Chapter 49: The Eldest Uncle Has Arrived

"How dare you!" Song Jianshe maintained his final stubbornness. "As long as I don't agree, you can't change it."

"You'll be begging me to change it." Wen Ran had plenty of ways to handle him. "As long as I am registered in the Song family's household registry, you people will never have a moment of peace. I'm giving you a chance—unless you call off the engagement with the Gao family, the day I marry over there will be the day the Song family is ruined!"

Song Jianshe: *(－＂－angry)*

Wen Ran put away the scissors and strode away.

She wasn't afraid of a sneak attack from behind; she had already figured out his petty nature thoroughly!

Even if you gave him ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to strike.

A minute after she stepped outside, the sound of things smashing came from inside the room.

She curved her lips into a smile.

Someone who was only capable of bullying his own family—now he couldn't even act tough at home, left with no choice but to seethe in anger by himself!

Just making him seethe wasn't enough; she was going to make him spit out everything he had swallowed.

Walking and pondering, she had gone only a few steps when she happened to run into Su Hongyu swaying her waist as she came out.

"Wen Ran, came to see your dad? Did your dad mention the engagement with the Gao family to you?"

Wen Ran kept it concise and to the point. "Why did you introduce me to the Gao family?"

Su Hongyu, not yet knowing that Song Jianshe had fallen out with her, smiled and said, "The Gao family is of high status, has high standards, and offers a high bride price. What's wrong with introducing you to the Gao family?"

Wen Ran sneered. "Gao Yonghui is an idiot!"

Su Hongyu's smile froze on her face. "Who did you hear that from?"

Wen Ran retorted, "You introduced me to an idiot—what on earth are you plotting?"

"What am I plotting? It was your dad who asked me to introduce you to a family offering a high bride price!" Su Hongyu quickly absolved herself. "I'm really working hard and getting no thanks!"

"I'd say you've gotten plenty of benefits!" Wen Ran deliberately bluffed her. "He already said it—just your hush money alone was two hundred!"

"He's full of crap, I only received eighty!" Su Hongyu blurted out. "The Gao family gave six hundred and eighty, plus five grain coupons and five meat coupons. Even if I wanted a hundred, it wouldn't be much. He even told me to keep it a secret, but I never expected him to blurt it out himself. How could he be such a person!"

Wen Ran experienced a sudden flash of enlightenment. So it was six hundred and eighty, plus grain and meat coupons!

She continued to stir the pot. "Eighty isn't much. Considering the effort you put into finding an idiot for me, it's easily worth three-eighty!"

"Stop saying idiot left and right! Do you know what kind of people the Gao family are? Never mind, I'm going right now to ask your dad!" Not daring to say any more, and furious that Song Jianshe said one thing and did another, Su Hongyu bypassed Wen Ran and walked quickly toward him.

***

Wen Ran didn't leave immediately; she only departed with satisfaction after hearing shouting and cursing echo from Song Jianshe's room.

The more chaotic things were, the more advantageous it would be for her.

Calling off the engagement with the Gao family and completely severing ties with the Song family brooks no delay.

By dusk, Lu Meiqin had returned from her maiden family, accompanied by Wen Ran's eldest uncle, Lu Weidong.

Wen Ran gave a pleasant surprise cry, "Eldest Uncle."

"Ranran, I brought this back from cooking a banquet for someone else. Heat it up and eat it." Lu Weidong placed a braised pig's knuckle on the table.

Wen Ran warmly invited him to sit down and poured him a cup of water.

"Eldest Uncle, why did you come over in person?"

"With such a big matter happening, how could I not come!" Lu Weidong glanced around their current living conditions and couldn't help shaking his head. Heartache went without saying, and he wanted nothing more than to go give Song Jianshe a severe beating right then and there.

Upon learning of his sister's divorce, he hadn't blamed her for not consulting her maiden family. If she had consulted them, he certainly would have agreed, and might have even brought the mother and daughter back to his own home.

This single-story house was simply too crude. It could pass when the weather wasn't cold, but it would probably let the wind in once winter arrived.

Sigh...

Lu Meiqin's eyes grew slightly moist, and her throat choked up. In times of crisis, the maiden family was still the most reliable backing.

"Big Brother, let's not talk about that for now. Have a sip of water first."

Lu Weidong couldn't drink; a breath of frustration was blocked in his chest.

That afternoon, after having Lu Meiqin wait at home, he had made a trip to the Gao family.

The Gao family liked the food he cooked, and he wanted to use his meager standing to help Wen Ran call off the engagement, but the Gao family flatly refused.

The Gao family had only one son, Gao Yonghui, and the marriage arrangements were entirely handled by Gao Yonghui's mother. Although the son had an intellectual disability, she doted on him excessively.

...

A high bride price wasn't something just any family could afford. Since the Gao family had settled on this match, they had no intention of calling it off.

A bride price of six hundred and eighty, plus five grain coupons and five meat coupons.

Collecting such a high bride price to sell a daughter without fearing retribution on their lifespan.

If only Gao Yonghui were somewhat normal, he wouldn't be this furious.

***

Looking at her poised and graceful niece, he pondered for a moment and said, "I'll go find Song Jianshe. I'll beat him until he calls off the engagement if I have to. He caused this mess, let him go talk to the Gao family!"

"Eldest Uncle, you don't need to go. I went to find him again this afternoon." Wen Ran did not hide it. "He probably wants me less to marry over there than we do."

"What do you mean? You went to find him by yourself?" Lu Meiqin walked around her in a circle, terrified that Song Jianshe might have flown into a rage and hit her.

Wen Ran hurriedly said, "Mom, don't worry, he didn't dare hit me!"

Lu Weidong asked curiously, "What did you just mean when you said he wanted you to marry over there even less?"

"I told him that if I am made to marry over there, I will have the Gao family destroy the Song family first..."

Wen Ran recounted the process of threatening Song Jianshe once more.

Lu Meiqin slapped her thigh and said, "Right, change your surname. When I got divorced, why didn't I think of changing your surname along with it? What a tactical blunder."

"Changing the surname is not enough; we must sever the father-daughter relationship with him." Lu Weidong thought further ahead. Such a father was nothing to be nostalgic about.

Wen Ran thought the same way; severing the father-daughter relationship was essential. She chimed in, "Uncle is right. Tomorrow I'll take a day off specifically to handle these matters."

"Ranran, getting into the hospital wasn't easy; you shouldn't take leave," Lu Weidong said rationally. "With your mother and me here, we'll definitely get things settled properly and won't let you suffer the slightest grievance."

Wen Ran's eyes turned red. "Eldest Uncle, it's too much trouble for you. You're busy every day too."

"I am your Eldest Uncle; no matter how busy I am, nothing is more important than your affairs." Lu Weidong valued family ties deeply. "Go to work with peace of mind, and don't worry about anything."

Lu Meiqin echoed, "Ranran, listen to your Eldest Uncle. Didn't you say Song Jianshe doesn't want you marrying into the Gao family? That makes things much easier! We can mediate the surname change and the severance of the father-daughter relationship."

Wen Ran had her own plans in mind and humored them with a few perfunctory words.

Lu Weidong discussed matters with Lu Meiqin for a long time before heading back in the dark.

At the same time, Shen Nanzheng was also racking his brains for a solution.

No matter how ordinary the Gao family wasn't, they still had weaknesses. Without his father stepping in, and without using the Shen family's influence, he could still handle it.

If he wanted the Gao family to call off the engagement, he had plenty of methods.

He stroked his chin, pacing back and forth in the room, and decided to pull the firewood from under the cauldron.

...

After staying up for most of the night to dig up some information related to the Gao family, he changed into civilian clothes and stepped out bright and early the next morning.