"Mum, why do I feel like sothing isn’t quite right?" After hearing Lady Zhang’s words, Lian Zhizhi suddenly said, "Even if the Main Wife of the Lian Family doesn’t want Brother Jizu to send the ssage, couldn’t my uncle send it? Isn’t my uncle more acquainted with Constable Zhou? Why on earth would they have my sister-in-law go?"
"You make a good point," Lady Zhang glanced at Lian Zhizhi and, after pondering, nodded, "A son may not be her own flesh and blood, but a husband is not an outsider after all... Is the wife of Jizu lying?"
"Not necessarily," Lian Manman didn’t think so. "Mum, sis, do you rember after Brother Erlang and Sister-in-law Xiu E got married, during the New Year, soone from the Song Family ca, right?"
"Yes, I rember," Lady Zhang and Lian Zhizhi both nodded.
"Do you rember what the person from the Song Family was here for?" Lian Manman asked.
"It was to invite your aunt to go stay with Huahua for a while," Lady Zhang said.
"Exactly," Lian Manman smiled, "They asked for my aunt, but they didn’t ntion my uncle, Brother Jizu, or my sister-in-law."
At that ti, Lady Gu was suffering the most from Lady Zhou’s tornt. Accustod to living a life of ease, Lady Gu naturally found it increasingly intolerable. Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu dared not speak up for her, unable to help with anything. Lady Gu, wishing to escape her misery, could only turn to Lian Huahua for help. Although Lian Jizu and Lian Shouren were not tornted, life in the old rural house couldn’t compare with their life in the town. They naturally also wanted to leave and seek refuge with Lian Huahua.
One could say, at that ti, everyone in the Main House of the Lian Family was hoping Lian Huahua would rescue them. But given the circumstances then, even if Lian Huahua was willing, it wouldn’t have been possible to take them all back to the town at once.
"Wouldn’t it be the sa to have your uncle ask Constable Zhou to send a ssage, first taking your aunt over, then gradually the others?" Lady Zhang said.
"Mum, it’s different," Lian Manman said, "At least my aunt probably wouldn’t see it that way."
Under those circumstances, Old Master Lian would never let Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu return to the town. Only she had a chance of being "invited" to go take care of Lian Huahua.
"Does your aunt have a personal agenda against your uncle and Jizu?" Lady Zhang asked in surprise.
"Perhaps," Lian Manman, seeing Lady Zhang’s reaction, ambiguously smiled and said, "Mum, not everyone is like you, so devoted to dad without a single selfish thought. As you also said, Brother Jizu isn’t really the biological son of my aunt, so naturally, there is a barrier."
Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu both enjoyed comfort and luxury, and if they knew there was a chance to return to the town, they’d be "anxious" as well. For Lady Gu trying to escape her suffering, this wouldn’t be helpful at all. For instance, if there were only one chance to escape, Lady Gu would certainly treasure it; she wouldn’t allow for any accidents.
Unaware of the situation, through Lady Chiang, Constable Zhou, Zhou’s wife (this Lian Manman deduced, as Constable Zhou wouldn’t directly pass a ssage to Lian Huahua, it must be relayed through another person—perhaps a steward in the Song Residence won over by Lian Huahua, a servant, or Zhou’s woman, who could go directly to see Lian Huahua), they sent a ssage to Lian Huahua, after which the Song Residence sent soone to pick up Lady Gu.
Lady Gu, seizing the opportunity to go to the town, thus escaped her suffering, and before leaving, she promised to devise a way to later bring Lian Shouren, Lian Jizu, and their family to the town. Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu could only be grateful to her, without other thoughts.
Moreover, there was one more thing...
Lady Gu suffered in the old house, whereas Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu, in comparison, were virtually unhard, unable to offer any help to Lady Gu. Wouldn’t she harbor any resentnt in her heart?
"That does sound like sothing your aunt would do," Lady Zhang, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but sigh, "All this scheming, isn’t it exhausting? We’re better off, not having so many thoughts, living simply, happy in our foolishness every day."
Lian Manman and Lian Zhizhi both laughed.
"What is our sister-in-law thinking with this half-truth, half-lie approach?" Lian Zhizhi asked.
"The truths she told were probably bottled up inside her for a long ti. It clears her heart to talk about it with us. Plus, she’s probably hoping to use our mother’s words to clear her na in front of others," Lian Manman said.
Lady He of the second house was soone who couldn’t sit still at ho. Sotis Lian Manman even felt that Lady He, in a way, could be considered a "social whirlwind." Lady He wasn’t particularly smart or eloquent, but she loved to talk, and there was no household she couldn’t enter, no person she couldn’t strike up a conversation with.
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