Chapter 1 I waited bitterly for thirty years, but you came home with your children and grandchildren?
On Lu Zhaoruo's forty-eighth birthday, the usually quiet Shen residence suddenly became noisy.
"I'll take this room!"
"Let go! That jade reclining sheep is mine!"
But those who were scrambling for the food were not the birthday guests, but the descendants of the Shen family patriarch who had not returned home for thirty years.
Beneath the withered tree, Lu Zhaoruo sat alone in a pine-wood chair, her gaze drifting from the splendor of the courtyard back to the ruins of the Shen family mansion she had entered thirty years ago...
“Zhao Ruo”.
A gentle, warm voice drifted over.
She looked at the person who had come, and caught a glimpse of the barely concealed disdain in his eyes, which pierced her deeply lined old face like a needle.
How ridiculous!
Thirty years of hardship had worn her down, leaving her haggard and aged, but it only added a few fine lines to the corners of his eyes and a touch of white to his temples. Far from diminishing his charm, it had only refined his former gentle demeanor, making him even more dignified.
At this moment, he managed to squeeze out a trace of tenderness: "These past thirty years have been tough."
"Hard?"
Lu Zhaoruo clenched her handkerchief, coughing until her back trembled, and hoarsely said, "I waited for you for thirty years, and this is what I got in return?"
Shen Rongzhi paused slightly, turned around and looked at the group of descendants who were still fighting over the family property, and said righteously, "The family property belongs to you, so stop making a fuss."
After saying that, he frowned and said, "I knew that after I came back, you would use these thirty years to coerce me with kindness."
Lu Zhaoruo suddenly grabbed the edge of the chair, wood chips digging into her palm: "Who was it that slid through the snow, his face covered in blood, begging me to take care of our parents? Who swore he would never betray me? Who made me wait for him to come back? I waited for thirty years, and now it's turned into coercion through my virtue?"
Shen Rongzhi showed no shame; instead, his eyes flashed with anger: "Isn't that why I'm back?"
Lu Zhaoruo pointed to the unfamiliar faces scrambling for valuables in the courtyard, her laughter mingling with blood and foam: "Yes... you really have returned, bringing your new bride, bringing your children and grandchildren!"
Shen Rongzhi completely lost his patience: "Now that you've returned home, you've fulfilled your promise."
She laughed hoarsely: "What a promise! Where were you when I was tending to your parents' every need and seeing them off in their final days? Where were you when I was kneeling and paying off your sister's gambling debts?"
"Smack!"
A blood-stained handkerchief was thrown in his face.
Lu Zhaoruo fought back tears and roared in anguish, "You're living a carefree life outside, surrounded by children and grandchildren!"
Shen Rongzhi hurriedly and slowly wiped the bloodstains from her face with a silk handkerchief, her face filled with disappointment: "Lu Shi, how have you become such a vulgar shrew?"
Lu Zhaoruo shuddered, her heart aching unbearably. She gave a bitter, cold laugh: "Shrew?"
Her trembling hand touched her sunken cheek, her voice shaking: "These thirty years... I've bled myself dry, my hair has turned white, and I've been plagued by illness... I'll exhaust my heart and soul to send your parents and elder sister off, clear away your burdens, and earn this vast fortune..."
She suddenly looked up, her bloodshot, cloudy eyes staring intently at him: "You just bring your children and grandchildren back, reaping the benefits without lifting a finger, and then you call me a shrew?"
Lin Yingyu was admiring the mansion that exuded wealth, feeling increasingly smug. When she heard this, she said unhappily, "Auntie, what you're saying doesn't make sense. This is the Shen family, not the Lu family. Every brick and tile of the Shen family belongs to the head of the Shen family. When we return to our own home, we call it 'returning home,' not 'enjoying life'."
She looked down at Lu Zhaoruo's gaunt face, her smile sharp and cutting: "These years have been tough for you, Auntie."
Then, a soft sneer escaped her throat, "From now on, Madam will stay in the inner quarters to recuperate. I will take care of the household affairs. As for the weaving workshop and silk..."
His gaze swept sideways at Chen Rongzhi, "Naturally, it should be managed by the lord."
Suddenly she covered her mouth and smiled: "It is a blessing, really. All four sons of mine and my husband are married and can be entrusted with the silk trade."
Shameless!
This is blatant robbery of all the industry!
Lu Zhaoruo was so angry that she trembled all over and almost vomited blood. She was about to angrily rebuke the man and woman...
"Mother."
A soft call interrupted her.
Her dull, gray eyes suddenly lit up.
It's Zhu Niang.
Years ago, her mother-in-law gave her an abandoned baby in the snow. Because of the pain of losing her own child, she softened and agreed to adopt the baby. She cherished the baby like a treasure, feeding it with all her heart and soul.
Now it is my only solace.
Just as she was about to respond, she saw Zhu Niang fawningly massaging Lin Yingyu's shoulders, not even glancing at her: "I miss my mother and father day and night. When my aunt was alive, she often took me to visit them... Since my aunt passed away, I have never seen you again."
"Fortunately, you are back now, and we can finally be reunited as a family."
Lin Yingyu let Zhu Niang massage her shoulders and gave Lu Zhaoruo a smug smile: "Speaking of which, I have to thank Auntie. She has raised Zhu Niang so well over the years and even arranged her marriage perfectly."
She suddenly wiped her lips lightly with a handkerchief: "Back then, my husband thought that you were lonely at home, so he specially sent your first daughter back and asked Auntie to give her to you to raise. With Zhu Niang by your side all these years, I'm sure you haven't been too... lonely, have you?"
Lu Zhaoruo felt as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer, and a metallic taste suddenly welled up in her throat.
She recalled her mother-in-law's dying words, forcing her to swear an oath: "Swear that you will treat Zhu Niang well, and swear that you will wait for Rong Zhi to return."
I'm so stupid!
Everyone in the Shen family helped them keep it a secret...
Only she, the housekeeper, faithfully guarded the place for thirty years.
She gripped the edge of the chair tightly, a growl escaping her throat: "You pack of wolves, leopards, and tigers! You'll all die a horrible death!"
Zhu Niang frowned and took a half step back in disgust: "Aunt Lu, don't go crazy here."
Lin Yingyu, maintaining the airs of a mistress, said, "Someone, escort Madam Lu back to her room to rest."
The old servant stepped forward, his back hunched, a mocking glint in his eyes.
"Look at my memory."
Lin Yingyu suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled, "With Auntie ill, the whole house is very noisy."
With a flick of her finger, she pointed westward. "I see, the woodshed behind the west wing is the quietest. Don't you think so, sister?"
The old servant beckoned to a maid, and the two of them, disregarding any sentimentality, grabbed her thin arms on either side and dragged her away.
"Aunt Lu, this old servant will escort you to the woodshed to rest."
The old servant deliberately elongated the words "Aunt Lu," forcing a smile onto his wrinkled face.
Unable to struggle, Lu Zhaoruo was forcibly dragged along and hurriedly turned around—
Zhu Niang was holding Lin Yingyu's arm, smiling broadly, not even glancing at her.
Shen Rongzhi stood with his hands in his sleeves, his expression indifferent, treating her like a madwoman who had nothing to do with him.
She was thrown roughly onto the hard, uncomfortable woodpile. The woodshed was damp and dark in the dead of winter, and the musty, cold air felt like a dull knife, slowly scraping into her lungs.
She didn't know how much time had passed while she was unconscious. When she opened her eyes again, it was dark outside the window, and it was snowing heavily. Laughter mixed with the smell of wine drifted from the front yard, piercing her ears one by one.
Ah, today's birthday banquet has become their family reunion banquet...
Her body curled up, turning bluish-purple, and her consciousness began to fade. In a daze, she was back on her wedding night, when she drank the abortion pill with trembling hands...
She never wronged anyone in her life.
Only that child.
The child she herself strangled in her womb.
They weren't even given a chance to come into this world and see it for themselves.
Just then, the old window frame suddenly creaked.
A pure white cat staggered in, leaving a trail of blood on its hind legs.
With a cold, hard steamed bun in its mouth, it carefully placed the bun to Lu Zhaoruo's lips, letting out a weak whimper, like a plea or a cry.
Lu Zhaoruo's breath was barely a whisper, her chapped lips trembled slightly, but she didn't even have the strength to open her mouth.
The white cat frantically tried to paw at the steamed bun, but the already cold and hard bun never made it into her mouth.
Lu Zhaoruo's fingers twitched slightly, as if she wanted to touch it again.
The white cat understood, and gently snuggled up to me, tucking its head into my palm.
She finally encountered familiar warmth, tears welling in her eyes, and said with a smile, "Ah Bao... thank you for being with me for thirty years. I can't hold on any longer, I'm going first..."
An ordinary cat lives for only a dozen years or so, but it stubbornly stayed with her for a full thirty years.
Ah Bao sobbed, licking her withered, cold hands repeatedly, as if trying to hold her back.
Suddenly, fireworks burst open outside the window, illuminating the woodshed.
Looking at the dazzling light, Lu Zhaoruo felt it was too bright for her eyes.
Her eyelids gradually grew heavy...
Abao anxiously pressed its head against her gradually stiffening body, again and again, until finally it quietly rested on her chest, curled up as usual, and warm tears welled up in its eyes.
Suddenly, the door to the woodshed was kicked open.
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