Free Web NovelChapter 109: Chapter 108: Filial Piety
Mrs. Zhen considers everything for her, and Old Mrs. Hou also considers everything for Mrs. Zhen.
Du Yunluo’s nose turned sour, and she hugged Old Mrs. Hou’s waist. freēwebnovel.com
Old Mrs. Hou looked down and saw Du Yunluo on the verge of tears, and quickly coaxed her, "Good child, don’t cry, don’t cry, with grandmother here, I won’t let you suffer this grievance..."
In the inner room, Old Master Zhen was gasping for breath, and the concerned maidservant, with a pale face, came out to look for Old Mrs. Hou. After Old Mrs. Hou nodded, she hurriedly went to call the doctor.
Taking advantage of this moment, Mrs. Zhen suppressed her emotions, held her mother’s hand, and said, "How do you think this matter should be handled?"
Old Mrs. Hou looked troubled.
If this matter were to be pursued vigorously, Zhen Wenqian would indeed be punished, but the one truly harmed would be Du Yunluo.
Reputation and dignity—if any word of this reached the Capital, the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion would be suppressed by the imperial decree and unable to act, but privately there would certainly be talk.
And Mrs. Zhen, with such an nephew, would surely face blame when she returned to the Du Family.
But if the matter were lightly brushed aside, Old Mrs. Hou feared that Mrs. Zhen and Du Yunluo would not swallow this resentment, especially Du Yunluo, who has a big temper. If she felt later that her grandmother was biased and turned against her, it would be fine, but Old Mrs. Hou did not want Du Yunluo to resent Mrs. Zhen over this.
Old Mrs. Hou sighed; punishment would not be right, nor would letting it go, so she simply let Mrs. Zhen and Du Yunluo decide.
"This world is unfair to us women..." Old Mrs. Hou lamented. It was only because Du Yunluo was a girl, and a girl’s reputation was most important, that this matter was so difficult to handle.
Only women know the hardship of being a woman. Mrs. Zhen also sighed and shook her head, her gaze falling on Du Yunluo.
She remembered what Du Yunluo had just said to her.
Her Nannan was so sensible that it pained her heart.
Du Yunluo closed her eyes and then opened them. She had already made up her mind and no longer hesitated.
"Grandmother, let the matter be so. I don’t want to make a big fuss, sending word back to the Capital, making it difficult for my mother to live, and putting you in a difficult position here."
Du Yunluo’s voice was soft and gentle, reaching the ears without a trace of reluctance.
Old Mrs. Hou’s eyes reddened, and she hugged her, calling her "my dear" repeatedly. Her dear was so considerate and understanding, yet Zhen Wenqian and Mrs. Chen still considered her spoiled and refused to marry her. They truly had eyes but could not see.
However, let them not marry, let them not marry!
After what Zhen Wenqian did, he’s not fit to marry my dear.
Fortunately, it did not come to fruition. Otherwise, once this old woman closed her eyes and departed, who knows if Zhen Wenqian would have gotten drunk and bullied her dear?
If so, she would not have been able to rest under the earth and would have let Mrs. Zhen down.
Du Yunluo took out a handkerchief and wiped Old Mrs. Hou’s eyes. Even with good care, Old Mrs. Hou was over fifty, with wrinkles etched by the years at the corners of her eyes.
This reminded Du Yunluo of her own aging self from the past.
Her life was stifling, constantly facing the Bodhisattva, smelling the sandalwood, aging much more severely than Old Mrs. Hou.
But precisely because of that lifetime, she truly understood that those who smile and cater to you with sweet words are not necessarily good to you, and those who do not let you have your way, and even make you endure temporary grievances, are not necessarily bad to you.
In her previous life, acting on her impulses, she caused upheaval in Lianfu Garden, and got into conflicts with Mrs. Zhen, Du Yunru, and Du Yundi, but after stumbling through decades, she realized that those were the ones who truly cared for her.
Having understood this, how could she not comprehend Old Mrs. Hou’s hesitation at this moment?
Mrs. Zhen also held back tears, hoarsely saying to Old Mrs. Hou, "This is Yunluo’s thoughtfulness, Mother..."
Old Mrs. Hou nodded, her voice hoarse, "Grandmother knows, Grandmother knows."
As a second wife entering the family, with two relatively young sons left by the first wife, if Old Mrs. Hou wanted to gain a firm foothold in this family, to make the stepsons respect and be filial to her, it wasn’t necessarily hard, but it wasn’t simple either.
She put in countless efforts, and she knew even more that everything had to be done in moderation.
If this balance was achieved, the family could be harmonious, with loving mothers and filial sons.
Du Yunluo had raised someone else’s sons, enduring much gossip, and ended up in such a situation. Considering things from her perspective, she also needed to plan for Old Mrs. Hou’s future.
Involving Zhen Zishan and Mrs. Zhen, one a stepson, the other a biological daughter, even if Old Mrs. Hou handled things impartially, gossip would inevitably arise.
When relations were good, it didn’t matter, but if, in a few years, old grievances resurfaced, with Du Yunluo and Mrs. Zhen both in the Capital and rarely returning to Tong City, what would Old Mrs. Hou do?
A household matron with strong wings could not be easily constrained by an old woman.
In the past, as strong as Madam Wu was, when Lian Family controlled everything, no matter how heartbroken and unwilling she was, she could only pretend ignorance while knowing full well.
Du Yunluo did not want Old Mrs. Hou to end up like that.
Enduring for a moment is good for herself, for Mrs. Zhen, and for Old Mrs. Hou. So why should she indulge in a moment of passion?
In the midst of conversation, the doctor arrived.
Du Yunluo avoided the green gauze cabinet while Mrs. Zhen called Jin Rui in to help her wash her face and accompanied Old Mrs. Hou to see Old Master Zhen.
Old Master Zhen, being old and overwhelmed by anger, had his pulse checked by the doctor, who prescribed medicine and advised that he must rest quietly and cannot be upset again.
Old Mrs. Hou sat on the bed’s edge and comforted him gently.
Old Master Zhen summoned the strength to say, "That scoundrel, he cannot be let off!"
Mrs. Zhen carefully explained Du Yunluo’s meaning to Old Master Zhen. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Old Master Zhen listened, tears welling in his eyes, "At our old age, turning around and having a child worry for us."
"That’s the child’s filial piety," Old Mrs. Hou said hoarsely.
Old Master Zhen thought with closed eyes, the child’s filial piety, he also could not hurt the child’s heart.
Since dealing with Zhen Wenqian publicly was out of the question, once Mrs. Zhen took Du Yunluo back to the Capital, there would be plenty of excuses for him to discipline him.
Old Mrs. Hou couldn’t come forward, but as a grandfather, did he need to be concerned?
"Old woman," Old Master Zhen gasped, "The temple affair can’t be completely covered up. Regardless of others, getting drunk in front of the Bodhisattva is a serious offense."
Old Mrs. Hou understood and nodded, "I know, it was Qian who somehow got hold of alcohol and got drunk in front of the Bodhisattva. Sixth Sister, along with her two sisters-in-law, went to fetch spring water, and when the monks found him, several of the maids had to drag Qian back. Qian got rowdy from the alcohol in the courtyard, frightening Miss Ting and Yunluo, who were resting inside the room. They dared not open the door to intervene, and it was only when Sixth Sister and the others returned that the mess was cleared."
Old Master Zhen listened and, after a long while, said, "Let it be so."
Mrs. Zhen relayed this account to Du Yunluo.
Du Yunluo nodded and asked Jin Rui, "Did you take notes?"
Jin Rui, despite her dissatisfaction with Zhen Wenqian, understood the gravity of the situation and bowed her head, "This servant knows. The elder master of the Zhen Family was misbehaving under the influence in front of the Bodhisattva, and the maids brought him back, only for him to cause further commotion in the courtyard. Miss Ting and the Young Mistress were resting together inside, heard the noise, and sent this servant to take a look. Seeing the uproar, this servant had to guard the door with Miss Ting’s sister-in-hand, as the maids outside were handling it."
