The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 770: Such a scene unfolded.
The garden of the Su family mansion is very large.

In late autumn, the garden is filled with chrysanthemums of all colors, each vying for attention.

The stage was set up in the middle of the garden.

There are several pavilions around the stage, with tables, chairs, fruits, and tea placed inside.

As a modern person, Tong Huaqiong doesn't like listening to opera; she simply can't appreciate the kind of singing style that's so melodious and affected.

Gu Taohua, Chen Sufeng, and others, however, preferred to listen to opera.

Arriving in the back garden, their eyes gleamed with excitement upon seeing the stage.

Especially Gu Taohua, whose mood was ruined by Old Mrs. Su instantly recovered.

Who cares? We're already here, so let's enjoy the show and the drinks. Why not make the most of it?

To please Old Madam Su, Madam Lu hired the most popular opera troupe in Shengjing.

The group was invited into the pavilion, and with the resounding beat of drums, the show began.

The story of this play is old-fashioned, but it's very captivating.

Apart from Old Madam Su and Madam Lu, everyone listened with great interest, even Tong Huaqiong, who didn't like opera, sighed along.

This play tells the story of a poor scholar who, because his elderly mother is seriously ill and he has no money to buy medicine, goes to the mountains to dig for medicinal herbs and falls off a cliff, where he is rescued by a hunter.

To repay the hunter for saving his life, the scholar married the hunter's daughter.

After the hunter's daughter married the scholar, she took care of everything at home and outside, serving her mother-in-law, tending the crops, and even working as a maid for a wealthy family in town to earn tuition fees for the scholar.

The mother-in-law, proud that her son was a scholar, was very unhappy that he was married to a hunter's daughter and often harassed her daughter-in-law.

The daughter-in-law endured it all.

The scholar, grateful for his wife's sacrifices, studied diligently and vowed to become a high-ranking official so that he could earn her an imperial title.

The scholar had no money to travel to the capital for the imperial examination, so his wife borrowed from all her relatives to raise enough money for his studies.

The scholar was gone for five years, and his wife waited anxiously at home, hoping to reunite with her husband. Instead, she received news that her husband had abandoned her to marry a princess in order to climb the social ladder.

The actors performed exceptionally well, conveying their emotions vividly and drawing the audience into the story.

If the storyline hadn't so closely mirrored Su Shihang's, the ladies and young women in the audience would have been cursing the heartless man and wishing him to die.

The more Grandma Su and Madam Lu listened, the darker their faces became.

Tong Huaqiong thought to herself, "This opera troupe is too audacious. They actually put on such a play at Old Madam Su's birthday banquet. Even if the play doesn't allude to Su Shihang, the tragic atmosphere is not suitable for a birthday banquet."

Since arriving in Shengjing, Tong Huaqiong has attended many banquets hosted by wealthy families, and she knows that the host must approve in advance what plays theatrical troupes will perform.

The show started so spectacularly; the program must have been manipulated.

Even if Lu was stupid, he would never let the opera troupe perform this play to trick him.

Which of the ladies present didn't know Su Shihang's story? Everyone was sitting and listening to the play. If it were another play, we could discuss it, but how could we discuss this one? Wouldn't that offend the host?

The atmosphere was eerily quiet.

Those who were completely unburdened and immersed in the moment were Chen Sufeng, Liu Yue'e, Zhao Shi, Old Lady Min, and others.

Anyway, they didn't need to consider the feelings of the Su family; they could just focus on listening to the opera.

Zhao couldn't help but whisper to Liu Yue'e, "This opera troupe is better than the one we hired for the New Year in Qinghewan. Both their costumes and singing are better."

Liu Yue'e said, "Of course. This is, after all, a theatrical troupe from Shengjing, performing for high-ranking officials and nobles. If they don't perform well, how can they stay in Shengjing?"

Zhao nodded, wiping away her tears. Both the hunter's daughter and the princess were so pitiful, deceived by unfaithful men and tormented by their mothers-in-law. The actors were so good, especially the one playing the unfaithful man; it made you want to rush up and beat him up.

Zhao was completely absorbed in it.

In the past, when people listened to operas at Qinghewan, they would discuss the performances while listening, which was an online, immersive experience.

The ladies and young women of Shengjing sat upright and did not discuss anything, which made Zhao feel a little uncomfortable.

"This man is ungrateful."

"The first wife suffered a terrible fate, and so did the princess."

"The first wife's misery was caused by the man. She should deal with the unfaithful man, not the princess."

"This old woman is extremely vicious. She is not satisfied with the first wife serving her wholeheartedly, nor is she satisfied with the princess's filial piety. Such an old hag is a waste of food and should be thrown into the mountains to fend for herself."

Zhao couldn't help but discuss it with Tong Pandi.

The two of them were singing in harmony.

They were simply commenting on the performance on stage and had no intention of implying anything about anyone, but in the ears of the crowd, it was interpreted as an implied criticism of the Su family.

No one dared to speak, just as puzzled as Tong Huaqiong. How could the Su family put on such a show? Everyone knew about the Su family's scandalous affairs; wasn't this just slapping themselves in the face?
Grandma Su's face was so dark it looked like you could squeeze water out of it.

These two women were brought by the lord of Suifeng Township; they were noisy and knew no manners whatsoever.

Grandma Su regretted sending the invitation to Tong Huaqiong.

Seeing the old lady Su's expression, Madam Lu deeply regretted hiring the opera troupe. She wanted to call a halt several times, but Princess Yu was sitting at the head of the table watching with great interest, and she was afraid of offending Princess Yu, so she dared not call a halt.

Madam Lu felt like she was about to vomit blood. She had asked the housekeeper to hire the opera troupe to please her mother-in-law. She had told the troupe to perform some plays that would appeal to the elderly, preferably lively and emotional ones.

The performance was indeed lively and emotional, but while it was so to others, it felt like a slap in the face to Old Mrs. Su.

Lu's hands and feet were ice cold. Knowing her mother-in-law as she did, she would definitely think that she had deliberately put on this show to anger her mother-in-law.

Honestly, she didn't.

The story on the stage depicted a scholar and his mother-in-law using the first wife's scheme to force the princess to her death, after which the first wife was reinstated as the princess's wife. The scholar rose rapidly through the ranks to become the Grand Secretary, but his power swelled in his arrogance, ultimately leading him to commit treason. After his crimes were exposed, he was convicted, imprisoned, and beheaded, his execution taking place amidst a vast expanse of snow.

"He finally got his comeuppance, he deserved it."

When Zhao saw the scene, she was so excited that she forgot where she was and clapped her hands, shouting that it was very gratifying.

Some of the ladies who were on good terms with the Min family wished that Su Shihang's fate would be just like in the play—a fleeting illusion, like a reflection in water or a flower in a mirror.

Grandma Su almost couldn't catch her breath.

The ending of the play made her tremble with anger.

To confiscate their property and execute them—isn't that a curse upon one's own family?
"You slut."

Grandma Su slapped Mrs. Lu across the face.

"Didn't you say you'd invite the best opera troupe in Shengjing to please me? Is this what you call pleasing me? Singing such a play on such a joyous occasion is nothing short of bad luck. I think you're just deliberately trying to annoy me."

"You vicious woman! You pretend to be filial to me on the surface, but you're stabbing me with a knife in private. Don't think I don't know what you're up to. You just want to drive me to my death so you can call the shots? Keep dreaming."

Madam Lu was publicly beaten and scolded by her mother-in-law. Feeling ashamed and indignant, she protested, "Mother, I really don't know why the opera troupe would perform such a play. When the script was handed to me, I read it to you, and you nodded in agreement about what was being performed."

Seeing that Madam Lu still dared to argue, Old Madam Su slapped her again and said angrily, "So you're cursing yourself? Maybe you're the one who switched the playbill."

Grandma Su vented all her anger on Mrs. Lu.