Lu Ping’s face turned from green to pale.
He never would have expected that Madam Yun, who was usually timid and cowardly, would dare to expose such family matters in public today.
The onlookers outside the courtyard gasped in shock after hearing Yun Zhu’s words, and they began speaking up for her one after another.
“What? There’s actually such a thing? We all misunderstood Madam Yun!”
“Old Man Lu is far too biased! Lu the Second is his son, but isn’t Lu the Third his son as well?”
“People say that having a stepmother means having a stepfather, and that old saying is truly spot on!”
“She was falsely accused of bringing bad luck to her husband. Madam Yun really has been wronged!”
Lu Jinghai, the eldest son of the Lu family, clenched his fists tightly.
Back then, when his father wanted either him or his second brother to join the army in place of the third brother—who had drawn the draft lot—he had been opposed to it. Yet, his second brother had agreed.
If… if he had been a little firmer back then, would his second brother have avoided going to the military in place of the third?
Then the one who died wouldn’t have been his second brother!
Lu Jinghai admitted that he was biased too, but he and his second brother were full brothers born of the same mother!
Hearing the crowd taking Yun Zhu’s side, Madam He shouted back loudly from among the people, “What do you mean by biased? Their family’s third son is a scholar, and he’s going to become a Xiucai next year! If your family were in this situation, I don’t believe you’d have the heart to send a son with such a bright future to the battlefield!”
As soon as Madam He spoke, the crowd fell silent for a moment.
Indeed…
If Lu the Third truly passed the examination and became a Xiucai, he would not have to kneel before officials, would be exempt from forced labor, and his family would no longer have to pay taxes. Perhaps he could even receive monthly grain or money from the imperial court. All of this could support the family.
If it were them, they certainly wouldn’t have had the heart to send Lu the Third to join the army either.
Seeing the tide turning, Lu Ping’s complexion finally improved a bit.
At this moment, Yun Zhu let out a cold laugh. “Heh, not biased? Back then, the eldest brother’s eldest son, Lu Zimo, was studying in the county academy alongside Lu Jingshan. The academy master even said that Zimo’s scholarship was far superior to Lu Jingshan’s. Since the family couldn’t afford to support two people studying, why was it Zimo who dropped out instead of Lu Jingshan?”
As soon as Yun Zhu finished speaking, Madam Yang’s eyes turned red.
That was true. Back then, even the master said Zimo would definitely pass the exam to become a Xiucai if he took it this time. Yet, the old couple insisted that her son yield the way for Lu Jingshan!
They were both grandchildren of the Lu family—why did her Zimo have to be sacrificed just to lift Lu Jingshan up?
Lu Ping frowned and looked over at Madam Zhao.
Didn’t she say Zimo was often late and left early at the academy, making a bad impression on the master?
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made such a decision back then!
Yet now Madam Yun was saying Zimo’s scholarship was better than Jingshan’s?
How could Lu Ping know that Lu Zimo was late and left early because he was copying books for the bookstore to earn his own tuition fees? The academy master was merely frustrated that Lu Zimo couldn’t focus solely on his studies.
“She… she’s talking nonsense!” Madam Zhao dared not look Lu Ping in the eye, defending herself weakly. “Jingshan’s scholarship is clearly better than Zimo’s. Besides, he is the elder, so Zimo ought to yield to Jingshan anyway!”
Yun Zhu sneered. “That’s right, we certainly ought to yield! As long as the two elders give the word, our first and second branches deserve to slave away to support Lu Jingshan’s studies, and even support the entire third branch enjoying a good life in the county town!”
Lu Jingshan was studying in the county town, and his wife and children had moved there a year ago—under the guise of taking care of Lu Jingshan so he could study in peace.
All the expenses for the four members of the third branch in the county town were squeezed out of the first and second branches.
The watching villagers began whispering to one another again. Both Lu Ping and Madam Zhao could feel that the way the villagers looked at them had changed.
“Enough!” Seeing the public opinion turning further against them, Lu Ping feared he would truly cement his reputation as a biased father if this continued. He put on a stern face and said, “Madam Yun, whatever dissatisfaction you have with us two elders, let us close the doors and talk as a family!”
“I wouldn’t dare be dissatisfied with you two elders!” How could Yun Zhu possibly let him talk behind closed doors? She decided to make a quick resolution. “I merely wish to clarify what my mother-in-law said earlier about me having people capture Lu Jinglan!”
“It was you, you wretched woman, who had them take Jinglan away! I’ll fight you to the death!” Madam Zhao charged at Yun Zhu with a face full of hatred.
At this moment, the room door suddenly flew open. Lu Yiyi rushed out and shielded Yun Zhu, crying out, “Grandmother, my mother has just recovered from her illness. Please don’t beat her! If you want to sell someone, sell me instead. I beg you, stop beating my mother!”
Yun Zhu’s eyes darkened, and a mini stun baton appeared in her hand.
Seeing Madam Zhao’s hand about to scratch Yiyi’s small face, Madam Yang panicked and charged toward Madam Zhao, shouting, “Mother, calm your anger!”
Whether Madam Yang did it intentionally or by accident, she couldn’t stop her momentum during the charge. Her entire body crashed into Madam Zhao, knocking her sideways. Both of them tumbled to the ground, with Madam Yang pinning Madam Zhao underneath her.
Madam Zhao let out a muffled groan, clearly taking a hard fall.
“Mother, are you all right?” Madam Yang pretended to help Madam Zhao up, asking with apparent concern.
Madam Zhao shoved Madam Yang’s hand away forcefully. “Madam Yang, did you do that on purpose?”
Madam Yang forced a smile. “Mother, you wrong me. I just didn’t want to see you and Second Brother’s wife get into such a bitter fight.”
On the other side, Yun Zhu suppressed her anger. After confirming her daughter was unhurt, she raised her voice to the crowd: “My mother-in-law accepted 10 taels of silver from Yingchun Brothel! It would be more accurate to say that Lu Jinglan was sold by my mother-in-law, rather than falling into the hands of human traffickers!”
Everyone was stunned.
“What? Jinglan was taken by people from Yingchun Brothel?!” The crowd gasped in shock.
“Is the Yingchun Brothel Madam Yun mentioned the same one I’ve heard about?”
“It definitely is! Didn’t you hear Madam Yun say Madam Zhao took 10 taels of silver from them? That’s selling her own daughter! And into a place like that? Tsk tsk tsk, this Madam Zhao must be driven mad by money!”
Lu Jinghai looked at Madam Zhao with suspicion.
Wasn’t his stepmother supposed to dote on her daughter, Lu Jinglan, very much?
How could she have sold her?
Madam Yang also expressed doubt.
If someone said Madam Zhao sold Yiyi, she would believe it.
But selling Lu Jinglan felt highly unlikely to her.
Lu Ping clearly had no idea about this matter either. He roared at Madam Zhao in disbelief, “You sold our daughter?!”
What kind of place was Yingchun Brothel?
Even if she wanted to sell a daughter, she couldn’t sell her to a place like that!
The entire family would have their backbones poked at by the villagers!
How could Jingshan face his masters and fellow scholars in the future?
Besides, the family hadn’t reached a dead end yet!
What on earth was this foolish woman doing?!
The crowd’s speculation made Madam Zhao both furious and anxious. “No! I didn’t sell my daughter! It was that wretched woman, Madam Yun! She was the one who got the people from Yingchun Brothel to take my Jinglan away!”
“If you didn’t sell your daughter, then why did you accept money from Yingchun Brothel?” Yun Zhu countered.
“That was because Madam Xu took a fancy to Yiyi herself…” Madam Zhao cut herself off mid-sentence, but everyone who needed to hear it had already heard it.
“So, you admit that because the people from Yingchun Brothel took a fancy to my Yiyi, you intended to sell her into that kind of place behind my back?” Yun Zhu pressed forward step by step, demanding, “Yiyi’s father died on the battlefield for your son! Is this how you mistreat his only bloodline?”
Lu Jinghai looked at Madam Zhao’s guilty expression, instantly overcome with shock and anger. “So you really wanted to sell Yiyi? Why would you do such a thing?!”
Madam Yang pulled Yiyi into her arms with heartache.
That crash earlier had still been too light!
She had given birth to three sons and had no daughters, so she had always regarded Yiyi as her own child.
To think this black-hearted Madam Zhao actually wanted to sell Yiyi into such a filthy place!
“Naturally, it’s because of that ungrateful wolf, Lu Jingshan! He won’t rest until he drains every drop of blood from our second branch!” Yun Zhu’s voice grew colder. “Lu Jingshan made an agreement with Madam Xu from Yingchun Brothel, asking my good mother-in-law to take Yiyi to town so they could ‘chance upon’ Madam Xu!”
“Madam Yun, shut your mouth! What on earth are you trying to do?!” Lu Ping barked sharply.
When Madam Yun called him biased, he only felt embarrassed and wasn’t overly furious; after all, he knew he indeed owed a debt to his eldest and second sons.
However, Madam Yun was actually ruining Jingshan’s reputation right here, slinging mud at him.
This was something he would absolute never allow!
Jingshan was going to pursue an official career in the future, so he could not have a single stain on his character!
“Eldest Sister-in-law, please keep an eye on Yiyi for me!” Yun Zhu handed her daughter over to Madam Yang, and only then did she state her true goal to Lu Ping: “I want a family division!”
Seeing Lu Ping suddenly glare at her, Yun Zhu added: “And sever all ties!”