Chapter 3 — A Woman Who Can't Change

Every sentence is like a nail being hammered down. Old Lady Bui's crying gradually became smaller. Tham Nghien Chu's face became darker and darker. He turned to the midwife.

“Raise your head.”

The midwife looked up halfway, then immediately bowed down again. Tham Nghien Chu says:

"To be honest, I will protect your entire family."

The midwife's body trembled. Old lady Bui shouted loudly:

“You dare!”

The midwife suddenly bowed her head.

“Master spare your life!”

“It was the old lady who ordered the slaves to exchange!”

“She said that the lady of the Lieu family was destined to be rich and noble, but she was soft-hearted and would not prosecute her in the future!”

The room immediately became chaotic. Mama Lieu turned around and tried to run. The little guy next to Tham Nghien Chu immediately blocked the way. Old Lady Bui's face had no blood left. She suddenly hugged Lieu Nhuoc Vi tightly and rushed to Tham Nghien Chu's feet.

“Son-in-law, I have no choice!”

“The Ta family only has your little uncle left to continue the lineage!”

"Nhuoc Vi enters the Marquis Palace, only then will the Lieu family have a way to live!"

"Van Hanh is his biological aunt, so what's wrong with raising him a little?"

A looked at her.

“Raising is okay.”

“Stealing is not.”

Old Lady Bui's eyes were full of resentment.

“Just because a girl has just been born, do you want to force your entire younger brother's family to die?”

A lady carried me home. She bowed her head and looked at me, her voice not loud.

"I only know, whoever touches my daughter, I will make that person pay."

She raised her hand to point at Lieu ma ma.

“Search her.”

Liu ma ma tried her best to struggle. The little monk searched through her sleeve and took out a piece of paper. On paper with the seal of the Lieu family. Tham Nghien Chu opened it, just looked at it, his face turned cold. That was the letter of recognition that the Lieu family had prepared. It was clearly written on it: The Marquis of Tham Minh Duong Palace, from a young age, was temporarily raised at the Lieu family. Old lady Bui sat down on the ground. A Nuong hasn't stopped yet. She took out a notebook from the secret compartment in her makeup box and threw it at Tham Nghien Chu's feet.

“Master, please see more of this.”

"All these years, who has taken my dowry to feed the Lieu family?"

04

The notebook fell on Tham Nghien Chu's shoe. For a moment, there was only Lieu Nhuoc Vi's crying in the room. It seemed like she was woken up by the cold air in the room. She cried until her face turned red. Mrs. Bui hugged her, her knuckles turning white. Tham Nghien Chu bent down to pick up the notebook. As soon as he opened the first page, his face darkened. Jiangnan silk, three thousand taels. Rice store in the west of the city, eight hundred taels. Two pharmacies on Dong Street, one thousand six hundred taels. Behind each clause is the Lieu family's own seal. Some of the loans were loan papers written by Mrs. Bui herself. A Nuong sat next to the bed, sweat running down her forehead down her cheeks. She held me in her arms, her arms never loosening.

“The year I married into the Marquis Palace, my mother said I needed money to take the entrance exam.”

“I gave it.”

“The Lieu family is renovating the house, saying it's just a temporary loan.”

"I'll give it too."

"Later, even Minh Duong's longevity key was taken away first, saying he wanted to take it to the temple to pray for the child's blessing."

She bowed her head and looked at me. His eyes were so gentle that it made my nose sting.

“I used to think it was a relative.”

“It turns out they have been including my daughter in their books for a long time.”

Old lady Bui shouted:

“You're talking nonsense!”

She rushed forward and wanted to steal the notebook. Tham Nghien Chu leaned forward to avoid it. Small private next to her immediately blocked her. Mrs. Bui missed and almost fell to the ground. She struggled to hold onto the corner of the table, turned her head and cried.

“Son-in-law, don't listen to his nonsense.”

“A woman who has just given birth is mentally damaged and is most likely to have doubts.”

“All of this money he voluntarily gave to his mother's family.”

"Whose daughter does not support her mother's family?"

Tham Nghien Chu closed the notebook.

“Subsidizing one's mother's house and exchanging a female Marquis are two different things.”

The crying look on Mrs. Bui's face stiffened. Mama Lieu knelt by the door, her forehead touching the ground, not daring to look up. The midwife trembled even more. Mrs. A looked at Tham Nghien Chu.

“Master, blockade the delivery room.”

“For those present tonight, no one can leave.”

Old lady Bui raised her head.

“You dare to imprison your mother?”

A's voice was gentle but cold.

“If the mother is pure, the sun will naturally shine and she can leave.”

“If you are not pure, this is not detention.”

“It's a thief.”

There was resentment in Mrs. Bui's eyes. She hugged Lieu Nhuoc Vi tightly and took a half step back. Looking at that action, my heart immediately tightened. In her previous life, she also hugged Lieu Nhuoc Vi and backed her to the door like that. Then he just said my crying was too weak and unlucky, so he ordered someone to pull me out. This time, I desperately reached out my little hand. My hand is so small that I can only grasp a corner of A's cold, damp shirt. A Nuong lowered her head to see, her eyes turned red again. She used her fingertips to gently press the back of my hand.

“Minh Duong, don't be afraid.”

Tham Nghien Chu also looked at me. His eyes moved from my wrinkled face to the mole behind my ear. He reached out to touch me, but was afraid of hurting me. Finally, he just took off his cloak and gently covered A's body and me.

“Where are you?”

As soon as his voice fell, the guard outside the door immediately responded.

“Block the delivery room.”

“Arrest Lieu, the midwife and everyone else involved in this matter, keep them separately.”

“Please come and stop the bleeding for your lady.”

“Then go to the front yard to invite the elders.”

Mrs. Bui's face changed dramatically.

“Tham Nghien Chu!”

"This is our Ta family's business, why did you invite the old Tham family?"

Tham Nghien Chu looked at her.

“The person you swapped is the Tham family's daughter.”

“The peppermint silver is my wife's dowry.”

“The person you harmed is my wife and daughter.”

“What do you think I rely on?”

Old lady Bui was speechless. She suddenly lifted Lieu Nhuoc Vi higher, her voice trembling.

"So what about Nhuoc Vi?"

“It's just a baby just born!”

“It doesn't know anything!”

A look at the diaper embroidered with gold thread. Lieu Nhuoc Vi was tired of crying, her small mouth opened and closed continuously. I know she doesn't know anything right now. But in her past life, she knew. When I was six years old, she locked me in the firewood room and laughed at my body for smelling like mold. When I was twelve years old, she pushed me into the pond, saying that only the Miss Marquis was worthy of wearing a red dress. On the day of birth, she ordered someone to throw me a cold curtain, saying this is a reward for you from Tham Minh Duong. I don't hate the child in front of me. But I cannot forget the golden Marquis who later stepped on my bones to grow up. A Nuong closed her eyes for a moment.

“Leave her in the care of the nanny.”

“If you should raise it, keep raising it.”

“But her cannot continue to occupy my daughter's position."

Old lady Bui gritted her teeth.

"You are so cruel today, you will definitely regret it later."

A looked at her.

“The last time I was soft-hearted, I almost lost you.”

“This time, I only regret waking up too late.”

Suddenly there was the sound of rapid footsteps outside. The lady guarding the door called out in panic.

“Young master, ma'am.”

“Master Lieu led someone to rush into the front yard.”

“He said that if he still did not hand over the child, he would beat the Dang Van drum, accusing the Marquis of stealing the girl.”

05

When hearing the news that Master Lieu had arrived, Mrs. Bui immediately seemed to have support. She hugged Lieu Nhuoc Vi, tears falling again.

“Son-in-law, did you hear that?”

“The Lieu family is not without people.”

“If you force our mother and child to death today, I will let the whole capital know that the Marquis is taking advantage of his position and oppressing people, even the woman still in diapers wants to rob her.”

The expression on Tham Nghien Chu's face did not change.

“Let him in.”

A frowned again.

“Master.”

Tham Nghien Chu looked at her.

"She can rest assured."

"The door is the Tham family's door, things must also be clearly stated in the Tham family."

Not long after, the curtains were roughly lifted by someone outside. A man wearing a green robe walked quickly in. He still smelled of alcohol, his hair was tied in a bun, but his eyes hid a mischievous look. I recognize him. Lieu Thua An. My nominal father in my previous life. He has never hugged me. Every winter, when the firewood room is coldest, he orders someone to cut my coal. He said I have a short life and spending money on me is just a waste. As soon as he entered the room, he looked towards Lieu Nhuoc Vi in Mrs. Bui's arms. Confirming that the diaper embroidered with gold thread was still there, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then, his eyes fell on the person in A Nuong's arms. Those eyes were cold like a poisonous snake.