Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 859 - 438: The Dutiful Son
First post, seeking support.
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But what good does understanding do when the deed is done? Although Lady Zhou is overbearing, in some aspects, she is deeply influenced by the teachings of the era, adhering to the principle that a woman must follow her husband as a dog or a chicken.
Therefore, Lady Zhou can still cry in such despair and sorrow.
"Eldest son, how could you so heartlessly betray your mother and me? How did I end up raising such an ungrateful child..." Old Master Lian’s voice was different from usual; clearly, he was enduring tremendous torment.
Unlike Lady Zhou’s temperament, Old Master Lian is more stable and reserved. Faced with such a situation, Lady Zhou could vent by recklessly beating and scolding others, but Old Master Lian, who is accustomed to being the head of the family, tends to consider more and would not act impulsively like Lady Zhou, leaving others to deal with the consequences. Moreover, he understood the situation earlier and more deeply than Lady Zhou, carrying a greater burden of pain and pressure.
"Eldest son, Xiuxiu is your own sister by blood. Your mother and I, in our old age, had this girl. She is even younger than your daughter, Huahua. How could you be so cruel to her? What’s left in your heart and eyes?" Old Master Lian spoke, turning his head away as if he could not bear to look at Lian Shouren.
"Father, I only found out about this later." Lian Shouren crawled forward on his knees as he explained, "Father, you know since I arrived in Taicang County, I’ve been constantly busy, surrounded by tasks, all of which were arduous. This marriage was arranged by you and mother. I was too occupied, my mind too preoccupied to notice the oversight."
"...Father, Mother, I was just as kept in the dark as you. It wasn’t until the wedding day, as I was escorting Xiuxiu out and saw Third Old Master Zheng dye his hair and beard to marry her, that I understood what had happened. We’ve been deceived."
At this, Lian Shouren started to cry woefully.
"I was so angry at the time, I wanted to charge forward and knock Third Old Master Zheng to the ground and bring Xiuxiu back home," he cried out, indignant, "I nearly went forward when I was stopped by Zheng Family’s people surrounding us."
At this point, Lian Shouren’s face was filled with gloom.
"Someone asked me what would have been the outcome if I had done that, and if I had thought it through," Lian Shouren went on to ramble, "Father, my role as County Magistrate in Taicang is nothing but a figurehead, with neither real power nor support. The Zheng Family holds significant local sway; if I had made a scene at the ceremony, none of our family, counting old and young, would have left Taicang alive."
"They could dismiss me from my post, kill me, and I wouldn’t fear it, but I have to think of our entire family... Xiuxiu was already married off, and even if they allowed me to take her out of the Zheng household, she would still be considered someone who has been married once... Father, Mother, all I could do is swallow my teeth and blood, and endure the humiliation. After returning, I was afraid of worrying you, so I kept it to myself and dared not tell anyone; I’ve nearly become sick from the stress."
"Keep lying, just keep lying," Lian Manman managed to hold back, without saying these words out loud.
Lian Shouren claimed he only realized whom Lian Xiuxiu was marrying when the ceremony was underway, which was pure nonsense. With Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou confined within the small confines of the Yamen, unaware that Zheng Mingsheng was actually Third Old Master Zheng and not Young Master Zheng, how could he, Lian Shouren, the County Magistrate interacting with people daily, not have known!
It was despicable; Lian Manman wanted nothing more than to go in and kick Lian Shouren several times, as the current scene reminded her of the time when Lian Shouren and Lady Gu "sent her to enjoy good fortune" to become a "Child Bride" in a wealthy family.
With a somber face, Lian Manman turned her head to look and saw Lady Zhang, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi were all glaring at Lian Shouren fiercely. At this moment, Lady Zhang, seeing the look in Lian Manman’s eyes, immediately embraced her, while Wu Lang and Xiao Qi both grasped Lian Manman’s hands tightly.
It seemed they all had the same thought. No wonder, the situation was almost a mere repeat of the past.
The culprits remained the same, only the victims had changed.
Back then, Lian Xiuxiu had defended Lian Shouren and Lady Gu, chastising her; had Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou been this heartbroken and distraught?
Are they only so affected now because the event has happened a second time, leaving them unable to deceive themselves any longer, forcing them to confront the grim reality?
