Chapter 152

Chapter 152

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Xie Family opened the ancestral hall for the incense offering and kowtow ceremony.

The family genealogy was read aloud, and the ancestral teachings were recited.

In addition, starting today, Xie An’s name would officially be removed from the genealogy.

Xie An would no longer be Xie An. From this day forward, there would no longer be a person called Xie An in the Xie Family.

The ancestral hall was packed with people, most of them unfamiliar faces. As the eldest grandson’s wife, Xia Wanzhi stood fairly close to the front. A crowd of people stood behind her, and their gazes seemed to fall on her.

Those gazes burned like the height of summer, yet also felt as chilly as the first lunar month.

This was Xia Wanzhi’s first time meeting these collateral relatives of the Xie Family. Forget her not knowing them-even Xie Qiyan, the Xie Family Head, had never heard of them.

Xie Qiyan had spent too long abroad, and he had always held the Xie Family in contempt. After returning to take over the Xie Corporation, every method he used had been terrifying enough to make people pale at the mere mention of it. Even if these distant Xie relatives wanted to curry favor with him, they could never find the opportunity.

Everyone knew he had no patience for anyone in the Xie Family except Xie Tan.

After they left the ancestral hall, Xie Tan clung tightly to Xia Wanzhi’s hand. Perhaps because she had witnessed with her own eyes the Old Master striking Xie An’s name from the genealogy, she was unusually quiet and dispirited.

Putting everything else aside, Xia Wanzhi knew there had been real sibling affection between Xie Tan and Xie An.

“What are you thinking about?” Xia Wanzhi did not follow the main group. Instead, she secretly led Xie Tan back toward the South Courtyard. The Xie Family placed great importance on rules, but compared to observing those rules, she cared more about Xie Tan’s feelings.

With so many people around earlier, Xie Tan had only kept her face taut and expressionless. Now, on the empty road back to the South Courtyard, the ten-year-old girl could no longer hold it in. Tears came pouring down her face.

Xia Wanzhi stopped and gently pulled her into her arms.

“Before Big Brother came back, only Fourth Brother was good to me. When Dad and Little Stepmother scolded me, only Fourth Brother helped me…”

“But Fourth Brother isn’t Fourth Brother.”

“Sister Wanzi, I don’t have a Fourth Brother anymore…” Xie Tan sobbed, still trying hard to hold herself back on the principle that one should not cry during the New Year.

But her tears would not listen.

Xia Wanzhi gently patted Xie Tan’s back to help her catch her breath, her lips pressed together in silence.

This was the truth. She had no comforting words she could offer Xie Tan.

Xie Tan knew it in her heart too. She only cried for a little while before stopping. “I won’t ever see Fourth Brother again, right?”

Xia Wanzhi held her hand and walked forward at an unhurried pace. Only after a long while did she nod. “Probably. Hou Mengqiu likely won’t bring him back.”

Xie An was not a descendant of the Xie Family. After the matter had fermented online, probably half of Beicheng knew.

Only Xie An himself did not know.

And Hou Mengqiu would not let him know either.

In the end, it was still the child who paid the price for the adults’ mistakes.

Xie Tan replied in a muffled voice, “Got it.”

They had not even said goodbye.

The two of them stayed in the South Courtyard and ate half a bag of candy before finally dispelling the gloom. Just as they were about to tidy themselves up and adjust their moods before heading to the Front Courtyard, Xie Qiyan called.

“Is Xie Tan done crying?” Xie Qiyan hit the mark the moment he opened his mouth.

Xia Wanzhi was surprised. “How did you know Xie Tan cried?”

Xie Qiyan sighed softly. “Children can’t hide anything on their faces. I guessed. Once she’s cried enough, bring yourself back. Otherwise, I’ll be the one crying.”

“What are you so anxious for? As the head of the family, shouldn’t you be busy entertaining all those aunts and relatives? You’re a grown man, yet you stick to my sister-in-law every single day.” Xie Tan was unconvinced. Ever since these two had gotten together, she had had fewer chances to hang out with Xia Wanzhi. Since she was in a bad mood right now and Xie Qiyan probably would not hold it against her, she seized the opportunity to unload on him.

“Your sister-in-law?” Xie Qiyan laughed in exasperation and bickered with her over the phone. “Your sister-in-law is my wife. What nonsense are you spouting, little squirt? Since when am I not allowed to stick to my own wife? Hurry up and send her back to me.”

This whole group of collateral Xie relatives was boring as could be. Without his wife by his side, his anger level would only keep shooting up.

Especially toward Xie Nan.

After hanging up, Xie Tan wrinkled her forehead and complained, “Is he still my big brother? How can one person be this shameless? And he actually called me little squirt? Is he already mocking my height this blatantly now…”

Xia Wanzhi was used to it. She pushed Xie Tan out by the shoulders and very skillfully cursed along with her. “Exactly, exactly. He’s not even acting human.”

Xie Tan felt much better. “He was never human to begin with. He’s the living King of Hell.”

Xia Wanzhi said, “Yes, yes…”

When they returned to the Front Courtyard, Xia Wanzhi was just about to stand beside Xie Qiyan when the Old Master called her over in a raised voice. The Old Master introduced her one-sidedly, saying only, “This is Ayan’s wife.”

The eldest grandson’s wife of the Xie Family, and also the wife of the Head of the Xie Family.

There were too many relatives. The Old Master did not require Xia Wanzhi to know them. What he wanted was for everyone in the Xie Family to know Xia Wanzhi from this day onward, and to know that Xia Wanzhi was one of the Xie Family.
After the introductions, it wasn’t long before people began coming up one after another, addressing her by all sorts of titles. Xia Wanzhi didn’t know any of them, so she simply smiled and nodded.

The main hall was unbearably noisy. Xia Wanzhi suddenly understood why Xie Qiyan had been so eager to summon her back.

To Xie Qiyan, these people were no different from strangers. No one in the Xie Family had ever welcomed him before, and now he had no reason to welcome them for no reason either.

New Year’s was supposed to be lively, but it had to be a happy kind of lively.

This, perhaps, was no different from socializing in Xie Qiyan’s eyes.

At least when it came to social engagements, he could still force himself to put on a good face. But at this moment, Xia Wanzhi could sense that Xie Qiyan’s patience was gradually running out.

After lunch, the crowd didn’t finish trickling out until almost evening. In more than twenty years of life, Xia Wanzhi had never seen so many relatives before. She took a deep breath, linked arms with Xie Qiyan, and was just about to leave the Xie Family estate when the Old Master called him away halfway.

Xia Wanzhi and Xie Tan looked at each other. Since they had nothing else to do, Xia Wanzhi suggested, “Want to go see your little sister?”

Xie Tan shrugged and led the way for Xia Wanzhi. As they walked, she said, “There’s nothing to see. I already looked. She’s ugly.”

Xia Wanzhi teased, “You weren’t good-looking when you were just born either.”

“But I’m good-looking now.” The little girl had a very clear understanding of her own beauty.

Xia Wanzhi laughed. “Yes, yes, our little Tan is a beauty who could make fish sink, geese fall, the moon hide, and flowers blush.”

“Aaaah, stop saying that…” Xie Tan was so embarrassed by the teasing that she squirmed.

They passed through the corridor and were about to reach Third Uncle Xie’s North Courtyard when the two, who had been chasing and playing around, stopped at the same time upon hearing a sharp, vicious voice cursing.

Xie Nan was speaking to Xie Lin with shameless confidence. “I don’t believe for a second that you’re not jealous of Xie Qiyan.”

Xie Lin snorted. “What would I be jealous of?”

“Jealous that he married a woman with a powerful background. Honestly, if Xie Qiyan hadn’t come back, that position at Xie Corporation would have been yours sooner or later. As for Xia Wanzhi, she and I got along pretty well when we were kids. If Zhou Yu hadn’t been such a bootlicker, clinging to her like a damn plaster all the time, I would’ve made a move on her ages ago…”

Someone slammed a fist hard into a pillar in the corridor. Xie Tan poked her head out, looking fierce and murderous. “You. Are. Done!”

Xia Wanzhi, on the other hand, didn’t show much expression. She walked out calmly, not even bothering to acknowledge the flash of panic in Xie Nan’s eyes before he forced himself to stay composed and put on a smile.

“Sister-in-law, don’t be angry. Third Brother just had a little too much to drink…” Xie Lin explained for him.

Xie Nan immediately pretended to be drunk and nodded along. “Right, right, right!”

Xia Wanzhi pressed back a smile. “How exactly were you going to make a move, Third Brother? Don’t leave. It’s New Year’s-let’s have a nice chat.”

Xie Nan didn’t dare make a sound. “…”

Xia Wanzhi approached unhurriedly, loosening her wrist, her expression still perfectly harmless.

Xie Nan swallowed. “Sister-in-law, I-”

“Smack-” The crisp slap sounded far more pleasant than the earlier racket in the Front Courtyard’s main hall.

Clear and ringing.

“Tsk.” Xia Wanzhi rubbed her tingling palm. “That hurt a little.”

Xie Tan’s mouth was wide enough to fit an egg. It took her a long moment to react before she burst into applause.

Xia Wanzhi’s gaze was indifferent as she warned, “Since you called me sister-in-law, then as your sister-in-law, it’s only right and proper for me to teach you a lesson, isn’t it?”

Xie Nan covered his face, which had quickly reddened and now bore a handprint, while suppressing his anger. “Sister-in-law is right to teach me.”

“Watch your mouth. I’m rather delicate these days and can’t stand being wronged. If I hear something I shouldn’t hear again, I may not bother using my own hands next time.” Xia Wanzhi sighed softly, then laughed. “Lately, I’ve taken a liking to tattling. As for whether I tattle to Grandfather or to Xie Qiyan, that’ll depend on my mood.”

No matter which one she told, the lesson Xie Nan received would not be any lighter than today’s slap.

Xie Nan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he glanced at Xie Lin, who had remained silent the entire time.

“Xie Tan, let’s go. The feng shui here is bad.” Xia Wanzhi reached out to Xie Tan, who immediately perked up and came forward to hold her hand with both of hers, blowing gently on her aching palm.

When they returned to the South Courtyard, Xie Tan saw Xie Qiyan and immediately launched into an animated, vivid retelling of Xia Wanzhi’s heroic feat.

Xie Qiyan gave a half-smile. “Didn’t you say hitting people during New Year’s was unlucky?”

Xia Wanzhi answered with perfect confidence, “That slap sounded pretty lucky to me.”

Xie Qiyan looked thoughtful. “By that logic, there should be a little blood. It’d be even more festive.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

“Ahem. Don’t be impulsive.” Xia Wanzhi tried to advise him.

Xie Qiyan remained unmoved.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, there were still many people coming to the Xie Family to pay their New Year’s visits.

Xie Nan stood conspicuously among the crowd with a swollen, split-open face.

Xia Wanzhi took a deep breath and finally witnessed firsthand the legendary cruelty of Xie the King of Hell.