40. Sisterly Affection, Part Sixteen

Master Zhang’s words left Zhang Huiniang speechless.

Unwilling to admit that Liu Linfeng had deceived her, she argued, "I have only just left the Fu family, and he has been having bad luck; it seems he suffered losses again. This is not the time to discuss such things."

Master Zhang’s face was full of impatience as he challenged her, "Then when would be appropriate? The day you die of old age?" Seeing his sister’s stubbornness, he added with a look of exasperation, "He is intentionally swindling your money. Once he has taken every last cent you have, he will surely ignore you."

Zhang Huiniang glared fiercely at her brother and shouted, "He would not!"

Chu Yunli gave a light cough.

In the stagnant atmosphere, the sound immediately drew everyone’s attention. Zhang Huiniang grew suspicious at once: "What do you mean by that?"

Chu Yunli looked innocent. "I choked on my tea. Am I not even allowed to cough? This is my parents' house; I can cough or even vomit whenever I please. What right do you, an outsider, have to manage me?"

To Madam Zhang, having her daughter on her side was comforting. She smiled and said, "Whether he is truly after your money or not, we shall see once we put him to the test." She turned to Master Zhang and suggested, "Let the mother and daughter move out. Place them in the most remote and dilapidated small house, preferably one where they have to share space with others. Then, have Huiniang send word to him. Once we see his reaction, we will know exactly what kind of man he is."

Zhang Huiniang exploded instantly, screaming, "At the end of the day, you just want to drive us out!"

Master Zhang thought about his wife's proposal seriously. For one, neither he nor his wife wanted his sister living there indefinitely. For another, it truly pained him to see his sister squandering so much money on an outsider—especially when she had been swindled and still insisted the man was virtuous. He regretted having provided her with such a generous dowry in the first place.

Money was earned through hard work, a concept his sister seemed entirely ignorant of. Master Zhang felt she was too detached from the hardships of life and needed to experience a bit of suffering.

"Your sister-in-law makes sense. Very well, I will have someone make the arrangements. Pack your things; the carriage will be here shortly." Master Zhang looked at his sister’s incredulous expression with a heavy heart and growing regret, but upon meeting the mocking gazes of his wife and daughter, he felt like a fool. He gritted his teeth and continued, "Leave your expensive clothing and jewelry behind..."

Regardless of how Zhang Qingyao felt upon hearing this, Zhang Huiniang was unwilling to suffer such hardship, nor did she want to feign poverty to test Liu Linfeng. "I won't go!"

Master Zhang became annoyed. "You must go."

Zhang Huiniang cried in anger, "Big Brother, I see you have truly been bewitched by this vixen. You listen to everything she says. Have you forgotten the promise you made to Mother on her deathbed?"

Seeing his sister cry only gave Master Zhang a headache. He rubbed his temples and said, "Don't make a scene. Just go and stay for a couple of days. I promise I will bring you back."

"I don't want to live in such a place," Zhang Huiniang sobbed. "If the Fu family finds out, they will laugh at me."

Master Zhang hesitated upon hearing this.

Seeing his expression, Madam Zhang immediately seized the moment: "This is the perfect opportunity to see how the children treat you. If none of them step up to help you, then they are all ungrateful wretches, and you can stop concerning yourself with them in the future."

Master Zhang found this deeply convincing. His hesitation vanished, and he made his decision: "Pack your things and go. If you refuse to pack, you shall leave just as you are."

Zhang Huiniang: "..."

People are naturally prone to inertia. In her own home, Zhang Huiniang would dress as comfortably and conveniently as possible. At this moment, she wore a simple silk garment of average quality, with only a standard jade hairpin in her hair. If she were to pawn this entire outfit, it would not even be worth as much as a single shoe she had worn when she first moved out.

She loathed her sister-in-law with a burning passion, but she feared her brother might actually follow through and cast them out. Stamping her foot, she ran back into her room.

Madam Zhang looked at the closed door and warned, "Do not let her take too many valuables, or we won't be able to test Liu Linfeng."

Master Zhang glared at her. "I know."

He ordered a servant woman to watch the mother and daughter as they changed. Zhang Qingyao was extremely unwilling to leave the house and tried to negotiate, "The family has suffered such a great upheaval, and the two children are terrified. I am worried about them if we leave."

"Then take them with you," Chu Yunli said reasonably. "Given the state of the Gao family, even if they were to make a comeback, it would be years from now. One should live according to one's means. It makes no sense to raise the children of a poor family like young nobles! When exactly would that upbringing end?"

Before the words were out of her mouth, Zhang Qingyao glared at her as if she were an enemy.

Chu Yunli remained unfazed and looked back with a smile. "Sister, I am doing this for your own good." She then looked enlightened. "Wait, you are not my sister; you should be my cousin."

Zhang Qingyao: "..."

"Qingxue, stop gloating! Fortune changes like the tides; who knows when your own turn for misfortune will come!"

Chu Yunli waved her hand dismissively. "That won't happen. I have never done anything to compromise my conscience, and I have a clear heart toward my parents and relatives alike. I intend to perform more good deeds in the future. Even if I were to face misfortune, I would not be like you two, living like street rats that everyone wants to beat."

Zhang Qingyao snapped, "Apart from you two, no one is bullying us!"

"We are simply being reasonable. You have been taking advantage of others for too long, which is why you feel bullied." Just as Chu Yunli finished speaking, a manager entered, bowed, and said, "The carriage is ready."

Zhang Huiniang: "..." Why was it so fast this time?

Master Zhang had made up his mind to let his sister suffer—at the very least, he needed her to see Liu Linfeng’s true colors and regret squandering her money. Otherwise, no amount of wealth would be enough for her to waste.

Watching the mother and daughter depart with the Gao siblings, Madam Zhang felt satisfied.

Chu Yunli, having watched the drama unfold, was in high spirits. "I have ordered people to keep an eye on them. As soon as anything happens, I will know."

Madam Zhang was quite pleased.

On the way back, the two reminisced with great enthusiasm. Just as they were at the peak of their conversation, the carriage suddenly stopped.

The abrupt halt caused Madam Zhang to lurch forward. It was only thanks to Chu Yunli’s quick reflexes that she was caught and saved from hitting anything.

Madam Zhang steadied herself, looking disheveled, with two hairpins having fallen out. For a lady of her stature, such an appearance was unseemly. Instantly incensed, she demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"

She threw open the curtain to see a young man of seventeen or eighteen standing outside, looking about the same age as Yu Xuelin. Unlike the others, he wore plain cloth and looked remarkably simple. He stood there, looking nervous. "Madam, I have something to tell you."

Chu Yunli looked him up and down. "I do not know you."

"I am a classmate of Brother Xuelin," the young man said anxiously. "My family is in desperate need of money. I used to spend a lot of time with Brother Xuelin and knew that your family was well-off, so I came to ask for help." His eyes reddened as he spoke. "My grandmother and uncle are both bedridden. For the past two days, they have been vomiting and suffering from diarrhea, and their faces are pale. The doctor refuses to lend us medicine... Madam, please, I beg you to help. If you help me this once, I will remember your kindness for the rest of my life."

Madam Zhang, who held scholars in high regard, understood the situation and asked, "What is your name? Where do you live? And when did you become acquainted with our Xuelin?" As she asked, she reached out a hand toward her maid.

The maid understood immediately and handed her a purse.

Madam Zhang was about to reach out and take it, intending to give him the money once he clarified his identity.

Chu Yunli pressed her hand down. "Since human lives are at stake, let us go and see for ourselves!" She looked at the young man, who was hovering between kneeling and standing. "If I just give you a bit of money, what will you do when it runs out? Here is the plan: you will take me to your home to see the patients, and then I will find a doctor to treat them. Don't worry—if what you say is true, I will cover all the medicine and consultation fees, and you won't have to pay me back."

The young man hesitated for a moment but did not refuse. "I will lead the way..." He looked at her with immense gratitude. "Madam, your great kindness will be rewarded in the future."

During the carriage ride to the outskirts, Chu Yunli learned about his situation.

The man’s surname was Tian; his name was Guangzong, meaning "bringing glory to one's ancestors." One could infer the family's expectations just from his name.

Tian Guangzong lived in Qianniu Village on the outskirts of the city, with only a grandmother who had been bedridden for years and a younger uncle.

From what he said, his grandmother had improved slightly, but his uncle was becoming increasingly ill and looked to be on the verge of death.

"Actually, I wanted to hire a doctor from the city to treat him, but my pockets were empty..." He looked troubled. "My uncle has been very good to me, like a father. I hope he can live a long life so that I can treat him with filial piety like a father once I achieve success."

Chu Yunli remained noncommittal.

While Yu Shanmeng had allowed his children to study—even the daughter had studied for two years—it was not easy for a family to support a scholar in these times. Just listening to Tian Guangzong, it was clear he relied on his uncle for support.

With his uncle ill, his anxiety likely stemmed not just from concern for the man, but from the fear that there would be no one left to support his studies.

Upon arriving at Qianniu Village, it was rare for such a luxurious carriage to appear, and many locals peered at them curiously. Some children followed the carriage, singing songs without a shred of shyness.

The Tian family courtyard was filled with the smell of medicine. Chu Yunli sniffed but found nothing suspicious.

Hearing that noble guests had arrived, Grandmother Tian hurried out to greet them.

Standing in the courtyard, one could feel deeply how difficult it was to support a scholar. Everything in the yard was old. In comparison, the simple-looking Tian Guangzong looked positively well-groomed.

"My grandmother has improved quite a bit, but my uncle is too ill..."

Chu Yunli had brought a doctor with her, and she immediately sent him into the room to examine the patient.

Before long, the doctor emerged looking troubled. "Miss, the man is very ill; I may not be able to save him."

Was it that serious?

Chu Yunli walked to the window, intending to see his condition so she could deduce the illness and prepare the appropriate medicine.

As she looked into the room, she saw the man on the bed.

At the same time, the man on the bed looked toward her, startled at first, and then filled with wild ecstasy.