The Farm Girl’s Charismatic Fortune
Chapter 265 - 261: Driving Away the Bad Peach Blossoms

Chapter 265: Chapter 261: Driving Away the Bad Peach Blossoms

The remnants of the previous dynasty were eradicated, and Nanyu Island was recaptured; many soldiers earned their merits, and the Feiyan Army once again became renowned throughout the world due to their ability to ride the winds and waves, with Ruo Hai gaining the greatest credit.

While some attained fame and great achievements, others faced punishment and had to pay a price.

Recapturing Nanyu Island was part of the plan, but it was not accomplished according to the plan; previously, remnants of the former dynasty had landed, occupying a city, all because someone deliberately framed General Yan, eager for honor and recognition.

General He is not even worth mentioning, having indulged in debauchery in the military camp and having been found accepting silver from the Tan Family Army, facilitating their annual raids on the shores for murder and plunder. He was promptly beheaded by Great General Yan and his head hung in the military camp as a warning to others.

At the same time, many officers who were in collusion with General He were detained, awaiting the Emperor’s judgment.

Yesterday, the Emperor’s edict was issued, decreeing that anyone who had accepted silver from the remnants of the previous dynasty would be subjected to family execution, and beheaded in public.

Because Zhang Feng was General He’s subordinate and the one who encouraged General He to attack Nanyu Island, he was promptly detained by Yan Heng.

Lady Zhou knew that, over the years, riding on General He’s coattails, Zhang Feng had also amassed quite a bit of silver. If this were to be discovered, the Zhang Family would face a family execution, and while the women might be spared from beheading, they would become government slaves.

She did not want to be reduced to a slave, so she came to seek help from Ruo Hai.

Now that Ruo Hai had become a Fourth Rank Great General, if he were willing to save her, she would certainly not be implicated by Zhang Feng’s actions.

Lady Zhou knelt on the ground, looking like she wanted to grab the hem of Ruo Hai’s robe but dared not, using only her tearful eyes to gaze upon Ruo Hai.

Despite Ruo Hai’s tall and mighty appearance, she knew his heart was very soft, and he couldn’t bear to see her cry. The saying about "strong men having a gentle side" surely referred to him.

Ruo Hai did not want to bother with Lady Zhou at first, but when she mentioned their son, he laughed, looking down at her from his height with disdain, finding her demeanor repulsive, "Ruo Zhou didn’t have a mother when he was little, and he needs one even less now that he’s grown. Besides, who says Ruo Zhou doesn’t have a mother? My current wife is his mother now."

He was about to get married, so He Xinghua would soon be Ruo Zhou’s mother as well.

A stepmother is still a mother.

Ruo Hai left these words behind and strode away.

Lady Zhou stood there, stunned.

What did he mean by his wife?

Had Ruo Hai gotten married?

How could he get married so quickly!

He had just found a stepmother for his eldest son.

With a stepmother comes a stepfather, what would become of her eldest son?

Now that Ruo Hai is a Fourth Rank General, and the Emperor has bestowed so many gifts upon him, the Ruo Family’s stature is vastly different from the past—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they are outrageously wealthy.

If Ruo Hai remarries and has more children down the line, won’t that dilute what belongs to Ruo Zhou?

What belongs to her son is hers, and she absolutely cannot let this happen.

She chased after him again, and although Ruo Hai walked quickly, she followed him all the way to the front gate of the Ruo Family’s new residence.

Because Ruo Xuan had become a Commandery Princess, the gates of the new Ruo Family house were quite impressive.

And because it was in a village, where every household typically keeps their gates wide open during the day for neighbors to visit each other readily,

the Ruo Family’s gate was also wide open. Granny Lei, Madam Liu, and Madam Jiang were leading several village women in making big red flowers in the courtyard.

On the day of Ruo Hai’s great marriage, these big red flowers would be used to decorate the house, and they needed to adorn the entire courtyard festively. After all, now that Ruo Hai was a Fourth Rank Great General, some of his colleagues from the military camp would also come. And with Xuanbao being a Commandery Princess, they couldn’t let the officials think the Ruo Family was shabby.

Ruo Xuan was also helping, making flowers from red silk fabric, something she found fun. These round flowers were easy to make and she could manage that, although she was not able to sew them together.

"Ruo Hai!" Lady Zhou called out anxiously, only then noticing the many people in the courtyard.

She felt a bit embarrassed, considering her past actions... but thinking that she must return to the Ruo Family, to Ruo Hai’s side, she greeted everyone with a smile, "Mother, second sister-in-law, fourth sister-in-law, Man Fu’s mother..."

Granny Lei initially thought it was someone else, but when she recognized it was Madam Zhou, she rushed over without a word and picked up the broom nearby.

The villagers were startled at first, but then someone recognized Madam Zhou and said mockingly, "Oh, who do we have here? Isn’t this Dalang’s mother?"

"Didn’t they say she was off to become the wife of a Deputy General? What brought her back?"

"Her face is thicker than the city walls; how dare a woman who abandoned her husband and child come knocking?"

...

"What accursed creature, begone! Don’t soil my home’s ground!" While the villagers made snide remarks, Granny Lei wielded the broom, sweeping and striking Madam Zhou chaotically, driving her out the door.

"Get lost! Go as far as you can, you cursed thing. If you dare come back, I won’t be polite!"

The broom, which was used to sweep the doorway, was particularly laden with mud, and when it hit Madam Zhou’s legs, a cloud of dust rose from her body.

She felt both pain and filth, and could only keep retreating until she was a few meters away, then her feet tangled, and she fell to the ground. She raised her hands in defense against Granny Lei’s broom attacks: "Mother, mother, please stop, I was wrong... don’t hit me!..."

Ruo Xuan saw her grandma acting so powerfully and was thrilled!

Actually, it was quite amusing to watch, so she also picked up her little broom and rushed over to greet Madam Zhou, aggressively saying, "Go away! Bad luck charm, get as far away as you can, don’t even think about ruining my Uncle’s marriage prospects!"

Ruo Xuan struck with greater force than Granny Lei, leaving Madam Zhou gasping and unable to speak!

Granny Lei looked at her fierce and beloved granddaughter: "..."

Done it – seemed she had set a bad example for her granddaughter again.

She’s supposed to be a Commandery Princess now!

How could she behave like a common shrew?

This would ruin her reputation if it got out.

Granny Lei hastily stopped.

Madam Zhou was in extreme pain, "Stop hitting, stop hitting, Mother save me..."

How could this wretched girl hit so hard.

While swinging her little broom, Ruo Xuan looked at Granny Lei: "Grandma, keep going! Drive away the bad luck!"

Madam Liu was also startled by Xuanbao’s fierce behavior: My goodness, how had her Little Fairy turned into a little shrew?

She hurried to pull her away.

Madam Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, looking pitifully at Granny Lei: "Mother, back then..."

Granny Lei raised the broom, staring at her coldly, and threatened, "Who is your mother? Don’t insult me! You should have been beaten to death back then! I warn you, if you dare pester my son again, I’ll beat you to a pulp!"

She had never seen such shamelessness!

When she left before, she was so self-righteous, even declaring she’d rather beg than come crawling back to the Ruo Family!

Madam Zhou shrank her head, glancing towards the courtyard, hoping to see Ruo Hai, but his figure was nowhere to be seen, only a few women with mocking gazes and whispers.

Her face turned red with humiliation, and she could not bear it any longer, so she got up and ran!

She decided, she would go find Ruo Zhou and have him stop Ruo Hai from remarrying. She would convince Ruo Zhou to persuade the Ruo Family to let her come back as their mother.

Who could be a better mother than the real one?

A stepmother means a stepfather; all the things that belonged to her son could end up in the hands of that vixen.