tallest building

Chapter 88 (approximately three chapters)

Wen Mingqian was locked in the Buddhist hall, and the only thing told to the outside world was that she was worshipping Buddha in the Buddhist hall.

Zhang Ma ran into the courtyard of Ruixiangju and started cursing.

"Song Xiulian, you vixen! You tricked me and tried to smear the madam! Why doesn't God strike you dead with lightning, you wild fox spirit!"

At this moment, Song Xiulian had just fallen asleep due to weakness, and Gong Xu was keeping her company.

Hearing Zhang Ma's loud cursing, he immediately frowned and said, "That old hag is really outrageous! How could I have forgotten about her earlier?"

“Although Zhang Ma is shrewish, the old lady eats her cooking every day. Besides, this matter has nothing to do with her, so…” someone explained from the side.

"She came to this courtyard shouting and cursing; that's insubordination! How can we tolerate her?! Tie her up and throw her in the woodshed. We'll deal with her after we've dealt with Wen Mingqian!" Gong Xu roared.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ma continued to curse: "You damned whore! You're heartless and rotten! You couldn't keep the baby in your belly anyway, so you're just trying to pin it on the madam! Let me tell you, if you dare to do anything to the madam, I'll go to the yamen and beat the petition drum to report you!"

"Tie her up! Who told her to talk nonsense here?! Slap her twenty more times, and see if she dares to talk nonsense again?!" Granny Yang came out of the house, put her hands on her hips, and stood in front of the door directing the people in the yard.

She had long disliked Zhang Ma, and now that she had a legitimate opportunity to teach her a lesson, she was not about to let it go.

"Who dares to tie me up?!" Zhang Ma pushed aside the people who were near him. "Have you asked the old lady yet?"

"This is what our master ordered. You're one of the people in this courtyard. How dare you disobey?" Granny Yang pointed at Zhang Ma and asked sternly.

"Pah! That damned bastard Gong Er can't tell the difference between real and fake people. He lets that whore smear layer after layer of lard on his heart, treating fine jade like dirt and mistaking dog shit for gold!" Zhang Ma jumped up and down, cursing with her neck straight.

"This is outrageous! She dares to insult the master! Get more men here! Tie this old hag up!" Granny Yang was so angry her eyes slits bulged. "Beat her! Beat her hard!"

Just as things were getting out of hand, Xu's mother arrived with her entourage.

“Aunt Zhang, the old lady couldn’t find you, so she sent me. Please come back with me quickly.” As soon as Aunt Xu arrived, everyone quieted down.

“Mama Xu, Zhang Ma is really unruly. She ran into this courtyard and started yelling and cursing. She even cursed the master. How can we keep such a wicked servant?” Of course, Granny Yang didn’t dare to be disrespectful to the old lady’s maid, but she hated Zhang Ma so much that she didn’t want to let her go so easily.

“Yes! Zhang Ma is indeed unruly. I will go back and tell the old lady about this and ask her to punish her.” Xu Mama assured, “Please, Second Master, calm down and don’t stoop to the level of this scoundrel.”

Song was not actually sleeping very soundly; she heard Zhang Ma shouting and cursing outside.

Not only was I not angry, I was actually very happy.

The more rude Zhang Ma was, the hotter Gong Xu's anger burned, and the faster Wen Mingqian would die!
Great! That's wonderful!
Wen Mingqian should have died long ago!
Seven days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Song's health will also improve significantly.

Gong Xu came to see the old lady again.

"Mother, it's time to give Xiulian an explanation."

"what do you mean……"

“Mother, we agreed beforehand that seven days have passed and we haven’t found anything new.”

"Are you really going to kill her?"

"What else? Should we send her back to her hometown of Shuangxi? She's been a vegetarian and chanting Buddhist scriptures for seven years and still hasn't turned to good. She's a poisonous snake!"

"But... what should we say to the outside world?"

“Just say she died of illness, no one will investigate…” “How about this, call her here, I’ll ask her again,” said Madam Gong. “Give her one last chance.”

In the past seven days, Wen Mingqian has become noticeably haggard.

"You should at least call me Mother. Now I'll ask you one more time: Did you harm Aunt Song?" Old Madam Gong asked Wen Mingqian.

"Madam, I suppose you've already decided how to deal with me?" Wen Mingqian sneered. "I've already said, if you want me to admit anything, you'll have to go to court."

"Wen Mingqian, you're about to die, yet you still dare to be so arrogant!" Gong Xu looked at Wen Mingqian with the eyes of someone looking at a dead man. "A person like you doesn't deserve to live in this world. Murderers should pay with their lives. You should have died long ago!"

"Is the master's mind made up?" Wen Mingqian also looked coldly at Gong Xu.

"If you know what's good for you, you'd better kill yourself," Gong Xu said bitterly, "that way you can at least leave yourself with a little bit of dignity."

"if not?"

"If you refuse, someone else will take care of it." Gong Xu made it very clear that if Wen Mingqian chose to commit suicide, that would be fine, but if she refused, she would be forced to die.

"Or I might not give you any food or water, and let you starve to death slowly. Would you rather suffer a long pain or a short one? Anyway, I've decided not to keep you here any longer, and you can't survive no matter what."

"Song is nothing but a lowly concubine, yet you want my life for her sake?"

"So you admit that you're the one who harmed Consort Song?" Old Madam Gong asked.

"If I said I didn't, would you believe me?" Wen Mingqian sneered.

“Mother, there’s no need to ask her anymore. It was she who did the poisoning.” Gong Xu was absolutely certain.

"You are so vicious and wicked, our family can no longer keep you here." Old Madam Gong had also made up her mind. "I advise you to be more dignified..."

"You're just telling me to commit suicide so you can save face for the Gong family." Wen Mingqian snorted. "I can die, but..."

"But what?" Gong Xu had been waiting for her to say this for a long time.

"However, I have three wishes. I will give you dignity, and you must give me dignity in return. Otherwise, even if I die, I will not die peacefully..."

"Tell me first," said Madam Gong, "as long as it's not excessive."

"This is the first thing. From now on, Chang'an will be raised by the old lady. If anything happens to him, I will haunt you even as a ghost."

Secondly, after my death, my body must be kept in state for seven days. I cannot be buried hastily. My ashes must be enshrined in Wuqiu Nunnery. The annual incense money must be provided in full, not a penny less.

Third, before I die, I want to see Madam Song; there are some things I must clarify with her face to face.

"Are these the only three things?" Gong Xu asked.

“Only these three.” Wen Mingqian turned around coldly. “Tonight, I hope we can both keep our word.”

"Okay." Gong Xu agreed readily, "as long as you don't go back on your word."

"I have a bottle of arsenic here," Madam Gong said to Gong Xu with a sigh after Wen Mingqian left. "Let's use this to send her off! It'll be quicker."

Gong Xu didn't speak, but simply nodded silently.

Arsenic is a highly poisonous substance; once ingested, there is no chance of survival.

(End of this chapter)