NOVPUB
Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Cause of Father-in-law’s Death
Upon seeing Si Chen disrespect Lin Fengying, Si Weimin angrily said, "Xiaochen, I can understand if you have grievances against me, but your mother has raised the three of you single-handedly over the years. How can you be so tactless and treat her this way?"
In Si Weimin’s view, the grace of parental nurture is enormous. No matter what their parents do, children should never speak ill of them.
Even though what had transpired between him and Lin Fengying was indeed their fault, she had raised three children on her own all these years. No matter how big their mistake, it had already been compensated for.
As the eldest son, it was wrong for Si Chen to be disrespectful to his mother and to constantly utter hurtful words.
Si Chen narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and sarcastic as he said, "You do remember she’s your sister-in-law. Ever heard of treating your elder sister-in-law like your own mother?"
"..."
Tong Yao looked at Si Chen with astonishment, never dreaming that his speech could be so sharp towards Si Weimin, leaving no room for manoeuvre.
She didn’t understand what had happened back then that could have made the usually calm Si Chen treat Si Weimin so mercilessly and be indifferent to Lin Fengying for so many years.
Was it simply because the two of them had their affair?
Or did their affairs really have something to do with her father-in-law’s death?
Tong Yao thought up all sorts of scenarios involving unfaithfulness and family manipulation before dismissing them one by one. Knowing Si Chen’s personality, if they had really conspired to kill her father-in-law, he would have used the law to seek justice.
The expression on Si Weimin’s face turned exceptionally dark and he was visibly embarrassed. He struggled to say something but no words came out. Lin Fengying’s face was even more ghastly and she seemed to want nothing more than to find a hole to crawl into. The room fell into an eerie silence that felt suffocating for Tong Yao.
It was only when a cat’s meow came from the window and a kitten hopped in from outside that Si Weimin snapped back to reality. He cast an unhappy look towards Si Chen and quickly left with Lin Fengying.
Tong Yao took a deep breath of fresh air and grabbed Si Chen’s sleeve, sighing, "Well, I assume mom is not only upset with me anymore but also with you."
Si Chen’s face softened a bit. "Don’t worry about whether she’s upset or not. Our relationship can’t get much worse."
Tong Yao blinked, unable to resist asking, "How did dad die back then?"
At her words, a complex look surfaced in Si Chen’s eyes. The sorrow hidden in them made Tong Yao feel reluctant to bring up his painful past, so she quickly added, "It’s just a casual question. If you don’t want to answer, it’s fine."
Si Chen nodded and just when Tong Yao thought he would not answer, he suddenly said, "He committed suicide."
After a pause, he added, "He died by drinking pesticide."
"..."
Suicide?
Tong Yao was stunned by the news. From what she knew, her father-in-law supposedly died because of complications from an old injury. How did it turn out to be suicide?
Could he have found out about his wife’s affairs with his brother and could not bear the thought of it?
In those days, many people had a strong sense of honor and took their reputation very seriously. There were numerous cases of people committing suicide over a loss of face. If a man who prized his dignity above all else suddenly found out such news, it wouldn’t be odd if he couldn’t bear the shock.
Realizing this, Tong Yao blurted out, "Why did father jump from the second floor of the hospital back then?"
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Tong Yao regretted it. Si Chen had never mentioned this incident. Her sudden inquiry would clearly reveal that she had been prying into his family affairs behind his back.
Feeling guilty about snooping around Si Chen’s family affairs and then being caught red-handed, Tong Yao was somewhat flustered. After all, it was not an honorable thing to do.
Just when Tong Yao was feeling guilty and trying to change the subject, Si Chen replied calmly, "He found out something filthy and he could not bear the shock."
"Ahchen..." Tong Yao wanted to comfort him but didn’t know what to say. On one hand, he had his deceased father, and on the other, his mother who had raised him for so many years. He must feel miserable caught in the middle!
As if seeing through Tong Yao’s thoughts, Si Chen gently tousled her hair. "Don’t worry, if you really want to know... I’ll tell you."
It would be better to hear it from his mouth than from others.
"Never mind, actually I’m not that keen to know." Tong Yao hurriedly changed the subject, "I initially wanted to come back and tell you in person that I had hit Xiaohui. I didn’t expect uncle and mom to show up. Today, I really was impulsive and didn’t consider that she was still in confinement. But I don’t regret doing it. If she dares to curse me again, I will still hit her. I know it’s hard for you in the middle. Rest assured, as long as Xiaohui does not deliberately cause me trouble, I won’t bully her."
After all, since she had hit Xiaohui, Tong Yao felt obligated to inform Si Chen about it.
As for Si Weimin’s hypocritical words, Tong Yao didn’t want to hear them. They all were first-time parents, so why should she yield to Si Xiaohui?
Today, if she had tolerated Si Xiaohui, tomorrow Si Xiaohui would dare to walk all over her. She refused to let things spiral out of control when it can be resolved with a slap.
Si Chen’s lips tightened into a line, and he softly said, "Today it wasn’t your fault; you were wronged. Si Xiaohui should learn a lesson from our own people rather than from the outside world. A slap won’t break bones. As for my uncle and mother, don’t worry about them, let them fuss."
Si Chen really didn’t care about Si Weimin and Lin Fengying’s opinions. Past events have indeed happened long ago, but some things are a reality that everyone must face. No one has the right to forgive on behalf of the deceased.
He would fulfil his duties as a son in terms of filial piety, but nothing more. They should not expect too much from him.
In the end, the living cannot make decisions for the deceased.
"Ahchen, you really are a rare and clear-minded person in this world. I’m lucky I didn’t miss you; otherwise, I would regret it enough to grind my molars even in my dreams. I must have saved the Milky Way in my previous life to encounter such a good person like you."
Excited, Tong Yao attempted to snuggle into Si Chen’s arms but was pushed away gently. Si Chen smiled and said, "Save your sweet talk for later, after I’ve taken a bath."
He had just come home when his mother and uncle arrived, so he hadn’t had time to take a bath.
Today he had treated a misdiagnosed dermatology patient at work. Although their interaction wasn’t long, it was better to be safe as some skin diseases were contagious.
"Then you should hurry up and take a shower, I’ll go get your change of clothes." Tong Yao flashed a mischievous grin, pushing Si Chen towards the bathroom.
The previous frustration seemed to scatter. She didn’t feel wronged by the events of the day. If anyone should feel vexed, it should be the others. Right now, having their quiet world with Si Chen was the most important thing.
...
