bookrebus Chapter 687 seems troublesome, but it's also quite good.
Chapter 687 seems troublesome, but it's also quite good.
Wang Li called Jiang Wanrou to the lakeside pavilion in the garden alone.
"Speak, why did you poison Jin'er?"
Wang Li looked down at Li Jin'er from her elevated position, tossing the sachet Jiang Wanrou had given her onto the stone table in front of her, her gaze cold as she stared at her.
In Wang Li's memory, Jiang Wanrou had been in the household for ten years, always quiet and reserved, seemingly indifferent to everything. She couldn't understand what was so special about her that she would poison her childhood friend like this.
Jiang Wanrou stared at the sachet in front of her, her hands trembling as she grasped it, without uttering a word.
Seeing this, Wang Li said, "If you don't want to talk, then you two siblings can go to the Jingzhao Prefecture and tell them about the hundreds of tortures. Let's see how long you can endure them!"
After saying that, he raised his hand and beckoned the old woman over.
"and many more!"
Jiang Wanrou suddenly knelt down in front of Wang Lishi with a "thump".
"Big sister, it's all my fault. My brother didn't know. Please forgive him. You can punish me however you want."
Jiang Wanrou's face turned pale, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Wang Lishi.
"This is not your place to bargain." Madam Wang glared at her and questioned, "I want to know the reason. You've been in the Li family for so many years, and we've never mistreated you or your brother. Why are you repaying kindness with enmity?"
Jiang Wanrou curled her fingers, chuckling with a death-defying air: "Never treated unfairly? My brother and I could only eat what you and Jin'er left over from the pastries. Later, when Aunt gave birth to Cousin Rong, we siblings were placed after him. Then, when Cousin Xian's son was born, we siblings were placed after Young Master Heng. The same goes for clothes and jewelry. Is this what you mean by never treating unfairly?"
Looking at Wang Wanrou, whose face was filled with jealousy and hatred, Wang Li looked at her as if she had never known her before.
Jiang Wanrou glared at Wang Lishi, her eyes reddening: "Cousin, I've had enough of being looked down upon like this! But Jin'er is always so self-centered, never noticing, and indifferently ignoring us siblings. I want to see her suffer, I want her to suffer like me!"
The last sentence was almost screamed out.
Her face, no longer displaying its usual indifference, now looked distorted and ugly.
"So that's how it is!"
"We've raised a complete ingrate!"
A mocking smile played on Wang Li's lips.
"Jin'er's trust was ultimately misplaced!"
Jiang Wanrou was stunned. "Cousin, what do you mean by that?"
Wang Li said, "Even though we are not as close to you as blood sisters, Jin'er is very happy to see you. You are the same age and always play together. After she noticed your situation, she told your parents to treat you fairly. But do you remember what you said?"
What did they say?
Jiang Wanrou recalled what she had said before, and her body instantly stiffened, as if she had deflated and gone limp.
"You remember now, don't you!"
"When we offered you some pastries, you made an excuse that you didn't like them. Later, your parents also tried to persuade you, but you insisted that you didn't like them. Your parents had no choice but to leave some for you after distributing the pastries to everyone else. It was the same with clothes. You said you had to observe mourning and repeatedly declined to wear clothes of other colors. Do I have to list all the other ones?"
"You're in a different place, so one instance of being dramatic is understandable. But if you keep making excuses, how can anyone tell if you genuinely dislike it or are just being overly dramatic? Everyone has their own things to do; who can spend all their time figuring out what you're thinking?"
"There's only one Jin'er who treats you like a playmate and often instructs the servants not to treat you differently. But how have you repaid her!"
Jiang Wanrou knelt there, head bowed, unable to utter a single word in rebuttal.
After her parents passed away, she and her younger brother were extremely reserved when they first arrived at the Li family home. They were thinking that they absolutely could not cause trouble for their aunt and uncle. Over time, saying things that were not what they really meant became a habit of hers, and it also left others with the impression that she was indifferent to worldly affairs.
But as time went on, the suppressed emotions turned into anger and jealousy, which attacked her constantly, especially when she saw Li Jin'er's beautiful clothes, her anger and jealousy reached their peak.
She felt that perhaps if Jin'er were gone, she could have everything.
"Wanrou, did you really make this?"
It is an unbelievable question.
Jiang Wanrou looked in the direction of the voice and saw Li Jin'er. Wearing a veil, she was being helped out from behind the artificial hill, accompanied by the Princess Consort of Su.
Even through the veil and thin gauze, Jiang Wanrou seemed to see Li Jin'er crying.
Jiang Wanrou's eyes trembled slightly, but she calmly said, "Yes."
Supported by her maid Cai Die, Li Jin'er walked up to Jiang Wanrou and asked in a trembling voice, "Why? I have never bullied you!"
Jiang Wanrou stopped pretending and scoffed indifferently, "Never bullied me? It's better to bully me openly. At least I can fight back openly. But since you haven't bullied me, I can't do anything and I have to watch you have everything I don't have."
Years of suppressing her vanity and self-esteem have completely changed Jiang Wanrou.
Li Jin'er persisted, asking stubbornly, "Why won't you tell me? Why did you refuse? Tell me what you want that your parents won't give you?"
Jiang Wanrou sneered, "Speak? Like a beggar?"
Seeing no remorse on her face, Su Lingyue said, "If it weren't for the Li family taking you in, you would have become a beggar. You want something but don't dare to fight for it, you pretend to be high and mighty, you rely on others to understand your thoughts, you are running away. To put it bluntly, you are a coward, yet you blame everything on others."
Jiang Wanrou remained silent for a moment, then kowtowed to the Li sisters and said, "I have wronged you. Please forgive me this time for my mother's sake. I will leave the Li family. Please let my younger brother stay in the family."
Cai Die, who was standing to the side, was furious. She glared at Jiang Wanrou with her round eyes, her face turning red with anger.
Li Jing crossed her arms and glanced at Jiang Wanrou, "Cai Die, do you know how to write shamelessness?"
Cai Die spoke emphatically: "I know! I'll know how to write it as soon as I see her."
After speaking, Madam Li emerged from behind another moon gate, looking at Jiang Wanrou with a face full of disappointment, and said coldly, "I have repaid all the sisterly affection I had with your mother over the past ten years. I was soft-hearted for a moment, but I have harmed my own child."
Madam Li gently took Li Jin'er's hand, her eyes filled with heartache, "Jin'er, it's my fault for misjudging people, which brought you trouble. From now on, I will protect you!"
After saying that, he waved his hand, and the servants came over, pressed down on Jiang Wanrou who was kneeling on the ground, and dragged her out.
Finally, Jiang Wanrou realized that her aunt was serious this time, and she finally felt scared, crying and begging everyone for help.
However, no one in the pavilion moved.
The Jiang siblings were sent back to their hometown.
They have no relatives or shelter there, and their future is uncertain.
After removing all the spices and recuperating for several days, Li Jin'er's face gradually lost its swelling, and the dark spots began to fade. However, it would take some time for the swelling to completely disappear.
Seeing Li Jin'er's forced but genuine smile, Su Lingyue's heart also filled with joy, and she smiled unconsciously.
After this incident, Su Lingyue did not mention going to see the Duchess of England again.
Although such things are troublesome, they can actually help people, so it seems not bad.