Chapter 214

As expected by Wang Yuan’er and the others, Madam Zhang returned jubilantly from Dongshan, only to be hit with shocking news the moment she stepped into Changle Town.

The Wang family had severed ties with the Tang family!

That wasn’t all—they had withdrawn their share in the merchant ship venture and accepted only 250 silver taels without taking a penny more!

Madam Zhang almost spat out blood and practically flew back to the Wang household.

“Whoa, are you racing to be reborn or what?” Wang Qing’er, who was just about to step out, was knocked to the ground. Looking up, she exclaimed, “Huh? Second Aunt, you’re back?”

“Where are they—your grandpa, grandma, and your second uncle?” Madam Zhang demanded, glaring fiercely at Wang Qing’er.

Frightened by her menacing expression, Wang Qing’er pointed toward the main hall.

Madam Zhang rushed in like a whirlwind.

Wang Qing’er patted her chest and muttered, “That scared me to death. Is Second Aunt possessed or something?” As the words left her mouth, she shivered involuntarily.

In the main hall, Wang Er and Grandpa Wang were discussing plans for renting a shop.

“Wang Er.” Madam Zhang stormed in like a gust of wind. Ignoring Grandma and Grandpa Wang, she grabbed Wang Er and shouted, “Is it true—what they’re saying outside? Did our Wang family really sever ties with the Tang family? Did we really withdraw from the merchant ship investment?”

“Running in here shouting like a lunatic, where are your manners? Don’t you see your elders are present? Have you forgotten propriety during the few days you were away?” Wang Er noticed the dark expressions on Grandma and Grandpa Wang and felt the urge to strangle Madam Zhang.

Madam Zhang couldn’t care less about all that and pressed him further, “I’m asking you—tell me!”

Wang Er glanced at Grandpa Wang, who had lowered his gaze, then pulled Madam Zhang aside. “Let’s talk in our room.”

Once they reached the west room, Madam Zhang shoved Wang Er’s hand away and anxiously demanded, “Well? Is it true?”

Wang Er sat down and said calmly, “It’s true. From now on, we have no ties with the Tang family. We’ve withdrawn our investment and recovered the funds. I’ve discussed it with Father and Mother—we’re planning to open a new shop.”

Madam Zhang collapsed onto the ground, her eyes vacant, as if her soul had left her body. She couldn’t hear anything else Wang Er was saying; her mind was consumed by one thought.

They’ve severed ties. No more connections. All the wealth and luxury she had dreamed of were now out of her reach!

Suddenly, Madam Zhang let out a wail, jumped up, and lunged at Wang Er.

“You fools, idiots, completely brainless lunatics!” she screamed, clawing at Wang Er’s face with her nails. In no time, faint red marks appeared on his cheeks.

Slap!

A crisp sound echoed as Wang Er slapped her. Madam Zhang froze in shock.

“Have you had enough?” Wang Er roared, rubbing his face and wincing in pain. “This crazy woman!”

Madam Zhang clutched her face, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You hit me! Wang Er, you spineless coward, you actually hit me! I’ll fight you to the death!” she screamed, ready to lunge at him again.

As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Zhang lunged at him again.

Wang Er swiftly dodged and said, “Zhang Cuizhi, if you keep this up, I’ll divorce you!”

Madam Zhang missed her target and fell onto the bed. Hearing his words, she turned her head and shouted, “Divorce me? Wang Er, you coward, you wouldn’t dare!”

“Why wouldn’t I dare? You don’t respect your elders; you’re domineering—why shouldn’t I divorce you?” Wang Er pointed at her angrily. “I tried to talk to you calmly, but you started causing a scene without even listening. You’re obsessed with the Tang family’s wealth—do you think that wealth is so easy to enjoy? Do you even know that the Tang family almost killed your husband? Do you know that?”

Madam Zhang froze, shocked. What did he mean by that?

She didn’t ask immediately, and Wang Er, still fuming, sat down and reached for the teapot to pour himself some tea. But the teapot had been left dry during her absence.

Frustrated, Wang Er slammed the teapot heavily onto the table.

“What do you mean by that?” Madam Zhang, ignoring the pain in her face, cautiously asked.

Wang Er, still simmering with frustration, cast her a glare and said, “What do you think? My time in prison was all because of the Tang family’s schemes. They deliberately had someone set me up.” He hesitated briefly before continuing, “I don’t know everything, but I suspect that even my elder brother’s death was the Tang family’s doing. That’s all you need to know!”

Madam Zhang gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as cold sweat broke out on her forehead. After a long moment, she grabbed his arm and, trembling, said, “What…what happened exactly? Explain it to me!”

Wang Er sighed and, mixing truth and falsehood, recounted the events leading up to the situation. In the end, he said, “You tell me—how could I dare stay involved with the Tang family, knowing how cruel they are? I’m not that eager to die!”

Madam Zhang collapsed onto a chair, her face pale and her lips trembling.

After a while, she stammered, “Then Min’er—what about Min’er and her family?”

Madam Zhang was clearly terrified. If the Tang family were capable of such lethal actions, what would happen to Min’er, her daughter?

“Erlang, you have to bring Min’er back! If they retaliate against us, Min’er might…” Madam Zhang frantically grabbed Wang Er’s hand, her face filled with anxiety.

“No longer chasing after wealth and glory, are you?” Wang Er sneered, casting her a sideways glance.

Madam Zhang grew even more desperate. Slapping his shoulder, she said tearfully, “What’s the use of wealth if you can’t live to enjoy it?”

“Good that you understand!” Wang Er huffed coldly, letting out a long sigh. “A married daughter is like spilled water. Min’er is no longer someone we can just take back. Father and Mother have already said her fate is her own.”

Madam Zhang’s heart sank. She stood abruptly, her lips trembling as she said, “So you’re just going to leave your daughter to fend for herself?” Then, with a cold laugh, she added, “Of course your parents would say that—losing Min’er doesn’t matter when they still have four granddaughters to dote on. But Wang Er, Min’er is your only daughter! No, I’m going to speak to them!”

“Stop right there!” Wang Er shouted at her. “Father and Mother have no other choice. We’ve already crossed the Tang family—what if we push them too far and they turn against us? Besides Min’er, don’t you also have Fuquan and his brother to think about?”

Madam Zhang froze in place.

“And another thing,” Wang Er added, pressing her down into the chair. “Min’er is just a woman. She’s far away at the Dongshan estate—what could the Tang family possibly do to her? Tell her to stay put and live quietly there, and she’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

Madam Zhang didn’t show even a hint of joy or relief at these words. Instead, her face grew increasingly pale and grim, with cold sweat dripping in large beads.

“What’s wrong?” Wang Er asked in confusion. “I told you to let it go…”

“It’s too late!” Madam Zhang stared at him blankly and said, “Min’er and her daughter—Tang Xiuping had already brought them back. They returned with me!”

“What?” Wang Er jumped up, breaking into a cold sweat. He stared at her for a long time before sitting down heavily, murmuring defeatedly, “Is this truly fate?”

The couple sat across the table from each other, their expressions equally despondent.

Meanwhile, at the Tang family’s Songhe Hall.

Wang Min’er, her hair disheveled, her face swollen and red, knelt in the central courtyard of Songhe Hall with a fearful expression. She had been kneeling for nearly two hours, her forehead drenched with sweat, her complexion pale. Her body weakened after childbirth and never fully recovered despite several months of rest, and had deteriorated further. The reason for her punishment stemmed from a single remark by Third Madam Tang: Wang Min’er’s family had caused Old Madam Tang to suffer a stroke and become paralyzed.

This marked Wang Min’er’s first encounter with the Tang family in over six months. The first words from Third Madam Tang were not welcoming—they were followed by two harsh slaps across her face, all due to her family’s actions.

Wang Min’er lowered her head and clenched her fists as she listened to the scolding, trying to piece together the chain of events. How could this have happened? How could her grandmother and father have done something so foolish, completely disregarding her predicament? Confusion and frustration filled her mind. She wanted desperately to rush back to her family and demand an explanation, but she couldn’t. She didn’t dare.

After months of misery in that desolate place, she finally managed to persuade Tang Xiuping to bring her back to the Tang family. There was no way she would leave here so easily. Insults and slaps didn’t matter—she was determined to prove that her choice had been right, that she could enjoy wealth and status.

Wang Min’er knelt upright, even though her knees ached so much that cold sweat poured down her face, and her body trembled. She gritted her teeth and remained steadfast.

“How do you still have the audacity to kneel here?” A young woman in luxurious attire emerged from the main hall, her demeanor arrogant and condescending as she looked at Wang Min’er with disdain.

Wang Min’er quickly glanced up at her before lowering her head again, clenching her hands even tighter.

It was Madam Rong, Tang Xiuping’s legitimate wife—the woman who would control her fate and fortune from now on.

In front of her appeared a pair of pink embroidered shoes adorned with beautiful butterfly patterns and a pearl the size of a thumb, exquisitely crafted.

Wang Min’er pressed her lips together, her nails digging into her palms, unsure of what she felt. Unexpectedly, the tip of one embroidered shoe lifted her chin, forcing her to look up.

Wang Min’er’s eyes widened as she met Madam Rong’s gaze.

With just one look, fear gripped her. Madam Rong’s eyes were like poisoned daggers, sharp and piercing, leaving Wang Min’er with no escape, no retreat.

Wang Min’er’s expression grew flustered, her body trembling slightly. Madam Rong’s gaze felt like she was staring at a dead person.

“Your looks are nothing special. What kind of spell did you cast on the Third Young Master to make him stoop so low as to have an affair with someone as lowly as you? It’s a disgrace to his status,” Madam Rong said with utter contempt. “You should’ve stayed quietly at that estate. Why come back here, hoping to grab wealth and status?”

She lowered her foot and leaned slightly closer to Wang Min’er’s ear, her tone sinister. “Wealth and status aren’t for everyone. Someone as lowly as you doesn’t deserve them. How dare you compete with me for what’s mine? I’ll make sure you regret it!”

Wang Min’er’s body trembled. She opened her mouth but quickly prostrated herself on the ground. “I… I wouldn’t dare!”

Madam Rong was about to say more when Tang Xiuping emerged from the main hall. Seeing the scene, he frowned. “Why is she still kneeling here?”

Madam Rong replied, “She insists on apologizing to the Old Madam. Third Young Master, the Old Madam’s current condition is entirely the Wang family’s doing. Why did you even bring her back? If the Old Madam sees her, she’ll only get angrier.”

Wang Min’er looked up pitifully at Tang Xiuping, but when her eyes caught Madam Rong’s cold and dark expression, she quickly lowered her head again.

“She’s already back, so send her to the side courtyard,” Tang Xiuping said with a wave of his hand, not even sparing Wang Min’er a glance before walking away.

“Understood,” Madam Rong said with a slight bow, then sneered as she ordered, “Take her and her daughter to the side courtyard. Make sure they’re well taken care of!”