Shen Qingtang brought Su Lingwei, whose eyes were red from crying, to the dilapidated temple in town, which was Feng Axiu's usual "resting place".
Pushing open the door, Feng Axiu had already shed her madness. Dressed in simple clothes, her hair neatly combed, she stood uneasily in place, her eyes fixed on the doorway, her fingertips trembling slightly.
“Mother…” Su Lingwei looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in front of her, her voice choked with sobs, and she staggered as she rushed over.
Feng Axiu could no longer hold back. She hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face: "My Lingwei... I'm so sorry... I've made you suffer..."
The mother and daughter embraced and wept, releasing years of pent-up longing and guilt in that moment.
There were no superfluous words in the dilapidated temple, only the rising and falling cries, which were more poignant than any words could express.
Shen Qingtang had already informed her parents and Shen Mingzhao about this matter in advance.
Before long, Shen Mingzhao rushed over and saw the mother and daughter embracing each other, his eyes filled with heartache.
He walked up to Feng Axiu and bowed respectfully: "Mother-in-law, I am Shen Mingzhao. I failed to protect Lingwei in the past, but I will treat her well for the rest of my life and never let her suffer any more grievances. Please feel free to entrust her to me."
Feng Axiu looked into Shen Mingzhao's sincere eyes, then at her daughter's dependent expression.
My heart was filled with mixed emotions.
She had been secretly observing Shen Mingzhao for some time now and knew his true feelings for Ling Wei.
She reached out to help Shen Mingzhao up, her eyes reddening but smiling: "Good child, Ling Wei is so lucky to have met you. Live a good life together from now on, and your mother will always be with you."
As she spoke, she took out an exquisite jade pendant from her bosom and handed it to Shen Mingzhao, saying, "This is a token from my maternal clan. Take it, and from now on you will be the son-in-law recognized by my Feng family."
Shen Mingzhao accepted the jade pendant with both hands and nodded solemnly: "Thank you, Mother-in-law!"
Watching this scene, Su Lingwei finally showed a relieved and happy smile. Years of wandering and grievances completely turned into warmth at this moment.
Meanwhile, Su Lingyu, imprisoned in the tenement, watched as the Su family members gradually became depressed, and she herself was also tormented to the point of physical and mental exhaustion.
Finally unable to contain himself, he attempted to escape during the shift change of the spirit servants.
She secretly pried open the wooden window of the courtyard, and as soon as she climbed out, she was caught on the spot by the spirit servant who had already noticed.
"Let me go! You bunch of lackeys! That poisonous woman Shen Qingtang! I will not let you get away with this!" Su Lingyu twisted her body wildly, her hair disheveled, her eyes bloodshot, looking just like a crazed wild beast.
The spirit servant dragged her back without expression and pressed her to the ground.
Su Lingyu, however, remained relentless, cursing and attempting to bite the servant's hand with her teeth.
Her mouth was filled with vicious words: "Su Lingwei, you bitch! Why do you get a mother's love and a husband's affection? I am the one who should be enjoying the best life in the Su family! Shen Qingtang, I curse you to die a horrible death!"
Her madness and hysteria had completely erased any semblance of her former status as a young lady of the Su family.
These days, she has witnessed firsthand how Su Laoda and Zheng Yue'e were driven to madness by Feng Axiu.
Watching Old Master Su grow weaker day by day, and watching herself go from a pampered young lady to a prisoner.
Coupled with the pent-up jealousy and resentment in her heart, her rationality had long been completely consumed.
At this moment, she had completely gone mad, left only with endless resentment and madness, and was no longer the person she used to be.
Seeing her erratic behavior, the servant was too lazy to pay attention to her anymore. He simply locked her in a small room and let her cry, scream, and curse inside, like a mad dog trapped in a cage.
After learning of Feng Axiu's identity, Shen's parents not only did not mind at all, but were also exceptionally warm towards her.
Madam Shen specially had a wing room on the west side of the manor cleaned up and went to the dilapidated temple to fetch Feng Axiu to stay there. She held Feng Axiu's hand and asked her with concern, "Axiu, I'm sorry you were wronged before. From now on, this will be your home. Lingwei will be taken care of by us, so you can relax and live a good life."
Looking at the sincere expressions of the Shen family, Feng Axiu was filled with gratitude. After years of wandering and living in constant fear, she finally had a home to return to.
Shen Mingzhao held Feng Axiu in even higher esteem.
Every day, he would take Su Lingwei to pay his respects to her, talk to her, and occasionally ask her for her insights on business.
Feng Axiu came from a reclusive family.
He has exceptional insight and often offers unique advice.
The family was filled with joy and happiness; the gloom of the past had completely dissipated, leaving only warmth and happiness.
Those who committed evil deeds finally met their just deserts because of their obsessions and wicked actions.
Lu Jiaojiao hid in the dilapidated temple, listening to the villagers gossiping about how Shen Qingtang had punished the Su family members by making them do chores.
The news of his tireless work day and night made him tremble with anger, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, leaving several bloody marks.
She huddled in the corner, looking at her faded coarse cloth clothes.
Then I think of Shen Qingtang's current success, controlling a huge industry.
She was respected by the villagers, and even the entire Shen family listened to her every word. The hatred in her heart almost consumed her.
"Shen Qingtang! You vicious woman! Why can you live such a prosperous life while I have to suffer here!"
She cursed wildly at the air, her voice hoarse and venomous, "I curse you to ruin your business! I curse you to be abandoned by everyone! I curse you to die a horrible death!"
But these vicious curses were ultimately futile. They not only failed to harm Shen Qingtang in the slightest, but instead drove her to even greater madness, making her look like a clown.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Lu Jiaojiao came up with a despicable plan: she secretly ran away to town.
Find the foreign merchants who are doing business here.
He deliberately exaggerated Shen Qingtang's reputation in front of them, saying, "Don't be fooled by Shen Qingtang! She's a ruthless and vicious woman who will stop at nothing to seize power, not even sparing her own family! If you cooperate with her, you'll be schemed against by her sooner or later!"
But she didn't expect that these foreign businessmen had already been attracted by Shen Qingtang's businesses. They had seen the restaurants and cloth shops that Shen Qingtang owned in town.
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