Chapter 268: Covered in Sores
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Lu Yuan Ze stormed into the backyard, his face tight with anger. Ever since the scandal with Madam Pei, he’d had a panic attack that left him unable to function properly from the waist down. Even after many treatments, he still hadn’t fully recovered.
Since then, he and Madam Pei had been sleeping in separate rooms, and it had been a long time since he last stepped foot in her quarters. Luckily, Madam Pei kept up appearances by regularly visiting the Old Madam for him.
First, Lu Yuan Ze went to the main courtyard, but it was empty. He spotted a maid cleaning nearby and asked, “Where is the Madam?”
“Madam went to Deshan Hall to care for the Old Madam,” the maid answered. “She spends most of her time there.”
Hearing this, Lu Yuan Ze’s anger eased a little. At least Madam Pei was still putting in some effort.
Since the Old Madam became paralyzed, her personality had changed drastically. She had become irritable and hard to please, even with him. Her constant crying made it hard for anyone to stay around her for long.
Thinking about this, Lu Yuan Ze headed toward Deshan Hall.
As he got closer to the gate, he saw Madam Pei’s maid leaning against the wall, dozing off. She was Madam Pei’s longtime confidante. Just as he was about to enter, the maid woke up with a start. She saw him and gasped, trying to keep calm.
“M-Master, why are you here? The Old Madam has been restless and only just fell asleep after a lot of effort from the Madam,” the maid said with a forced smile. Her tone suggested it might not be the best time to visit.
“I just want to see my mother,” Lu Yuan Ze replied, brushing off her concerns.
“Shall I let them know you’re here first? We don’t want to startle the Old Madam,” the maid suggested nervously.
“No need,” he said, his voice tinged with suspicion.
Being stopped twice today unsettled him. “Stay here. I’ll see my mother myself,” he ordered sharply, pushing past the maid.
The maid looked worried, but before she could say anything, Lu Yuan Ze’s servant stepped forward and covered her mouth to keep her quiet.
As Lu Yuan Ze entered the courtyard, an eerie silence filled Deshan Hall. There was no usual bustle of servants. Where was everyone?
He slowly approached the main bedroom. A faint, distressing sound of crying reached his ears. Was that his mother?
He carefully pushed the door open, and a foul smell hit him hard, making him gag. The room reeked of rot and something even worse.
“Wooo… wooo…” On the bed lay the Old Madam, her eyes unfocused and glassy, her voice barely a whisper from all her crying.
She had once been a strong woman, but now she was just skin and bones. Her face and hands looked like those of a skeleton.
The sight shocked Lu Yuan Ze. “Mother!” he called out, rushing over to help her. But the closer he got, the stronger the smell became, forcing him to cover his nose.
Suddenly, the Old Madam grabbed his wrist with surprising strength. Her grip was painfully tight. Her face twisted in pain, her lips trembled, and her eyes were filled with a mix of confusion and anger, tears clouding her vision.
“S-son… s-son… son…” she croaked, her voice a desperate, broken plea.
“Mother, what happened to you?” Lu Yuan Ze asked, horrified to see her in such a terrible state, her body so frail and her smell unbearable.
“Mother, let me get you some water,” he suggested softly, noticing her cracked, bleeding lips.
But the Old Madam stubbornly shook her head.
[Why doesn’t my son ever come to see me?!] she thought. She had been waiting for him for so long. It had been nearly two months since Lu Yuan Ze last visited her! Madam Pei’s neglect was driving her crazy.
“Mother, I won’t leave, I promise. I’m just getting you some tea. Your lips are bleeding.” After much coaxing, the Old Madam finally let go of his wrist, but her eyes never left him, afraid he would disappear.
Lu Yuan Ze walked over to the table. The teapot was cold; there wasn’t even any hot water. Unable to leave because of the Old Madam’s silent plea for him to stay, he poured her a cup of cold tea.
The Old Madam had never drunk cold tea in many years. Despite her humble beginnings as a farmer, she had always kept high standards for herself.
Lu Yuan Ze brought the cup to her lips, and she gulped it down eagerly.
“Cough, cough… cough, cough, cough…” She drank too fast and started to cough.
“Mother, slow down, or you’ll choke,” he gently warned, but the Old Madam ignored him and continued drinking, draining the cup quickly.
He sighed and filled another cup.
After four hurried cups, the Old Madam finally paused, her face desperate, tears streaming down.
“Cursed woman! How could she neglect you like this?” Lu Yuan Ze spat out, his teeth clenched in anger.
At the mention of Madam Pei, the Old Madam trembled. She started shivering and curled up, mumbling, “D-d-don’t… don’t hit… don’t hit…”
Lu Yuan Ze’s heart sank. [Has she been beaten?]
He felt the thin blanket covering her; it was cold and damp. “It’s only March; the ice has just melted outside, and it’s still cold. Why is your blanket so thin… and wet?” he demanded, his fury rising.
“There isn’t even a brazier lit in here, and no maids are around to care for you. Madam Pei is truly cruel!”
“She’s nothing like Shi Yun, who would warm your bed herself during the winter,” Lu Yuan Ze reminisced.
At the mention of Shi Yun, the Old Madam cried even harder. [Why did I ever drive Shi Yun away? I regret it so much!]
“Mother, we were wrong. The abbot from the National Temple wasn’t talking about us getting good fortune. He meant Chao Chao!” Lu Yuan Ze lamented bitterly. The fortune he thought was so close had slipped away.
Just the thought made his blood boil, and his throat felt itchy. Recalling the doctor’s warning to avoid coughing up blood, Lu Yuan Ze held back the metallic taste rising in his throat.
The Old Madam continued to weep. [Everything is ruined.]
“Mother, let me get you a new blanket.” Lu Yuan Ze wiped his own tears away. He had once been known as a dutiful son, praised by everyone in town.
But his so-called “filial piety” had always been carried out by others.
Madam Xu had cared for his parents without complaint, always personally attending to them. Because of her, the Old Madam had been healthy and even gained weight.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
But after marrying Madam Pei, he had continued to delegate his duties. Madam Pei, however, was heartless, and the Old Madam’s condition had worsened terribly under her care.
As Lu Yuan Ze lifted a corner of the blanket, the stench became even stronger. He nearly gagged.
When he pulled the blanket back fully, he was horrified by what he saw.
To make her job easier, Madam Pei hadn’t bothered to dress the Old Madam warmly. As a result, her body was covered in frostbite and… sores.
Because she was paralyzed and couldn’t move, her skin had been pressed against the bed for too long. In some places, her flesh had started to rot.
Her legs, arms, and torso were marred with decaying flesh, and to his horror, small white maggots wriggled in the open wounds.