Chapter 432: The Pot Is a Bit Big

Chapter 432: Chapter 432: The Pot Is a Bit Big

"I can’t."

Ji Huan spoke these two words as crisply as possible, offering no further explanation.

It left Ji Qingshan so dumbfounded that it took him a long moment to react.

"Wuan, he’s your fourth uncle, after all."

Ji Huan spread her hands. "I’m just being professional and honest. My temple is too small for such a great Buddha. Why do you all keep twisting this into something strange?"

Seeing Ji Liantang suffer the slightest grievance was like a knife to Granny Kang’s heart. She couldn’t take it anymore. Ignoring Ji Qingshan’s attempts to stop her, she put her hands on her hips and started cursing.

"You damn jinx! You make it sound so nice! Who doesn’t know what you’re really like? You’re just petty and vicious, deliberately getting revenge! Everyone else is good enough, so why not my fourth son?"

"If that’s what you insist on thinking, there’s nothing I can do. But I am curious about one thing: just because others are good enough, why does that mean he has to be? And what obligation do I have to give him a job?"

Ji Qingshan’s expression slowly darkened. "Are you really going to be this heartless?"

’They’re pointing at my face and cursing me out, and they expect me to greet them with a smile?’

Ji Huan crossed her arms and sneered. "Even if I am being heartless, it’s only because someone else drew first blood. I’m just finishing the fight."

Ji Qingshan was choked speechless, his hand trembling as he pointed at her.

Just then, Ji Xiu’e, who had been silent all this time, stepped forward. She supported Ji Qingshan while looking at Ji Huan with disapproval.

"Wuan, I never thought someone as young as you could be so unforgiving when you have the upper hand. They are your family, you know."

Ji Huan looked innocent. "What? I have family in this world? Back when I was screaming to the heavens and pleading with the earth and no one answered, I thought all my relatives were dead."

"You..."

"And another thing." Ji Huan pushed aside Ji Xiu’e’s pointing finger.

"Because they’re my family, I’m supposed to forgive them unconditionally after they’ve hurt me? Sorry, but that twisted logic doesn’t work on me. I hope you understand that betrayal from family is often the hardest thing to let go of."

The verbal sparring between aunt and niece left the onlookers dumbfounded.

Ji Xiu’e knew how sharp-tongued Ji Huan was and didn’t intend to continue sparring with her.

Both sides could argue their case, but they had the moral high ground on one point: filial piety. And filial piety was a heavenly principle.

"Wuan, no matter how wrong the elders are, they are still your elders. Besides, they’ve already apologized to you. What more do you want?"

"If you cause someone’s death, is an apology enough?"

"All of that in the past was a misunderstanding! And besides, you didn’t die. You’re still alive and well!"

"Don’t bring up the past with me again! The past is a settled fact that cannot be changed. I didn’t die because I was lucky, not because you showed mercy. I’m living well because of my own hard work, not because of anything you gave me. What? You failed to destroy me, and now you want me to go back and play the part of the loving, filial granddaughter?"

Her words had reached the point where the last shred of pretense was torn away.

Ji Xiu’e seemed to have lost her head to anger, blurting out, "No wonder everyone in the family says you don’t know what’s good for you! You really don’t! Do you know, your grandma was originally going to the government office to sue you? It was me, your aunt, who couldn’t bear it and stopped her. We could have just sat down, talked it out, each taken a step back. How hard would that have been?"

Ji Huan wasn’t buying it. "I won’t step back. Why should I be the one to back down?"

Granny Kang caught Ji Xiu’e’s glance and immediately jumped up, bellowing.

"I told you not to stop me! Now you see it, she’s a thankless stray you can’t tame! She doesn’t appreciate a favor at all! Nobody stop me this time, I’m definitely suing her! Let’s go! To the government office, right now!"

As she spoke, she moved to grab Ji Huan, but the workers standing nearby quickly stepped in to block her.

This only fueled Granny Kang’s fighting spirit.

"Get out of the way! A bunch of watchdogs! Believe it or not, I’ll sue all of you too!"

"Who are you calling a watchdog, Granny Kang? We usually call you ’Auntie’ out of respect for your age, but don’t think you’re actually someone important!"

Widow Xie rolled up her sleeves as she spoke, and Aunt Gao and Sixth Sister-in-law Feng did the same.

Although Ji Xuelan couldn’t confront her head-on like the others, she shielded Ji Huan completely, glaring at Granny Kang with a look of loathing and hatred.

Seeing that she was outnumbered, Granny Kang became a little timid and didn’t dare to lunge forward again. Still, she had to get the last word in.

"Look at you! Just look! If you’re not watchdogs, what are you? Gnawing on the bones someone else threw you, and now you’re barking at me!"

"And what are you here for today? Aren’t you also wagging your tail and begging for a bone? Wuan won’t give you one, and you refuse to leave. By that logic, you’re just mangy strays!"

"You damn widow, who are you calling a mangy stray?!"

"Whoever’s barking, that’s who!"

"Mother!" Ji Xiu’e shot Granny Kang a look, reminding her to focus on the important matter at hand and not get lost in an endless shouting match.

"Oh, right, right!" Granny Kang snapped back to reality, saying arrogantly, "I can’t be bothered to argue with you filthy lot! I’m going to the county seat right now, to the government office to beat the drum! I’ll have the Government Officials come and arrest this heartless, unfilial creature! We’ll see how long she can act so smug!"

Widow Xie and Aunt Gao exchanged a glance, worried that Granny Kang might actually go through with it. They weren’t sure what to do.

Ji Xuelan was also worried. She had once been part of the Ji Family and knew all too well that they were capable of anything to achieve their goals.

"Wan..."

"It’s okay, Cousin."

Ji Huan stepped out from behind Ji Xuelan and walked right up to Granny Kang before stopping.

"Go ahead and sue. I’ll be waiting."

Granny Kang thought she was bluffing.

"Don’t think I don’t dare!"

"Of course you dare. What wouldn’t you dare to do?

Go right ahead. As it happens, I’d also like to know what charges you’ll bring against me.

For defiance?

We’ve already split the family. The separation document clearly states that we are to have nothing to do with each other. Strictly speaking, I’m no longer connected to the Ji Family. At most, this is a verbal dispute, not defiance.

For being unfilial?

Even if I were still a member of the Ji Family today, I’m already married. Grandpa and Grandma have always been proud of their house full of children and grandchildren. When it comes to fulfilling filial duties, it’s hardly the turn of a granddaughter who has married out of the family."

Granny Kang was stumped. For a moment, she truly didn’t know what charges she could file and could only turn to Ji Xiu’e for help.

Ji Xiu’e suddenly cried out in alarm, "Father! Father! What’s wrong? Don’t scare me!"

Everyone turned at the sound of her voice and saw that Ji Qingshan’s face was ashen. His lips had turned a purplish-blue, and he was gasping for air, each breath ragged as if it could be his last.

"Oh, my husband! What’s wrong with you! Weren’t you just fine a moment ago?!"

"Father! Father, don’t scare me! It’s all because your son is useless, otherwise you wouldn’t have had to come here and beg..."

"What a sin! She’s trying to anger the old man to death!"

The members of the Ji Family started wailing and howling without any regard for the facts. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought Ji Qingshan had already breathed his last.

Ji Qingshan was even more dramatic. Even at such a critical moment, he kept his finger pointed at Ji Huan, refusing to lower it.

Seeing this, Ji Xiu’e roared at Ji Huan, "Are you not happy until you’ve angered your grandfather to death?!"

’That’s a heavy accusation.’

If Ji Huan didn’t have medical knowledge herself, she might have actually been fooled.

Ji Qingshan did indeed show symptoms of being overcome by rage, but they were nowhere near as severe as he was making them out to be.

Unfortunately, just because she could see through it didn’t mean others could.

At the very least, the people around her were already panicking.

Because they knew one thing for certain—if Ji Qingshan really died here at West River Gully, Ji Huan would be completely finished!