Chapter 81: The Mothers-in-Law Group Goes Offline – They Deserve It

A single rain brings autumn, and a sudden chill descends. A thin veil of bluish-gray seems to drape the world, a biting cold pervades the air.

Baomo Hall was unusually quiet.

Madam Chen paced back and forth in the main room, holding a brocade handkerchief. The door was open, and she kept glancing outside. When she saw no one, she frowned and started pacing again.

"Madam, Madam!" Granny Sun rushed in.

Madam Chen hurried to greet her, "Ruqing, how is she?"

"Madam." Granny Sun rushed into the main room and closed the door. "I found out that he's in the county jail, but damn it, for some reason, the jailer refuses to let him see her."

Upon hearing this, Madam Chen turned deathly pale. "She...she was caught? What happened to that girl?"

Granny Sun squeezed Chen Zhangshi's hands tightly, "Madam, calm down."

That wretched girl is lucky; her injuries aren't fatal. She'll probably be able to get out of bed in a few days. Right now, the most urgent thing is to shut that idiot in jail up."

"But didn't you say the jailer wouldn't let us see him? Did you give him any money?" Madam Chen stared intently at Sun Ruqing. Her only hope now lay with this nanny who had been by her side since childhood.

Granny Sun nodded, "Even spending money didn't help. They said someone put in a good word for this Liu fellow."

"Who could it be?" Zhang Linshuang murmured to herself.

“No matter who it is, whether they are an enemy or a friend. Or,” Sun Ruqing’s eyelids twitched, and he suddenly looked at Chen Zhangshi with a serious expression, “or I could find someone to go to jail and get it done early…” As he spoke, he gestured with his hand.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Madam Chen hurriedly shook off her hand. "No, this won't work, Ruqing, how can we kill someone? Last time you said you were just going to scare that girl, but you accidentally caused a murder case. Now you want to kill someone in the county jail? This won't do."

"Madam!" Granny Sun said sternly, "You must be decisive. If that man surnamed Liu confesses in prison that you ordered him to do it, what will you do?"

"No, no, no, let me think about it again, let me think about it again, there must be other ways." Chen Zhangshi swayed and couldn't support herself, so she sat down on the round stool. "How about I go and find Bai'er? I'll go and find Bai'er. He's my own son, he'll definitely help me."

"Mother, what brings you to me?"

Chen Junbo walked through the courtyard and went straight to open the door of the main room.

“Bai’er…” Madam Chen saw her son’s tall figure silhouetted against the light at the doorway, tears welling in her eyes as she took small steps to greet him. “Bai’er…”

Upon closer inspection, she saw that the courtyard behind Chen Junbai was filled with servants and maids, all of whom were from Lanxin Pavilion. Her expression instantly changed.

"What are you doing bringing so many people to my courtyard?"

Chen Junbo narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Chen Zhangshi quietly without saying a word.

In just a few seconds, Chen Zhangshi's mind was in turmoil. "What are you going to do? Don't forget, I am your mother. I gave birth to you and raised you!"

Despite her screams, the people in the courtyard stared wide-eyed, and not one of them spoke up for her.

"Bai'er, Bai'er," Madam Chen suddenly cried out, "Bai'er, I was wrong, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time, go and speak to the magistrate, and I will never interfere in your affairs again. Please?"

Chen Junbo looked at his mother, who seemed somewhat unfamiliar to him, and didn't know what to say.

"Chen Junbo! Chen Ziheng!" Zhang Lingshuang suddenly raised her eyebrows and shouted hoarsely, "You ungrateful wretch, do you really want to kill your mother for that damned girl?"

“Mother,” Chen Junbo said coldly, “you are my mother, but even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. Just because you are my mother, does that give you the right to disregard human life?”

Madam Chen sneered at him, "Trying to preach to me? Heh, Mr. Chen, this is extremely unfilial of you. If this matter is made public, can you still be a Mr. Chen?"

Chen Junbo finally gave up trying to reason with his mother and gave the order, "Someone come here."

"Yes." The servant rushed into the house.

"What are you doing? What do you want to do? How dare you!" Despite Chen Zhangshi's desperate cries, no one paid any attention.

It wasn't until the servants rushed straight at Sun Ruqing that she realized it was too late. "What are you doing? You've arrested the wrong person! Madam, Madam, save me!"

"Ruqing! Granny!" Madam Chen rushed forward, trying to pry the servants' hands off. "Let go! Let go of Ruqing! Let go! Chen Junbai, are you crazy? Tell them to let go! Granny Sun raised you since you were a child, how dare you..."

However, the servants were strong and dragged Sun Ruqing out of the main room. Chen Junbai said calmly, "Mother, the county government has investigated the assassination case. This is the confession. Please take a look at it yourself." As he spoke, he placed the confession in his arms on the table.

Chen Zhangshi stared into his eyes and saw a ghostly fire flickering within them. She felt as if she had never really looked at this son properly before. Her hands trembled as she picked up the confession and scanned it line by line. “Nonsense! This Liu Rufang is talking nonsense. No one asked him to kill anyone.”

“If Mother didn’t instigate it, then what about Granny Sun?” Chen Junbai ignored his mother’s emotions and turned to glare coldly at Sun Ruqing. “Granny Sun should still remember what she said to Liu Rufang, right?”

Chen Zhangshi sat there stunned, muttering repeatedly, "No...no...Ruqing only told him to scare that girl..."

Granny Sun, who was being held down on the ground by a group of servants in the courtyard, was clenching her teeth and remained silent.

Seeing this, Chen Junbai said coldly, "Does Mother really know what Granny Sun has done?"

These words shattered Chen Zhangshi's hopes. She looked at Sun Ruqing outside the door in disbelief, "Granny... how could you lie to me..."

Sun Ruqing seemed to know that only Chen Zhangshi was her last hope. She gritted her teeth and said, "Madam, you are always kind-hearted. You don't even know how to fight back when people bully you. I can't bear to see you suffer."

Those women, like the Li family and the Liu family, even if you put them all together, they're not as important as a woman's finger. It breaks my heart to see you worrying about these dirty things.

You are someone I've raised since childhood. In this old servant's eyes, you are closer than my own sister. No one else cares about you, but I do. I care about you so much..."

“Ruqing…” Zhang Linshuang burst into tears, throwing herself into her son’s arms. “Bai’er, please release Granny Sun! Talk to them and tell them to let Granny Sun go. Mother has nothing left but Granny Sun. Please let her go. I promise, from now on we’ll stay in Baomo Hall and not go anywhere else, we’ll do nothing, okay…”

"Mother-in-law".

Li Yang's voice grew louder as he approached, and he forced Xiao Lu to help him move over with the support of her cane.

“What my mother-in-law said is not right.”

When Chen Junbai saw her, his heart skipped a beat. She had gone mad; her wound had only healed for a few days, yet she dared to come to Baomo Hall like this. He immediately ordered someone to bring over a round-backed chair with a soft cushion and helped her sit down.

Upon seeing her, Zhang Lingshuang's eyes widened in fury. "You, you, what are you doing here? Get out! Get out of here! Baomotang doesn't welcome you. Don't think you can act all high and mighty just because you won the bet. As long as I'm here, you have no right to be the head of this household!"

“But Mother-in-law, I never thought of competing with you for the power to manage the household.” With Chen Junbai’s help, Li Yang sat down gently. The wound was really vicious, and she couldn’t sit properly. She twisted her waist and supported herself on the armrest of the chair.

“I never intended to compete with you, whether it was for the power to manage the household or for Chen Junbo. Mother-in-law, you just said that you would have nothing without Granny Sun, but you still have your family, your grandfather, and Chen Junbo. If you don’t mind, you still have me as your daughter-in-law. How can you be all alone?”

Chen Zhangshi sneered, "Family? Hehehehehe, family, Chen Junbai, my father, one by one, you've easily won them over. What kind of family are you if you don't protect me!"

"Over the years, only Ruqing has stayed by my side through thick and thin. She is my family! You, one by one, use the name of family, but in reality, you are all wolf cubs. You! You ingrate! You are even more of a mother wolf cub!" She pointed at Chen Junbai and Li Yang.

Li Yangqi looked at the other person and said, "How does your mother-in-law treat us family members? Your grandfather is old and frail. How many times a year have you visited him? Every time you went, you made him so angry that he couldn't breathe. Your grandfather raised you to this age with such care and respect. What has he done to wrong you that you have to endure this?"

Even so, Mother-in-law, do you know? The day you left the Zhang residence, Grandpa held my hand and told us to take good care of you in your old age and not to be angry with you. A parent's love is unwavering; Grandpa has spent his entire life sheltering you from the storms of life. How could he not be heartbroken to hear your words?

Chen Junbo has done even less to wrong you. You gave birth to him, but did you ever raise him for a single day? From childhood in this mansion, a wealthy young master was never well-fed or clothed. Did you know that? If his maternal grandfather hadn't taken him back to raise, you probably would have died in this mansion before you found out.

Even so, he has never mistreated you. Your lifestyle in this house is among the most luxurious in the entire Songshan Town. If it weren't for Chen Junbo working tirelessly day and night to secure the salt business, would your current life really have fallen from the sky?

But he's in his twenties now. Mother-in-law, you are his biological mother. Have you ever cooked a single meal for him? Have you ever cared about what he likes to eat or whether he's dressed warmly enough?

No, you never have. You said Granny Sun was your only family, so why is it that, as your family member, the person who cares about you the most, who is by your side every day, has never reminded you to be filial to your grandfather or love your son? Is she really your family? Or is she a locust sucking your blood?

Mother-in-law, why won't you take a look, take a look at how oppressed your dearest relatives have been all these years under your harsh treatment and neglect? And these locusts around you, do they really want what's best for you, or... Mother-in-law, just look at them!

Her words brought tears to everyone's eyes, and Chen Junbo's expression was even more stern, his hand holding Li Yang's delicate white hand trembling uncontrollably.

Li Yang gripped his hand tightly in return, looked up at him, and when he turned to look at him, his eyes suddenly curved into crescent moons. The two looked at each other, and Chen Junbo felt a surge of warmth flowing from their clasped hands down his arm and into his lungs, warming his entire body.

For the first time in his twenty-four years of life, he felt wronged. Young Master Chen suppressed the slight tremor at the corner of his mouth and turned to look at Madam Chen, who was stunned in the main room. "Mother, Liu Rufang's testimony is conclusive. She accused Granny Sun of threatening him with money and instigating him to commit murder, and provided the murder weapon. The oppression from the government is waiting outside. Mother, please don't make things difficult for your son."

Chen Zhangshi sat there blankly, seemingly not having heard his words at all. Chen Junbai raised his hand, and the servants dragged the screaming Granny Sun out of the courtyard.

"Granny, Granny." Zhang Lingshuang murmured to herself, "Granny, Granny..." She suddenly came to her senses, got up and wanted to chase after her out of the courtyard, but Chen Junbai grabbed her with both hands, "Mother, Granny Sun deserved her punishment. Over the years, she has caused more than one death behind your back."

Madam Chen raised her clear eyes to look at Chen Junbai, unable to believe his words. Granny Sun had been by her side since childhood. After her mother died, her father was busy with business, and only Sun Ruqing treated her well like an older sister, taking care of her. Later, she accompanied her when she married into the Chen family, and then...

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The author's note: Don't you think Chen Junbo is handsome? Not at all!