SGEIRS -Chapter 250 Abandoning Madam Sun

The moment everyone heard this, the hall erupted in a commotion, their hearts shaken. All eyes turned toward Old Madam Meng.

Truly, one cannot judge a person by appearances. Old Madam Meng usually seemed so kindly and gentle, yet she was this kind of person?

No matter how much she liked Madam Sun as a daughter-in-law, that didn’t give her the right to pin a murder on her own granddaughter to cover for her! Madam Sun may be a daughter-in-law, but how could she possibly compare to her legitimate granddaughter?

Her previous daughter-in-law had been killed by Madam Sun, yet she allowed her son to marry such a wicked woman. Then Madam Sun went on to harm her eldest grandson. And even after all that, this poisonous woman was still kept in the family, without so much as a hint of punishment. A stranger might think they were mother and daughter rather than mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Looking at Madam Sun now—her spirits depleted, appearing at least ten years older than her actual age—everything made sense. Previously, the Yongchang residence had reported ghostly disturbances and even brought in a master for an exorcism. Although it was publicly claimed that the ghost had been dealt with, in reality it surely had not been removed.

Having committed such wicked acts, Madam Sun naturally feared vengeance from the spirit. Being tormented by the ghost for so long, her mental state had deteriorated. Combined with being constantly haunted and drained of vitality, this explained her current condition. Judging by her appearance, her days were likely numbered.

Now, because Madam Gu looked remarkably like Madam Zhou, Madam Sun—confused and terrified—mistook Madam Gu for Madam Zhou, panicked, and thought Madam Zhou had returned to claim vengeance. That was why she immediately lost control.

Ah, they had originally come for a birthday banquet, where one usually enjoyed performances from a theater troupe. But before the performers had even begun, Madam Sun started her own “show”—what a spectacle indeed!

Old Madam Meng watched her daughter-in-law suddenly lose her mind. She was still in shock from hearing her words and hadn’t fully processed it. Now, when her granddaughter began to accuse her, she finally reacted. Faced with the complex gazes of the guests, she had no time to scold Madam Sun or question her directly. Her first task was to handle her granddaughter.

However, Meng Jinyao did not give Old Madam Meng a chance to speak. She sobbed as she said, “Grandmother, how can you do this? You want to cover for Madam Sun over my mother’s death and claim it was my fault—fine, after all, my mother wasn’t your daughter, so you wouldn’t grieve for her. But Chengyu is your own grandson! How can you not care about your grandson? Just because he is born of a concubine, while Madam Sun bore you a legitimate grandson—so legitimate is precious, mother’s status rests on her child’s status—you are covering for Madam Sun?”

At this moment, a guest of similar age to Old Madam Meng, seeing Meng Jinyao crying pitifully, felt a pang of sympathy and couldn’t help speaking up fairly: “Sister, normally I shouldn’t meddle in your family affairs, but I must say this: you may like Madam Sun as a daughter-in-law, but you cannot be so blind! When an elder fails to act reasonably, it’s the younger ones who suffer. Your eldest grandson has already been harmed by Madam Sun.”

Others nodded in agreement. They had seen families favor certain children or daughters-in-law, but they had never seen grandparents side with a wrongdoing daughter-in-law over their own grandchildren. Grandchildren are of blood, daughters-in-law are not—if necessary, one can simply replace a daughter-in-law.

Old Madam Meng, seeing this, was furious but could not vent her anger at the guests. She had never been falsely accused in her long life of over a hundred years. To have such a terrible accusation thrown at her—if she knew it had been Madam Sun all along, she would have called her a traitorous wretch! Her blood pressure surged, and she nearly fainted, relying only on sheer will to keep standing.

After a moment, she took a deep breath and forced down her anger. Regardless of whether Madam Sun had done these things, she had to push Madam Sun forward and clear herself. She quickly addressed the guests who had spoken: “Old friends, this… this is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding indeed.”

Then she looked at Meng Jinyao, choking back her own tears: “A-Yao, Grandmother did not know. If I had known, how could I have wronged you? You are my first granddaughter.”

Seeing Meng Jinyao still crying and ignoring her words, she felt uneasy. Her expression stiffened as she looked at Madam Sun and continued: “A-Yao, if Madam Sun truly did such things, Grandmother would certainly stand for you, to seek justice for your mother and Chengyu. But first, wait for Grandmother to fully understand what happened.”

Meng Jinyao knew her grandmother well—she valued the family’s reputation above all. Now she would abandon Madam Sun. Whether Madam Sun had done these things or not, to protect the family’s name, she would be discarded. The question remained: would they dismiss her as a madwoman babbling nonsense, or would they pin the crime on her officially?

Although Meng Jinyao’s mind was clear, she still had to outwardly trust her grandmother. Through tear-blurred eyes, she sobbed, “Grandmother, I’ve suffered injustice for sixteen years, but at least I survived. You said many times you would abandon me, but in the end, you didn’t. I’m still living. But my mother’s death was so unfair—she didn’t even get to see me once before she died. Chengyu’s death was also unjust; he was only two years old! Grandmother, you must seek justice for them.”

The guests: ???

What?

They had heard that Old Madam Meng would have abandoned her own granddaughter to protect Madam Sun? Such cruelty! No wonder she was willing to shield a murderer—she and Madam Sun were truly of the same ilk!

For a moment, the guests’ anger flared. Their glances toward Old Madam Meng grew more complex.

Old Madam Meng’s brow twitched. She could not believe the brat had said such things. How would the others now view her? Seeing the guests’ disapproving looks, she felt embarrassed and hurriedly explained: “A-Yao, Grandmother was angry at the time. That was only in the heat of the moment—you foolish child, how could you believe words spoken in anger?”

Gu Jingxi, watching the scene unfold, realized his wife’s plan. Seeing her tears fall, his heart ached. Though it was an act, he could tell she was truly hurt. He quickly stepped forward, pulling her into his arms, while also pressing Old Madam Meng: “Old Madam Meng, my mother-in-law died unjustly, harmed by a villain. Please do not cover for the villain. Investigate this thoroughly, or the Dali Temple will intervene.”

Hearing this, Old Madam Meng’s heart tightened. If the authorities investigated, the Meng family’s reputation would be ruined. She could never allow that. Even if Madam Sun had done nothing, she had to “prove” that she had, and for now, she would use this madwoman to block any rumors harmful to the Meng family. Who could have guessed Madam Sun would lose her mind like this?

She nodded: “Of course. The Meng family will not let any evil-doer go unpunished, nor falsely accuse any innocent person.”

Then she addressed the guests: “Everyone, today such an incident occurred. I apologize for the poor hosting. Our family still has matters to handle, so please, excuse us and take your leave.”

The guests, having witnessed this dramatic spectacle, cared little about the feast. Even without eating, they all left politely.

Old Madam Meng also instructed the maidservants to see the guests off.

The Luo family had not expected to witness such an unbelievable farce.

Though Lord Luo was Old Madam Meng’s son-in-law, now that he had remarried, their ties had grown distant. Only Luo Yong’an’s presence kept the families somewhat connected. But the Luo family did not linger. With Old Madam Meng’s natal family having departed, they took their leave as well.

Watching the guests depart one by one, Old Madam Meng suddenly felt years older. What had just occurred seemed like a nightmare—completely unforeseen, bringing disgrace to the Meng family. And who knew what rumors would spread tomorrow?