The Abandoned Wife’s Rebirth - Chap 94
Yao Shuyuan also didn’t wish for the never ending quarrels and arguments every day. Especially when she saw the scenes of disharmony between her children and grandchildren, she was more upset than anyone else. As such, she joined in with Elder Rong and the others to persuade Wu Bofang: “I’ve been married to youfor so many years, although I can’t say I clearly understand all the thoughts and opinions in your heart, but I more or less understand what you’re worried about.
“I know that the Wu estate is your heart’s blood, it’s like a child to you. You painstakingly built it up bit by bit, and you want it to blossom and flourish, becoming stronger and better, one day capable of surpassing the Huangdu clan to become the main branch. But at present, the Wu family is facing a calamity that we were unable to anticipate, if we continue on like this, the Wu family might really collapse in one fell stroke and then it’ll be too late to repent.”
Wu Bofang’s expression was solemn and he clenched his fists tightly. He still had no intentions to split the family.
Yao Shuyuan continued speaking: “You’ve also seen for yourself. In these past few months, there have simply been too many incidences happening. We can’t bear any further blows; we don’t have to split the family, we’re just letting everyone move out to stay for a little over half a year. When the calamity of this year is over, then we’ll get everyone to move back home. We can still be together in the future.”
Wu Bofang sighed: “I understand what all of you mean. I’m just worried that even after I let them move out, we still won’t be able to overcome the calamity. Now that all four main estates have quarreled to this point, if it weren’t for me keeping them in line, they might be even more unruly.”
Yao Shuyuan frowned: “But if they move out, this calamity might scatter. It may not befall on every single one of us, causing our Wu family side branch’s descendants to be annihilated.”
When Wu Bofang heard the last word, his heart clenched, and he stood up, saying: “I’m going out for a walk.”
However, after he left Bojin Garden, he didn’t know where to go either. He could only stroll around in the central gardens.
It was right at this moment that the sounds of fighting and arguments came from the Eastern main estate.
When Wu Bofang looked over, he only saw Wu Qiansu leading a group of people from the Eastern main estate over to the Northern main estate to cause a ruckus.
Wu Bofang speedily headed in their direction, but after taking two steps, he stopped again. He sighed softly and thought in his heart: he could stop them once, but could he stop them a second time?
Wu Bofang might as well not bother. He turned to the main gate of the next estate and entered through it. Yet what entered his field of vision was an entire estate filled with white coffins, white lanterns and white flowers. The bodyguards and servants of the estate were dressed in mourning garments. No one spoke and it was extremely desolated. There was only the occasional sound of tragic sobbing.
In this moment, Wu Bofang realized that he had walked into the Western main estate.
Wu Bofang originally intended to enter the main hall to light some joss sticks for the deceased, but for funerary matters, it was extremely taboo for white-haired individuals to send off black-haired individuals. On top of that, he didn’t know how to face his descendants of the Western main estate either. As such, he turned around and left the Western main estate, absentmindedly walking to the Southern main estate.
The Southern main estate had been trashed full of potholes and appeared extremely dilapidated. Although some places had been mended, but the spots had been covered with piles of mud paste from the Yellow River. If rain fell, the mended spots would collapse at any time. However, the atmosphere was a little better than that of the Western main estate. There was a little bit more livelinessand on the surface, everyone seemed extremely harmonious. The master of each estateobediently remained within their own residences. There was neither any fighting nor any crying noises. It unexpectedly felt a bit peaceful.
“Xixi, daddy, quick! Come catch me!”
Suddenly, the sound of a child’s voice traveled into Wu Bofang’s ear.
He absentmindedly raised an eyebrow and thought in his heart, why would this place have the sounds of a child?
Following the sounds, Wu Bofang came to the entrance of Shuqing Garden and saw Wu Ruo blindfolded. He was currently playing themo xia zigamewith the little toddlerwho had chased away the giantyaobeast.
Wu Ruo laughed and said: “Just wait till I catch you, then I’ll smack your little butt and see if you still dare to run amok!”
“You can’t catch me, you can’t catch me!” The little toddler dodged Wu Ruo’s pursuit, extremely energetically.
Wu Bofang couldn’t help being infectedand let out a small smile.
Wu Ruo couldn’t see and could only catch based on sound. Suddenly, he touched a body.
“Yi? Who’s this?”
“…” Wu Bofang let Wu Ruo touch his face.
“Is it Dad?” Wu Ruo frowned: “Doesn’t seem like it.”
Dandan giggled: “Daddy, if you can guess who it is correctly, I’ll let you smack my butt!”
“Alright, you said it yourself.” Wu Ruo touched the other person’syipao: “Dad didn’t wear these set ofyipaotoday, so it can’t be Dad. Who can it be?”
The material of theyipaowere very good. It was absolutely not something that the estate servants could afford to wear. Could it bedaboor the others?
Hei Xuanyi who was standing to a side watching Wu Ruo touch another man narrowed his eyes and walked over. Under Wu Bofang’s questioning gaze, he stretched his hand out and let Wu Ruo touch it.
Wu Ruo had only just touched his hand, but he immediately confirmed: “It’s Xuanyi.”
The corners of Hei Xuanyi’s mouth curled up slightly. With one tug, he pulled Wu Ruo into his arms.
Wu Ruo sniffed: “Even the fragrance on his body is the same, it’s definitely Xuanyi without a doubt.”
He placed both hands affectionately onto Hei Xuanyi’s chest: “I guessed it right, so are you going to teach me how to use thejian?”
Wu Bofang was inwardly shocked. He had always assumed that Wu Ruo hated this marriage, he never would’ve thought that their relationship would be so good.
Hei Xuanyi took the initiative to help him take down the piece of cloth on his face.
Wu Ruo lit up with a smile: “I guessed it!”
Randomly, he thought of how the clothing material that he’d touched before and the ones Hei Xuanyi was wearing were different, and so he looked over to the side. He unexpectedly saw Wu Bofang.
“Great-Grandfather?!”
Wu Bofang nodded his head and asked: “Are your dad and mum around?”
“They are.”
Wu Qianqing and Guan Tong heard Wu Bofang’s voice and came out from the main hall: “Grandfather, is something the matter?”
Wu Bofang laughed with a little sigh: “Just walking about.”
“Please come in!” Wu Qianqing invited him into the main hall.
Guan Tong said: “It’s almostwushi, Grandfather, have a meal here before you go.”
Wu Bofang wanted to reject the offer, but when he thought of how, after he returned, the Western main estate’s residents might come and look for him to discipline the residents of the Southern main estate again, he agreed to stay at Shuqing Garden for his lunch.
Of course, it wasn’t because he was biased towards the Southern main estate and was unwilling to punish them. He was also angry that Wu Qianjing and the others would actually dare to unleash a giantyaobeast, causing the deaths of so many of his children and grandchildren. How could his heart not ache? However, after punishing the Southern main estate, those from the Western main estate wouldn’t just give up and let things be.
They were full of deep seated hatred towards the Southern main estate. They wanted the people from the Southern main estate to go and die. If Wu Bofang punished the Southern main estate, those from the Western main estate might take advantage of the opportunity when those from the Southern main estate were injured to take the rest of their lives. This wasn’t the conclusion that he wanted to see.
The atmosphere at Shuqing Garden was very peaceful. Everyone chatted with each other amiably. It made Wu Bofang unwilling to leave. However, at the end of the day, this wasn’t where he wanted to stay. So, after finishing his meal, he left Shuqing Garden and returned to Bojin Garden, ascending his beloved multi-storey pagoda.
Recently, because there had simply been too many things happening, it had already been quite some time since he’d last gone up the pagoda.
Standing at the highest peak, looking out towards the residences that belonged to the Wu estate, Wu Bofang felt aggrievedin his heart. If he forcibly kept everyone within the Wu estate residences, it was possible that the descendants of the Wu family would die here one after another, resulting in the annihilation of his descendants. If he let them leave, to stay outside of the estate, perhaps it would truly be as his wife said, the calamity might dissipate upon every individual, such that everyone only bore a little bit of it, perhaps they might be able to safely tide through this year.
Wu Bofang thought about it on the pagoda for a lot; he stayed up there until deep into the night before he descended from the pagoda.
The next morning, he summoned everyone from all the Wu estate residences to Bojin Garden.
When the four main estates came face to face, they almost erupted in a fight again. At this point, where did they resemble people with blood relations to each other? They were simply like enemies who had been feuding for hundreds of lifetimes.
Wu Bofang watched as they exchanged insultsamong each other and the rims of his eyes reddened slightly. Yao Shuyuan who was beside him stepped up to pat him on the back, comforting him.
When Wu Bofang who had originally not resolved on a decision saw such a scene, his expression rapidly darkened and he said coldly: “Do all of you still remember the matter of the three joss sticks breaking, during the winter solstice, after I inquired with the deities?”
Everyone looked at him, stunned.
“Now, I’ll tell all of you the conclusion. These three joss sticks foretell that our Wu family will encounter a severe calamity. I have written a letter to Lord State Tutor to request for assistance. His response says that all of you need to leave the Wu estate to lie low and stay out of trouble. After this year has passed, then all of you may return. Now, after all of you go back, immediately find a place to move out to. After five days, all of you must leave the Wu estate.”
Everyone’s expressions changed; one after another, they began discussing. However, no one questioned Wu Bofang’s words. Because everyone knew how highlyWu Bofang regarded the Wu estate’s unity. If there wasn’t really an urgent matter, he would never let them leave on a whim.
Right now, they were both scared yet reluctant to leave this place. After all, they had stayed here for so many years, surely there would be attachments. Moving out and moving back in was also troublesome.
Someone asked: “What about the matter of the children attending the academy?”
Wu Bofang said: “We’ll temporarily put a hold to it first. They can continue once you’ve all returned. All of you can educate your children yourselves first. Alright, quickly go back and source for houses.”
Everyone was afraid to be slower than others and not be able to find a good house, so they hurriedly scattered, only those from the Southern main estate lingered in their spots.
Wu Qianbin said: “Grandfather, we still haven’t been cured of theguparasite.”
Wu Bofang replied: “The shaman should arrive at the Wu estate tomorrow. After he arrives, I will immediately get him to cure all of you of theguparasites. Now, all of you should go and source for houses first.”
The residents of the Southern main estate could only leave. After returning to the Southern main estate, Wu Xuanran first instructed the servants to go and look for houses that they could stay in. Afterwards, in front of Wu Qianqing, he summoned his descendants from all the other estates to his own residences, purposely ignoring Wu Qianqing.
Wu Qianqing laughed bitterly and, with Guan Tong and Wu Xi, returned to Shuqing Garden.
Wu Xi said: “Dad, Grandfather probably doesn’t want to stay together with us. All of them don’t even treat us as members of the Wu family.”
Wu Qianqing sighed: “If he doesn’t want us to stay together with them, then we won’t stay together with them.”
Guan Tong comforted him: “If we live among ourselves, it’ll be a little calmer. There won’t be as many troublesome issues.”
Now, after much difficulty, they were able to separate. She wouldn’t want to stay together with the others from the Southern main estate, provoking another big pile of ridiculous issues again.
Wu Qianqing nodded his head in agreement.
“Dad, Mum,Xiao-Xi, what are all of you doing standing around here?” Wu Ruo who had rushed to the academy to attend classes, saw them standing in the middle of the alleyway, asked in surprise.
Wu Xi couldn’t shut her mouth and immediately related everything about the matter of Wu Xuanran ostracizing their family, and the matter of Wu Bofang summoning them to Bojin Garden before that once over.
The more Wu Ruo listened, the bigger the smile on the corners of his lips. In the end, he suppressed his inner heart’s excitement, and smiled happily: “Is that so? Grandfather wants all of you to move out? How coincidental, Xuanyi bought a large residence next to Hei Manor a little while back. All of you can move over there to stay.”
The three of them stared, stupefied, at Wu Ruo’s smile and were lost in their thoughts. Wu Qianqing’s heart was full of surprised thoughts, why was his son so happy hearing about these two incidences?
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Surprise update today because it’s a loved one’s birthday, and also because I’ve had a horrible end and start of the year, and being able to share this story with everyone cheers me up. Fingers crossed I make it on time for the 2nd week of February update.
As always, thanks to everyone for reading, liking, commenting and supporting LWSL! Happy Chinese New Year!