Old Madam Qiu's eyelashes trembled slightly. Her eyelids were lowered as she looked at the ground, making it impossible to discern her expression. After a moment's thought, she said, "But you are intelligent..."
Zhu Jiayu calmly interrupted her: "Just because I'm intelligent, does that mean I have to accept a life I don't want?"
She couldn't even muster the energy to be angry anymore, because she realized that she couldn't persuade Madam Qiu, and that saying or doing anything would be futile, so she might as well save her energy.
"Grandmother, do you want to know how I got Qi Xiuyuan to change his mind?" she asked with a light laugh as she looked at Madam Qiu.
Old Madam Qiu summoned her precisely to find out about this matter. Zhu Jiayu was well aware of this as well, so before Old Madam Qiu could speak, she had already said, "I killed someone in front of him and told him that if he wasn't afraid that the Marquis's family's joyous occasion would turn into a funeral on the day I married into the family, he could speak well of me to Old Madam Fan."
She stood up, dusted off the hem of her skirt, and smiled innocently and sincerely at Madam Qiu.
Then she said, "Grandmother, stop wasting your energy. You're getting old and should be enjoying your retirement. Just put these petty schemes behind you for now. Of course, if you insist on doing this, I'm not afraid to fight to the death."
Old Madam Qiu had forgotten how to react. Every word Zhu Jiayu said was unexpected. She thought Zhu Jiayu had at most confessed her feelings to Qi Xiuyuan, or perhaps done something outrageous in front of him, but she never imagined that she would kill someone. She certainly never expected that Zhu Jiayu would tell her so recklessly.
While she was still in a daze, Zhu Jiayu had already gotten up, left the door, and departed from Songhexuan.
Old Madam Qiu watched her departing figure, wanting to say something, but in the end she gave up.
Never before had she understood so profoundly that it was all in vain. Her calculations, her efforts, were all futile.
Now that things have developed to this point, she is powerless to change anything.
Zhu Jiayu never plays by the rules.
Helpless, she summoned Qingshang and asked her to instruct the people in Suiping to stop targeting the Zhu family's embroidery business.
Three days later, Qi Xiuyuan embarked on his journey back to Yujing.
On the day of parting, Zhu Jiayu stood with several Qiu family girls. Her beautiful face was expressionless, without a smile or reluctance.
Qi Xiuyuan saw her reaction and, for some reason, felt a pang of regret.
Before there was time to ponder the reasons for this regret, the carriage had already left Sweetwater Lane, and everything in Heling City could only remain there.
Old Madam Qiu sat in the courtyard, the grape trellis above her head already covered with lush leaves, the green leaves glistening on the trellis. She looked up at the light blue sky and said with a hint of regret, "He should have set off by now, shouldn't he?"
Qingshang knew she was referring to Qi Xiuyuan, and cautiously replied, "Yes."
“Although I had already prepared a way out for the Qiu family, from beginning to end I hoped that this way out would never be needed. But now it seems that I miscalculated.” She sighed and said wistfully, “Perhaps I’m getting old.”
She looked at Qingshang tenderly: "In my life, I was pampered by my parents when I was young. Although I did not live a life of great wealth and honor after I got married, I had a harmonious and loving relationship with my husband for half my life. Our children were also filial and harmonious. I have no regrets. However, there is only one person I cannot let go of, and that is you."
Hearing her tone, which sounded like she was giving her last instructions, Qingshang shook her head frantically: "Madam..."
Old Madam Qiu slowly raised her hand to stop her from speaking, and continued, "I have some meager assets and a dowry. I have written in a letter how to distribute them. After I am gone, you can open the drawer under my dressing table and arrange my affairs according to my wishes."
She had almost never experienced failure in her life, but this time, in the marriage to the Marquis of Kaiping, she suffered a terrible setback. After her anger and resentment, she was shocked to find that her health was deteriorating day by day. So she wanted to explain these things clearly while she could still speak.
"What happened between Ayu and me these past few days will all be forgotten after today. If anyone notices anything amiss and asks you about it, you must keep quiet. This is what I owe her."
"Tell her that the Qiu family knew nothing about the Marquis's affairs, and tell her not to hate them. If she has great fortune in the future, please ask her to help the Qiu family. This is my last wish for her as her maternal grandmother."
She started coughing again, a heart-wrenching cough, as if she were coughing up all the past decades.
Qingshang hurriedly stepped forward to pat her back, but Old Madam Qiu grabbed her hand. She grabbed it so hard that her nails dug deep into Qingshang's hand without her realizing it. Qingshang didn't care about the pain; she understood what the old lady meant, so she hurriedly nodded, "This servant will remember, Madam. Rest assured, this servant will certainly not let you down..."
Only then did Madam Qiu slowly release her grip. At the same time, she vomited a mouthful of blood from her throat and then completely fainted.
Qingshang then hurriedly called for someone to fetch a doctor, while she herself pushed the old lady into the room.
That day, Songhexuan was brightly lit. The ladies and young misses of the Qiu family waited in the old lady's room until late at night, but were eventually persuaded by the steward and Qingshang to return to their respective courtyards to rest.
The weather was rather muggy at the end of May. Zhu Jiayu lay in bed, feeling drowsy and unable to sleep peacefully because she was thinking about the old lady's illness. Until one time, a thunderclap suddenly rang out in the sky, and a bright flash of lightning streaked across her eyes, instantly illuminating the dim room as if it were daytime. She finally couldn't help but get up, call Luzheng, and ask her how things were going at Songhexuan.
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