Chapter 478 Reform and Opening Up
Ye Shenge could finally speak again after half a month, her voice still hoarse. According to Elder Fan, she would need to rest her voice well to regain her former soft and sweet tone, otherwise, she would have a slightly hoarse female voice.
Actually, Ye Shenge didn't really like her voice before; it always felt a bit unfitting for her current age. A slightly hoarse voice was more sensual.
Ye Shenge had recovered quite well and could walk around the courtyard daily to get some fresh air.
Because Ye Shenge had shown her face, more people started deliberately passing by the Zi family's gate. However, Ye Shenge didn't greet anyone, believing it was best to speak less when unsure if they were friend or foe.
At home, Zi Yisheng had also had a telephone installed. When he couldn't return at noon, he could personally ask his wife for leave.
However, on this day, Ye Shenge received a phone call, which turned out to be from Madam Weng Jing, the wife of the Second Master Shang.
"Shen'ge, can I ask you for a favor?"
"No!"
Weng Jing clearly hadn't expected Ye Shenge to be so direct, her voice becoming somewhat choked.
"Shen'ge, I truly didn't know Shaoyan would be so extreme, and I was unaware of many of the things he did. I just want you to beg Master Zi to spare my man's life, in consideration of the time we spent together."
It was better not to mention the past; the more it was brought up, the angrier Ye Shenge became.
"Bringing up the past makes it even more inappropriate for you to ask. We have always been helping the Shang family, but what was the result? Please don't call me again."
Ye Shenge hung up the phone, but she was still somewhat angry. Why should those who did wrong expect to erase everything with a single apology?
"Child, you mustn't get angry."
Ye Shenge quickly took a deep breath and smiled at her two masters. She couldn't get angry, and certainly not for unnecessary people.
But a few hours later, the guards at the main gate delivered a wooden box.
Ye Shenge opened it and found a letter, two savings books, and some property deeds inside.
Ye Shenge read the letter once and then threw it into the box.
"A Can, take this box to Zi Yisheng's office and let him handle it."
A Can, seeing that his madam had no expression, knew she was unhappy. He quickly grabbed the box and ran off.
Ye Mama returned from the Bai family holding little Mi'er, also looking unhappy.
"Mom, who upset you?"
Ye Mama gently placed little Mi'er in her daughter's arms, then went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water and drank it down in large gulps.
"It's your cousin's wife. She insisted on Chu Fan taking her to see her father. Who dares to leave the compound now? We explained the reasons, but she still wouldn't listen, just clutching the child and crying.
Can a child be raised well like this? She's raising a complete good-for-nothing! Your grandmother was so angry she gave the child to your aunt to raise and punished Chu Fan by making him kneel outside. Serves him right for marrying someone he can't even discipline."
Ye Shenge stroked her daughter's chubby little face, her eyelashes so thick and long. She couldn't help but kiss her.
"It's understandable that she misses her father, so let her go if she wants to, but no one should accompany her. If anything happens, no one will come to save her."
Ye Shenge detested people who caused trouble for no reason. They had been in the countryside for so long; how could they care about not seeing their family for a year or two?
"Sigh, I just feel like Chu Fan's life will be ruined by her."
"Heh, I somehow feel like Cousin is waiting for a crucial trigger point?"
Having interacted with the Bai family for so long, Ye Shenge felt that only her elder cousin was a qualified heir. He possessed the cunning and intelligence of a businessman in his bones, and a cold, hard side within.
Luo Xueli was his choice; he wanted to give Luo Xueli an opportunity and also prove he hadn't chosen wrongly. Moreover, they hadn't been married long, so she was still within his tolerance.
"I always said that matching backgrounds are very important, didn't I? Old sayings are accumulated experience. It's not yet time for complete openness. When the Bai family recovers its former glory, Luo Xueli won't even be able to hold the facade."
Ye Shenge shrugged. She felt her elder cousin was about to make a ruthless move.
Indeed, that evening Bai Chu Fan showed his cold-hearted side. He not only took away Luo Xueli's power to manage finances but also personally handed over the money and the child to his mother.
"Chu Fan, I really know I was wrong. Please give me back the child."
Bai Chu Fan directly pushed away Luo Xueli, who was grabbing him, displaying the ultimate ruthlessness of a man turning his back.
"Luo Xueli, I'll escort you out of the house myself right now. You can live with your parents from now on."
"No, I'm not going back. I'll never go back again."
"Tch~~, Luo Xueli, look how hypocritical you are. You know it's not the time to go out, yet you insisted on going. You just wanted to prove your filial piety, right? But I only said one sentence, and you immediately abandoned your father and said you'd never go back. You're such a contradictory and brainless person.
Now it's fine. You're free. Don't even think about seeing the child again. I'm afraid if he's exposed to you for too long, he'll become brainless."
Luo Xueli immediately knelt down, hugging Bai Chu Fan's leg, tears streaming down her face. Bai Chu Fan felt true regret for the first time, truly regretting it. Such a woman was utterly unsuitable for him.
"Chu Fan, I'll be good, I'll really be good. I'll seriously listen to everything you teach me from now on, remember it well, and never make a mistake again. Don't leave me. I only have you. If you don't want me, it's like taking my life."
Bai Chu Fan knew Luo Xueli was persistent about him. What she was saying now was true; if he left her, she would surely die.
The mother of his child, a brainless but deeply loving woman. Bai Chu Fan took a deep breath, squatted in front of Luo Xueli, and pinched her face.
"Luo Xueli. Remember that you have offended everyone in the family now. From now on, you must learn to be cautious and also learn how to stand tall as my woman, Bai Chu Fan's woman, instead of crying and being annoying every day.
You will move to the small room in the back courtyard for a while. Come out only when you've truly thought things through. Otherwise, I truly don't mind finding a new mother for the child."
Luo Xueli obediently packed her things and prepared to go down. As she opened the door, Bai Chu Fan spoke again.
"Luo Xueli, do you know why the Bai family is harmonious?"
Luo Xueli obediently shook her head.
"Because the men of the Bai family never divorce or take concubines, ensuring that all children are born to the same mother. Do you know what will happen to our son if I divorce you and remarry?"
Luo Xueli shook her head blankly again.
"If I remarry, our son will be sent away. He cannot stay with my new wife, and he can never return to the Bai family."
Luo Xueli's luggage dropped to the floor. She had never imagined that if she couldn't stay with the Bai family, her son couldn't either.
"Chu Fan, I was really wrong. Don't leave me. I will work hard to be a good wife and mother, and I will strive to be the kind of wife you want. Give me another chance."
Bai Chu Fan sighed. He didn't want to admit he had failed.
"Luo Xueli, this is the last chance. If you can't do it, I will personally send the child away, to a place no one can ever find."
Luo Xueli quickly wiped the tears from her face and nodded desperately.
In fact, Bai Chu Fan wasn't lying to Luo Xueli. The Bai family truly had such an ancestral rule, which had been maintained for five generations.
The incident happened to Bai's maternal grandfather's grandfather. At that time, Old Master Bai had an outside mistress, who was beautiful and had given him two sons.
When Old Master Bai's wife found out, she sent people to capture them and brought them home. In front of the entire family, she dealt with the one adult and two children. Old Master Bai was also angry and hit his wife, but this brought a catastrophic disaster to the Bai family.
Old Master Bai's wife was a fiery woman who couldn't tolerate any impurities. The person who had been pampered since childhood took their only son and set the entire Bai family ablaze.
From then on, the Bai family had an ancestral rule, and it was the only one. When marrying, one could not divorce or separate from their wife, nor could they take concubines or keep outside mistresses. If it was the wife's fault, then even her children would be eliminated.
Old Master Bai's only son, who had suffered greatly since childhood, remembered this point. Furthermore, he was raised by an extremist mother, so he also hated women who destroyed families. As a result, the men of the Bai family to this day dare not violate this rule.
Bai Chu Fan never expected that the Bai family's ancestral rule would be broken by him one day, but he truly didn't want to, nor did he want to give up a woman and lose his own flesh and blood.
Because they saw the state of their eldest brother's marriage, the remaining brothers of the Bai family dared not marry easily. It was better to live alone than to find a troublesome wife.
Bai Mama was truly furious. She felt Luo Xueli would affect her son's destiny as the Bai family's heir.
Even the most harmonious family would want to prove their capabilities. Her son had known since childhood what he needed to do and how to strive. If the old man and old lady stopped letting her son manage the household because of Luo Xueli, how sad would her son be?
"Don't overthink it now. At worst, if it truly comes to that, let Chu Fan remain unmarried. One son is enough, and we still have Chu Mo."
Bai Mama glared at her husband. He spoke too easily. Could her son live his entire life as a bachelor?
"Easy for you to say. I'd rather send my grandson away than have my son live a monk's life. Can he manage without someone to care for him?"
But soon, even if they wanted the third son, Bai Chu Mo, to have more children, they couldn't, because the country had implemented the one-child policy. The remaining brothers in the Bai family each had only one child.
Time passed quickly, and the country introduced many policies to promote national development.
Within a year, the Bai family could openly move back to their old residence.
The country also officially announced the resumption of the college entrance examination, causing an uproar across the nation. Many educated youths who had gone to the countryside desperately wanted to return to the cities, which also led to many families being separated.
Sun Fangni finally became pregnant and was taking care of the newly opened restaurant near their home, collecting money daily and caressing the life growing within her belly.
Another six months later, the Bai family's trading company reopened. Ye Mama also boldly bought a lot of land, planning to build housing and factories, as well as the pharmaceutical factory and skincare company her beloved daughter secretly managed.
Ye Shenge even met her fourth maternal uncle, whom the Bai family had never seen before. He had brought a stylish foreign wife and two doll-like mixed-race children.
Ye Shenge saw her maternal grandmother's face twist and contort. She could only silently pity her fourth maternal uncle, who was still presenting gifts to everyone.
"Shen'ge, my dear niece, come let Fourth Uncle hug you."
Bai Fourth Uncle had learned many foreign customs abroad, like hugging and embracing.
Zi Yisheng, having received a good education, still mentally noted Bai Fourth Uncle's behavior.
Ye Shenge returned home with a pile of paper contracts, almost dazed and disbelieving.
Zi Yisheng looked at his wife's appearance and could only take the file bag and read through it.
"Five percent of X Company's shares, ten percent of Y Company's shares, ownership of a street, two manors, two villas, two farms..."
Zi Yisheng rubbed his temples as he put down the documents. He felt like he was his wife's biggest obstacle, because she couldn't personally manage or visit anything here.
Zi Yisheng put his arm around his wife and pressed his face against hers.
"I'm sorry, wife. I'm preventing you from doing as you please."
Only then did Ye Shenge snap back to reality and immediately understood what her husband had meant.
"What are you talking about? I was just shocked by Fourth Uncle's grand gestures. Besides, with my health, how could I do as I please?"
It was impossible for Ye Shenge to say she had no regrets. She hadn't had the chance to travel and see the world in either of her lives. But then again, it was fate.
Who could stop her from living a magnificent life within the country? As the wife of Leader Zi, she had already reached the pinnacle of life. So, she felt no regret.
Moreover, she had two children. She personally took her elder son to kindergarten every day, told stories to the children at night, and had no financial worries. Wasn't this the greatest happiness for a woman?
However, Zi Yisheng set a goal and deadline for himself, waiting to give his wife a surprise.
That same evening, Bai Fourth Uncle was secretly summoned. Bai's maternal grandmother immediately resorted to family punishment.
"What did you promise before you left? You insisted on marrying a foreign woman when I told you not to. It makes me and your wife and grandson communicate with gestures. Do you want me to suffocate with frustration?"
Bai Fourth Uncle quickly knelt and hugged his old mother's thigh, not forgetting to wink at his father for help. But Bai's father also took off his shoes and held them in his hand.
"Mom, marrying a foreign wife is also to expand the Bai family's business."
Well, that was like poking a hornet's nest. The small whip in Bai's maternal grandmother's hand swung with great force.
"Does my Bai family need to sell sons to make money? I'll beat you to death for tarnishing my Bai family's reputation. Speak, did you become a live-in son-in-law? I'll cripple you so you can't go out and embarrass us, even if I keep you."
"Ouch, Mom, I really didn't become a live-in son-in-law. Besides, people abroad don't even know what a live-in son-in-law is."
In the end, Bai Fourth Uncle was dragged away from the old couple's room by his elder and second brothers, scaring his wife into calling the police.
The Bai family was in chaos for several days, and the two little foreign children also caused many jokes.
Finally, Bai Fourth Uncle signed many, many "unequal and humiliating" letters of guarantee before he was allowed to tend to his injuries.