Chapter 127 – The Source of Enmity
How did the Stepmother know that the current Meng Liang is not her biological son?
It’s simple; she went through great pains to give birth, and faintly heard someone say that the Young Master had a beautiful birthmark on his forehead, indicating a face full of fortune.
But when she woke up, she found that her son lacked the birthmark and was extremely frail. Two days later, she heard that the child born from the concubine in the back courtyard had passed away early and had been hastily buried. The child had a birthmark!
The Stepmother, filled with suspicion, tried to question Meng Zhan about it to gauge his reaction. However, their relationship had long since soured, and Meng Zhan often chastised and humiliated her without any regard for her dignity as a matriarch, supporting the concubine instead.
This oppressive life, combined with inadequate postpartum care, quickly undermined the Stepmother’s health.
Yet this violent life was merely the beginning.
Meng Zhan firmly believed that her second son was a child of infidelity and detested her to the core. Why would he let her remain cozy in her courtyard?
But if he killed her directly, he felt that would be too easy for her.
Five to six years of grinding her down was enough to turn a refined noblewoman into a haggard, skeletal figure with sunken eyes, neither human nor ghostly.
Meng Zhan indeed did not directly kill her, but this slow torment was more painful than a swift death.
“In the first two years, Meng Zhan had a pretty good relationship with your aunt; there were minor frictions but nothing serious. I accompanied A Min several times to Meng County to visit your aunt. Soon after, your elder brother passed away, and A Min’s health worsened. The visits between our families began to dwindle. I suppose I trusted Meng Zhan too much and didn’t realize that what came later was no longer arranged by your aunt.”
Gu Min gave birth to twins, and her health slightly improved. When she resumed managing the household accounts, she discovered some issues with the exchange of gifts between Liu Residence and Meng Zhan’s side. The perceptive Gu Min noticed some hints and attempted to send several invitations to the Meng residence.
Naturally, these invitations never reached Gu Zhen and vanished without a trace.
“The Cangzhou Meng Clan sure has a big reputation! Whether it’s high-level visits or sending invitations, we couldn’t even see your aunt.”
At that time, Liu Zhi thought his wife was being overly suspicious. He and Meng Zhan were close friends, and they were family by marriage.
What kind of trouble could happen in Meng Zhan’s back courtyard?
But then reality slapped him in the face.
Gu Min couldn’t investigate the inner workings of the Meng residence, but she could approach things from other angles.
After much effort, she finally found a maidservant who used to serve Gu Zhen and learned some truths from her.
Meng Zhan seemed extremely dissatisfied with Gu Zhen taking the place of his legitimate wife and wanted her to “step down and make way for the new.”
Of course, once a woman entered the Meng residence, no one could leave, and their lives and deaths were wholly in the hands of the Meng Clan.
“A Min heard the maidservant say that Meng Zhan had openly boasted about turning your aunt into a ‘human pig.’ At that time, she dashed over without a second thought, demanding to take her back. If it weren’t for my vigilance, who knows if she would have made it out in one piece.”
Jiang Pengji pursed her lips tightly. “How audacious!”
Liu Zhi chuckled disdainfully, his eyes filled with mockery. “You call that audacious?”
Gu Min, despite her illness, had barged in to take the family matriarch away, making sure all the Meng Clan’s youths witnessed how Gu Zhen had been tormented to such an extent. It was clear to anyone that Meng Zhan was heartless and cruel, tormenting a dignified matriarch into such a state!
The incident made the entire Meng Clan lose face, and Gu Min, furious, had Liu Zhi draft a separation letter for Gu Zhen.
As for reconciliation or separation?
Ha! Gu Min certainly wasn’t unable to support her sister after the separation.
Why should her fine sister endure humiliation, treated like a maid?
Of course, given the Meng Clan’s power, this scandal didn’t leak, but the enmity was born.
“Your aunt has long suspected that Meng Liang, the second son of the Meng Clan, is not her own child but the son of a concubine. However, it seems like the Meng family isn’t aware of this, and Meng Liang probably thinks she doesn’t know either. Otherwise, how could he so brazenly put himself in her path?”
Saying this, Liu Zhi suddenly showed a hint of a smile.
Jiang Pengji couldn’t help but smile in resignation. “Mother is indeed mischievous.”
What kind of feeling is it to hear the son of an enemy call her mother, cursing his own biological mother as a lowly maid right in front of her?
“It’s indeed somewhat relieving, but it’s mostly frustrating.” Liu Zhi sighed. “The Meng Clan was powerful. Back in the days, they repeatedly threatened to take her back to manage her household. Initially, A Min was there to protect her fiercely, but after A Min passed away, my position felt a bit awkward.”
One is a divorced woman, the other a widowed man; the latter always protected the former, leading to all kinds of hurtful words over time.
Later on, for various reasons, Liu Zhi agreed to remarry, and his new wife was Gu Zhen.
“Even so, she has spent all these years living in constant fear. Being sensitive and full of thoughts, how could her health improve?”
“Because of the eldest son, Meng Heng,” Jiang Pengji stated firmly.
Liu Zhi nodded. “She lost her second son, but the eldest son is still in the Meng residence. I thought Meng Zhan, despite being despicable, would at least spare his legitimate son… Alas, I never expected… Your aunt has been troubled by this, and her health has continued to deteriorate.”
The Stepmother’s life in Liu Residence was difficult; at least her eldest son would face less torment in the Meng residence.
“So, with that, Mother, when you see Meng Heng, though you despise him deeply, you have to pretend not to know the truth?”
“Yes.”
It’s undeniably frustrating.
Liu Zhi scoffed mockingly, “After all, the Cangzhou Meng Clan is just a joke—a bunch of local tyrants.”
Meanwhile, the entire viewing audience was blown away.
【Sleeping with the Three Kingdoms Heartthrobs】: Witnessing the story unfold, ancient women truly have it tough. Logically speaking, the Stepmother had a decent background, yet her husband’s family is so domineering that they want to break her down, not giving her even a chance to fight back.
【Spirit Word Master】: This isn’t just about being domineering; it’s pure regional tyrant behavior! Whatever they want, they take. If they want to torment someone, they do it. Who cares if one wife dies? There are thousands waiting to marry in!
【Ouch My Foot Hurts】: Looking at it this way, our modern girls are much happier; at least they can divorce. Unlike here, where leaving costs lives, and they might even be dragged back to the pond to drown—it’s terrifying!
【Slippery Every Day】: This must just be an extreme case. I saw a live stream where the host was riding out in a carriage, and young women’s silhouettes were still visible. This means the societal restrictions on women back then weren’t so severe. In a large forest, there are all kinds of birds. The Meng Clan seems incredibly influential, and saying they’re local tyrants isn’t an exaggeration—they hold power and act on a whim!
【Three Squirrels Snacks】: The productivity of society determines its status; even if things seemed somewhat open now, history inevitably trends towards enclosure. Women’s status will undoubtedly become even lower as male demands increase.
Jiang Pengji watched the comments in the live stream, lost in thought.
Since they find it so unsatisfactory, so disgusting, why not change the whole thing?
