Yuanyuan or Xiaxia comes to the company is their business, and no one else can interfere." Chen Chunqi finally got away from her sister's side, and upon entering the living room, she heard her mother's words, which made her furious.

"Chunqi, sit down first." Mr. Chen beckoned to her and gestured for her to sit down before continuing.

"Dad, Mom, I think I already talked to you about Xiaxia's problem a long time ago, so there's nothing more to say now." Although Chen Chunqi obediently sat down, his tone was not calm.

“Chunqi, you’ve always been a kind-hearted child. You’d feed stray cats and dogs you saw on the street. I think that’s a good quality, so I didn’t stop you. You’re my youngest child, with older brothers and sisters to take care of you. Jian Guo is also very good to you after you got married, so Dad has always been at ease.” Father Chen’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was full of energy. He spoke gently and calmly, which calmed Chen Chunqi’s anger.

“Dad, I know you love me.” Chen Chunqi tried to refute his father.

"Listen to Dad first. You can refute me if you think what Dad said makes no sense after you've finished." Chen's father raised his hand, interrupting Chen Chunqi.

"Okay, you go first." Chen Chunqi nodded helplessly.

“Your parents know you’re kind-hearted, so we were very worried about you after you were hurt by giving birth to Chen Yuan. Of course, Jianguo didn’t let us down; he did everything he could to protect you. Even when we tried to dissuade him, he still stuck to his promise. Your mother and I are very reassured about you. But Chunqi, raising a child is different from raising a pet. The effort and money you put in are not proportional. Like your brother said, if you think Chen Yuan is lonely, you can go to an orphanage and adopt a child through proper procedures. Then you won’t be afraid of the biological parents coming to your door, right?” Mr. Chen said slowly, word by word, while looking at Chen Chunwan and Chen Zhisheng, hoping they would also offer their advice.

“Yes, little sister, what Dad said makes sense. The baby you raised from infancy to adulthood was never told by anyone, and he didn’t even know he wasn’t your biological child. But the Su Xia you’re raising now, right? You only started raising her when she was already in middle school. At first, we thought you were just sponsoring a poor student!” Chen Chunwan said earnestly, holding Chen Chunqi’s hand.

“If it’s just a simple donation, that’s already a good deed. When she graduates and gets a job, she can repay you, which will be a blessing,” Chen’s mother chimed in.

“But you’re raising her like your own daughter, not only letting her live at home, but also giving her the same food, clothing, and everything else as Yuanyuan. You even claim to others that you have two daughters, but in the end, this child hasn’t shown any appreciation! Her household registration isn’t with you, and her surname hasn’t been changed to Chen. What will you do when she’s raised by her parents and they try to take her credit?” Chen Zhisheng was also helpless. He had previously thought that Su Xia had already changed her household registration and surname, but when he asked someone to check, there was nothing there.

“Dad, Mom, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, I have to chime in here.” Chen Jianguo raised his hand to signal everyone to look at him, then cleared his throat and said, “Although Su Xia’s household registration isn’t under my name, it’s not under her parents’ names either. Right now, her household registration is with the school because she thinks it’s simpler to transfer it there than to mine, and it won’t attract her parents’ attention. Once she finishes school and gets the property certificate, she can transfer the household registration back to herself as the head of household. I don’t think household registration is the key factor in determining whether someone is family. Like Chen Yuan, if she transfers her household registration out, does that mean she’s no longer my daughter? Su Xia mentioned changing her surname to me, but I refused. It’s unnecessary, because she won’t just come back to her biological parents as you worry.”

"Of course I'll always be my parents' daughter, and so will Xiaxia. We still have to take care of them in their old age." Chen Yuan finally managed to speak; she had been holding it in for so long.

"When did the surname change happen? How come I didn't know?" Chen Chunqi looked at Chen Jianguo with a puzzled expression.

“It all happened before I went to university, it’s all in the past. I know you’ll do the same thing as me, right?” Chen Jianguo said, looking into Chen Chunqi’s eyes.

“That’s right, I don’t care about changing my surname.” Chen Chunqi waved his hand, then looked at his parents and said, “You’ve seen it yourself, Xiaxia is different from those adopted children. As for the adoption of a boy that you mentioned, Jianguo and I have never had such an idea from the beginning.”

"Why are you two children so stubborn? You've already been good enough to her. She's already in her mid-twenties. In a few years, when she gets married, you'll have to provide a dowry! Aren't you silly? All of that belongs to Yuanyuan. Why are you giving it away?" Chen's mother said anxiously.

"Grandma, if you're saying that everything my parents have will be mine in the future, then I don't mind giving half to Xiaxia, I'm happy to!" Chen Yuan couldn't stand their ganging up on her parents like this, so she answered when she heard this.

“You’re stupid too. You give your things to outsiders instead of your own family. Look at Jinxuan and your cousin from your aunt’s family. They’re all related to you by blood. You should all help each other.” Chen’s mother was also anxious and quickly retorted to Chen Yuan.

“Mom, I earn money so that Chunqi, Yuanyuan, and Xiaxia can have a good life. As for Jinxuan and Zhiyuan, I can help them if they want to start a business, but it's not right for them to rely entirely on me,” Chen Jianguo said with a smile to his mother.

“Jianguo, your mother is confused, don’t argue with her. Since you’ve made your own decision, we won’t interfere. If you need any help, we’ll do our best to assist you.” Knowing that continuing the conversation would only lead to an unpleasant ending, Mr. Chen ended the topic abruptly.

“Yes, yes, brother-in-law, just ask if you need anything! Don’t treat us like outsiders. Let’s put today’s matter behind us.” Chen Zhisheng also realized what his father meant and continued the conversation.

“No problem, we’re all family.” Chen Jianguo poured tea and handed it to his father, saying, “Dad, have some tea. We’ll go have lunch soon; Chunqi booked a restaurant before the New Year.”

"Good good."

The family ate and drank at the restaurant. Before leaving, Chen Jianguo gave Jinxuan and Zhiyuan a large red envelope each. Chen Chunqi originally wanted his parents to stay for a couple of days, but since things hadn't gone well at home, he didn't insist and planned to visit his second brother's family later.

Su Xia sent a message that night saying that she and Lu Lu planned to stay overnight and go back the next day. Chen Chunqi looked at the message and sighed helplessly, "Xia Xia is afraid of running into them when she comes back, this child."

"She's just thinking too much; she considers so many people but not herself." Chen Jianguo disagreed, but there was nothing he could do. He could only transfer her more money so she wouldn't suffer outside.

"My parents are really something. They've brought up Xiaxia's matter so many times over the years, but nothing they say will change anything."

"My parents meant well, but we know what we should do."

"Uh-huh."