Inside the green gauze cabinet, a beautiful young woman, with a cat in her arms, lounged lazily on a plush cushion. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through the white cat's fur, and the emerald bracelet on her wrist appeared even greener, like a tranquil pool of jade.
Indeed, the items from the Xu family are truly exquisite. Jade of such quality is hard to come by in today's market, even with money. As she thought about the origin of this bracelet, the woman couldn't help but smirk with a sense of pride.
Outside the window, snowflakes fell gently from the sky, while inside, a perfectly stoked brazier crackled occasionally, spreading warmth like a spring day.
She gazed at her husband, who was sitting not far away at his desk. His features were handsome, and his posture was upright and dignified.
Yesterday, there was news from the palace that her husband would be promoted to the position of Right Censor after the Lunar New Year. That would make her a Fourth-Rank Honored Lady accordingly.
Looking around the entire capital city, who else at her age, apart from the imperial family and those noble families, could be titled as an Honored Lady?
With this thought in mind, the woman's smile deepened. She gently shooed the cat away, rose gracefully, and poured a cup of tea. She approached her husband with a delicate and alluring demeanor and said, "My lord, please take a break!"
While they were speaking, a maidservant entered and reported, "Master, Madam, that one in the backyard... is gone!"
Wen Liang had just set down his pen and was about to share a tender moment with his beloved wife when he heard the news, his expression turning somewhat uneasy.
Qiao Yuning was immediately displeased and said, "If it's gone, it's gone. Wasn't it all prepared neatly in advance? Just quietly pack her and toss her out. Why bother causing a scene now? By the way, toss her daughter out with her! Mother and daughter can keep each other company."
"Yes!" The maidservant, realizing her impropriety, quickly retreated.
Qiao Yuning turned to her husband and pouted, saying, "Why do you look displeased when you hear she's gone? Could it be you still consider her your wife in your heart?"
Turning away, she choked up and said, "It's true. I'm just a secondary wife, not even on par with her! In theory, while she was still alive, I entered as a concubine. How could I compare to your first wife?!"
As she spoke, she covered her face and began to cry.
"Eh!" Wen Liang quickly got up and embraced her, pampering her, "What are you talking about? Didn't I marry her just to allow you to enter our family properly? You're my one and only wife. Her memorial tablet has been there for so long! She's long gone!"
"Pfft..." Upon hearing this, Qiao Yuning couldn't help but laugh and gave him a sidelong glance. She said, "You're too heartless. After all, she only recently passed away! Who knows, maybe her soul is still around!"
As he said this, there seemed to be a sudden chill in the room, which made Wen Liang a little uncomfortable. "Why are you always talking about her? What you should talk about now is the reward you should give me after I'm promoted."
"If you're promoted, I'm afraid you won't care about me anymore."
"You're making things up again. I've already said that you're the only one in my heart!" As he spoke, he reached out to embrace her soft waist and started to behave a bit mischievously. "How about you reward your husband nicely?"
"It's broad daylight, you..."
As she watched the debauchery taking place in the room, Qiao Yuyan felt a deep hatred. Her entire life, as well as the lives of her daughter and herself, had become stepping stones for this pair of adulterers. They had taken her life and her daughter's life just so they could be together, for wealth and prosperity. It had cost them their lives!
Looking at the furnishings in the room, she found that Qiao Yuning's clothes were all brought by her all from her grandmother's house.
It was not until now that she realized that everything was just a play!
She hated them so much. How could she have been so stupid as to be deceived by these two adulterers?
But no matter how hard Qiao Yuyan tried, she could only pass through their bodies in vain. The hatred in her chest solidified into a tangible form. It burned her with each passing moment, growing stronger and stronger, as if it wanted to reduce her to ashes.
Watching them shamelessly indulging in their affection, the seething hatred and the intense pain in her chest finally made her scream out in agony.
However, no one could hear her cries; only the north wind carried the white snow, tirelessly scattering it, as if it were heedless of the suffering in the mortal world.
Qiao Yuyan floated in the air, enduring the nameless torment she was experiencing at this moment. Her eyes were fixed firmly on the two people on the bed.
Initially, he had pursued her relentlessly, with love letters in winter and lotus flowers in summer, paper kites in early spring, and flutes in late autumn. So, she had fallen deeply in love with him and brought a generous dowry. She thought that she had found her own home and someone to protect her.
But who would have thought that in less than a year, shortly after giving birth to their daughter, he changed completely. He would find excuses to lose his temper every day, and at times, he even became physically abusive.
Her mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and even her younger sisters-in-law were all difficult to get along with. She endured the harsh cold of winter and the scorching sun of summer. In the end, she had a confrontation with the Old Madam of the house and was banished to live in the utility room in the backyard. She hadn't seen her child since. She called out to the heavens and the earth, but there was no response. She survived solely by struggling to get by.
For the sake of her child, she dared not die, dared not cause a scene, and only hoped for a chance to see her child again.
To her astonishment, one day she learned from a maidservant's mouth that the Wen family had reported her as deceased long ago and had admitted another woman.
It was only when she saw her younger sister, dressed in gold and silver, with a married woman's hairstyle, and holding hands with the housekeeper of the Wen family's steward, that she understood the whole story.
It turned out that from the very beginning, this had been a conspiracy. They were after the substantial dowry she had brought from her maternal family and the opportunity to have Qiao Yuning enter their household with legitimacy.
First, Wen Liang married her. Then, they waited for her to die, after which they would marry her sister, claiming it was for the sake of the child. They would earn the sympathy and care of the child's aunt, all while maintaining a good reputation for their deep love and friendship with the original wife. It was truly a cunning plan! It was enough to make anyone's heart brim with hatred!
But this despicable man didn't even care about his own child, who had been tortured by Qiao Yuning to death!
The child was only a little over a year old! On that day, she had desperately run out but had only seen the tiny body lying on a thin board. She hadn't even been able to reach out and touch the child's little hand before she was forcibly dragged back.
She already had a frail and ailing body. Upon hearing the news of her child's death, even with all her hatred, she finally couldn't bear it any longer. But she hadn't expected that after her death, her consciousness would indeed persist.
If there's a next life, I'll make sure you all live worse than pigs and dogs!
Qiao Yuyan watched the two with her eyes burning in rage, but her consciousness gradually faded as the pain subsided.
There was a faint sound of a servant rushing in, which startled the adulterous couple, causing them to curse loudly. However, the servant was too anxious to pay attention to them, trembling with fear. "The Sixth Master has returned and went straight to the back... to the place where the late Madam stays. Even the Old Madam and the Grand Madam followed him there."
"Sixth Master? What? Sixth Uncle is back?! Why did he go to the backyard?"
Qiao Yuyan was not aware of what had happened next. After the intense pain had disappeared, she felt light-headed and numb, losing all sensation.
