“Although the method of marriage is somewhat different, that woman is your sister-in-law,” Jiang Manyun said.
"snort--"
Qiao Yang glanced at Jiang Manyun with disdain.
Only a man from a humble family like Lord Jiang could afford to raise a woman like that.
She was naive and thought everyone was like her.
“Miss Jiang, this is the General’s Mansion, not your Marquis’s Mansion.”
Jiang Manyun blushed slightly after being retorted, but said nothing more.
Aunt Guo looked at Jiang Manyun.
I always felt that beneath her ordinary appearance lay the heart of a wild beast.
“Miss Jiang, it’s been a long time since I’ve been to the General’s Mansion. Your sister Yang has been having some troubles lately, so please don’t take it to heart.”
These words were very tactful, serving as a way to extricate Qiao Yang from a difficult situation while also subtly reminding him.
Jiang Manyun used to frequent the General's Mansion all the time, but now that Qiao Zhen is gone, you no longer associate with him. Why would you suddenly come here today?
Even after these things happened.
Some people don't understand what I mean by that.
It seems to be about the fire in the East Garden today, and it also seems to be about how you used to come and go every day when Qiao Zhen was alive, treating the General's Mansion like your own backyard. But now that he's dead, you don't come anymore, which makes people wonder if Qiao Zhen's death is related to this person.
Of all those present, only Mrs. Qiao could recall having met her before.
There have been persistent rumors that Qiao Zhen was poisoned to death.
Despite the rumors circulating outside, there's no evidence to support them, but there are still people who truly know the inside story.
poison?
If it was poisoned, then there must have been poison. Who poisoned it?
Qiao Zhen's health had always been poor, and all the people who served him, whether maids or servants, were chosen by Madam Qiao.
They did their best in their work, and since they still died, it's natural to find out who poisoned them.
Madam Qiao wouldn't cut off her own escape route, after all, he was her only son. When Qiao Zhen was three years old, his health deteriorated rapidly. During this time, Madam Qiao lost a lot of weight. Later, when Qiao Zhen was on the verge of death, it was Madam Qiao who took him to live in a temple for a year, which brought Qiao Zhen back from the brink of death.
Everyone could clearly see that when Qiao Zhen returned that year, he looked much better than before, while Mrs. Qiao was not in good condition.
It took several months for him to recover.
Later, Qiao Zhen's condition deteriorated again, and Mrs. Qiao wanted to take her son to live in the temple again. However, something happened to the old general at that time, which forced the matter to be postponed.
Afterwards, all sorts of things happened, and Qiao Zhen practically grew up in a medicine jar.
There were all sorts of rumors back then. Some said that General Qiao's aura was too strong, and those things couldn't get close to General Qiao. Instead, they went straight for Qiao Zhen, who had little resistance.
Some people also say that Qiao Zhen's fate is too unfortunate, and he is simply not capable of shouldering the heavy responsibilities of the General's Mansion.
In recent years, rumors have circulated that Qiao Zhen was poisoned.
In any case, Qiao Zhen's death was the biggest blow to Mrs. Qiao.
Now that Qiao Zhen is dead and the General's Mansion has no future, Qiao Yuchen has arrived.
Everything that originally belonged to her son was taken away by Qiao Yuchen, and the most heartbroken and saddened person was Mrs. Qiao.
The atmosphere became quiet for a moment, until footsteps could be heard outside.
Soon, General Qiao appeared before everyone.
When Madam Qiao saw General Qiao, the emotions that were about to overwhelm her slowly subsided. She stood up and bowed to General Qiao.
"General—"
"General—" Aunt Guo followed suit and bowed.
Qiao Yang was very excited. He suddenly stood up, which aggravated the wound on his buttocks. He gritted his teeth and did not let himself cry. He just stood there feeling wronged.
"Manyun greets General Qiao." Jiang Manyun was the most composed, bowing slightly in greeting.
"Please sit down!"
General Qiao helped Madam Qiao sit down.
"Father—" Qiao Yang said, sounding very aggrieved.
General Qiao looked at Qiao Yang and said, "You're feeling better now."
"Um."
Aunt Guo wanted to speak up for Qiao Yang, but seeing that General Qiao was no longer as caring or indulgent towards Qiao Yang as before, she dared not utter a word.
"Remember this from now on, the one who lives in the East Garden is your second brother."
"Yes, Yang'er remembers."
Having been punished, Qiao Yang had no choice but to obey. Besides, her arrogance and domineering attitude were all due to General Qiao's support. Now that she saw that General Qiao seemed angry about this matter, she was furious but dared not show it.
Being beaten with a stick is a terrible feeling.
She only received six strokes of the cane that day, which almost cost her her life. How dare she cause trouble now?
However, she remembered this grudge.
She would never let the bastards and sluts of Dongyuan get away with it.
Seeing how obedient Qiao Yang was, General Qiao turned to Aunt Guo beside him and said, "Take good care of Yang'er, and make sure she doesn't cause any more trouble."
"Yes, I understand." Aunt Guo dared not say anything and could only respond immediately.
General Qiao looked at Jiang Manyun, his tone softening. His usual seriousness from years on the battlefield, even when softened, was not particularly gentle.
"Manyun, come visit often in the future and spend more time with your aunt."
"Yes, Manyun has remembered."
Zhang Ma was a clever woman. Seeing that General Qiao had finished speaking, she quickly added another set of chopsticks and a bowl.
The atmosphere at the meal was too serious because of General Qiao's presence, and after the meal, everyone made excuses to leave.
Seeing that things were not going well, Zhang Ma quickly left.
Only Madam Qiao and General Qiao were in the room. Madam Qiao could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face.
General Qiao said nothing, but simply sat quietly to the side.
Hearing the commotion outside the door, Zhang Ma's eyes also welled up with tears.
She has been with Mrs. Qiao for many years, and Mrs. Qiao has had a very difficult journey.
She lived cautiously every day with her sick son, but despite all her care, he still passed away.
Since Qiao Zhen's death, Madam Qiao has been in tears almost every day. Now, General Qiao has brought back another son from outside.
Suddenly, I felt that Mrs. Qiao had it even harder.
A woman without a son has no one to rely on, and the man has fathered countless sons outside the marriage. When one dies, another takes its place. The hearts of men are truly more venomous than snakes.
General Qiao waited until Madam Qiao had cried enough before speaking, "Alright, stop crying."
These words brought tears to Mrs. Qiao's eyes once again.
"Alright." General Qiao said impatiently, stood up abruptly, and strode away from the West Garden.
When Zhang Ma saw General Qiao leave, she rushed in and saw Madam Qiao with red, tear-filled eyes, which made her feel even more wronged.
Everyone thought that Madam Qiao was living a very glamorous life as the general's wife, but who knew the hardships behind that glamour?
“Madam—” Zhang Ma’s eyes reddened again.
Only the servants who served her knew how difficult Madam Qiao's life was without Qiao Zhen.
Mrs. Qiao cried for a long time, and eventually, exhausted from crying, she lay down on the bed and fell asleep.
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