Chapter 470: The Adoption Controversy (1)
Chapter 470: The Adoption Controversy (1)
Lu Yun and Peng Xiangye quieted down after being threatened by Lu Er's wife and sent back to their hometown. Peng Xiangye stayed and worked at the noodle shop, while Lu Yun found work at a private club with Lu Jiajie's help. Unexpectedly, within two months, he started a relationship with a girl named Hong Mei from the factory, and they were caught on a date by Peng Xiangye.
Peng Xiangye scratched Lu Yun's face, but he didn't hold back either and beat her up, leaving her bruised and two teeth missing.
Upon returning to Guangming Road, Peng Xiangye saw Lu Jiazong and Lu Er's wife and sat on the ground crying, "That good-for-nothing is seeing other women and even beat me up. I'd rather be dead."
The matter caused quite a stir, and Lu Shan and Da Mai soon found out. However, they felt that whether Lu Yun divorced or not had nothing to do with them. As it turned out, their thinking was too simple.
At noon that day, Lu Shan received a call from Lu Jiazong, asking them to come to Guangming Road for dinner in the evening and specifically instructing them to bring Da Mai.
Da Mai asked in confusion, "Why are they asking us over?"
"Maybe they've come to an agreement about Lu Yun's divorce," Lu Shan replied.
Da Mai disagreed, "Xiangye will never agree to a divorce. If she does, she won't get much money, and she won't be able to remarry into a better family. She won't find a life as comfortable as the one she has now."
Although working at the noodle shop was tiring, she earned sixty yuan a month, and after her in-laws passed away, she and Lu Yun would inherit half of the shop. Peng Xiangye was very shrewd and would never agree to a divorce.
Lu Shan thought simply, "They've been married for so many years without children. Ayun has wanted a divorce for a long time, but your father and mother have been stopping him. But Ayun wants to be a father, and the two of them will eventually take that step."
Da Mai felt that if Peng Xiangye agreed to the divorce, there was no need to call them. It had been agreed upon beforehand that the family's property would not be given to them, so even if Xiangye received a lot of compensation in the divorce, it wouldn't matter.
What Da Mai never expected was that the reason they were being called over was to have Gou Sheng adopted by Lu Yun and Peng Xiangye.
Da Mai was furious, "Father, I disagree."
Lu Jiazong ignored her and turned to Lu Shan, "Shanzi, Ayun said that if you're willing to have Gou Sheng adopted by him, he won't divorce."
Lu Shan was filial but not foolish, and he immediately refused, "Father, if Ayun has a problem and can't have children, I would consider having Gou Sheng adopted by him. But in this situation, how can I dare to have Gou Sheng adopted by him?"
"What do you mean, you dare not have Gou Sheng adopted by him? Are you afraid they won't treat Gou Sheng well? With me and your mother watching, they will definitely treat Gou Sheng well."
Lu Shan asked, "The doctors said that Ayun and Meimei don't have any health problems; it's just that their fate hasn't arrived yet. What if Meimei gets pregnant after Gou Sheng is adopted? What will happen to Gou Sheng then?"
Lu Jiazong was momentarily stumped but quickly replied, "If Meimei gets pregnant, you can take Gou Sheng back."
Lu Shan was furious, "If Erdi wants something, I have to give it to him, and if he doesn't want it, I have to take it back? Father, Gou Sheng is my son, not a cat or a dog."
Seeing that Lu Jiazong was about to speak again, Lu Shan interrupted, "Father, I can't agree to this. If Ayun and Meimei really want to raise a child, they can adopt one from an orphanage."
Lu Jiazong said irritably, "If Ayun was willing to adopt, would I be here talking to you about this?"
Lu Shan knew that he couldn't be persuaded and didn't want to continue the conversation, so he coldly hmphed, "It's impossible for Gou Sheng to be adopted by him. Ayun and Peng Xiangye are so lazy; they won't take care of the child, and in the end, you and Mother will have to do it."
"Have you made up your mind?"
Lu Shan firmly replied, "If there's a difficulty, I'll definitely help if I can. But a child is not an object; I gave birth to him, and I'm responsible for him.
Da Mai, who had initially been worried that her husband would compromise, was now relieved and touched by his resolute stance, even if it meant offending their in-laws. She had been prepared to stand firm, even at the risk of displeasing them, but her husband's unwavering attitude filled her with emotion.
At that moment, Peng Xiangye rushed out and knelt before the couple, pleading, "Big Brother, Sister-in-law, please take pity on me and let me adopt Gou Sheng!"
Da Mai, pulling Lu Shan back as he was about to speak, asked, "What if you get pregnant after adopting Gou Sheng? Will you give him back to us then?"
Peng Xiangye quickly assured her that she wouldn't.
"Anyone can say nice things," Da Mai said with disdain. "Xiangye, I've been your sister-in-law for six years, and I know your true nature. No matter how much you try to convince me, I won't believe you. If you have a child of your own, my Gou Sheng will be worth less than grass in your eyes."
"I won't! I'll definitely treat him like my own son," Xiangye promised.
Da Mai scoffed, "I carried this child in my womb for ten months. It's my duty and joy to love and care for him. You don't need to treat him like your own."
Turning to Lu Jiazong, she continued, "Father, Shanzi and I are earning just as much as you and Mother now. We can provide Gou Sheng with a good life and education. If he's adopted by Second Brother and Xiangye, the child will depend on you and Mother for support, and he'll have to go back to our hometown for school. Father, you may not care about the child, but Gou Sheng is my flesh and blood, and I can't bear to give him up."
At that moment, Da Mai was especially grateful that her husband had been adopted into the third branch of the family. They were now running the noodle shop and earning a decent living. If they were still dependent on the family, no matter how much they disagreed, they would have no choice but to yield to their father-in-law's demands.
Lu Jiazong was left speechless by Da Mai's rebuttal.
Seeing that the adoption plan was falling apart, Peng Xiangye became desperate and cried, "Big Brother, Sister-in-law, if you don't agree to let Gou Sheng be adopted, Ah Yun will divorce me. If we divorce, I might as well be dead."
Lu Shan hesitated, but Da Mai remained unmoved. Aside from not believing that Xiangye would commit suicide, she also believed that even if she did, it had nothing to do with their family. Gou Sheng was a human being, not a cat or a dog, and they had every right to decide whether to keep or give him away.
Holding Lu Shan's arm, she said, "Husband, let's go home."
Knowing he was in the wrong, Lu Jiazong didn't pursue them.
Once they reached the main street, Da Mai said to Lu Shan, "Even if she does something drastic, it has nothing to do with us. It's Lu Yun who's to blame."
Lu Shan's expression turned solemn. "But if she really dies, how will we explain it to the Peng family?"
Da Mai understood his concern for their in-laws, but she was unwavering when it came to their child. "How we explain it is up to Father and Mother. It has nothing to do with us."
"Shanzi, if they don't have the money, we can lend it to them. But a child is not an object. If they want him, we have to give him up."
Lu Shan nodded. "Don't worry, I won't agree to this."
Usually, their mother-in-law handled family matters, but she hadn't shown her face today. Da Mai suspected that she might also disagree with the adoption but was unable to stand up to her husband. Thinking of this, she felt a sense of gloom.
Noticing Da Mai's lingering worry, Lu Shan comforted her. "Don't worry. We are now part of the third branch of the family. For an adoption to happen, Grandfather and Grandmother would have to agree as well. As long as they don't agree, Father can't force us even if he wants to."
Hearing this, Da Mai felt somewhat relieved.
(End of Chapter)
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