Chapter 469

Second aunt, it's no use you coming to me about this; you need to go see my uncle.

Liu Dongzhu's face showed undisguised disgust; she knew Zhang Guihua calling her out couldn't be anything good, and she said:

My Ping'an is still waiting in his room for me to take care of him; I don't have time to idle chat with you, Second Aunt. If you truly want to save my second uncle and Du Wenxuan, I suggest you go plead with my uncle or my cousin Chengze.

As soon as she came out, Zhang Guihua stood before her, having said all the nice things she could; she knew Zhang Guihua was up to something.

Indeed.

No sooner had the pleasantries ended than Zhang Guihua stood before her, pleading for help, asking her to get the county officials to release Du Guan and his son Du Wenxuan.

During this time, Zhang Guihua had gone to the county office before, but she quickly returned each time, clinging to her uncle's family and her own, saying costless pleasantries, asking them to help rescue the Du family father and son.

She initially didn't understand, given how Zhang Chengze had already treated Zhang Guihua, almost saying everything there was to say, how she dared to plead for help in front of them—until a Zhang family member who had returned from the county seat, chatting idly at the Mountain God Temple, let her clearly know the situation of the Du family father and son in the county.

They were practically treated as free corvée labor, with every dirty and tiring task assigned to the Du family father and son.

Not to mention that the Du family father and son had long been living in comfort, never having done heavy labor; even strong, able-bodied men, when ordered about like this by the county officials, would be worn half to death.

Dongzhu, Dongzhu, Dongzhu...

Zhang Guihua still wanted to say something, but seeing Liu Dongzhu's decisive departing back without a pause, as if she hadn't heard her shouts, her fawning, ingratiating smile was instantly replaced by anger, and she muttered a curse:

Good, good, good… You one or two humiliate me like this; I've exhausted all nice words, nearly ready to kneel before you, yet you still refuse to spare my husband and my child—you're driving them to a dead end. Since you've started on the first, don't blame me for going to the fifteenth!

A few days earlier, she had made a trip to the county seat: first, because she could no longer stay at the Zhang household—whether it was De Ben's family or the Zhang relatives who often came as guests, whenever they saw her they would speak in sarcastic tones and say unpleasant things; second, she was worried about the Du family father and son who had been escorted away by the county constables.

When she arrived in the county seat, preparing to go home to rest a bit before inquiring about her husband and son, she saw the Du family father and son at home, and she immediately let out a sigh of relief.

She thought De Ben still had feelings for her; although on the surface he ignored her apology, in private he had told the county magistrate to let her husband and child go.

Otherwise.

How could she possibly see the Du family father and son in her own home!

But before she could celebrate too long, the Du family father and son suddenly knelt before her, urging her to return to the Zhang household to admit fault; only then did she realize that the county magistrate allowing her husband and child to return home was not a good thing, but rather that while the constables escorted them back, they had ransacked her home.

Given their family's shared trait—loving wealth as much as life—having years of accumulation confiscated by the county constables was practically worse than killing them.

However.

The magistrate of Qingyang County is no good sort; after ransacking their home, he still didn't release her husband and son, letting them return home only because the county office had no place to assign them, so from tomorrow onward they must report to the county office every day.

Throughout the county seat, any dirty or tiring work needed her husband and son to do.

Although.

She didn't know what it was, but nine times out of ten it wouldn't be anything good, so she hurried back to Zhang Family Village; when she arrived at De Ben's home, she was about to kneel before the De Ben family, yet no one relented.

For several days straight, she had exhausted all kinds of nice words, lost all face, yet it was of no use; at that time, her heart was filled with anger.

In a fit of anger, also worried about the Du family father and son's safety, she made another trip to the county seat; not seeing them at home, she immediately went out looking for them in the county seat, where she saw the Du family father and son doing dirty and tiring work, while a constable whipped them to keep them working.

At that moment, the Du family father and son, seeing her, seemed to have found a savior; little did they expect that upon learning she had returned this time without receiving word that the De Ben family would help them, the disappointment she saw on her husband's and son's faces remains vivid in her memory to this day.

No way.

All she could do was swallow her grievance and make another trip to the Zhang household.

Wang Ping'an happily walked about on the bed, his face full of undisguised excitement, but he knew Zhang Guihua was no good, constantly watching the outside situation; even if Zhang Guihua spoke softly, he still heard, furrowed his brow, and thought to himself:

"Hearing this, it sounds like she intends to do something bad?"

Wang Ping'an was very worried that the angered Zhang Guihua, taking advantage of there being no one around, would harm his mother's life.

One was a Paper Person he had hidden outside the room; in an inconspicuous spot, the Paper Person suddenly opened its eyes.

Constantly watching Zhang Guihua, the moment she did something wicked, intending to harm his mother's life, he would immediately strike a killing blow.

Even though Zhang Guihua is his grandmother's second sister, if Zhang Guihua were to die here, his grandmother would certainly be heartbroken, but he cannot concern himself with anything else.

He has already repeatedly forgiven Zhang Guihua's life; he does so because he fears his grandmother's sorrow, but he cannot tolerate letting someone who repeatedly tries to harm his mother or his family's life continue to live in this world.

In this novel you have arrived.

However.

What left Wang Ping'an unsure whether to feel disappointed or relieved was that when Zhang Guihua sneaked away after dropping a harsh remark, she glanced hatefully at his mother's back as she entered the room, then turned and left.

"This… is she preparing to make long-term plans?"

Countless speculations rose in Wang Ping'an's mind, yet he allowed no carelessness, arranging a Paper Person to accompany Zhang Guihua on either side; should she make any rash move, he would preemptively sabotage her plot.

Ah!

Just then, a cry of alarm rang out, snapping Wang Ping'an from his myriad thoughts; he looked up to see his mother gazing at him with delighted surprise, and before he could react, Liu Dongzhu rushed over excitedly and said:

"Ping'an, my good Ping'an, you can walk?"

Wang Ping'an was about to answer—intending to express himself with a hearty laugh—when Liu Dongzhu shouted again: "Ping'an, walk some more!"

"Dongzhu, what's going on—is it that shrew Zhang Guihua who just scolded you…"

Zhang Guihua walked in from outside, and before she could finish speaking, Liu Dongzhu interrupted: "Mother, no, quickly look—our Ping'an can walk!"

(End of chapter)