Chapter 324: 332: Regret is Too Late

“Since they can no longer tolerate the idle talk and gossip in the village, then let them simply return to prison, where it’s peaceful!” Han Yu said without any room for negotiation, Mrs. Yang’s face stiffened as she looked at the daughter-in-law with a hint of pleading.

Only if Su Wenyue had lost her mind would she intervene in this matter. Seeing Mother-in-law look her way, she just bowed her head and remained silent, the epitome of meekness, thinking to herself that Han Yu indeed hadn’t disappointed her.

“Fourth Younger Brother, my legs are broken and it’s inconvenient for me, and your sister-in-law has to take care of me and also the children, she really can’t manage everything. Cousin Fang Ru is here to help her look after the children, so as not to trouble you.”

“Third Brother, if you are afraid of causing me inconvenience, then just stay in the village to recover, why bother coming all the way to the prefecture? My Mansion has no room for those of suspicious origins and malicious intentions.” Han Yu’s smile did not reach his eyes, which made him seem even more dangerous than when he was frowning.

Han Lin could hear the underlying meaning and the warning in Han Yu’s words and didn’t dare to say any more. Initially, Fourth child didn’t even want him to come, and if he angered Fourth child, he too would be sent back, which would be a loss not worth the gain.

“Fourth child, I know the Wang family did something wrong before, but Fang Ru is a good girl, very different from the Third Daughter-in-law. With her here…” Mrs. Yang trailed off upon seeing the inexplicable expression on Han Yu’s face and did not finish her sentence.

Wang Fangru and Jiang Chunlan had arrived high-spirited and with a purpose, shocked that they didn’t even make it through the door. That would have been bad enough, but what was even more outrageous was that Han Yu just let them stand outside, not even arranging a horse carriage to send them back. Wang Fangru had some silver on her, while Jiang Chunlan didn’t have a single penny. With the Jiang family’s situation and the way money is devalued in such times, the two girls were shivering uncontrollably from the cold as they stood there helplessly outside the Han Mansion.

Mrs. Yang was helpless. Initially, she hoped that Fourth child and his wife would soften their hearts, which is why she left them standing outside. However, Fourth child and his wife truly disregarded the two of them. Since the girls had come with them, if they fell ill or something happened, she would feel troubled, but if Fourth child and his wife didn’t agree, she had no way to allow them inside. The servants in the Mansion didn’t listen to her, and considering the house was bought by the daughter-in-law, she felt somewhat guilty.

It was nearly evening, and the sky outside was darkening. Mrs. Yang, who had been well-fed and comfortably seated inside a room, felt increasingly restless. She went to see that Wang Fangru and Jiang Chunlan were still squatting by the main gate, hesitated for a long time, and finally went to find Su Wenyue.

“Mother, Lady Yue is currently taking care of the children. Do you need her for something? If it’s nothing urgent, perhaps discuss it tomorrow. After traveling all day, you must be exhausted, and it would be better to rest early. We can take you on a tour of the prefecture tomorrow, considering it’s your first visit,” he said.

Han Yu feigned ignorance of the worry and anxiety on Mrs. Yang’s face. The reason he didn’t arrange a carriage for Wang Fangru and Jiang Chunlan was to teach his Mother a lesson. She should think carefully before acting, not cleaning up every mess for her each time. His Mother’s soft heart led to trouble not only for him but also made his wife unhappy. Even though she was his birth mother, Han Yu had his limits and would not indulge Mrs. Yang endlessly.

“Taking care of the children, then… shall I wait for her?” Mrs. Yang said hesitantly, worrying that if she waited until tomorrow, with the heavy winter snow falling and the night approaching, the girls might freeze.

“Mother, if there is anything that troubles you, you can tell me too. I, as your son, am certainly closer to you than your daughter-in-law. As long as it’s reasonable, your son will find a way to help you,” Han Yu added.

“No, there’s no need, nothing important. I’ll go back now,” Mrs. Yang said, daunted by her son’s firm attitude and apparent anger. She decided to give up the idea of seeking her daughter-in-law’s help.

“Then I’ll have a servant girl lead you back. The house is large, and there are many paths; don’t get lost on the way,” Han Yu instructed someone to send Mrs. Yang carefully back to her room, then returned to his own room. By that time, all three children were asleep and Su Wenyue was clearly in the room, smiling as she watched Han Yu come in.

“Is Mother back? Did you make sure to have someone escort her properly?” Su Wenyue asked, appropriately showing concern for her mother-in-law. It wasn’t her who insisted on not seeing the mother-in-law; it was Han Yu’s own demand.

“Don’t worry, I arranged for a servant girl to send Mother back. As for this matter, don’t concern yourself with it. Mother needs to understand that one must bear the consequences of their actions, without always letting those opportunists come and make trouble in front of us.” Han Yu said this with a face full of disgust, remembering Third Child’s family. He had promised his wife he would handle it, yet they followed them anyway. Even though his wife hadn’t brought it up again, he still owed her an explanation.

“Wife, I’ll make sure to keep a close watch on Third Child and his family. I thought that after breaking his leg, he would behave more sensibly, but he seems to have gotten smarter, cajoling Mother and still coming into the city with us. It seems I may have been too lenient. If he dares to harbor any hidden intentions, I will not spare him!”

Su Wenyue did not miss the hint of ruthlessness in Han Yu’s tone. Still, she would stay cautious for the sake of her children; in this lifetime, being overly cautious was never a bad thing. Han Lin hadn’t done much thus far, and Han Yu’s guard was mostly up against Mrs. Wang, but Su Wenyue understood that Han Lin was definitely more sinister and cruel than Mrs. Wang, not someone to be taken lightly.

But as for Mrs. Yang, having left Han Yu’s, she returned to her own room and became even more uneasy, pacing back and forth and making Old Man Han dizzy.

“I say old lady, what’s the fuss about? Why are you pacing around?” Old Man Han had also been against bringing Jiang Chunlan and Wang Fangru, so at the moment, he didn’t care about those two girls who didn’t respect themselves. Only upon seeing Mrs. Yang’s excessive reaction did he speak up.

“How can you be so heartless? Chunlan and Fang Ru are still outside in this cold weather with the snow falling, and night is nearly here. What if the girls freeze to death?”

“What’s there to worry about? Decent girls who knew shame and restraint wouldn’t have shamelessly insisted on following us to the prefecture. Fourth child didn’t handle this wrong. Don’t go bothering Daughter-in-law over this; you know it was her filial piety that allowed us to move in. Don’t be ungrateful,” Old Man Han cautioned his wife, fearing she would stir up trouble in her confusion.

Mrs. Yang listened to Old Man Han and didn’t get angry, “I understand this logic, and I acknowledge the Daughter-in-law’s goodness. I wouldn’t criticize her, but Chunlan and Fang Ru, after all, came with us. If something happens to them, we won’t be able to explain it to their families.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The more Mrs. Yang talked, the more distressed she seemed, regretting bringing them along. Initially, she thought that since they had arrived, Fourth child and his wife would surely not ignore them.