Chapter 51 The meeting

Xin's view

I left Xinye sleeping and went to see my mother. I should have seen her as soon as I entered the Family manor, but I hadn't. I was both too worried about my wife and reluctant to see my mother knowing how much she despised Xinye.

"Good evening, mother," I greeted her formally, unintentionally putting an emotional wall up between us, "How have you been?"

"Xin! It is so good to see you! Have you come back home to me? Have you finally realised your mistake and left that dreadful woman?" My mother said all the things right to piss me off.

I took a deep breath and remembered Xinye wanted me to repair my relationship with this woman with the heart of poison, "I have returned because my wife insisted I come and make amends with you. However, it does not look like you have changed at all. I am at a loss at how to address you civilly with this attitude you have towards my wife."

"What do you see in her anyway? She can't give you children.."

I laughed bitterly, ironically, and somewhat with relief, "That is where you are wrong, mother."

"What? You have a child to that demon?" my mother shrieked, "Impossible! I will not recognise them!" she stopped shrieking and spoke about the girl in the room who had been serving us tea. I recognised her from the last time I was here. It was the same girl my mother wanted me to marry.

"Chungli here has been a faithful girl to me, marry her and have kids with her, and I will recognise those children," my mother said sweetly behind her fan while looking at me with sly intentions.

"Mother, I have told you in the past, and I am telling you now," I said, barely holding myself together from disrespecting her totally, "I have one wife and will have one wife only. Xinye is my wife, and there will be no other. You said that it was important we have children together, and so we did, and now you are saying you will not recognise them now they are born? How ridiculous. I even bought them to meet their Nainai. I won't bother introducing them to you then."

"Is this any way to treat me? After so long?" my mother began to play the victim.

"Is how are you being treating my wife anyway to treat her?" I retorted.

"What has she ever done for you except take you from me?" my mother responded.

I had enough and grabbed her by the collar and said in a low voice, if anyone of my men had received this from me, they would know that they were inviting death to dance with their lives. My mother was not that sensible, though, "You drove me away with all the women you sent to rape me. As for Xinye, I would not be alive today if it were not for her, and yet, despite knowing this, you hate her. It is her that brought me back today; if it were left to me, I would not have ever come back. Do you understand yet, mama?"

"Fine, but I have never seen any sign of her saving you. I think you are lying to protect her," my mother retorted.

"IF I show you, will you stop your behaviour to my wife?" I asked.

"I give no guarantees," my mother said, sniffing, "You have been incredibly unfilial and disrespectful."

"You have done nothing to earn my respect," I returned, "Even when I am filial, you reject it. Did you not say it was my duty to have a child to take over from me?"

My mother gave the smallest of nods.

"I did, and now you say you reject my beautiful children without even meeting them. How is that fair?"

"You should have married who I picked for you. This woman has done nothing for me. Chungli has," my mother pouted. I shoved her back down in disgust.

"My wife has done more than Chungli or whatever she is called has. She saved me. I am alive because of her. How difficult is that to understand?" I got sick of the circles this conversation was going in, so I started to rub my temples, "I think I should go. I am to angry now to deal with you, mother. Xinye would be disappointed in me and my behaviour tonight. Goodnight." and I left to my mother sputtering in rage pointing after me.

"ChungLi....how is he so disrespectful? I raised him better than that," I overheard my mother say to the girl. I could imagine her pointing after me her hand wavering in anger, her other covering her mouth hiding her displeasure.

"You did not raise me at all," I muttered angrily, storming back to my wife.

I slid the door open and saw her breathing peacefully on the bed, "Thank you, God." I uttered the prayer to her God that she was at least resting well here, unlike at the inns. My anger evaporated just watching her like this. I closed the door gently, shrugged off my outer garments, and crawled in beside her, wrapping my arms around her like a needy child.

"Xin," she stirred awake, "How did it go? The meeting with your mother?"

Feeling anger flash through me, a feeling I did not want around my precious wife, I replied, "Let's talk about this tomorrow. Today I need you."

She chuckled at my request, "Alright, just as well as you are handsome. I can't deny you anything."

"Good," I said and proceeded to have my way with her. Her moans of pleasure triggered my need to hear more. She did not get much rest that night, but even so, what rest we did have was enough.

The following day Sari came in and woke us both, ushering us both off for a bath, saying, "Get in the bath. Anyone can smell what you have been up to all night. How many times did you take her?" she asked me before adding, "No don't tell me, I don't really want to know. Just go." and she handed me my robe, figuring I was naked under the covers, which I was. Xinye still had some clothes left on her, so she just needed to straighten them. I got dressed and then helped Xinye to the bath.

As we were exiting our room to bathe, Weici arrived with some breakfast on a tray. He, too, commented on the smell. "Woah, this room smells like sex, you horny devil," and he winked at me before looking at Xinye, "If his demands ever get too much for you, send him my way. I could do with some loving, too." causing Xinye to blush in embarrassed thought.

We bathed and headed back to the room for our breakfast.

"Xin," Xinye tried again, "How did it go with your mother."

I suddenly lost my appetite, "and suddenly I am not hungry." I said.

Xinye looked at me steadily, "Xin, you have to make amends with her. She is your mother, and for all her faults, she loves you in her way."

"Her way is sick!" I said, trying to defend my feelings, "She wanted me to get rid of you and marry ChungLi. She would not even recognise our children."

"That is because she has never met them," Xinye explained, "To her, they are just a word that you have had them. She does not know them. If she did, I am sure she would love them and change her mind about them. Though I doubt she will ever change her mind on me." She sighed, then looked depressed.

"You're probably right," I agreed, "Anyway, what shall we do today?"

"The cousins/nieces/nephews should meet, and we should figure out what to call each other," Xinye suggested.

"You are right," I agreed and looked at Sari and Wei, "Do you think you two could handle getting a picnic together?"

They nodded, "Yes, master Xin."

I remembered then that this was the correct address they should be using as our staff, "Oh, for heaven's sake, when can we go home? I hate this master, lady business. You are our family too now."

As good servants, they said nothing, just smiled. When we had finished eating, they took our plates away and headed to the kitchen to clean up and prepare the picnic I had yet to organise.

"Do you want me to come?" Xinye asked me, "Or do you want me to go and organise Fergus, Ying, and the kids?"

"Go organise Fergus, Ying, and the kids. Even if my sister and your son do not agree to join us, we can at least go out as a family."

"Alright," she got up and kissed me, "Take care, and don't get too upset."

I smiled wryly, "It is as if you know me or something. I will try."

"Good, that is all I ask," she responded and headed out the door to see our family in the ghost wing.

I did not get very far before I was again called to my mother's side. She pretended to be sick, "My son, come and look after me." She pretended to cough pitifully.

"No, mama," I refused, "I have something to do. I will visit you upon my return."

"It's that woman. She is stopping you!" my mother spoke derisively.

"You are wrong, mama, you are so wrong. You will not listen to what I say, so you sit there. Sit in your wrongness and be wrong!" I snapped before adding, "Just so you know, my wife, that woman you call her, lectured me about not repairing my relationship with you. She wants our relationship to be repaired. And you! You spiteful old cow keep saying and doing things that cause our relationship to fail. When will you learn? When will you listen? My wife is the reason I am still alive!"

"How dare you!" she leaned forward angrily before remembering she was playing the sick card, so she fell back, "I have only ever wanted the best for you."

"Well, I got the best, and it was no thanks to you!" I replied.

"How is she the best? She can't even give you children!" my mother went off on her delusional tangent.

I looked at her incredulously, staggered at her obtuseness, "Were you always this stupid?" I wondered aloud.

"How rude! Go now; I am too sick for this," she waved me out, pretending to be pitifully weak and sick. The sight made me angry after seeing real weakness and sickness in my wife.

"Well, at least that ChungLi wasn't there that time," I muttered, "Why does she want me so badly anyway? My other brothers are more suitable."

I saw ChungLi, then with a tray heading towards my mother. Not wanting to deal with her, I went another way to see my sister.

A/N If you enjoyed this chapter, please take the time to vote by pressing the star. Please let me know if you see any errors, as this is unedited.