Chapter 143: The Kite String in Hand

Chapter 143: The Kite String in Hand

Lu Mingchao remained calm and composed.

She had even considered killing Sun Zhiye, let alone Xie Yan.

Xie Yan didn’t respond, just tightened his grip on Lu Mingchao’s hand.

Choosing not to kill wasn’t cowardice but self-control.

"A Yan, I’d like to see the old servant who worked for the Cheng family."

"On the ninth day of the fifth month, she collected abortion herbs from clinics—it wasn’t for no reason. In court, she defended and denied it at all costs. Was it just loyalty from her past service?"

The wind howled, slamming against the doors and windows of shops lining the street.

"Alright."

Xie Yan’s voice was lost in the howling wind.

Lu Mingchao couldn’t help but smile faintly, appreciating him. When A Yan was expressionless, he exuded an air of quiet pride.

The winter wind roared like a tiger, driving birds and sparrows into hiding.

The wind howled relentlessly, swaying the bare trees.

Lu Mingchao thought the wind in Lianhua Town felt colder and harsher than in Changhe County.

Taoyuan Alley in Lianhua Town.

The alley was narrow, its walls pressing in on both sides. Chickens clucked, dogs barked, and neighbors scolded and chatted.

The winter sun was weak, nothing like the summer’s heat. It couldn’t pierce the alley’s gloom or melt the icy road.

Xie Yan gripped Lu Mingchao’s hand as they walked cautiously.

At the old servant’s door, they knocked gently.

The door creaked open, revealing a sharp-eyed middle-aged woman. Her messy black hair was tucked under a worn headscarf. Her eyes darted about, sharp and calculating.

It was the old servant woman's daughter-in-law.

Seeing their fine clothes, she flashed a fawning yet oddly sincere smile. "Which noble family do you belong to, young master and lady?"

"Please, come in."

The middle-aged woman beamed, eagerly welcoming them.

The cramped courtyard held a hunched man chopping wood under the eaves. He froze, axe in hand, at the sight of them.

The middle-aged woman gave the man a light push. "Husband, what are you standing there for? Go and make some sweet water for our distinguished guests."

The man snapped out of his daze, nodding hurriedly in agreement.

"No need," Lu Mingchao said softly.

A quick glance was enough to tell that this family was living a tight and difficult life.

The middle-aged woman's smile stayed just as bright, unchanged.

Lu Mingchao got straight to the point.

The middle-aged woman's smile instantly faded, her eyebrows and lips drooping.

Lu Mingchao didn't seem to care, dropping two taels of silver into the woman's palm, and said with a seemingly puzzled yet indifferent tone, "Seeing as you, sister-in-law, are so good at managing the household frugally, and your husband is honest and hardworking, how come life is so tight for you?"

"Is it a bad year, or has something gone wrong?"

Lu Mingchao's voice held a hint of concern, without a trace of mockery, as if she was genuinely chatting about everyday matters.

The middle-aged woman hefted the silver in her hand, and her expression instantly shifted from the cold of winter to the blooming warmth of spring. "You're very kind, ma'am."

"The most important thing is not the bad year, but being stuck with bloodsuckers that won't let go."

Thanks to the two taels of silver, the middle-aged woman was in a much better mood and spoke a bit more. "My mother-in-law is old, but she still holds onto the family's money. We, along with my husband, are quite filial to her, and that's not a problem."

"But what's uncomfortable is that my mother-in-law isn't just managing the money; she's saving up the money we earn through hard work for her no-good nephew. It really leaves a sour taste in our mouths."

"Me, I'm sewing, washing, cooking, and helping in the kitchen every day, my eyes are nearly worn out, and my hands are frozen stiff, almost rotting. My husband is the same, doing all the dirty and hard work. But in the end, the money we earn goes into the pockets of my mother-in-law's nephew, and our family can only live a tight life, barely getting by."

"This run-down courtyard, which you might not even glance at, was only kept because my husband and I held a knife to our necks to defend it."

"According to my mother-in-law, this courtyard should go to her family."

The resentment in the middle-aged woman's voice was almost overflowing.

Lu Mingchao sighed empathetically, saying softly, "Sister-in-law, you've suffered, but with filial piety weighing on you, you can't even speak your mind."

"It's pitiful. Even I, an outsider, can't help but feel heartache for you."

"Old Lady Yang cares for her nephew, but why doesn't she work to earn her own money, instead of using the hard-earned money of you and your husband to help her family?"

"I've heard from folks in Lotus Town that Old Lady Yang is quick and efficient."

"She was doing well at the Cheng family, why did she suddenly stop? If Old Lady Yang earned more, you'd have a bit more to spare."

Hearing this, the middle-aged woman looked at Lu Mingchao as if she were looking at a flower, her smile becoming much more affectionate.

"Exactly, as a daughter-in-law, with filial piety hanging over you, you can't fight back or talk back, you can only endure silently, swallowing even the greatest grievances with blood, waiting for the day when you become the mother-in-law after years of being a daughter-in-law."

"To be honest with you, ma'am, my mother-in-law quit her job at the Cheng family herself."

"At that time, my mother-in-law was determined not to work for Master Cheng anymore, saying that the Cheng family was a pile of crap. My husband and I tried to persuade her many times, but she just wouldn't listen, so we had to let her be."

Lu Mingchao's eyes flickered slightly, as if surprised. "How could that be?"

"Old Lady Yang staunchly defended the Cheng family father and daughter in the county court, and the common folk who watched all praised the deep bond between master and servant."

The middle-aged woman sneered, "That might be because the idea of a toad wanting to eat swan meat came back to life."

"Master Cheng's daughter, no matter her flaws, is no match for my mother-in-law's nephew, who's into drinking, whoring, and gambling."

Lu Mingchao's eyebrow twitched.

A toad wanting to eat swan meat?

After a moment of thought, she said, "Help in emergencies, not with poverty; help with poverty, not with gambling. Gambling is a bottomless pit, and even if Old Lady Yang had all the money in the world, it wouldn't be enough to fill it."

"Madam said it’s like a toad lusting after swan meat—could Old Lady Yang have actually considered marrying Cheng Zhi off to her nephew from her maiden family?"

"How audacious, to even think of coveting the master’s daughter."

"With Madam saying this, I suspect Old Lady Yang might not have resigned from her job on her own."

"Was she fired by the master for messing up?" The middle-aged woman instinctively responded.

Lu Mingchao didn’t confirm or deny, her face growing more unreadable.

"It’s not something to be spoken of."

"Today I only meant to ask again if Old Lady Yang had really bought abortion medicine for Cheng Zhi, never expecting to hear Madam’s grievances."

"What a pleasant surprise."