On a hot summer afternoon, the heat is unbearable and the noisy chirping of cicadas makes people irritable.
The side hall's doors and windows were tightly shut. Jiang Yushu was too hot to sit still, her temples wet with sweat. Seeing this, Guo Honglei casually picked up a fan from the coffee table and, naturally, began fanning her.
"Thank you!" Jiang Yushu was startled. She leaned forward to take the fan, holding it absentmindedly, staring intently at the person opposite her:
"Brother Peng, save me, save me!"
"Brother Peng? Please say something. Don't you even want to help me?" Liao Xiaodie knelt in front of her husband, hugged his legs, as if she was clinging to a life-saving piece of driftwood, and refused to let go.
Gong Yipeng looked down at his wife for a long time, puzzled. He asked in a sad tone, "What exactly do you need to feel satisfied?"
"W-what?" Liao Xiaodie looked up and asked blankly, "What do you mean?"
Gong Yipeng, frustrated and resentful, slowly replied, "Actually, I know a lot about this. I'm just concerned about your difficult life and the inevitable extremes of your temper. I've been hoping you'd slowly change, trying to persuade and tolerate you. Unexpectedly, not only have you failed to become calmer and more tolerant, but you've become even more suspicious, narrow-minded, and jealous, even going so far as to resort to murder."
"What did you say?" Liao Xiaodie, dumbfounded, came back to her senses, unable to believe it. "You, you actually called me 'heartless'?"
"Isn't that right?"
Gong Yipeng was utterly disappointed, his hands trembling violently. Unable to contain himself any longer, he angrily raged, "First, Mother and my sisters-in-law aren't mean or harsh people. Yet, you've resented them ever since we got married. You're petty and suspicious, repeatedly causing unrest in our home! I was powerless to mediate, enduring the stigma of 'getting married and forgetting your mother,' defending you, taking you to your new post, not accepting concubines, and so on, patiently soothing your anger and grievances."
"Secondly, I served as an upright official, diligently working, and worked hard to rise to the position of prefect. However, you were greedy for money and bribes, accepting bribes behind my husband's back, causing me to lose my job and be imprisoned. Fortunately, the Guo family interceded for me, and I narrowly escaped death. Letter after letter came from my family, with the elders ordering and urging me to divorce you. However, I considered our marital love, believed in your remorse, and did not want my daughter to be separated from her, so I tolerated it again."
"Third," Gong Yipeng said angrily, his back hunched, heartbroken, "In the past, I was busy with official duties and had no time to accompany my child. During my time out of office, I took good care of my daughter. One day, the child said, 'Daddy, Zhu'er doesn't want to sleep with her. She's cold.' I was confused and asked repeatedly, and unexpectedly learned—"
Oh no! Liao Xiaodie groaned inwardly, her face turning pale and red. She interrupted in embarrassment: "Are you crazy? How old is Baozhu? She is completely ignorant and often says things that adults can't understand."
"You're crazy. You're willing to hurt your own flesh and blood and deliberately make the child sick!" Gong Yipeng scolded harshly, breathing heavily. "Baozhu is indeed ignorant, but she's not stupid. Children speak without restraint. Tell the truth. How could she possibly accuse you wrongly?"
Liao Xiaodie was speechless, bit her lip, and said vaguely: "Don't trust everything a child says."
Hurting one's own flesh and blood?
The Guo family members nearby were shocked and looked at each other.
Guo Hongxuan whispered, "Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs, and yet she has the heart to hurt her own daughter? How horrible!"
"No wonder." Guo Hongzhe, who never blamed others easily, couldn't help but say, "When Baozhu first came to our house, she was so weak and fragile. Now she's getting stronger and stronger. It's obvious that she has a good physical foundation."
Jiang Yushu sighed, "Poor child."
Guo Honglei looked at his distant cousin with cold eyes and had nothing to say.
"It wasn't until that day that I finally understood. Zhu'er wasn't born weak and sickly. It was clearly because you were using her to gain sympathy!" Gong Yipeng blamed himself deeply. "But at the time, the future was bleak, and I was worried day and night. Plus, staying with relatives made it inconvenient to handle household chores, so I tolerated it once again."
Liao Xiaodie's face paled, her heart sinking as she listened. Her eyes widened in shock, she looked up at her husband, startled to find him completely unfamiliar. In her panic, she blurted out, "So, you've always been really dissatisfied with me? Humph, as expected, you appear polite and kind, but deep down, you're just like your family: hypocritical and contemptuous—"
"shut up!"
"Ask yourself, are your actions worthy of my continued protection and tolerance? I've tolerated you time and time again, but what have I gained in return? Now that I think about it, I was wrong. I shouldn't have indulged you."
A man doesn't cry easily. Gong Yipeng was heartbroken and tearfully denounced: "Last year, I shamelessly wrote to my parents, asking for help. I planned to buy a small house in Yongzhou and reunite with my wife and daughter. But you hid it from me and spent the five hundred taels of silver that our elders gave you to hire someone to seduce the widow and destroy her reputation. What a vicious person!"
Liao Xiaodie burst into tears, panicked and at a loss. She suppressed her resentment towards her husband and bit back, asking sadly, "Brother Peng, how did you become like this? You once swore a solemn oath, vowing to love and protect me forever. Are you thinking of going back on your word?"
"You are the one who is two-faced. I have done my best and have a clear conscience."
Gong Yipeng gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and pulled his leg out violently.
"Ah——" Liao Xiaodie was almost kicked away, fell down, and pounded the ground and sobbed.
Gong Yipeng ignored them, gathered himself, and approached the Guo family, apologizing: "Ms. Liao was extreme and cruel, and committed an unforgivable mistake. I am also at fault for not recognizing my wife's madness in time. I cannot escape blame."
Guo Honglei stood up and said sternly, "She is she, and you are you. Don't worry, brother Shi, we have never taken our anger out on you."
Jiang Yushu and others immediately stood up.
"Thank you very much, thank you very much. I am ashamed. I will definitely kowtow and apologize to my aunt." Gong Yipeng's forehead was sweating. He gritted his teeth and was silent for a moment. Then he spoke with difficulty:
"Ms. Liao is jealous and unvirtuous, and unrepentant. She is unfit to be my wife. I have decided to divorce her. Then, I will quickly choose a suitable nunnery and send her there. She will spend the rest of her life in a vegetarian diet and chanting Buddhist scriptures to atone for her sins. What do you think?"
Divorce? Imprisonment in a nunnery?
Liao Xiaodie suddenly looked up, terrified, and blurted out, "No!"
Should!
Serves you right! Wang Qiaozhen’s two maids gloated over their misfortune, Ping’er sneered quietly, and Xiaomei curled her lips.
"This..." Jiang Yushu pondered in silence.
Guo Hongzhe and Guo Hongxuan subconsciously looked at their brother. Guo Honglei thought for a moment and replied in a low voice, "This is a serious matter. We, the younger generation, dare not make a rash decision. Please allow us to discuss this with my mother. We will give you a clear answer tonight at the earliest, or tomorrow morning at the latest. How do you think?"
Husband and wife are one. Gong Yipeng admitted that he was in the wrong and nodded, "Of course!" He paused, sighed in frustration, and said hesitantly, "If you have any objections, please raise them. Let's, let's work it out."
"In short, I will do my best to make amends and maintain the long-standing friendship between the Guo and Gong families. Alas, if the friendship is ruined, I will become a sinner and it will be difficult to explain to the relevant relatives and friends."
Seeing the other party's embarrassment and shame, Jiang Yushu felt pity and comforted him, "Don't worry, we all see your fairness and sincerity and will not confuse the two things. After this matter is resolved, as long as the Gong family doesn't mind, our friendship will remain the same!"
"Okay, okay." Gong Yipeng felt as if he had been pardoned.
"Brother Peng! You, you're going back on your word and actually want to divorce me?" Liao Xiaodie's face was soaked with tears. She scrambled to her feet, crawled closer on her knees, and nudged her husband's legs. "Don't forget the solemn oath you swore: If you abandon your wife in this lifetime, you will be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!"
Gong Yipeng was swayed by the shove and said in a trembling voice, "I've been tolerant enough! This time, you were ruthless and disappointing. How can I shield you? How can I be tolerant? I did break my oath, but justice is clear. If there really is a 'heavenly thunderbolt', we all deserve to die."
Liao Xiaodie's face was pale. She never regretted murdering Wang Qiaozhen, but only regretted accidentally revealing the truth. She cried breathlessly, "Brother Peng, for the sake of Baozhu, I worked so hard to give birth to a daughter for you. Please forgive me just once. I beg you!"
"You're thinking about your daughter now? It's too late. Xiaodie, you're not fit to be a mother." Gong Yipeng sighed and turned to ask:
"Honglei, can I borrow your help? Before choosing a nunnery, I want to send her to the courtyard on the outskirts of the county and temporarily detain her there to avoid disturbing the old lady's recovery and frightening the children."
A small courtyard in the county suburbs? The place where Wang Qiaozhen died of complications during childbirth?
"No!"
"I won't go, even if I die!" Liao Xiaodie felt guilty after all. Her scalp suddenly tingled and she hugged her husband tightly with both hands and feet. "Brother Peng, you are so cruel! How could you do this to me?"
Guo Honglei ignored his distant cousin and said gently, "Brother, you are very thoughtful." Then he instructed his fourth brother, "Immediately tell the housekeeper to prepare a carriage and select two people to accompany him and take care of him."
"Oh!" Guo Hongxuan rubbed his hands together and trotted out to make arrangements.
Soon after
The old butler led two capable and strong maids, stepped over the threshold, and bowed to report: "The carriage is ready."
Guo Honglei nodded, glanced at the maid kneeling on the ground, and explained: "I can't leave, and I have to be 'escorted' by my brother personally."
"No way? This should have been handled by me." Gong Yipeng understood, "You guys go ahead and do your work, we'll discuss it in the evening." After he finished speaking, he made up his mind, covered his wife's mouth, called on the maid to help, and dragged away Liao Xiaodie who was struggling and begging for mercy.
a moment
After dealing with the outsiders, Jiang Yushu and others began to clean up the house: interrogating Ping'er and Xiaomei.
Jiang Yushu's face was stern as she scrutinized the two maids. She spoke sternly, word for word, "There's no such thing as an impenetrable wall. Everything leaves its mark. Ping'er, Xiaomei, besides the matter of 'Moss-Inducing Powder,' what other conflicts have arisen between your wife and Liao? Who was involved?"
"You'd better be honest and tell me everything you know. Otherwise, I'll just hand you over to the authorities for questioning. I'm too lazy to bother with it."
The two maids trembled with fear and kowtowed, "I will tell you everything. I won't hide a single word."
"Please spare my life, madam!"
"There has been a long-standing feud between our Madam and Liao Jian and the Liao family. The resentment is so deep that it cannot be explained in a few words."
"It all started with an orphan girl seeking refuge at the Marquis's mansion. Back then, the old lady was kind and took Miss Liao in out of goodwill. Initially, she was well-behaved and the old lady disdained to make things difficult for her, so they lived in peace."
"But later, Miss Liao seduced the prince and wanted to become his concubine, which angered the lady." The two maids rushed to talk, detailing the various conflicts between Wang and Liao.
When women fight, the methods used in the harem are often unacceptable. The three Guo Honglei brothers all frowned in unison, listening patiently for the better part of an hour before the fight finally came to an end.
In the evening, a large dark cloud floated over the distant mountains, blocking the sky over Heqin County.
It's getting hotter and hotter, and it's making me feel uncomfortable.
Finally, the truth came out. Jiang Yushu was dizzy after hearing this. She waved her hand and ordered, "Lock them up for now. I'll ask the old lady for instructions and deal with them another day."
"Yes." The maid standing by took the order and pulled up Ping'er and Xiaomei. The two of them sobbed and did not dare to resist at all, and left in panic.
In a blink of an eye, they were the only ones left in the side hall.
"Ouch." Guo Hongxuan stood up and stretched, "Headache, tired!"
"Divorce him and confine him to a nunnery." Guo Honglei said solemnly, "What do you think?"
Jiang Yushu took a deep breath, gathered her energy, and carefully considered her words before answering, "This punishment is quite severe. Brother Gong chose to give the Guo family an explanation. This can be described as 'sacrificing one's own family for the greater good.'"
"Well, although my cousin is dead and Liao will live to be buried, she died of childbirth complications, not murder." Guo Hongxuan frowned, pausing frequently. "Liao hired a killer and deserves death, but my cousin couldn't resist the deception and made a terrible mistake, so, so—ah, it gives me a headache! I don't know what to say."
Jiang Yushu sighed, "I understand what Fourth Brother means. Before Liao's suspicion was discovered, everyone was furious and wanted to bring Qian Laoliu, Chen Xijin, and the mastermind behind the scenes to justice. Who knew that the mastermind behind the scenes was actually Liao? This is a difficult situation. Should she pay for her cousin's life? How? A cup of poisoned wine? Three feet of white silk? After careful consideration, none of them are appropriate."
"If we ask the elders of the two families to make the decision, it's impossible for one life to be exchanged for another." Guo Honglei knew this very well and said in a deep voice, "If it gets out of hand, not only will Yu'er and Baozhu be implicated, but the Guo and Gong families will definitely become laughingstocks."
Jiang Yushu rubbed her brows and said, "The old lady will never allow it."
"In my opinion," Wang Qiaozhen always looked down on her illegitimate brother-in-law, so Guo Hongzhe was not saddened by his sister-in-law's death. He said slowly, "For a woman, being divorced and confined to a nunnery for the rest of her life is a life worse than death, a punishment worse than 'three feet of white silk'. Friendship is precious, and Brother Gong is very sincere. If we are aggressive, I'm afraid it will be damaged."
Guo Hongxuan nodded in agreement, "Third brother, what you said makes sense."
Jiang Yushu sighed, "If my cousin had rejected Chen Xijin back then, we wouldn't have to worry about this right now. We could just do our best to get justice for her!"
"After all, my cousin was also wrong, and it was a serious one." Guo Honglei was very helpless.
Jiang Yushu had to remind him, "I heard that when Brother Gong married Liao Xiaodie, it was the old lady who acted as a matchmaker, right?"
"Well, that's right." Guo Hongxuan sighed and muttered in distress, "That Liao woman is not a good person. She caused my husband to lose his job. I guess the Gong family has been blaming us for a long time."
The rest were speechless.
The widowed sister-in-law secretly fell in love with "Mr. Zhou" for six months, was defrauded of her money and sex, and on her deathbed, she still muttered "Meng Sheng"... a truly shameful thing. The Guo family was torn between lacking confidence and having to preserve the dignity of their deceased eldest brother.
After a while, Jiang Yushu made up her mind and expressed her attitude: "As long as Brother Gong keeps his promise and gets Liao out of the nunnery soon, I will agree with his proposal!"
Guo Hongzhe was the first to agree, "My second sister-in-law and I have the same idea."
"I agree too." Guo Hongxuan patted the armrest of the chair. "Well, lock her up to prevent this vicious woman from harming others."
Guo Honglei also considered it and said, "There's no better way. Let's go see mother and tell her the result."
"OK!"
The setting sun is obscured by dark clouds, the black clouds are pressing down on the city as if it is about to collapse, and a storm is about to come and fill the city with wind.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning appeared in the sky, followed by thunder, strong winds, and flying sand and rocks.
On the suburban road
The wheels rumbled and thunder rumbled.
"Gee!" The driver drove quickly.
Gong Yipeng sat next to the driver, hugging his knees against the door frame, and tiredly ordered: "It looks like it will rain heavily. Hurry up."
"Yes." The driver drove the carriage hard, "Go!"
Inside the car
"Let me go!"
"You, you let me go!"
Liao Xiaodie struggled desperately, her wrists bound by her husband with a handkerchief. Her face was pale, her eyes bloodshot, and she angrily shouted, "Get out of here! Who do you think you are? How dare you touch me?"
Gong Yipeng was outside the car. The two maids didn't dare to speak directly. They looked at him with disdain and smiled, "Calm down. We are just following orders."
The next moment, bean-sized raindrops fell, hitting the roof rapidly, making a loud and harsh sound.
The sounds of wind, rain, and the gurgling carriages were all unbearable. Gong Yipeng was like a wooden figure, drenched by the torrential rain, silently immersed in sorrow.
Heavy rain swept across Heqin, and the road surface quickly became flooded with yellow muddy water.
The two horses snorted and tossed their heads as they turned from a run to a walk. Raindrops flew into the driver's eyes, and he instinctively wiped them away with his sleeve. Without paying attention, the two horses, trying to avoid the wind and rain, kicked and stomped, pushing the left wheel into a pit!
"Ah--" The carriage tilted and Liao Xiaodie almost fell down.
The driver hurriedly pulled the reins, "Whoa! Whoa!"
Gong Yipeng hurriedly grabbed the door frame and asked, "What's going on?"
"The wind and rain are so strong that the horses can't see the road and won't move!" The driver hurriedly checked, rubbed his hands, and reported: "The wheel is stuck in a hole and needs to be pushed out."
Gong Yipeng wiped his face, jumped out of the car, rolled up his sleeves and prepared to push the car.
"Hey, ladies, even if you don't help push the rickshaw, don't sit there. Get off now!" the driver shouted.
Without hesitation, the two maids got out of the car and said, "Here we go, let's push together!"
So the four of them worked together, exerting all their strength, and worked hard for a long time in the wind and rain before they finally pushed the carriage out of the pit.
Unexpectedly, before the four of them could catch their breath, the curtain of the carriage was suddenly lifted. Liao Xiaodie, who had broken free, had an expressionless face. She held the reins with her right hand and quickly grabbed the whip with her left hand. She lashed it out fiercely and shouted, "Go!"
"Xiaodie! You—stand, come back!" Gong Yipeng dodged narrowly and was almost run over by the carriage.
"Gong Yipeng, you are hypocritical and incompetent. You can't even protect your own wife. You coward, I hate you!"
"Gee!" Liao Xiaodie didn't even turn around, driving clumsily, panicking and fleeing along the official road.
The author has something to say: Give her a box lunch!
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