Chapter 280: Revealing the Truth

Wang Qian went alone to ask for leave from her teacher, but she told a white lie, claiming she wasn’t feeling well and needed to go to the hospital for a check-up. Being a diligent student, her teacher naturally took this seriously, almost offering to accompany her, but she declined.

Meanwhile, Wang Zhenhe was busy with outgoing shipments when his youngest daughter hurried over, leaving him puzzled. “Qian Qian, why aren’t you in class? What brings you here?”

She didn’t hide anything from him. “Dad, I have been feeling anxious. I’m worried something might be wrong at home. Please come back with me to check. I won’t rest until I see for myself.”

Upon hearing her words, Wang Zhenhe felt a sense of unease. Could something have happened to his wife at home? He quickly wrapped up with the remaining clients and, together with his daughter, hopped on a motorcycle to rush back home. Throughout the journey, Wang Qian remained on edge, concerned about her mother and uneasy about her father’s speed. Luckily, the road was relatively clear of traffic. She feared not only for her mother’s safety but also for her father’s due to his fast driving.

In the early morning, Zhang Lan felt a bit groggy, having had two sleepless nights. Early on, Zhu Qiyu expressed a craving for fish. Zhang Lan wasn’t skilled at fishing and felt somewhat helpless.

“Mom, let’s wait for Qian Qian and the others to come back to help you with fishing. I’m not adept at it, and even if I tried, I wouldn’t catch anything. Besides, leaving you alone at home worries me.”

Zhang Lan outright refused. The old lady wasn’t easily swayed; her face transformed, resembling that of a child’s, tears streaming down.

“Oh Heavens, why don’t you just take this old bag of bones away? I’ve become a nuisance, merely wanting some fish soup. No one wants to bother with me. I can’t catch any fish in the reservoir, can’t you just catch a couple of small fish for me by the river? I wouldn’t mind small ones. When you’re old, you never know when your time’s up. Can’t you just give me this little thing to eat?” The old lady began wailing in the house, causing Zhang Lan irritation.

“Alright, Mom, I’ll catch a couple for you. Please stop wailing; it gives me a headache,” Zhang Lan said, fed up. She grabbed a basin and headed to the riverbank, where fishing wasn’t as easy as she thought. Despite watching Wang Qian and Mingyuan fish, doing it herself proved challenging. The river water was bone-chilling, numbing her senses. However, the cold water did clear her mind, preventing any drowsiness. After nearly two hours, she managed to catch five and a half decent-sized crucian carp, enough for her mother’s soup.

As she carried the basin back, she encountered Zhao Xia midway. Seeing Zhang Lan’s pale face and sluggish walk, she assumed she was unwell.

“Third Aunt, what’s wrong with you? Haven’t seen you for a few days, and now you look like this. Are you sick? You should check yourself; don’t delay if something’s wrong,” Zhao Xia expressed concern.

Shaking her head while carrying the basin, Zhang Lan replied, “I’m fine, just feeling exhausted and drowsy. I haven’t rested properly these past days, but I’ll be fine with some rest.”

Curiously, Zhao Xia leaned closer, “Third Aunt, is your mother-in-law stirring up trouble again? I heard the commotion in your house this morning, quite unpleasant. Be careful with such a person. Even when she’s not causing trouble, she manages to stir up something for you. Take care and let us know if you need help. Don’t bear it alone.”

After chatting with Zhao Xia, Zhang Lan hurried back with the fish to make soup for the old lady. Finally placing the fish soup in front of her, Zhu Qiyu furrowed her brow tightly. “Third Daughter-in-law, these fish are quite small. Are you trying to feed me like a chicken or a duck?”

Ignoring the comment, Zhang Lan continued with her task. Despite Zhu Qiyu’s words, the sight and aroma of the fragrant white fish soup in the bowl made her mouth water.

After serving the old lady, Zhang Lan hadn’t even begun her meal when Zhu Qiyu complained of a stomach ache and requested to be carried to the restroom. Exhausted, Zhang Lan attempted to assist her, but the old lady insisted on being carried.

“Third Daughter-in-law, my good leg has been aching these past days. Please carry me out; don’t tire out the good leg. I’ll need it in the future,” Zhu Qiyu demanded.

Resigned to her fate, Zhang Lan lifted the old lady and headed towards the door. As she reached the threshold, she felt dizzy. In that moment of lightheadedness, she managed to safely place Zhu Qiyu on the ground, but then collapsed herself, the impact echoing as her body hit the threshold.

Seeing her daughter-in-law faint, Zhu Qiyu used her plastered leg to kick Zhang Lan’s legs forcefully. “You wretched woman, you’re getting what you deserve. You dare to challenge me, don’t you realize how mindless you are?”

Witnessing the scene in the yard, Wang Zhenhe and his daughter were taken aback. Seeing her mother collapse, Wang Qian’s eyes welled up. “Mom…”

Ignoring Zhu Qiyu, Wang Qian rushed over, embracing Zhang Lan and bursting into tears, gently helping her mother up and checking for any other injuries.

Zhu Qiyu had never imagined that they would return at that moment. Attempting to feign a faint, she couldn’t adjust her expression quickly enough. Hastily approaching the stern-faced Wang Zhenhe, she explained, “Third Son, I was just checking if she really fainted. I couldn’t bend down, so that’s all I could do.”

Observing from the side, Wang Qian understood the situation. Realizing the old lady was pretending, she stood up abruptly and forcefully bumped her head into Zhu Qiyu’s, catching her off guard and causing her to stagger back a few steps, though her legs remained unharmed.

Without a word, Wang Zhenhe lifted Zhang Lan and hurried out of the yard. “Qian Qian, help your mom. Let’s get to the clinic quickly,” he said, striding purposefully.

His car dashed out like an unleashed wild horse.

Hearing cries from the neighboring house, Liu Hui rushed out to check but only saw the motorcycle disappearing into the distance. Approaching the yard to investigate, she witnessed a sight she would never forget. Zhu Qiyu, who had been carried around recently, was now walking on her own two feet. Shocked, Liu Hui quickly retreated.

Today, she felt like she had seen a ghost. What was going on with that old lady? Just recently, she had been on the brink of death, and now she could suddenly walk again. A thought struck her, leading her to swiftly run towards Wang Juan’s house.

Zhu Qiyu sat on the kang, trying hard to regain her composure. Today’s events had taken her by surprise. This scenario wasn’t part of her plan. She harshly hit her leg, regretting her actions. Why did she choose that moment to act when they returned? What should be her next move? She carefully considered the possibilities of continuing the act in her mind.

In no time, Wang Zhenhe and Wang Qian arrived at the clinic, carrying Zhang Lan who remained unconscious. Wang Zhenhe, with red eyes, rushed into the hospital. “Doctor, please help! My wife fainted. Please, check her.”

The doctor and nurses in the hospital stopped what they were doing as the doctor, a middle-aged woman, approached. They helped Wang Zhenhe place Zhang Lan on the bed and began a thorough examination.

Tearful, Wang Qian held tightly onto Zhang Lan’s hand, unwilling to let go.

“Doctor, what’s wrong with my wife? Why did she suddenly faint?” Wang Zhenhe inquired anxiously.

After a detailed examination, the female doctor found nothing else amiss except for Zhang Lan’s dark under-eye circles, a clear sign of exhaustion. With a raised eyebrow, her attitude towards the man before her soured.

“You have the nerve to ask me? Look at how long your wife has gone without proper sleep. Those deep eye sockets show her body’s not in good shape. You’re enjoying this without any other issues. Can’t you see how you, a grown man is overworking your female comrade?” scolded the doctor as she swiftly began administering two IV drips for Zhang Lan, noting her severe weakness.

Once the IV drips were set up by the nurses, Wang Qian and the others finally had a moment to discuss Zhu Qiyu’s situation. Sharing the same hospital room with other patients, one of the patient’s relatives engaged in casual conversation with the rest.

“These days, all sorts of strange things happen. We have a relative who told us about an elderly lady who willingly got her leg casted at the hospital. Can you believe it? She’d rather spend money to get her perfectly fine leg casted. Aren’t these people a bit off?” remarked the patient’s relative.

Shaking their heads, another individual chimed in, “Oh, the world is full of surprises. Speaking of oddities, in our village, while digging a well for water, guess what we found? A Japanese grenade from the war. Quite a find, but it’s all rusted now, probably only good for scrap metal.”

Listening to the conversation, Wang Zhenhe initially had some suspicions but now understood the situation clearly.

“Dad, look at what your ‘good’ mother has been up to. Besides causing trouble for us, can’t she do anything decent? If something happens to my mom because of her antics, I’ll have to deal with her myself. Keeping someone like her around is a disaster. She not only brings trouble to others but also harms her own family. It’s one thing to harm others, but to continuously harm her own family… How much more can my mom endure from her antics?” expressed Wang Qian with frustration and worry.

At this moment, not only did Wang Qian want to punish Zhu Qiyu, but even Wang Zhenhe felt the urge to end her. Looking at his pale wife lying on the hospital bed, he felt he had once again let Zhang Lan down. He never anticipated that the old lady would resort to such tactics, exploiting their remaining filial piety to torment his family. This woman, no longer a mother, harbored more hostility towards their family than even their enemies.

With a heavy sigh, he said, “Qian Qian, do what you need to do. As long as it’s not excessive, I won’t interfere. I am her son, and you are your mother’s daughter. You have that right. It’s my fault for not protecting your mom.”

Filled with self-loathing, Wang Zhenhe regretted not staying home these past few days, even if it meant enduring some fatigue. His wife wouldn’t have ended up in this state.

Seeing her father’s self-blame, Wang Qian felt a pang of sorrow. Her father was truly not at fault this time. If an elderly person fell ill and didn’t care for their own mother, she would feel disrespectful. However, her father was unaware of Zhu Qiyu’s feigned illness. The most despicable aspect was the old lady’s manipulation, using her son’s filial piety to torment her mother, displaying a level of wickedness and cunning beyond their imagination.

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