Transmigrated Leftover Woman in Rural Style

Chapter 254 The Unexpected Truth

Upon entering the teahouse, Madam Chu immediately...

A secluded room, as the name suggests, is a quiet private room.

That private room was in the backyard of the teahouse, a separate little courtyard.

There, far from the hustle and bustle of the city and the noise of the teahouse, it was indeed a tranquil and secluded place.

As soon as she sat down, Madam Chu started talking non-stop. She held Su's hand and kept asking questions.

They asked her why she left, about her marriage, about her life over the years, and about having children.

"So, you're leaving to let Su Lan have her way? Do you know what a terrible decision you've made?" Madam Chu said, heartbroken.

"Madam, she's my sister. She begged me, she knelt down and begged me. Tell me, what else can I do? She's my only family in this world." Madam Su sighed, her eyes red, but she didn't cry.

"Su Xiu, why are you always so kind? Do you know that you were tricked by your sister Su Lan? At that time, Su Lan didn't have anything happen between her and the master. The master has always had his eye on you." Madam Chu slapped Su Shi in exasperation and said.

"Madam, please stop. To me, the eldest master is just like a father or brother. I have never had any improper thoughts about him." Madam Su quickly stopped Madam Chu from speaking.

The truth is, if Madam Chu were to reveal everything from back then, Father Li would likely feel uneasy.

"But you can't let your sister and your wet nurse sell you off!" Madam Chu said angrily.

"No, they didn't sell me," Su quickly explained.

"How could they not sell you? If they hadn't sold you, would you have married into that remote mountain village? Look at yourself now, you don't look like a girl anymore! Even when the old lady passed away, you didn't look old at all." Madam Chu became more and more angry as she spoke.

Upon hearing this, Madam Su's eyes widened. She was utterly speechless. However, there was one point she had to clarify: "Madam, marrying the father of my child was my own choice. I married him because I took a liking to him."

Madam Chu still didn't believe it: "You, a rich young lady, have fallen for a poor farmer from the mountains? I just can't believe it! Tell me, how did they force you to do those hard jobs?"

Madam Su was even more helpless and had no choice but to continue explaining: "Madam, actually, I had already started doing farm work when I was in the Su family. At that time, the family had just encountered some trouble. In order to buy medicine for my seriously ill father and to buy some meat for my sister, my wet nurse and I went to the landlord's house to help every day."

At this point, Madam Chu became even angrier: "So, your sister still didn't do anything. But she made you do farm work for the landlord?"

Madam Su shook her head: "No, that's not it. My sister does chores. She takes care of Father at home and does some needlework to earn money on the side."

Madam Chu, however, was unusually calm. She asked Su Shi with a mocking expression, "Su Xiu, do you really think Su Lan is at home taking care of your father? You're too naive. When our master went to your house, your sister wasn't home. Your father had already died then. The doctor said he died of thirst."

“Die of thirst? How could that be? Didn’t my father die of a serious illness?” Su’s voice rose several octaves.

Li Xiaonuan and her father listened from the side and also found it unbelievable.

"Hmph! Our master said that after they confirmed your father's death, they sent someone to summon the village chief. Guess where your sister came back from? From the grove behind your old house. She ran out in a hurry, her clothes disheveled." At this point, Madam Chu became angry again.

And so the conversation continued from morning until afternoon, when Doctor Chu finally finished telling the story of Su Lan, the elder sister of the Su family.

Su and Su Lan were twin sisters. When they were thirteen, their family suffered a sudden tragedy, and their vast fortune was stolen.

Su's mother fell ill and soon passed away. This was because it was Su's mother's family members who had absconded with the Su family's wealth.

After Su's mother passed away, Su's father sold all of his property, paid off some debts, and moved the whole family back to their ancestral home to live a simple life.

Having no experience in farming, Su's father quickly spent most of his remaining savings in his hometown.

Left with no other choice, he bought oxen and other farming supplies, and reluctantly took on the task himself. However, having never done farm work before, Su's father collapsed from exhaustion the following year.

In order to get medical treatment and medicine for her seriously ill father, Su went with her wet nurse to the local landlord's house to find work.

Originally, the landlord wanted to take Su Lan as a concubine. However, Su Lan didn't like the landlord; she thought he was too old and ugly.

Su Lan aspired to be a scholar who passed the imperial examinations in the village. She always told Su Shi that she would definitely become an official's wife in the future.

Therefore, even when Madam Su told the wet nurse that the landlord's family needed an embroiderer and wanted Su Lan to go, Su Lan refused righteously.

She was supposed to stay home to take care of her sick father, but Su Lan couldn't bear to care for a patient. At first, she was still diligent in serving tea and water.

Later, Mrs. Su really didn't want to help her father go to the toilet so often, so she tried to reduce his water and food intake.

Old Man Su knew he was causing trouble for his daughter, so he consciously ate and drank less.

Gradually, Old Man Su fell into a coma due to malnutrition. In the end, of course, Old Man Su died of thirst in his hospital bed.

What was Su Lan doing at that time?

According to Madam Chu, Su Lan was deeply involved with a scholar from the village and had no time to care about her father's situation.

At that time, it was the busy farming season, and Su and her wet nurse always returned home very late. As a result of leaving early and returning late, they were completely unaware that Old Man Su had died of hunger and thirst.

"Impossible, this can't be true. How could my sister do that? That's her own father. Is there some misunderstanding?" Madam Su still couldn't believe it.

"Whether you believe it or not, it's the truth. Your sister admitted it herself. It was because your sister said that she angered the old lady to death." As Madam Chu said this, she wished she could skin Su Lan alive.

"So, my sister lied to me, and even the master helped my sister lie to me, right?" Madam Su was on the verge of collapse.

Everything she heard today was not the truth as she believed it to be. This shock left her bewildered.

“The master didn’t intend to hide it from you. But at the time, you simply couldn’t trust anyone outside your family, so the master didn’t say it on the spot. Later, the master also tried to test you, but you were too dependent on Su Lan. The master didn’t want to ruin the relationship between you and your sister, so he didn’t say it.”

"Madam, please take me back to see my sister. I need to ask her directly, otherwise I won't believe it," Madam Su suddenly said, grabbing Madam Chu's shoulders excitedly.

What if it's a misunderstanding? What if my sister had something to hide back then?

"You can't see her anymore, and you'll never see her again. Perhaps you'll have a chance to see her again in the future, but not now." Madam Chu's face was filled with sorrow, but there was also a ruthless determination in her eyes.

"Why? Did you lock her up?" Su asked, puzzled.

"No, your sister is dead. She brought this upon herself," Madam Chu replied calmly.