We agreed to share both good times and bad, but human nature is unpredictable, and life is full of uncertainties. In the end, we could only share the good times, not the bad.
Women's words are truly deceitful; one should not believe their sweet talk.
Old Chen was heartbroken. Since you're so heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless too.
He completely ignored the look that Old Mrs. Chen was giving him and said angrily,
“Hey Wu, are you even human? If it weren’t for your advice, I wouldn’t have dared to do this even if I had a hundred lives. If I’m going to go to jail, you’ll have to go with me. Don’t try to pin the blame on me.”
"You're a complete idiot, you're going to drive me crazy sooner or later."
"You're still making me angry, but I'll make you screw me over sooner or later!" Old Chen said, his neck stiff and his face full of resentment.
Old Mrs. Chen completely broke down.
At this point, there was no point in arguing; her eyes were full of pleading.
“Nephew, you are the village head. Even if you don’t care about the monk, you should at least care about the Buddha. Your uncle’s second brother’s wife is the daughter of my second uncle’s third uncle’s sister-in-law. So we are really relatives.”
You can't be so heartless as to send us, an old couple, to the yamen. If we get there, we'll be skinned alive, if not killed.
Besides, Zhancai will be taking the imperial examination for the lowest degree next year. If my wife and I were to have a stain on our record, how could he continue as an official? You should help Zhancai out. If our village produces a scholar, wouldn't you, as the village head, be proud?
Wu Baoan shook his head and sighed. If theft occurred in the village he managed and was not handled properly, he would be held responsible by his superiors and might even be held accountable.
He said sternly, “You have harmed Qing’s interests. It’s no use begging me. You must beg Qing’s forgiveness. As long as she doesn’t hold you accountable, I can suppress this matter.”
Old Mrs. Chen clenched her fists so tightly that she felt like dying.
She really wanted to stand up for herself, wave her hand dismissively, and say, "Do whatever you want, do whatever you want with me."
But she didn't have the courage. The thought of the cane in the yamen and the torture of being put in the leg clamps made her scalp tingle.
Fine, to avoid further suffering, I have no choice but to grovel and beg that damned girl for forgiveness.
Having made up her mind, she took a deep breath, lowered her head, and said something against her will to Chen Qingqing.
"Young lady, it's all our fault for being foolish and doing something we shouldn't have. Please forgive us and give us a chance to change our ways. We promise we'll never do it again..."
"Next time? You want a next time?" Chen Qingqing couldn't help but sneer, interrupting her. "You've done all sorts of evil deeds and repeatedly caused me trouble. I've given you chances before, but you're still like dogs that can't stop eating shit. This time, I'll teach you a lesson."
Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Chen was so angry she almost ground her teeth to powder, but she dared not lash out, and could only curse inwardly.
That shameless brat, she really doesn't know what's good for her, she's actually taking advantage of me.
I'll let you be arrogant for now. But wait until next spring when my third son passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, then I'll teach you a lesson.
Although he cursed inwardly, he dared not show a trace of hatred on his face.
Suddenly I remembered that my third son had once said that I should get along well with my eldest son's family.
Why not take this opportunity to reconcile? If that brat forgives them, she can move into a big house and live a life of luxury.
Thinking of this, Old Mrs. Chen quickly stepped forward, grabbed Chen Qingqing's hand, and smiled insincerely.
"Qing'er, my good granddaughter, I was wrong before. I know I was wrong, so please forgive me, okay? The letter of severance and the letter of separation are not valid. I take back all the nonsense I said. From now on, I will love you as much as I love Ruolan..."
“Yes, yes, your grandma is right. Grandpa will love you very much too.” Old Man Chen was inspired and quickly agreed with a smile.
Chen Qingqing subtly pushed away Old Madam Chen's hand and said coldly, "I don't need it. I have parents who love me enough."
As for you, you abandoned me when I needed you most.
My family's life is getting better and better now, and I don't need your cheap pampering.
Drop your hypocritical masks and start thinking about how to confess to the county magistrate!
Grandma Chen was dumbfounded. Was this brat's heart made of stone? How could it be so hard?
What to do now? She broke out in a cold sweat, glanced at Chen Zhanshan beside her, and then her eyes darted around as she came up with an idea.
In order to avoid imprisonment, I have no choice but to endure the humiliation for now.
She immediately rushed forward and wept bitterly at Chen Zhanshan, "Zhanshan, my son, you can't just stand by and watch your parents suffer and abandon us!"
"No matter what, you were carried and born by your mother for ten months. Even if your mother didn't do anything special, she still worked hard. Please, for the sake of your parents raising you, quickly put in a good word for us and don't let Qing'er report this to the authorities, okay?"
Chen Zhanshan frowned deeply, his heart aching. "Where were you all before? I can't help you now. Just wait to be punished!"
"You, you, you...you bastard..." Old Mrs. Chen was furious and about to unleash a torrent of abuse when she suddenly remembered that this was not the time to lose her temper and hurl insults. She quickly put on a forced smile, perfectly portraying the despicable character.
"Zhanshan, although we've severed ties, I'm still your mother after all. There are some things I don't want to tell you. Ever since you left the old house, my heartache has never gotten better. I'm always worried that you're not eating enough or that you're not sleeping well. I also often suffer from insomnia. My health is deteriorating day by day. I don't expect you to be here to take care of me, but you can't just stand by and watch me get sent to jail."
Chen Zhanshan lowered his head, unable to bear watching his parents, who had raised him, go to jail.
But as her father, he had no right to decide what his daughter suffered. You see, when they were first separated from their family, they only received a small half-bag of rice bran. If it weren't for Qingya going on a dangerous adventure alone into the Wolf Valley, teeming with snakes and insects, to find ginseng so that they could have enough to eat, they might have starved to death long ago.
He was caught in a dilemma, so distressed that he couldn't speak for a long time.
Seeing that he was slightly moved, Old Man Chen quickly pressed his advantage, "Zhanshan, everything your mother said is true. She misses you terribly and wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with you, but you ignore her and don't give us any chance."
My wife and I, being an elderly couple, devised a plan to steal bricks to get your attention and hopefully improve our relationship. We were forced into this situation!
Chen Qingqing was so angry at their shameless attitude that she laughed.
Afraid of going to jail? Fine, this time you'll learn your lesson.
"Stop playing the victim. Even if you spill the beans today, you'll still end up in jail."
......
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