Tang's father, ignoring his wife's attempts to help him, hurried after Zhan Zeyi.
Fortunately, the car hadn't moved yet. Zhan Zeyi leaned casually against it, his gaze fixed in one direction.
"My dear son-in-law, you mustn't!"
Knowing it was useless to reason with Tang Qiyue, Tang's father reached for Zhan Zeyi's arms, but Zhan Zeyi sidestepped him effortlessly, disdain clear in his expression. His brows furrowed, as if trying to read what his father-in-law truly wanted to say.
"Dad, be careful!"
Standing beside Tang's father, the eldest Tang son frowned in displeasure, trying hard to suppress it. The arrogance and lack of manners of this new son-in-law irked him; a Tang family son, accustomed to flattery, could hardly tolerate such behavior. He shot Zhan Zeyi a warning glare, but Zhan Zeyi completely ignored him, focusing instead on Tang Qiyue, who was conversing nearby.
Tang Qiyue had witnessed the exchange between her father and Zhan Zeyi. She pulled Tang Xiuyuan aside.
Tang Xiuyuan, her stubborn twin brother, had been waiting at the Tang family gate. He had refused to enter the Tang family home after their father severed ties. Today, Tang Qiyue was returning to her parents' home according to custom, and Xiuyuan assumed she should go back to their mother's side. He had been waiting to warn her.
Their mother had been furious when she discovered Tang Qiyue's marriage while she was away. If it weren't too late, she would have taken Qiyue back herself.
As the siblings approached Zhan Zeyi, the three Tang sons confronted Tang Xiuyuan.
"Xiaoyuan, what are you doing? Standing at the doorstep and not entering? Are you trying to cut ties with the family?" Tang's second brother scolded.
Tang Xiuyuan rolled his eyes. "Didn't Father cut ties with me? The disownment notice was even in the newspaper!" He pulled the paper from his pocket, always keeping it for the right moment.
The second brother glanced at it, confused. Though he didn't understand why their father would go so far, he believed that even broken bones are still connected. Brothers, after all, remain brothers.
"Nonsense! It's just a statement! And you actually take it seriously? What about the kindness of our parents in raising you?" the third brother barked.
Tang's father, anxious and unwilling to hear the squabbling, roared, "Shut up, all of you!"
Tang Xiuyuan, about to retort, was tugged back by Tang Qiyue and remained silent.
"My dear son-in-law, Qiyue is only sulking with me. Please don't take it to heart. All that dowry was prepared for her over the years!" Tang's father explained anxiously.
But Tang Xiuyuan wouldn't be swayed.
"Old man Tang, have some shame! Anyone with eyes can see you're faking it with my sister's dowry. I saw your wife secretly switch it, stuffing junk into some boxes to deceive everyone!"
He tore through the façade Tang's father had tried to maintain, leaving him stunned. Tang Xiuyuan knew nothing about the replacement; he had simply assumed that since Tang Chunlan had run away, everything would rightfully go to Tang Qiyue.
Sneering, Tang Xiuyuan continued: "You've always said you treated my sister and me the same, but all these years, my sister suffered with our mother, while your eldest daughter lived luxuriously. You forced her into marriage, and what happened to her dowry? Junk! You wouldn't even give her one good thing! Do you think if you died, my grandparents would despise you and expel you from the family register?"
His words left no room for interruption. Tang's father's face burned with humiliation. Neighbors whispered, sensing the scandal.
Glancing for his wife, Tang's father found her quietly retreating—he knew it was her doing.
"You bitch!" he shouted, unable to contain himself. His pride outweighed all else. He slapped her twice, leaving her face marked. Mrs. Tang covered her face and ran back into the house.
Ignoring her, Tang's father turned to Zhan Zeyi. "I didn't know about the dowry. I'll have someone send it to Qiyue later. We absolutely can't let her suffer!"
Zhan Zeyi understood perfectly—his concern wasn't the dowry itself, but the chest. Tang Qiyue knew the situation, but Tang Xiuyuan remained unaware.
"It's a loss," Tang Xiuyuan sneered. "Old man Tang, you only pretend because you fear losing face, right?"
Tang's father felt suffocated and yelled, "Shut up! You're everywhere!"
Tang Xiuyuan glared, looking as if he might challenge his own father. Tang Qiyue intervened, pulling him back.
"That's enough! I'll wait at home," she said firmly.
Her father breathed a sigh of relief, forcing a smile. "Qiyue, your dowry is your future security. You can't just donate it away, especially that dowry chest—it's finest sandalwood, a treasure for generations."
Seeing her unmoved, Tang's father became anxious. "I know you're upset, but your son-in-law is a good man. Live well with him. Anything you need, I'll provide!"
He rambled on, emphasizing repeatedly that the dowry chest could not be donated.
"If you truly despise the dowry items, donate them. I'll refill the chest later, and your brothers can deliver it to you!"
Tang Qiyue suppressed a laugh at her father's exasperated state. Tang Xiuyuan looked bewildered, and even the three Tang sons were puzzled by their father's antics.
Zhan Zeyi impatiently reminded them, "It's getting late. We still need to visit your mother-in-law."
Tang Qiyue pushed Tang Xiuyuan into the car and turned to her father. "Just a reminder: if my stepmother dared change my dowry, would she dare touch anything else?"