To Marry the Elder Brother of One's Late Husband - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: He Slowly Removed Her Veiled Hat…

By the time Madam Pan reached the depths of the woods, the thugs had already fled. Madam Yang was wailing as she held Jiang Ran, who was curled up like a shrimp. Taking a glance, Madam Pan saw that Jiang Ran’s clothes were mostly torn open, and her pale skin was crisscrossed with red welts—a sight that made one’s eyes ache.

After such an incident, the life of the second daughter of the Jiang family was effectively ruined.

Madam Pan’s throat tightened, and her brow furrowed. Though she hosted banquets at the villa every year, this was the first time she had encountered such a situation. As the hostess, she could not allow a young lady to be defiled under her roof without consequence.

Without stopping to comfort the mother and daughter, Madam Pan strode out of the woods and addressed the women waiting outside: “I am truly sorry. Due to my negligence in security, a wild beast broke into the Crape Myrtle Woods and startled our guests.”

“Please, everyone, head to the Cooling Pavilion in the front courtyard for some tea. Once the servants have driven the beast away, I shall invite you back to enjoy the flowers.”

The women present were all sharp-witted. The sound of tearing fabric was still echoing in their ears, and coupled with the memory of Madam Yang rushing into the woods, they understood perfectly well what had happened.

The second Jiang miss had likely not been “napping in her room,” but rather…

They blamed her for being restless; had she stayed properly by her mother’s side while touring the garden, such a thing would never have occurred.

The guests exchanged looks before turning their gaze toward Jiang Shu, offering her sympathetic comforts: “Madam Heir, we are reasonable people. We saw earlier that Madam Jiang does not treat you with the warmth or kindness a mother should. No matter what happens, we would never associate you with the actions of the Jiang matriarch or the second miss. You may set your heart at ease.”

Sisters of one family were often seen as a single unit; if one lost her chastity, the others would be looked down upon by association. The women’s words were subtle, but they were reassuring Jiang Shu that they would not despise her because of the scandal in the woods.

Everything was going exactly as Jiang Shu had anticipated. She felt a sense of triumph, yet she maintained an expression of deep concern: “I wonder how my second sister is doing now. After such an ordeal, how will she… Sigh, how can she ever face the world again?”

Her words prompted another round of consolation. Madam Situ patted her shoulder and said softly, “Good child, we know you are kind-hearted. Go and check on your sister quickly. You are family, after all; if you go too late, your stepmother might find reason to blame you again.”

Jiang Shu nodded obediently. She hesitated for a moment, then turned back to the crowd and gave a respectful bow, pleading: “It was my second sister’s poor fortune today to be attacked by a wild beast. I hope you elders can help clear her name. If her reputation remains intact, I shall repay your kindness in the future with all I have.”

She spoke with such sincerity that the crowd sighed in admiration: “The Madam Heir is truly virtuous. Not only does she refuses to hold a grudge against her stepmother and sister, but she also returns malice with kindness. She is the epitome of nobility and integrity. No wonder she was able to marry into the Marquis of Xinyang’s estate; Heaven truly looks after the virtuous.”

Jiang Shu shook her head repeatedly. “Ran-er and I are sisters; blood is thicker than water. It is only right that I look after her.”

Knowing that overdoing it would be counterproductive, Jiang Shu said no more. With a look of urgent anxiety, she hurried into the Crape Myrtle Woods.

…

Madam Pan had her maids lead the guests to the front courtyard before summoning her guards. She whispered sternly: “Surround the villa immediately. Not even a fly is to get out.”

This scandal had happened on her property; she had to catch the perpetrators. She then ordered a sedan chair to be brought into the woods.

When Madam Pan and Jiang Shu arrived, Madam Yang had stopped crying and was covering Jiang Ran with her own outer cloak. Jiang Ran sat on the ground, hugging her knees, her eyes vacant and dull as if she had lost her mind.

A perfectly good girl, reduced to this state. Her future was now utterly bleak.

Madam Pan gestured to the elderly maids: “Quickly, carry the second Jiang miss to the sedan and take her to the guest rooms in the back.”

The maids, accustomed to heavy labor, easily lifted Jiang Ran. Madam Yang followed closely into the sedan, holding her daughter tight and using her sleeves to hide the girl’s face.

As they were being carried out of the woods, the silent Jiang Ran suddenly broke free from her mother’s embrace. She stared at Madam Pan with a terrifying brightness in her eyes: “Madam, I am still a virgin! I am still pure! You must clarify this for me!”

“Those thugs tore my clothes, but before they could… before they could… you all arrived! I was not defiled! I… I…”

Her voice grew smaller until it sounded as if her throat had been shredded, leaving only pained whimpers.

Madam Pan sighed helplessly. After such an ordeal, who would care if she was technically a “virgin”? Her reputation was ruined, and her luck had run out. Jiang Ran would never be able to recover from this.

As a fellow woman, Madam Pan didn’t want to crush the girl’s last shred of hope. she reached out, patting Jiang Ran’s hand. “I will seek justice for you and bring those criminals to account.”

Jiang Ran didn’t catch the underlying meaning in Madam Pan’s words; she felt she had found a savior and nodded frantically, a faint, chilling smile appearing on her lips.

When the sedan reached the inner courtyard, Jiang Ran seemed to remember something. She turned her gaze toward Jiang Shu. Like a sleek leopard fueled by infinite hatred, she lunged from the sedan and tackled Jiang Shu to the ground.

A sharp pain shot through Jiang Shu’s body, feeling as though she had been run over by a carriage. She instinctively tried to sit up, but Jiang Ran grabbed her collar and pinned her down.

Sitting atop Jiang Shu’s waist, Jiang Ran swung her arms and delivered two resounding slaps to Jiang Shu’s face. She used all her strength; Jiang Shu’s fair cheeks swelled instantly.

The attack was so sudden that it took Madam Pan several moments to react. “Someone! The second Jiang miss has gone mad! Tie her up before she hurts anyone else!”

The servants rushed over and pinned Jiang Ran’s arms, binding her with rope. Even bound, Jiang Ran’s mouth did not stop: “It was Jiang Shu! That slut framed me! Madam Pan, let me go! I must kill that wench Jiang Shu!”

Seeing Jiang Ran’s eyes nearly bursting with rage, the pity Madam Pan had felt vanished.

She looked down at Jiang Ran and whispered sharply: “Second Miss, lower your voice! The front courtyard is full of guests. Do you want this scandal to be known by the whole city before you stop? I know you are distressed, but you cannot throw such filth at the Madam Heir.”

Madam Yang, protective of her daughter, rushed to untie the ropes. She snapped at Madam Pan: “Why have you tied Ran-er up? People will say you failed to secure your grounds, allowing thugs to ruin her reputation. Now, seeing her bound like this, they’ll think she’s the one who committed a crime!”

Madam Pan was nearly moved to angry laughter. She pointed at the handprints on Jiang Shu’s face. “Your daughter takes her anger out on the Madam Heir and nearly claws her face off, and you call this ‘good behavior’? I have truly had my eyes opened today.”

As the wife of the Provincial Governor, Madam Pan’s status was far higher than Jiang Shu’s father. She had only been polite to Madam Yang for Jiang Shu’s sake. Now that Jiang Shu had been struck, she felt no need to hold back.

Madam Yang was left speechless. She ignored Madam Pan and focused on untying her daughter.

Jiang Ran glared hatefully at Jiang Shu and said to Madam Pan: “Madam, you have been deceived by this slut. She looks kind on the outside, but she is more poisonous than a viper.”

She then cast aside all dignity and recounted everything that had happened at noon—including her own desire to marry Lu Changji.

Madam Pan stared at Jiang Ran in shock. Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover. While Jiang Ran had some beauty, she was no peerless lady; with her family background, how did she dare covet Lu Changji?

Madam Pan refrained from saying anything too biting, choosing instead to stick to the facts: “Words require evidence. How can you be certain the servant who called you out was sent by the Madam Heir? Your reputation is important, but the Madam Heir’s name cannot be slandered either. Until the criminals are caught, you must not jump to conclusions.”

Madam Pan’s question hit the mark. Neither Jiang Ran nor the experienced Madam Yang could answer. Though Madam Yang was certain Jiang Shu was the culprit, she had no proof and was forced to swallow her words.

She said to Madam Pan: “I must trouble you to provide a change of clothes for my daughter. The truth will come out eventually, but for now, the most important thing is to look after her.”

Madam Pan gave a non-committal response and ordered the maids to prepare a bath and new clothes. Once Jiang Ran was settled, she went to check on Jiang Shu.

“The Madam Heir has suffered an undeserved disaster,” Madam Pan sighed. “Your maiden family is no support to you, but fortunately, you married into a high-ranking house. It is a silver lining. Your face is swelling badly; would you like some ice wrapped in a towel to soothe it?”

Jiang Shu waved her off. After a day of chaos, she only wanted peace and to leave this place of scandal. “Could you lend me a veiled hat? I am in no state to be seen.”

Madam Pan, realizing her oversight, immediately had a veiled hat brought for her. Jiang Shu put it on and bid her farewell. “The Heir’s health is poor; I must return early to care for him. Thank you for everything today.”

…

The front courtyard was still buzzing with gossip.

“That girl looked unfamiliar. I haven’t seen her before.”

“That’s the second Jiang miss. Her father is only a seventh-rank county magistrate. Normally, she wouldn’t be qualified for a banquet at the Governor’s villa, but since the eldest Jiang daughter married into the Marquis of Xinyang’s house, the whole family was invited.”

“Truly, pearls before swine. Madam Jiang probably wanted her daughter to gain some exposure, but who knew such a thing would happen?”

“Exactly. I wonder if she’s engaged. If not, she’ll likely rot at home as an old maid. After this, she’ll never have the face to show herself in public. No respectable family would dare marry her.”

The talk grew harsher. Jiang Ran’s reputation was utterly destroyed. Jiang Shu had achieved her goal, yet she did not feel as triumphant as she had expected; instead, she felt a faint sense of melancholy.

If a man had such an experience, it would be treated as a joke, a “youthful indiscretion.” But for a woman, it was a brand of shame. Living as a woman in this world was infinitely harder than living as a man.

Jiang Shu did not interact with the women. She walked along the fence to the gate and returned to the Marquis of Xinyang’s estate.

The setting sun cast a golden glow over the high walls, stretching shadows long and thin. As Jiang Shu reached the hanging flower gate, she saw Lu Changji from a distance, standing by the lake feeding the fish.

Lu Changji was too sharp; his dark eyes seemed capable of seeing through anyone. Unless absolutely necessary, Jiang Shu did not want to deal with him.

She kept her head down, pretending not to see him as she hurried toward the inner courtyard. Just as she reached the porch, she heard his voice:

“Sister-in-law, stay a moment.”

Jiang Shu froze. She sighed silently and walked slowly toward him, bowing deeply. “Greetings, Brother-in-law.”

Lu Changji nodded. He tossed the remaining fish food into the water, wiped his hands clean with a silk handkerchief, and then reached out. Grabbing the edge of the veiled hat, he slowly lifted it off Jiang Shu’s head.