The Crazy Son-In-Law

“I didn’t buy anything.” Xiao Shun smiled at her and added, “But I bought something else.”

He recalled he had taken something with him.

However, Yao Cen paled and looked away in disappointment.

“Forget it. No one asked you. You don’t need to give it to Grandpa.”

Xiao Shun frowned and asked, “Afraid my gift will disgrace you?”

“Haven’t I been disgraced enough in the past three years? Xiao Shun, I don’t care what you do usually. However, I don’t want to be embarrassed and mocked by all the people today.” Yao Cen glared at him in anger.

Xiao Shun darted at her in silence.

After they exchanged a few words, Li Chunlian rolled her eyes. She looked over at Xiao Shun, and yelled loudly delibrately, “Liu Yunxiang, hasn’t your rubbish son-in-law prepared any gift? That’s quite insensible!”

Her voice attracted many guests’ attention. They looked at Xiao Shun ironically.

Liu Yunxiang snorted, glaring at Xiao Shun. Yao Cen felt her hair stand on end and ashamed.

Neither expected Xiao Shun to present anything good.

When he noticed the reactions of Yao Cen and Liu Yunxiang, Xiao Shun had mixed feelings. He stood up, pulled out a copper coin, and walked toward Yao Zhenshu.

“It’s not a treasure but it presents my best regards. Happy birthday, Grandpa Zhenshu.”

He found the copper coin from the bamboo cabin of his master. It was one of his master’s antique collections. He had kept it for years, although it might not be very special compared to other items in that collections.

“Puff! You are indeed rubbish. What kind of gift is that?” Li Chunlian mocked at him immediately.

Sun Guoli sneered, “Haha… How dirty it is! Did you buy it from the street? Mr. Yao, your grandson-in-law is indeed a genius.”

Niu Junpeng chimed in loudly, “If you are too poor, Xiao Shun, I can sponsor you. It’s quite a shabby gift.”

Hou Jinyong, the entertainment bigwig standing next to him, echoed, “Exactly. I haven’t seen such a poor gift for years. I’m impressed by your grandson-in-law, Mr. Yao.”

Those remarks sent the Yaos into rages. They looked down on Xiao Shun even more.

Yao Cen bit her lips tightly, wishing to vanish from the surface of the Earth under those ironical gazes.

“Get back! You fucking loser!” Liu Yunxiang gritted her teeth.

Yao Han cursed, “How embarrassing! You disgraced our family.”

Yao De snorted, “We shouldn’t have let you attend this banquet. How shameful!”

Xiao Shun chuckled, playing with the copper coin. It was too old, so it looked dim and shabby.

“Humph! I thought you had some taste in antiques. It turns out you are all blind and ignorant.”

“How arrogant! I know antiques. Let me see what kind of treasure it is.”

Yao Han sneered and took over the cooper coin for a closer look. Then he tossed it back to Xiao Shun and cursed, “What junk it is! It only dirtied my hand. Really, Xiao Shun, what is your problem? How dare you fool us with such garbage.”

Ouyang Zheng didn’t join their conversation. However, after he gazed at the copper coin, he frowned deeply.

Yao Zhenshu noticed his gaze. He replied with a wry smile, repressing the urge to kill Xiao Shun, “He must have spent ten bucks on it. Mr. Ouyang, please don’t mind the farce.”

Then he gazed at Xiao Shun coldly, feeling humiliated.

“Grandpa, please calm down. It’s not worth ruining your joy for such rubbish,” Yao Han stood up and chuckled.

Then he added, “After all, he’ll be leaving our family soon.”

He sneered at Yao Han.

Sun Guoli rolled his eyes and stood up. “I also prepared a gift for you, Mr. Yao. It’s also the proposal gift on my son’s behalf. I hope you’ll like it.”

As he spoke, Sun Guoli pulled out a long, square box and opened it slowly.

All the guests looked over, and they all wish to see what was in the box.

After the long box was opened, Sun Guoli pulled out a scroll from it and said triumphantly, “Mr. Yao, I heard you love landscape paintings the most. And in the Qing dynasty, they had got the very famous eight … ugh… well, eight monks. Anyway, this is by one of them, *Hong Ren.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“This is his Bamboos and Plum Blossoms on the Cliff. I bought it from an auction and it cost me quite a fortune.”

When he heard that, Yao Zhenshu hurriedly took the painting over while panting. He stammered in excitement, “This… This is really a work of Hong Ren, right? In the Qing dynasty, there were eight monks that were particularly known for their extraordinary landscape paintings. Hong Ren was one of them. I didn’t expect to get one of his works in my life.”

Overjoyed, Yao Zhenshu spread the scroll out, revealing the Bamboos and Plum Blossoms on the Cliff.

It was outstanding indeed. On the paper, there was a sharp-looking boulder on the steep cliff, on which there was a branch with plum blossoms. Around the ridge were bunches of orchids, contrary to the rugged cliff. The empty space left on the paper was only filled by their imagination as the cliff was next to a boundless river.

Yao Zhenshu couldn’t stop complimenting the painting. Looking delighted, he carefully put it away.

“Thank you, Mr. Sun. I like your gift very much.”

Sun Guoli laughed loudly. “Mr. Yao, I’ll go straight to the point. Since all of us are gathered here, shall we decide on that matter? If you make the announcement today, it’ll make the banquet even more joyful.”

Yao Zhenshu nodded slightly in agreement.

With a serious look, he stood up and said, “On this occasion, I’d love to announce the marriage between my granddaughter, Yao Cen, and Xiao Shun is canceled today. Later, Yao Cen will marry Mr. Sun Chuan, the grandson of the Sun family.”

“It’s such a good news for our family. I wish you could send your blessings to them.”

He made the announcement without any hesitation.

All the guests stood up and congratulated him and all the others from the Yao family.

Ignored completely, Xiao Shun was slightly taken aback, and his lips twitched into a sneer.

No wonder he was invited to the Yao family’s banquet this time, as they had always ignored him. It turned out they had arranged for such a good show for him.

In their eyes, he was probably just nothing at all.

“What an interesting family I have got for myself,” he remarked.

His words made Yao Cen look guilty. Mixed feelings surged in her chest, but she couldn’t utter a word.

Li Chunlian suddenly yelled harshly, “Xiao Shun, what else do you think we’ve asked you to come here for today? Sign your name. Don’t you even delay the marriage between Yao Cen and Mr. Sun.”

As she spoke, she smashed a folder to Xiao Shun. She had been so annoyed by Xiao Shun for a long time. After Yao Zhenshu announced the good news, she felt even the air had become more refreshing.

In front of Xiao Shun was a divorce agreement.

“What a good show!”

Xiao Shun was waiting for a chance to teach the Yao family a lesson. And now, they seemed to have asked for it.

Xiao Shun exhaled, relaxed his shoulders, and pinched his fists.

He looked around those clowns in the hall, his eyes as sharp as an eagle that just woke up.

‘It’s been three years. You bastards have gone too far. You will all have to kneel to me!”