The daily life of a concubine's daughter

Chapter 322 Caged Bird

Shi Mingmo shuddered suddenly and looked towards the obviously abnormal house: "Why, why does this house have no windows? Auntie..."

He walked quickly towards the source of the sound.

Bai Xi said coldly, "Sixth Master, please be quiet. The first wife is here to reflect on her mistakes, not to enjoy herself. In just these few days, we have seen that the first wife has done a lot of evil things. There is a skylight in that house."

Zheng kept shouting that she was almost starving to death.

Two old women stood outside the door and stopped Shi Mingmo.

Shi Mingmo pushed them away and tried to pry the lock open, but couldn't. "Aunt, what's wrong with you? Bai Shi, open the door quickly!"

Bai Xi turned around and left: "The eldest wife's affairs are not our grandmother's business, and even less my business. I don't have the key."

Shi Mingmo was extremely angry and kept yelling at the people in the yard.

Bai Xi didn't want to bother Tao Ziyi, so she went to report to Le An Ning.

Le An Ning ran out and threw a booklet at Shi Mingmo's face: "You are the only good person, the sisters-in-law are all bad people! Look for yourself, the rules of the family temple are all written on it, and the mistakes that the eldest wife made and the punishments she received are all written on it!

We didn't set the rules, and we didn't punish anyone. Who wouldn't want to play the good guy like you? Blame the rules set by your ancestors!"

Shi Mingmo took the booklet and blushed.

Indeed, he really thought that his sisters-in-law and wives were deliberately abusing the old man.

Opening the booklet, every entry was written very clearly, recording what mistake Zheng made and what punishment he received on what day and time.

Shi Mingmo's anger subsided immediately, and he said with a wry smile: "Second sister-in-law, why are you still here? I thought you went back home with Shi Yao."

This second sister-in-law is always there wherever there is fun. He even came to the family temple and still ran into her.

Le An Ning crossed his arms and sneered, "My legs are on my body. I can go wherever I want." He turned to the old woman and asked, "Where is the key? Give it to our Sixth Young Master. Since he wants to be a good person, let him be a good person!"

Shi Mingmo blushed all the way to his neck: "Second, second sister-in-law, there is no need to do this."

Le An Ning shouted, "Give it to him!"

The old woman's hands trembled, and she hurriedly took out a key from her bosom and handed it to Shi Mingmo.

Now it was Shi Mingmo's turn to tremble.

Shi Mingmo looked at Le Anning's half-smiling face, then listened to the miserable cry of his aunt coming from inside. He gritted his teeth, and opened the lock with a click.

Le An Ning pulled the booklet over and threw it to the maid: "Haiyue, go get some pen and ink and write: The eldest wife was unwilling to accept the punishment and instigated her nephew Shi Mingmo to let her go out privately. Please make sure to write down the date, the rules she broke, and the punishment she received clearly."

The maid Haiyue and the two old women standing at the door all responded yes.

Shi Mingmo's legs went weak. He was thinking of his beloved sister Zhuzhu and couldn't bear to see her mother being tortured, so he opened the door and helped the shabby Zheng up.

"Aunt, I'll take you to dinner. Where is the kitchen?"

Zheng was so happy that she cried, "Sixth Brother, you still have a conscience. Their consciences have all been eaten by dogs! If they were in the Duke's Mansion, this would be extremely unfilial. I will go to the government office to sue them and have them executed!"

When Shi Mingmo heard this, he felt weak from the soles of his feet to his knees and almost fell to his knees.

But don’t, you still think the house is not messy enough.

All the wives have run away. If something big happens, the seventh son Mingchen and the eighth son Minghui will never be able to get married in their lifetime.

Le Anning rolled his eyes, pointed in the direction of the kitchen, and left.

If Shi Mingmo is willing to serve, then let him serve.

Shi Mingmo asked someone to prepare delicious food for Zheng.

Zheng ate voraciously, crying as she ate, and choking so much that she stretched her neck.

Shi Mingmo was very sad. He poured her some tea, turned around, wiped his tears, and said, "Aunt, eat slowly. There's no rush. I'll take you back to Beijing today!"

Zheng nodded repeatedly, rice spilling from the corners of her mouth, and said with tears of gratitude: "Sixth Brother, you are Zhuzhu's best brother. After returning to Beijing, Zhuzhu will definitely thank you for me."

When Shi Mingmo heard the word "Zhuzhu", he felt relieved despite the warnings from his mother and brother.

How could I completely abandon my sister, whom I have spoiled for more than ten years and loved like a treasure, just because of a few words from my mother and fourth brother?

It wasn't him who was implicated by Zhuzhu and became a eunuch.

After finishing her meal, Zheng wanted to go back to her room to tidy up. She had been respectable all her life, and she could not bear to appear in such a slovenly state in front of everyone in the Duke's Mansion.

Shi Mingmo advised her, "Aunt, you need to let the old man and uncle see how miserable you are. They will feel sorry for you and then they will believe that you have suffered in the family temple."

Zheng still had to rely on him to return to Beijing. Although she really wanted to dress up and wear bright and beautiful clothes, she did not dare to express it because she was afraid of being laughed at by the younger generation.

Shi Mingmo was ready to have a fierce fight with the servants of the ancestral temple, but unexpectedly, when he was so vigorous and confident, and helped Zheng out, no one stopped him.

I kept tentatively stepping over the threshold of the door, and no one stopped me.

Shi Mingmo hesitated and asked the doorman, "Why don't you stop him? Are you planning to snatch him back halfway?"

The doorman smiled and said, "Second Madam ordered that Sixth Master take action, and we can't stop him."

Shi Mingmo: “…”

This is unstoppable?

I didn't stop you at all, okay?

Isn't there a pit ahead?

"Aunt, let's go!"

Shi Mingmo dragged Zheng down the stairs, but Zheng clung to the door frame and refused to move. She cried and shook her head, "No, no, no, no, no, I can't leave! I can't leave!"

Shi Mingmo was confused: "Aunt, no one is threatening you, let's go. Let's talk about it when we return to Beijing. Uncle and Zhuzhu will make the decision for you."

Zheng seemed to have suddenly woken up from her madness: "Sixth Brother, I can't leave! I was punished by the old man. If I leave, who will bear the responsibility for the original crime?

Someone has to be punished. I am a woman and can do nothing. I cannot support Mingwu and Zhuzhu, nor can I support the Shi family. I can only stay in the ancestral temple. I cannot let the old man vent his anger on Mingwu and Zhuzhu!"

She'd better wait until the old man and the old lady died, and then she would return to Beijing.

Besides, what would happen if I went back to Beijing?

Who in the capital doesn't know that she was banished to the ancestral temple by the Shi family?

It was only because she was the wife of the Duke and gave birth to three sons and one daughter for the Duke that he did not divorce her in order to save the children's face.

In fact, in the eyes of the noble ladies in the capital, she was no different from an abandoned woman.

After returning to Beijing, she could only stay in the Buddhist temple and chant sutras. Even more people would come to step on her and ridicule her.

She doesn't want to live like that!

If you think about it this way, even if the old Duke's wife passes away, her life will not be easy.

Punishing her to enter the family temple was meant to please the emperor. Otherwise, if the Fourth Prince was humiliated, how could it be enough to just deal with Shi Mingzhen and a few other juniors?

Zheng broke down and burst into tears. She ran back to the courtyard and returned to the Buddhist temple. She cried, chanted scriptures, and cursed in her heart those who had ruined her wealth and glory.

Secretly, she even hated Shi Mingzhu's indifference and ruthlessness.

This daughter is so selfish. She only thinks about herself and never considers what will happen to others if things fail.

Anyway, the whole family dotes on her. Even if she fails, the Duke's Mansion will back her up and serve as her support.

As a concubine, she was also the most powerful concubine in the capital.