Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands

Chapter 456 - 434 The Unfavored Fifth Miss Zhao (1)

Li Yuzhu and E Ying visited the Zhao family multiple times, and the gatekeepers, upon seeing them, let them in right away.

After entering the Zhao family’s rear residence, Sister-in-law Chai went to see Mrs. Zhao first as usual.

Mrs. Zhao was quite annoyed with the two of them. Moreover, she was still busy competing for business with people from other branches and had no time to deal with others. "I know, take them to see Fifth Miss Zhao. I have a headache and won’t meet them."

The maid agreed and passed the message, "The mistress has a headache and doesn’t want to see any guests now. I will take Miss Yun and Miss Li to see Fifth Miss Zhao."

Of the ten times they came, seven times they were not welcomed. Li Yuzhu and Sister-in-law Chai were already used to it.

They came to see Mrs. Zhao first merely out of courtesy.

Sister-in-law Chai smiled and said, "Since the elder aunt is unwell, we shall not disturb her. We will visit her another day."

Leaving Mrs. Zhao’s residence, she asked the maid to lead them to see Old Mrs. Zhao first.

Li Yuzhu also wanted to see Old Mrs. Zhao first.

After Old Mrs. Zhao divided her assets, her courtyard became even emptier than before.

There were fewer maids in the yard, and the usual hustle and bustle were absent.

Thinking about how Old Mrs. Zhao, in an attempt to make her children notice her aging, pretended to be mad but remained ignored, Li Yuzhu sighed deeply.

Was it the Zhao descendants’ inherent bad nature or Old Mrs. Zhao’s poor upbringing that led to this outcome? Li Yuzhu could never figure it out.

The maid at the door, seeing them arrive, bowed then entered the main house to relay the message, "Old lady, Miss Yun has brought Brother Lang and Miss Li."

Li Yuzhu followed Sister-in-law Chai into the main house.

Upon entering, she saw an elderly lady with almost fully gray hair sitting blankly in a rocking chair and looking at her.

Her cheeks were much thinner than before, and her gaze was no longer sharp.

"Who’s here?" the old lady asked hoarsely.

The maid beside her spoke loudly, "It’s Miss Yun, Brother Lang, and Miss Li."

"Oh." The old lady smiled warmly, "Come and sit! It’s cold outside; come warm yourselves by the fire." She waved at them with a smile, "Haven’t seen you for years, what have you been busy with?"

Li Yuzhu thought, "..." Years? It’s been less than three months since I left the town.

Sister-in-law Chai sighed and whispered to Li Yuzhu, "Since you left, the old lady has been confused sometimes and clear-headed other times, and her hearing is poor. Everyone has been taking the medicine you prescribed, but she remains like this. The Zhao family doesn’t care for her, and I have no choice."

Chai Tianlang blinked, looked at Old Mrs. Zhao for a while, and said, "Great-aunt, how come your hair is so much grayer?"

Old Mrs. Zhao touched her hair, "Is it gray? I hadn’t noticed." She smiled warmly at Chai Tianlang, "Whose child are you? So well-behaved, come, come, come, sit here."

"I’m Tianlang, don’t you recognize me, Great-aunt?" Chai Tianlang blinked, asked in surprise.

"Tianlang? Which Tianlang?" Old Mrs. Zhao looked bewildered.

"The one and only Tianlang." Chai Tianlang replied.

Old Mrs. Zhao tilted her head, looking as if she couldn’t remember.

Sister-in-law Chai patted Chai Tianlang’s shoulder, "Go and keep your great-aunt company."

"Okay." Chai Tianlang happily ran over to Old Mrs. Zhao.

Old Mrs. Zhao hugged him, helped him sit on a small soft stool beside the rocking chair, and took two large walnuts from a plate on the small table next to her for him to play with.

Chai Tianlang happily started to crack the walnuts.

Li Yuzhu approached, holding Old Mrs. Zhao’s hand, "Has the old lady been well lately?"

She took the opportunity to check Old Mrs. Zhao’s pulse.

The pulse was weak; in less than three months, the old lady had aged significantly, perhaps related to her previous fall.

The surgery was successful, but given her age, being bedridden for a long time is detrimental to her health.

"Oh, good, good, very good." Old Mrs. Zhao smiled, "Which family’s girl are you?"

Li Yuzhu thought, "..." Really forgetful?

The maid beside her came over with tea, seeing Li Yuzhu puzzled and speechless, and said, "Since the old lady’s fall, her health has gradually declined. Please don’t mind, Miss Li."

After seventy, aging is inevitable.

Li Yuzhu smiled slightly, "I don’t mind."

She asked the maids serving around about the old lady’s medication situation.

Everyone said she was taking it on time.

Li Yuzhu looked at Old Mrs. Zhao again; her clothes were clean, her hands and face were clean, there was premium silver thread charcoal burning in the brazier in front of her, with no pungent smoke.

On the floral rack in the corner of the room, there was a pot of blooming delicate narcissus flowers.

Everywhere she looked was warm and neat, showing the maids were taking good care of her.

The family seldom cared for Old Mrs. Zhao, having a few reliable maids was a small blessing.

However, aging is irreversible; being able to live dignified in old age can be considered a blessing for the old lady.

After sharing a cup of tea and a conversation with Old Mrs. Zhao, Li Yuzhu and Sister-in-law Chai, along with Chai Tianlang, left Old Mrs. Zhao’s residence. They followed Mrs. Zhao’s maid to another courtyard to see Fifth Miss Zhao.

This was a very small and secluded courtyard, outside of which grew a few towering kapok trees, with half-yellow, half-green branches reaching into the courtyard, shading half of the sunlight.

All around it was quiet, with no sound.

The leading maid knocked on the courtyard door, and before long, it opened, revealing a fifteen or sixteen-year-old maid who said, "Is it Miss Yun? Please come in."

Sister-in-law Chai thanked the maid leading them from Mrs. Zhao, "You go back and tell the elder aunt she needn’t worry about me and Miss Li; we will chat with our fifth cousin and then leave."

The guiding maid thought to herself, her mistress is too troubled by business matters right now and has no mood to care about outside guests, do as you please.

"Got it, Miss Yun, feel free." She turned and left.

Sister-in-law Chai led her son by the hand and brought Li Yuzhu into the courtyard.

After closing the courtyard door, the maid who opened it followed their steps, "Since our young lady returned, neither the family nor the staff have acknowledged our young lady, only when Miss Yun visits does the courtyard feel lively."

The maid sighed.

As she spoke, she curiously glanced at Li Yuzhu again.

Sister-in-law Chai said, "Oh, I forgot to introduce, this is Miss Li, who treated your old lady’s injury before."

Fifth Miss Zhao and her two maids had been living at her husband’s family until the incident, when Fifth Miss Zhao was sent back home after Li Yuzhu had left the Zhao family back to the countryside, so the maids didn’t recognize Miss Li.

But the matter of Miss Li curing Old Mrs. Zhao’s fall had already spread in the Zhao family.

The maid of Fifth Miss Zhao suddenly understood, "So it’s Miss Li." She curtsied to Li Yuzhu.

"No need for formalities." Li Yuzhu smiled and raised her hand slightly.

Sister-in-law Chai then said, "Bita, Miss Li is a healer, I brought her to check on Fifth Miss."

Bita’s eyes reddened with gratitude, "That’s wonderful, thank you, Miss Yun, thank you, Miss Li."

Li Yuzhu smiled, "Don’t thank me yet, wait until I see your young lady. Whether the illness is treatable is still unknown to me."

Although she said this, Bita was still very happy, "Since you’re willing to see her, you must be able to cure her. We had privately invited doctors, but all said it was incurable. The young lady was so distraught she didn’t want to live."

As she spoke, tears began to fall.

"All right, all right, you’re about to enter the room, don’t cry. If your young lady sees, she’ll feel even worse." Sister-in-law Chai gently rebuked her.

Bita took a deep breath and wiped away her tears, "Yes, I won’t cry."

All the way, Li Yuzhu was observing her surroundings.

This small courtyard was even narrower than E Ying’s old house, consisting of only four rooms. The yard had no plants except for a barely surviving begonia tree. Inside the central room, there was no luxurious décor; all it held was dilapidation and desolation.

Whereas the other places in the Zhao residence were all magnificently large and spacious.

Only where Fifth Miss Zhao lived, was peculiarly shabby.

Li Yuzhu speculated in her heart that this place must not have been Fifth Miss Zhao’s maiden chamber before marriage; it might have been a servant’s quarters.

Sister-in-law Chai entrusted Chai Tianlang to Bita, then led Li Yuzhu into one side of the main room’s bedroom.

The arrangement inside was undignified as well, only slightly better than that of the Li Family Sisters’ room.

The Li family had fled and started from scratch, everything was saved if possible. The Zhao family, however, was one of the wealthiest in the county, with dozens of servants. Yet their daughter’s room was old and shabby, highlighting how neglectful the Zhao family was towards their daughter.

Upon entering the bedroom, there was a bed without a screen for privacy, another sign that this was not a typical maiden bedroom.

On the bed lay a disheveled, haggard young woman, her eyes staring vacantly at the top of the canopy.