Chapter 189: Missed Fortune
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
The atmosphere grew tense, leaving everyone in silent shock, unsure of how to proceed.
The matriarch of the family had always seemed destined for greatness, yet she had wasted her potential. Born into a simple farming family with several sisters, her parents married them off to secure dowries for their only brother and fund his house construction. Some of her sisters ended up with elderly widowers; others became secondary wives in wealthy households, but none found happiness.
She, however, had married a thirty-year-old bachelor. He wasn’t educated and made his living by hunting in the deep mountains. Despite this, he was kind-hearted and nurturing. The day after their wedding, he left to seek fortune and returned within a year as a celebrated hero, awarded a marquisate for his deeds. Pregnant at the time, she ascended from a farmer’s wife to a marquis’s lady, securing her position through her unborn son. Her fortune seemed boundless.
She once had an older brother who passed away shortly after his marriage. His widow remarried, leaving behind a daughter, Madam Pei Jiao Jiao. When Madam Pei Jiao Jiao turned fourteen, her family wrote to say she was of marrying age and wished to send her to the capital to secure a good match. Out of familial care, she welcomed Madam Pei Jiao Jiao to the marquisate.
Unexpectedly, Madam Pei Jiao Jiao and her son fell in love, sparking her ire. She adored Madam Pei Jiao Jiao like her own child but knew a marriage within the marquisate was impossible. Without significant political support, her son needed to marry into a powerful family for alliances. Ultimately, her son wed Madam Xu, and she arranged for Madam Pei Jiao Jiao to live discreetly outside, potentially to replace Madam Xu someday.
Madam Xu’s son, Lu Yan Shu, was celebrated as a genius throughout the capital. She hesitated over him, knowing a brilliant heir was vital for the marquisate’s future. But when Lu Yan Shu became paralyzed, she shifted her hopes to Lu Jing Huai, whose talents were just beginning to show. A prophetic encounter with the abbot of the National Temple hinted at a great figure emerging in the marquisate, convincing her to act against Madam Xu.
Her life had flowed smoothly, filled with unexpected wealth and power, as if heaven itself had favored her. But after her schemes against Madam Xu and Lu Chao Chao, her fortune reversed. Once proud of her reputation, she now lay bedridden and incontinent, a shadow of her former self.
“How can someone so old still soil their pants?” Lu Chao Chao exclaimed from the doorway, her tiny nose wrinkled in disgust.
Madam Xu stepped forward calmly. “Madam Pei, please proceed,” she said. “When my mother-in-law was ill, I managed all her care. Now, though I pity the old lady, I am but a former daughter-in-law. It falls to you.” She smiled genuinely. “While we have maids, none can replace the care a family member provides. Besides, the old lady would prefer her dignity intact, not tended by strangers.”
Madam Pei’s expression soured at the room’s stench.
Eager to prove Madam Xu wrong, Lu Yuan Ze sharply instructed Madam Pei, “Go take care of her! Mother always favored you, and you can’t even manage this simple task?”
His words stung, turning Madam Pei’s eyes red with humiliation. She had never stooped to such menial tasks before. Reluctantly, she approached the old lady as the maid brought hot water. Swallowing her disgust, Madam Pei began to change the soiled linens, only to retch and gag after being unable to contain herself.
“You despise Granny, you despise Granny…” Lu Chao Chao pointed accusingly. “You think she’s yucky… You not nice like mommy…”
Her childish accusation inflamed Lu Yuan Ze, who lashed out with a kick. “Useless!”
Madam Pei Jiao Jiao clutched her chest, grimacing in pain. Curled up, she shivered in a cold sweat. She looked up to see Madam Xu’s mocking glance, fueling her rage.
“You did this on purpose, stirring up trouble and mocking us!”
Madam Xu coughed subtly, her gaze turning to Lu Yuan Ze. “I hoped you would choose a sensible wife, but it seems I was mistaken… After eighteen years of marriage, do you still not know me?”
Lu Yuan Ze’s face fell, “Of course, you’ve always been virtuous and magnanimous, above such petty squabbles.”
Madam Xu’s smile did not reach her eyes. [Yes, that was the old me. Now, I am someone else entirely.]
“Don’t assume everyone is as low as you,” he scolded Madam Pei. “What are you waiting for? Go take care of Mother! She has cherished you for years. Do you despise her now?”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
As Lu Yuan Ze’s scowl deepened, Madam Pei forced herself to continue her task.
Madam Xu directed her meticulously. “Be gentle, can’t you see the old lady is suffering? People who are paralyzed are prone to bedsores, which can become fatal. It’s vital that family members provide thorough care… You must shift her position three times daily to prevent decay. Bedsores are a fate worse than death… Some caregivers reduce food and water intake to lessen bathroom needs.”
“Of course, Madam Pei, you’re like a daughter to her. You would never neglect her,” Madam Xu said, effectively trapping Madam Pei with her words.
The old lady, her face twisted in terror, stared at Madam Pei. “Ah, ah, ah…” Fear filled her eyes.
Madam Xu’s eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint as she stood by the bed, feigning concern. “Are you frightened? Don’t worry, Madam Pei is the daughter-in-law you personally chose. She’ll take good care of you. For her, you even ousted us. She must be grateful…” she added slowly.
The old lady, gripped by fear, clutched at Madam Xu’s hand, her fingers pale with terror. Her eyes pleaded for Madam Xu to stay.
With a soft voice but icy gaze, Madam Xu reassured, “Do you miss me? Unfortunately, your daughter-in-law is here now.”
She guided Madam Pei’s hand into the old lady’s.
As the old lady’s eyes filled with horror and anger, she grasped Madam Pei’s hand as if to tear it apart.
“Don’t worry, I’ll hire a few personal maids for Mother. She won’t be neglected,” Lu Yuan Ze declared, moved by Madam Xu’s performance. His gaze lingered on Madam Xu, wondering why he hadn’t noticed her beauty before.
[Haha, no filial children at the bedside of a long-sick parent, the infighting begins…] Chao Chao inwardly squealed.
Men, what a messed up family is this