一夜情

Did he really think that she was just a cash cow?

Old Man Zhao and Madam Yang were much wiser now. So they didn’t dare look for her.

“That’s your maiden family?” Yuan Hui asked. “Chuchu, how did you manage to be so cold-hearted toward them?”

!!

“Because they almost killed me back then. That’s why I made up my mind to sever all ties with them. I won’t care about what happens to them, and I don’t care what others say about me. As long as you can do that, you can be cold-hearted as well.”

Yuan Hui sighed and shook her head. “I can’t do that. I’ve been taught since childhood that women must take good care of their reputations. I admire how free you are, but I definitely can’t be like you.”

“The environment in which we grow up makes our character. If I weren’t ruthless, I would have died.” Zhao Chuchu smiled, then said, “Yuan Hui, at least you still have your family to protect you, but my parents died early on. So I’ve seen all the warmth and cold the world has to offer. That’s what made my heart tough.”

“I’ve heard about this before, but what about your mother’s maiden family? They never came to look for you?” Yuan Hui asked. “My mother’s maiden family had fallen from grace. They were afraid that people would misunderstand if they searched for me. That’s why they rarely interacted with me over the years.”

“Speaking of that, they may not even know of my existence,” Zhao Chuchu said in a self-deprecating manner.

“Don’t know? How is that possible?”

“Yuan Hui, are you knowledgeable about the Xia clan?”

“The Xia clan? You mean the Xia clan of Guangqing Province?”

“Yes.”

“Your mother’s maiden family is the Xia clan?”

“Yeah.”

“Really? But I have never heard about a daughter from the Xia clan marrying someone in Yuanjiang County.”

Yuan Hui was shocked.

The Yuan and Xia clans were competitors. The two clans had been fighting against each other through various overt and covert means. The only thing they didn’t do was start an all-out war.

Yuan Hui knew a thing or two about the Xia clan. The girls from the Xia clan were extremely arrogant and looked down on almost everyone. Even though the Xia clan had been going downhill and was no longer a match for the Yuan clan, they continued to put up a tough front. In particular, the Xia clan has always made life difficult for the women of the Yuan clan.

If a daughter from the Xia clan married someone in Yuanjiang County, it would definitely not be a secret in Guangqing Province.

But now that Zhao Chuchu mentioned it, Yuan Hui recalled that the girl with the surname Kang in the Xia clan somewhat resembled Zhao Chuchu.

“Chuchu, what actually happened?”

“My mother’s name is Xia Chenglan.”

“Xia Chenglan?”

Yuan Hui’s eyes widened, and she exclaimed, “Didn’t she pass away when she was around 15 years old?”

Yuan Hui knew about this.

Everyone in the province knew about how Xia Chenglan committed suicide to preserve her dignity when she was kidnapped by bandits.

Many big clans even used Xia Chenglan’s story as a case study to teach their daughters that a woman’s dignity is more important than her life.

But Zhao Chuchu was saying that her mother was Xia Chenglan?

“Yeah, I even met my aunt, who married into the Kang family.” Zhao Chuchu nodded. The mammy from the Xia clan said that Xia Chenglan ran away with another man, but Yuan Hui heard that Xia Chenglan had died. Something interesting was happening!

For a while, Yuan Hui didn’t know what to say.

If that were the case, what happened to Xia Chenglan that the Xia clan had to publicly declare that Xia Chenglan had died?

“I don’t know the exact reason yet because I don’t want to cross paths with the Xia clan for now. Yuan Hui, how much do you know about the Xia clan? Could you tell me about them? I feel that based on the way that the Xia clan does things, they’re going to find me quite soon.”

“Because you solved the plague and cured the ‘big belly disease’ in Qiaoyi Town, then became known in the royal court?”

“Probably.”

“That’s actually possible. Unfortunately, the Xia clan has a history of being snobs,” Yuan Hui frowned and said. She paused, held Zhao Chuchu’s hand, and said, “Chuchu, don’t worry, I’m here with you. Even though I can’t solve the Yuan clan’s problems, for now, the Xia clan can’t do anything to me.”

“You’ve become a famous doctor now while the Xia clan is going downhill. If they somehow acquired a granddaughter who is a ‘miracle doctor,’ they could gain more influence. Other people might recognize the Xia clan because of your skills as a doctor. With you as their new ace card, they may be able to rise again.”

Zhao Chuchu laughed and started to talk about the original owner’s life. “Haha…If they tried at all to take care of me back then, I don’t mind being their ‘ace card.’ Unfortunately, they had completely ignored my existence. When my parents passed away, no one from the Xia clan came to look for me, let alone take care of me.

“While I was bullied and abused in the Zhao clan, I prayed countless times that someone would save me from those dark days of despair, yet no one came to my rescue. Fortunately, Da Lang married me and helped me escape that pathetic life. He even taught me to read.

“I don’t have any feelings toward the Xia clan. All I have is resentment against them. I can treat them as strangers if they don’t come looking for trouble. But if they try to blackmail me just because they are technically my elders, I will make them regret it!”

“Wow, I didn’t think that the Xia clan could be such disgusting people. It seems like your mother didn’t run into bandits back then. It was probably some scheme from her husband’s mistresses,” Yuan Hui said. “I’ll get someone to investigate what really happened.”

“Thank you, Yuan Hui.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing significant, but it’ll be great if it helps. However, the Xia clan is in the salt business as well, and they have a decent relationship with the government. So, Chuchu, you must be prepared that they might threaten you with your husband’s career.”

Her grandmother was bedridden right now because of her illness, and most of the connections of the Yuan clan were dependent on her grandmother. So there was very little that she could do.

If she asked for help from Xiao Heting, Zhao Chuchu would definitely be implicated in their conflicts, and that wouldn’t be worth it.

It would be easier to go against the Xia clan than those people who are higher up.

“I know. That’s why I said that I had a favor to ask you. It’s regarding the Xia clan.”

“I will try my best to help you. The Xia clan is desperate for respect and recognition. But, Chuchu, do you know why your father and mother married each other?”

“I know part of it.”

Zhao Chuchu told Yuan Hui what she knew.

Yuan Hui thought about it, then said, “In that case, your parents probably didn’t run away, which makes sense. But the Xia clan has always been a despicable bunch. I don’t know what they might do to threaten you. Sigh, I’ll return to the county first and tell them to start investigating.”

Yuan Hui couldn’t just sit without doing anything. She didn’t want Zhao Chuchu to become a victim of the Xia clan’s scheme, and she wanted to try her best to help her.

What she owed to Zhao Chuchu couldn’t simply be repaid with money.

Zhao Chuchu asked her to stay another night, but Yuan Hui rejected her and hurried back to the county.

...

When Niu Tongsheng went to meet Zhao Chuchu, Yuan Hui had just left.

After greeting Zhao Chuchu, Niu Tongsheng asked her, “Why did Miss Yuan Hui leave?”

“She had something to do at the county. Do you need something from me?” Zhao Chuchu asked.

Niu Tongsheng told Zhao Chuchu about the fight between Old Man Zhao and the Zhao clan chief’s family.

“Oh, I thought something big happened. Chief, I’m sure you can take care of this. There’s no need to look for me.”

“But Old Man Zhao…”

“I’ve already severed ties with them and won’t interfere with their business.”

Niu Tongsheng felt at ease upon hearing that.

“Madam Yang told you to look for me?” Zhao Chuchu seemed to remember something. She turned her head to look at Niu Tongsheng and asked, “Is she trying to make me feel sympathetic for them or something?”