Chapter 172 - 71: Dad, Mom, I Want to Separate the Family
Hearing this, Aunt Zhang was about to sing the rooster’s praises, but before she could open her mouth, Jie Jingchen poured the chicken soup into an empty bowl and pushed it in front of her. Her eyes widened. "Jing Si, what is the meaning of this?"
"Aunt Zhang, my wife was being inconsiderate, wasting all your effort. I’m here to apologize. Let’s treat this soup as wine for a toast. You wouldn’t refuse, would you, Aunt Zhang? Unless... there’s really something wrong with this soup." Jie Jingchen spoke apologetically, but his voice was terrifyingly cold.
Aunt Zhang froze, feeling the agony of being held over a fire. ’If it were only my own spit in the soup, I’d just drink it and not feel sick. But Xu Chunyan’s spit is in there too, and we even added something more disgusting.’
Xu Chunyan breathed a sigh of relief. ’As long as they don’t force me to drink it, I don’t care if Aunt Zhang is sacrificed.’
However, there was no way Jie Jingchen was going to let her off the hook. A firm believer that everyone should get their fair share, he placed the remaining half a bowl of chicken soup in front of Xu Chunyan. "Second Sister-in-law, this is for you."
For Xu Chunyan, Jie Jingchen offered no pleasantries, nor any words of apology. He couldn’t be bothered to waste a single extra word on her.
Qin Mei smiled. ’Leave it to Jie Jingchen.’ She had only wanted to gross out Xu Chunyan, not make Aunt Zhang drink it. While she had ways to ensure Xu Chunyan couldn’t refuse, she had no method to make Aunt Zhang get a taste of her own medicine.
In this situation, neither Mrs. Xie nor Mr. Xie would intervene. Jie Jinghun and Shen Qing were content to watch coldly from the sidelines. Jie Jingwei knew Xu Chunyan well enough to be certain the soup had been spiked. He was racking his brain for an excuse to save his wife when Jing Qi spoke up.
"Aunt Zhang, Second Sister-in-law, there couldn’t really be a problem with the soup, could there?" Jie Jingshan asked.
Hearing Jing Qi’s form of address for Aunt Zhang, Mrs. Xie’s eyes flickered. ’Jing Qi always used to call her an affectionate "Auntie." When did she switch to the more formal "Aunt Zhang"?’ Mrs. Xie thought back. ’It seems it was the second year after Jing Qi’s accident.’
Suppressing her rage, Aunt Zhang forced her smile to widen. "How could there possibly be a problem with it?"
’I can’t admit there’s a problem with the soup, not even on my deathbed. Once I admit it, they’ll know I tampered with the food, and Qiao Yanqiu will definitely seize the opportunity to send me back to the countryside. I’ve lived in the city for more than twenty years and am completely used to it. I couldn’t bear going back to a rural village now.’
For the sake of staying in the city, for her comfortable life, and to prove her innocence, Aunt Zhang steeled herself, grit her teeth, and raised the bowl of soup to her lips. But just as she was about to drink, she hesitated.
Under the varied gazes of everyone present, Aunt Zhang squeezed her eyes shut and downed the entire bowl of soup.
Xu Chunyan stared blankly as Aunt Zhang actually drank it. A wave of nausea hit her, and her stomach churned. She didn’t dare throw up, doing her best to suppress the roiling in her gut.
"Second Sister-in-law," Jie Jingchen prompted.
"I... I don’t really like chicken soup," Xu Chunyan said with an awkward laugh. ’Aunt Zhang might have the guts to drink it, but I certainly don’t.’
"I like chicken soup! I’ll drink it!" Having finished gnawing on a chicken leg, Jie You reached his small, chubby, greasy hands toward the soup bowl in front of Xu Chunyan.
Seeing her son about to drink it, Xu Chunyan acted without a second thought. She grabbed the bowl and downed the soup in one gulp. It had been sitting for a bit, but it was still scalding. She didn’t feel the heat, however—only a profound sense of nausea.
A mother’s love is a powerful thing, and Xu Chunyan was no exception.
Aunt Zhang had forced herself to drink the disgusting concoction because she wanted to remain with the Jie Family; Xu Chunyan had done it for Jie You.
They were so nauseated they wanted to throw up, but they didn’t dare let it show. They had to use all their willpower to suppress even the slightest gag.
No one at the table was a fool. The bizarre behavior of Aunt Zhang and Xu Chunyan made it clear there was something wrong with the soup. It was simply an unspoken understanding among everyone else.
Qin Mei was satisfied and ready to withdraw, but Jie Jingchen took her hand. She looked up at his profile. Qin Jingchen’s face was perfect; even from the side, it was captivating enough to steal one’s soul.
Jie Jingchen turned to Mr. and Mrs. Xie, his gaze deep and his expression serious. "Dad, Mom, I want to separate our households."
Those few words sent a shockwave through the room.
Even the third brother and his wife, who had been watching with detachment, couldn’t hide their shock. With the exception of Jie Jingchen and the clueless little Jie You, everyone else held their breath and fixed their gaze on Mr. Xie.
Although Mr. Xie was the director of the machinery factory and lived in a separate unit with his wife and children, he was still old-fashioned. He expected his children to love and look out for one another, and for the entire extended family to live together in harmony.
"Separate the households? Absolutely impossible," Mr. Xie stated, his words slow and deliberate.
"I. Want. To. Separate," Jie Jingchen repeated, enunciating each word. His tone was just as unyielding.