Chapter 983 - 985 Why is this necessary?_1
Bai Ruozhu’s body stiffened, and Jiang Yichun had no choice but to stop his movements, smiling wryly as he said, "I’ll accompany you to take a look, you go ahead, I’ll follow shortly."
She smiled apologetically at him, pecked his cheek lightly, and whispered in a voice as tiny as a mosquito’s buzz, "I’ll make it up to you tonight."
Jiang Yichun glared at her, "Hurry up, you’re torturing me!"
She blushed, glancing in a certain direction, and indeed, a tent had already been pitched, no wonder he asked her to go out first, he needed to come out later...
Once she left the room, Bai Ruozhu’s face grew cold, someone dared to hit Guizhi, no matter which official’s lady it was, she wouldn’t let them off!
"Prepare a horse, I’m going to the Hot Spring Mansion right now!" Bai Ruozhu ordered the servants to ready the horse, then turned her head to question the maid who came to report.
The maid, still a bit out of breath from running, gasped, "It’s, it’s a village woman, she claims to be Miss Second’s birth mother, saying that Miss Second has no filial piety, won’t recognize her own mother, and even asked the guests to judge her behavior, then slapped Miss Second across the face."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ruozhu’s face turned pale with anger, it was not a guest making trouble, but Fang Guizhi’s mother!
Guizhi was supposed to go to the Capital with her, and it wasn’t necessary to visit the Hot Spring Mansion. She had promoted one of her subordinates, a woman who was in charge of affairs, to be the Hot Spring Mansion’s female steward, taking over the tasks from Guizhi’s hands. But Guizhi said she would stay for another two days, to give the woman time to adapt, yet Guizhi’s mother unexpectedly sought her out!
It must be Zhou Taohua, she was still too lenient with her!
...
Outside the gates of the Hot Spring Mansion, a crowd had gathered. Guizhi’s mother was blocking her way, yelling and scolding, saying a lot about how Guizhi despised poverty and loved wealth, had recognized someone else as her parents, and looked down upon her own poor parents. Guizhi’s face was swollen on one side from the beating, and tears streamed down her face.
To the outsiders, she was the Fang Family’s second daughter, who they met with additional courtesy on ordinary days at the Hot Spring Mansion. These days, Guizhi’s demeanor and confidence had grown a lot, but now her mother shattered it cruelly, and her dignity was trampled underfoot as well.
There were no guards arranged inside the Hot Spring Mansion, as it had originally promised that there wouldn’t be any male servants. There were only a few guards stationed outside the mansion, ready to send messages to the City at the first sign of trouble, and the ladies of the big families brought their own guards, all keeping watch at the entrance, ensuring their safety.
Thus, now there were quite a few guards and maids as onlookers, enjoying the spectacle.
Guizhi opened her mouth several times, really wanting to order the guards to take her mother away, but she couldn’t do that. Others could speak up, but she couldn’t, after all, that was her birth mother.
And Guizhi’s mother was not an ordinary troublemaker. Because she had been too rowdy before, guards had already dragged her away once, but after two hours she ran back to the entrance causing trouble again.
Now, Guizhi’s mother sat on the ground wailing, crying while stealthily watching Guizhi with the corners of her eyes. Seeing Guizhi secretly shedding tears, she sneered in her heart. Did that wretched girl really think she was something? Was she not completely subdued by her own hands?
Zhou Taohua told her that Guizhi owned a Hot Spring Mansion where the daily income in silver was counted in the hundreds, so why wouldn’t Guizhi take care of her own birth mother now that she was well-off?
Guizhi’s mother had previously been rebuffed by Bai Ruozhu and did not fully trust Zhou Taohua, but Taohua swore a curse, "If I am lying to you, may I die a horrific death. Think about it, Ruozhu and Guizhi are so close, if Ruozhu became wealthy, wouldn’t she take care of Guizhi? You should go to Beiyu City yourself and inquire, or find that Hot Spring Mansion to see for yourself, everyone is saying your Guizhi is now the second young miss of the Bai Family."
She was swayed by Zhou Taohua’s words at that time, coupled with the constant marginalization she faced from her daughter-in-law at home and the beatings from her son, she simply gathered some silver and ran to Beiyu City, and indeed she had come to the right place!
Guizhi’s body slightly wobbled, as if she was about to fall, but it was the maid Chengyu next to her who supported her, allowing her to steady herself.
Clenching her teeth, she said, "Have you made enough trouble? Since you want to make a scene, let’s air everything out in the open, it’s just as well there are so many people here today, and we might as well have them judge fairly."
The onlookers perked up upon hearing that Guizhi was about to fight back, with many guests who had finished soaking also moving closer to see what was really going on. The Bai Family’s second young miss was known for her warmth and sincerity, even somewhat naively straightforward, and didn’t seem like someone who would abandon her own parents.
Tears fell from Guizhi’s eyes even more fiercely as she proceeded to speak words that would not only slap her mother in the face but also bring shame upon herself, but she could not keep silent, nor could she let her mother’s ranting disgrace the Bai Family’s reputation.
"It was you who sold me to the Xie Residence as a slave for silver in the first place, the indenture contract was a death bond, I am now a servant of my master’s house, how could it be that I don’t recognize you, how could it be that I’m enjoying riches and honors but not giving you money?" Guizhi enunciated each word as if she were reopening a hidden wound within her heart, causing her whole body to tremble with pain.
Guizhi’s mother sprang up from the ground, pointing at Guizhi’s nose and scolded, "Stop pretending, with such good relations between you and Bai Ruozhu, wouldn’t she help you buy out your contract? Her family has even taken you in as a goddaughter; the fact is you just don’t want to acknowledge your own parents, don’t use these as excuses."
"Ruozhu could buy out the contract for me, but I have not agreed; I owe her too much already. The path I walk is my own, and if I am to buy out the contract, I will do so for myself in the future. Now I am just assisting the Xie Residence here, every penny here belongs to Bai Family and Xie Family, how could I, a slave bound by a death contract, steal my master’s wealth?"
Previously, Bai Ruozhu had returned and told Guizhi about what had happened in the village, including the explanation she had given Guizhi’s mother. Now Guizhi repeated those words again.
The onlookers were abuzz upon hearing this; it turned out that the person managing the Hot Spring Mansion was a slave of the Xie Residence, bound by a death contract!
"Hmmph, you just refuse to recognize me. Ask anyone if they would believe such talk," Guizhi’s mother said, looking towards a well-dressed maid nearby.
However, the maid responded, "I believe it. I think no one would want to admit they are a slave of someone else’s household. You were heartless in selling your daughter back then, don’t come here causing trouble for her now."
An embarrassed look appeared on Guizhi’s mother’s face as she said, "I had no choice back then, the betrothal money for my eldest son’s marriage was not enough."
Guizhi snorted coldly, "Was it really not enough? Or was it because a new servant had come to our house, deeming me unnecessary, and you deliberately chose a time to sell me off for a good price? Why don’t you mention how you used to tie me to a chair every day before selling me, forbidding me to eat, forbidding me to sleep? When you received that silver, I made it clear, I have settled my debt with you."
By the time Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun arrived at the entrance of Hot Spring Mansion, there was nothing they could do to stop what had unfolded. Seeing Guizhi with a swollen face and a resolute look in her eyes, tears also began to fall from Ruozhu’s eyes.
"Silly girl, why must you do this?"