Chapter 192 - 192 A Clear Conscience

192 A Clear Conscience

Xiao Juan had seen all kinds of suspects, but he had also seen people as extreme as Madam Jiang. At this moment, his reaction was very calm.

“Your life is your own. If you insist on seeking death, no one can stop you. But regardless of whether you’re dead or alive, the crimes you committed will be recorded. Your suicide from fear of crime will also be made public as an example.”

In other words, even if Madam Jiang was dead, she was still a criminal. These words extinguished Madam Jiang’s last hope.

Her entire body seemed to have been sucked dry. The hairpin in her hand fell to the ground, and her body went limp.

Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping hurriedly supported her while Yu Kangtai heaved a sigh of relief.

Meng Xizhou strode forward and reached out to drag Madam Jiang up from the ground. He took out a pair of shackles and cuffed Madam Jiang’s wrist.

Madam Jiang’s hands were fair and delicate. She usually only wore beads and jade bracelets. At this moment, she was suddenly cuffed with heavy shackles. The cold and hard touch immediately made Madam Jiang shiver.

She turned back hurriedly to see her husband and children.

Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping were anxious. They wanted to hold their mother’s hand, but Meng Xizhou reached out and separated them.

“Don’t get in the way of the Justice Department’s case.”

Yu Kangtai could not bear it. But he knew the way the Justice Department handled things. At this point, there was no turning back. He looked ingratiating and pleading.

“My wife is just a weak woman. Even if we don’t put the shackles on her, she won’t be able to escape. Do me a favor and take off the shackles first.”

Meng Xizhou looked toward Duke Lang for directions. Seeing the other party nod slightly, he used the key to open the shackles.

With her hands temporarily free, Madam Jiang cried out for her children with tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry. In the future, when I’m not at home, you have to take good care of yourselves and listen to your father.”

Yu Pingping broke down and wailed without caring about her image. “Mother, I don’t want you to leave!”

Yu Sheng was also crying uncontrollably. Only Yu Kangtai remained rational. He held back his tears and said to Madam Jiang.

“We’re husband and wife, after all. I’ll think of something. I’ll try my best to make you suffer less.”

Meng Xizhou pulled Madam Jiang out.

Yu Kangtai, Yu Sheng, and Yu Pingping followed behind them. The youngest, Yu Pingping, was crying uncontrollably. As she cried and called out for her mother, her voice was heartbreaking.

At this moment, the dishes on the table were already cold.

Xiao Juan stood up and extended his hand to Yu Niaoniao. “Let’s go back.”

Yu Niaoniao followed him out.

Before she left, she did not forget to remind the butler.

“Make sure you send me my kitchen knife, the iron pot, and Gray. And those chickens, ducks, and geese I bought before. Don’t miss a single one.”

Xiao Juan was speechless.

After everything that had happened today, he thought she had forgotten about those chickens, ducks, geese, and her donkey. He was surprised she remembered.

The butler hurriedly replied, “I’ll remember. I’ll send someone to deliver them to you later.”

After receiving the other party’s guarantee, Yu Niaoniao followed Xiao Juan with relief.

The two of them walked out of the Yu Residence and happened to see Madam Jiang being locked up in a prison carriage.

Yu Pingping chased after the prison cart for a few steps but was stopped by Yu Sheng. Tears streamed down the siblings’ faces as they watched the prison cart leave.

Mother and children were forced to separate, and a good family was torn apart. This scene looked extremely tragic.

Yu Niaoniao whispered, “It feels like we’re the evil ones.”

Xiao Juan took the cloak from the servant and shook it open before putting it on Yu Niaoniao.

He spoke flatly.

“As long as we have a clear conscience.”

Yu Kangtai wiped his eyes and composed himself. He walked over and bowed to Duke Lang.

“I didn’t serve you well today. I hope Your Highness will forgive me.”

Xiao Juan said, “It’s fine.”

Yu Kangtai looked at Yu Niaoniao, who was holding his hand.

Her eyebrows were 50 to 60% similar to Madam Xie’s.

When he thought of Madam Xie, he could not help but compare the Madam Xie family to Madam Jiang.

They were both gentle on the outside but tough on the inside.

The difference was that Madam Xie was kinder. It was the kind of true kindness, not the kind of kindness that Madam Jiang pretended to be.

Perhaps because he had been hurt by Madam Jiang, Yu Kangtai increasingly realized how good Madam Xie was.

All the dissatisfaction from the past faded at this moment. The image of Madam Xie in his heart seemed to have been artificially covered by a layer of soft light and became unprecedentedly beautiful.

Yu Kangtai could not help but ask, “How has your mother been all these years?”

This was the first time Yu Kangtai had asked her about Madam Xie since Yu Niaoniao was brought to the Imperial Capital.

In the past, because he was afraid of losing face, Yu Kangtai had always pretended to have forgotten about Madam Xie and never took the initiative to ask about her.

He felt that Madam Xie should not be living well.

After all, she had married twice and was with a child.

Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao replied crisply, “She was great!”

Yu Kangtai felt that she was too stubborn and frowned.

“It must have been hard for your mother to raise you alone. I heard that she had even married a poor scholar. Not only did she have to take care of you, but she also had to manage the house. He was busy every day, so his days were probably not free. If she hadn’t been so stubborn back then and divorced me, she and I wouldn’t have…”

He stopped and waved his hand.

“Forget it. Let’s not talk about this. She’s already dead. Why mention it?”

Yu Niaoniao said seriously.

“Although my stepfather’s family isn’t rich, they have many fields and shops. I’m not sure how much money they earn. In any case, every winter, my stepfather will start a porridge stall all over Bashu to help the poor. My stepfather even paid for many children of the poor to study.”

Yu Kangtai was speechless.

Although he was a scholar and had never done business, he knew that a family who could open a charity porridge stall every year must be very rich.

Yu Niaoniao continued, “As for my mother, my grandparents doted on her very much and didn’t let her do any housework before she remarried. Then she married my stepfather, and he doted on her. He gave her whatever she wanted. The two of them were intimate every day. Their little lives made even me, their daughter, envious.”

Yu Kangtai was speechless.

This was not at all what he had expected.

He was skeptical. “Aren’t you exaggerating? If that stepfather of yours was so good, would he have married your mother?” He would have married a young and beautiful woman if he was rich and powerful. Why would he marry a woman who had married twice and had a burden?

Yu Niaoniao frowned, very unhappy.

“What do you mean by that? My mother was also outstanding. She was beautiful, smart, a good cook, and knowledgeable. Stepfather is lucky to have married her, okay?”

Yu Kangtai argued.

“I don’t mean to look down on your mother. I want to know how your mother sees eye to eye with your stepfather.”