Binding Spring Love

Jiang Xingjian was busy with other matters, so he entrusted the matter of Jiang Jing's marriage to the Chen family to Jiang Yan.

No one knows what tricks Jiang Yan used, but the Chen family, who had originally refused to comply, actually started preparing for the wedding the next day. Not only were white cloths hung all over the courtyard, but they also had someone pour white wedding candles.

However, everyone in the Chen family was ashen-faced as Jiang Jing, who had just passed away.

On the day of Jiang Jing's wedding, Song Wan leaned against the backrest adorned with jade beads, lost in thought.

She was listless and had no interest in doing anything today, which worried Hengzhi and Hengwu greatly.

"Miss, would you like something to eat?"

"I can't eat."

She had no appetite and just wanted to be alone for a while. But as soon as she closed her eyes, she heard someone rushing into the garden. When she looked closely, she realized it was Yun Que, the head maid of Jiang's mother.

"Madam, the lady requests your presence at Fuhe Hall immediately."

"What happened?"

Song Wan got up and got off the bed, and Hengwu quickly knelt down to help her put on her shoes.

"It's Concubine Zhou. She ran away while the old women of Yu'an Courtyard weren't paying attention and is now heading to Fuhe Hall. The old lady is still ill and knows nothing about what's going on in the mansion. Concubine Zhou's current state is really worrying. Madam was afraid she couldn't persuade her, so she sent me to find you."

Yun Que looked panicked, fearing that something had happened to the old lady.

Song Wan pursed her lips, changed her clothes, and went out with Yun Que.

When they arrived at Fuhe Hall, Jiang's mother was instructing all the old women in the courtyard to hold down Aunt Zhou.

Aunt Zhou had been docile and timid her whole life, but today she was like a wild beast unleashed, tearing at anyone she saw.

"Why can't I see the old lady? I want to tell her about the chaos in this mansion, about how you harmed my Jing'er, causing her to die a violent death at such a young age."

"As the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, you are incompetent and muddle-headed, and have never treated me, Jing'er, as a human being."

Aunt Zhou pointed at Jiang's mother, her voice trembling with grief: "If it weren't for your improper relationship with the head of the household, and your neglect of the illegitimate children in the family, would my Jing'er have ended up in this state?"

"you!"

Aunt Zhou pointed at Song Wan, who had just arrived, and cried out, "I know my Jing'er made a mistake, listening to that scumbag's instigation, but why are you using my Jing'er as a sacrifice in your power struggle?"

"You couldn't defeat that shameless, faded beauty, so you used my Jing'er as a shield to obstruct her marriage to the Lan family. Are you even human?"

"The Marquis's mansion is being ruined by a lowly woman of prostitute's origins. Is the old lady not going to do anything about it?"

"If the old lady doesn't give me an explanation today, I'll smash my head against the main gate of the mansion and die, so that the Marquis of Chengyang's mansion will never have peace again, and everyone there will suffer a terrible death!"

Aunt Zhou bit off the old woman's finger, and the old woman screamed in agony and immediately retreated several feet.

Those surrounding her dared not move forward, and Aunt Zhou rushed towards Fuhe Hall like a madwoman.

A woman dressed in a plain-colored jacket and wearing a silver hairpin came running from afar. When she saw Aunt Zhou running wildly among the rough maids, she suddenly rushed over and hugged her tightly.

Aunt Zheng cried, "Are you out of your mind? What kind of place is Fuhe Hall? How dare you act so presumptuously here?"

She held onto Aunt Zhou tightly, preventing her from struggling, but also preventing the old women from approaching.

"Are you out of your mind? Don't you want to live? If you don't want to live, go back to your own yard and die. Why are you running around here causing trouble?"

Aunt Zhou was taken aback, seemingly not expecting that the one who had stopped her was this woman who had fought against her and trampled on her her whole life. But for some reason, seeing the tears on Aunt Zheng's face, Aunt Zhou could no longer hold back her grievances and burst into tears.

She slapped her thigh and cried out in anguish, "My Jing'er, my Jing'er is gone!"

"My beautiful scenery is gone..."

Aunt Zheng pursed her lips, letting tears stream down her face: "That unfilial son is gone, so be it. I'll have Jiang Ang take care of you in your old age. After all, he's the old Marquis's child. What's wrong with him calling you 'Aunt'?"

The old Marquis was not a womanizer. Although he had taken a few concubines in his early years, he put them aside once the novelty wore off. After the old Marquis passed away, the old lady showed them mercy and returned their indentures, allowing them to leave.

The only ones who never left after giving birth to the illegitimate son were her, Aunt Zhou, and Aunt Liu, the birth mother of Jiang Yan and Jiang Xing.

Aunt Liu was beautiful and had a great figure, but she was also very shrewish. As a servant born into the household, her status was much higher than the other two. In the early years, even when the two of them were together, they couldn't touch a hair on Liu Zhu's head. Later, they discovered that Aunt Zhou was the most gentle, so they joined forces with Aunt Liu to bully Aunt Zhou.

When they were young, their rivalry and jealousy had something to strive for, but now that the old Marquis is gone, they have all become much more peaceful in recent years.

Although they had been fighting and arguing all their lives, in the Marquis's mansion, apart from the maids and servants, the only ones who could prove that these widows had ever truly existed were each other.

Aunt Zheng disliked Aunt Zhou, and she didn't even like Jiang Jing, but when she saw a group of rough-looking old women trying to tie her up, she still rushed out.

She clung tightly to Aunt Zhou, crying, "Listen to my advice, live a good life, and don't cause any trouble for Madam and the Old Madam."

"My beloved Jing'er is gone, what's the point of my life?"

"I only had this one child in my life, but Jing'er is gone!"

Aunt Zhou bit Aunt Zheng's arm, but not with all her strength as before.

"What's all this commotion about?"

With the help of Baozhu and Feicui, Old Madam Jiang walked out, her body trembling. Upon seeing her, Jiang's mother was so frightened that her legs immediately went weak.

"Hurry up and help the old lady back inside. Be careful she doesn't catch a cold and it might worsen her condition."

Old Madam Jiang glared at Jiang's mother, then frowned and looked at all the servants in the courtyard: "All of you, leave. Let Zhou speak to me."

"Grandma, you must seek justice for Jing'er!"

Shaking off Aunt Zheng, Aunt Zhou knelt on the ground with a thud and recounted everything Lin Jiayue had done during this period. When Old Madam Jiang heard that Jiang Xingjian had been appointed as the supervisor of the Shanglin Garden by the Emperor and that the servants of the Marquis's mansion had been sold off, she suddenly clutched her chest and fell backward in pain.

"Grandma, my Jing'er, you must stand up for my Jing'er."

Seeing that Aunt Zhou was still pestering her, Jiang's mother stepped forward and kicked her on the shoulder.

"Are you trying to drive the old lady to her death? You keep saying that I don't care about illegitimate children, but why don't you mention the kindness I showed you? I let you raise the young masters and ladies of the manor yourselves, and now that trouble has arisen, you're blaming me? You should blame yourself for raising such an unfaithful woman who has brought trouble to all the young ladies of the Marquis's manor."

Aunt Zhou was kicked down the high steps and rolled a long way.

In a daze, she heard Jiang's mother insulting Jiang Jing. Her face contorted with rage, she got up and rushed over again.

Madam Jiang was so angry that she convulsed, while Aunt Zhou was entangled with a group of rough-looking old women.

Song Wan stood aside, her lips pursed, her eyes lowered, seemingly lost in thought, watching the chaotic scene unfold. Just then, Lin Jiayue, looking sickly, walked in through the courtyard gate.

She looked at Aunt Zhou and suddenly cried, "It has nothing to do with anyone else. I'm the one who harmed Jiang Jing. If you have any complaints, feel free to come to me."

Song Wan glanced at Lin Jiayue, who had become so thin in just a few days, and sighed softly.