Chapter 185: Choices
Zhou Wangshu returned with his book box on his back and saw Su Yaoguang standing at the entrance. She hadn’t gone in and kept peering over to the opposite side. He followed her gaze.
"What are you looking at?"
"Shh!" Su Yaoguang made a silencing gesture. "Watching a show."
At this moment, Xiao Yanci was asking whose name was written on the deed for Fenghua Pavilion. Jiang Yihuan’s face turned even paler upon hearing his inquiry.
Xiao Yanci could already guess the answer without hearing it. The Jiang Family held Jiang Yihui in high esteem. Zhong Lanhua spoiled him relentlessly. Although Jiang Yihuan was somewhat clever, she was too soft-hearted and a filial daughter. It’s likely that under Zhong Lanhua’s influence, the property was in Jiang Yihui’s name.
The busiest and most engaged person inside and outside the shop was Jiang Yihuan. Without her, the shop would never have opened, let alone made money. Yet now she has gotten nothing.
Xiao Yanci was unwilling, but there was nothing he could do.
He supported the troubled Jiang Yihuan and said to Zhong Lanhua, "No matter what, the money Huan’er earned over the years has been given to you. You can’t let us leave empty-handed. Even if we split the family, you have to give us a portion. Once I gain a noble title, I won’t forget you as my mother-in-law; the amount I should pay respects to you won’t be less than a cent."
"Before she was married, every cent she earned should belong to the family. After she got married, the shop is mine, and the money made is naturally mine too," Jiang Yihui looked at Xiao Yanci smugly, "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You married my sister just to seize this shop and steal from me, didn’t you?"
"Brother, what about Brother Xiao and me?" Jiang Yihuan said sadly, "You can’t let us starve, can you?"
Zhong Lanhua felt a twinge of guilt.
Though she favored her son, Jiang Yihuan was also her daughter, and for years Jiang Yihuan had been making decisions for her. She had gotten used to following her arrangements.
"Hui’er, no matter what, your sister has contributed so much to this family. We can’t be too harsh. How about we give them fifty taels of silver to rent a place?"
"Don’t you want me to take care of you in your old age?" Jiang Yihui glared at Zhong Lanhua.
Zhong Lanhua turned her head away, no longer looking at Jiang Yihuan.
Jiang Yihuan was furious.
Under the stress, her body softened, falling toward Xiao Yanci.
Xiao Yanci quickly supported her. He looked coldly at Zhong Lanhua and Jiang Yihui, his eyes filled with hatred.
"For thirty years the river flows east, for thirty years it flows west. Today you look down on us, but someday you’ll beg us to return." Xiao Yanci sneered and left with Jiang Yihuan.
As he turned around, he saw Su Yaoguang and Zhou Wangshu.
Nowadays, Su Yaoguang was becoming more and more charming, and Zhou Wangshu stood by her side while she leaned on him with trust, resembling a little bird relying on its fancier.
Zhou Wangshu was handsome, and Su Yaoguang was a graceful beauty; the two indeed looked like a couple.
Xiao Yanci often lost face in front of Su Yaoguang, which made him feel even more ashamed, given he remembered his past life. But realizing that Su Yaoguang didn’t have those memories and, in her eyes, he was merely the son-in-law of the rival family, he acted as if he didn’t care and walked past with a thick face.
Only he knew how stiff his legs felt, and how cold his body felt.
He thought he could do well without Su Yaoguang, but everything he experienced lately told him that without Su Yaoguang, his life was a mess. Even marrying the one he longed for, Jiang Yihuan, felt meaningless.
The happiness he felt upon marrying Jiang Yihuan didn’t last long. He even thought of Su Yaoguang on their wedding night, wanting to leave Jiang Yihuan to find her.
"What are you all watching?" Zhang Zhaodi came out from inside, "You’ve been standing here for ages, planning to become door gods?"
"Mother, you missed a good show opposite," Su Yaoguang said, "Just now..."
Blah blah blah...
Su Yaoguang recounted the good show she had just seen to Zhang Zhaodi.
Zhang Zhaodi looked at Su Yaoguang with a surprised expression, "I used to think Zhong Lanhua was quite clever, tried every way to oppose her but always lost more. Now, I find she’s not all there mentally. Losing to someone like that, does it mean I’m even dumber than her?"
"Because she’s not normal, we normal people can’t think normally about her. You lost to her, not unjustly; normal people can’t beat a lunatic."
"You have a point," Zhang Zhaodi said, "Wang Shu, rest assured, I have only Yaoguang as a daughter, everything I have is yours."
Zhou Wangshu: "...Mother isn’t Zhong Lanhua. Even if you had sons, you wouldn’t treat us like she does."
"No wonder you’re my good son-in-law; I’m glad I didn’t spoil you for nothing." Zhang Zhaodi became even more satisfied with Zhou Wangshu. "Luckily Yaoguang chose you back then."
"Mother, let’s go inside!"
Zhang Zhaodi followed alongside them and asked curiously, "Where do you think they’ll stay tonight? Zhong Lanhua is so ruthless, not arranging a place for them."
"There’s an abandoned temple in the city; at worst, they’ll spend a night there. As for tomorrow, who knows?" Su Yaoguang replied, "Anyway, they have hands and feet; as long as they’re willing to work, they won’t starve or freeze."
"Zhong Lanhua will soon regret it. Her shop primarily relies on Jiang Yihuan to run it. Without Jiang Yihuan, that shop won’t last long."
"The most important thing is Jiang Yihui is not a good person. In fact, no one in his family is. Comparing them, Jiang Yihui is not only not a good person but a rotten one too," Su Yaoguang said, "I’ve seen him coming out of a brothel, and I’ve seen him coming out of a gambling house."
Zhou Wangshu touched his nose.
Jiang Yihui’s visits to the gambling house had something to do with him.
He simply tempted him a bit, and who knew he would really fall for it and become a regular there. Zhong Lanhua hasn’t even noticed that Jiang Yihui often steals silver to gamble. Ironically, Zhong Lanhua lacks brains, and now the one with brains, Jiang Yihuan, has been cast out.
Fenghua Pavilion is irrelevant to them; the more the Jiang Family falls into decline, the happier Zhang Zhaodi becomes.
Zhang Zhaodi loudly admitted she was a petty person who could eat three more bowls of rice when she saw her enemies having a hard time.
"Mother, stop eating." Su Yaoguang warned Zhang Zhaodi. "Even if you’re in a good mood, don’t eat so much. Be careful not to overeat and feel sick again later."
"It’s okay. Godmother has a good appetite, let her eat more. I have digestion pills," Jiang Jing said, "Godmother, eat freely; I won’t let you suffer."
"No wonder I’m so blessed; a daughter and son-in-law who are filial, a goddaughter who is considerate, and even adopted sons are respectful to me, happier than Zhong Lanhua." Zhang Zhaodi said such, but she stopped eating. "Later we’ll go see a play. There’s a new one tonight, and since we have nothing else, the whole family can relax."