Chapter 227: Sincerity of Apology
Yun Chu stepped closer.
She slightly lowered her head, leaning close to Zou Furen's ear: "Zou Furen, when you sleep at night, does the daughter you strangled to death come back to haunt you?"
All color instantly drained from Zou Furen's face.
Her lips trembled involuntarily: "What... what nonsense are you talking about?"
"Zou Furen, why pretend in front of me?" Yun Chu smiled faintly. "The Zou family's legitimate eldest son should actually be the fourth young miss of the Zou family, isn't that right?"
This matter hadn't been revealed until about seven or eight years later in her previous life, causing quite a storm in the capital.
The Zou family's legitimate eldest son actually wasn't of Zou blood - Zou Furen had strangled her own fourth daughter back then and brought in a replacement son from a peasant woman.
She had lost a son and daughter.
Yet someone could strangle their own flesh and blood.
At that time, she had sighed over it for a long while.
"You... you... you..."
Zou Furen pointed at Yun Chu, her throat seemingly choked, unable to utter a single word.
Yun Chu leisurely sat down in a chair: "Such a big secret - why would I reveal it so easily? Zou Furen, you know what to do."
Zou Furen gritted her teeth: "Yun Chu, are you really going to oppose my Zou family for the sake of a concubine-born son?"
"You're mistaken." Yun Chu picked up the tea brought by Qiutong, taking a sip before saying, "If I tell Zou Daren about this matter, the Zou family will thank me."
The several women nearby didn't understand what the two were discussing, each showing suspicious expressions.
A few even prepared to step closer to listen.
Zou Furen's heart tightened. Taking a deep breath, she said: "Miss Yun, I was wrong earlier. I shouldn't have had my maid lure your son to this courtyard, shouldn't have had the maid lock that room, and shouldn't have had someone release mice inside..."
Yun Chu's heart sank.
She had thought the mice were originally in the room, never expecting they had been deliberately released.
Thinking about it, it made sense - someone who could strangle their own biological daughter would hardly cherish another family's child...
"This matter was indeed my mistake." Zou Furen lowered her head. "We've known each other since childhood. I was just joking, but it accidentally went too far. Miss Yun, I apologize. Let's just drop this matter."
"Zou Furen's apology lacks sincerity." Yun Chu shook her head. "Zou Furen should experience what it feels like to be locked in a room with mice..."
Zou Furen was so frightened her scalp went numb.
Mice were utterly disgusting creatures - she didn't even dare imagine such a scene.
Clenching her teeth, she resolutely slapped her own face: "Is this enough? Are you satisfied now?"
The women behind her were all stunned.
They and Zou Furen came from similar family backgrounds, usually forming their own small circle. They knew perfectly well what kind of person Zou Furen was.
Such a prideful person actually slapping herself in front of Yun Chu?
What had Yun Chu said to make Zou Furen so humble?
The complexions of these women shifted constantly.
Seeing Yun Chu remain silent, Zou Furen could only steel herself and slap herself several more times.
Her powdered face turned red from the slapping.
"What is Zou Furen slapping herself for?" Only after she stopped did Yun Chu speak. "Such sincerity is beyond what I can accept."
Zou Furen's hand paused.She had already endured so many slaps, and only now did this wretched woman say she couldn't take it—was she deliberately tormenting her?
But she didn't dare utter a single word, because the biggest secret of her life was held firmly in Yun Chu's hands...
"What exactly do you want?"
Zou Furen forced the words out through gritted teeth.
Yun Chu smiled lightly: "Between adults, we only speak of interests."
"You!" Zou Furen's anger flared up, only to be suppressed by herself as she removed the hairpin from her head, along with the thumb ring and bracelet from her hands. "Take these as compensation for Young Master Xie's fright."
Yun Chu curled her lips, stood up, and walked out.
Zou Furen knew.
If she didn't tear a piece of flesh from herself, this matter wouldn't be easily resolved.
"I have a dowry estate outside the city, with an annual profit of over a thousand taels of silver." Zou Furen felt as if her heart were bleeding. "Tomorrow I'll have someone deliver it... no, tonight I'll have it sent to Miss Yun."
"You're too kind, Zou Furen." Yun Chu patted the other's shoulder. "I know you were just joking with the child. Let's consider this matter closed."
After speaking, she left the courtyard with her maid.
Zou Furen was so enraged her features twisted, wishing she could tear Yun Chu apart limb from limb.
Several women gathered around her.
"What exactly happened?"
"Why did you apologize to her? The Yun family has already fallen—why should you fear her?"
"And you gave away an estate too—have you gone mad?"
Zou Furen felt dizzy with anger: "Yes, yes, I've gone mad!"
She pushed through the crowd and stormed off.
When Yun Chu returned to her courtyard, she saw Chu Hongyu sitting there, happily playing with the butterflies he had caught.
She couldn't help shaking her head—this silly boy, still having so much fun with the butterflies even after being frightened by them earlier.
She walked over and sat down beside the child.
"Mother, you're here." Chu Hongyu pointed at the butterflies in the jar. "Among all these butterflies, which one do you like best?"
"This white one is quite lovely." Yun Chu gently picked up a butterfly by its wings. "Later, let's take all these butterflies back and release them in the garden, alright?"
The little one immediately nodded.
"Yu Ge'er, we should both learn from today's incident." She continued, "I shouldn't have let you go play alone—that was my negligence as your mother. And you should remember not to easily trust any strangers."
Chu Hongyu lowered his head: "I understand, Mother. I won't do it again."
Yun Chu gently stroked his head.
After Chu Changsheng woke up, the mother and her two children prepared to return home.
The carriage traveled back to Jade Forest Lane.
Dinner was already prepared at the residence. After the two children finished their meal, they each went about their own activities—Chu Hongyu obediently studied in the study, while Chu Changsheng practiced reading the Three Character Classic with Yun Chu.
As dusk began to fall, Ting Xue entered and presented a land deed: "Zou Furen had this delivered."
Yun Chu glanced at it—the estate wasn't too remote, covered a large area, and indeed appeared capable of generating the claimed thousand taels annual profit.
Zou Furen had already paid the price, so naturally Yun Chu wouldn't interfere in others' affairs.
After instructing Ting Xue to put the deed away safely, she bathed both children, then nestled them on either side of her as she coaxed them to sleep.
This time each day was the most relaxing. Whether singing or telling stories, she cherished the feeling of both children gradually falling asleep in her embrace—the entire process was truly beautiful.After the two children fell asleep, she gently tucked them in and couldn't resist planting a kiss on each of their cheeks.
She was truly grateful to Prince Pingxi—grateful that he had raised the children to this age, grateful that he was willing to let them live with her without requiring any schemes or calculations...
At this thought, Yun Chu frowned.
Prince Pingxi and Cheng Xu had gone to suppress bandits during the day, in a location not far from the capital's outskirts. Why hadn't they returned by this hour?
She threw on an outer robe and walked to the doorway, knocking lightly, but there was no response from the other side.
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