Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

When Grandpa Liu sat down, his wrinkled face was smiling.

He swallowed hastily because he smelled the long-lost aroma of meat.

The table was covered with steaming dishes and had a rich aroma of wine.

He thought to himself, "The eldest son's family has really become rich. Look at this pomp and circumstance, even the banquets held by people in the town or the city don't have this kind of pomp."

The food was so plentiful—chicken, duck, fish, and meat—that it dazzled his old eyes.

These meat dishes are served generously, not just a few symbolic slices of meat.

The portion was generous, and the aroma of the osmanthus wine filled the nostrils.

He thought that if he hadn't broken off his kinship back then, he would be sitting in the main seat as an old man, receiving flattery from his neighbors, and enjoying the toasts and gifts from his groom, Liu Tiezhu.

The fourth son, Liu Tianbao, could also have a smoother career path thanks to the money paved by the eldest son's family.

If the eldest son's family were willing to spend some money to bribe some officials...

The fourth son has a better chance of passing the provincial examination this time.

It's a pity that the family separated and ties were severed later, and there's no use in regretting it now.

"Hey, isn't this Old Liu?"

What brings you here?

The villagers at the same table put down their chopsticks and shouted as loudly as if they were hawking their wares on the edge of a field.

People at the surrounding tables also turned their heads, their gazes sharp and intense, like needles piercing their eyes.

Grandpa Liu straightened his back, trying to put on an air of matter-of-fact: "I'm Da Niu's father and Tie Zhu's grandfather. What's wrong with coming to my grandson's wedding?"

There was a moment of silence after he said that.

Immediately, laughter erupted.

"Come on!"

Grandpa Liu.

"Who in the whole village doesn't know that Da Niu isn't a son of your Liu family at all?"

"Don't you two know how you've treated Da Niu all these years?"

How dare you say such things!

"Pah, shameless!"

Someone chimed in, "That's right!"

I saw with my own eyes how Granny Wang chased after Da Niu with a broom and beat the child. The child was covered in bruises. How old was he then?

"Seven or eight years old!"

"And his wife, who was pregnant, still had to work in the fields, while Wang Shi just sat on the edge of the field eating melon seeds and watching her, not letting her rest for a moment."

They beat and punished the couple, treating them like livestock!

"Now that you see others living a good life, you come running to claim you're their father. Where were you before?"

One sentence from you, one sentence from me, each sentence like a stone, making Old Man Liu's face turn pale and then red.

His hands, resting on his knees, trembled slightly, unsure of what to do.

He couldn't say he didn't know these things; he certainly did.

He was drinking tea in the main room when Wang was beating and scolding Da Niu, and he was watching from behind the window when Da Niu's wife was kneeling in the yard washing clothes.

He just felt that it didn't matter that the adopted child, the outsider, ate his family's food, wore his family's clothes, did some work, and was beaten.

But now, these words are being brutally laid bare by the villagers, exposed to the blazing sun.

He suddenly felt as if he had been stripped naked, and was filled with shame!

In the corner, Tao'er and Qingge huddled together, their shoulders hunched as they tried to suppress their laughter.

Qingge pinched Tao'er's palm and said in a low voice, "Girl, look at the old man's face, it's the same color as pig liver."

Tao'er pursed her lips, her eyes curving into crescents, but her smile was cool, like the thin ice on a river surface in early winter.

"I should have known better than to come," Old Master Liu muttered to himself.

If it weren't for his daughter Liu Jiaojiao pestering him to come, saying that he was still Da Niu's father, even if he wasn't related by blood, he could still come to the wedding banquet.

With so many guests, Da Niu and his family certainly wouldn't dare to kick them out in public.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he felt that the delicious food on the table suddenly didn't taste so good anymore!

He had no appetite at all.

The villagers' discussion continued, and someone shouted, "I heard that Old Liu has divorced Wang?"

Is it true or false?

Grandpa Liu, as if grasping at a straw, quickly said, "It's true!"

She did all those things; I... I really didn't know anything about it.

Now that I've divorced her, Da Niu certainly won't blame me anymore.

Otherwise, Tao Yatou wouldn't have asked Da Niu's wife to arrange for me to sit at the table for the banquet.

The food and drinks today are quite good, everyone please eat more.

He spoke very quickly, as if afraid of being interrupted, or perhaps speaking to himself. But as soon as he finished speaking, an even more intense wave of mockery came crashing down on him.

"Grandpa Liu, are you trying to fool a three-year-old?"

A dark-faced man slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"You've lived under the same roof as Wang for decades, you must know what she's capable of."

"Then wouldn't you be a dead man?"

"that is!

Wang is openly wicked, but you are hypocritical, pretending to be deaf and dumb!

"If you hadn't indulged her, would the Wang family have been so audacious?"

"Aren't you just biased towards your fourth son?"

By the way, how many times has your son Tianbao taken the test?

"He can't even pass the imperial examination; I think he's a complete waste!"

That last sentence was like a knife, precisely stabbing the softest spot in Old Master Liu's heart.

His vision went black, his ears were ringing, and his breathing became rapid.

Tianbao was his lifeblood, the only hope for the Liu family. He had spent most of his life betting all his face, all his savings, and all his favoritism on Tianbao.

Now, if someone says to his face that Tianbao is a good-for-nothing, it's a hundred times more painful than insulting him himself.

He suddenly stood up, the chair legs scraping against the ground with a screeching sound.

He wanted to argue back, to say something in defense of Tianbao, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't utter a single word.

The gazes around him were both piercing and burning. He suddenly felt like a monster being watched, his whole body itchy and aching, as if crawling with invisible insects.

Staggering, he pushed the chair aside and walked out.

He walked quickly, stumbling a bit, without even saying hello, as if a raging flood or ferocious beast was chasing him.

The sunlight shone directly on the threshold. He stumbled as he stepped out, nearly falling. He frantically grabbed at the air with his arm before barely managing to steady himself.

"Why did the old man leave us?"

Tao'er appeared in front of him at some point, looking at the old man with a half-smile.

"Not eating anymore?"

The villagers are just telling the truth, please don't take it to heart.

Besides, if you don't eat well this time, you might not have another chance.

Her words were polite, but there was a hint of mockery in her eyes.

Looking at her, Old Master Liu suddenly felt that this girl was a complete stranger.

When did that timid little girl who used to hide behind adults grow such sharp teeth?

He waved his hand, his voice hoarse: "Peach girl, I'm sorry... I have something to do, I have to go back now."

After saying that, he left almost as if he were fleeing.

A burst of laughter erupted behind him.

Qingge could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

She pointed to the old man's back and said, "Girl, look how fast Grandpa Liu is running!"

It seemed like there really was some ghost chasing him.

I think he's too ashamed to stay any longer.