Chapter 229 Dislike

Shen Yuanzhu listened and also felt troubled.

Going to the West sounds fraught with danger, but separation from her husband is Zhou He's greatest worry...

For a moment, Shen Yuanzhu was also unable to give an answer.

After a long silence, she said softly, "If Xiaozao'er is gone, who knows when you and your daughter will see each other again."

The journey to the West was long and arduous. If Jiang had truly left, it was uncertain whether she would ever be able to return to her homeland in this lifetime.

Shen Yuanzhu said, "Aunt Zhou, don't worry, let's go ask Xiaozao'er what she thinks today."

"She's just a child, what kind of knowledge could she possibly have?"

Zhou He wiped her face, her voice filled with anger: "I truly regret this marriage with the Xie family. If Jiang Zao had married someone else, we wouldn't be in this predicament now."

"I'm sorry."

Shen Yuanzhu said apologetically, "If it weren't for me..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou He quickly interrupted Shen Yuanzhu, saying, "It has nothing to do with you; it was my inappropriate remark."

"I was greedy back then, eyeing the Xie family's wealth. I shouldn't have urged you to help with matchmaking back then, and now you're turning your back on me."

"But I'm just unwilling to accept it. Why should my little jujube have to go through all the suffering I've endured?"

As she spoke, Zhou He began to sob, and Shen Yuanzhu quickly and gently comforted her.

The two arrived at the Xie family's residence. Shen Yuanzhu helped Zhou He down from the carriage, and as soon as they entered the gate, she sensed a change.

The Xie family home, which used to be quite lively, was now quiet. She and Zhou He walked all the way to the inner courtyard, but no one came.

The courtyard that should have been the residence of Xie Chengzhi and his wife is now surrounded by a wall, blocking their way.

The bare walls ruined the ambiance of the Xie family courtyard, making it look ugly and extremely jarring.

Zhou He and Shen Yuanzhu watched and sighed in unison.

Xie Jingyuan's Zhiyunxuan hadn't changed much. When the two entered, Jiang Zao was sitting quietly reading on a large Western-style iron swing in the courtyard.

Looking at her appearance, Zhou He suddenly burst into tears.

"Little Jujube".

Shen Yuanzhu spoke softly, and Jiang Zao looked up blankly, her eyes still carrying a hint of childish innocence.

“Mother, Sister Yuanzhu.”

She casually put the book down and walked over cheerfully.

"What brings you here? Please come in and sit down."

Jiang Zao pulled the person into the house and had a maid bring over hot tea and pastries.

Seeing her carefree laughter, Zhou He patted her hand with a pang of sadness: "What kind of time is this to be able to eat? What are you thinking?"

Jiang Zao awkwardly let go, her smile vanishing.

Seeing that her eyes were red again, Zhou He asked Shen Yuanzhu, "Little Zao'er, Aunt Zhou said you don't want to go to the West with Xie Jingyuan. Can I ask why?"

Jiang Zao glanced up at her mother's face, then looked at Shen Yuanzhu.

Shen Yuanzhu gently comforted her, and after a long while Jiang Zao said, "Mother, I don't want to go to the West with him."

She got up, brought a wooden box, placed it in front of the two of them, and gently opened it.

"Here is his letter of divorce and a sum of money. He said that if I don't go to the West with him, he will let me go home."

“Mother, now that we have money, we can move out and live on our own. I want to stay with you and don’t want to leave our hometown with you.”

"He likes Western things, those strange and ingenious skills, but I don't. I don't like the gibberish they spout, nor do I like those scantily clad women."

"I don't like having to adapt to local customs in the future, and I don't like..."

Jiang Zao said, "I don't like Xie Jingyuan either."

Upon hearing this, Zhou He felt a pang of sadness: "But you're already married. You'll grow to like each other eventually."

"And what's wrong with Xie Jingyuan? He's handsome, intelligent, and well-mannered. Whether you like him or not, he's your husband now. At this time, you should just enjoy your life together..."

"Mother, your child does not need a husband."

Jiang Zao's face was delicate and tender, and her eyebrows and eyes had not even fully developed yet.

Seeing Zhou He's displeasure, Jiang Zao said, "Mother, I've thought about this for a long time. I don't like the Xie family, I don't like Xie Jingyuan, and I don't like this marriage."

"Mother, I don't want to live the kind of life you had in the Jiang family. I don't want to see you compromise with Father and Grandparents for my sake, and I don't want to compromise myself."

"When I married Xie Jingyuan, I thought that this was it, that my husband and I would treat each other with respect and grow old together."

"But Mother, this is so difficult."

Jiang Zao's eyes were red and her face was full of worry: "Mother, have you been living comfortably all these years?"

"I am young and do not understand any profound principles, nor have I ever met many people."

"But Mother, I think you would be happier if you didn't have a husband."

"If it were Xie... if my mother-in-law didn't have a husband, she would be happier than she is now. If it were my sister-in-law..."

Although most of the Xie family's affairs were kept from Jiang Zao, she wasn't completely ignorant. Over time, she learned a little about the feud between Xie San Niang and Xie Shan, and about Xie Qi's background.

Hua Nanzhi and Xie Boyu...

She had seen countless times Hua Nanzhi's cold and stern eyes as she looked at Xie Boyu with disdain and contempt.

Just two days ago, she had heard that her niece-in-law, whom she disliked, had miscarried because Xie Xuchuan had argued with her during her pregnancy.

According to the servants, the atmosphere in Tiqi Courtyard was thick with the smell of blood that day, and the strong stench of blood lingered for days.

Some older women said it was because the niece-in-law's lochia was not clearing up and she was bleeding incessantly.

She had glanced at Xie Xuchuan briefly that morning; his face was ashen, deathly pale.

so……

Jiang Zao looked up and said in a trembling voice, "Mother, I'm so scared. I'm afraid that Xie Jingyuan and I will end up like you and Father, like my sister-in-law and brother, like my nephew and niece-in-law, hating each other."

“Mother, you have no idea how happy I was when Xie Jingyuan gave me the letter of divorce.”

"I can finally leave here and return to your side."

Jiang Zao couldn't resist and nestled into Zhou He's arms.

Her words shocked Shen Yuanzhu and Zhou He.

But Shen Yuanzhu listened for a long time and still couldn't help but nod.

Zhou He hugged Jiang Zao with heartache, saying repeatedly, "How can a married woman survive outside? Without a husband, you'll be judged and talked about in the future..."

Zhou He sighed, "When you returned to your parents' home, didn't you tell your mother that you liked Xie Jingyuan quite a bit? How come you don't like him anymore now?"

Jiang Zao said, "Mother, those people will stop giving advice after a while, but being trapped here means being trapped for a lifetime."

"As for Xie Jingyuan..."

Jiang Zao paused for a moment, then said with a puzzled tone, "Mother, he is extremely handsome, and there is really nothing wrong with him."

"On our wedding day, when he lifted my veil, my heart skipped a beat."

"On our wedding day, he was all smiles, handsome and gentle in his wedding attire. The moment he took my hand, I thought about spending my life with him."

"But later..."

Jiang Zao gently shook her head: "But later, I don't know how, I became like this..."

Jiang Zao was still speaking quietly when the maid outside the door remained silent for a long time before gently calling out to Xie Jingyuan, "Third Master, shall we go and pay our respects to Madam Jiang?"