EBE Chapter 235 Nightmare 1
Chapter 235 Nightmare 1
Chapter 235 A Nightmare
It snowed for several days.
The sky finally cleared up.
The sun was shining brightly, but it couldn't dispel the chill.
The capital city is very cold, much colder than Jiangzhou.
Qi Caiwei and her daughter were slightly unaccustomed to it.
Outside the city gate, there was a bustling crowd and a constant flow of traffic, a scene of prosperity.
Only then did they feel that they had truly returned to the capital and come home.
I felt much more relaxed.
Qi Caiwei originally felt guilty for leaving her son in Jiangzhou, but she was excited at the thought of seeing her parents soon.
In Jiangzhou, wherever Lu Qingyao is.
She was always looked down upon and was a concubine who was always suppressed by others.
In the capital, however, she was first and foremost the daughter of a high-ranking official, and only secondly Jiang Yunze's concubine; no one dared to disrespect her.
Jiang Zijin took a deep breath.
She felt that the air in the capital was fragrant, with a faint scent of magnolia blossoms and the aroma of wine and food wafting from restaurants and taverns.
Very familiar taste.
The past few years in Jiangzhou felt like a lifetime ago, like a nightmare.
A very, very long nightmare.
It stripped away her arrogance and erased her brilliance.
She was born and raised at the foot of the imperial city, and in her previous life, she was the mistress of this imperial city.
She felt that her fate was closely linked to the imperial city.
Otherwise, why would everything go wrong and nothing goes as planned after leaving the capital?
Now that I'm back, everything will be alright.
The carriage slowly arrived at the city gate.
Steward Wang, whom their father had sent to pick them up, was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing the carriage, he greeted them with a beaming smile.
"Madam, Third Miss, you must be very tired from your long journey. Master has already arranged for wine and food to welcome you. However, he originally wanted to come and pick you up in person, but unfortunately he has official business to attend to at the government office and will not be back until later. So he specially ordered this old servant to come and pick you up."
This steward, Wang, is her father's confidant and a lackey, whom Jiang Zijin dislikes very much.
"Let's not go back to the manor yet, let's go to the Qi manor."
A girl's clear and melodious voice came from inside the carriage.
Butler Wang's smile was somewhat stiff as he cautiously said, "Third Miss, the Old Madam is still waiting at home..."
"Is that so? Then you should go to the Qi residence yourself to inform your maternal grandfather."
The little girl's voice, though childish, carried a hint of anger, her tone authoritative and cold.
Steward Wang was taken aback. Who would dare to go against Lord Qi's wishes, not even the old lady?
He thought to himself, "This third young lady seems a bit different from before."
Without thinking much of it, he bowed and apologized, "This old servant has overstepped his bounds. Madam and Third Miss may go wherever they wish. I will take you to the Qi residence right away..."
"Let's go then."
On the way, Qi Caiwei held her daughter's hand, "Jin'er, I don't believe your father really went to the government office. He must have gone to that little bitch Tao Tao's place. Why don't we go back? I want to see how he explains himself."
Confess!
Jiang Zijin chuckled and pulled her hand away from Qi Caiwei's.
"Mother, what can you do when you go back? Make a scene with Father and ask him to send that mistress and that bastard child away?"
"Otherwise, are we supposed to keep her here for the New Year and bring her back to the mansion?" Qi Caiwei said irritably.
For a fleeting moment, she suddenly felt that her daughter's gaze was so unfamiliar and so cold.
Uneasy in my heart.
If she goes back to the Qi family now, her father might not give her a good look.
The news of what happened in Jiangzhou has probably already reached the capital.
She dared not see her father.
Jiang Zijin was quite helpless.
Is the woman in front of her really her biological mother? Why is she so simple-minded?
On her way back, she also figured out many things.
In the past, before the Lu family fell.
Since her mother didn't provoke Madam Lu, and Madam Lu didn't take her seriously either, the two lived in peace for many years.
Later, when her mother and grandmother wronged Lu, Lu did not defend herself and simply took Jiang Zifeng and Jiang Ziyan to Jiangzhou.
He immediately became a disciple of Grand Tutor Cui and won over the hearts of the people of Qingshi Town.
Looking back now, it's probably not that her mother had the upper hand; going to Jiangzhou to put herself in a life-or-death situation was what Lu Qingyao really wanted.
Now, my eldest and second eldest brothers have both passed the imperial examination and become scholars.
If they go to high school in the future, they can naturally rise to prominence through the Cui family's connections, become their father's good sons, and become the pillars of the Jiang family.
With her sons, the Lu family could rise in status and even the entire Lu clan through her two sons…
Jiang Zijin felt a chill run down her spine just thinking about it.
By then, where will Mother Jiang be in the family? Won't her marriage be affected?
She needs to consult with her maternal grandparents for a solution.
As for the mistress and that child, they absolutely cannot make a scene, otherwise they might become estranged from their father.
But we can't keep them...
The carriage slowly arrived at the Qi family's residence.
Jiang Zijin was not surprised to see her maternal grandfather and maternal grandmother, but went directly to see her stepmother.
She was her maternal grandmother, surnamed Lan.
"Grandmother, Jin'er misses you so much." Jiang Zijin nestled in Lan Shi's arms, acting coquettishly, her little girl demeanor was incredibly endearing.
Madam Lan gently stroked her granddaughter's head, gazing at her little face, and said tenderly, "You've gotten fairer, even more striking... The scenery of Jiangzhou is truly nourishing, but you've become a bit thin..."
As he spoke, he popped a candied fruit into his granddaughter's mouth.
When she looked up at her daughter again, her smile vanished.
The thick layer of makeup on her face couldn't conceal the weariness and age etched on her features, nor the faint, indistinct scars...
"Wei'er, what happened to you? What happened to you? And Pei'er, why didn't she come back with you?"
Qi Caiwei lowered her head, not daring to look at her mother.
Her mother is already a grandmother, but she is still so radiant and doesn't look old at all.
She was clearly not much younger than her stepmother, but she looked about ten years younger. I have no idea what her mother ate.
"She's such a worry, why don't you say something?" Madam Lan was both angry and heartbroken as she looked at her daughter.
“Grandmother, my mother suffered a lot in Jiangzhou. That Lu family climbed up to the Cui family and targeted my mother at every turn. The officials’ wives and noble ladies in Jiangzhou also looked down on my mother and made things difficult for her at every turn. The wife of the Prefect Qin, Wang, even beat my mother and slashed her face…” Jiang Zijin said slowly.
The more miserable her mother was, the more her maternal grandparents would feel sorry for her and be unable to blame her.
"My younger brother did not do well in the preliminary examination and is ashamed to face you and my maternal grandfather, so he wants to stay in Jiangzhou to study and return to the capital after passing the preliminary examination next year."
Madam Lan was furious, but she still couldn't bear to scold her daughter.
His expression softened slightly.
He said gently, "You and your daughter shouldn't go back to the Jiang residence yet. Rest for a few days, and then Jiang Yunze will come to pick you up personally..."
Qi Caiwei pursed her lips and couldn't help but ask, "Mother, what about the mistress? Should we have someone secretly kidnap her?"
Lan poked her forehead. "Foolish! You've dirtied your hands for a country bumpkin. Don't you have a brain?"
……