Her second brother acted impulsively again.
Xia Chuyi fell silent, before finally saying, "Alright, Second Brother, I agree to your terms."
Then, turning to Grandma Xia and Aunt Xia, she added, "To save Xia Chengzu, I’ll add one more condition, let Second Brother be adopted into the second branch!"
Hearing her say this, Aunt Xia immediately protested, "How can this be allowed?"
But it was Grandma Xia, biting her teeth in anger, who said, "Let the adoption happen. This little beast should just be thrown into the second branch to fend for himself!"
"Xia Chuyi, I agree to you. I’ll move your residence registration, help your mother apply for a grave plot, and let Xia Chengzong be adopted into the second branch!"
"But you must save Chengzu’s life!"
"Afterward, Xia Chengzong will have nothing to do with the first branch. You and the second branch will leave cleanly!"
Knowing that Xia Chuyi was asking for something, Grandma Xia also began to negotiate a bit.
"No!" Aunt Xia cried, trying to stop it.
"Shut up!" Grandma Xia snapped at her, "You fool, this brat doesn’t even acknowledge you anymore, why do you still recognize him? Let him leave the first branch and fend for himself!"
At this point, one could say it was the best possible outcome for Xia Chuyi.
However, seeing the indifferent expression on her second brother’s face, she still felt a sense of sadness within.
Well, it’s better to endure a short pain than a long one.
Having cut ties completely with the first branch, she was determined to make sure her second brother would have a better life!
"Fine, I agree for the second branch to leave cleanly." Xia Chuyi said.
After all, she didn’t want to quibble over the Xia Family’s meager belongings.
"As for Xia Chengzu, once the residence registration and adoption are settled, I will ensure he won’t be sentenced to death."
"How can you ensure that?" Grandma Xia asked urgently.
Xia Chuyi let out a light laugh and said, "If you don’t believe me, Director Chang is right here, you can ask him."
She glanced at Chang Luhui. Summoned into the "performance," Chang Luhui coughed twice and said, "Ahem, regarding Xia Chengzu, as long as he hasn’t committed any other crimes, I can assure you, he will only serve time in prison, not face a firing squad."
Hearing his words, Grandma Xia, with eyes gleaming with excitement, said, "Good, then it’s a deal!"
Chang Luhui shook his head secretly: This family really is the dregs of the dregs, the fools of fools.
Oh no, Xia Chuyi is very clever indeed, she’s calculated the old woman’s response all along!
She truly is Huo Commander’s wife, as cunning—no, as clever as Huo Commander himself!
Xia Chuyi didn’t realize that her image in Chang Luhui’s eyes had "risen" significantly. Decisively, she said to Grandma Xia, "Since that’s the case, to avoid any more delays, let’s go back to the village immediately and get everything settled."
"Yes!" Grandma Xia nodded hurriedly.
She too feared that something might change with Xia Chengzu if they waited too long.
The police car turned around and headed back to Heshan Village once again.
The police car’s second visit stunned the villagers—they hadn’t even finished discussing the first visit. What was it this time? What were they here to do?
As the car stopped, Grandma Xia was the first to step out.
Following her, Aunt Xia got out of the car, no longer despondent but profoundly silent.
Then, Xia Chuyi, Huo Shiqian, Xia Chengzong, along with the police, alighted from the second vehicle.
Hearing the commotion, Grandpa Xia and Uncle Xia immediately emerged from the first branch.
The doors of the third and second branches remained locked as usual, with no one coming out to see what was happening.
Grandpa Xia approached quickly.
The reason he and Uncle Xia hadn’t gone to the county was that they felt it was humiliating.
Now that the police car had returned, he was even more worried about potential trouble and asked anxiously.