Chapter 675 The Death of Old Mrs. Qiao
"How dare you talk to me like that?"
Old Mrs. Qiao was angered by the questioning in Jing Lian's daughter-in-law's words, and raised her cane to hit Jing Lian's daughter-in-law.
But Jinglian's wife wasn't like Qiao Wangshi; she wouldn't just stand there obediently waiting to be beaten.
Seeing the cane being brought towards her, she raised her hand and caught it. "What? Grandmother, are you trying to hit me too?"
Jinglian's wife pushed the cane back.
Grandma Qiao was so angry that she pounded the ground with her cane.
"Look at this! This is the daughter-in-law you chose! This is the daughter-in-law you chose! Neither of them respects me!"
Old Mrs. Qiao glared at Little Li, sighing and pounding her chest in frustration, "If you still consider me your mother-in-law, then you go and give her a good beating with your cane!"
“Mother…” Little Li looked at Jinglian’s wife, then at the old lady, caught in a dilemma.
The old lady has been really good to her all these years, but how much longer can the old lady live?
She'll need Jinglian's wife to take care of her in her old age!
Now, in the capital, Jing Lian is the one who supports the family business.
If she really listens to the old lady now and lays a hand on Jinglian's wife, will the couple still treat her well in the future?
"Are you going or not?" When Grandma Qiao saw that Little Li was not listening to her, she threw her cane on the ground and started to throw a tantrum and cry.
"Fine! Even you won't listen to me anymore!"
"Waaaaah... Why is my life so miserable?"
"It's one thing for outsiders to bully me, but none of you even respect this old woman!"
"Are you saying I've lived too long and am in your way?"
"Waaaaah..."
Faced with Old Mrs. Qiao's tantrum, Little Li was both troubled and annoyed. She couldn't help but glare at Jing Lian's wife, her eyes filled with accusation and displeasure.
If Jinglian's wife hadn't spoken so harshly and been so forceful, would the old lady have gotten angry again?
Mingming had already calmed down after the old lady had beaten her third son's wife.
Well, that's exactly what happened; she angered the old lady again with just a few words.
Jinglian's wife naturally understood the dissatisfaction in her mother-in-law's eyes, and immediately felt both angry and aggrieved.
Seeing that Xiao Lishi was being forced by Old Madam Qiao to pick up the cane from the ground, Jinglian's wife could no longer hold back her tears.
"Mother, are you really going to hit me because of a few words from the old lady?"
"I..." Little Li couldn't persuade the old lady, and wondered if she should pretend to hit her a few times as a formality.
Just then, Qiao Qingping, having learned that Old Madam Qiao had angrily beaten Qiao Wangshi, rushed over.
"what you up to!?"
Qiao Qingping already knew the whole story on his way here.
Ultimately, she was angry because Cao Weijia hadn't come over to pay her respects.
Furthermore, upon hearing that Lady Qiao had spent a considerable amount of time talking with Cao Weijia, he became angry with Lady Qiao for not bringing her along to pay her respects, and thus took his anger out on Lady Qiao.
Not only did they make him kneel on broken porcelain shards, they also hit him several times with a cane.
The blows were extremely heavy; the person was so badly beaten that they couldn't kneel and fell to the ground.
If Jinglian's wife hadn't come, it's uncertain whether he would still be alive.
However, as soon as he entered the courtyard, a servant rushed over and whispered to him that the old lady was going to beat Jinglian's wife and was even forcing Xiao Li to do it, and asked him to go and persuade her.
At this moment, Qiao Qingping had given up all hope for Old Mrs. Qiao.
The slight guilt I had felt earlier vanished at that moment.
When Qiao Qingping entered the room and saw that Xiao Li was indeed holding a cane and looked ready to attack Jing Lian's wife, he knew that he could no longer be soft-hearted or hesitate any longer.
When Xiao Li saw Qiao Qingping coming over, she was so frightened that she quickly dropped her cane and awkwardly explained, "I, I didn't mean to do anything. I just wanted to put on a show to make the old lady happy. I really didn't mean to hit Jinglian's wife."
Qiao Qingping took a deep breath and coldly ordered, "Everyone out. I have something to say to the old lady alone."
Little Li glanced at the old lady who hadn't dared to make a fuss since Qiao Qingping entered the door, then looked apologetically at Jing Lian's wife before nervously leaving the house.
Jing Lian's wife bowed to Qiao Qingping before leaving.
Once everyone was out of the room, Grandma Qiao looked at Qiao Qingping anxiously, "You, why did you come here?"
"I... I was just upset, so I made a fuss."
"Now that I've vented my anger, I'm all better. I won't keep you from your business any longer."
"If you have nothing else to do, you can leave now."
Qiao Qingping stood quietly in front of Old Madam Qiao, listened to her finish speaking, and then turned around to personally pour her a cup of tea and hand it to her.
"Mother, you've been troubled for so long, you must be thirsty. Have some water to soothe your throat."
Grandma Qiao, unsuspecting, took the drink and sipped it before looking at Qiao Qingping with a puzzled expression. "You're not angry at all? And you're not even scolding me?"
That's truly rare!
Qiao Qingping took the teacup from Old Madam Qiao and put it aside. He sat down in the chair next to her and said calmly, "Mother, I want to say sorry to you!"
Grandma Qiao was taken aback. "Why are you suddenly saying sorry?"
She was grateful as long as he didn't lecture her.
Qiao Qingping looked at Old Madam Qiao with sorrow in his eyes and said, word by word, "For the sake of the Qiao family, your son has no choice but to ask you, Mother, to sacrifice yourself!"
"What did you say?" Old Mrs. Qiao thought she had misheard.
Then Qiao Qingping continued, "The Qiao family cannot be driven back to Jiangnan! Nor can we sever ties with Qinghe!"
"But what my mother has done in the past two years has already caused enough resentment to accumulate over there."
"This time, they absolutely refuse to forgive their mother."
"So, either we all retreat back to Jiangnan, or..."
"Either I die, or you say?" Old Mrs. Qiao finished what Qiao Qingping hadn't said.
For some reason, given her personality, she should have been hysterically crying and making a scene, but when she heard her eldest son say that he wanted her to die, she suddenly felt that perhaps it was time for her to die.
“Yes.” Qiao Qingping nodded. “This is the best outcome.”
Grandma Qiao said expressionlessly, "Since you've all made your decision, then let me die."
After saying that, he stood up and swayed as he went into the inner room.
“Mother…” Qiao Qingping suddenly stood up, reaching out his hand but unsure whether he should grab the old lady.
I originally thought the old lady would cry, make a scene, curse, hit, or even fight me to the death.
He had prepared all the necessary countermeasures, even thinking of his rebuttals and persuasive arguments.
As a result, the old lady said nothing and did nothing, and quietly accepted reality.
Everything was disturbingly abnormal.
Hearing Qiao Qingping's hesitant words, Old Mrs. Qiao said without turning her head, "Since you've already decided to let me die, you must have poisoned that cup of tea just now, right?"
"You...you guessed it all?" Qiao Qingping asked in disbelief.
Grandma Qiao gave a wry smile. "You are my proudest eldest son. I knew that from the moment you said those words."
He wouldn't give her a chance to struggle or resist!
That's why he first offered her tea, and then informed her that he had decided to let her die, in order to dispel Qiao Qinghe's resentment towards the Qiao family.
"Your son is unfilial! I will be filial to you again in the next life!"
Qiao Qingping knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to the old lady's back.
Old Mrs. Qiao returned to her inner room, lay down on the bed with a heart full of despair, and fell into a deep sleep, from which she never woke up again.
Three days later, white was hung at the Qiao residence.
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