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

Chapter 67 You are upright and noble, even if you're eating the northwest wind.

Before Li Ruru could speak, several students had already arrived at their stall.

Standing at the front, Chen Jinbang said expressionlessly, "Give me 15 servings of konjac tofu."

Chen Jinbang had no desire to eat konjac tofu, nor did he want to support his former aunt's business.

But out of pride, he still spoke up.

In the past, Li Ruru would go through fire and water to get him anything he asked for.

Although she is now divorced from her third uncle, he is still his nephew.

She didn't have a son either, so after she died, she still needed him to break the basin for her.

In the village, when an elderly person passes away, on the day of the funeral, the male descendants of the family will smash the earthenware pot containing burning paper money in the middle of the road.

The ritual of breaking the pot symbolizes the deceased's complete separation from their life in the mortal world, embarking on their journey to the underworld to begin a new "life".

In layman's terms, it means: "We're parting ways here. May you have a safe journey ahead."

The people of Chenjia Village valued this point highly, and Chen Jinbang believed that he could completely control Li Ruru based on this alone.

But Li Ruru replied expressionlessly, "Sorry, we're sold out."

Li Chaochao whispered, "Big cousin, why don't you go get something else to eat?"

She never understood why the Chen family, who disliked her mother and the three sisters so much, shouldn't they avoid them whenever they saw them?

Why do they keep coming to disturb their peaceful and beautiful days?

Seeing that Li Ruru was being unreasonable, Chen Jinbang said in a low voice, "Third Aunt, if you keep doing this, I won't break the basin for you after you die."

These words might have fooled the original owner, but Li Ruru found them utterly laughable.

Why worry about what happens after death when you're alive? Just live your life well while you're alive.

It's as if Chen Jinbang could be brought back to life just by breaking a basin.

Li Ruru clasped her hands and sneered, "Then I wish I could live to be a hundred years old and die after you. I'm just afraid you'll die without ever passing the imperial examination."

Li Ruru's voice grew louder and louder, and Chen Jinbang's expression became increasingly grim.

He couldn't afford to lose face in front of his classmates, so he took out a string of coins and threw it on the table.

"Third Aunt, no matter how much your konjac tofu costs, I'll pay double."

To save face, he was willing to pay money to avoid trouble.

Upon hearing that she would be paid double, Li Ruru's previously cold face immediately brightened, and she said, "Okay."

She opened the bucket lid, took out a few pieces of konjac tofu, and started cutting them.

Soon, Chen Jinbang got to eat Li Ruru's konjac tofu.

He finished it in one go, and then regretted that he ate too fast, making it seem like his aunt's konjac tofu was delicious.

"Is it good?" Li Ruru asked. "It's much better than the swill-like food your parents make, isn't it? Hahahaha."

Li Ruru didn't give him a chance to answer; she just kept laughing to herself.

Chen Jinbang shook his head in annoyance, but his classmates all disagreed with him.

"Delicious, so delicious."

"No wonder the magistrate's son loves this stuff; it's really delicious."

Li Ruru was secretly shocked. The magistrate's son had actually eaten her konjac tofu?!
When did this happen? How come she didn't know? What did that magistrate's son look like?
Her small stall business rarely attracts many well-dressed customers.

Several students ate one bowl and then asked for a second. Li Ruru didn't have time to think too much and was busy cutting konjac tofu.

After everyone had almost finished eating, Li Chaochao went to collect the bowls one by one. Li Peipei walked up to Chen Jinbang and held out her hand, saying, "Pay up."

"How much is it in total?" Chen Jinbang asked with a dark face.

"90 coins." "That expensive? Why don't you just rob us?" Chen Jinbang exclaimed.

Li Peipei scoffed, "If you can't afford it, you don't have to eat. What's with all this talk about paying double? Chen Jinbang, you're not trying to freeload, are you?"

Li Peipei's voice was loud, and several students nearby heard it.

Young Master Chu asked, puzzled, "Aren't you family? Why do you need money?"

Chen Jinbang noticed that Li Peipei's originally dark and thin face had actually gained some flesh and become a bit whiter.

It seems that Third Aunt is doing quite well after the divorce, so she probably won't turn against him for a mere 90 coins.

“Peidi, we’re all family. I didn’t bring enough money. I’ll pay you next time.”

As he got up to leave, Li Peipei grabbed his arm.

Without any politeness, he said, "Chen Jinbang, your surname is Chen and my surname is Li. What kind of family are we?"

Also, my name isn't Pei-di, it's Li Pei-pei.

Young Master Chu, who was fanning himself, exclaimed in surprise, "Chen Jinbang, aren't you family?"

Li Ruru smiled and said, "Of course not, we're just from one village, that's all."

"Then why did he say that?" Young Master Chu asked, puzzled.

Li Ruru shrugged, "Probably, maybe, just to freeload."

After saying that, she glanced coldly at the students and said, "Tsk tsk tsk, are all students like this nowadays? They've wasted their education."

Young Master Chu's face turned pale upon hearing this, "How much?"

"90 Wen."

He took out a tael of silver from his pocket and placed it on the table. "Keep the change. We scholars never eat for free."

After saying that, he glared at Chen Jinbang, then turned and left.

Chen Jinbang stood frozen in place, thinking to himself: It's over, it's over, his career is over!

Young Master Chu is the headmaster's son, and he is a very popular figure in the entire academy.

The headmaster is the dean of an academy. Since most academies are built in the mountains and forests, the dean, as an elder, leads the students to explore and seek knowledge in the mountains and forests of knowledge, hence the name headmaster.

If the headmaster's son looks down on Chen Jinbang, others will also ostracize and isolate him.

If he can't get along with his classmates, how will he survive in the officialdom in the future?

Chen Jinbang thought about a lot of things, automatically ignoring the possibility that he might not pass the exam.

Seeing that the headmaster's son had already walked far away, Chen Jinbang slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"Li, what do you mean? It's just 90 coins. It's not like I'm refusing to give it to you. Why are you being so aggressive?"

Li Ruru chuckled, "It's just 90 coins, and I haven't seen you pay it. Do you expect me to treat you like a god just because you're freeloading?"

Chen Jinbang thought to himself: That's right, you used to be like this, so why can't you do it now?
"Li, you divorced woman, you're so stingy, you reek of money."

Looking at the angry Chen Jinbang, Li Ruru felt both amused and bewildered.

"If you're not stingy, then why didn't you pay me earlier? Did you not want to pay, or did you simply not have the money?"

She shook the money pouch in her hand again, brought it to her nose and smelled it, saying with a look of rapture, "Hmm, this smell of money is so pleasant. You are so upright, you'd be noble even if you were eating the northwest wind."

"Get out of the way, I'm going to make money, a good dog doesn't block the way."

Just then, Xiao Yishan drove over in an oxcart. The group loaded their things onto the cart and drove off, leaving Chen Jinbang standing there in a daze.

The oxcart drove onto the main street, but was blocked by the crowd.

Li Ruru jumped off the oxcart and grabbed a woman, asking, "Auntie, what happened up ahead? Why is the road completely blocked?"

(End of this chapter)