The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 607 - 573: Moving the Dowry (Third Update)
Outside, the weather was freezing, and inside the prison, it was even darker and more damp. As soon as the door opened, a musty smell hit him.
Using the flickering light from the wall, Tang Yuan found Jiang Qingyu’s cell.
She had already changed into prison clothes and was curled up in a corner, freezing. Her head was buried in her knees, her face obscured from view, only her disheveled hair was visible.
Through the cell door, Tang Yuan called out, "Qingyu."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyu’s back stiffened for a moment. She then lifted her head, and once she saw Tang Yuan’s face clearly, she knew she wasn’t dreaming. Her heart leaped with joy, and she quickly stood up to approach him, "Second Master, I knew you would definitely come to see me."
Seeing Tang Yuan unmoved, she whispered, "Second Master, I’ve missed you so much these past few days."
Tang Yuan remained silent.
Jiang Qingyu sensed something was amiss and tentatively asked, "Second Master?"
Tang Yuan’s gaze remained fixed on her face for a while before he slowly spoke, "Whose child is it?"
Jiang Qingyu: "..."
She had waited so long for him, just for this moment, yet he didn’t even offer a basic greeting and went straight to asking about the child. This made Jiang Qingyu feel defeated, yet at the same time, she felt a thrill.
Unable to know who the child’s true father was, Tang Yuan’s heart must be troubled. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come specially to see her.
She slowly retreated to sit back on the stone bed, curling her lips, "Did you come to see me just to ask about this?"
"Tell me, who’s the child’s biological father?" Tang Yuan repeated his previous question.
Jiang Qingyu fiddled with her hair, "I don’t want to say."
"Fine, if you don’t want to say, then don’t say." Tang Yuan said, "After all, you won’t have the chance to leave."
He turned around to leave.
Jiang Qingyu’s voice suddenly came from behind, "Second Master, don’t you want to know why the old man hasn’t returned yet?"
As Tang Yuan turned back in disbelief, she smiled with narrowed eyes, "Xu Family is so capable, able to obtain so many rare copies from Song Wei. The old man was so delighted when he got the news that he rushed home immediately. But it’s such a long journey that he hasn’t returned home. So, where did he go?"
Having said that, Jiang Qingyu stared at Tang Yuan’s face, appreciating every subtle change in his expression.
Through the cell door, she seemed to feel the anger surging within him.
However, Tang Yuan didn’t explode. He knew very well that this woman was at her wit’s end and wanted to drag someone down with her before dying, thus trying every way to provoke him.
The setbacks he’d received from the Xu Family in recent days were already numerous, so Jiang Qingyu’s provocation barely stirred his emotions. Hence, Tang Yuan soon calmed his mood and said to the person inside, "Murder is a serious crime. Your sentence will be passed down soon, take care."
His calm reaction surprised Jiang Qingyu, but immediately, she smiled faintly, "That old bastard, somehow found out about our affair, scolded me on his way back to the capital at my estate, and I was unhappy. So I secretly put something in his tea. Guess what happened?"
As she said this, her demeanor seemed manic and excited.
Tang Yuan’s face changed drastically, "Wretched woman, what did you do to my grandfather?"
Finally seeing the other’s change in expression, Jiang Qingyu laughed holding her belly, rocking back and forth, "When the morning came, I told him that nothing happened the previous night, but he didn’t believe me. A dignified, virtuous scholar gone mad, roaring at my estate in rage. If only you had seen his expression then — it was simply classic."
As she talked, she adjusted her collar as if trying to recreate certain scenes from that time.
"Wretched! You won’t die at peace!" Tang Yuan’s eyes were ablaze with anger, gripping the cell door, longing to break it down and stab Jiang Qingyu.
Jiang Qingyu quieted down and examined him for a moment, before letting out another savage laugh, "It seems Second Master can fully empathize with the old man’s feelings at that time. It’s just a pity that I haven’t had a taste of your flavor yet!"
Tang Yuan’s chest was about to explode with anger, "Mrs. Jiang, do you have any shame left?"
"Shame?" Jiang Qingyu looked at him as if he were an idiot, "I could climb into your brother’s bed on my way to marry you, and you still hope for my shame?"
"Wretched!"
Tang Yuan was at his limit, unable to reach Jiang Qingyu through the cell door, he could only keep hurling that word.
Jiang Qingyu didn’t care in the slightest, "Indeed, I’m despicable, but what could I do? The men of the Tang Family just seem to like despicable women. Does Second Master now wish he could personally kill me? It’s so simple, really. Save me, and you can do whatever you like."
"Daydreaming!" Tang Yuan’s gaze was sharp as a knife, each cut landing on Jiang Qingyu, "After your death, I will come to collect your body, grind your bones to dust, so you’ll never be reborn!"
Jiang Qingyu still smiled, "The matters of this life are not yet clear, how could I care about the next life? Whether I can reincarnate doesn’t seem to affect me."
Tang Yuan’s grip on the prison bars tightened, veins bulging on his forehead and arms. Having known Jiang Qingyu for so many years, he only realized today that she had become so shameless that no one could match her. She dared to climb into anyone’s bed and acted as if it were only natural.
How could there be such a brazen woman in this world?
At this moment, Tang Yuan didn’t know whether to hate himself for being blind or feel fortunate that he had never touched this slut from beginning to end.
"It’s not you who got hurt, so why are you so angry, Second Master?" In the shadows, Jiang Qingyu’s smile became even more hideous and crazy.
Her parents were both dead, leaving her all alone without any attachments. Now nothing could threaten her. Tang Yuan knew well that if he continued to argue, he would only make himself half dead with anger. He struggled to control his emotions, not knowing how much cool damp air he inhaled to finally suppress his rage. Then, no matter what Jiang Qingyu said, he refused to respond, striding out of the prison.
Returning to the mansion, Tang Yuan went to see Mrs. Qiao as soon as possible, asking her, "Mother, do you have any news of Grandfather?"
Mrs. Qiao replied, "Didn’t your grandfather go traveling everywhere? He probably won’t be back until December. Usually, if the elderly man doesn’t send a message, we can’t get any news!"
Tang Yuan originally wanted to say something more, but when the words reached his lips, he suddenly choked up.
How should he explain the matter on the estate to his parents? His grandfather had always valued the family’s honor, and being so badly humiliated by Jiang Qingyu this time might have driven him mad.
Thinking of the scene in the prison earlier, the veins on Tang Yuan’s forehead couldn’t help but throb.
Seeing this, Mrs. Qiao asked if he was feeling unwell anywhere.
Tang Yuan replied perfunctorily, "I guess my cold hasn’t recovered yet; I’m feeling uncomfortable. Mother, if you have things to do, go ahead. I’ll rest in my room for a while."
After leaving the main courtyard, Tang Yuan went straight to the Zilan Courtyard.
The door was locked, but as he stood outside, he seemed to see Xu Jia in the past, sitting on the embroidered stool, her head lowered as she looked at the account book.
Tang Yuan’s expression gradually softened.
"Second Master." A woman’s voice came from behind him.
Tang Yuan snapped out of it, quickly masking the tenderness on his face, and turned to see that it was Hongyu, the second-class maid from the Zilan Courtyard. He asked, "What’s the matter?"
Hongyu said, "The Marquis Mansion sent word earlier that they would come to move the dowry first thing tomorrow morning."
Upon hearing this, a dull ache throbbed in a specific part of Tang Yuan’s heart. After a long silence, he replied hoarsely, "Alright."
——
The next day, more than ten servants from the Western Marquis Mansion arrived, greeted Tang Yuan upon entering, and went directly to the Zilan Courtyard to move things.
A copy of Xu Jia’s dowry list was kept at her maiden home, her husband’s family, and the government. It was registered and filed, and no one could deny it.
Tang Yuan stood at the courtyard gate, watching them going in and out as he seized an opportunity to ask one of the young servants, "Where is your young madam?"
The young servant answered truthfully, "Young madam is in the carriage outside."
Upon hearing this, Tang Yuan turned and hurriedly made his way outside, as if afraid that arriving late would cause him to miss her.
Sure enough, a carriage was parked outside the East Corner Gate.
The weather was cold, and Tang Yuan was slightly out of breath, constantly exhaling white mist. He stood on the stone steps for a moment to catch his breath before walking down.
Inside the carriage, Xu Jia heard footsteps, lifted the curtain, and directly met Tang Yuan’s gaze. She simply pinned up the curtain, her expression calm, "I came to move the dowry."
"I know." Tang Yuan nodded.
After that, he fell into silence.
Moments ago, he had many things to say when he came out, yet as soon as he saw her, it was as if someone had choked his throat, rendering him voiceless.
Seeing that the other party was unwilling to speak to him, Tang Yuan hesitated, "Can I ask you for a favor?"
"What favor?" Xu Jia looked at him suspiciously.
Tang Yuan quietly shared with her what he had heard when visiting Jiang Qingyu. Finally, he pursed his lips, his face looking awful, "I’m just a man, unable to reason with Mrs. Jiang, a woman, so I can only ask for your help. As long as you can help me vent this anger, any condition will do."
