Chapter 125: Nine of Lights
How could she have the ability to save Young Master Zheng from Nanjing?
Chu Wangzuo looked over and opened his mouth slightly in surprise, "Aunt?"
Mrs. Ge winked at her with a barely perceptible smile, then said seriously, "If someone asks you to do something, just accept it."
She suddenly realized that Mrs. Ge wanted to destroy Zhou's former prestige in front of everyone and would only feel relieved when she saw her begging for mercy and trying to please Chu Wang in a humble manner.
Zhou misunderstood what she had heard. Suddenly, she smiled and said to her gently, "Third Miss, since Madam Ge has spoken, you, as a girl, should stop making trouble."
Mrs. Ge suddenly chuckled and just looked at Chu, waiting for her to show her power first.
Chu Wang stared at the mother and daughter without saying a word.
"Could it be... you really want me, as your elder, to beg you?"
There was a mixture of begging and intimidation in Zhou's words, and she was determined to make her feel like a nobody.
Yun Yan tugged at his mother's sleeve and begged her that even if she needed help from others again, as an elder, she should not be so servile to Chu Wang, so that she would not be able to hold her head up in front of Chu Wang in the future.
Yet, she still didn't quite understand her mother. While Zhou had said this, she wouldn't actually offer such a grand gesture to a younger generation, someone she had always looked down upon but now had a newfound respect for. Just as Mrs. Ge had invited the Xie family and their companions to come and see Zhou and her son, it was because she knew Lin Yu was in trouble over her children's affairs, and that a large crowd would be necessary to embarrass her. Secondly, Mrs. Ge knew Lin Yu was a man who valued appearances, and that Zhou perfectly complemented him, possessing a rare sense of shamelessness. Otherwise, she wouldn't have approached the room, not only unafraid of the sight of so many people, but even secretly gloating over it, believing that with so many people watching, Mrs. Ge and her nephew wouldn't dare treat her and her daughter too harshly.
At this time, Chu Wang said to her in a calm tone, "Madam Zhou, I have no ties of affection with you. What do you want me to help you with?"
These words were spoken lightly but at the right moment. When they landed on Zhou, they felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.
This girl has drawn the line very clearly - it's my duty not to help you, or you can count on your fingers how many times you have been nice to me.
"Yunyan is your sister, and Mr. Zheng is your future brother-in-law." Zhou was even more shameless, not only using the ethics of family ties and bloodlines to pressure Chu Wang, but also occasionally glancing at Xie Hong and Xie Zeyi, hoping that the men would relent and speak up for her and her daughter. She was convinced that Chu Wang, as a newlywed bride-to-be, wouldn't dare to act too harshly in front of her husband's family.
But one of the father and son was more interested in the snuff bottle than her, a living person, while the other didn't even bother to look at anyone else.
Zhou was very discouraged.
Chu Wang smiled and asked Yun Yan, "Have you ever treated me as your sister?"
Yun Yan was even more shameless than her mother. Recalling the time when she was little and pushed her to the ground and tore up her overseas letter, every word she said was heartbreaking: "Even your father would never have thought you would be born! How did you end up in this world? No one in our family wanted you to be born!"
She was twelve years old at that time, and perhaps they didn't have such great malice towards her, but unfortunately every word she learned came from her parents' words and deeds.
She had never wanted to marry Zheng Yimin, but her mother insisted on her own way. The relationship between the Si and Lin families had been tense recently, and her father was particularly afraid of being branded as a traitor. If she really broke off the engagement, the Lin family would become notorious, and even if she went to study abroad in Europe, it would be difficult for her to find a good husband.
When she lowered her head and remained silent, her mother kept pulling her sleeve with her hand, as if she hated her for not fighting and hoped that she would say something nice against her will.
Unfortunately, she couldn't say anything at this moment. She just felt that the mother who was standing next to her and who had tried her best to protect her no matter how much others slandered and defamed her, now looked so hateful.
The Zheng family's betrothal gifts have been delivered, but the family seems to have had problems with cash flow recently. She has clearly seen the large amount of money in her father's bank account, but the family is becoming increasingly stretched, and has been borrowing money from neighbors to barely scrape together a meager dowry.
She hasn't had new clothes for a long time.
She asked her father, where is the money in the bank?
Once asked, my parents' faces immediately darkened and the atmosphere at home fell to the bottom.
Her mother had always opposed her brother's marriage to Miss Xu, but then, for some reason, she agreed. She had heard that the Xu family was extremely wealthy, that the Xu grandfather was particularly fond of his daughter, and that, because she was ill, the dowry would surely be extremely generous. By chance, she overheard her mother urging her eldest brother to marry her off as soon as possible, seemingly plotting Miss Xu's dowry.
Lin Zitong only replied to her mother: "I will bring her to Nanjing. The wedding will be simple. From now on, we will not use a penny from the family for food and daily life. I will also pay a reasonable monthly maintenance fee to you and your father. Don't even think about anything else."
The eldest son's words made Zhou feel like she was falling into the abyss.
If she wasn't at the end of her rope, she wouldn't have come to ask for help from her old enemy, Mrs. Ge.
Zhou has been calculating how to make ends meet lately, and has been looked down upon by all her relatives and friends.
Being humiliated in front of the younger generation, she was almost insane.
Her eyes were red and bloodshot, and she pointed at Chu Wanglai and questioned, "Who on earth failed to teach you well? How could you be so cruel and ruthless to your elder sister, who is like a brother to you?"
Before Mrs. Ge could speak, Xie Zeyi shouted coldly, "Sui Xi!"
Suixi and Miqiu came up together and supported Zhou. They both tried their best, but they could hardly pull the crazy woman away.
Chu Wang remained motionless, looking at her expressionlessly: "Yes! Who do I have any grudge against? You, my parents and elders, have teamed up to deprive me of everything I have."
Xie Zeyi watched her, a small person, suddenly become arrogant. He had never thought that such a thing could make her so angry. Suddenly, he remembered something else and frowned.
"Who deprived you of anything?" Zhou thought that she was too young to understand such an old story of property disputes, so she lied with open eyes. Chu Wang's words made her have other evil thoughts. Suddenly, she had an idea and deliberately said in front of Xie and his son, "Didn't your father promise you a first-class marriage?"
On the second floor, Miya exclaimed in amazement, while Zhenzhen cursed softly, "How dare this woman say that!"
Chu Wang had nothing to feel guilty about, but when she told Zhou Shi about it, she suddenly remembered how she had sneaked off to an outlying island with Yan Sang many years ago and happened to run into Xie Zeyi with his American girlfriend. Back then, she had cleverly called his girlfriend "Mrs. Xie," and now, all these years later, she herself had become the real Mrs. Xie.
She remembered that she had asked Xie Zeyi not to tell anyone else about her secret meeting with her boyfriend and asked him to keep it a secret for her, so she went to see Xie Zeyi secretly.
Directly opposite her, Xie Zeyi also tilted his head and stared at her. The two of them smiled at each other tacitly and jokingly.
Mrs. Ge had hoped to wait and see what kind of performance Zhou could put on in this one-woman show, but she hadn't expected her performance to be so brilliant. She smiled and clapped, calling out her maiden name: "Zhou Jueqiu! You really don't disappoint me—"
Zhou hadn't heard her real name called in over twenty years. A shudder trembled through her body, and she too, with bloodshot eyes, glared at Mrs. Ge. She had endured many hardships and survived countless desperate situations throughout her life, and now, in this desperate situation, she had the courage to show some recklessness and commit suicide along with her aunt and nephew. Turning to Xie Zeyi, she shouted, "You, the new bride of the Xie family, once secretly fell in love with the young master of the Si family. Over the years, you have exchanged dozens of love letters, and who knows if you've ever had an affair! They're no longer bound by an engagement at a Shanghai hotel, yet you still publicly defended him, making it known to the entire literary world that Miss Lin San was once the fiancée of the eldest son of the Si family. Just wait, in a few days, all newspapers will be filled with rumors about her and the Si family. Don't you care?"
Lin Yunyan never expected her mother to go crazy in public, and every word she said stung her. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded softly, "Mom, Mom, let's not embarrass ourselves—"
She, Suixi and Miqiu worked together to barely pull her back.
Xie Hong was well aware of how to behave in front of Mrs. Ge. When it was not his place to interrupt, he would just treat himself as a backdrop, a wandering soul in the world.
Suddenly, he became very interested and couldn't help being curious, so he glanced at his son out of the corner of his eye to see how he would end up.
Xie Zeyi had tilted his head to look at Chu Wang, but when he heard Zhou pointing her sword at him, he came to his senses and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, I still have a lot to confess and apologize to my wife. I'm sorry, Xie Zeyi was blind and didn't realize I should have chosen you at first sight."
Chu Wang raised his eyebrows, and couldn't help wanting to complain about him, but he still pretended to be calm on the surface: "We can talk about this later."
Zhou saw her bombshell launched into the water, yet not even a splash was seen, completely devoid of power. Not only did Xie Hong show little reaction, he even sported a smug smile. The two children, seemingly reminiscent of something amusing, ignored her words.
She staggered back two steps. Mi Qiu was afraid that she would break Mrs. Ge's beloved antiques, so she and Yun Yan hurriedly supported her.
Sui Xi was afraid that she would hit her, so she hid away from her immediately and got a cold look from Mi Qiu.
Before she could stand firmly, Mrs. Ge opened a newspaper with the front page headline and threw it straight at her.
Yun Yan hurriedly picked it up and took a look. The photo on it showed a group of porters at Queen's Wharf unloading cargo from large and small ironclad barges of ocean-going cruise ships.
Other photos showed a red betrothal gift list, over ten meters long, row after row filled with physical objects that took up minimal space. There were masterpieces from collections of Italian and Polish painters, century-old furniture from renowned Spanish masters... Each item was named and bore a distinct pedigree. Yunyan had traveled extensively in Europe, never truly learning anything else, but she had thoroughly mastered the art of connoisseurship of fine jewelry from the ladies. At a glance, she knew that even the ruby doorknob on the utility cabinet had a remarkable history.
In addition to this, the newspaper also had two bold lines of text:
"Sir H., thank you for giving your son and daughter-in-law a property each on Hillwood Road, King's Road, and Babington Road. He also donated a Physical Science Building at the University of Hong Kong in his daughter-in-law's name, naming it Linzytse."
Mrs. Ge glanced at Zhou, smiled, and said in a deep voice, "Do you see clearly? If you don't give me a decent salary, don't blame me for not doing my job properly. Not only will he not be able to become the principal, but you and your family will never be able to live a comfortable life again!"
Zhou stared at the dazzling gift list and said anxiously, "The third young lady's surname is still Lin Yiri. How can she not discuss such a big matter as her wedding with her biological father? This is truly treasonous!"
Xie Hong rarely spoke up to persuade: "This woman's surname is already Xie."
Mrs. Ge knew that she coveted the betrothal gift, and her words and deeds all hinted at wanting to bring gifts of all sizes into the Lin family. She waved her hand and said lazily, "Want money? Ask your family's head, Lin Yu, to come and ask me in person."
Yunyan helped his mother, who was almost fainting, out of the Shikumen house in a panic.
Mrs. Ge smiled and said, "Is this play good?"
Xie Hong curled his lips and said, "Don't watch it, it's boring."
Mrs. Ge sneered, "Then why are you still clinging to me? The gift hasn't been given yet, and you, the Xie family, are taking advantage of it. Get out of here as soon as possible with your son!"
Xie Hong stepped out of the door and looked back. His son was not like him and was still sitting there motionless.
He coughed lightly and said with a smile, "The bride is beautiful. Let him look at her more."
Mrs. Ge cursed, "Get out of here!"
Whenever Xie Hong moved, there was a big commotion, and all the bodyguards outside followed him out.
Mrs. Ge turned around and said, "Xie Zeyi, could you at least restrain your gaze?"
Xie Zeyi couldn't listen at all.
Miya laughed: "Ge Tai, please forgive my brother. He is in love right now."
Mrs. Ge glared at her. "Do you know that woman's tricks aren't over yet? She's desperate and has nowhere else to turn to. She might be waiting for your father outside right now."
Miya laughed even harder: "My dad?"
Xie Zeyi frowned. "That old man is a bit lecherous, but he still has some principles in his actions. When he speaks, he's probably even harsher than Mrs. Ge."
Zhenzhen was shocked: "It can't be that serious, right?"
Mrs. Ge snorted and laughed, "Why not? That woman is capable of all sorts of vile things when she's in dire straits. Seeing you and Chu Wangren both looking for the British officer, who knows how jealous she must be."
Miya yelled, "Oh no! Zhenzhen, go take care of your Chelslawton!"
Zhenzhen seemed to understand something and walked out the door, "I'll go meet her."
Chu Wang then opened his mouth to ask, "Aunt, can I really save Young Master Zheng?"
Mrs. Ge sighed: "Do you remember Mr. Huang said he would give you two a wedding gift?"
She tilted her head back and thought for a long time, "If he can really be saved, wouldn't it still be a pity for Young Master Zheng?"
"If she really doesn't betray others and take advantage of their misfortune when they are in trouble, it wouldn't be a pity for her," said Mrs. Ge.
She suddenly thought of Lin Zitong and Miss Xu.
Mrs. Ge stared at her, as if she knew what she was thinking. "It's a pity that the daughter she raised can never compare to the son your mother raised. The difference between her and her brother is as great as the difference between Mrs. Qiao and Mrs. Zhou."
Chu Wang rubbed his head, "What about me?"
"You? You don't know how many muscles you have grown. All major things are on track, and trivial troubles never arise. I don't know who you resemble."
Miya laughed. "I'm afraid God gave my brother all the missing tendons she had, making him overly clever since he was a child."
Xie Zeyi was cracking two walnuts. When he heard it, he threw the intact one in his hand far upstairs, hitting her right on the forehead.
Miya groaned, "Brother Zoe has turned his back on his family since he got married, and now he's hitting people."
——
Leaning against the parasol tree outside the door, Yunyan unbuttoned one of her cheongsam collars and helped her breathe a sigh of relief.
My father had dismissed all the servants and the driver, and sold off all the cars that needed to be sold, leaving only one to go straight to school.
Although the ceremony wasn't very grand, Lin Yu still couldn't afford to lose face.
It’s a pity that the mother and daughter have to take the tram when traveling, and they have to sit in second class; even hiring a rickshaw requires some calculation.
Now the tram had not arrived yet, so the two had no choice but to wait under a big tree; two elegantly dressed ladies were waiting alone outside the villa, and they didn't know who had ignored them, but from time to time they attracted the attention of passers-by.
A Royal Navy captain, driving a Ford, stopped under another plane tree. He closed the door, got out, and smoked, unaware that someone was observing him from a distance.
Zhou studied the tall, handsome Englishman for a long time, then suddenly remembered how her daughter had been courted by many in Hong Kong, often putting Xue Zhenzhen in a difficult position. After years of traveling in Europe, her worth had completely changed.
The children of the Royal Navy are all of aristocratic origin. Even Xue Zhenzhen can be pursued, so how could his daughter be worse than her?
The betrothal gift from the Xie family reminded Zhou of her past with Miss Su.
She was born into a noble family and had a rich dowry, yet she had never enjoyed the love and care of her husband. If it weren't for Mrs. Ge's constant interference over the years, she would still have this huge sum of money in her pocket.
But one move short of the mark...
If she really gave away all her family wealth as a dowry for that girl, she would never be able to accept it.
Xie Zeyi might have once been of equal rank to that Royal Navy captain, but now that he was in trouble, his true identity remained unknown. Otherwise, why would Sir Xie have so readily chosen that girl to marry his only precious son?
She suddenly turned around and stared at Yunyan.
Yun Yan was startled: "Mother?"
Zhou held her daughter's hand and said, "You are so kind. When I promised you to Young Master Zheng, I never thought that God would treat you so unfairly... Perhaps I am wrong. A mother will never let you suffer."
Yun Yan gritted her teeth. She was indeed extremely angry about her mother's actions. But she suddenly apologized to her, which puzzled Yun Yan.
At this moment, more than ten people rushed out from the back door of Ge Mansion, and the first one was Sir Xie.
There have been many happy events in the family in recent days. Xie Hong stepped out of the door with a beaming face. Without any warning, a thin black shadow fell to the ground in front of him.
Xie Hong cried out, and several people behind him immediately stepped forward to protect him. Two of them tried to pull Zhou away who was trying to get entangled with him.
Zhou was being held up by someone. She was weak just a moment ago, but now, she somehow managed to find the strength to pull her daughter in front of Xie Hong. She said in a hoarse voice, "Sir Xie! We are all daughters of the Lin family, but my second daughter has a better reputation than the third daughter! When she was studying in Europe, she was pursued by countless talented people for many years, but she never looked anyone in the eye!"
Xie Hong was also surprised. He took a step back, holding his cane, and said, "Are you saying that this woman should be my concubine?"
Yun Yan could barely understand Xie Hong's outrageous pronunciation.
She had always been proud and arrogant, so she covered her mouth, almost unable to believe what she heard. She opened her mouth wide, but could only utter two syllables: "—Mom?"
Zhou opened her eyes wide and looked at Xie Hong pleadingly.
"It's not enough to give her to me," Xie Hong looked Yun Yan up and down, smiled and shook his head, "Your breasts are not big enough to be my concubine."
After saying this, Xie Hong carried his cane and drove away with a group of people.
Yun Yan had not yet come to her senses about what had happened. She stood on the side of the road, tears streaming down her face.
Zhou pinched her hand, staring at the direction the Xie family's car drove away, and cursed fiercely, "You're just a criminal who's been dismissed from your job. You might not even have any status when you return to England. Why are you so arrogant?" Then she grabbed Yunyan and said, "When mother returns, she will cancel the Zheng family marriage. From now on, if there are any high-class social events in Shanghai, you must go. You will definitely marry someone higher than her."
Yun Yan shook his head in despair, thinking that her mother was crazy.
Zhenzhen came out of the back door with a smile. "Mrs. Zhou, you're overthinking it. Do you really think working like a slave for the British is such a good job? The British Army has repeatedly asked Master Xie to return, but he's always refused."
Zhou thought she was trying to win face for the Xie family and was about to laugh and question her.
After saying that, Zhenzhen hooked her finger at the British soldier under the sycamore tree. The British soldier put out his cigarette and walked towards her obediently.
Zhenzhen switched to English and asked Yunyan in front of him, "If Mr. Xie is willing to return to his post, he will definitely be promoted. By then, no one in the Shanghai Army or the Royal Navy will have a higher rank than him, right?"
"I'm afraid so." Chelsea looked at her and smiled.
Both mother and daughter spoke English quite well, and they stared at the two men with wide eyes.
Zhenzhen naturally took Chelsea's hand and waved proudly at the two of them.
Chelsea had won her heart at some point and was staring at her arm in great surprise.
The two of them immediately drove away.
Yun Yan could hardly stand. He leaned against the paulownia tree, his face pale and unable to even cry.
——
In the mansion, Xie Zeyi peeled walnuts one by one for Chu Wang, peeling them cleanly with shells and skins with great patience.
Mrs. Ge looked at him askance, too lazy to speak, and simply asked, "Why don't you go back and work for the British? Now that the treaty is about to be revised, the British and Americans in Shanghai really need you."
Xie Zeyi shook his head, "You don't need me enough at the moment."
Chu Wang grabbed the walnuts from his hand and ate them one by one effortlessly.
Mrs. Ge tilted her head and looked at him: "When will it be enough?"
Xie Zeyi asked, "Didn't you hear the old man tell you not to buy any US dollars recently and to sell off all the US dollars you have?"
Mrs. Ge seemed to understand something.
Chu Wang's heart skipped a beat, as if something big was about to happen, but he couldn't remember what it was.
What exactly happened?
At this time, Xie Zeyi laughed and said, "There is no business without fraud. In this world, I'm afraid no one is more treacherous and vicious than my father. They say that the Xie family is a natural businessman. At least when it comes to money, he has never failed."
Mrs. Ge chuckled, "You're not bad either."
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