Chapter 252: Chapter 235: The Demeanor of the Matriarch (Su Yi’s Torment)
The Lu Family Old Mansion, the Mingxiang Garden of the main residence.
Su Yi sat in the main room with a dark expression.
Qiao carefully brought over a tea cup, "Mother, have some tea."
Hearing the sound, Su Yi raised her hand and knocked over the cup. Though the tea was not hot, it splashed all over Lu Qiao.
Qiao didn’t know what she had done wrong, her eyes reddening.
"What did you just call that wench?" Su Yi’s gaze was more sinister than usual.
Qiao pursed her lips, not speaking.
Seeing her like this, Su Yi angrily raised her sleeve, sweeping the dishes off the table.
The dishes were untouched.
Startled, Qiao took half a step back, becoming even more afraid to speak.
Su Yi shouted outside, "Someone, go bring Aunt Wen to me!"
Qiao frowned slightly, "Mother..."
"Shut up!"
After shouting, Su Yi clenched her fingers tightly.
By a twist of fate, she became Lu Xingzhou’s sister-in-law. On their wedding night, they did not consummate the marriage, and Lu Pingzhou didn’t even step into the bridal chamber.
Even though the person she wanted to marry wasn’t Lu Pingzhou, she couldn’t stand such humiliation and deeply hated this man.
The two consummated the marriage only once, when Lu Pingzhou was drunk and mumbled someone else’s name, enraging Su Yi, who quietly drank the abortion soup afterward.
In revenge, she found a lover in private; the twins she bore weren’t children of the Lu Family.
The things Su Yi said to Lu Yanqing in prison were actually about herself.
Because neither of the children were genuine offspring of the Lu Family, she didn’t like them at heart and was too lazy to care. When the two children were helpless infants, she directly left them to the wet nurse and rarely intervened unless necessary.
The wet nurse was hired by Lu Pingzhou himself; although young, she was good at caring for them. Everyone in the mansion praised her for treating Brother Bin and Qiao as her own.
Su Yi didn’t feel anything about it.
Even later, when Lu Pingzhou wanted to promote the wet nurse to a concubine, she turned a blind eye.
All these years, she spent too much energy on the Su Family and dealing with Zhao Xunyin, only realizing now that Brother Bin and Qiao always called her "mother" at her side, but secretly called that wench Aunt Wen "A-niang."
Su Yi suffered immense humiliation from Zhao Xunyin and wanted to vent on Aunt Wen but unexpectedly, not only Aunt Wen entered, but Lu Pingzhou as well.
Aunt Wen dressed as usual, plainly and simply, but her face, even without makeup, was several times fresher and younger than Su Yi’s as the mistress of the house.
No matter when, this wench always appeared frail and pitiable.
With the master here, Su Yi had to swallow her anger, and her anger faded in an instant. She stood up, looking at her husband with a pleasing gaze, "Why did you come suddenly, Master?"
Lu Pingzhou’s lips curved slightly as he lifted his robe and sat beside them.
His complexion seemed much better than before.
Oh no, to be precise, it was much better.
Su Yi’s eyes filled with doubt.
The poison she administered was severe; many doctors said there was no cure. How could he suddenly be so full of life?
Thinking of a possibility, Su Yi panicked but didn’t show it, maintaining her composure. She instructed Lu Qiao beside her, "Qiao, quickly serve tea to your father."
Lu Pingzhou raised his hand, saying there was no need, then told Qiao not to stand and to find a seat before looking at Su Yi, "What do you need from Wen Niang?"
"It’s just a small matter." Su Yi lifted her eyelids, "Does Master need to bother with inner courtyard affairs too?"
Lu Pingzhou turned his gaze to Lu Qiao, "Qiao, tell me how you got that large water stain on yourself?"
Lu Qiao shrank back, seeming somewhat reluctant to speak.
Su Yi struggled to maintain a smile, but that smile was more of a gritted teeth expression, "Master, Qiao is my biological daughter, she has not yet been married, what did she do wrong? Can’t I, as her mother, give her some advice?"
Lu Pingzhou chuckled softly, "You, being the main wife, can certainly give her some advice, but as for Qiao being your biological daughter, that might be a bit unfair to you."
Su Yi’s heart skipped a beat, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Lu Pingzhou didn’t make it clear directly, but his words were suggestive, "When Wen Niang entered the residence, she was only seventeen, with a graceful figure and a beauty like blossoming flowers. She looked like someone who hadn’t suffered much. You, being a daughter from a noble family, have you ever seen such a wet nurse?"
Hearing this, Su Yi’s gaze locked onto Aunt Wen’s face.
She had been in the residence for over ten years. Normally, a woman who never paid much attention to her appearance at this age would have some marks on her face. But this person before her had not even a single fine line at the corner of her eyes, making her appear more naturally pure without makeup compared to Su Yi, who needed a lot of time for make-up. It was no wonder that men found her more tender and lovable.
But it also indicated that although she didn’t dress up, she maintained her beauty well, with no lack of effort in upkeep.
For a woman above thirty to maintain such skin, it must require the support of a lot of silver coins.
And these silver coins could only come from men.
Some things seem quite good at a glance and still acceptable.
With a deeper thought, one finds it startling at every corner.
Back then, she did consider that the wet nurse brought by her husband was too young and conspicuous and even suspected why such a young woman would willingly become a wet nurse. But everyone in the residence said she was good with the children, even the old lady praised her endlessly for how well Wen Niang raised the children.
At that time, what was she doing?
She was focused on the Princess Mansion, determined to break up that pair of adulterers, preferring to destroy it rather than letting that bitch Zhao Xunyin obtain it!
While Su Yi was still reminiscing, Lu Pingzhou’s voice rang in her ears, "Your child with that man died just a few days after being born due to a cold, and now standing before you, Qiao is actually Wen Niang’s biological daughter. Calling her Aunt in public, and Mother in private, isn’t inappropriate."
While speaking, he glanced at Su Yi, "I was quite surprised back then that you didn’t have a clue about your biological child being switched. But on second thought, perhaps it’s just that you chose to show the demeanor of a noble daughter and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Lu Family by accommodating the two children."
Finish speaking, he reminded Aunt Wen, "Aren’t you going to thank the main wife?"
Aunt Wen immediately knelt down, sincerely bowed her head to Su Yi, "This maid thanks the main wife for the grace of sheltering the two children all these years."
Su Yi’s sharp nails almost pierced the flesh of her palm, causing her eyes to turn bloodshot, but she still struggled to squeeze out a smile, "Since they are Master’s children, they are my children too. Why say such things as two different families within one family, isn’t that too distant?"
Lu Pingzhou’s lips curved slightly, his tone casual, "From now on, there’s no need for the main wife to trouble herself adding condiments to the meals. Over the years, I haven’t truly had a taste of them. Moreover, with your status, always dealing with medicinal or poison powders is quite inappropriate if you accidentally harm yourself."
He continued, "The poison packets you hid in the brick crevices, I’ve already collected them for you. Those subordinates who lacked foresight, helping their master to buy poison, I’ve had them dragged out and beaten to death with clubs, and the ones I’ve replaced them with are proper maids and old women. If there’s anything unsatisfactory, just say it, and your husband will replace them for you."
In the last sentence, Lu Pingzhou’s smile deepened, but his eyes were an unfathomably cold and deep abyss.
Su Yi had no doubt that if she dared to say a word of refusal, his gaze could turn into knives, effectively flaying her alive one cut at a time.
Su Yi felt a chill down her spine.
She had always known that her husband was merely sick, not stupid, and inside, he was darker than anyone, but never did she imagine that he had been playing a trick right under her nose for over ten years, making a fool out of her.
Her past satisfaction with having an affair and poisoning his food to make him weaker with every passing day now seemed like a colossal joke.
For over ten years, he was merely toying with her like a cat with a mouse.
Now that her scandals were being exposed, he still maintained that seemingly warm and gentle demeanor because he was simply tired of the game.
Some people are scarier when they smile than when they’re angry.
Su Yi deeply felt this today, Lu Pingzhou was such a person.
She forcibly pulled at the corners of her mouth, but couldn’t muster a smile, "Master is the head of the family, whatever you say goes."
Lu Pingzhou asked her again, "My sister-in-law told me that person has come to the Capital, should I arrange for the main wife to meet him and reminisce?"
Sweat immediately broke out on Su Yi’s forehead, "No... no need."
Lu Pingzhou smiled again, "If the main wife doesn’t see him, perhaps he might think you’re heartless, which wouldn’t be good for your reputation!"
Su Yi’s lips trembled slightly, "What foolish talk are you saying, Master? I am your woman, how could I casually meet another man?"
"Then better not see him." Lu Pingzhou sighed with seeming regret, "I will arrange a good place for him."
Su Yi knew well that the man likely wouldn’t escape the master’s cruel methods.
But now, it’s difficult for her to even ensure her own safety.