Free Web NovelChapter 142: Chapter 142
Chapter 142
Yueqian’s eyes flashed for just a few seconds before the expression disappeared without anyone noticing. Feixian, having helped Ailing sit up, smirked to herself.
Since the Qin family wanted her to be ill so badly, she would make sure it happened for real, but this illness would be a genuine disease from a faraway city!
The goal was not only to make the principal wife of the Qin family suffer but also to accuse Yueqian, who had traveled from that distant city. If such a demon could return, then let her bring back the destruction of her own mother!
Feixian wanted to avenge the scar on her face with her life!
Her sinister plan, unless discovered by an expert, would be impossible to detect. It seemed Feixian had been planning for a long time. She wanted to remove her love rival, Yueqian, from her path, and Ailing was a personal vendetta that had lingered for a long time. After all... who made Ailing love her own daughter exclusively and take advantage of the other children?!
In Feixian’s mind, if Ailing weren’t around, Yueqian wouldn’t be so arrogant. She was relying solely on being the daughter of the principal wife to flaunt her status everywhere. Once her mother passed away, everything would definitely change.
Was the position of Young General’s principal wife reserved only for the daughter of the principal wife? If the principal wife were gone, wouldn’t that mean she was powerless? Therefore, he should look for a new wife. If he still held onto his promise to the Qin family, then she should be the next person he would choose. freewebnovёl.ƈom
She was the second young miss of the household, the next unmarried daughter, so the position of Young General’s principal wife should belong to her as well.
What Feixian didn’t know was that if a change were indeed necessary, Furen Deng wouldn’t choose another from the Qin family. She had many options at her disposal. Why should she settle for the daughter of a secondary wife? Wouldn’t it be better to form alliances with others?
Of course, Yueqian didn’t care about anyone else’s plans or thoughts. They could think or do whatever they wanted, as long as they didn’t bother her. The beauty glanced at her mother, who was pretending to be ill, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
Since there was poison involved, she might as well take this opportunity to "eliminate" the dangerous elements from the Qin family!!
"Mother, you’ve awakened?" Yueqian displayed a heavily concerned expression, moving to take her mother from Feixian. She maintained her apparent distrust of Feixian, who could only put on a sorrowful face and retreat to the corner.
Well... she had completed her part of the plan. The rest was to incite misunderstandings among others, which would take some time. She wanted to deal with Yueqian as quickly as possible, but she knew that she should not rush a major scheme, or else it could lead to mistakes.
"Cough, cough. Qian, Qian’er, my dear child!" Her mother’s pretense was far from convincing. Claiming to be seriously ill, yet she could leap into Yueqian’s embrace like this. Anyone else would have had their doubts.
Yueqian not only pretended not to see the inconsistency, but she also managed to look genuinely worried.
"How are you, Mother? Yueqian is unfilial for letting you fall ill without taking care of you. Now that I’m here, please tell me how you are. I will definitely call the imperial physician to tend to you," Yueqian was extremely anxious, as she caressed her mother’s body as if checking for injuries.
Seeing this behavior, everyone involved in the scheme secretly laughed. They knew that Yueqian and her mother had a very close relationship. Her mother had always supported and helped her, so despite being seen as despicable by others, their bond was genuine.
"I’m fine. Now that my Qian’er is back, I’m happy," Ailing cried, hugging her daughter with immense joy.
"Yes, Yueqian came back to reassure you, Mother. There’s no need to worry about me anymore. Look, you’re much thinner than I am. Your daughter has been eating well and has even gained weight," she boasted to her mother.
Since others said that her mother was worried about her hardships, she just needed to show her mother that she wasn’t struggling!
Hearing this joke, Ailing was momentarily stunned. Her nervous behavior almost made Furen Deng want to hit herself in the head. Fortunately, Yueqian, being a fool, didn’t notice Ailing’s frantic plea for help, allowing Furen Deng to manage the situation.
"Your skin has darkened so much. Your mother must be heartbroken seeing you work so hard, doing all the household chores yourself without any servants. Who would let their daughter suffer like that?"
When Furen Deng gave her a way out, Ailing quickly nodded.
"Indeed, my Qian’er, you have no servants at all. Living so far away, I wouldn’t know if you were sick. From now on, I want you to stay here, stay with me in the capital," she played the role of a loving mother. Yueqian chuckled softly to herself. The exchange of glances with her mother made her feel quite sympathetic towards her.
"You don’t know yet, but I bought some servants as well. After returning, I plan to buy another ten. I won’t let myself live in hardship. If you’re worried about my life being difficult, then give me three of your dowry shops. I’ll have plenty of gold taels to spend, and my life won’t be difficult," Yueqian proposed.
The person who suggested it knew full well that her request was impossible. They called her back to the capital because they wanted her to rejoin the Qin family and marry Young General, as previously discussed.
As for her mother’s dowry shops, even Qin Majiao wanted them. Did he think they’d end up in Yueqian’s hands?
"That’s out of the question," Qin Majiao, unable to contain his frustration at the thought of losing the long-coveted property, immediately retorted with displeasure.
Yueqian tilted her head, looking at the family head with feigned confusion.
"I wasn’t talking about the Qin family’s assets. No matter how “many shops” the Qin family has, I’m not interested. However, my mother’s dowry from the Li family should be mine someday."
"Mother has no other sons or daughters. Instead of keeping it, wouldn’t it be better to give me a portion now? Since mother is worried about me living a hard life without servants to serve me, I’m simply offering a solution. Mother, living in the Qin household, no matter how bad things are, will always have people from the Qin family to call upon. Therefore, there’s no need to use the dowry money, right? Or... are you actually using the dowry for the Qin household’s expenses these days?!"
Yueqian feigned shock, placing a hand on her chest. What kind of noble household would let a wife use her dowry to support the family? Wouldn’t that imply the household’s leader is utterly incompetent?
Moreover, she mentioned the numerous shops under the Qin family’s care, but everyone knew those shops were more of a financial burden. Every day of trading brought no profit, yet the Qin family couldn’t bring themselves to sell them because doing so would harm their reputation.
In the end, part of the profits from her mother’s dowry shops had to be used to cover the expenses of the Qin family’s shops. This was something only the insiders knew.
Yueqian, who had always pretended to be ignorant, couldn’t possibly understand! Her current behavior was perfect. She still believed in the grandeur of the Qin family. Seeing this foolish demeanor, Qin Majiao wanted to beat her to death!
"Well, that...”
"Why are you acting so strangely? It’s as if my mother’s dowry is under your control more than my mother’s," Yueqian touched her chin, staring at Qin Majiao, who was unwilling to return her mother’s property.
Even Furen Deng began to find Qin Majiao’s behavior odd. She frowned in confusion. When the daughter came to claim her mother’s dowry, the mother said nothing, but the father, who had no right in this matter, was making an ugly scene.
Qin Majiao initially wanted to say more, but he didn’t know what to say. In front of the Deng family, if he admitted that he wouldn’t give up Ailing’s dowry because the Qin family would suffer without it, in the future, this matter would definitely be known by the entire capital.
It seemed inviting Furen Deng this time was a big mistake. Not only had they failed to coax Qin Yueqian back into the Qin family, but now they were being pressured to return property that should belong to the Qin family.
"Leader of the Qin family?" Yueqian pressed on relentlessly. Even Furen Deng remained silent on this matter. To her, participating in taking someone else’s dowry was not the right thing to do.
Moreover, Yueqian was the future wife of her son. If she brought a good dowry, wouldn’t that significantly support Young General in the future? Thus, not only did Furen Deng refrain from helping the Qin family leader, her silent stance made him feel even more pressured.
“I’m just worried that you won’t be able to manage the shops properly. If you have more insight and maturity in the future, then you can take them back,” Qin Majiao declared. While he couldn’t outright refuse now, delaying was still an option.
“Is that so? And what right do you have to worry about me?” Yueqian laughed helplessly. She fixed her gaze on the tall figure of her father, this despicable man who took advantage of everyone.
“You!” Upon hearing that, Qin Majiao was furious. He pointed a trembling finger at Yueqian. Did he think she would be scared?
“Isn’t it you who lacks insight? I’m demanding what is rightfully mine because I don’t trust you! Previously, you used your emotions to force me into marriage with a man from the Mu family and even disowned me from the Qin family. All of it was because of your stupidity. Now you want me back in the family and are trying every possible way to pressure me. Do you think I don’t know?”
“Thus, your current decision shows me you are completely untrustworthy! Moreover... even if I were to ruin the dowry, what does it have to do with you? Compared to you, my mother cares more about my well-being than you do. She fell ill from worrying about me, so if she wants to use her dowry to make my life a bit more comfortable, what’s your problem?”
“This dowry of mine, whether it flourishes or fails, has nothing to do with you. Let alone that you don’t even have the right to make decisions for me. We are not even part of the same family anymore, so there’s no need for you to think on my behalf.”
“The only person who can think on my behalf and decide for me now is the husband you all are so eager to find for me. According to the virtues you’ve taught, a woman must obey her parents before marriage and her husband after marriage. Everything from the family of origin should be discussed with the husband first, or has the Qin family’s teaching changed? Furen Deng, honestly... if they remain like this, even if I marry into Young General’s household, it will be you who suffers.”
“One day, if they want me to spy on Young General and sell his secrets, I would have to do it, wouldn’t I?!” Yueqian not only spoke of her own situation but also implicated the general’s household.
Upon hearing this, Furen Deng’s face turned visibly grim.
