Chapter 190: The Sharp-Tongued Little Chao Chao
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
During her youth, Xu Shi Yun was raised with utmost care.
She was pure-hearted, trusting, and unguarded, carrying a sincerity rarely seen in the world.
Once, this radiant and delicate young girl was cast away for a single statement of hers, staying estranged from her family for eighteen years.
She loved fiercely, without reservation.
Back then, he had indeed been moved by her.
But later, when Lu Yan Shu’s accident occurred, she grew hysterical. As the years passed, exhaustion and weariness consumed her.
The once-bright light in her eyes dimmed into a haze of sorrow, one that no one could comprehend.
But now, she had changed.
The sun shone brightly, and she carried herself with grace and laughter. Not a trace of gloom shadowed her brow.
In fact, she seemed even more beautiful and enchanting than in her youth.
Madam Xu caught Lu Yuan Ze’s gaze and felt disgusted.
Truly nauseating.
Back then, when Lu Yan Shu was paralyzed and the Old Madam fell seriously ill, she spent sleepless nights tending to them both.
The Old Madam deliberately made things difficult for her, leaving her exhausted beyond measure.
Caring for a paralyzed elder was the most draining of all tasks. It could wear a person down until they were neither human nor ghost.
Madam Pei had just finished wiping the Old Madam clean when Madam Xu spoke coldly, “I heard the household has taken in a revered monk?”
Madam Pei’s hand trembled slightly, her grip on the handkerchief tightening.
“Yes,” Lu Yuan Ze replied, his eyes never leaving Madam Xu. “Jiao Jiao invited him. She often visits the Buddha Hall to transcribe scriptures.”
His persistent gaze enraged Madam Pei.
At the mention of the monk, the Old Madam’s emotions erupted.
Her body twisted violently, and she let out a piercing scream, tumbling from the bed onto the cold floor.
Lu Yuan Ze paled in fright. “Mother, what’s wrong?”
The Old Madam clutched at his sleeve, struggling to speak. “Mmm… steal… steal…”
“Mmm… see… see…” Her words slurred, drool dripping as sweat beaded on her forehead.
She sobbed and wailed.
“Having known the Old Madam for eighteen years, I can more or less guess what she means. Perhaps she wishes to see the monk?” Madam Xu smiled, indifferent to Madam Pei’s growing panic.
As expected, the mere mention of the monk only agitated the Old Madam further.
“Summon the monk,” Lu Yuan Ze commanded in a deep voice.
The Old Madam clung to him, weeping bitterly. Her son’s fate was tragic—so tragically unfair.
Lately, she had been tormented by thoughts of Lu Wan Yi and the loss of the marquis title, unable to sleep soundly at night.
One evening, she had heard strange noises coming from the small Buddha Hall.
Compelled by curiosity, she ventured there alone under the moonlight, without a single servant accompanying her.
There, she saw the daughter-in-law she had always favored—Madam Pei—clinging naked to the so-called monk before the Buddha’s altar.
“When will Jing Huai call me Father?”
“Every day I hear the child call Lu Yuan Ze his father, and it pains me!”
That single statement had turned the Old Madam’s face deathly pale.
She recalled the abandoned Madam Xu and the grandsons erased from the family registry. Her expression twisted in horror.
The household had been tainted with bastards.
Panicked, she had turned to flee, but the commotion alerted the figures inside.
The man had pursued her. The night was dark, and the path was treacherous. She slipped, tumbling down the stairs, her head smashing against the ground.
Originally, the man had intended to silence her for good, but the cries of approaching servants had saved her life.
That night, as she lay in agony awaiting the physician’s arrival, she had felt the murderous intent in Madam Pei’s gaze more than once.
Then came the stroke.
Her speech was robbed from her, her limbs rendered useless.
Only then did the killing intent in Madam Pei’s eyes finally subside.
“Lord Lu, what matter requires my presence?” The monk entered clad in robes, his demeanor calm, his expression one of serene benevolence.
The Old Madam trembled like a leaf, curling into a ball in Lu Yuan Ze’s arms, her fear palpable.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!” The Old Madam’s terrified screams echoed through the hall.
“Mother! Mother!” Lu Yuan Ze frantically tried to soothe her, but her fear only intensified.
Until, finally, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted dead away from fright.
Madam Pei dared not look at the fake monk. Instead, she crouched beside the Old Madam, wiping away tears. “The imperial physician said that after her stroke, her emotions would be unstable, and she might experience drastic changes in temperament.”
“Back then, the eldest young master was as bright as the moon and wind,” she carefully added. “Yet, after he was paralyzed, did he not change completely?”
Lu Yuan Ze’s doubts gradually faded. Indeed, back then, Lu Yan Shu had undergone a complete transformation.
From a proud son of heaven to someone who needed help even with the most basic bodily needs—he had become an entirely different person. He had rejected everyone who tried to come near him.
Madam Pei secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Madam Xu, however, smiled faintly. Oh? That sigh of relief seemed a little premature, didn’t it?
“Where did this esteemed monk come from?” Lu Chao Chao asked while cracking melon seeds.
“He is a high monk from the National Temple,” Madam Pei answered casually. “A disciple of the abbot himself, constantly traveling and rarely appearing before the world.”
Madam Xu nodded and suggested with a meaningful smile, “Why not have him chant prayers for the Old Madam daily? Perhaps she might recover sooner.”
[Exciting! Truly thrilling!]
[Letting the culprit accompany her day and night—a fate worse than death.]
[Madam Pei’s schemes are impeccable, truly remarkable!]
Lu Chao Chao secretly gave her mother a thumbs-up.
Madam Xu arched a brow in return.
Hatred mingled with fear—what a wonderful sight.
The Old Madam needed to live a long time, just enough to torment Madam Pei and let her taste despair and terror firsthand.
“Who are you to decide such things?” Madam Pei protested indignantly.
“Why are you so petty? Just do as Shi Yun suggested.”
Unwilling, Madam Pei grudgingly agreed.
In truth, she did not wish to provoke the Old Madam further. After all, if the Old Madam discovered the truth, she herself would be doomed.
Meanwhile, outside the doorway, Jiang Yun Jin, the Lu family’s eldest daughter-in-law, stood with a bleak expression.
She had only been married into the family for three days when Madam Pei handed her the household management rights. Out of gratitude, she had even gifted Madam Pei a set of fine jewelry.
Who would have thought—
The first task she was given was to distribute the delayed monthly wages! She had been stunned at that moment.
What respectable household would ever be in arrears to its servants? Yet, upon checking the accounts, there was not a single coin left. She had to personally make up for three months’ worth of wages out of her own pocket.
There was clearly no silver in the accounts, yet ever since she took over, Madam Pei constantly demanded bird’s nest soup for nourishment—as if treating her like the next victim to exploit, just like Madam Xu.
Thankfully, Lu Jing Huai spent his days diligently studying in the study. Though, till now, he had yet to consummate their marriage.
“You are Jiang Madam?” Lu Chao Chao tilted her head at her.
Jiang Yun Jin curtsied with grace. “Yes, Your Highness, Princess Zhao Yang.”
“So you were once my sister-in-law?”
Jiang Yun Jin lowered her eyes and responded respectfully, “It seems Yun Jin and Young Master Yan Shu were not fated to be together.”
“I heard you didn’t like my elder brother?” Lu Chao Chao blinked innocently.
“But so many people like my brother. Everyone wants to marry a top scholar,” she murmured, pouting as if utterly confused.
The mere mention of Lu Yan Shu’s name made Jiang Yun Jin’s breathing quicken, her grip tightening around her handkerchief.
She was well aware of Lu Yan Shu’s newfound status.
Being the top scorer in the provincial examination was one thing, but in the imperial capital, such an achievement signified a true prodigy.
More astonishingly, he had been paralyzed for ten years, untouched by books in all that time—a full decade!
“Why didn’t you like my eldest brother?”
“Elder Brother is handsome, and he’s a top scholar. He’s going to be the champion of the imperial examination next.”
“Why didn’t Lu Jing Huai win?”
“Was it because you didn’t like him?” Lu Chao Chao asked curiously.
Jiang Yun Jin—she could no longer hold herself together!