Who Cares – Chapter 101
Chapter 101 Who to Love
On the surface Ye Zhen was gentle and agreeable, , but in fact, she was the most competitive. In the early years, relying on her extraordinary looks, she was able to entice a few noble children, later when she entered the palace, her heart became higher and higher. Even when she fell to the current situation, she would never admit defeat easily. What should belong to her, she would take it back by any means; What she rejected, even if it was destroyed, it couldn’t be taken away by others.
She was already very jealous of Guan Suyi, and now when she had choice but to return to the Zhao family, she naturally aimed at the main wife’s position. The Guan family paid great attention to honor, righteousness, benevolence, and forgiveness, never doing things to the extreme. Fighting with Guan family’s daughter, only need a few round to determine who’s the winner and who’s the loser. At that time, she would not only take back the main wife’s position, but also let the other person’s reputation be destroyed and her rank be abolished, so she could completely suppressed her.
So at the beginning of the ceremony, she grabbed Zhao Luli and the two children to show her former status, and then went to talk to Guan Suyi, on the surface expressing her kindness but secretly provocative. She predicted the other person was someone who cared more about the overall situation and would never compete with her. Today she could take the initiative to let her entertain the guests, tomorrow let her preside over sacrificial ceremony, the day after tomorrow dispatched the servants, and manage the account books the day after that… As long as she took a step down, in the future, she would have to retreat step by step, and sooner or later hand over the authority of central-feed.
Inching forward had always been Ye Zhen’s forte. After seeing Guan Suyi, she had anticipated very well what she should say and do. But she never thought that Guan Suyi wouldn’t play by the rules. Shouldn’t she decline with a few words, and then because of her reputation let herself entertain the guests? Seven, seven, forty-nine days, as long as she show her face and make enough gesture, and then find someone to publicize her identity as the main di wife, shouldn’t the Guan family take the initiative to give in because of morality and ethics?
With Zhao Luli protecting her and her two children helping her, she was ninety percent sure that she would get the equal wife position after the sacrificial ceremony, and one hundred percent sure that within two years Guan Suyi would be ruined and leave the Zhao Mansion. But she didn’t think that the first thing Guan Suyi told her to do was not to entertain guests, but to change the clothes of the dead.
Had she ever experienced a little bit of suffering since she was a child? Everyone who met her, who didn’t hold her in the palm of their hand and took care of her? How dare she?
Ye Zhen was so angry that she wanted to vomit blood, but she couldn’t take back her words, so she had no choice but look at Zhao Luli.
“Forget it, Zhen’er has a weak temperament, timid as a bean, and has never met sister-in-law, it’s inevitable for her to be afraid. Madam, don’t be hard on her.” As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Luli was stunned in his heart.
He suddenly realized that he had said something wrong, what was “Madam don’t be hard on her”? It was as if Madam bullied Ye Zhen on purpose. However, Madam was always quick to talk, when she had something to say then say it. Ye Zhen ran to ask just as she was about to change sister-in-law’s clothes, so she spoke directly. She had a strong personality and very brave, how could she think of how terrifying this kind of thing for ordinary women?
What would she do if she decided that he was deliberately partial to Ye Zhen and choose her between the two of them? Thinking of this, Zhao Luli was already in cold sweat, felt really confuse.
After more than half a year of getting along, he knew enough about Madam’s temperament. When faced with this kind of thing, ordinary people might argue with reason; or they would compromise; or they would pretend to be generous and then slowly figure it out. But Madam always , and , and would never entangle herself for a status; not to mention the two Mount Tai were both lofty and unyielding characters, not only would not dissuaded her, but would immediately ask for reconciliation decree.
In the past, he humiliated her several times, Madam would not leave; The Zhao family was in great catastrophe, Madam wife would not leave; He was was thrown into prison, Madam would not leave; As soon as Ye Zhen return, she left. Others would not scold her for being ruthless, but would praise her for her generosity and .
In short, if she choose to stay, she would definitely suffer grievances; if she choose to leave, she would have a more splendid future. With the power and prestige of the Guan family, and with her own talent and conduct, she was enough to match the best men in the Wei Kingdom.
Zhao Luli’s face gradually turned pale, and the joy of reuniting with his ex-wife now turned into confusion and fear. Only then he vaguely discovered that he could no longer be separated from Madam, and when he briefly imagined the situation without Madam, he felt like a knife has cut his heart, and the pain even reach the bone marrow.
“I didn’t mean it that way.” He said anxiously at Madam’s mocking eyes, “I’m not blaming Madam…”
“Dad,” Zhao Chunxi interrupted his increasingly worse explanation, and said solemnly, “I will accompany mom inside to change the clothes for second aunt. Since mother is timid as a bean, then let her kneel outside and recite the scriptures, don’t care about anything. What was our family’s situation when she fell into the water, and what is it like now? Not to mention the guests, I’m afraid she doesn’t even recognize her relatives and friends, so how can she help?”
When the words fell, she pressed down Ye Zhen’s shoulders, which seemed gentle, but in fact implied a warning, “Mother, you haven’t returned for many years, and there have been many changes in the family. If you want to help, don’t be in a hurry, just clarify the situation first. I’ll go in and come out to accompany you later, don’t be afraid.”
Ye Zhen originally thought she was being helped out, but turned out she was pushed into the pit by her daughter. When she as an older sister-in-law dare not help dressed her younger sister-in-law’s body; when she as a mother wanted her daughter to just rush forward, it showed how lowly and cowardly she was, really couldn’t be put on the stage! Where was this helping her, it clearly hurting her!
After the funeral, how many people would compare her to Guan Suyi, who was both loyal and brave? How many people would look down on her, and then say the difference was like clouds and mud? Ye Zhen had already lost once, and the ending was tragic, and she would never tolerate a second time.
She gritted her teeth and forced a smile, “You’re young and your eight character is weak, I’m afraid you won’t be able to suppress the obscurity, so don’t be arrogant. When my accident happened, sister-in-law hadn’t even been through the door, and now with great difficulty finally met but then forever separate. I’ll just take this opportunity to say goodbye and send her on her last journey. You stay and entertain the guests, I’ll go.”
Zhao Chunxi cheated her mother one round, she should quit while she’s ahead, squinted her eyes, and watched her enter the mourning hall with no expression on her face. Where was she still the ignorant, superficial and restless little girl she used to be? The Zhao family had experienced several ups and downs, she had also experienced trials and hardship, and after following her stepmother to learn the six arts of the nobleman and the common affairs of central-feed, her heart has long been cleaned up.
She was more and more greedy for the quiet and comfortable time, and disliked the treacherous inner house fights. Before she knew it, her temperament had gradually moved closer to her stepmother. Anyone could say the words “cross the river in the same boat”, but her mother couldn’t! Because she was the main cause of the disaster!
Thinking of Ye Zhen’s selfish and greedy nature and vicious methods, she was full of worries, staring at her father’s eyes and asked bluntly, “Mother is back, how do you plan to accommodate her?”
“She’s always be the mistress of the Zhao Mansion, so why talk about how to accommodate?” Zhao Luli’s voice was hoarse, “Your mom is as fierce as fire. If I propose to make her an equal wife, she will immediately…”
Because he was full of fear of that conclusion, he didn’t dare to speak further, and paused for a while before continued, “If I let Zhen’er be a concubine, you two will become shu daughter and son, so it’s absolutely impossible. I’m not afraid for you to see the joke, I don’t have any thought right now. If…” If Ye Zhen didn’t come back, he wouldn’t have to face such a dilemma.
He couldn’t bear to let go of Madam; he couldn’t bear to treat his ex-wife harshly. Besides, demoting his ex-wife was equivalent to ruining the pair of children. No matter what he done, it was wrong.
“Let me think about it, let’s finish the funeral first.” He had no choice but to delay.
Zhao Chunxi’s face turned pale for a moment, and she murmured, “Dad, we should brace ourselves. Afraid the Zhao family won’t be able to keep mom. How broad-minded she is, how and arrogant and free-spirited, how can she be your equal wife?”
At this moment, Zhao Luli almost burst into tears, and finally understood what his two wives meant to him. Ye Zhen was a regret, an obsession, which could be cherished and forgotten, but Guan Suyi was his present and future, and the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
As time went by, he went from being defensive to hating her, from hating to understanding, because of that understanding he paid more attention to her, and because he paid more attention he then admired her. He admired her, looked up to her, trusted her, relied on her. He and she experienced the rise and fall of the family, experienced the death of their relatives, and finally from opposing each other to relying on each other.
Originally they could have lived their whole lives in harmony and happiness, rather than suddenly separated and divided. She was still so young, and it wouldn’t take long for her to remarry, and the other person would be like him, increasingly attracted to her, from unfamiliar to understanding to love deeply. They would be in perfect harmony, raised children together, and eventually grow old together and merge into one cave.
Zhao Luli’s pale complexion slowly turned to ashen, and his clenched fists made a crackling bones sound, obviously suffering from an incomparable pain.
Seeing him like this, Zhao Chunxi felt sad and helpless in her heart, soothed in a hoarse voice, “Dad, don’t think about it, let nature take its course. If mom bent on leaving, how can you keep her?”
“Why can’t I keep her? If she’s pregnant with the Zhao family’s heir, can she leave?” Zhao Luli suddenly let go of his hands and laughed quietly, “I was wrong, as soon as Suyi entered the house, I should treat her well and let her bear a child for me. Doing the math, if it conceived on the night of the wedding, it would be six or seven months now, she would have a big belly, where can she go? Even if she become the equal wife, she has first-rank grant order, far more noble than Zhen’er, and she can be endure it for the sake of the child. I will do everything I can to make up for it, take care of her in every possible way, and will not make her suffer any grievances.”
Speaking until here, a decisive look loomed between his brows. The mourning period was three months. In any case, he had to drag it for four months, and then find a way to consummate the marriage with Madam. Even if she was not pregnant with a child and only lost her virginity, the chances of her reconcile and remarry would be greatly reduced.
It was really despicable to do so, but he couldn’t care less. In order to keep Madam, he could do anything.
Realizing the solution, the depression on his face dissipated a lot, and he ordered his son and daughter to take good care of Mu Mu, while he himself walked to the front of the mourning hall and listened to the movement inside through a thick curtain. By coincidence or misfortune, a high-pitched scream suddenly came from the inner hall, which made him almost rush in, while the guests sitting around the sacrificial table had already got up one after another and looked around.
He was about to send a few servants to investigate, but was bumped by someone, he lowered his head and saw that it was Ye Zhen, and quickly pushed her away, then raised his hands to show his innocence.
TN: Still cannot believe Zhao Chunxi became the sanest person in that family.
Oh wow…. Is he going to force himself on her later cause for sure she’ll reject him :v
Many thanks
Both men in Suyi’s life are crazy. But Chunxi having the most character development is the best thing to see
Yes, three cheers for Chunxi standing up to her mother! I thought the cover story was that the original Ye Zhen had died, so why not just stick to that story so that demoting her to a concubine would not affect her children? Wonderful to see that scummy husband is determined to be selfish to the end. I’m looking forward to seeing her maids kicking his butt.
Thank you for the chapter!
I don’t think that would work because many people know what the former Ye Zhen looks like. It’s obviously the same person that is back now. They can’t use the twin sister theory again because her “twin” is supposedly still in the palace as Cainu. I think since she’s back now (and with that weird story that she was washed up a river and saved, giving her a barely passable excuse), she can return to her place in the family. So demoting her will definitely mean the children will become shu. Maybe GSY can then adopt them, and then they will be di children.
Ugh…this man is so trash…
Not once did he think about what she wanted, only what he wants but he knows what she wants…and that’s why he’s afraid.
Given half a proper chance – she would turn away from him, never to return.
I don’t quite understand why ZL can’t demote YZ to concubine…yes, the kids would become children of a concubine, but in the name of having an heir, can’t they just be adopted by GS as the main wife, therefore becoming legitimate children again? Isn’t that what usually happens?
That’s what I think too. I think that would have been totally possible, but ZLL will not be ZLL if he was not hopelessly in love with Ye Zhen. I guess he didn’t think in that line because of feelings. And maybe public opinion too. Afterall, many people do not know that she was the same person in the palace, and they might just blame ZLL for forgetting the old flame and treating her unfairly. Who knows?
Wow ZLL is one of the most spineless characters I’ve seen. Trash.
Zhao Chunxi is the sanest person? Oh, come on! How about the old madam?
Trash upon trash, can the FML just end up aline and at peace?