Chapter 228 - 211: A Tale of Old Times
Chapter 228: Chapter 211: A Tale of Old Times
Tang Qingyun was halfway through swallowing a spoonful of congee and nearly choked.
Grandma Tang turned to Grandma. "Their maternal grandmother, Lin Aizhen, is also from Huizhou. Perhaps Su has heard of her?"
Grandma smiled. "Huizhou is a big place. It’s not like you can know everyone just by hearing their name."
Grandma Tang nodded. "It’s better that you don’t. Knowing her is just asking for bad luck!"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Heh. It’s an old story. I used to think what’s past is past and didn’t want to talk about it, so the children never knew. But as it turns out..." She pointed at Tang Qingyun. "You only feel deep regret after something has already happened. So today, I might as well tell you all the whole story. Lin Aizhen and I have a blood feud between us. She hypocritically claimed that since we’re now related by marriage, we should let bygones be bygones. But I’m not so easily appeased. I’ll remember it to my dying day! Decades ago, when I married into the Tang family, I was still a naive girl who knew nothing. I’d only had a few years of private tutoring at home and had never seen a Western-style school. Tang Renqian was the one who taught me Western etiquette. Back then, I was rather headstrong, willful, and demanding. My mother-in-law was even more formidable than I was. So when I didn’t have a child for over two years, she wanted to divorce me on my husband’s behalf. Without a second word, I packed my bags and left. Tang Renqian caught up with me on the road and tried to drag me back. The two of us were scuffling right there, but with his personal guards surrounding us, no one dared to get close. But then there was this Lin Aizhen. She rushed in from out of nowhere, shielded me behind her, and pointed her finger at Tang Renqian, calling him a lecher! And that’s how we met. Or more accurately, that’s how *she* and Tang Renqian met. Because after that, she never sought me out. She only looked for Tang Renqian. Tang Renqian started taking her around his social circles—they’d go horseback riding, drinking, and dancing. Lin Aizhen was a complete natural on the social scene. She was two or three years older than me, had studied abroad, spoke foreign languages, was exceptionally talented, and prided herself on having the broad-mindedness of a man! Of course, I couldn’t compare to that. I just kept a close eye on Tang Renqian and made sure my mother-in-law found out about Lin Aizhen pestering him. My mother-in-law had a forceful personality, but she was a true old-fashioned woman. She couldn’t stand women who shamelessly paraded themselves around, chasing after men. Besides, this Lin Aizhen was just a girl from a branch of the Lin Family, a study companion for one of the main family’s young ladies. Having studied abroad, she could have been well-liked and respected if she had just acted properly. But no, she had to be unconventional and flaunt it. My mother-in-law seized the opportunity to humiliate her in public. After that, almost all the upper-class families in Beijing shut their doors to her, and her social standing plummeted. That was when she came to me. But I’m not easily fooled, so of course, I ignored her. However, I had a foolish and naive cousin on my mother’s side who fell for her tricks. My cousin’s name was Fang Yulan. Yulan had come from Fengtian to Beijing to study and was living with my maternal grandparents. She would visit me at the Tang family home every week. Lin Aizhen sought out Yulan, and the two became the best of friends, like sisters... This friendship lasted for just over half a year before Yulan lost her life. And Lin Aizhen? She married Yulan’s fiancé, Wu Yu Xuan!"
Grandma Tang paused. Xiao Man couldn’t help but ask, "Why did Yulan die? Did it have something to do with Lin Aizhen?"
Grandma Tang said, "Lin Aizhen wouldn’t have dared to harm Yulan directly, but you can’t say it had nothing to do with her. Yulan was perfectly fine with me, but Lin Aizhen insisted on dragging her to West Mountain to see the autumn leaves. I refused on Yulan’s behalf and warned her not to get too close to Miss Lin, telling her she wasn’t a decent person. Yulan promised me she wouldn’t. But just two days later, the terrible news came: Yulan, Lin Aizhen, and Wu Yu Xuan had been separated by a sudden rainstorm while viewing the leaves on West Mountain. Yulan was missing, and Wu Yu Xuan had escorted Lin Aizhen down the mountain... Tang Renqian led a search party and found Yulan two days later. She had been violated... and had hanged herself in a patch of woods! After this incident, Wu Yu Xuan fell gravely ill. Not three months later, he married Lin Aizhen. The official story was that he needed a joyous occasion to ward off ill fortune, and that he and Lin Aizhen found solace in their shared grief—one had lost his fiancée, the other her best friend. They claimed only Lin Aizhen could comfort Wu Yu Xuan!"
The room fell silent. Grandma took out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes with a sigh. Hao Hao stared blankly as the two chopsticks in Xiao Man’s hands suddenly snapped in half. Tang Qingshan reached out and patted Xiao Man’s head. Tang Qingyun’s voice was slightly hoarse as he asked, "Mother, is that the grudge between you two?"
Grandma Tang gave a small smile. "Good question. But there’s more! You two brothers have never met anyone from my side of the family since you were little, have you? That’s because after my parents passed away, my uncles and aunts disowned me. All because of this incident. I bear no grudge against them, only guilt. I failed to protect Yulan. Furthermore, in my overwhelming grief and anger during that time, I lost my first child. I’ve placed the blame for all of it, without hesitation, squarely on Lin Aizhen’s head. Lin Aizhen’s brother wormed his way into the army, hoping to seize military honors during the chaos. He made a mistake, and Lin Aizhen went to your Uncle Gu to plead for him. I had him executed myself! My reason for killing him? According to an investigation, he was also at West Mountain on the day the three of them were viewing the autumn leaves. There was no conclusive evidence, but I couldn’t be bothered with all that!"