Chapter 156 Cao Wen is imprisoned
Cao Wen went back and thought about it in fear for two days, but finally found Chunxi and was willing to go with her to surrender to the government.
Chunxi raised an eyebrow: "If you really want to exchange your mother and go home, you will not be allowed to regret it once you go to the government office."
Cao Wen's face was filled with fear, his palms sweating from nervousness, but he still nodded and said, "I've thought about it. Mother is the best person in the world to me. I can't let her suffer for me."
After receiving a positive answer, Chunxi stopped persuading him, asked someone to harness the carriage, and took Cao Wen to Jingzhao Prefecture.
The prison was dark and damp, with an unpleasant smell of mold and rot. Seeing the ferocious jailer, the blood drained from Cao Wen's face.
In the cell, Wang changed into prison clothes, her hair disheveled. In just two days, she looked haggard. But when she saw Chunxi, Wang perked up and rushed to the cell door, cursing: "Cao Chunxi, you heartless and rebellious girl! I am your biological mother, how could you send me to prison? Your father would never be at peace if he knew you treated me like this!"
Wang was so furious that she wanted to rush out of the cell and kill Chunxi.
Chunxi didn't respond to her words, but just looked at Cao Wen: "I'll take you here, go in by yourself."
Chunxi turned and left. Wang Shi then realized something was wrong and asked nervously, "Cao Chunxi, what are you going to do now? Awen is your own brother. If you dare to hurt him, I will not let you go even if I become a ghost!"
Chunxi turned a deaf ear and walked straight out of the cell. The jailer was dissatisfied with Wang's noise and hit the cell door with a whip: "Shut up, you are so noisy!"
After that, he opened the cell door and scolded Wang: "The real thief has been caught. You can go now."
Wang couldn't believe her ears. She wanted to chase Chunxi and scold her, but she was afraid that Cao Wen would be hurt. She knelt down and hugged Cao Wen: "My son is still young and doesn't know anything. He couldn't have stolen anything. It was the wife of the Marquis of Qingyuan who deliberately harmed him. You made a mistake and can't arrest him!"
"He turned himself in to the government office, and the prefect personally conducted the trial. How could he be wrong? You shrew, stop throwing tantrums and leave immediately!"
The jailer was used to seeing all kinds of things in the world and was not moved at all by Wang's love for her son. After saying this, he went to pull Wang away.
Seeing this, Cao Wen quickly said, "Mom, my son did make a mistake. He should be in jail. Go home and rest."
Cao Wen's cleverness and understanding made Wang feel heartbroken. She finally regretted that she should not have sent Cao Wen to Chunxi just for the sake of the Marquis's wealth.
Wang wailed bitterly, "My son, it's my fault. I've ruined you. Sir, I forced him to take the bracelet and pendant. He's innocent. Please arrest me."
The jailer was so annoyed by Wang's crying that he forced her out of Jingzhao Prefecture. Wang refused to leave and cried and made a fuss at the gate of Jingzhao Prefecture, but was no longer able to enter.
Seeing that throwing a tantrum was useless, Wang ran home crying.
Since Wang had gone to the banquet and never returned home, Qian had someone send a message to Cao Wu to call him back home. The two were extremely worried and were shocked to see Wang running home in such a mess. But before they could ask, Wang burst into tears and said, "Come with me and save Awen! That debt collector Cao Chunxi has sent Awen to jail. Awen's life has been ruined by her. How am I going to live in the future?"
After running all the way crying, Wang was already exhausted. She fainted after saying this. Cao Wu hurriedly carried her into the house, gave her water and pinched her Ren Zhong point. After a long time, Wang finally woke up.
Thinking of Cao Wen still in prison, Wang was about to cry again, but Cao Wu coldly stopped her, "Don't cry, mother, if you don't tell us clearly what happened, how can we find a way to save Ah Wen?"
Cao Wu was rarely so tough. Wang trembled all over, but finally calmed down.
She told the whole story in a hurry, and her words were full of resentment and curses towards Chunxi. The more Cao Wu listened, the uglier his face became.
As soon as he got home, Qian told him that Cao Wen had brought back a bracelet and a pair of earrings some time ago, which looked very valuable. Wang happily showed them off to her neighbors and even made a new set of clothes to go to the marquis's mansion to attend the promotion banquet. However, not long after, Chunxi came home and said that the two things were stolen goods and asked Wang to return them.
Wang had made the news known to everyone, so she was reluctant to go back and scolded Chunxi severely.
Qian also advised Wang at that time, but Wang did not listen and even scolded Qian. Who would have thought that now she would really get into trouble because of these two things.
Seeing that Wang had completely distanced herself from him, Cao Wu could only curse Chunxi and angrily yell, "What has this got to do with Ah Xi? Didn't Ah Xi remind me not to keep these things? It was my own greed that made me want to keep them, and even wore them to the Marquis' Mansion to show off, which caused trouble. I've already caused Ah Wen to be imprisoned, can't I wake up yet?"
Wang's face turned red and then pale. She cried and defended herself, "I was greedy, but it was also Cao Chunxi's fault. Everyone in the neighborhood knows that she climbed up the social ladder and married into the Marquis's mansion to become a noble lady. But since she returned home, she hasn't been home once, and she won't let me go to the Marquis's mansion to see her. People laugh at me behind my back for raising an unfilial daughter. If she had been nicer to me, would I have been deceived by her?"
"After Dad got into trouble, Ah Xi sold herself to the Wei family. She brought almost all the money she earned from selling her body and the monthly allowance she earned from the Wei family home to Mom. But when she got married, Mom didn't buy anything for her. How can Mom expect Ah Xi to honor you?"
Cao Wu was furious. Wang Shi immediately said, "I didn't buy her a dowry, but she secretly hid so much money that no one knows how much. She even bought a shop despite our dissuasion. Now she's wearing gold and silver in the Marquis' Mansion, while we're still living in poverty. She doesn't want to help us. Isn't that heartless?"
Wang felt no guilt and didn't even think she was wrong.
Cao Wu couldn't convince her and could only say disappointedly, "Since mother doesn't think she's wrong, then let Awen stay in jail forever."
After Cao Wu finished speaking, he walked out of the room, and Wang immediately started crying.
She cried for her miserable fate of becoming a widow at such a young age, cried for giving birth to a cold-blooded and heartless daughter, and cried even more for raising a useless eldest son. The neighbors heard her crying and wanted to come to watch the fun, but they were all driven away by Cao Wu.
Seeing Wang's scolding getting worse and worse, Qian couldn't help but try to persuade Cao Wu: "Brother Wu, why don't you go and beg Ah Xi? It's no use for Mom to keep crying like this."
Cao Wu's face was gloomy, and he was unusually tough. "Ah Xi wouldn't send Ah Wen to jail for no reason. Mother must have been trying to clear herself in the Marquis' Mansion by throwing all the dirty water on Ah Xi. Ah Xi got away with it this time, but if Mother doesn't learn her lesson and change her temper, she will definitely cause even greater trouble in the future. I am the eldest son in the family. It is a mistake for me to fail to persuade them. How can I have the nerve to ask Ah Xi for help?"
After hearing this, Qian thought it made sense, so she stopped persuading him and went to the kitchen to cook with her child.
In the room, Wang cried until her throat was dry but no one paid any attention to her. She felt sad. Is there really no way back from this matter?
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