There were five people in the room. Old Madam He was sitting upright in the middle with two reliable Mamas in charge standing by her sides. Madam He and Cao Jinxiu were kneeling on the ground with tears covering their faces.

“Mother, I’m begging you!” Madam He cried and said, “Punish me as you wish if you think I have done anything wrong! But please don’t treat Jinxiu like this!”

“How dare I punish you?” Old Madam He said that with coldness on her face, “You are Hongwen’s mother, a woman of her word. No matter whom you wanted Hongwen to marry, I never stood in your way. But since Concubine Cao has already married into our family, I do have the right to discipline her. All right, Concubine Cao, stop being in a trance. Go back right away to pack up your stuff. I want you to go back to White Stone Pond with me after a few days!”

Cao Jingxiu’s face turned deadly pale. She never thought things would become like this. Then she curled up her body and pleaded, “No, no, Old Madam, please, I can’t bear leaving my aunt. My cousin is not here, I should stay to look after her!”

Old Madam He replied with a scornful look, “That you don’t need to worry about. Your cousin goes on long journeys all the year round and I don’t see your aunt couldn’t live without him. Even if you are more important to her than her son, I think she can still survive without you!”

Madam He felt the voice extremely indifferent. As she raised her head and saw the firm expression in Old Madam He’s eyes and the anger on her face, Madam He finally realized how much her mother-in-law detested her now even though they had got along with each other for twenty years. Madam He couldn’t help slumping down on the ground. However, no one came forward to support her while Cao Jinxiu only cried bitterly and loudly.

Old Madam He looked at them coldly, saying, “I’ll be clear to you today, nothing will stop me from bringing Concubine Cao with me. She has already destroyed a good marriage of Hongwen. I cannot let her destroy Hongwen’s whole life! I have already picked a girl for Hongwen. She’s also from a medical family. Although her family is not so prestigious, I still feel satisfied with this girl. She’s capable, resolute and also knows how to regulate a family. Her father has passed away not long ago, so she is still observing mourning right now. I have calculated the days. After one year when Hongwen comes back, they can get married then.”

Cao Jinxiu who was stricken by grief looked at Old Madam He, not willing to believe what she had just heard, “You, you have found another girl for my cousin?” So quickly?!

“That’s right.” Old Madam He looked at her in disgust, “So, I can’t let you stay here to trouble Hongwen and his wife and bring damages to He family.”

“No, I won’t, I won’t trouble them!” Cao Jinxiu came back to her sense right away and kept kowtowing, “I’ll serve my cousin and his wife with all my heart! I’ll treat his wife like my sister!”

Madam He also entreated, “Mother, you have heard Jinxiu’s words, please…”

“I don’t trust her!” Old Madam He said definitely, “I don’t trust either of you!”

Cao Jinxiu and Madam He looked at Old Madam He in terror. Then Old Madam He spoke slowly, “I remembered clearly that when Concubine Cao married into our family, the people of Cao family have sworn that they would never ask for help from us. But it has only been a few months–” Old Madam He stared at Madam He fiercely, saying, “Tell me, how many silvers have you given to Cao family ever since then? Huh! You think I wouldn’t know that? The people of Cao family have written letters to Concubine Cao to ask for help. Then you just gave the silvers to Concubine Cao. After that, Cao family would receive that money from Concubine Cao. How clever you are to find loopholes in my words!”

Madam He had already acknowledged the smartness of her mother-in-law, so she didn’t dare to argue for herself. Then she only wept and said, “She’s my sister after all, I cannot let her starve to death! Mother, I know you are a kind-hearted woman. Please pity them…”

“Starve to death?!” Old Madam He snorted and said, “When they left the capital, you have already sent them enough silvers. If they used that money to purchase lands, they would possess more than hundred acres of farmland. With the addition of the silvers which you have given to them off and on afterwards, they could call themselves rich people in the village! But what did they do? I have already sent a letter to ask about their situations. The men in the Cao family all spend their time with prostitutes or do stealthy things all day. Your dear sister lives a wealthy life and even starts to lend money at usury. She also forced the people who owed her money to sell their children! You want me to pity them? Let me tell you this, I pity the pigs, the dogs, the beggars in the capital. But never will I pity the people of Cao family!”

Cao Jinxiu’s face was ghostly pale after she had heard that. Her lips almost bled since she had bit on them all the time. Then she couldn’t help but argue, “Old Madam, maybe you have mistaken about them. My parents told me that they have done farm work all the time…”

“Oh, really?” Old Madam He suddenly laughed and continued, “We will pass by your parents’ home on the way back to my hometown. You can go check on them by yourself. If I haven’t said the truth, I’ll send you back to the capital right away. But if I am right, you will stay in the White Stone Pond forever! How about that?”

Cao Jinxiu was chocked by Old Madam He’s words. After she muttered something while sobbing, she never uttered anything and only knelt there with her head lowered.

Old Madam Sheng cursed resentfully, having no intention to cover her detestation toward Cao Jinxiu, “You double-dealing bitch! Even the toad in the stinking ditch is more decent than you! You don’t even deserve to talk to me! How dare you dream of staying with Hongwen?!”

Cao Jinxiu collapsed on the ground with her face turning completely red and sobbed lightly, feeling ashamed and indignant.

Old Madam He turned around to look at Madam He and said in a heavy voice, “I know you have lived in widowhood at a young age, but He family never owed you anything. You have been given preferential treatments all the time. I am not a stubborn person who disdain the remarried concubines. But Cao Jiuxiu and her families are all despicable people who have no sense of shame. If Hongwen is stuck with them, his life will be ruined!”

Having taken a breath, Old Madam He raised her voice and claimed, “Let me be frank with you today, I know Hongwen is your son, but he is also the child of He family. You will never use him to do Cao family a good turn!”

With Madam He’s face turning green, she was so scared that she could only tremble. Then she raised her head sadly to look at Old Madam He, saying, “Mother, how can you say about me like that? How can I have the nerve to live?!”

“Of course you will live!” Old Madam He retorted her frostily, “I will bring Concubine Cao with me for sure. I’m willing to be an evil mother-in-law and watch you die rather than watch Hongwen being burdened by you to death because he wants to fulfil his filial duty!”

Madam He couldn’t even cry anymore and only looked at Old Madam He in panic. The latter said with a weird smile on her face, “Perhaps you are more concerned about the Cao family than your own son. But I am a dark-minded person who only values my own grandson!”

Madam He collapsed on the ground in a daze, feeling coldness all over her body. In the meantime, she could still hear Old Madam Sheng’s words, “Remember this, He family is our family. You are just a woman who have married into our family! It’s not your turn to use the money of the He family to aid the Cao family! Our family’s reputation has already been ruined by you once, I won’t trust you anymore! Later on I need you to hand Hongwen’s properties to me first. When Hongwen gets married, I’ll give his properties to his wife. I couldn’t stop you from giving others a favor with your own dowry. But I want you to know that once you give out all your dowry, you cannot stay in our family anymore! Also, if the Cao family still comes to pester us, I’ll notify the local government about their crime. I don’t care if they will be killed or beaten! They should get what they deserve! I’ll be responsible for all the consequences!”

Old Madam He’s imposing manner terrified Madam He and Cao Jinxiu so much that they didn’t dare to say a word. After that, they could only beg piteously without a break. However, Old Madam He who had already made up her mind ignored all of their begging. Cao Jinxiu then couldn’t help but curse, “You wretched old…” Before she could finish that sentence, Madam He covered her mouth right away. Madam He knew something that Cao Jinxiu didn’t, which was that Old Madam He had got blood on her hands. So many concubines, Tong Fang and their illegal children had disappeared without a trace.

Old Madam He looked at the two of them smilingly and started to straighten them out, “Don’t be so sentimental. It’s not like I’m going to lock Concubine Cao in my hometown forever. About eight to ten years after Hongwen has his own children, I’ll send you back. They you can unite with him.”

As Madam He saw the expression in Old Madam He’s eyes, she only felt desperation inwardly. Madam He knew that she wouldn’t live longer than ten years according to her own physical condition. She had planned to let her son and Cao Jinxiu bond with each other when she was still alive. When she was dead, Cao Jinxiu would stand firm in the He family then. But now it seemed that her mother-in-law was looking forward to her death.

By then, her son and his new wife would be an affectionate couple with lovely children. And Cao Jinxiu, as an aged woman, would never be favored by He Hongwen anymore. The He family would only make sure that they wouldn’t starve Cao Jinxiu to death.

Madam He was being at her wits’ end. Suddenly, she recalled something. Old Madam He observed the look on her face and saw right through her daughter-in-law. Then Old Madam He held up the tea cup leisurely and said slowly, “You better stop thinking that you could ask Hongwen’s wife to beg me to let Concubine Cao go. If your future daughter-in-law or your son comes to me and tells me that they want Concubine Cao back, a foolish old woman like me wouldn’t try to find if you are behind all of that. I’ll send your niece straight to the nunnery. Well, by the way, there is a place in White Stone Pond like the Tong Chu Temple which is set up specifically for the women who have made mistakes…”

Cao Jinxiu couldn’t take this anymore and went dizzy directly. Meanwhile, Madam He, being stupefied, only stood put without moving a bit.

The translator has something to say:

Gosh!!!!!! Finally!!!!! I just couldn’t wait to see the end of Cao Jinxiu! This girl is so disgusting and this Madam He is so hard to understand. Why she insists on her son marrying her sister’s daughter?! This is ridiculous. If C JX is a good girl, then fine, I wouldn’t say a word about it. But she isn’t!!!!