Chu Yi noticed this interesting phenomenon while eating. Eldest Uncle Chu’s children palace showed three children, yet Auntie Chu, Wang Guifang, only had one son and one daughter. So where was that extra one, or rather, who had he fathered it with?
The Chu Family was baffled, and Grandma Chu even secretly glanced at Wang Guifang’s belly.
“Chu Yi, what nonsense are you spouting!” Eldest Uncle Chu Jiaxing grew tense, his brows furrowing as an intimidating pressure emanated from his entire body.
Chu Yi realized his tension wasn’t entirely about Wang Guifang. That made sense—for a man like Eldest Uncle Chu, with his feudal mindset and absolute authority at home, having an affair with another woman or even fathering a child meant Wang Guifang could do nothing even if she found out.
They were both at an age where divorce was unthinkable.
Wang Guifang was a traditional woman. Whether for the sake of their son and daughter or her own interests, she would never abandon this family.
Eldest Uncle Chu feared her making a scene if she knew, but that was more annoyance than fear. What he truly feared was something else.
Chu Yi pondered thoughtfully and felt even less urgency. “Am I spouting nonsense? I picked up some Face Reading techniques from people outside. Eldest Uncle, your fate clearly shows two sons and one daughter.”
Eldest Uncle Chu panicked. He didn’t believe Chu Yi had discerned it from physiognomy; instead, he thought Chu Yi definitely knew something and was using these words to threaten him.
Eldest Uncle Chu made up some excuse and dragged Chu Yi outside to the yard. With a grim face, he viciously demanded, “What do you know?”
Even at this point, he tried to intimidate him with the same tactics he had used on the original body as a child. Chu Yi sneered inwardly and met his gaze calmly. “That child is in our village, right?”
This was a bluff. He wasn’t that omniscient; he hadn’t investigated everything right after returning. He was simply deducing based on past experience, figuring the mistress wouldn’t be too far away.
For a man like Eldest Uncle Chu, who stayed in the village year-round, even the neighboring village would be too much hassle, let alone the risk of getting caught if he went there frequently.
“You little bastard, threatening me now!” Seeing that intimidation wasn’t working, Chu Jiaxing suddenly flipped out. He raised his fan-like palm and swung it at Chu Yi—just like how he had beaten the original body many times as a child.
Chu Yi scoffed lightly, grabbed his four fingers, and bent them backward before delivering a harsh kick to the back of his knee.
“Ah—” Chu Jiaxing cried out in pain and involuntarily knelt down.
“This kneel is for my dad. Eldest Uncle, you schemed even against your own nephew. Aren’t you afraid he’ll come back one day to have a chat with you?” Chu Yi leaned close to Eldest Uncle Chu’s ear, his voice chilling.
If his magical power had been at its peak, he really wouldn’t have minded letting Eldest Uncle Chu taste the flavor of a ghost demanding repayment. But right now, he lacked that strength and could only “reason” with him.
“You—” Chu Jiaxing couldn’t fight back, and with his weakness in Chu Yi’s hands, his domineering aura vanished instantly. He could only grit his teeth and yield. “Fine, fine. You’ve grown wings, kid! What do you want?”
“Give me back the Hukou Booklet and ID Card. This house and the money I brought back over the past two years will offset the costs of raising me and putting me through school. We’re square.”
Chu Yi didn’t make outrageous demands, so Chu Jiaxing breathed a sigh of relief. Still uneasy, he rolled his eyes and probed, “How much do you know about my affairs?”
Chu Yi’s lips curved slightly as he slowly released his hand. “Not much. Last time I came back, I accidentally overheard you on the phone with someone. I didn’t think much of it then, but who knew Eldest Uncle would scare so easily—one test and it worked… Eldest Uncle, you’re not bringing that child home because you’re afraid Auntie Chu will divorce you, right?”
He revealed a touch of curiosity at the right moment.
Chu Jiaxing scrambled to his feet. “Bullshit! Would I be afraid of her? I’m just annoyed by her crying and fussing. In the end, she still has to listen to me! Don’t think you’ve got much on me, Chu Yi. If we go down together, no one wins. Hmph!”
Now fully reassured, Chu Jiaxing stormed back inside with a dark face, grabbed the items, and tossed them at Chu Yi irritably. “Here are your things. Get lost and don’t come back.”
Chu Jiaxing watched from the doorway, clearly distrustful. Chu Yi knew it, pocketed the Hukou Booklet and ID Card into his backpack, and walked toward the village entrance right in front of him.
Fortunately, the original body’s parents had long ago separated the Hukou Booklet from the Old Residence, saving him trouble.
Meanwhile, in a household near the mountains of Chu Village, a man who had become a cheap father was taking a midday nap.
Coincidentally, he usually worked at the construction site at this hour, but the site had shut down recently. With the autumn rice harvest half a month away, he simply came home early.
Because of the heat, he didn’t go upstairs and slept on a bamboo couch in the main hall.
