Upon hearing the bad news, everyone in the hall was caught off guard and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Jiang Yushu snapped back to her senses and blurted out, "These are two different things, and shouldn't be conflated. Although my cousin made a mistake, she carried Yu'er for ten months, gave birth to him with great difficulty, and raised him with care for seven or eight years. She deserves credit for this."
"A mother's grace in giving birth and educating us is truly as heavy as a mountain." Jiang Yushu, a mother herself, empathized with her son and warned him sternly, "In my opinion, Yu'er should be allowed to see his cousin one last time. Otherwise, wouldn't that inadvertently make him an unfilial son?"
"This..." Wang's eyes were red, and she hesitated. "I understand this logic very well! But she's dying now. If Yu'er suddenly sees her, he'll definitely be scared. How should I explain this to the child then?"
Guo Honglei quickly made up his mind, stood up and replied, "No problem, I'll find a way! After all, she's my mother, and it would be really inhumane to deny her children a visit."
Wang's brows were furrowed in worry. She felt very disappointed and lost. "So, what should we do?"
Guo Honglei acted decisively, "I'll send Yu'er out of the city right away to visit him. That will be my filial duty." Immediately, he ordered, "Prepare the horses and carriages immediately!"
"Yes." The old butler took the order and left.
Jiang Yushu stood up and said hurriedly, "I'll go get Yu'er."
"Hurry up." Guo Honglei whispered, "If it's too late, I'm afraid we won't be able to catch up."
"I understand." Jiang Yushu left quickly.
After a while, she first ordered the nanny to take Guo Yu to wait at the gate of the mansion, then returned to the room, opened the box, and quickly wrapped a few ginseng roots in a handkerchief.
Cuimei asked cautiously, "Is it for the eldest lady?"
"Well, they say ginseng can prolong life, so let's give it a try and let her and her son talk a few more."
"The eldest lady is so foolish that she has been deceived so badly and her reputation has been ruined."
Jiang Yushu stuffed the handkerchief into the hands of her confidant and said, "Keep it. Give it to her maid later to make ginseng soup. Let's go."
Cuimei followed, spitting and cursing in fear: "You swindler, you are so despicable! May the heavens strike you with lightning and you shall die a miserable death!"
Jiang Yushu sighed. "My cousin has a bad temper and little patience with children, but she's not malicious. She'll just ignore them if they don't like her, but I've never seen her maliciously bully them. I often go out and leave Ye'er at home, and she's been taking care of me more or less every day. For that reason alone, I have to go visit her."
"Well, for example, Miss Baozhu...the eldest lady rarely pays attention to her." Cuimei whispered.
"You're just hating the whole family. Go away!"
One hour later, suburban area
Guo Honglei rode a horse, leading a team of followers and two carriages.
In the first car, Jiang Yushu was with her nephew and Cuimei; in the second car, Guo Hongzhe and Guo Hongxuan were in the car.
More than a dozen lanterns were swaying, and the drivers were concentrating, cracking their whips and galloping towards Wang Qiaozhen without stopping.
Inside the car, Guo Yu opened the curtains for the umpteenth time, looking eagerly, "It's already dark, haven't we arrived yet?"
Jiang Yushu soothed her, "It's almost there, don't worry, we'll be there soon."
"What disease does my mother have? Is it very serious?" Guo Yu was uneasy.
Jiang Yushu followed the instructions and vaguely replied, "She caught a cold at the beginning of the year, and her condition has been recurring. She hasn't recovered yet...it's a bit serious."
"Oh, I know she caught a cold while burning incense outside," the eight-year-old boy sighed and complained, "I told her several times to wait until the weather warmed up before burning incense and praying to the Buddha, but she wouldn't listen. She insisted on going and refused to take me out to play. Look, she didn't listen and got sick. Let's see if she'll dare to do it again!"
Jiang Yushu and Cuimei looked at each other, speechless. They pulled him and said, "Sit down, sit tight, be careful not to fall when it gets bumpy."
"Oh." Guo Yu had no choice but to sit down, his eyes sometimes staring at the window, sometimes staring at the door, looking anxious.
soon
Guo Honglei reined in his horse and dismounted quickly, "We're here!"
The other carriages and horses stopped one after another. Guo Yu's eyes lit up and he couldn't wait to get out of the carriage and ran to Guo Honglei. "Uncle, where is my mother?"
Guo Honglei held his nephew's shoulders and called out to his relatives, "Let's go meet my sister-in-law."
Jiang Yushu and others understood and still respected Wang Qiaozhen as "sister-in-law" in front of Guo Yu.
After a while, the group stepped into a secluded farmyard. As soon as they entered, the gatekeeper locked the door and prohibited all outsiders from entering.
The maid respectfully led everyone into a side room. Jiang Yushu took a quick look around.
Clean and tidy. On hot summer nights, there are three incense burners on the table and beside the couch, and the rich fragrance covers up the bloody smell.
In order to avoid scaring her son, Wang Qiaozhen changed into clean clothes, combed her hair into a new bun, put on some makeup, covered herself with a quilt, and sat half lying down. Apart from her bloodshot eyes, she looked unsick.
Guo Yu ran and yelled, "Mom!"
When Wang Qiaozhen saw her son, she smiled and called out excitedly:
"Yu'er! God bless you, I have waited for you."
"Hurry, come here quickly." The patient was extremely weak, with insufficient breath and a weak voice.
Guo Yu rushed to the bed, knelt on the footrest, and leaned in close, asking worriedly, "Mom, you're sick again. Why don't you go home and recuperate? This place is too remote. I've been in the car for a long time, and my back is sore from the bumpy ride."
"Where's the waist, kid? Mom's here. She has things to do and can't go home for the time being." Wang Qiaozhen glanced around. "Where's your grandmother?"
Guo Yu replied: "The old ancestor is old and can't stand the bumps and bruises, so he asked me to come and visit him."
"……good."
Wang Qiaozhen was devastated and disappointed. She stared at her son, her heart aching with regret, guilt, and self-blame. Tears welled in her eyes. She lifted her bony hand with all her might, stroked her son's cheek, and choked with sobs as she instructed, "Listen, from now on, you must listen to Grandma and the guidance of your uncles and aunts. Study hard, and only then will you have a chance of passing the imperial examinations, bringing honor to the Guo family, and securing a bright future for yourself. Remember?"
Guo Yu had heard such warnings and reprimands hundreds of times and was already tired of them. They usually went in one ear and out the other, or even ignored them. But this time, he stared at his tearful, frail mother, at a loss for what to do. He nodded his head repeatedly and replied hesitantly, "I remember! I remember!"
"Mom, don't cry. I will study hard in the future and work hard to pass the imperial examinations and make the elders happy."
Wang Qiaozhen burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face as she gasped for breath. "Silly child! Taking the imperial examination isn't just about making your elders happy. More importantly, it's about making you a successful person."
"Okay. Well, do you want me to be like my second uncle? Or like my third uncle?" Children speak without restraint. Guo Yu scratched his head, looking very childish.
Wang Qiaozhen understood and spoke earnestly, admonishing him, "Your second uncle is a brave warrior, a hero who defends his country; your third uncle is well-read, a talented and elegant scholar. You, however, are clumsy and not cut out for battle. Study hard, and you'll find success sooner or later."
"ah?"
"I'm clumsy?" Guo Yu was quite unconvinced, but he compromised and said, "Okay, okay, okay! Mom, don't cry. I will be obedient and study hard."
Makeup could mask the grayness of her complexion, but it couldn't save her life. Wang Qiaozhen, sweating profusely and panting heavily, was filled with remorse and tearful remorse. She asked tearfully, "Mom has a bad temper. She thinks you're naughty and often scolds you. She even beat you a few times... Do you hate me?"
Guo Yu shook his head decisively, "No hate!" He replied sheepishly, "Well, actually, sometimes I do it on purpose, deliberately making trouble to trick you into playing with me. You can't catch up with me anyway, hehehe."
Wang Qiaozhen was stunned and lost in thought, watching her son's silly smile. Her heart ached, and she tried her best to restrain herself. "You little troublemaker, from now on, you must behave better. Don't make the elders angry, and don't cause trouble for the family."
"Oh." Guo Yu raised his sleeve to wipe his mother's tears. "Oh, don't cry. Look, your eyes are swollen. Are you in a lot of pain? Isn't the medicine the doctor prescribed effective?"
Wang Qiaozhen wanted to answer, but she couldn't breathe. She tilted her neck back, rolled her eyes, and the veins on her neck were bulging.
"Mom? Mom? What's wrong with you?" Guo Yu was frightened and terrified.
Jiang Yushu and the others watched for a while, letting the mother and son talk. At this moment, Guo Honglei gave a look, and Guo Hongxuan hurriedly took his nephew away, shouting, "Where's the doctor? Call the doctor! Yu'er, get out of the way and don't get in the way of the doctor saving people."
"Where's the wet nurse? Take the child out and wait."
"Oh, yes!" The nanny wiped her tears and took Guo Yu away by coaxing and deceiving him.
Fang Sheng, the court physician, rushed over with his medicine box. He used all his strength to keep the patient alive, repeatedly urging her, "Where's the ginseng soup? Bring it over quickly and feed her."
"Here it comes!" Cuimei held the tray and together with Wang Qiaozhen's trusted maids Ping'er and Xiaomei, they hurriedly fed the patient a bowl of ginseng soup.
After a quarter of an hour of treatment, Wang Qiaozhen opened her eyes and slowly glanced at everyone. Tears welled up in her eyes before she spoke a word. She said dejectedly, "Thank you so much, thank you so much for coming to see me."
"I deserve to die. I'm ashamed of Brother Yao, ashamed of Yu'er, ashamed of you, and even more ashamed of my mother-in-law... The old lady has loved me for more than ten years, but I have caused her extreme grief. I simply deserve to die."
After years of fighting, Guo Honglei was accustomed to seeing death. From the look in his eyes, he knew his cousin was nearing death. He didn't know what to say, so he advised, "Rest. Don't stress yourself out."
The maid brought a round stool, and Jiang Yushu sat in front of the couch, feeling uneasy. "Rest well first. We can deal with the rest after you recover. There's no rush."
"Don't comfort me. I know I won't live long." Wang Qiaozhen gritted her teeth and struggled to move, but she didn't even have the strength to lift the thin quilt.
Jiang Yushu subconsciously held her down, "What do you want to do?"
"I kowtow to you and apologize."
Jiang Yushu was startled. "What nonsense are you talking about? Lie down quickly!"
"I'm narrow-minded and mean. I took advantage of my mother-in-law's love and targeted you, always mocking you... I was wrong, so I got my comeuppance." Wang Qiaozhen burst into tears, grabbed the other person's hand, and pleaded sincerely:
"Sister Yushu, you are so magnanimous, can you forgive me?"
In the scorching summer heat, Jiang Yushu shivered at the coldness of her sister-in-law's hand and sighed, "There's no deep hatred between you and me. Our occasional disagreements are simply over trivial family matters. Don't worry, I don't hold a grudge. We'll just exchange a few words and let it go once the anger subsides."
"Okay, okay." Wang Qiaozhen gasped, as if she had been pardoned. "Hehe~" She said, "Then, after I die, can you help take care of Yu'er?"
Jiang Yushu said without hesitation, "Of course!"
"That's what I should do." Guo Honglei responded, solemnly promising, "Don't worry, I will do my best to help Yu'er become a successful person and help him start a family and build a career."
"Okay, okay." Wang Qiaozhen felt relieved, slowly closed her eyes, and murmured, "Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle should discipline Yu'er more at home. If he is naughty, he should be scolded and beaten. Without strict discipline, he will not be able to become a talent."
Guo Hongzhe and Guo Hongxuan hurried over and agreed with red eyes, "We understand."
Afterwards, Wang Qiaozhen closed her eyes and said nothing.
The room was completely silent.
Jiang Yushu sat beside the couch, waiting for a moment, then turned her head and asked nervously, "Doctor Fang, come and take a look. Is she, is she...?"
"Let me see." Fang Sheng bent down to check.
Unexpectedly, Wang Qiaozhen suddenly opened her eyes wide, straightened her neck, and asked in a sad voice: "Mengsheng! Mengsheng! You, why, why--" Before she could finish her words, she choked, her throat made a few "clicks", she kicked her legs, and died with her eyes open.
Jiang Yushu was so close and defenseless that she was almost scared to death. She fell backwards and shouted, "Ah!"
Guo Honglei was quick to catch his wife and hold her steady, saying, "Don't be afraid."
"Sister-in-law?" Guo Hongxuan kicked the fallen round stool away. Wang Qiaozhen hurriedly approached and found that she had died with her eyes open. Her scalp went numb instantly.
Finally, Guo Honglei sighed deeply and gave the order in a deep voice: "Wrap the body and put the bed in place. Then ask Yu'er to kowtow to his mother and see her off."
Wang Qiaozhen died suddenly, and the divorce letter had to be burned because it could not be sent in time. The Guo family announced to the public: the eldest daughter-in-law caught a cold and could not be cured for a long time. She was bedridden for half a year and unfortunately passed away.
Because she had indeed been ill for more than half a year and all the neighbors knew about it, no one suspected it.
"She's already dead, I can't divorce her. Otherwise, what will our relatives and friends say about the Guo family?" Wang was devastated. She hurriedly celebrated her birthday and then fell ill. She said in agony, "Forget it! I'll just do as Honglei says and burn the divorce letter. I'll pass it to the netherworld and let the old marquis decide."
Hahaha, God helps me, bitch Wang is dead, there is no evidence!
I've endured humiliation and hardship until now, and finally I've finally gotten rid of my anger! Liao Xiaodie was in high spirits and took the opportunity to please Wang, serving her attentively.
Her voice was naturally hoarse as she advised, "Please accept my condolences and take good care of yourself. Yu'er has been extremely sad these past few days and has lost his appetite. He has always been close to Grandma, and he needs your comfort."
Wang quickly wiped her tears and asked anxiously, "Yu'er won't eat again? Hurry, bring him to me. Alas, you are all useless and don't know how to coax a child!"
At this moment, a small courtyard in the suburbs of the county
"explain!"
"Who ordered you to do that?"
"Humph, I want to see whether your words are harder or the whip is harder!"
The crackling of whips was mixed with muffled cries of pain and pleas for mercy.
Chen Xijin and Qian Laoliu were interrogated day and night, crying bitterly.
Guo Honglei had an expressionless face and sharp eyes. He examined for a while, then walked out of the temporary "cell", crossed the yard, and entered the main room.
"How's it going?" Jiang Yushu stepped forward, "Did Qian Laoliu make his move?"
Guo Honglei sat down, shook his head, and replied in a low voice: "It seems that he really doesn't know."
"From the beginning till now, he only revealed a man who was 'short, thin, and hoarse'. It was winter, and the man was very well covered. He only appeared three times, paid his reward, and then disappeared. Qian Laoliu never saw his full face."
Jiang Yushu lamented, "You'll be returning to camp the day after tomorrow. Who is the real culprit? He committed a crime and then disappeared without a trace—how hateful, so hateful!"
The author has something to say: Spoiler: The next batch of lunch boxes will be sent out soon
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