Chapter 278: Dying of Rage
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
The old lady’s whole body trembled uncontrollably. Her hands and feet shook, her eyes rolled wildly, and drool dribbled from her open mouth. She looked truly pitiful. Paralyzed and confined to her bed, she spent her days crying, cursing, and struggling to speak.
“Wretched… wretched woman!” she muttered weakly.
“Guh… guh… wretched woman! Should die!” she suddenly screamed, then collapsed back onto the bed. A yellow puddle spread beneath her.
The maid’s face twisted in disgust, but she quickly composed herself and returned to a neutral expression.
“Mar… marquis… title…” the old lady mumbled.
“Top scholar, top scholar…” she kept repeating, her words jumbled and unclear.
“No heirs, no sons, no grandsons… boohoo… boohoo…” Tears flowed down her wrinkled face like a heavy rain, filling the room with a terrible smell.
[How did things come to this?] she wondered, her mind drifting back to the past.
She had started from nothing, rising in status thanks to her husband’s position as a marquis. Later, she became the respected matriarch because of her son’s achievements. She imagined a perfect life, surrounded by talented grandchildren and powerful allies.
But now, everything had fallen apart.
Shi Yun, her daughter-in-law, used to stay by her side all night, gently comforting her through headaches and fevers.
But ever since Madam Pei took over her care…
To stop her cries, they would force boiling water down her throat until her mouth was too burned to scream.
To avoid helping her to the bathroom, they starved her, giving her only one meal a day.
And when Madam Pei was in a bad mood, she’d send the maids away and stab the old lady with silver needles. Paralyzed, she could only lie there, overcome with pain and fear.
“Yun… Yun…”
“My… Shi Yun…” Suddenly, the old lady coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Splurt.
The blood sprayed out, staining everything around her.
“Mother!” Lu Yuan Ze’s heart raced as he rushed to her side, reaching out to hold her up.
But then, a horrible smell filled the air—she had lost control of her bowels. Lu Yuan Ze grimaced.
The old lady was so furious, she had also spat out blood.
“Oh no, she looks awful. I’ll get the doctor,” said the maid, noticing how pale and unfocused the old lady’s eyes were. She hurried off.
Soon, the maid returned with the doctor. Even though they had incense burning, the stench in the room was overpowering.
“Yun, Shi Yun…” The old lady weakly clutched a piece of clothing Shi Yun had made for her when she first joined the family.
The doctor checked her pulse and examined her. His eyes met Lu Yuan Ze’s with a worried expression.
Outside, Lu Yuan Ze asked anxiously, “Doctor, how is my mother?”
The doctor shook his head with a heavy sigh. “My condolences, Marquis Yuan Ze. She’s overwhelmed with anger and sadness. She’s barely hanging on, driven by her deep attachments…”
The doctor’s face grew stern. “She’s only had a stroke for a year, but the bedsores are terrible. Her flesh is rotting, and there are even maggots. She’s living in daily agony, like being eaten alive by ants. How have you been taking care of her?” The doctor looked at Lu Yuan Ze with clear disdain.
Lu Yuan Ze stammered, unable to form words.
He had never handled household matters before. That was always Madam Xu’s job, so he assumed Madam Pei would manage things just as well.
“Marquis Yuan Ze, you need to take charge,” the doctor said sharply before leaving with his medicine bag.
Lu Yuan Ze felt all his strength drain away, leaving him feeling weak and empty.
He returned to the room to find the old lady still weakly calling for Shi Yun, her life hanging by a thread. Regret and guilt surged through him.
He pulled back the quilt and saw her skin, marked with countless needle punctures.
“So… painful…” she murmured weakly.
“Shi Yun…”
“Shi Yun…”
“Grand… son… my… grand… son… boohoo, no heirs… boohoo, no heirs.” Her eyes were filled with a pleading look as she kept mumbling about Shi Yun and her grandsons.
Tears rolled down Lu Yuan Ze’s face.
“Mother, I’ll go get her. I’ll go get her, just hang on…” Lu Yuan Ze quickly wiped away his tears, his voice trembling.
“Bring the wild ginseng to keep her breathing,” he ordered, his eyes red with emotion.
The maid hesitated. “Master, we don’t have any wild ginseng left in the house. But the young madam has some in her dowry…”
However, Jiang Yun Jin and Lu Jing Huai had been on bad terms lately, and it was unlikely she would part with her ginseng willingly.
Lu Yuan Ze’s face grew tense with frustration. “If she’s willing to give the wild ginseng, I’ll grant her a divorce.”
He had spent a lot to marry Lu Jing Huai to a powerful woman, but all his efforts were for nothing—a child not his own had benefited instead.
If Jiang Yun Jin chose to leave, he wouldn’t stop her.
He decided not to give Lu Jing Huai and Lu Yuan Xi any advantages.
The maid hesitated but finally nodded, understanding the urgency.
Lu Yuan Ze’s life had been nothing but chaos recently. Just yesterday, he had caught his wife cheating, and now today, he was dealing with the old lady’s possible death. His clothes were wrinkled and untidy, showing his disheveled state.
With no time to change, he personally went to invite Madam Xu and their four children to come.
Back at the Lu Residence, Deng Zhi eagerly approached Madam Xu. “Madam, it seems the old lady from the old house won’t make it through the night,” she reported after noticing funeral preparations and a coffin being readied.
Madam Xu, always cautious, had kept a close watch on the Pei family because she was worried they might resort to tricks.
“Is that so?” she asked calmly.
“I’m afraid it is, Madam. Ever since the old lady had a stroke, she’s been neglected. Her bedsores are terrible, and her flesh is rotting. Madam Pei has treated her cruelly. Today, the old lady found out Lu Yuan Ze has no heirs, and she’s so angry she might not survive,” Deng Zhi said, a sly smile appearing on her face.
Madam Xu shot her a warning look, and Deng Zhi stuck out her tongue playfully. “I couldn’t help it, Madam.”
“It’s fine to smile in private, but don’t laugh out loud in public. They’ve clearly made a mistake, but we don’t want people thinking poorly of us,” Madam Xu advised.
“I understand, Madam. I’ve been pinching my leg so hard it’s almost bruised. I wouldn’t dare laugh out loud,” Deng Zhi reassured her.
Deng Zhi sneaked a glance at Madam Xu, who was also grinning from the side. “MADAM! You scold me, yet you laughed louder than anyone in your sleep,” she teased.
Madam Xu blushed. Though she seemed virtuous and gentle, she had a rebellious side. If not for that, she wouldn’t have snuck out years ago and met Rong Che.
Protected by her family at home and by Rong Che outside, she had never faced the world’s real dangers—until she was tricked by a scoundrel and thrust into a life of hardship.
Sighing, Madam Xu changed into more modest clothing, and Deng Zhi helped her switch to simpler hair accessories.
“Call the young masters and Chao Chao,” she instructed.
“Even though they were disowned and removed from the family register, the old lady is dying. It’s only proper to pay respects, considering the years of connection,” she explained.
People believed in respecting the deceased, and they had the moral upper hand now. Refusing to go could lead to rumors and make them seem heartless.
Today, little Lu Chao Chao was tired from all the excitement. She snuggled sleepily in Yuhua’s arms, her curly hair bouncing as she rubbed her eyes.
“Whas’ happen, Mama? Grandma die, we have yummy feast?” Chao Chao asked, confused.
She had only heard bits and pieces about the old lady’s condition.
Madam Xu’s eyelid twitched. “She’s not dead yet, Chao Chao! Don’t talk like that,” she corrected, startled by her daughter’s bluntness.
Chao Chao blinked, her face falling with disappointment.
Madam Xu sighed deeply. Maybe it was better not to bring Chao Chao after all?
She had a feeling Chao Chao wasn’t exactly wishing for the best!