Chapter 26: Old Friend 2 I Want to Kill Du Yuting as Soon as Possible
Su He suddenly woke up and sat up from the bed: "What happened?"
Zhang Xiuhua glanced outside warily and lowered her voice, "I just heard from a maid in the kitchen that the old lady in the main courtyard is smashing cups and bowls in her room, saying she wants to sever her mother-in-law relationship with her son-in-law."
Su He breathed a sigh of relief. She thought there was something wrong with the old lady's health.
She asked, “Why do you want to break off relations?”
"It's said that the son-in-law sent someone to the main courtyard early in the morning to tell her that if she mentioned taking a concubine again, he would move out with the young lady and live alone. This was too harsh, and the old lady was immediately furious."
"Did Xie Wuhen go to persuade them?"
Zhang Xiuhua shook her head: "My son-in-law didn't pay any attention to me at all and went straight to work."
Finally, he said, "Sir, since you are so protective of me, why don't you just give in and let me go back to my room and sleep."
Su He slipped off the bed, seemingly unconcerned. "He wanted to sleep outside on his own, so what can I do? Besides, his reluctance to take a concubine isn't necessarily to protect me. Perhaps he just doesn't want his life to be too troublesome."
After all, he didn't even want to marry a wife at first.
Zhang Xiuhua said with a bitter face, "But if my son-in-law sleeps in the study for a long time, it will look bad to outsiders... and it will also be disadvantageous to us."
There is some truth to this!
Su He thought for a moment and said, "Let's talk about it later. Let's see if he comes back tonight."
But that night, Xie Wuhen did not come back.
Su He left the light on for him until midnight, but when he didn't come back, she resolutely turned off the light and went to bed.
There was still a single lamp on in the study at midnight.
Xie Wuhen was reviewing documents under the lamp.
Wu Sheng reported in a low voice: "Boss, the lights in Chunhua Courtyard have been turned off."
He said "hmm" and continued to review the documents.
Wu Sheng kindly advised: "Boss, this document is not urgent. You should go to bed with the young lady."
Xie Wuhen raised his eyes to look at him, his face as cold as an ice knife: "You, get out."
Wu Sheng did not leave, but bravely persuaded him again: "Boss, it's midnight. Even if you don't go to accompany the young lady, you should go to bed by yourself. You have to get up early to go on duty tomorrow."
Xie Wuhen was silent, then he turned his wrist with lightning speed, and the brush in his hand flew towards Wu Sheng like a sharp blade.
Wu Sheng was so frightened that he dodged and hurried out of the house.
Still in shock, he slapped his lips and muttered to himself, "Don't talk too much next time, don't talk too much."
It was not until three quarters past midnight that the candles in Xie's study were extinguished.
The next day was the day when the Du family hosted a banquet for their guests.
After Su He finished her breakfast, she changed into Chunlan's newly embroidered coat, and then sat in front of the mirror to tie her hair and put on her makeup.
She casually asked, "What's going on in the main courtyard?"
Zhang Xiuhua replied, "Nothing much. The old lady made a scene yesterday, but when she saw that her son-in-law ignored her, she just calmed down."
She asked again: "What about the study?"
Zhang Xiuhua replied, "Everything is normal. My son-in-law went to work early in the morning."
I hope everything is as usual!
Everything as usual means that everything will be fine for her.
After everything was packed, Su He took Chunlan out of the house and got on a carriage to the Du family.
It only took a few cups of tea to successfully arrive at Chengnan Street.
The Du family is located at the intersection on the east side of Chengnan Street.
At first, the Du family's house was just a five-courtyard house. As Du Yuting became more and more successful in the capital, the house was continuously expanded. Now it has become a seven-courtyard house with north-south access, and its grandeur is comparable to that of an official's residence.
At this time, there was a hustle and bustle of carriages and horses outside the Du family's gate.
The guests included officials and businessmen.
Du Yuting and Liu were dressed in their best clothes and were welcoming guests at the door, with two burly guards standing beside them.
Su He did not rush to get off the carriage, but stared at Du Yuting through the window without blinking.
Eight years have passed, and the man still looks the same, young and strong, with a pleasant face, like a good guy.
But she knew how cold and cruel he was hidden under the mask of that "good guy".
The wails of her father when he was beaten to death are still clear in her ears; the hardships she and Zhang Xiuhua experienced when escaping are still as if they were yesterday, and all of this is thanks to that "good old man".
Chunlan reminded quietly: "Miss, let's get off the carriage, otherwise we will block the carriage behind us."
She secretly clenched her fists and buried the overwhelming hatred in her chest.
"Okay, let's get off." After she said that, she got off the carriage and walked towards Du Yuting.
At that time, Du Yuting was chatting with several members of the Chamber of Commerce and inadvertently saw Su He approaching slowly.
He was stunned for a moment, and suddenly felt that the face looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it.
Liu, who was standing by, hurried forward and said, "Madam Shaoqing is here, welcome." Then she glanced behind her and said, "Isn't Master Shaoqing here?"
Su He politely replied, "My husband is busy with official duties, so he sent me here to celebrate Old Madam Du's birthday."
Liu was slightly disappointed when she heard this!
Du Yuting took over the conversation: "So it's Madam Shaoqing. No wonder she looks familiar."
He obviously didn't recognize her true identity.
Because in his heart, she had died eight years ago, at the hands of the security guard Zhang Dachang.
Su He smiled calmly, "Mrs. Du once said that I had a kind face. I never thought that Mr. Du would also think I had a kind face. It seems that I have a certain connection with the Du family."
Du Yuting and Liu exchanged a meaningful glance, then smiled. "It's a good thing that we're destined to meet. It's a blessing for our Du family. We should interact more often in the future."
Liu quickly agreed, "Yes, let's visit each other more often in the future. If Madam Shaoqing needs any fabric, just tell me and I'll send it to your house right away."
After all, the Du family started out by selling cloth.
Su He thanked him politely and then stepped into the Du family's gate.
Inside the towering gate, the scenery of the house has changed drastically. The pavilions, terraces, and buildings are no longer what they used to be.
But there were still some familiar things that struck her, such as the lotus pond in the house, where her mother often played with her; and the rosewood tea table in the main hall, where her father often made tea for Du Yuting.
The past came flooding back, but everything and everyone in front of me had changed.
Su He seemed to be in the past, but it was a past that he could never return to.
She suppressed her emotions and remained silent for a long time until a noble lady came over to greet her. Only then did she perk up and socialize with others.
Liu also took her to meet Mrs. Du, and then introduced her to the ladies in the female guest seats.
The ladies all knew that the eldest son of the Xie family was both talented and handsome, but he was arrogant and never took any woman seriously. They never expected that he would suddenly get married with the woman in front of them, so they couldn't help but look Su He up and down.
Some of them were very curious and even asked Su He about all the family affairs, hoping to find out everything about the Xie family's mansion.
Su He was tired of dealing with it, so he found an excuse to leave and walked along the corridor to the back room of the mansion.
The back house is hidden behind an archway and consists of two long rows of houses.
Although the Du family mansion has been expanded several times and decorated magnificently, the back house located deep in the mansion still remains in its original appearance, simple, low and cramped.
She used to live in this back house with her father and mother.
All the servants of the Du family also live in this back house.
Su He asked Chunlan to stand guard in front of the archway while he walked in.
The Du family is hosting a banquet today, and the servants are all busy in the front yard, so the back house is particularly quiet, with no one in sight.
Instinctively she walked up the front steps to the room she had lived in before.
The house was at the westernmost end of the row of houses. It had a mottled wooden door, and inside the door were the familiar tables and chairs, a wooden bed, and her mother's favorite purple clay teapot.
She couldn't wait any longer, so she quickened her pace and almost ran to the front of the house.
But the door was closed, with a copper lock hanging on it, which was like a heavy hammer, bringing her back to reality in an instant - this was no longer the house she was familiar with, and the home behind this door was no longer hers.
Su He stood there quietly for a long time.
Then turn around and walk up the steps to the townhouses on the other side.
He walked several feet away, then stopped and knocked on the door.
The door was not locked. When she knocked, it creaked open.
Su He walked in and looked around. The house was simple and dilapidated, with dust all over the floor, as if no one had lived there for a long time.
She was confused for a moment and didn't know where the people in the house had gone.
Just as I was confused, I suddenly saw an old woman with crutches appear on the steps outside the door.
Su He didn't recognize the old woman, and the old woman naturally didn't recognize her either.
After looking at each other for a moment, she murmured, "You are..."
The old woman looked at Su He for a few times and concluded from his clothes and demeanor that he was a noble man.
There are many guests in the mansion today, and I don’t know which noble family they are from.
She stepped forward and bowed, "Madam, I am a servant in the Du family's kitchen. I broke my leg and had to recuperate in the house."
When Su He heard that it was a servant of the Du family, he felt a little relieved.
She took the opportunity to ask, "Madam, do you know where the person in this room has gone?"
The old woman frowned slightly, as if in disbelief: "Madam... do you recognize the person in this room?"
Su He replied, "If I remember correctly, Zhang Dachang, the Du family's guard, once lived in this house, right?"
On a summer night many years ago, Zhang Dachang was sent by Du Yuting to take her and Zhang Xiuhua's lives, but in the end he couldn't do it because he was soft-hearted.
Su He still remembers that tall man panting angrily, saying, "Run away, as far as you can."
So she and Zhang Xiuhua escaped safely.
She has always been grateful for this life-saving grace.
I came here today to see my benefactor from many years ago.
The old woman nodded: "Yes, Zhang Dachang and his family did live in this house before."
Su He asked: "Then where are they going now?"
The old woman sighed, "Zhang Dachang died a long time ago. It's been so many years."
"Dead?"
"In broad daylight, while his wife and daughter were out, he hanged himself in this house. He died by hanging. He must be an evil spirit. As a result, no one dared to live in this house ever since."
Su He couldn't believe it, "Why did he hang himself?"
"Who knows? I don't know what stimulated those people who are living well."
She then asked, "In which year did Zhang Dachang hang himself?"
The old woman thought for a moment and said, "It should be the summer of the twelfth year of Yonglong. Yes, that is summer."
Su He fell silent.
The summer of the twelfth year of Yonglong's reign was a time deeply engraved in her heart.
In this year, her father and mother died one after another, and she and Zhang Xiuhua almost died. Zhang Dachang, who saved their lives, also hanged himself to death in this year.
In Su He's impression, Zhang Dachang was honest and optimistic, always smiling. How could such a person suddenly commit suicide?
If she guessed correctly, Zhang Dachang's death must have been man-made. Perhaps he was punished for letting them go, or perhaps he was silenced for killing them. All of this was related to Du Yuting!
Su He pretended to be calm: "Zhang Dachang is dead, I wonder what Mr. Du's attitude is?"
The old woman lowered her head helplessly: "The life of a servant is as worthless as an ant. How could the master have such an attitude? He just sent people to drag the body away and bury it hastily, and then sold the Zhang family's wife and daughter."
"Where is the sale?"
"I don't know. After so long, it's hard to say whether he will still be alive."
After coming out of the back room, Su He remained silent for a long time.
Chunlan noticed her strangeness and asked, "What's wrong, Miss?"
She replied hoarsely, "I want to kill Du Yuting as soon as possible."
God is blind and the wicked are in power.
Since there is no justice, she will become the devil!
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