Interstellar Pharmacist - Chapter 67:Extra Chapter
Chapter 67: Side Story—Tang Jingnan’s Epilogue
“From today onwards, Tang Jing is taking over as the family head. You will have to return to your old planet with your wife and children,” the Third Elder informed Tang Jingnan.
Tang Jingnan felt a moment of disorientation.
Twenty years ago, he had watched as the previous family head received a similar notice and left the Tang family full of resentment and unwillingness. He, on the other hand, had taken over the position with great pride and endless glory.
Now, twenty years later, he was the one being pulled down.
How did it come to this? Why could Yan Hao easily subdue him? Why did the Elder Council choose to compromise with Tang Xin? Tang Jingnan couldn’t understand and asked the Third Elder.
The Third Elder hesitated but chose to tell Tang Jingnan the truth.
“That day, as soon as I went in, I was knocked unconscious, and it was the First Elder who negotiated with her. The First Elder’s view was that he didn’t want everyone in the family to fall ill, and even more so, he didn’t want the Tang family to be wiped out overnight. Compromising was a bit disgraceful, but at least the Tang family still exists.”
So, he had been sacrificed? Just like how he had evaluated and then decided to abandon the steward.
Tang Jingnan was speechless, and the word “retribution” came to his mind.
Originally, his plan was well thought out. He focused on training his tenth son so that when the time came for his son to take over as family head, his wives and children could still stay in the Tang family if his son was willing.
However, now Tang Jing was taking over, and her first order was for them to leave the Tang family within three days.
Tang Jingnan’s mind went completely blank. He had lost, and lost to someone he had never taken seriously.
He had even laughably considered that person as a whetstone.
Only by relying on the Tang family could he support a large family. After leaving, he would have very little property. For an ordinary person, it would be enough to get by, but for someone used to living extravagantly, it would be far from sufficient. How would he live in the future?
Tang Jingnan was at a loss.
**
Within just a month, Tang Jingnan had aged considerably. His face was lined with wrinkles, and he appeared extremely weary.
Sitting in his shop, he sighed for the nth time.
The hard-earned level he had achieved was gone, and he was back to being a mediocre level 4.
More importantly, he didn’t have enough money.
Every morning, the first thing Tang Jingnan thought about was how to make more money.
He considered that during his time as family head, he had both openly and secretly accumulated wealth, even directing business to his own shop. If he fought hard now and took the opportunity to expand his shop, there might be a chance to turn things around.
With this mindset, Tang Jingnan decided to give it his all.
However, before he could work like a young and poor man, the dissatisfaction at home erupted.
There had been signs all along, but Tang Jingnan hadn’t expected it to come so quickly and fiercely.
The first to erupt was his fifth wife, who had once saved his life.
During his tenure as family head, Tang Jingnan had been in danger, and she had saved him, leading to their marriage.
He had met this wife after his rise to power, and post-marriage, she loved to shop. Tang Jingnan didn’t mind, thinking it was a good hobby.
Moreover, she was obedient and deserving of rewards.
Occasionally, Tang Jingnan would even hand her his Federation card, generously paying for her purchases.
But after moving to the planet where he had started from scratch and informing everyone of the need to cut expenses, her attitude changed.
“I agreed to marry you because you treated your wives well. Otherwise, with so many wives, who would want you?”
“Come on, if you can’t afford it, why marry so many wives? Can you even support them?”
“Did I marry you to suffer? Can’t even afford new clothes, you pauper!”
Once or twice was tolerable; Tang Jingnan pretended not to hear.
Perhaps seeing no reaction from him, she became more aggressive, almost pointing at his nose as she cursed.
“Enough,” Tang Jingnan’s anger surged.
“When I was family head, didn’t you enjoy the benefits? As husband and wife, we should share hardships.”
His wife sneered, “Husband and wife share hardships in a monogamous relationship. Which wife, seeing her husband marry woman after woman, can maintain her original intentions? I knew about your other wives when I married you. Of course, it was for the money. Did you think it was for your looks?”
Tang Jingnan was too angry to speak.
His wife adjusted her hair.
“Since you can’t provide me a better life, let’s divorce.”
According to Federation law, in a polygamous situation, divorce requires a division of property.
Hoping to use his assets to make a comeback, Tang Jingnan was unwilling to see them diminish, so he endured her insults daily.
But she wasn’t the only problem.
Of his fourteen children, apart from the ones who couldn’t talk yet, the rest fought constantly at home.
One would complain about unfairness—someone secretly cooking a bird’s nest for themselves. Another would accuse someone of frequently hitting her.
They all dragged Tang Jingnan into their disputes, asking him to judge fairly.
The wives would also complain, saying who bought an expensive mink coat or costly skincare products was overspending and urging him to punish them.
Tang Jingnan was overwhelmed. Dealing with household matters exhausted him, leaving no time for business.
Initially, when he returned to the planet, transitioning from the high and mighty Tang family head to a small shop owner trying to secure business, he felt very resistant.
But after being overwhelmed by household issues, he preferred sleeping in the shop rather than returning home.
However, some problems couldn’t be avoided.
His fifth wife wanted a divorce and, seeing Tang Jingnan avoiding the topic, directly contacted the Federation Civil Affairs Bureau.
The bureau approached Tang Jingnan, and the two sides sat down to discuss.
From start to finish, his wife had only one demand: “I want a divorce and a division of property.”
Tang Jingnan closed his eyes in exhaustion. He didn’t want to quarrel over money with the woman in front of him anymore. “If you want a divorce, then let’s divorce.”
This divorce was just the beginning.
Seeing that the fifth wife successfully divorced and received money, living happily outside without having to endure the shared grievances, the other wives also expressed their desire to divorce Tang Jingnan.
One wife was hesitant, but her daughter persuaded her, “Just leave. We can’t stay here anymore. Every day, someone is secretly watching what we eat, wear, and buy, ready to report to Dad. Once we get the money, we’ll manage for three years outside.”
“By the time I turn eighteen, I can return to the Tang family and get a resource allocation. Then, I can ask if they can give me credit points directly. If not, I’ll get some valuable items, sell them for money, and later, we can buy a house or a shop to rent out. The rent will be enough for us to live well. Why stay here and suffer?”
Moved by the described bright future, she firmly demanded a divorce.
“Go ahead, all of you, just go,” Tang Jingnan said, giving in to despair, hiding in his study and drinking in sorrow.
He felt deeply hurt.
During his most difficult times, no one wanted to stay with him; instead, everyone was eager to escape.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the study door, “It’s me.”
A glimmer of hope ignited in Tang Jingnan’s heart.
He recognized the voice of the birth mother of his tenth child, his true love.
Was she the only one willing to stay with him during these hardest times?
“Come in,” Tang Jingnan said, covering the bottle and putting the alcohol away, his expression softening slightly.
His true love entered, looking at him quietly. After a long time, she said, “Everyone else has left. Soon, the civil affairs officials will process all the divorce papers. I’m leaving too. I came to see you one last time before I go.”
“You’re leaving too?!” Tang Jingnan was shocked and angry. Did none of his many wives and children want to stay?
She sneered, “When you were competing for the family head position, didn’t I suffer with you? And how did you repay me after you succeeded? You married one woman after another, always telling me you had no choice. So, consider my leaving now also a situation where I have no choice. Goodbye, never to meet again.”
She left without a trace of reluctance, closing the study door behind her.
Tang Jingnan angrily threw the bottle at the door, smashing it to pieces.
In his time of greatest need, his family desperately fled from him, even trying to take advantage of him, squeezing every last drop of benefit.
Tang Jingnan suddenly burst into laughter, appearing crazed, tears of blood seeping from his eyes. “So many people, yet not one willing to live with me. Retribution, this is all retribution!”
**
Tang Jingnan went mad.
According to the doctors, the patient had suffered too much trauma, causing mental issues, and needed specialized care.
The Federation’s government officials sought out his family, asking if anyone was willing to take care of him. The caregiver would receive his share of the property.
No one was willing.
Some were so frightened they left the planet overnight. Others coldly provided the addresses of his true love and Tang Ning, “These are his favorite wife and son. Send him to them for care.”
The Federation had no choice but to send him to a mental hospital, with his property used to pay for his stay.
Seeing that Tang Jingnan had no relatives or friends to care for him, the hospital placed him in a secluded small room.
Usually, the door was locked. Only during meal times would it be opened for him to go to the bathroom and be fed.
Once a week, the hospital staff would change his clothes and clean him up. The rest of the time, he was left to his madness in the room.
Sometimes, after drinking too much water, he would bang on the door, making strange noises, but no one paid attention, and he would end up wetting himself.
Filthy, confused, and increasingly insane, he no longer resembled his former self.
Occasionally, he would inexplicably start crying or laughing maniacally, but no one cared.
Tang Jingnan lived this way until the end of his life.
