Chapter 676 Is Being Beautiful a Crime
Zhuang Wanjun felt very guilty. If her aunt had seen the two of them together, she would have only scolded them but wouldn't have made a big fuss. But now that the two of them were hiding, and she had foolishly dragged her older cousin into the forbidden area of the mansion, it was probably something that couldn't be explained away in a few words.
"Big cousin, I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
Zhuang Wanjun walked cautiously, hearing her aunt's footsteps approaching.
“I will take full responsibility. If my mother finds out about the two of us, she will say that I brought you here.”
The eldest son gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind.
The Buddhist hall was small; you could see the whole thing as soon as you entered. Zhuang Wanjun panicked and searched everywhere for a hiding place.
Under the altar, Lin Yuesha felt bitter. If Zhuang Shi had entered, she might not have been able to find her, because she had concealed herself very well. Zhuang Wanjun and the other woman rushed into the Buddhist hall, leaving messy wet footprints on the floor.
If Zhuang had just been carrying a lantern, he would have surely discovered it.
We can't let Zhuang Wanjun hide in here, otherwise Lin Yuesha herself won't be able to explain herself, and in the end, the blame will be placed on her again.
Lin Yuesha lifted the red cloth and saw two dark figures staring at each other in silence in front of the offering table.
Outside the door, Zhuang's footsteps drew closer, and she could hear Liu Ya and Xiang Ye talking.
"Madam, you didn't lock the small Buddhist shrine when you came before? Why is the door open?"
Upon seeing this, Zhuang immediately had a bad feeling. She took out a dagger from her sleeve and strode towards the small Buddhist hall.
“Cousin, only one person can hide under the offering table. You hide, and I'll face my mother.”
The eldest son gave Zhuang Wanjun a push, and Zhuang Wanjun hesitated before saying, "Cousin, it's my fault. I can't let you face Aunt's scolding alone."
"It's not just a scolding. You'd better listen to me and hide!"
The eldest son was anxious. His cousin was unaware of how complicated things were. If his mother found out, she might harm her own niece.
After all, his mother had a criminal record; back then...
Zhuang Wanjun nodded and was about to crawl under the offering table when Lin Yuesha raised a hammer and smashed it hard against Zhuang Wanjun's shoe.
"ah!"
The sudden pain caused Zhuang Wanjun to cry out in agony, and she could no longer hide it; Zhuang Shi, who was at the door, had already heard it.
On the roof beam, Qingxing was both amused and exasperated by the scene, unsure whether to praise her young mistress for her cleverness.
"Cousin, you..."
Zhuang Wanjun lost her balance, and the eldest son quickly stepped forward and picked her up.
Zhuang Wanjun wanted to complain that her cousin had stepped on her foot, but the hug made her blush and she didn't react for a moment.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Zhuang had already pushed open the door and entered, carrying a lantern.
"You two wretched children!"
Seeing the two embracing, Zhuang felt her blood surging and roared, "Zhuang Wanjun, is this how your mother raised you? Shameless!"
"Aunt, I..."
Zhuang's words were too harsh, and Zhuang Wanjun could not bear it. She swayed and her eyes reddened.
After a long while, she finally found her voice and choked out, "Aunt, it's not my cousin's fault, it was my fault for not standing properly."
"hehe."
Zhuang sneered, her face becoming even more ferocious. Taking advantage of her thin cheeks, she looked like a skeleton crawling out of hell. "Didn't you stand up straight? What kind of place is this? It's a small Buddhist shrine. Are you two allowed to mess around in front of Buddha? Aren't you afraid of offending Buddha's eyes and incurring retribution?"
They could have enjoyed romantic moments under the moon and flowers, but the spacious back garden couldn't hold them both. Instead, they came to her small Buddhist shrine where she usually copied scriptures.
"Zhuang Wanjun, I will send someone to escort you back to the North tomorrow."
Zhuang stared at Zhuang Wanjun, telling her to send her back and get back to the North, and stop thinking about her son.
"How long have you been in the small Buddhist shrine? How did you get in?"
Zhuang Shi, with her hands behind her back, walked around the two of them once and roared, "Speak!"
"Aunt, I don't want to go back."
Zhuang Wanjun sniffed. She had been brought from home by her aunt, and everyone in the clan knew that she would marry a young master from the capital. If she were sent back, it would be a clear indication to everyone that she had lost her moral character.
"Just because you don't want to, does that mean you can stop it?"
Zhuang spat and scolded, "You're so eager to get your hands on your own cousin who's lost his wife. What's the difference between you and a prostitute in a brothel?"
That was too harsh a statement. Lin Yuesha couldn't help but purse her lips. How blind she was back then, thinking that Madam Zhuang was dignified and kind. Not only was she blind, but she was also out of her mind!
Behind closed doors, Zhuang was terrifyingly mean.
“Mother, my cousin doesn’t know anything. I brought her to the small Buddhist hall.”
The eldest son stepped forward, pulled Zhuang Wanjun behind him to hide, and said coldly, "Why is the small Buddhist hall a forbidden area?"
"This is a Buddhist temple, not a place for you to mess around!"
Zhuang was furious. Because of that little bitch Zhuang Wanjun, even her most obedient son started to stand up and refute her.
"Is it a Buddhist shrine? If it really is a Buddhist shrine, why did Mother hide those things inside?"
The evidence of Zhuang's crimes from twenty years ago is irrefutable.
As a son, he couldn't accept that his mother was that kind of person, and he has been in great pain ever since he learned the truth.
He was young and ignorant back then, but after Fang's death and the loss of her unborn child, he felt deeply for her. If anyone in the Qi family were still alive, they would probably suffer a hundred or a thousand times more than him!
"What is that?"
Madam Zhuang frowned. Even her trusted maidservant was unaware of the letters from back then. She pressed, "What do you know?"
“My son knows everything. If you don’t want others to know, then don’t do it in the first place.”
Since the two of them had been caught red-handed by Madam Zhuang in the small Buddhist hall, he decided to speak frankly and openly.
"I have read all the letters you exchanged with Consort Fang."
He had not only read it, but he had also memorized every word and sentence.
Before marrying my mother, my father admired Madam Qi and secretly kept her portrait.
Everyone has a love of beauty. He didn't think his father had done anything wrong. He believed that feelings should be expressed within the bounds of propriety. Was it wrong to have a little longing in one's heart?
Madam Qi is now a married woman, and Mother has married Father. It should be a happy ending. Why can Mother be so cruel as to scheme against her best friend?
To be fair, Madam Qi was kind and simple-minded, and had never wronged her mother in any way.
"Being beautiful is a sin. If it weren't for her bewitching, fox-like face, how could your father have taken a liking to her?"
Suddenly, Zhuang went berserk, unable to hold back her screams, "If she hadn't smiled at your father, making him unable to forget her, I wouldn't be in this situation..."
It's all Madam Qi's fault. Since she's married, she should stay home and avoid going out. Why did she come to the mansion to talk to her and let her husband see her?
How could we not meet after all this time? And once we meet, how could we forget each other?
"Mother, I never imagined you were this kind of person!"
The eldest son was shocked by his mother Zhuang's words, which were utterly absurd!
Father once recounted that past when he was drunk. Because Mother had just married into the family and was having a hard time, Madam Qi was afraid that she would do something rash, so she often came to keep Mother company and talk to her. Little did she expect that Madam Qi's good intentions would become the catalyst for the Qi family's massacre. This was more than just a case of good intentions being taken for granted!
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