Chapter 370: Liao’s Ending
Chapter 370
Initially when the Liao family members were brought back tied up, Jiang Jizu went through great pains to find the old midwife from those years out of a bit of personal interest regarding Mrs. Liao.
He had been married to Mrs. Liao for many years. Even if there was not enough affection, there was sufficient understanding. Although Liao Ping was a bit silly, she could not be considered vicious. Back then when he chose her as his wife, it was also because he saw her gentle nature, even ants she could not bear to step on.
She also doted on and protected Jiang Chengyuan very much. Although her vision was shortsighted, she was a loving mother.
For such a person, in order to trade her own child for her sister’s daughter, there was some violation of logic no matter what.
What Mrs. Liao did was too extreme.
Even if she had raised Jiang Sheng in the countryside, or sent her to be taken care by the Liao family, it would not have attracted such fury.
Throwing away an infant in swaddling clothes, it was simply equivalent to not wanting her to live.
Jiang Jizu had reason to suspect the Liao family was operating something behind the scenes.
He would never have imagined in his dreams that the switched at birth incident would involve not only the Jiang and Liao families, but also their in-laws the Yao family.
He even more did not expect that there would be such great lies in this matter.
When the tied up Liao family members were dragged over by the guards, Jiang Jizu first kicked the Liao Family Patriarch and shouted, “What exactly happened 12 years ago, speak!”
“I, I don’t know, I really don’t know.” The Liao Family Patriarch collapsed limply on the ground, “Don’t hit me, I really don’t know.”
His entire body shivered, his face covered in tears, appearing terrified in what seemed like honesty.
Jiang Jizu cast his gaze upon several old midwives.
“I know that you are all old, unafraid of death or beatings.” He sneered coldly, “But you still have descendants and family members. As a general of the Dayu Dynasty, I still have the capability to make a few people disappear without a trace...”
The few midwives who were ready to sacrifice themselves were stunned.
They widened their clouded eyes, looking up at the sky and then at the ground, finally still bowing down, “General please spare our families, General please show mercy.”
“That year when the Lv Family declined, the Eldest Young Lady died of anger and blood loss. The Old Madam pitied the young miss in swaddling clothes. Coincidentally the Second Young Lady had an accidental premature birth, and the child that was born looked like a kitten, it was unknown whether it could survive.”
“Wanting to spare the Eldest Young Lady from the sorrow of losing a daughter, and not wishing for the Second Young Lady to experience mourning for her dead daughter again, she immediately thought of a way to switch the identities of the two young ladies for a win-win.”
This way, Jiang Chenghua would be able to live on with the identity of the Jiang family’s first daughter, and the prematurely born child would also avoid bringing grief to Mrs. Liao.
A God damned win-win. What place would that put the Jiang family in?
Jiang Jizu’s fists were tightly clenched, blue veins throbbing, wishing he could place the Liao family in death’s grasp.
“That’s not right.” Tan Yue spoke up, “Our young miss stayed with Old Madam for half a year before she was taken away. She was not switched at birth.”
The few old midwives still did not speak the truth.
Jiang Jizu finally could not stand to restrain himself, kicking the lead midwife through eight meters away, spitting blood as she fell to the ground.
“Will you speak or won’t you!”
“We’ll speak, we’ll speak.” The others were thoroughly afraid, confessing everything, “It was the Eldest Young Lady. She was jealous that the Second Young Lady had married well. She was jealous that the Jiang family was thriving like a raging fire while the Lv Family had completely declined. She was unwilling to resign herself to being outstanding her whole life yet in the end was not comparable to her more wooden younger sister.”
So before her death she had forced Old Madam Liao to agree to choose a good background for Jiang Chenghua.
Knowing that Mrs. Liao would not possibly agree, the two mothers worked together to frame this situation, purposefully smearing the Yao Family as well, in order to coerce Mrs. Liao to take in Jiang Chenghua.
The only pure accident in this matter was the premature birth.
If it were not for Old Lady Jiang carefully raising Jiang Sheng for half a year after taking her in, then the prematurely born infant that was switched for a more precious chick would really have had death as the only outcome left.
The Liao family was cruel. The Lv and Liao ladies were cruel. The Jiang and Liao ladies were also stupid.
The combination of all the evil and stupidity together caused suffering for the Jiang family, and also led to tragedy for Jiang Sheng.
Yet in contrast, these two people were both already dead.
So Jiang Jizu did not even know who he should hate, who he should resent, and who he should crush into dust.
“Damn you!” He raged, kicking the Liao Family Patriarch in the chest again.
The fat man shaped like a pig screamed as he flew out, spitting blood as he tumbled to the ground.
Jiang Jizu was about to kick again when a figure suddenly rushed past him. Unexpectedly, it was the disheveled Mrs. Liao.
“Big brother, was what you said earlier true? Is it true? Who exactly is my child, where exactly is my child?” She pulled at the Liao Family Patriarch, screaming and howling in madness, “Tell me, who is the child I carried for seven months, who!”
The Liao Family Patriarch spit out another mouthful of blood, simply unable to speak.
Old Lady Jiang gave a cold laugh, “Let me tell you. This child that you personally abandoned, Jiang Sheng, is your own kin and blood!”
“In the years you abandoned her, she wandered destitute. Countless times she was on the verge of freezing or starving to death. She was so starving as to snatch food from dogs. In everyone’s eyes she was a little beggar, a homeless vagrant, someone anyone could casually trample on. Leftover rice was a delicacy to her, even dogs ate better than her.”
It really is laughable.
Raising the enemy’s child as treasure, while your heart’s blood and kinship faced death.
How laughable you are Mrs. Liao.
There was someone whose anger rushed to their head. Someone became dizzy and feeble. Someone spit out a mouthful of blood, injuring their heart and lungs.
“My child? Where is my child?” Mrs. Liao stumbled to stand, the corners of her mouth dripping blood. Her messy hair and clothing made her seem like a female ghost. “My child, mother is looking for you. Mother will protect you well. Please come back. I was wrong, I really was wrong.”
When she drew close to Jiang Sheng her footsteps began to slow. It seemed she was carefully trying to discern and also carefully testing.
“My child, are you my child...” Mrs. Liao reached out a hand.
Jiang Sheng subconsciously retreated two steps back.
How could wounds this deep possibly be healed. How could mistakes this severe possibly be made right again. An abandoned child could never return to the repentant person’s side.
Was she? Or was she not?
Was it important whether she was or was not?
A dozen years of time had already faded. There were too many mistakes spread between. Her child could never come back again.
Once more Mrs. Liao spit out blood, then looked up to heaven bawling loudly.
Yet very quickly in the midst of her crying, she suddenly laughed again. Her arms softly embraced something imaginary, even humming a childhood song “Thousand mile grass, millet green green; Ten day divination, cannot be born.”
“Mother sings song and rhyme for my child, my child won’t cry or throw tantrum.”
She did not look at Jiang Sheng again, nor the Liao family either. She only smiled at the empty cavity of her arms “Darling don’t cry don’t cry. Look look what this is, a little toy mother prepared for you.”
“Our darling is a general’s family child. When you’re older you should also be a fierce daughter. Except you can’t go onto the battlefield, it’s too dangerous. Your grandfather perished on the battlefield. Your father will probably also tread the same path again. Mother won’t allow any danger for you siblings. Mother only wishes you all to live well.”
She finally returned to twelve years ago, holding her longed for child as she wandered far away.
No one tried to stop her, no one tried to obstruct.
Only Jiang Chenghua in the corner quickly strode forward to chase, “Mother, what’s happened to you. Mother, wake up!”
Only to receive a harsh shove.
“Get lost, villain! Don’t touch my child.” Mrs. Liao’s voice was vicious. “You’re the villain. Get lost!”