Chapter 126 -

Chapter 126: Chapter

Her dark eyes shifted, locking straight onto Master Bai’s flushing, trembling face.

"Father-in-law," Yimei sneered, stepping closer to him. "I would have been glad to lend you all my silver, but I am only capable of doing that for someone I respect, not someone who disgusts me. You are one of the main reasons we are in this mess! Instead of running your business properly, you left it in the hands of a greedy manager, and then you complain about how your own brother was able to steal from you! You are only good at traveling and visiting women in different villages!"

"Yimei!" Madame Bai called out, her hands shaking as she tried to intervene. "Stop it!"

Yimei turned toward her mother-in-law, a cold, sharp smile playing on her lips. She had no intention of stopping.

"Don’t shut me up!" Yimei’s voice rang out clearly. "What are you trying to do, defend your disgusting husband? Look around you! He has two other women besides you that he would gladly sacrifice his life for! He doesn’t care about you, and he doesn’t care about your children! He only married you for your wealth, and the moment he got what he wanted, he brought in Madame Chen, who is from a lowborn family, and Madame Zhao, whom he only married because he got her pregnant and her father works in the Ministry of Justice! He won’t think twice before pushing you off a cliff if it means saving either of them! So stop your faithful wife act! You are wasting your time!"

The harsh truth hit Madame Bai like a physical blow. Her face drained of all color, her knees giving out as she nearly collapsed onto the floor. Rulan and Meiling quickly rushed forward, catching their mother by her arms, both of them staring at Yimei in total shock and disbelief, wondering what on earth had gotten into their soft-spoken sister-in-law.

Yimei paid no attention to their tears. Her sharp eyes moved across every single member of the main household, the second branch, and the third branch, settling on the quiet fifteen-year-old twin sitting near the edge of the crowd.

"I went to see Grandmother early this morning before we left," Yimei announced, her tone icy and clear. "And I asked her what would happen to whoever is able to raise that massive amount of money, 100,000 taels, in one year. She said that person will inherit everything that belongs to the family."

She paused, letting the heavy words sink into every greedy mind in the room.

"Then I asked her one other question," Yimei continued, stepping forward. "What if none of the branch heads manage to raise that amount? What if someone like me a daughter-in-law married to Zhengyu, raises the money and decides not to give a single coin to her father-in-law, but hands it directly to her husband instead? Who would the Bai family belong to then?"

Yimei’s gaze locked directly onto Madame Zhao’s quiet son.

"Bai Kang," Yimei called out sharply. "You answer that question."

Bai Kang looked thoroughly shaken. Yimei had never spoken a single word to him directly before today, and now every single pair of eyes in the inn was glued to his face. He shifted uncomfortably under the heavy silence, looking over at his mother, Madame Zhao.

Madame Zhao, looking far calmer than anyone else in the room, gave her son a slight, steady nod, granting him permission to speak.

Bai Kang swallowed hard, his voice quiet but clear. "It will belong to Brother Zhengyu."

Yimei nodded slowly, a dark glint in her eyes.

Before she could say another word, a low, smooth voice cut through the heavy silence of the main hall, drawing everyone’s attention including Yimei’s, straight toward the front entrance.

"Bai Kang..." Zhengyu spoke up from his wheelchair, his deep tone echoing clearly off the wooden walls. "...and what happens if Brother Zhengyu decides to separate himself from his father, mother, sisters, and all other members of the Bai family?"

The entire room gasped in total shock.

Madame Bai took another massive hit to her chest, her hands trembling violently as Rulan and Meiling tried to keep her upright. Master Bai’s complexion went from flushed red to ghostly pale, his jaw hanging open as he stared at his eldest son in utter disbelief.

Bai Kang looked straight at Zhengyu and answered without hesitation. "Grandmother never specified that the person must remain connected to the family. If Brother Zhengyu takes over the Bai family legacy and decides to cut ties with everyone else, then that means the rest of the first branch will have no claim to the inheritance, except for him and his wife."

Master Bai’s breath hitched, his chest heaving as he pointed a shaking finger at Zhengyu. "You... you ungrateful, rebellious wretch! How dare you even think of cutting ties with your own blood father?!"

Zhengyu didn’t even blink. He leaned back in his wheelchair, wrapping his dark blue cloak tighter around himself, a cold, mocking smirk touching his lips.

"I am merely asking a logical question, Father," Zhengyu said smoothly, his eyes cold as ice. "Since we are all equal commoners now, respect is earned, not demanded. You have no money, no title, and no power. Why should Yimei or I waste a single copper piece on people who bring us nothing but trouble?"

Second Uncle Chengbang and Third Uncle Chenghao stood frozen, their mouths opening and closing like dying fish. The greedy schemes they had been cooking up in their minds just minutes ago were completely crushed into dust.

Yimei let out a small, satisfied breath. She stepped back toward Liu Feng and Qinqin, snatching the two iron room keys off the counter.

"Qinqin, bring the tea and buns upstairs," Yimei ordered calmly, completely ignoring the stunned family members staring at her.

"Yes, Young Madame!" Qinqin bowed quickly, grabbing the hot tray from the innkeeper and following right behind.

Liu Feng grabbed the handles of the wheelchair, smoothly pushing Zhengyu toward the wooden staircase. As they passed Master Bai and the sobbing Madame Chen, Yimei didn’t give them a single glance, her face perfectly calm as she stepped up the wooden stairs.