Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 138 - 70 Desperate _2

Chapter 138: Chapter 70 Desperate _2
"Shut your mouth," Old Master Lian coughed furiously.
A shadow passed over Lady Zhou’s face. Lian Xiuxiu might be naive, but she had seen much with her years and now looked at Lian Huahua with a hint of malice. She knew that Xiuxiu was close with Huahua and often heeded her. Lady Zhou hadn’t said much about it before because there was an assumption, an assumption that Huahua truly had Xiuxiu’s best interests at heart. But if Huahua was using her cleverness to exploit Xiuxiu’s trust and made a pawn of her, how could she possibly be pleased?
"Huahua, you know what the temperament of your old aunt is; what are you trying to do?" Lady Zhou pointed at Lian Huahua and questioned her.
"Huahua, she..." Lady Gu tried to come to Lian Huahua’s defense, but struggled to find a satisfactory excuse. Surely she couldn’t say that Huahua hadn’t said those things and that it was Xiuxiu who fabricated them.
"Grandfather, Grandmother," Lian Huahua raised her head, tears streaming down her face. "I didn’t mean it."
Lian Huahua sobbed uncontrollably.
"No matter what, they are my real parents. Mother lost a tooth, and father was injured too. I know, I shouldn’t have done anything, Grandfather’s punishment is right. But I couldn’t hold back. I’m on good terms with my old auntie; I just spoke with her in private, to feel better. She even said that I advised her not to be angry and to take it as if I hadn’t said anything."
Lian Huahua wept pitifully; anyone who didn’t know the situation might think she had suffered terribly.
"Father, Mother," Lady Gu wiped the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief, quickly picking up where Lian Huahua left off, "Huahua is only sixteen, still a child, speaking carelessly without intent in her daily chatter. Who could have anticipated that this incident would happen? It was an accident. It was just Xiuxiu pushing the Old Fourth’s wife unintentionally; she never meant for it to come to this, right?"
Lian Xiuxiu nodded, her heart even more convinced that Lady Gu and Lian Huahua meant well, especially towards her.
Lian Manman listened from the side and sneered inwardly. Lady Gu and Lian Huahua were indeed in sync. Had they already thought out their excuses in case the truth was exposed? Huahua had been plotting from the beginning, keeping an escape route while she was egging on Xiuxiu.
Xiuxiu seemed oblivious to these subtleties. Could Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou not see through them? She didn’t believe it.
"What an outstanding daughter you have raised," Lady Zhou was clearly not blind to the truth. She pointed furiously at Lady Gu, "No one in Lian Family is so maliciously scheming as to use her old aunt as a weapon! Do you think your father and I are dead?"
Lady Gu’s face flushed red instantly.
"We have no one like that in our Lian Family. It’s you, smooth-talker with a vile heart. Did you think I couldn’t see through you? I’ve overlooked your behavior for my eldest son’s sake. Now you’ve gone too far."
"Mother, let me explain," Lady Gu attempted to speak.
"Pah!" Lady Zhou spat a thick phlegm onto Lady Gu’s face.
Lian Manman saw that Lady Zhou was genuinely enraged. To her, the prospect of Lady Zhang becoming a "Child Bride," and nearly losing her life seemed less significant than the exploitation of Zhou’s own naive daughter.
"You rotten wench," Lady Zhou angrily used the filthiest of insults from village women’s quarreling vocabulary for the first time to condemn Lady Gu.
Lady Gu, who prided herself on being the Scholar’s wife and a lady of good breeding, always held in the highest esteem at home, couldn’t bear such vile words. Humiliated and angry, she covered her face and burst into loud weeping.
"You still have the face to cry," said Lady Zhou fiercely, pointing at Lady Gu, "My fine, promising eldest son, what a future he had, but ever since marrying you, he has failed in his exams, and teaching brings in no money. A home-wrecker like you, a curse upon our house."
Lady Zhou was blaming all of Lian Shouren’s misfortunes over the years on Lady Gu.
"Mother, I don’t deserve what you’re saying, over the years I’ve..."
"Pah!" Another spit from Lady Zhou. This time, Lady Gu lowered her head, and the thick phlegm landed on her hair.
"And my eldest grandson, such a promising young man. Poor boy, his mother died young. His father, charmed by you like by a fox spirit, listens to everything you say, corrupting my good grandson. After years of schooling, he’s amounted to nothing. You pretend to be virtuous outwardly, while doing evil deeds in secret. You’ve brought ruin to my eldest son’s family," Lady Zhou spoke with anger and force.
Lady Chiang, holding Niuniu, initially pondered whether to plead on behalf of Lady Gu and Lian Huahua. Hearing what Lady Zhou had to say, she immediately swallowed any words she was about to speak. Being intelligent, she knew better than to draw Lady Zhou’s fury onto herself at such a moment.
The accusations laid by Lady Zhou against Lady Gu were severe in such a society strictly bound by rites and norms. Lian Manman was also somewhat taken aback to see Lady Zhou making a huge issue of it, and ignoring Lian Huahua, she unleashed her full anger on Lady Gu while bringing up old grievances.
"My Lord, I can’t take this anymore." Lady Gu stood up and threw herself towards a pillar in the middle of the room.
***********
Do we have 110 votes yet? Oh, we do, so here is the bonus update for reaching 110 votes. Looking forward to 120, 130, 140... votes.
Ruoyan goes back to writing in stealth mode.
PS. (Will there be a fourth update today? Let the pink power surge even stronger.)(To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)