Chapter 225 - 221: Self-Deception_1

Translator: 549690339

Just like that, it was the second day of the New Year, and Jiang San, as usual, took his wife and children to visit his mother-in-law for the annual courtesy call.

They hurriedly ate lunch there then rushed back home.

Upon arriving home, Jiang San Lang was immediately called over by his father.

In his parents’s main room, Jiang Yunniang was on her knees weeping in front of her mother, Jiang Liu, with her young son, Zhang Yuying, and young daughter, Hong Xiao, standing by her side.

“Mother, I am truly desperate, Zhang Lang says if he doesn’t get the money, the other family is going to kill him, would you just watch Yuninning and Yuying lose their father?”

“What are you talking about? He has been cavorting with another woman and even fathered a child with her, and he expects our family to bail him out?” Jiang Liu banged on the table in anger.

Jiang Yunniang said, “He didn’t fool around, it was that woman who seduced him. Mother, Zhang Jia said that if we give them two hundred taels of silver, everything will be alright and they will not contact us again.”

Jiang Liu retorted angrily, “Do you believe his nonsense?”

Jiang Yunniang nodded, “I believe him.”

“I don’t!” Jiang Liu said, “Your brother has already investigated, Zhang Jia is conspiring with others to deceive you, and you still remain so stubborn.”

“Mother…”

“I think it’s best for you to divorce him! Zhang Jia is a very cunning man, he’s not worthy of your sacrifices.”

“No! I don’t want a divorce! Yukan isn’t married yet, Yuying and Hong Xiao are still young. If I divorce him, what will happen to the children?” Jiang Yunniang sobbed.

Let alone her two sons, even her young daughter, whom she could pick up easily, Hong Xiao, how could she hold her head high in front of outsiders afterwards?

Jiang’s old man pounded his dry tobacco pipe angrily, “Then what do you want to do? Are you going to keep giving him money? Filling up his bottomless pit? What do you think our family is? A free bank to retain that beast?”

Jiang Yunniang covered her face and sobbed.

Jiang San Lang walked into the room and saw this scene, his face turned grim.

His elder sister is so weak, it’s as if she couldn’t live without that man.

“You’re here,” the elderly Jiang looked at his third son, and said, “Sit down.”

Jiang San Lang then sat down on a chair next to the kang bed, asked, “Father, why did you call me over?”

The old man Jiang coughed, sighed, “Look at your sister’s condition, see what you can do.”

“What can I do?” Jiang San Lang said indifferently, “Last time my sister said that her family’s affairs had nothing to do with me, and asked me not to get involved.”

Jiang Yunniang suddenly turned around and cried, “San Lang, you can’t just intervene like that. After all, he is Yukan and Yuying’s father. After you beat him like that, how can he hold his head up in front of others?”

“So, what do you want to do today by crying in front of mom and dad? Do you want me to beat Zhang to give him some face?” Jiang San Lang coldly looked at his elder sister.

Jiang Yunniang shook her head, “I don’t mean that, it’s just… it’s just that Zhang Lang is really out of options. That family wants two hundred taels of silver from him. If he doesn’t have the money, he has to bring that woman home as his wife or else they will kill him.”

“He wouldn’t dare!” Jiang Liu shouted angrily, pointing at Jiang Yunniang, “Yunniang, your mother is not blaming you, but you’re too weak! If Zhang Jia dares to marry, I will go to the County Government to accuse him of bigamy!”

“Mother…” Jiang Yunniang gasped in horror, “If he goes to jail, won’t our family be finished? Don’t do that. Please.”

She turned to Jiang San Lang, “San Lang, please, I beg you, lend me two hundred taels of silver first. I’ll repay you later, even if I have to be a cow or a horse, I’ll pay you back.”

Jiang San Lang scoffed coldly, turning to his parents and asked, “Father, did you call me to lend money to big sister?”

The old man Jiang coughed awkwardly, “When did I ask you for money? Ah, we can’t ignore your sister’s problem. We called you here to discuss.”

“I am not going to give a single coin.”

Jiang San Lang continued, “I have nothing to discuss. Either big sister gets a divorce and we, her brothers, take care of her and her children, or she solves her own problems and never bothers me again. I, Jiang San Lang, don’t have the extra money to support Zhang Jia and his mistress’s family.”

Saying this, he got up and left.

“Sanlang!”

Jiang Yunniang, gasping for breath, turned and threw herself at her parents. “Father! Mother! You cannot disregard your daughter. Zhang Jia has always been good to me. I cannot abandon him because of a single mistake.”

Jiang Liu pushed away his daughter, pulled Yuying and Hong Xiao close, and asked, “Yuying, Hong Xiao, does your father treat your mother well?”

Yuying nodded, “Father is very good to mother.”

Hong Xiao added, “Daddy even buys sweet cakes for mother. He treats mother so well.”

Old man Jiang didn’t believe it, he said to his daughter, “Yunniang, if Zhang Jia truly cares for you, and is sincere in his devotion to this family, how could he have two children with another woman?”

He had heard from Sanlang that Zhang Jia had a boy and a girl with his concubine, the older of the children already three years old.

Sanlang also said that Zhang Jia was simply putting on a show for Yunniang, tricking her into returning to her parents’ home for money to support him and his concubine.

“Your shop has long been mortgaged to others, hasn’t it, Yunniang? Tell father, who’s managing the shop now? Is it the brother of that concubine?” Old man Jiang asked.

Jiang Yunniang dropped her head and covered her face, weeping.

Old man Jiang sighed, “Yunniang, Zhang Jia’s heart is no longer with you. Stop being deluded.”

His daughter was too gullible, believing whatever others told her.

That Zhang Jia must have been putting on the act of a loving husband to deceive Yunniang, so she would keep bringing him money from her parents’ house to squander.

“I’m asking you again, why doesn’t Zhang Jia come with you when you return home for the New Year?” Old man Jiang continued asking.

Jiang Yunniang mumbled, “He… he takes the children to Zhang Village for the New Year. You know, his parents passed away early. His older brother and his wife raised him. It’s customary for him to take the kids to give New Year greetings… ”

Old man Jiang turned and asked his granddaughter, “Hong Xiao, does your father take you to Zhang Village for the New Year every year?”

Hong Xiao, in a daze, nodded, “Yes, my older brother and I go to our uncle’s house for the New Year. We even stay there for a few days.”

“What about your father? Does he stay at your uncle’s house?” Old Man Jiang asked.

Hong Xiao, biting her finger, said, “Daddy has to go home early because he has things to do. He asks me and my brother to stay with uncle and auntie for a few more days before going back.”

Every year, after she and her big brother reached their uncle’s house, their father would leave. Once, her big brother wanted to take her home early, but their uncle wouldn’t let them.

Her second brother always comes with mother to our grandparent’s house for the New Year.

“Father, please, don’t ask anymore!” Jiang Yunniang, as though struck by a severe pain, stood up suddenly and dragged her daughter Hong Xiao outside.

Jiang Liu and her husband looked at each other and shook their heads.

Their daughter was beyond help.

Every New Year, Zhang Jia never visited the Jiang family, always finding excuses to go to his brother’s, before leaving the kids and returning to the county city to spend the New Year with his concubine.

Their daughter knew about these things, but she chose to deceive herself, letting that man cheat her with just a few words, so she couldn’t find her way.

Jiang Liu let out a sigh and said to her husband, “We can’t let her carry on like this. Zhang Jia is just trying to keep control of Yunniang and the kids, so our family will continue to support him.

This is absolutely unacceptable! Let’s take our older sons with us and have a talk with the village of Zhang.”

“What good will visiting Zhang Village do? Zhang Jia and his brothers have separated accounts long ago. The moment they open their mouths, we’ll be speechless. Besides, we may not even be able to find them.”

Old man Jiang snorted, “We’ll take a few people into town and find Zhang Jia directly. We’ll ask him what he means.”

If he wants to remarry, let him do it, we can take our daughter back home.

Jiang Liu furrowed her brows, “What about Yunniang? What if she objects?”

Old Man Jiang answered, “If she dares to object, tell her she doesn’t need to return to her parents’ house anymore. We will consider she’s not our daughter anymore!”