You have to pay back what your son and wife owe me too.
Zi You’s heart was as cold as ice, but her face feigned sympathy, concern, and pity. She said to Duke Yongnan and Zhao HongXiang, “It’s all done now. I have removed and cleaned up all the necrotic flesh. The next few days will be very painful. I’ll leave medicine here for when Shizi cannot stand the pain. One packet a day and it cannot be used in excess. The medicine is 30% toxic. In addition, I will leave a prescription for medicine and medicinal cuisine. Use and eat accordingly. It’s good for the recovery of Shizi’s body’s and his wound’s recovery. Also, the things to note are here.”
Zi You handed a piece of paper to Duke Yongnan. “I wrote them down here. Please pay attention to it. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that Shizi’s leg will heal. 30% treatment and 70% recuperation depends on you all. Qiyan, pack up and let’s go. Boil the instruments when we get back for at least an hour. Oh, by the way, Uncle, the cotton cloths used for bandages and the necrotic flesh that was cut off should be burned to avoid infecting others.”
Nee Chen pulled Zi You’s hand and cried two crocodile tears. “You’er, don’t blame Aunt. Aunt was tortured by your Xiang gege’s illness and lost her senses. That’s why I spoke nonsense that day. Don’t take it personally. Aunt is still waiting for you to become her daughter-in-law.”
Zi You faintly smiled. “You’er knows that out of concern, you were confused and at a loss. So, how can I blame you? Only Aunt should pay attention to this in the future. Since you have such a disease, it’s better to cultivate and improve yourself. Otherwise, if you’re stimulated again, it will be easy for the disease to act up again. At that time, it might not be easy to treat.”
These words sounded good, but they were actually scolding Nee Chen for losing her mental processes because of Zhao HongXiang’s illness. If this disease wasn’t attended to, it would be easy to rear its head again. Thus, it won’t be easy to cure anymore.
This was the equivalent of calling Nee Chen a madwoman. Zi You wouldn’t fuss over minor matters with a madwoman.
How could Nee Chen not hear the meaning behind Zi You’s words? Her chest hurt from anger and she almost vented her anger again.
But once she thought about how her son ignored her and Duke Yongnan sleeping at his concubine’s place for the past three days, she didn’t dare to express herself, no matter how much anger or hatred she had.
Her face was stiff and she could only smile in embarra.s.sment. “It’s good that you don’t blame Aunt. You’ll have to expend more effort for Xiang’er’s leg. He will be your husband soon. Only if he’s well, can you be well, right?”
“What is Aunt saying?” Zi You feigned bashfulness. She quickly curtsied and left.
She left w.a.n.g Yiping and Nee Liu behind.
w.a.n.g Yiping had not yet recovered from the snake bite. Mu YingRui also took Shui YouLian with him to take up his post. Thus, she was finally well after being sick from anger for a short period of time. But now, she was angry again.
She heard that her niece Yu Lanxuan wanted to marry and lost her innocence to Duke Yongnan Shizi. Now they were here to propose marriage. How could w.a.n.g Yiping continue to stay in bed? If she didn’t come here to make a disturbance, it wouldn’t be her style.
Thus, her scars just healed and she forgot her pain to run out here to show off.
w.a.n.g Yiping showed off a mother’s att.i.tude. She looked at Zi You’s delicate back leaving and a flash of hatred flashed across her eyes. She lightly smiled and said, “Look at that child. She’s really not sensible. How can she leave her future mother-in-law like this?”
She turned to look at Nee Chen and said ingratiatingly, “Zi You is shy. Please don’t blame her, Chen furen. Her father isn’t here and I only have this one daughter, so she’s a bit spoiled. Please forgive her if she lacks manners.”
“I don’t agree with sister-in-law’s words.” Nee Liu coldly and reluctantly smiled. “Our You’er understands etiquette very well. From my perspective, everything is good about her. no guniang could stay here after hearing Chen furen’s words. It would be a joke if she could stay.”
“What? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Chen furen’s words. Since the two families are engaged, what’s wrong with Chen furen treating You’er as her daughter-in-law?” w.a.n.g Yiping immediately asked.
She was secretly happy. She thought that if Nee Chen despised that cheap yatou Mu Zi You now, Mu Zi You would be tortured when she marries into Duke Yongnan fu.
At that time, her niece Yu Lanxuan would have a chance. She even told her, “Duke Yongnan Shizi clearly likes me. But Duke Yongnan dislikes that I’m a Shu daughter and doesn’t want his son to marry me as his main wife.”
It can be seen that it wasn’t that Shizi Zhao HongXiang refuses to marry anyone other than Mu Zi You. As long as you and Nee Chen are in conflict and the unhappier you are, Lanxuan won’t have to work hard.
Nee Liu did not know about w.a.n.g Yiping’s dirty intentions. She said impolitely, “Chen furen’s words are said a bit too early. Duke Yongnan fu had not sent over betrothal gifts. Even if you did send over betrothal gifts, our Lao TaiYe had said that Shizi must keep his promise. He can have only You’er as his wife for a lifetime. He cannot marry concubines or have tongfang yatous. Otherwise, our You’er will dissolve the engagement. Thus, now is still very far away from You’er reaching her marriageable age. Who knows whether Shizi can keep his promise in three or four years? That’s why I say that Chen furen’s words are spoken too early. Let’s not say that You’er is shy, but even those with thick faces would be afraid to stay.”
“What?” w.a.n.g Yiping deliberately exclaimed. “Shizi can only have one wife? Did I hear you wrong? Dimei, why didn’t you persuade Lao TaiYe? This isn’t good. What man doesn’t have three wives or four concubines? If you do it like this, wouldn’t You’er have a reputation of being un-virtuous and jealous?”
Nee Liu looked at w.a.n.g Yiping’s pretentious face and a wave of disgust rose from her heart.
She couldn’t help but secretly scold, ‘Who was the one who took her anger out on You’er when brother-in-law took Shui YouLian as a concubine and even hurt You’er’s arm?’
Once Nee Liu remembered blood dripping down Zi You’s arm, her anger rushed forwards. Her words became sharper. “Oh? Un-virtuous and jealous? Why does sister-in-law have to be hypocritical and act here? If you are virtuous, then why did you punish You’er when brother-in-law showed affection to Shui Yiniang? And why did you vent your anger out an innocent You’er? Can it be that you can do it, but others cannot? We are all women. Who doesn’t know what you’re really thinking? Don’t be so hypocritical, okay? Besides, as elders, as long as the future generations are living well and our children are happy, everything else is irrelevant. It can’t be that sister-in-law isn’t distressed because You’er isn’t your biological daughter, right? Ah, yes. I heard that your niece wanted to be Shizi’s concubine. Can it be that sister-in-law disregards You’er’s happiness because of your niece? This is really……”
Nee Liu deliberately shook her head with a mocking expression. “This is really raising a white-eyed wolf that eats everything and runs away.” w.a.n.g Yiping almost exploded! She slapped the table and jumped up, about to vent her anger.
But Nee Chen jumped up ahead of her. “What? No concubines or tongfangs? Why didn’t I know about this?”
w.a.n.g Yiping saw Nee Liu’s anxious eyes and suppressed her anger. She sat back down and waited to watch the show.
Nee Liu looked at Nee Chen’s expression and knew that Duke Yongnan had hid from her the fact that he and Old General Mu had a contract.
Thus, she looked at her in contempt. She slowly sipped tea and unhurriedly said, “Yes. Can it be that Chen furen doesn’t know about this? Then you should go back, ask the Duke, and clearly discuss things. Our You’er may have saved your son, but she cannot afford someone being grateful and seeking to repay the kindness. I still have matters to attend to. I won’t accompany you.”
Nee Liu did not have a good impression of Duke Yongnan’s whole family now.
As for w.a.n.g Yiping, since she punished Zi You that time, Nee Liu had not shown her a pleasant expression.
After Nee Liu left, Nee Chen couldn’t sit still and hurried to leave, but was pulled back by w.a.n.g Yiping. “Don’t go yet, Chen furen.”
w.a.n.g Yiping rushed forwards with feigned apologies and curtsied to Nee Chen. She had a faint smile on her face. “Please don’t be angry, Chen furen. As you can see, my Dimei reprimands me, her sister-in-law, as she wishes. Ai…… There’s no other way! Who let her be in Lao TaiYe’s favor?”
Nee Chen was very clear that Duke Yongnan hid things from her because he did not want her to ruin this engagement.
But she really disliked Zi You. Because of that darned yatou, she had been told off by the Duke and her son many times.
Now that she heard what w.a.n.g Yiping said, she knew that w.a.n.g Yiping did not like Zi You either.
As if she found a sympathetic friend, she grabbed w.a.n.g Yiping’s hand and looked around.
“All of you take your leave.” w.a.n.g Yiping saw her expression and knew that she wanted to discuss important matters with her, so she immediately sent away the servants.
Nee Chen smiled knowingly. She feigned sympathy as she whispered in w.a.n.g Yiping’s ear, “I know that it’s not easy for you in this fu. I’ll tell you the truth. I don’t like Mu Xiaojie. If the Duke and my son did not insist on it, I really would rather Xuan’er [Yu Lanxuan] be my daughter-in-law. To marry a wife is to marry virtuousness. Mu Xiaojie is learning medicine and martial arts. I think that she doesn’t act like a female at all or know her place.”
Afterwards, Zi You looked at Old General Mu and sweetly said, “Let’s leave, grandfather.”
Duke Yongnan hurriedly tried to retain them when he saw that they were leaving. “How can you leave without having dinner? Leave after the meal. Old General, tonight……”
“No.” Duke Yongnan had not finished speaking, but was pushed aside by Old General Mu. “You should be busy with your son and teach your furen how to behave. If You’er is not benevolent, this general would not let her be mistreated here.”
He left.
Zi You curtsied and rushed out.
Duke Yongnan’s face was red and he finally reacted. He hurriedly chased them. “Old general, old general. Please listen to me……”
Three days later, Duke Yongnan came with Nee Chen to formally apologize again.
The reason was that Zhao HongXiang’s fever receded. His wound also showed signs of improvement. It not only did not rot anymore, but new flesh was growing around the edges.