C20 Captured

[That’s right. If I leave the east courtyard to please a little girl who is only about ten years old, what will happen to me? Am I really unable to tell which side is my arm and which side is my thigh?]

Tong Xiuchun was also thinking about this question. [Is Mother Zhang really an old woman who will easily betray me?]

After calming down, Tong Xiuchun said to Tan Er, “Pretend that you don’t know. For the next few days, you don’t have to do anything else except to keep an eye on Mother Zhang. If you find anything, report to me immediately.”

“Yes, your servant will do as you say,” Tan Er bowed and then hurriedly left.

…

Jiayuan, Year 24, 11th month, 10th day.

Mu Mansion.

Mother Zhang was caught. When she was sleeping soundly in the middle of the night, someone pulled her down from the bed and tied her up. Mother Zhang was about to cry for help, but her mouth was blocked. Then, she was covered with a black cloth and forced out of the door.

She didn’t know where she was taken to, and it was the cold and snowy weather. Mother Zhang was only wearing a jacket, so she was shivering and trembling. She was so scared that she was thinking about what kind of thief dared to come to the Mu Mansion to cause trouble.

After a while, Mother Zhang was brought into a room without a window. She was kneeling on the ground, and then she took off the handkerchief that covered her mouth and the black cloth that covered her eyes. She was shaken by the candlelight and could only close her eyes. In the end, she saw a woman standing in front of her. Before she could see clearly, a big ear had already slapped her on the face.

“Slap!”

The force of the slap was so strong that Ms. Zhang was completely unprepared. She fell to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. She felt pain and shock on the ground. She looked at the pair of pearl shoes that were as big as a pinky finger and her heart suddenly thumped. She hurriedly looked up and saw Tong Xiuchun’s cold and bone-chilling face.

“You ungrateful dog slave, I have planned for you for a long time, but I can’t even tell which one is you!” Tong Xiuchun said coldly.

“Madam, what, what are you saying?” Ms. Zhang was wronged to death. She couldn’t care about the pain on her face. She struggled to get up and said, “I have been serving you since I was young. You have done me a great favor. I have never betrayed you. I went to the west courtyard to serve the Lady. I did it under your orders. I followed the rules. I always reported to you in the first moment. I don’t know what I did wrong to cause you to misunderstand. Please tell me. I can explain myself!”

Tong Xiuchun sneered and sat down. He took the teacup from Tan Er and looked at Ms. Zhang with ridicule, “It seems that you won’t cry until you see the coffin.”

After saying that, Tong Xiuchun glanced at Tan Er. Tan Er understood and went to Ms. Zhang. She asked sternly, “Ms. Zhang, you colluded with the eldest son and Fang Meiyuan to frame the Lady. The evidence is conclusive. Don’t you admit it?”

Mother Zhang was shocked. "I…colluded with the eldest wife? Fang Meiyuan? And there’s evidence? Where’s the evidence? Where did it come from?!"

Tie Er sneered. "You went to Chuanxiang Restaurant every day ten days ago. Isn’t that right?"

Mother Zhang was shocked and felt guilty. However, she knew that she couldn’t fool her at this point. She forced herself to say, "That’s right. The eldest miss is thinking about her hometown. I…I did help the eldest miss buy food from Chuanxiang Restaurant every day, but…how did it get involved with Second Aunt?"

"Chuanxiang Restaurant is the property of the eldest wife’s cousin, Kang Rumei. How could you not know?" Tie Er said sternly, "You only went to Chuanxiang Restaurant to buy food every day, not to plot against the eldest wife?!"

Mother Zhang was shocked. "I didn’t know that Chuanxiang Restaurant was opened by the eldest wife’s cousin! I really didn’t know! Madam, you must be clear!"

As she spoke, Mother Zhang knocked her head on the table.