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Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 227

Chapter 227 - Sincerity of an Apology


Yun Chu approached step by step.

She lowered her head slightly, leaning close to Madam Zou's ear: "Madam Zou, when you sleep at night, does that daughter you strangled to death ever come back to find you?"

All color instantly drained from Madam Zou's face.

Her lips trembled uncontrollably: "W-What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Madam Zou, why put on an act in front of me?" Yun Chu smiled faintly. "The eldest legitimate child of the Zou family should actually be the fourth young lady of the Zou family, isn't that right?"

This matter was only revealed about seven or eight years later in her past life, causing a massive uproar in the capital.

The eldest legitimate son of the Zou family was not even of Zou family blood; back then, Madam Zou had strangled her own fourth daughter to death and swapped her for a baby boy brought from a farm woman.

Yun Chu herself had lost a pair of children.

Yet someone could actually strangle her own flesh and blood.

At the time, she had sighed with emotion over it for a long while.

"You... you... you..."

Madam Zou pointed at Yun Chu, her throat seeming as if it were squeezed by someone, unable to utter another single word.

Yun Chu sat down on a chair with leisurely composure: "How could I easily leak such a massive secret? Madam Zou, you know what you ought to do."

Madam Zou gritted her teeth in hatred: "Yun Chu, do you really want to go against my Zou family all for the sake of a concubine-born child?"

"You are wrong." Yun Chu picked up the tea brought by Qiu Tong, took a sip, and only then spoke: "If I were to tell Master Zou about this matter, the Zou family would actually thank me."

The other several ladies nearby had no idea what the two of them were talking about, each revealing a suspicious expression.

A few of them were even preparing to step closer to overhear.

Madam Zou's mind tightened, and she took a deep breath: "Miss Yun, I was in the wrong just now. I shouldn't have had my maidservant lure your son into this courtyard, much less let her lock up that room, and even less let people put rats inside..."

Yun Chu's heart sank.

She had assumed the rats were originally inside the room; she had not expected them to be intentionally put in by human hands.

Thinking about it, it made sense—how could someone who could even strangle her own biological daughter feel any pity for another family's child...

"I truly did wrong in this matter." Madam Zou lowered her head. "We have known each other since childhood. I was merely playing a joke, but accidentally took it too far. Miss Yun, my apologies, let us just consider this matter settled."

"Madam Zou's apology lacks sincerity all too much." Yun Chu shook her head. "We should let Madam Zou also experience what it tastes like to be locked in a room with rats..."

Madam Zou was scared to the point where her scalp went numb.

Rats were truly far too disgusting; she didn't even dare to imagine such a scene.

She clenched her teeth, steeled her heart, and slapped her own face hard: "Is this acceptable now? Has your anger subsided?"

The several ladies behind her were all utterly dumbfounded.

They and Madam Zou were of similar family backgrounds and usually formed a small circle of their own; they knew all too well what kind of person Madam Zou was.

For someone who cared about saving face to such a desperate degree to actually slap her own face in front of Yun Chu?

Just what did Yun Chu say to make Madam Zou so humble and subservient?

The expressions of this group of ladies shifted rapidly.

Seeing that Yun Chu remained silent, Madam Zou could only steel her heart further and slap herself a few more times.

A face coated in cosmetics was slapped red.

"Why is Madam Zou slapping herself?" Only after she stopped did Yun Chu speak: "I certainly cannot afford such sincerity."

Madam Zou's hand froze.

She had already slapped herself so many times, yet this wretched woman only now said she couldn't afford it—was she intentionally tormenting her?

Yet she didn't dare to say a single word, because her greatest weakness in this lifetime was held firmly in Yun Chu's hands...

"What on earth do you want?"

Madam Zou squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth.

Yun Chu smiled faintly: "Between adults, we only speak of interests."

"You!" Madam Zou's rage surged up fiercely, only to be suppressed by herself once more. She took off the hairpin on her head, along with the thumb ring and bracelets on her hands: "Consider these as a comfort gift for Young Master Xie."

Yun Chu curled her lips, stood up, and took a step to walk outside.

Madam Zou knew.

If she didn't tear off a piece of flesh from her own body, this matter wouldn't pass so easily.

"I have a dowry manor outside the city with an annual profit of over a thousand taels of silver." Madam Zou felt as though her heart were dripping blood. "Tomorrow I will have someone send... no, tonight I will have someone send it over to Miss Yun."

"Madam Zou is far too polite." Yun Chu patted her shoulder. "I know Madam Zou was merely playing a joke with the child. Let this matter pass then."

Having finished speaking, she led her maidservants out of the courtyard.

Madam Zou was so furious that her facial features twisted, wishing she could swallow Yun Chu alive.

The several ladies nearby gathered around.

"What on earth was all that about?"

"Why did you apologize to her? The Yun family has already fallen, why must you fear her?"

"You even gave out a manor—have you gone mad?"

Madam Zou was so enraged that her head spun: "Yes, yes, I have gone mad!"

She pushed past the crowd and fled down the path.

Returning to her courtyard, Yun Chu saw Chu Hongyu sitting in the yard playing with the caught butterflies, enjoying himself immensely.

She couldn't help but shake her head; this silly boy, despite being frightened because of butterflies, could still play with such gusto.

She walked over and sat down beside the child.

"Mother, you're here." Chu Hongyu pointed at the butterflies in the jar: "With so many butterflies, which one does Mother like best?"

"This white one is very nice." Yun Chu pinched the butterfly's wings gently. "Later, let's take all these butterflies back and raise them in the courtyard's flower garden, alright?"

The little fellow nodded immediately.

"Yu'er, we must both learn a lesson from today's incident," she continued to speak. "I shouldn't have let you go off to play alone; this was my oversight as a mother. You should also keep this firmly in mind: do not easily trust any strangers."

Chu Hongyu lowered his head: "I understand, Mother. I will never do it again."

Yun Chu stroked his head.

Once Chu Changsheng woke up, the mother and her two children set off to return home.

The carriage traveled back to Yulin Lane.

Dinner in the manor had already been prepared. After the two children finished their meal, they each went about their own tasks—Chu Hongyu read books obediently in the study, while Chu Changsheng followed Yun Chu to read the Three-Character Classic.

Just as dusk fell, Ting Xue walked in and presented a property deed: "Madam Zou arranged for someone to deliver this."

Yun Chu took a look; the manor was not considered remote, and it occupied a large plot of land. The claim of an annual profit of a thousand taels was indeed no lie.

Since Madam Zou had already paid a price, she naturally would not pry into other people's family matters.

Having Ting Xue put away the property deed properly, she took the two children to wash up, and then held them on her left and right to coax them to sleep.

Every day at this time was her most relaxed moment. Whether she sang songs or told stories, feeling the two children slowly fall asleep in her arms was a wonderful process.

Once the two children were asleep, she light-footedly pulled the blanket over them and couldn't help but kiss each child on the cheek.

She was truly so grateful to the Prince of Pingxi—grateful that he had raised the children so well, and grateful that he was willing to let the children live with her, leaving no need to scheme for anything anymore...

Thinking up to this point, Yun Chu's brows furrowed.

During the day, the Prince of Pingxi and Cheng Xu had gone to suppress bandits in a place not far from the suburbs of the capital; why had they still not returned at this hour?

She draped a cloak over her shoulders, walked over to the doorway, and knocked, but there was no response whatsoever from the other side.

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