BMECDAH 11

Chapter 11

“Eldest Madam, what are you blocking me for!” Chen Xiaolian grew anxious. That btch Shen usually looked like she didn’t fight or compete for anything, but who would have thought she’d dare to push her? She must whisper into the Master’s ear tonight to make him cold towards the “Shen btch.”

Her inner thoughts displeased Shen Peirong. Shen Peirong said firmly to Jiang Wei, “Xiao Wei, continue. I want to see who the internal traitor is who dares to steal Jiang Yan’s things over and over again.”

Jiang Yan, who had been prepared to dump the blame on Jiang Wei, froze. Shen Peirong had just addressed her by her full name? Why? Could she already know that she isn’t her biological daughter?

“Okay, Mother~” It seemed that Shen Peirong, having drunk the “Gossip Tea,” could now hear Chen Xiaolian’s inner voice.

Jiang Wei continued, “Paper cannot wrap up fire forever. To avoid further complications, the Second Concubine and Steward Zhao conspired to use the excuse of stealing Sister’s items as a cover to empty out the assets my grandfather left for my mother. Father, Mother, I have finished speaking.”

The Second Concubine was the first to regain her composure, sobbing, “Master, being slandered by the Second Miss makes me feel like I have no face to live anymore. You must seek justice for me after I die!”

Jiang Dahai hurried to hold her. “This is just the Second Girl’s deduction. I believe in you and Steward Zhao; you would never do such a thing behind my back.”

Chen Xiaolian wiped her tears. “Master, thank you for trusting me.”

Shen Peirong couldn’t stand the Second Concubine’s coquettish allure. “Master, I don’t believe the Second Girl is just making things up. I suggest we report this to the authorities and thoroughly investigate the Second Concubine and Steward Zhao. Furthermore, you should send men to find the midwife who delivered me. I must find out whether Xiao Yan or Yun He is truly my child.”

“Absurd! You are the Eldest Madam and Xiao Yan’s mother. When she encounters such a disaster, you don’t comfort her, but instead, act like a shrew fighting for favor with the Second Concubine. Do you still hold me, the Master, in your eyes?”

Shen Peirong didn’t understand. “Master, don’t you want to know if Yun He is my son?”

“Enough! Shen Peirong, how many times must I tell you? I was outside your door when you gave birth back then. Are you suspecting that I deliberately swapped the children!” Jiang Dahai slammed the table. “I have tolerated you for a long time. If it hadn’t been for your father using his wealth and power to force me to marry you, would Xiao Lian have had to be my concubine? You stole her man; do you want to steal her son too?”

“I didn’t… I don’t… I only…” The weak-willed Shen Peirong suppressed her tears.

“Alright, I understand your desire for a son. How about this: from now on, Yun He will be registered under your name. Don’t spend all day jealous of Xiao Lian. Isn’t having me enough for you? Or rather, if Xiao Yan isn’t your daughter, will you abandon her?”

Jiang Yan took the opportunity to hug Shen Peirong. “Mother, does it mean that just like Father said, you don’t want me anymore?”

“No, Xiao Yan, Mother just wanted an explanation.” Shen Peirong didn’t understand why she only wanted the truth, yet her husband refused to give it to her.

[Stupid idiot, still wanting an explanation. Do you think I could have swapped your child by myself? Of course, the Master swapped your child with his own hands because he would never let your son inherit the Jiang family business.]

This was Chen Xiaolian’s voice. Shen Peirong froze. So that was it…

“Mother, regardless of whether I am your child, I only have you as a mother. Please don’t abandon me, okay?”

Shen Peirong felt a heart-wrenching pain. I haven’t abandoned you. Why was it that neither the man she was married to nor the daughter she raised by hand could understand her!!

Jiang Yan saw her expression turn strange and tried to absorb some luck to confuse her, but she was horrified to find that, this time, she couldn’t absorb any of Shen Peirong’s luck. Jiang Yan panicked.

“Ugh.” Suddenly, Jiang Wei retched.

Shen Peirong looked at her younger daughter, who had returned from the countryside, feeling even more despair.

Jiang Dahai glared at her. “What are you retching for? The master was right; you are a jinx who curses your father. Since you returned, nothing good has happened to this family. You really are a bringer of misfortune.” He finally saw it clearly: his second daughter was a troublemaker, and as long as she was in this house, there would be no peace.

“Father, there is a problem with what you said. What do you mean by it being a grievance for the Second Concubine to be a concubine? If she felt aggrieved, she shouldn’t have been a concubine. Surely it wasn’t my mother kneeling and begging her to be your concubine back then?”

“You rebellious child!”

“Father, I already told you that only beasts are rebellious. If you keep calling me that, doesn’t it mean you’re admitting our whole family are beasts?”

“Someone! Capture the Second Miss and apply family law!” Things had gone too far; a daughter who didn’t respect her elders or show filial piety deserved to be drowned in a pig cage.

“Go ahead and hit me! Beat me to death, and it would be just perfect to arrange a ghost marriage for that sick weakling in the Gu family. Though I wonder if the Gu family would want a ghost bride; perhaps then they would have to make your Eldest Miss go and be a concubine just like her mother.”

“Shut up! Shut up! Eldest Madam, hurry up and make this dead girl shut up!” The dead girl kept bringing up “concubines,” and the Second Concubine was so angry her lungs were ready to burst.

Jiang Wei raised her voice. “Mother, doesn’t the Second Concubine like being a concubine? You are the head wife, so show some authority! I don’t think Father wants other prestigious families to know he has the reputation of favoring concubines over his wife, do you, Father?”

Favoring his head. Jiang Dahai was afraid of her now. “Hurry up and roll back to lie down!”

“Lying down is fine, but I haven’t finished yet.”

Jiang Dahai’s eyelids twitched. “What other bullsh*t do you have?”

“There are plenty of things. For instance, is the dowry you promised my grandfather you’d prepare for me ready? Or, for another example, do you truly not suspect the relationship between the Second Concubine and Steward Zhao? Or are you just saying that, while in your heart you’ve long had the thought of killing Steward Zhao? Oh my, Steward Zhao, you’d better be careful. After all, my father is a man with guns; don’t let him take your woman, your wealth, and then take your life too.”

“Cough, cough, cough, Jiang Wei, you rebellious… you babbling idiot, I’m going to beat you to death!” Jiang Dahai, his secret thoughts pricked, jumped up in a rage.

Although Steward Zhao showed no reaction on the surface to Jiang Wei’s words, based on his knowledge of Jiang Dahai, he feared that from today on, Jiang Dahai would truly…

Jiang Wei curled her lips, continuing to hop around as she spoke. “Father, I’ll say one last sentence. Actually, you are the one who should be the most careful.”

“Careful of what?” He had guns and ammunition; who could he possibly be afraid of?

“Exactly, it’s you! Actually, you have it the hardest, because not only do you have to face my grandfather who died tragically and wants your life in your dreams, you also have to face Steward Zhao in reality, who might empty your house and take your woman at any moment. Sigh… old rich men are quite pathetic.”

After she finished, she grabbed a bewildered Shen Peirong and sprinted a hundred meters back to her “doghouse,” quickly locking the door.

“Oh my, Mother, did you see Father’s baring teeth just now? I don’t know how you, with eyes that must have been blind, haven’t been cured yet, insisting that he’s a steady and reliable person. Would a steady, reliable man have three wives and four concubines, send his own biological daughter to the countryside to eat dirt, and let his first wife’s son be raised into a fool by a concubine?”

Every word stabbed into Shen Peirong’s heart. “Xiao Wei, your father… he wasn’t like this before.”