Chapter 42: Returning to the Maternal Home
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Madam Xu moved sluggishly to attend to her duties. Before she even stepped through the door, the Old Madam’s furious voice pierced through the air.
“Vicious women! A nest of vipers! How could they bear to do such a thing? Those two children were so exceptionally bright, and yet they dared!” The Old Madam’s anger raged, leaving her chest heaving with pain.
The moment Madam Xu entered, the Old Madam’s tirade ceased, though her expression remained thunderous.
“Who has incited Mother’s wrath?” Madam Xu asked, her brow faintly furrowed, a hint of indignation flashing in her eyes. “Did Mother witness the scene in the northern part of the city? Surely it must have been one of those mistresses causing trouble again. Rest assured, the Old Marquis never kept concubines.” Madam Xu chuckled warmly, pouring a cup of tea for the Old Madam.
The Old Madam responded indifferently, “It’s merely a pity for those two brilliant children. After all, they had no say in their birth.”
Madam Xu’s eyes darkened. [No say in their birth?] she sneered inwardly. One had stolen Lu Yan Shu’s work and sought to burn him alive. The other schemed to usurp Chao Chao, aiming to bring ruin to the Xu family.
“Old Madam, you are mistaken,” Madam Xu said with a soft hum. “The root lies in a crooked foundation; children born to mistresses—who knows what kind of character they may have inherited? Besides,” she added, her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile, “that woman’s appearance was all too enchanting. Who can be sure the children are even legitimate?”
The Old Madam’s face grew cold, her sharp gaze cutting toward Madam Xu. “Leave outsiders out of this,” she said sternly. “Your duty is to properly tend to Yuan Ze. Hasn’t he stayed away from home for over half a month? As women, we must learn to endure. Suffering is just part of a wife’s lot.”
She patted Madam Xu’s hand as though imparting wisdom. “A woman married out of the family no longer belongs to her maternal home. Your aging parents shouldn’t be troubled on your behalf. If your husband errs, we women must rise above it, reflect inwardly, and ask if we’ve done enough. Yuan Ze faced great opposition to marry you—don’t you think so?”
Madam Xu pressed her lips together in silence.
As they spoke, hurried footsteps approached. A maid burst in, her expression uneasy. “Old Madam, Miss Wan Yi has returned…”
“It’s not a festival. What could she be doing back?” the Old Madam murmured, her mind racing. [Could it be because of Pei Jiao Jiao’s disgrace?]
Madam Xu raised her teacup to hide the faint smile playing on her lips.
Meanwhile, Lu Chao Chao clung to Deng Zhi, her wide eyes gleaming with excitement. [The curtain rises! The show begins!]
At eight months old, she already had two small teeth. Thanks to her blessed birth and constant absorption of spiritual energy, she could even walk a few steps holding onto a wall. The increasingly cold weather had her bundled up like a little ball, almost too cumbersome for Deng Zhi to carry.
Chao Chao gleefully fished two teething biscuits from her pocket, settling in to enjoy the drama. Her hidden pouch now contained countless little treasures, off-limits to even the maids.
Madam Xu chuckled softly, her heart warming at the sight of her lively Chao Chao.
Lu Wan Yi had barely stepped inside when she broke into sobs. “Mother!” she wailed, collapsing before the Old Madam in a heap of tears.
“What has happened?” The Old Madam was taken aback, her heart breaking at the sight of her youngest daughter’s despair.
Wan Yi’s face was streaked with tears, her swollen eyes red and puffy. But it was the glaring handprint on her cheek that caught the Old Madam’s attention.
“Who struck you?” she demanded, her voice trembling with anger.
Wan Yi’s tears flowed freely, and the once-proud and headstrong girl now appeared utterly diminished. In just three months, she seemed to have wasted away, her frame gaunt and frail.
Lu Wan Yi bit her lower lip lightly, her voice trembling with sobs. “Close the door.” The maids exchanged glances before quietly shutting the door and withdrawing.
One garment at a time, Lu Wan Yi removed her clothing, revealing her body. The Old Madam was so shocked she nearly leapt out of her seat.
The Marquis’s Manor was struggling financially, but Madam Xu had brought an immense dowry into the marriage. Over the years, countless resources had been poured into Lu Wan Yi, nurturing her skin to be as flawless as white jade.
But now…
Her body was covered in whip marks, crisscrossing old scars and fresh wounds. Some had already scabbed over, while others were still bleeding profusely. Her garments, soaked in blood, clung to her flesh. As she peeled the fabric away, a large patch of skin came with it, causing Lu Wan Yi to sweat profusely from the pain, tears streaming uncontrollably.
The Old Madam’s entire body trembled violently.
She cried out in horror, “Who?! Who dares to hurt you like this?” Her voice quavered, the anger reigniting in her chest. Her previously simmering rage from the day before now flared back to life. She did not even notice that her repeated fits of anger had left her limbs faintly numb and trembling as she tried to compose herself.
In the past, Madam Xu had been cautious about her, worried she might suffer a stroke, and always tempered her responses. Now, seeing the Old Madam’s reaction, Madam Xu offered a faint smile.
Lu Wan Yi’s expression was sorrowful. “It was Gu Ling! Gu Ling!” she cried.
“He deceived me, pretending to be a gentleman, but he’s a madman!” Her voice was filled with despair. Since their marriage, Gu Ling’s violent temper had surfaced. He would slap her during his fits of rage but later kneel by her side, begging for forgiveness with the utmost tenderness.
Piece by piece, he had eroded her spirit over three harrowing months. His abuse only escalated with time, culminating in the latest atrocity. He had tied her up and lashed her until her entire body was covered in wounds. She had only just managed to escape.
“Sister-in-law, I was wrong,” she sobbed, kneeling at Madam Xu’s feet. “It’s all my fault for not appreciating your efforts and failing to heed your wisdom. I know I was wrong.” Gone was the arrogance she had displayed when sending word to Madam Xu not long ago.
“Gu Ling is a madman! A gentleman in public, but a lunatic in private! When he’s wronged or upset outside, he comes home and takes it out on women. His child bride—she was beaten to death by him. Mother, he’ll kill me too!” As she recalled his fierce and menacing demeanor, she shivered, goosebumps rising all over her body.
This time, she had fled. She couldn’t return to the Gu family!
The Old Madam turned to Madam Xu, pleading, “Shi Yun, let them separate! Let them separate! He’ll grind Wan Yi down to death!” The Old Madam’s heart ached unbearably.
“A man who beats women is not worth keeping. They must separate!”
[What a hypocrite. When Father beat Mother, she told Mother to reflect on herself. But now that it’s her own daughter, she demands justice and separation.]
[Serves her right. Let him beat her to death!]
Madam Xu sighed, her expression somber. “Mother, that’s not how this works.”
“Marital disputes shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Fights on the bed are resolved at the foot of it. Angry words shouldn’t be treated as reality.”
“Besides, a husband is a man. If a man faces frustrations in court, it’s only right for a wife to share the burden. And…” Madam Xu glanced up at the petrified Lu Wan Yi.
“Wan Yi’s temper is too headstrong. She’d need to learn humility no matter whom she married. If her husband disciplines her, it must be because she was at fault. If she reflects and changes, won’t everything improve?”
“It’s better to dismantle a temple than to ruin a marriage. I refuse to be the villain who breaks apart a pair of lovebirds!” Madam Xu shook her head firmly.
She even advised Lu Wan Yi, “Wan Yi, your mother is getting old. Stop stressing her with such matters. A married daughter is like spilled water. You can’t interfere in her life forever.”
“Don’t you think that’s reasonable?”
“Wasn’t this the very principle Wan Yi and Mother taught me?” Madam Xu threw the words back at them without hesitation.
[Mother is so mighty and domineering! Mother, well done!]
The little one wanted to clap her hands in excitement but was swiftly stopped by Deng Zhi.
MC is truly enjoying become professional melon eater