Inside Anxing Inn, the lighting was rather dim.
Granny Lu was checking the luggage, her hands moving non-stop, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the bundle in her hands.
They came in a hurry from Quanzhou, without having brought many things with them, and now they have been staying in Xingzhou for more than ten days.
During this period, in order to meet the needs of daily life, I purchased a lot of additional items, and my luggage was much more than when I arrived.
"Madam, everything has been packed and the carriage back to Quanzhou is ready."
Granny Lu, panting, looked up at Madam Cheng, who was sitting by the window.
At this moment, Madam Cheng seemed to be still immersed in some kind of thought. Only after hearing Granny Lu's voice did she come back to her senses as if waking from a dream.
She slowly raised her head, her gaze sweeping over the small room where she had lived for the past few days. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, which uncontrollably streamed down her cheeks.
"Madam, you've really suffered these past few days. Please bear with us a little longer, we'll be home soon," said Granny Lu as she stepped forward to comfort her.
Madam Cheng wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, trying her best to calm down.
After a long while, she sighed and said, "Mom, you think living in such a simple place is suffering, but for me, this period of time has been the most relaxed and comfortable days in the nearly twenty years since I married into the Cheng family."
Upon hearing this, Granny Lu couldn't help but feel pity: "Madam has truly suffered these past years..."
Madam Cheng shook her head slightly, her gaze passing through the window to the hazy horizon in the distance.
"Over the years, in order to maintain the reputation of the Cheng family and to secure a good future for my children, I have never dared to slack off for a moment. Despite my best efforts, I have still ended up living a life that is neither human nor ghost..."
Upon hearing this, Granny Lu felt extremely distressed and couldn't help but cover her face and cry as well.
The Cheng family is a troublesome bunch who never let anyone have peace of mind!
Especially the eldest master, who dared to do such a filthy thing during the ancestor's funeral!
He not only ruined himself, but also embarrassed his young mistress!
After Lu Jingze exposed Master Cheng's shameful deeds, he was stripped of his official robes for being unfilial and disrespectful to his elders.
Upon learning of this, the Cheng family opened their ancestral hall and beat the eldest patriarch of the Cheng family half to death.
Master Cheng lost his official position due to a scandal, and there was no possibility of him ever holding office again. He was completely abandoned by his family.
Madam Cheng's several cunning sisters-in-law took advantage of her misfortune, forcing her to relinquish her power as housekeeper.
The once powerful and authoritative First Madam lost all her power overnight.
With constant sarcasm and ridicule, how could the First Madam, who never bowed down to anyone and admitted defeat, withstand such a blow?
He fell ill within a few days.
Although her condition gradually improved, she still developed chronic illness.
Since then, she has coughed whenever she catches a slight cold or overworks, especially at night when she coughs so hard that she can hardly sleep all night.
My trip to Xingzhou was actually on Lu Jingze's orders.
Unexpectedly, Wang Xiuxiu disappeared first in Xingzhou.
It was already difficult for her, a woman, to travel alone, so she specially asked her eldest son to accompany her.
Unexpectedly, the good-for-nothing found nothing of importance to do when he arrived in Xingzhou, so he plunged headlong into brothels.
Fortunately, the servant who accompanied her was quick-witted and happened to spot Wang Xiuxiu in the brothel, so he informed Madam Cheng.
When Madam Cheng learned of this, she did not make a fuss, but instead chose to go to the brothel herself to redeem the man.
In the end, all these schemes were nothing more than an attempt to please Lu Jingze.
Granny Lu gently wiped away the tears on her face with a handkerchief. "Madam, things will definitely get better from now on. When we return home this time, let's see who dares to give us a hard time!"
"Mom, I...I don't want to go back." Madam Cheng suddenly spoke, her voice soft but resolute.
Upon hearing this, Granny Lu was astonished and asked incredulously, "Wh...what? What did you just say, Madam?"
The First Madam gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly, her gaze growing increasingly resolute.
"Leaving aside the fact that the Cheng family members are all short-sighted, even in our own courtyard, the eldest master is a muddle-headed fool all day long, and the eldest son is a good-for-nothing who has ignored all my teachings over the years. All he thinks about is eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring. He doesn't even spare his stepmother. Even if I go to great lengths to get the master back his original official position and regain control of the household, what good will it do? In the end, won't I still be dragged down by this family of good-for-nothings and be trapped in the Cheng family's bitter struggle?"
At this point, the First Madam took a deep breath, calming her agitated emotions slightly. "Mother, I've made up my mind. We'll move to the capital! We'll take Yu-ge'er and the eldest son's wife with us!"
Upon hearing this, Granny Lu hesitated and cautiously asked, "Madam, this is no small matter. Have you really thought it through?"
“Well, I was blinded by greed in the past, always thinking that I could only live a peaceful life by relying on my master. But look at him now. Even if he has a chance to be reinstated in the future, he will probably just be a troublemaker. Rather than that, we might as well use this great opportunity to exchange for a spot for my brother Yu to study in the capital.”
The deeper concerns, however, were something the First Madam dared not voice...
Over the years, the First Madam has spent a great deal of money trying to fill the bottomless pit that is the Cheng family.
Fortunately, the dowry left to her by her husband and wife was generous, and even with what little remained, it was enough to support her family's daily expenses in the capital.
Thinking this, Granny Lu was overjoyed to see that the First Madam was truly willing to let go of that troublesome family.
"It's good that Madam has come to her senses! It's good that she has come to her senses! Our Yu-ge is going to study in the capital, and he'll definitely come back as the top scholar!" Granny Lu was extremely excited.
"That's good. As long as Brother Yu succeeds, I'm willing to go to hell..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com