CH 32

Chapter 32 – In the City (4)

“Uncle, my new dress is ruined.  I want my new dress, I want my new dress……wu, wu……my dress…….”

Bai Zhaohua wailed cooperatively.

“It will be fine after washing, it won’t be dirty.”

That’s just a dress, so why make such a huge fuss?  That’s just stirring up trouble!

Chen Dasheng would never be able to understand what goes on in a woman’s mind.  He only knew that his head was getting bigger and was about to explode.

His younger sister had never experienced any hardships and was pampered and spoilt ever since she was young.  It was because she had fallen ill in the past and almost died when she was a child.  As a result, the family showered her with love, gave her whatever she wanted with disregard for severity, and fulfilled all her wishes.

She regarded herself in a superior position and refused to marry into a small ordinary family.  Under the guidance of the Old Madam of the family, she married a mid-ranked Deputy Commander at the age of 15 as a second wife to replace the first wife who had passed away.

At that time, the Deputy Commander was already in his 30s.  His first wife died of illness and left him with two sons and a daughter.  After Chen Yulian married into the family, it was expected that she assumes the role of a good wife and be a good mother to the children and treats them well.  However, she refused to raise the children of others.  When she heard the stepchildren address her as ‘mother’, she felt annoyed since the stepchildren were only a few years younger than her.  Not only did she not have the patience to raise them, but she also ill-treated them daily.  In the end, people started to gossip and rumors spread and everyone was afraid to be associated with her.

After her son, Bai Zhaoyang was born, she planned to poison the two legitimate sons because she wanted her biological children to inherit all her husband’s properties.

Of course, this matter was just the tip of the iceberg.  Deputy Bai had 3 concubines and 2 extended family branches.  Chen Yulian refused to allow the concubines to give birth and poisoned them to cause miscarriages.  She even ruthlessly stripped them and made them kneel in the snow for a whole day to let the servants see as they went about their work.

Out of the 5 women in the family, 3 were tortured to death by her while the other 2 were dying and waiting for her final fatal move.

But how can anyone tolerate such a vicious woman?  After a six-month-old fetus was miscarried again due to her ruthlessness, his Lordship could not endure any longer.  He became furious and decided to divorce his wife.

After Chen Dasheng came forward and discussed this for a long time, the punishment was finally changed to sending her to stay and cultivate in a temple.  If she did not improve and show a kind temperament after a year, then she would have to leave unconditionally.

However, this Deputy Bai was very unfortunate.  In less than half a year, while he was up in the mountains suppressing the bandits, he was shot through the heart and died.  Chen Yulian became a widow.

However, her husband’s family refused to let her return home and repeatedly kept her outside the door.  The Bai Family only wanted to keep the son but not the mother.  She had to be tactful and not ruin the Bai Family.

However, Chen Yulian was a brainless fool.  In a fit of anger, she secretly brought her Elder Brother’s troops to the Bai Family to snatch back her child.  Her brother-in-law and nephews were beaten up, and she angered her parents-in-law and offended the Bai Family elders.  After snatching her son, she truly could not return and except for the title Lady Bai, she had nothing else.

In fact, the Bai Family had removed her name from the family’s register, and she was officially no longer the daughter-in-law of the Bai Family.  However, up to this day, she still claims to be Lady Bai without feeling embarrassed.  She still assumed she was the wife of a high-ranking official and refused to accept the fact that she was no longer worthy of the title.

A wife depends on her husband for prosperity.  Since her husband’s family no longer acknowledged her anymore, how could she claim to be an official’s wife?  Even if she relied on her elder brother who is an official, she could only be regarded as a paternal aunt and not a wife.

“How can this be cleaned?  This is Hangzhou silk with Jiangnan Embroidery!  With such an obvious stain, it requires meticulous washing.  The dress can’t be worn if there is the slightest carelessness in washing.  Do you know how much money I spent on the sewing and embroidery?”

She stated a staggering figure that made Chen Dasheng’s heart ached.

“You……..you’re a squanderer!  Even if you have the money, you can’t squander like this!  You’re killing me!”

No wonder he was getting poorer and poorer and could not even take out 100 silver taels.  It turned out there is an ignorant rice-devouring rat in his family that is repeatedly squandering away his money.

He thought she was just vain, loved to show off in front of people, and compared herself with others but was still aware of her limit.  Unexpectedly, she wanted to be superior in everything, spent money like water, and asked for money from her maternal family after using up her dowry.  And now, it is not sure how much money she had secretly embezzled from the family’s treasury.

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“Alright, stop nagging!  Using a little of your money is to help save your face!  Otherwise, wouldn’t it be disgraceful if words spread that you can’t even support your younger sister?  When I dress up splendidly, only then you can show off your majesty as an official and everyone will respect you.”

Who is she working so hard for?  Besides, if she can lead a good life, why should she eat bran, choke on vegetables, and put on a pretense of bitterness?

“That’s not necessary and don’t be a disgrace.  I am blessed by my ancestors.  Your husband is dead but you don’t even stay at home quietly and run around outside all day.  Do you still possess a little compassion?”

Looking at her dressed in flamboyant attire and the rouge and lip color on her……. people who were unaware would assume she was from a brothel.

Chen Dasheng realized that if he was too indulgent towards the mother and daughter, they would become even more lawless.  If they are not constrained, he would even be dragged down by them.

“It’s good that wimpy fool is dead otherwise, how can I remarry if he isn’t dead?  I’ve seen that guy, Xiao Erlang, in your camp and I like him very much, so let it be him!  Elder Brother, don’t you agree we’re well-matched?  After I’m married, you don’t have to worry about my affairs all day long.”

That Erlang is extremely fit!  He will surely make her want to die in bed and make her so comfortable that she would not be able to control herself.

Xiao Erlang?

Li Jing’er who was forgotten and left at the side showed a slight frown.

“No, he is already married and I can’t let you harm my brother.”

His family matters had resulted in him burning both ends of the candle, so how can he allow his sister to stir up trouble for his brother?  It’s good to give others blessings and not disasters that could wreak havoc on the family.

Chen Yulian showed a surprised look.

“What wife?  Isn’t he without a family?”  She never heard of this before.

“He has a wife and children.  They………”

Wait a minute………three children, a son and two daughters……..isn’t that her?!

“Aren’t you Xiao Erlang’s………”

…….Wife?

Before Chen Dasheng could finish speaking, he was interrupted.

“Lord Zhenfu, my son was frightened for no reason, so you have to give me justice.  You can’t show favoritism just because she is a member of your family.”

Justice should be sought when it should be sought.  She is not someone who would offer her right cheek to be slapped just because she was slapped on her left cheek.

“That should be the right thing to do and I……..”

Xiao Erlang’s family must be treated properly, otherwise, he would not be able to handle that guy if he starts to go crazy and as a farmer, his strength is astonishing.

Xiao Jingfeng learned martial arts when he was young and worked in the fields for many years carrying heavy objects, so, his strength was extraordinary.  After entering the army, he could draw a strong bow without any problem while running through the battlefields.  Therefore, General Chen Rong valued him and placed him by his side as one of his personal guards.

Xiao Jingfeng, Chen Dasheng, Su Zhaoming, Liu Fengshi, and Yan Nantian were known as the Five Tigers in the army and Xiao Jingfeng was the rising new talent in the Chen Family’s army.  If he was not from a family of farmers with a lowly background, today he would have become Lord Zhenfu instead of Chen Dasheng.

However, Xiao Jingfeng did not care about this because he never wanted to devote his entire life to the army.  His only wish is to return to the fields as soon as the war is over because he likes the feeling of digging the earth for food.

Practical.

“Hmph, if you didn’t make a sound, this Madam would have forgotten about your existence.  If you and your bastard son don’t kowtow a hundred times to this Madam today and clean up the sugar stains on the dress with your tongues, don’t think you can get out of this alive!”

The bully Chen Yulian refused to give up and persisted in using humiliating methods to show off her superiority.

“Yulian…….”  Chen Dasheng started to warn his sister and wanted to stop her.

“Elder Brother, don’t get involved in this matter.  If I don’t let her see a little color, she is really going to start a color-dyeing room!  In this world, the person who can get the better of me is still not born yet.”

(See a little color means showing one’s authority and superiority to another person.)

She pushed away her elder brother’s hand that was blocking her and furiously raised her hand to swing a  slap.

“You can just die!”

“Die?”  Li Jing’er’s slender wrist lifted and grabbed the hand that was moving towards her.

“Rationality prevails over the world and this world is still fair.  Do you think that being overbearing will force others to bow their heads?  It’s very simple to die.  With just a twist of the neck, death is instant but do you dare?”

“You……let go!  If…….if I can’t vent my anger, I’ll make it impossible for you and your bastard son to leave the city alive!”

She has support and it’s just a matter of only a sentence.  This woman should be made to realize that by going against her, her life will be in her hands.

“You’re a bitch and a little bastard.  A bastard with a mother but without a father to raise you!  From the very beginning, you should have been drowned in the basin so that you won’t bring calamity to your father, your mother, your brothers and sisters and cause your six generations of relatives to become extinct……..”

Once she started to speak, she was like a cannon spewing cannonballs and the long string of curses made it impossible for people to cut in.

“That’s enough!  You have a son and daughter too, so you should gather some merits on their behalf!”

Li Jing’er, who did not say a word, withdrew her hand.  It hurt but the pain did not penetrate deeply.

Chen Yulian who felt the pain was annoyed and ashamed and used a lot of strength to pull back her hand.

“My son and daughter are naturally born with good destinies, unlike your son who is destined to be a beggar.  A bastard who has a mother but not a father to raise him, what kind of morals do you think he has?  It would have saved others a lot of trouble if he had reincarnated earlier.”