Divorce with three kids? I'll build a house and eat meat, driving my in-laws crazy.

Chapter 141 You're the one who's so engrossed in pleasure that you don't want to leave your homeland, are you?

Magistrate Chu said with a dark face, "You still know how to come back? Do you even care about me as your father?"

Seeing that the master was angry, the clerk quickly said to Chu Xiu, "Young master, you two chat, I have to go and get busy."

He wanted to get away from this troublesome place; he didn't want to upset the master here.

Xiao Wu placed the two baskets on the large table, cupped his hands, and said, "Master, young master, I'll take my leave now."

Chu Xiu waved his hand, and Xiao Wu ran off in a flash.

Only the teacher and the magistrate remained in the room. Magistrate Chu said, "I'm asking you a question. Are you mute?"

He pointed to the basket and asked, "What is this?"

Why is it still leaking? It's made the table dirty.

Chu Xiu stepped forward and carefully opened the basket, saying, "These are all dried goods... Aunt Li asked me to bring them back."

As he spoke, he introduced the product with a gentle expression: "I even shot an arrow at this pig while it was being smoked, and half of its eyebrow was burned off."

Magistrate Chu noticed that his eyebrows were fine, even somewhat handsome, without a single stray hair.

She was even angrier. "You've even learned to lie? How could I have given birth to such a good-for-nothing son like you?"

Not only is he bad at studying, but he's also a bad person. How can he face his wife in the afterlife?

Chu Xiu's expression stiffened. He silently put away the basket and asked, "Father, what do you want to see me about?"

"What's wrong? I thought you were so happy you forgot about home that you didn't even know your own surname anymore."

Last time, he only said a few extra words, and this unfilial son has been away from home for more than a month.

He's young, but he has quite a temper.

Chu Xiu retorted angrily, "What do you mean by 'being so happy you don't want to go home'? You're the one who's so happy you don't want to go home! Aren't your cousin and Ai Lian with you every day?"

With them around, why would he go home? He'd just be making things harder for himself.

It's better to stay at my godmother's house, help her with more chores, and earn more money.

Out of sight, out of mind; let his dad do whatever he wants.

"Can't you learn from Yu'er? Even Ai Lian cares about your father more than you do as his son."

Chu Xiu completely lost his patience and shouted, "Father, what's wrong? If not, I'm going back."

"Go back? Where are you going back to? This is your home!"

Chu Xiu didn't respond. This so-called home was more like his cousin Ailian's and his father's home, and had nothing to do with him.

He picked up the basket and walked out, thinking that it should be enough time to go back to his godmother's house now.

He kicked the door open, only to find two rows of constables standing outside.

The leader smiled and said, "Young Master, are you going out so late?"

"Get out of the way, good dogs stay out of the way."

Magistrate Chu stood behind him with his hands clasped in a fist and said, "Without my order today, you are not to step out of the courtyard."

"Dad, what are you doing? Locking me up in solitary confinement?"

Chu Xiu frowned, trying to suppress his anger, and said, "Father, what's wrong? Can't we talk this out?"

Seeing that his son had calmed down, Magistrate Chu also calmed down a bit and said, "Come in first, and I'll explain it to you slowly."

The door closed, and the two sat down again at the large table, where the two baskets of things were still placed.

Magistrate Chu looked at the puddle of water and said, "I've arranged a marriage for you."

"What? What? Are you kidding me?" Chu Xiu slammed his fist on the table in a fit of rage.

"What are you yelling about? Don't you know that marriage is a major life event, and parents should make the decisions?"

Chu Xiu was furious and roared, "Then I have no right to know at all?"

That's a once-in-a-lifetime event, and his father made the decision without even consulting him—it's outrageous! The thought of facing a wife he doesn't like every day in the future fills him with rage. "Who is she? Which family's daughter is she?"

Magistrate Chu took a sip of tea and watched him helplessly lash out as if he were a clown.

You've been playing around for so many years, it's time to settle down, start a family, and build a career.

He said calmly, "She is Master Bai's eldest daughter, named Bai Lu. She is beautiful and a perfect match for you."

Upon hearing that it was Bai Lu, Chu Xiu suddenly smiled: "Father, I know Bai Lu, and I've met her. She doesn't like me and has already rejected the marriage proposal."

Magistrate Chu was taken aback; he hadn't received any news.

Bai Lu was his former sister-in-law's stepdaughter. He originally wanted to find a talented woman from an official family for his son, but unfortunately, his son was useless and no one else wanted him.

Helpless, he could only compromise and think that the Bai family had a large business, so his son would at least be able to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

Upon suddenly hearing that the Bai family had actually rejected his son, Magistrate Chu was furious: "She rejected me? What right does she have to reject me?"

Chu Xiu chuckled and reminded him, "Father, they're rejecting me, not you."

"I don't care, refusing you is the same as refusing me and our family."

He was a dignified county magistrate, yet he was looked down upon by a lowly merchant; it was utterly outrageous.

He disliked his son and belittled him every day, constantly criticizing him, but he wouldn't allow anyone else to say a bad word about his son.

Especially since the other party was the in-laws he had finally decided to befriend.

Chu Xiu said, "Father, were you deceived by my former aunt? Didn't she tell you that Bai Lu didn't want to?"

He had never liked Chu Yu's mother before, and gradually learned some things about her from his godmother. He concluded that it was all because of Xue Shi's interference.

"Impossible, she wouldn't do that." Magistrate Chu muttered to himself. When Madam Xue said she wanted to make a marriage alliance with his family, she spoke with such sincerity that she was practically offering him her heart.

Why didn't she tell Bai Lu when she refused?

"She...she probably didn't tell me because she was afraid of hurting my feelings, yeah, that must be it."

Magistrate Chu tried to justify himself, saying that his former sister-in-law was not such a clueless person.

Chu Xiu rolled his eyes and said, "Dad, just stop trying to get your hands on Bai Lu."

"What do you mean I'm making advances on her? You child, why are you saying such hurtful things? I'm only doing this for your own good!"

"If you really care about me, you should respect my decision. I said I won't get married."

He paused, then added, "At least not now, not with Bai Lu."

Magistrate Chu was too preoccupied with his own anger to pay any attention to the meaning behind his son's words. He simply waved his hand irritably and said, "Alright, alright, I'm not going to bother with you anymore."

"Okay." Chu Xiu happily picked up the basket and kicked the door open again.

This time, there were no two rows of constables outside the gate; they had all hidden under the eaves.

A torrential downpour began without warning.

Magistrate Chu beckoned to him and said, "Come back first, I have something else to tell you."

Chu Xiu sighed. The rain was too heavy and the night was too deep; it was no longer a good time to go back to his godmother's house.

Not only is the road difficult to travel, but it will probably be midnight by the time I get home.

His godmother will definitely boil water for him to bathe and remind him to change his clothes.

He didn't want to disturb everyone's rest, and he didn't want his godmother to run around for him.

He could only sigh and put the two baskets back on the table.

The father and son argued at the table, and then made up at the table.

Magistrate Chu took the initiative to speak, saying, "There's been a lead on the case of Butcher Hu that you asked me to investigate last time."

(End of this chapter)