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Chen Feng, seeing old Wang’s demeanor, frowned deeply. Selfish, incompetent, muddle-headed, and sloppy, yet this man was the grandfather of this very body.
She coldly snorted, “You’ve raised a fine daughter. Although you’ve never fulfilled your duty as a father to her from her childhood, she still has no choice but to care for you because you’re her father. However, that wicked woman who sold my mother and my younger uncle cannot enjoy my mother’s prosperity with you. Otherwise, even heaven wouldn’t allow it.”
Old Wang only heard the first half of her words and didn’t hear the rest. Upon hearing that he could enjoy his daughter’s prosperity, he burst into a wide grin and said, “My daughter is filial, great, great. I should have come to ask for my daughter’s help earlier…”
At this moment, Chen Ming returned from the county and was furious after hearing about Mrs. Ding and Wang Cai causing a commotion at home.
Chen Feng pulled him into the western room and called in grandma Chen, Chen Ye, and Chen Gui. After a whispered discussion, Chen Ming’s expression improved.
Half an hour later, there was another commotion in the courtyard. Mr. Wang’s elder brother, Mr. Wang, arrived in a carriage with Xue Dagui, bringing along his two sons and daughters-in-law. Seeing them, Mrs. Ding and her son felt somewhat afraid. They tried to go inside to find old Wang but were blocked. Mrs. Ding then sat on the ground and began wailing, while grandma Chen and Auntie Mu, Mrs. Gao, and a few others tried to push her away.
Negotiations with the Wang family had to be handled by Chen Ming, Chen Ye, and grandma Chen. Chen Feng had nothing further to do with it and left the main room.
She instructed Auntie Mu to prepare more food, including for the unscrupulous mother and son. She also asked Autumn to stay and help with the cooking, while Xue Dagui stayed to accompany the Wang family back to the village.
As the sun began to set, the onlookers had all left, and only Wang Cai remained, looking wistfully at Luyuan.
At the entrance to Fengyuan, Chen Lu led Dabao, who was using a crutch, as they peered into Luyuan. Zhui Feng and Sasa stood by their feet. They had been instructed not to enter Luyuan.
Seeing Chen Feng coming out, Dabao shook off Lu’s hand and ran over, his agile figure making swift movements with the crutch.
“Mom, mom, where’s my grandma?” he called out loudly.
Chen Feng hugged Dabao as he ran over, while Lu picked up the crutch that Dabao had thrown to the ground, asking, “Sister, is mom okay?” His worry was evident in his eyes.
Chen Feng smiled and said, “She’s fine. Grandma and Uncle are both with her. This time, we’ll definitely drive that wicked woman, Mrs. Ding, out of the Wang family, and she won’t disgust mom again.”
Dabao and Lu both smiled at this.
The old marquis and Chu Lingzhi had arrived early and were conversing with Chen Shiying in the room.
Mrs. Zeng had finished preparing the meal and, seeing Chen Feng return, led Summer to set the food and drinks on the table.
The old marquis refrained from inquiring about Luyuan and simply said to Chen Feng, “If you need help from Tangyuan, just talk to Steward Luo.”
Chen Shiying asked, “Do you need Dad’s help?”
Chen Feng shook her head and said, “They can handle it.”
After dinner, the old marquis discussed the political situation with Chen Shiying, and only when it was completely dark did he prepare to take the two children back to Tangyuan.
Meanwhile, there was a lot of commotion at Luyuan, and Mrs. Ding’s loud wailing frightened Chu Hanyan, causing her to burst into tears.
Chen Feng comforted her and escorted her to the gate of Tangyuan.
Chen Lu and Dabao studied in the study room of the east wing, while Chen Shiying and Chen Feng conversed in the upper room.
Upon hearing the commotion at Luyuan, Chen Shiying got a brief idea of what was happening. He asked Chen Feng, “Are they planning to dismiss Mrs. Ding?”
Chen Feng nodded and said, “Yes. If we don’t dismiss her, it would be intolerable.”
Chen Shiying agreed, saying, “That wicked woman should indeed be dismissed. She has caused so much suffering to my sister and her brother.”
Chen Feng looked at him and sneered, “Mrs. Ding is despicable, but there are even more despicable and wicked people than her, and that person is the source of all the tragedies endured by my mother…” There was much more, like when she arranged for men to assault her, but she couldn’t speak of it directly. She restrained herself and continued, “She has done so many atrocious things, yet not only has she not been punished, she still enjoys a life of luxury. Dad, as a magistrate who delivers justice, and a parent who promotes virtue, how should such a person, who has lost all sense of decency, be punished?”
Chen Shiying turned red. He knew that Chen Feng was referring to his own mother. He sighed and said, “Feng, Dad knows that your grandmother has done many inappropriate things. However, no matter how unbearable she may be, she is still Dad’s own mother, your own grandmother. Parents are not always perfect, and as their children, we should be considerate. Initially, she also suffered a lot. She single-handedly supported our entire family with her embroidery, paid for your grandfather’s treatment, and supported me in my studies. It wasn’t easy. Dad has already tightened the watch over her, and she can’t harm anyone anymore. And besides, she is not physically capable of doing so. Feng, I implore you not to make her affairs public. If her affairs are known in our hometown, she won’t have a good life, and it will ruin the reputation of you and your sisters. You have found good families, but you still have several sisters to think about…”
Chen Feng looked at Chen Shiying, who was now red-faced, but refrained from mentioning the recent incident in which the old woman had arranged for men to assault her. He knew about it very well, yet he was still biased toward her.
In a soft voice, Chen Feng continued, “Dad, I often think, perhaps it was for the best that my mother didn’t marry you. It was a stroke of luck that I wasn’t raised into your family…”
Chen Shiying’s face grew even redder, and he moved his mouth but didn’t utter a word.
Chen Feng went on, “My mother married my current father, and she had to support the entire family by herself. We used to be very poor, barely having enough to eat and wear. But we were a happy and warm family. Although my father is bedridden, he has always been very kind to my mother and me. He never allowed others to mistreat us, nor did he tolerate others bullying us. There’s also grandma Chen in that family, whom I call grandmother. She knows I’m not her biological granddaughter, and although she’s crude, petty, and loves money, she has never thought of harming me or using me, a non-blood-related granddaughter, for her own gain. However, how has your own mother, my own grandmother, treated me? Because she thought my mother was obstructing her from finding a wealthy match for her daughter, she drove my mother out of your family and even let Mrs. Ding sell my mother in the mountains. Knowing that I knew about her misdeeds, she bought off the main house of the Chen family to force me into marriage. There’s more…” She paused and refrained from sharing that incident, then continued, “If my mother had really married you, would she have fared well? If I had been born and raised into your family, without a mother to guide me, I wouldn’t have survived her, and I would have been influenced to be just as bad as Chen Yuhui…”