Chapter 137 A mistress is still a mistress, and you can never wash that away until you die!
Inside the main hall of the embroidered building.
Mr. Zhou stood casually in the hall with his hands behind his back.
A smug smile played on his lips, his eyes gleaming as he brazenly surveyed every broken piece of furniture in the hall.
He was followed by four henchmen, each standing with their arms crossed and an arrogant expression.
Standing right next to Zhou Dongjia was Lin Yingyu.
She wore a light red brocade dress with a cloud-patterned vest over it. Although her belly was protruding, she stood up straight.
She was not wearing a veil, her face was lightly made up, and she had a faint smile on her lips.
A meek and obedient maid was carefully supporting her arm, which made her look even more imposing.
Lu Zhaoruo stepped into the lobby, her gaze calmly sweeping over Zhou Dongjia's smug face, and finally, her eyes met Lin Yingyu's in mid-air.
Lin Yingyu's faint smile froze instantly.
She scrutinized Lu Zhaoruo closely, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
She had already heard that Li Nian'er and her men had smashed the embroidered building to pieces, and she had expected to see a haggard, disheveled loser.
But the person in front of me...
Dressed in simple blue, with an upright posture, her face was somewhat thinner, but she showed no signs of weakness, and her eyes were calm as water.
She admitted it.
Lu Zhaoruo was indeed born with a beautiful and ethereal appearance.
pity……
She instinctively touched her swollen belly.
What good is a beautiful appearance if you can't capture Rong Lang's heart in the end? You still ended up in a complete defeat and lost to me.
Some of the men around couldn't contain themselves and whispered, "Isn't that Lin Yingyu? Shouldn't she be in the state jail? Why is she out?"
Lin Yingyu heard the discussion clearly, but she wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, she stepped forward and spoke first, her voice carrying a deliberately drawn-out, affected intimacy: "Lu Zhaoruo, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
Lu Zhaoruo was not surprised by Lin Yingyu's arrival.
She scoffed, "I don't know what kind of unlucky day this is, all sorts of filthy things are barging into my boudoir."
He immediately turned his head, his voice suddenly turning sharp and clearly echoing throughout the hall: "Sun Jing! Stone Mill! Is this how you guard the door? What kind of filthy scum dares to come in and bark like this?"
Wan Wanning hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Sister, Sun Jing went to call the doctor. Chen Xiuniang stayed up too late last night and coughed up blood this morning, then collapsed on the ground."
"Stone Mill...Ever since Stone Mill impulsively caused trouble last time, he's been determined to atone for his sins. Before dawn, he went to the docks to carry heavy loads, saying he wanted to earn some copper coins to help the building replenish its rice and grain supplies..."
Lu Zhaoruo frowned. Although the embroidery shop had been closed for more than half a month, it was not so bad that it didn't have enough money for food. As for the embroiderers, she repeatedly told them to take good care of themselves these days.
Today, when I wanted to use Sun Jing and the stone mill, neither of them was there.
Wan Wanning lowered her head guiltily.
She complained that Chen Xiuniang worked too slowly, so she ordered her to stay up all night.
She also asked him to carry heavy bags to replenish the rice and grain.
After listening intently, Zhou Dongjia immediately seized the opportunity and burst into laughter, clapping his hands: "Oh dear! Master Lu, how has the most prestigious embroidery shop in Jizhou City fallen to the point where the shop assistants have to carry bags and the embroiderers are so exhausted they've vomited blood?"
"Tsk tsk, what are you still trying to prove with your boudoir!"
He cleared his throat, straightened his back, and gestured to Lin Yingyu beside him: "Let me formally introduce you to Master Lu! Today, I have specially invited Madam Lin to come along!"
"Madam Lin has already spent a lot of money to join my Zhou's Embroidery Workshop and is taking up a large share!"
He deliberately dragged out his words, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat dilapidated hall, "Now, we want to take over your Lu's Embroidery Pavilion!"
He sighed, adopting a compassionate and empathetic demeanor: "Mr. Lu, we are all businessmen. I understand your difficulties perfectly. It's truly... heartbreaking to see!"
"Why do you just stand by and watch the embroiderers fall ill one by one, while the workers have to go to the docks to do hard labor? Is this a long-term solution?"
At this point, he seemed to be announcing a tremendous favor: "I, Zhou, will do you a favor today! Not only will I buy your embroidery shop at the original price, but I will also allow the original embroiderers and staff to stay and continue working! As for wages, my Zhou family will definitely not shortchange you!"
"Boss Lu, you've relieved yourself of a huge burden and saved everyone's jobs at the same time. What a win-win situation! Hahaha!"
Tu and Gu Yun haven't left yet.
Upon hearing Zhou Dongjia's words, "Take it at the price," Tu Shi's eyes lit up. She hurriedly grabbed Lu Zhaoruo's sleeve and said in a low voice, "Zhaoruo! Listen to this! What Zhou Dongjia said is true! This dilapidated building is just a grave if you guard it, and you won't earn a single copper coin. You might as well take the money and live a good life with Gu Langjun!"
Her voice was not loud, but because the hall was quiet, every word fell clearly into everyone's ears.
Lin Yingyu had already spotted the two of them. At this moment, she deliberately raised her eyebrows and drew out her voice: "Oh, this one looks unfamiliar... Could it be Madam Lu's mother, Old Madam Tu?"
Tu's heart skipped a beat.
She naturally recognized the woman in the brocade robes before her as Lin Yingyu, the mistress who had caused the Shen family's downfall and was at odds with her daughter! Shouldn't she be in the state jail? How could she be here, and even a guest of honor at Master Zhou's house?
Seeing her extraordinary demeanor, Madam Tu immediately concluded: This woman must have powerful backing, and we absolutely cannot afford to offend her!
A fawning smile instantly spread across her face as she repeatedly replied, "Yes, yes, yes! I am indeed Zhaoruo's mother. Madam Lin has excellent judgment!"
Dong Rou, standing to the side, frowned deeply.
The old lady knew that this girl was a mistress. An ordinary mother would have fought to the death long ago, so why was she so obsequious and flattering?
Lin Yingyu saw right through Madam Tu's intentions, feeling contempt in her heart, but her smile grew even more amiable. She deliberately stepped forward, her voice sickeningly sweet: "Madam, you look so young! Just now I heard Madam Lu scolding you too? What brings you here today..."
As she spoke, her gaze swept lightly over Gu Yun, who was shrugging his neck and looking away, behind Tu Shi.
Seeing Lin Yingyu's friendly attitude, Tu seemed to receive great encouragement and immediately complained, "She's an unfilial daughter! Not only did she scold me, she even tried to kick me out just now!"
"I've come today to arrange a wonderful marriage for her!"
She quickly pointed to Gu Yun, "It is this young master Gu, from a respectable family and kind-hearted! Who knew that this unfilial daughter would humiliate him in every way, saying that he is not good enough for her!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yingyu burst out laughing without any attempt to hide it, and then said, "But to me... they actually make a very good match!"
These words are a deliberate attempt to humiliate Lu Zhaoruo!
Tu, however, seemed to have found a kindred spirit and slapped her thigh: "That's right! A match made in heaven!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Yun straightened his thin back instantly, stepped forward, bowed deeply to Lin Yingyu, and said in a trembling voice, "Gu greets Madam Lin!"
"People outside are saying... that you, my lady, are of questionable status, but seeing you today, I realize that you are a true woman who can distinguish right from wrong and has discerning eyes!"
As he spoke, he even glanced back at Lu Zhaoruo, his confidence suddenly growing stronger: "Although I, Gu, am not of great wealth or status, what extraordinary status does Madam Lu have now? How could I be unworthy of her?"
Lin Yingyu laughed so hard she could barely breathe.
Dongrou and Yang Niangzi both looked at Lu Zhaoruo with heartache.
If it were them, being betrayed and trampled on by their closest relatives, they would probably be so angry that they would vomit blood.
Instead of protecting her own daughter, the mother sided with an outsider—who was also her ex-husband's mistress! Together they were humiliating their own flesh and blood!
She even flattered him to his face, but he clearly only saw her as a clown for his amusement!
Dongrou felt that Tu Shi was even less concerned about the mother-daughter relationship than her own mother.
She felt increasingly distressed.
Looking at the scene before her, Wan Wanning, who was standing to the side, felt extremely embarrassed, remembering that she was, after all, Lu Zhaoruo's sworn sister.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, they secretly ran away.
Lu Zhaoruo stood still, trying her best to suppress all the emotions in her heart. Her gaze slowly swept over the smug Zhou Dongjia, the smirking Lin Yingyu, the obsequious Tu Shi, and the blustering but cowardly Gu Yun...
She didn't raise her voice, but her clear, steady voice overwhelmed all the noise, carrying an air of authority: "Master Zhou."
I appreciate your kindness.
She paused slightly, her gaze sharp as she pierced through Zhou Dongjia, "But what price are you using as a reference for? Is it the price when the brothel was at its peak, or... the price you're taking advantage of?"
Before Zhou Dongjia could answer, she turned her gaze to Lin Yingyu and said contemptuously, "What do you have to do with how much money you spent and whose gang you joined?"
After saying that, she looked Lin Yingyu up and down, glanced at the gold and jade hairpin in her hair, and continued, "Do you think that just because you've changed into a glamorous appearance, you can enter the inner chambers and sit on equal footing with me? Before, in the Shen family, I was his lawfully wedded wife. Now in Jizhou, I am the rightful owner of this Lu Ji Embroidery Shop."
"And you..."
Her tone turned icy, each word like a nail: "She's nothing but a mistress who knows the Shen family has a wife, yet still willingly debases herself and schemes to please them!"
She pressed on relentlessly, her words becoming increasingly sharp:
"A wicked woman with audacity who dared to try to force her illegitimate daughter onto her stepmother for upbringing!"
"A prisoner whose crimes were exposed, personally tried and convicted by the prefect, and thrown into prison!"
"What right do you, a mistress who is not tolerated by the law and not recorded by the clan, have to spout nonsense here?"
"Having committed adultery and violated human ethics, how can you still have the face to stand under the bright sun!"
Her gaze fell on Lin Yingyu's abdomen, which she instinctively protected, and her sneer deepened: "And this child in your womb, even if it is born, will be nothing more than an illegitimate child, its future ruined!"
"What makes you able to stand here today?"
A chilling sneer curled at the corner of her lips. "It's just that your shady connections are giving you a way out, a favor that goes beyond the law!"
Finally, her voice suddenly rose, delivering a decisive blow: "But a lowly status is a lowly status! A mistress is still a mistress! Your lewdness is etched into your bones; you can never wash away this identity until you die!"
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