After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Chapter 318 Who Will Collect the Corpse?
Madam Zhu is already dead. The Zhu family has tried everything they could, but since there's been no result, she has no choice but to go to the Bai family to find Madam Zhu.

When Zhu saw Cui, she was furious. "You shameless woman, how dare you show your face in front of me?"

Madam Cui looked at her with pity. "Swear! You can keep swearing! Your mother has already been buried. What do you think your elder brother will do next? It's one thing that the wedding didn't happen on such a joyous day, but his promising career has been completely delayed because he has to observe three years of mourning for his mother. Although your mother-in-law is the one who started all this, you're the one who brought her into the family. What do you think your elder brother will do to you and the Bai family?"

"What exactly do you want to say?" Madam Zhu's face paled slightly, but she forced herself not to show any fear, though she was actually very flustered inside.

Madam Cui saw right through her, but didn't expose her. She simply said slowly, "Although you still have your maternal and paternal families, once the two families break off, the Bai family is destined to be crushed by the Zhu family. Soon, you, the eldest young mistress of the Bai family, will be nothing! The Bai family will definitely transfer all their anger to you. Your maternal family will hate you and take their anger out on you, and you can't go back. Sister, eldest young mistress of the Bai family, your situation is much worse than mine!"

Zhu was indeed so frightened by Cui that her eyes filled with tears and her whole body trembled.

Rulan stepped forward with concern to support her mistress, looking at Cui Shi warily, "What exactly are you here for? If you're here to laugh at us, please leave."

Bilian calmly continued, "Rulan, my young lady is just stating the facts. Even if you deceive yourselves, it won't help. However, my young lady is kind-hearted and can cooperate with your master. As long as your master is willing to help, my master can take you in when your master has nowhere else to go."

Once Zhu regained her senses, she cursed, "Bah! What are you people! Taking me in? Don't you even know your own situation? Cui, no matter how angry my brother is with me, he won't kill me, but you might be a different story. You're a divorced woman, not staying at home and instead showing your face in public to see the Zhu family make a fool of themselves. You're spreading rumors in front of my sister-in-law. Do you think my brother will go after you?"
Even if he forgets about you, I'll still kindly remind him! I won't get any credit; everyone will be dragged down with me!

Cui's face turned ugly. She snorted coldly and left decisively with Bilian.

Rulan quickly helped her into the courtyard. "Miss, why did you do that? Although Cui mocked and ridiculed us, she wasn't wrong. The eldest young master really won't let the Bai family off the hook, nor will he let you off easily. Even if he doesn't deal with you directly, he definitely won't acknowledge you anymore."

Zhu's cold hand gripped Rulan tightly. "So we can't just sit here and wait to die. It seems Cen can't be relied on either. We have to save ourselves!"

With that, she decisively took Rulan to see Master Bai.

Mr. Bai fell ill due to the series of events. Zhu Shi disregarded the taboo of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and went straight into Mr. Bai's room to anxiously explain the situation.

"Father, we don't even know if my husband died because of my elder brother. If my mother-in-law harbored hatred, she could have told you, and we could have dealt with it gradually. But she didn't. Instead, she chose the most drastic way. Now my elder brother hates our Bai family to the core, and he has even taken his anger out on me, his younger sister. Our Bai family is no match for his revenge. You must think of a way as soon as possible!"

Old Master Bai coughed several times in a row, and only after he caught his breath did he speak with a bitter smile, "I know what you mean, but I'm not reconciled! The wealth that our ancestors worked so hard to build has been squandered in my hands, I will die with my eyes open in disgrace!"

Zhu looked anxious. "Father-in-law, I want to take the children away from here, far away. Please prepare some travel expenses for us! If we can't fight them, can't we at least run away?"

Mr. Bai was somewhat surprised. "You plan to take the child and leave?"

In his view, Zhu was not a virtuous wife and loving mother at all. The reason she adopted the children was only for her own future. Fortunately, those children were all of the Bai family’s bloodline, the children of his legitimate son. He was happy to see Zhu adopt them, since the Bai family would all belong to his grandsons in the future anyway.

Now that the Bai family is about to perish, those children are no longer of any use to Zhu Shi, and he thought that Zhu Shi would abandon them without hesitation. Zhu Shi nodded without thinking, "Father, although they are not my children, since they have been adopted into my family, they are my sons, and I will naturally take good care of them."

She did dislike these illegitimate children before, but she took her mother's words to heart. In the current situation, she couldn't rely on anyone else and could only depend on those children.

Master Bai was finally somewhat relieved and pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright! I will prepare gold, silver, and valuables for you, and transfer all the properties outside Zhaohua County to your and your children's names. Take these things and leave now."

In fact, he had already begun preparations on the day Liu committed the murder, but everything was done secretly and no one knew about it.

Overjoyed, Madam Zhu thanked Master Bai and immediately went back to prepare. That same day, she took her child and luggage and left by carriage.

Only a few days after Zhu and the children left, Liu died in the dark dungeon.

The county government notified the Bai family to come and identify the body.

Master Bai was bedridden and unable to leave his house. His illegitimate sons harbored deep resentment towards Madam Liu. In addition, Madam Liu had offended the Zhu family, so no one was willing to step forward and they all made excuses to avoid her.

With both of Liu's sons and daughters gone, and her illegitimate sons all in hiding, the steward had no choice but to seek help from several of her illegitimate daughters, the closest of whom was Bai Rong.

After learning the housekeeper's purpose, Bai Rong was in a difficult position. "Housekeeper, it's not that I'm unwilling to help, but I'm now a member of the Ma family, and I have to listen to my husband and father-in-law in everything I say and do. I can't make decisions on my own!"

The steward knelt down before Bai Rong with a thud. "Miss Rong, this old servant has no other choice but to beg you. This old servant knows that the madam is not good, but the master is really good to you. Of all the daughters born out of wedlock, only you are truly cared for by the master. For your marriage, the master even went over the madam's head to arrange it."

Even if you don't care about the monk, you should at least care about the Buddha!

Bai Rong also wanted to kneel down before the butler, "I know my father is good to me, and I want to help him, but our Ma family is not even as good as the Bai family. If we are targeted by the Zhu family, I... I can't bear that responsibility!"

The butler seemed completely exhausted, his eyes devoid of light.

In the teahouse opposite the Ma residence, Ma Xingteng stared solemnly at his front door, saying nothing.

Liu Tiechui, who was beside him, sighed softly, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, who could have known that the Bai family would fall to such a state? Indeed, one should marry a virtuous wife. If the wife is not virtuous, it will ruin one's descendants! We cannot get involved in the Bai family's affairs. Just bear with it a little longer, and the other party will leave in a while."

Ma Xingteng had just wanted to go and help, but Liu Tiechui stopped him.