Chapter 268: Covered in Bedsores
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Lu Yuan Ze strode into the rear courtyard, his face dark and brooding.
Ever since he had caught Madam Pei in an illicit act, the shock had left him afflicted with Horse-Riding Wind. No matter how many medicines he took, his body had never fully recovered.
Since then, he and Madam Pei had been sleeping in separate chambers.
It had been a long time since he last stepped foot in her room.
Fortunately, Madam Pei was still dutiful, often taking care of the Old Madam in his stead.
Upon returning to the main courtyard, he found it empty. “Where is the Madam?” he asked a maid sweeping the grounds.
“Madam has gone to Virtue and Kindness Hall to care for the Old Madam.”
“Madam is very filial; she often stays the night at Virtue and Kindness Hall.”
Lu Yuan Ze’s anger subsided a little. The Old Madam and Madam Pei got along well; at least the woman still had some conscience.
That said, ever since the Old Madam had been paralyzed, her temperament had changed drastically. She was unbearably difficult, even for him.
She cried and wailed day and night, making it impossible for anyone to find peace.
With that thought, he made his way toward Virtue and Kindness Hall.
As he reached the courtyard gate, he found Madam Pei’s personal maid dozing against the wall. He recognized her—she had served Madam Pei for many years and was one of her most trusted confidantes.
As soon as he approached, the maid’s eyes snapped open.
Upon seeing him, her breathing hitched for a brief moment, but her expression remained impassive.
“Master, what brings you here? The Old Madam hasn’t been sleeping well lately. She was particularly restless last night, and Madam Pei just managed to coax her to sleep.” The maid smiled, subtly hinting that the Old Madam had only just dozed off.
“It matters not. I wish to see my mother,” Lu Yuan Ze said with a wave of his hand.
“Then… shall I go inform the Old Madam first? We wouldn’t want to startle her,” the maid suggested softly.
“No need.” Lu Yuan Ze narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
This was the second time today that someone had tried to stop him at a doorway.
A feeling of unease settled in his chest.
“Stay outside. Do not enter,” he commanded before striding forward.
The maid’s expression flickered with anxiety, but Lu Yuan Ze gave her no chance to react. He signaled his personal attendant to restrain her.
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he sensed something was amiss.
Virtue and Kindness Hall was eerily silent, unnaturally so. Where were the servants?
He lightened his steps.
From the Old Madam’s chamber, a faint, hoarse sobbing could be heard.
Was that… the Old Madam?
Lu Yuan Ze pushed open the door.
A putrid stench assaulted his senses, so foul it made his stomach churn. It was the stench of rotting flesh.
And something else, something indescribable.
“Mmm… mmm…” The Old Madam lay in bed, her eyes murky and nearly blind.
Her throat was raw, barely able to produce any sound.
Once a plump and imposing woman, she had withered into skin and bones in just half a year. Her face and hands were nothing but parchment-thin skin stretched over bone.
Lu Yuan Ze reeled in shock.
“Mother!” He rushed forward to help her sit up, but as soon as he got close, the overwhelming stench made him falter.
Suddenly, the Old Madam’s skeletal hand shot out, gripping his wrist with alarming strength.
Her face twisted in a grotesque expression, lips cracked and peeling. But in her dull eyes, a desperate light flared.
Cloudy tears streamed down her face.
“S-son… s-son…” she whimpered, her voice barely more than a whisper, ravaged by countless nights of weeping.
“Mother, what happened to you?!” Lu Yuan Ze gasped.
His mother was little more than a breathing corpse, her body reeking of decay.
“Mother, please let go. I will fetch you some water.” His heart ached at the sight of her blood-crusted lips.
But the Old Madam violently shook her head.
Her son…
Why did he never come to see her?!
Day after day, night after night, she had waited in agony. Two months had passed, and not once had Lu Yuan Ze visited her! Madam Pei was killing her!
“Mother, I won’t leave! I won’t leave! Just let me pour you some tea. Your lips are bleeding!” Lu Yuan Ze coaxed, and only then did she hesitantly loosen her grip.
Yet her eyes never wavered from him, afraid he would vanish the moment she blinked.
Lu Yuan Ze stepped to the table.
Not even warm water was left in the teapot. But seeing how desperate the Old Madam was, he had no choice but to pour her a cup of cold tea.
Normally, she would never drink cold tea.
She had been born into a farming family, but she had always adhered to strict etiquette.
Holding the cup to her lips, he watched as she gulped it down in desperation.
“Cough! Cough!” She choked from drinking too fast.
“Slowly, Mother, or you’ll choke,” he said, but she paid him no heed. One cup was drained, then another, and another…
After four full cups, she finally slowed down, treasuring each sip as tears welled in her dim eyes.
“That wretched woman! How has she been taking care of you?!” Lu Yuan Ze seethed.
At the mention of Madam Pei, the Old Madam trembled violently.
She shivered uncontrollably, curling into herself. “No… no… don’t… don’t hit…”
Lu Yuan Ze’s chest tightened.
Mother had been beaten?!
He reached for her blanket.
It was thin. Too thin. And damp to the touch.
“It’s only the third month of spring—outside, the ice has just begun to thaw! How could your blanket be so thin… and wet?!” His anger flared.
“Not even a brazier is lit, and there’s no one attending to you. That woman deserves to die!”
“She is nothing like Shi Yun. Back then, Shi Yun would personally warm your bed each night.” Lu Yuan Ze sighed, voice laced with regret.
At the name Shi Yun, the Old Madam broke into sobs.
She regretted it. She regretted everything.
“Mother, we were wrong. The abbot of the National Temple spoke of someone destined for greatness, and he was referring to Chao Chao!” Lu Yuan Ze gritted his teeth. He loathed himself. He had thrown away untold wealth with his own hands.
Just thinking about it made his blood boil, his throat itch.
The physician had warned him—he must not cough up blood again. He forced the metallic taste down.
The Old Madam sobbed, despair sinking into her bones.
“Mother, let me change your blanket.” Lu Yuan Ze wiped his tears.
Once, he had been known for his filial piety, but his care had always been delegated to others.
Shi Yun had once tended to his parents tirelessly, ensuring the Old Madam was always in good health.
But Madam Pei…
She was heartless.
Lifting the blanket, Lu Yuan Ze froze.
Madam Pei had left the Old Madam completely unclothed for easier handling, leaving her to shiver in the cold.
Her body was covered in frostbitten sores and…
From months of lying motionless, her flesh had begun to rot.
Her legs, arms, and torso were riddled with festering wounds.
White maggots writhed within them.