The Fortunate Lady and Her Mountain Man

Chapter 141: Chapter 141: I’ve Had Enough

No one expected this twist.

Ji Liansong shot to his feet and headed for the door, but Yang grabbed him. "What do you think you’re doing?!"

"I’m going to break that bastard’s legs!"

For an honest man to say something so vicious, it was clear just how furious Ji Liansong was.

Ji Mingfang gritted his teeth as well. "Dad, I’ll go with you! We’ll take on the whole Sun family!"

"The two of you will just be serving yourselves up for a beating. What good would that do?"

Ji Mingfang’s heart stung. His eyes red, he shot back, "So what if I have to risk my life? No one gets to humiliate my sister!"

Yang blocked one, then pulled back the other, and finally just planted herself in the doorway.

"Neither of you is going anywhere! They’re already furious with us. If you go and cause a scene, the ties between our families will be completely severed. Then Xuelan really won’t be able to go back!"

Ji Xuelan gave a wretched smile. "Mom, even now, you still think I can go back?"

Yang tried to reason with her patiently. "Aren’t all men like this? His head’s just been turned for a moment. How could he really abandon his wife and children? You should go back and be a little more accommodating. Win him over again, take good care of him, and in time, he’ll realize who truly cares for him. Those other women are nothing but trouble. They don’t have any real feelings for him; they’re just trying to trick him out of his money..."

Ji Xuelan shook her head. "Sun Shou doesn’t have any money. She’s the one giving him money to spend..."

"What?" Yang was stunned. "Then... then what’s she after?"

’She’s not after his money. That must mean... she’s really after my son-in-law for who he is!’

A sense of crisis instantly washed over Yang.

’My son-in-law has his flaws, but he’s a smooth-talker and decent-looking. What if someone really snatches him away...?’

"Well, if it really can’t be helped, then... he’ll just have to keep you both. You need to have a son as soon as possible. No matter how rich that widow is, she’ll never be able to outrank you. Don’t be a fool. Why should you just hand your position over to someone else...?"

Seeing her mother was still hopelessly stubborn, Ji Xuelan didn’t want to say another word.

She climbed off the kang, woke Daya and Erya, and put on their shoes. Holding Sanyang in her arms, she started for the door, with a groggy Daya and Erya trailing behind her.

Ji Mingfang grew anxious and grabbed her arm. "Sis, are you really going back?!"

Yang, however, was beaming. "It’s good that you’ve thought it through, so good. I’ll go tell your father to hitch the cart..."

Ji Xuelan cut her off. "Don’t bother. I’m not going back to the Sun family."

She paused, then added with heavy finality, "I’ll die before I go back."

Yang froze. "If you’re not going back to the Sun family, then where are you going?"

"It’s a big world. I have my own two hands. Are you saying I can’t support my three children? Aunt Meng found work in town and raised her son all by herself. If she could do it, so can I."

This time, it was Ji Mingfang’s turn to block the door, refusing to budge.

"Do you really think Aunt Meng raised Song Jing all by herself? The village chief helped her out plenty, everyone in the village knows it. Besides, it’s all ice and snow outside. How will you even get to town, let alone find work? Sanyang is still so little..."

His tone was harsh, but ’he was genuinely worried about me.’ This was Ji Xuelan’s only comfort.

But she was still determined to leave.

Yang couldn’t understand what had gotten into her daughter, why she was being so stubborn. ’If she leaves just like this, what will the villagers say about the Ji Family?’

"Why won’t you listen to reason! Do you think I would harm you? You have no idea what it means to be cast out by your husband’s family. For your children’s sake, what’s wrong with enduring a little injustice? Your own mother, I came up the same way. Just bear with it. If you just bear with it, everything will pass..."

Ji Xuelan looked at Yang. ’This worried look on her face,’ she thought, ’how much of it is actually for me?’

"Mom, it’s been like this ever since I was a child."

Whether it was the abrupt, contextless statement or the deadened look on Ji Xuelan’s face, Yang suddenly fell silent.

"When Ming Fang and I were wronged at home or bullied outside, you only ever told us to endure, endure, endure. Besides telling us to accept our fate and endure, what else have you ever done for your children?"

This was the first time Ji Xuelan had ever spoken to Yang with such open complaint.

Yang was utterly stunned, her lips trembling violently.

"...I’m useless... It’s all my fault... I’m just useless..."

She repeated these phrases over and over, covering her face as she began to cry.

No one moved to comfort her, not even Ji Xuelan, who had always been her sweet, caring daughter.

She was exhausted.

"You gave me life and you raised me. It wasn’t easy, so how could I blame you? But... I was raised by you. You taught me everything about how to be a wife and a daughter-in-law. But do you know what the biggest difference is between you and me?"

Ji Xuelan looked at Yang and said, slowly but firmly, "I don’t care what happens to me. But no one is going to hurt my children."

Yang’s heart clenched tight!

She understood what her daughter was implying.

’In the end, my daughter still blames me.’

’She blames me for not protecting her and Ming Fang. She blames me for all the injustices they’ve suffered.’

’But what could I do? My mother-in-law is the one who rules this house!’

Having finally said the words that had been stuck in her heart for years, Ji Xuelan had nothing more to say. She told Ji Mingfang to let her pass.

This time, Ji Mingfang finally did as she asked and moved, but he grabbed her hand and started pulling her outside with him.

"Ming Fang, what do you think you’re doing now!"

Her heart still aching from her daughter’s words, Yang saw her son was about to leave too and rushed forward to grab him.

"Your sister’s problems aren’t even solved yet, can’t you just stop adding to the chaos? If you leave too, how will your father and I survive!"

The words tumbled out before she could think, and Yang was completely oblivious to the pain her starkly contrasting attitudes—eagerly sending her daughter away while desperately begging her son not to leave—inflicted on Ji Xuelan.

But Ji Xuelan was already trying to understand her mother.

’Because Ming Fang is a son. Even with his injured leg, he’s the foundation of Mom’s standing in the Ji Family. What little confidence she has comes entirely from him.’

Understanding was one thing, but she still couldn’t help but feel a bleak sense of desolation.

For the first time, she clearly realized that as a married daughter, she was truly an outsider in her own parents’ home.

She turned her head to wipe away the fresh tears welling in her eyes and tried to pull her hand from her brother’s grasp.

"Ming Fang, let go. Don’t make Mom and Dad worry..."

Instead of letting go, Ji Mingfang only gripped her hand tighter.

"Mom, don’t worry, I’m not leaving. I’m taking Sis to see Grandpa and Grandma. I’m going to beg them to let her stay. She’s their own granddaughter. They can’t be so cruel as to drive her to a dead end."

Then he turned to Ji Xuelan. "Sis, you’re not going anywhere. This is your home. No one can drive you away."

Ji Xuelan froze, staring at the younger brother she had practically raised, who was now taller than she was. A bittersweet feeling washed over her.

Yang was frantic. "Your grandma will never agree!"

Ji Mingfang stared at the closed doors of the main house and said coldly, "If she doesn’t agree, then we’ll just split off from the family!"

Yang jumped in alarm and rushed to cover his mouth.

Ji Mingfang dodged her, his movements hampered by his limp.

He had reached his breaking point. "Why can’t I say it?" he demanded furiously. "Why won’t you let me speak? Hasn’t our family been pushed around enough?! Fourth Uncle was the one who crippled me. I’m not going to let them drive my sister to her death, too!"

"Ming Fang!" Yang shrieked, trying to stop him.

Ji Liansong grabbed Yang as she tried to rush forward again. He asked, stunned, "Ming Fang? What... what did you just say?"

Yang shook her head, crying, her eyes filled with a desperate plea.

"Don’t say any more, Ming Fang. I’m begging you..."

Every time before, when she acted this way, Ji Mingfang would relent.

But this time was different.

The resentment and grievance in Ji Mingfang’s heart were like a pent-up flood. Year after year, he had endured Ji Liantang’s smug success and Aunt Kang’s volley of curses and insults. But today, his sister’s terrified, helpless tears finally shattered the crumbling dam.

A monstrous flood, just like the emotions he was desperate to unleash.

He slammed his fist against the wall. "I’ve had enough! I’m going crazy holding all this in!"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!