Xianglan wished she could devour her flesh and blood, thinking darkly: "Cao Lihuan is despicable and hateful. I will make her pay in blood." Turning her head, she saw Han Yaozu smiling obsequiously as he saw off guests, and said: "Magistrate Han, Cao Lihuan was originally connected by marriage to the Lin Family and lived in their mansion for a time. Do you know why the Lin Family drove her out?" Xianglan paused, then enunciated each word clearly: "Because Cao Lihuan has a thoroughly rotten heart—she actually tried to harm General Lin's own younger sister by putting something unclean in her wine. I discovered it and reported it to Taitai. The Lin Family was furious and expelled her. That's how she became my enemy. By avenging her here, Magistrate Han must have made her extremely happy." Having said this, she turned and left.
Han Yaozu's expression changed dramatically. He secretly cursed: "That bitch Cao Lihuan has truly ruined me!" But he quickly changed his demeanor, trotted two steps to catch up with Xianglan, and said with an ingratiating smile: "Thank you, miss. I had no idea that poisonous woman was so malicious and used me. I, Han, was ignorant and have wronged your entire family while owing you a tremendous debt of gratitude. I will certainly repay you heavily. As for that thief Cao, I will definitely deal with her and give you an explanation!"
Xianglan ignored him completely, walking stiffly ahead with a stern face. Han Yaozu obsequiously accompanied her to the main gate, watching the carriage speed away. His face then "slapped" into a grim expression, all amiability replaced by icy coldness. Striding back inside, he found the room empty. In frantic irritation, he lifted the hem of his official robe and ran outside searching, only to see Cao Lihuan about to slip away in a sedan chair at the back gate. Fury surged from his heart, and malice rose in his gall. He rushed forward, grabbed Cao Lihuan by the collar, and slapped her twice across the face, cursing: "You bitch! You've ruined me!"
Cao Lihuan screamed in shock, protecting her head and face with her arms. Han Yaozu continued hitting her while shouting: "You bitch! I've always treated you well—why would you harm me like this?"
Cao Lihuan dodged left and right, pleading: "Heavens! Earth! Master, you're wronging me! I didn't know either—who would have thought that Chen Xianglan whore would hook up with Lin Jinlou? She was originally just a lowly maid... Master, I truly had your best interests at heart. Please remember our past..."
Han Yaozu roared: "If it were just Lin Jinlou's concubine, it might be manageable, but you actually provoked the Lin Family's Taitai and young lady! No wonder Lin Jinlou said I must have eaten bear heart and leopard gall—it was all you, you thief, instigating and setting traps for me! How can I forgive you for this? If I lose my official position because of this, not even killing you will quell my hatred!" He beat Cao Lihuan until blood streamed from her nose and dark bruises formed around her eyes.
Cao Lihuan was naturally a fierce shrew who had never suffered such humiliation. Though she feared Han Yaozu's official authority, she couldn't help fighting back, scratching Han Yaozu's face twice.
Just as the chaos reached its peak, Han Guangye, having received news, rushed from the rear residence to the front. Seeing Han Yaozu beating Cao Lihuan while distant officials and servants peeked, he shouted: "What are you looking at? Get lost!" Ordering his personal servant boy to chase them away, he went to Han Yaozu's side, crossed his arms and said: "Father, stop hitting her. In broad daylight, what will people think when they see this? Will Father's reputation benefit?"
Only then did Han Yaozu stop, panting heavily. He grabbed Han Guangye's hand and said: "My son, this has ruined me!" Then he burst into tears.Han Guangye offered a few words of consolation before kicking Cao Lihuan and snarling, "You shameless wretch! I'll deal with you later!" Cao Lihuan collapsed to the ground, weeping and wailing, while Han Guangye ignored her and helped Han Yaozu back to his room to discuss matters.
Meanwhile, Han Yaozu's wife, Madam Jiang, had also received news in the inner residence. After changing her clothes, she hurried to the front and saw scratches on Han Yaozu's face. When she asked how he had been scratched, Han Yaozu hemmed and hawed, evading her questions. Suspicious, she interrogated and beat Han Yaozu's servant boy, finally learning that he had been carrying on with the wife of a subordinate. Madam Jiang flew into a rage. She was an extremely stern woman, tall and stout, ten times fiercer than Cao Lihuan. She immediately grabbed Han Yaozu by the beard and scolded, "You shameless old fool! No wonder you've been complaining of all sorts of ailments lately—back pain, runny nose, deafness, and blurred vision! So it's that little Goblin who's been 'treating' you! I work hard every day at home, bearing your children, managing the household, and caring for your parents, while you frolic with that little slut! My life is truly miserable!" She wept wildly, her hair disheveled, then threw herself to the ground and rolled about.
Han Yaozu snapped irritably, "Are you quite done? Pull yourself together and stop making a scene!"
Tears streaming down her face, Madam Jiang cried, "Well! So that's how you speak to me now! Have you taken a fancy to that little Goblin? Do you plan to divorce me and marry her?"
Han Guangye hurried over to mediate, coaxing and persuading until Madam Jiang finally calmed down.
Back in her room, Madam Jiang grew angrier the more she thought about it. She changed into comfortable cotton clothes, removed all her hair ornaments and hairpin, and took some servants to Cao Lihuan's home. Bursting into the room, she found Cao Lihuan applying medicine in front of a mirror. Madam Jiang grabbed Cao Lihuan by the hair and yanked her to the floor, gnashing her teeth as she cursed, "You bitch! This'll teach you to flaunt yourself!"
Caught off guard, Cao Lihuan fell to the ground with a thud. She traded insults and shouts with Madam Jiang as the two women tangled in a fierce fight. The servants Madam Jiang had brought guarded the door, preventing anyone from entering. The Ren family grew frantic with worry and quickly sent word to Ren Yu. Though Cao Lihuan had some strength, she was no match for Madam Jiang's brute force. Madam Jiang flipped over and pinned Cao Lihuan beneath her, tearing at her clothes while hitting and cursing. She ripped off Cao Lihuan's garments and delivered several vicious kicks to her abdomen. Cao Lihuan screamed in agony, curling into a ball. Upon closer inspection, blood was already staining her lower body.
Though Madam Jiang would have gladly strangled Cao Lihuan, she feared causing a death and eventually called off the assault, retreating with her servants. Hui'er, Siqiao, and others hastily carried Cao Lihuan to bed and summoned a physician, who diagnosed that Cao Lihuan had been two months pregnant and had miscarried due to Madam Jiang's beating.
Ren Yu had just returned home when he received the news. He stood frozen, his eyes slowly reddening. Seeing this, Hui'er rolled her eyes and sidled up to him, whispering, "Why grieve? Everyone knows about her dirty affair with Magistrate Han. Who knows whose child that really was!"
Ren Yu continued sighing deeply, wanting to go check on Cao Lihuan. But Hui'er tugged at him, smiling, "She just took medicine and is asleep now. Wouldn't you disturb her if you went in? Come to my room instead. I had someone buy pastries from Suxiang Zhai—have a couple to tide you over. The new clothes I ordered from the tailor for you yesterday have arrived too. Let's see if they fit properly. If not, I'll have them altered for you." She promptly dragged Ren Yu to her side chamber.Siqiao was just coming out of the kitchen with medicine when she saw this and gave a faint, cold smile. Lowering her head again, she went into the bedroom. Cao Lihuan’s face was deathly pale, her cheeks sickly, and further marred by bruises from the beating. Siqiao lifted Cao Lihuan’s head and poured the medicine down her throat. Cao Lihuan coughed a few times and asked weakly, “Has the master returned?”
Siqiao replied, “Not yet, Taitai, rest now.” She wiped Cao Lihuan’s mouth with a handkerchief and left with the empty bowl.
Now, Cao Lihuan had originally been a woman of robust health and strong constitution, but ever since her miscarriage, she had been bedridden and fallen seriously ill. Within a few days, Ren Yu lost his job and returned home. Then Madam Jiang personally came to demand the clothes and jewelry that Han Yaozu had once given to Cao Lihuan. After rummaging through her belongings, she took away an entire jewelry box and two chests of fine clothing. Struggling to get up from her bed, Cao Lihuan grew even more furious and distressed, her body and spirit broken, which led to a severe blood deficiency disorder. Several doctors were consulted, but none could cure her.
Gradually, even her usual maids, Hui’er and Siqiao, began to ignore her orders. Hui’er was scarcely seen all day, and Siqiao rarely entered the room, perfunctorily feeding her meals and medicine. When Cao Lihuan wanted soup or water, no one attended to her. Furious but too weak to rise from her sickbed, she lacked even the strength to scold anyone. When she mentioned the maids’ disobedience to Ren Yu, he went to question them. Siqiao immediately cried out, “Master, this maid works hard every day—cooking, washing, cleaning the house, serving Taitai, changing bed linens, handling waste, feeding her meals and medicine—it all falls on me alone. Sister Hui’er has it easy, spending her days applying Rouge and powder in front of the mirror. How dare I trouble her! If Sister Hui’er would take on the washing and cooking, I guarantee Taitai would be well cared for.”
Ren Yu then assigned tasks to Hui’er, who grumbled discontentedly, making indirect complaints. After two days, she stopped working altogether, and Ren Yu did not pursue the matter. Cao Lihuan’s condition worsened; she spent her days in a daze, her face sallow and gaunt, reduced to skin and bones. At first, Ren Yu would visit her room to check on her, but gradually, he came less often. When asked about his whereabouts, Siqiao would often reply, “The master lost his job at the Government Office; he must find another. Everyone in this household depends on him for food.”
Cao Lihuan said weakly, “I still have a Manor and two properties—surely there’s enough silver to get by. Tell the master to come home and stay with me a few more days. Why bother with some wretched job?”
Siqiao curled her lip and said, “Taitai, how can you be so ungrateful? With two hailstorms this summer, who knows how much harvest the Manor will yield! The two properties are rented out, but you need medicine daily—ginseng, angelica, poria, bird’s nest—it all adds up to silver flowing like water. Not to mention the nourishing congee and meals you require, all made from the finest ingredients. You spend a tael of silver a day! If the master doesn’t go out to find work, are we just to sit here until the money runs out? Besides, you’ve now earned a reputation as ‘**,’ and people are pointing fingers everywhere, damaging the master’s name so much that no one wants to hire him. With the family in this state, who knows when you’ll run out of silver for medicine!”
This speech made Cao Lihuan see stars. Gasping for half a breath, she gritted her teeth and said, “If we run out of silver, you wretched girl will be the first one sold!”Siqiao sneered, "Oh, if you sell me off, who will serve Taitai in the future?" After saying this, she put the porridge in her hand on the table and left without looking back, deliberately starving Cao Lihuan for a whole meal. It wasn't until evening that she forced that bowl of cold porridge down Cao Lihuan's throat, saying with a fake smile, "Taitai, back then I was just momentarily blinded and got driven out of the Lin Family. Serving you like this is already more than enough to clear my conscience before heaven. But do you even know? That loyal servant of yours, Hui'er, has been seducing the master and climbing into his bed ever since you fell ill. The master has been staying in her room day and night. Just yesterday we got the news—the doctor confirmed she's one month pregnant. The master was so overjoyed he gave the doctor a tael of silver as a reward. Now Hui'er is under fetal protection, and I can barely keep up with serving her all day long!"
Thank you wqpaqm for two sachets, fat wanghua001 for a sachet, damima, yu21yu21 for three Peace Talismans, Sukiishi, hyhde8486 for two Peace Talismans, daxiang8911, Yunxia Nichang, babylaura, Twilight Star, Little Magic Beast abc, Cream Cube for Peace Talismans. Thank you damima and Qinyou for the long reviews! If I missed thanking anyone, please forgive me! Here's Cao Lihuan's fate ^_^
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