BXBX NOVEL Chapter 116: Feeling Guilty
Han Yu was entirely preoccupied with Su Wenyue; seeing those young guys flee, he didn’t try to stop them but instead rushed over and embraced Su Wenyue in his arms.
“Lady Yue, daughter-in-law, how are you feeling? Hang in there! I will take you to see a doctor immediately,” Han Yu said. Seeing the wound on Su Wenyue’s neck, he dared not move her, for fear that any movement would worsen her injury. For a moment, he stood there frozen, holding Su Wenyue.
Those men had run off, and Ah Bin’s injuries weren’t too serious. He immediately ran over to check on Su Wenyue. Seeing Han Yu’s reaction, he was somewhat speechless. Wasn’t the uncle supposed to be capable and formidable? But now he seemed at a loss, apparently overwhelmed by concern for the Miss.
“Uncle, the Miss is injured. We should dress her wound first and then ask a doctor to treat her. It’s no use leaving her like this,” Ah Bin, fearing further delay would worsen her condition, couldn’t help but speak up to remind him.
“Right, get a doctor. We’re not far from the village. I will stop the bleeding for Lady Yue first and take her home to lie down. You drive the horse carriage and go get the doctor immediately.”
Han Yu now realized his own folly, primarily because Su Wenyue’s pale face was frightening. He panicked, but after a careful examination, he discovered her injuries weren’t as serious as he thought; she had no wounds other than on her neck.
Since they weren’t far from the village and to avoid the jostling of the horse carriage, Han Yu simply decided to carry her home to the Han Family stable, also allowing Ah Bin to fetch the doctor more quickly.
“What has happened? Fourth daughter-in-law was fine when she left the house; what’s the matter?” Han family members, seeing Han Yu carrying the pale and weak Su Wenyue, were all surprised and gathered around. Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang asked with concern, not understanding why she was in good spirits going to her mother’s family this morning, but now she returned in such a state. Moreover, the location of Fourth daughter-in-law’s wound made them think more.
Jiang Chunlan, who usually roamed outside until evening, happened to be at home today. Seeing Han Yu carrying Su Wenyue back, a strange glint flashed across her face, and deep in her eyes, there was a hint of triumph and madness. Now that Su Wenyue’s reputation was compromised, she hoped to see how arrogant she could be.
Jiang Chunlan harbored pain and hatred in her heart; nobody knew the price she had paid to deal with Su Wenyue. To have those men target Su Wenyue, she had been terribly deceived, even losing the most important thing for a woman. How could she allow Su Wenyue to live well and be doted on by her Cousin? If she was to suffer a grim fate, she wished the same for Su Wenyue. Surely, after this incident, her Cousin would no longer fancy a woman of tarnished virtue like Su Wenyue.
“Father, Mother, there’s no need for everyone to worry. I just…” At that moment, Su Wenyue indeed had no more strength and didn’t even want to speak due to the pain. After all, a hairpin had brutally stabbed into her neck, and every movement tugged painfully at the wound. However, Su Wenyue didn’t want the family to misunderstand. She had struggled to preserve her chastity, understanding the importance of her reputation to a woman. Therefore, she labored to explain but was interrupted by Han Yu.
Not hiding his heartache in the slightest, Han Yu urged, “Lady Yue, don’t speak if you’re injured. Father, Mother, Lady Yue encountered a group of bandits on her way back. Those bandits held foul intentions, but Lady Yue fought desperately to preserve her chastity, ending up like this. I need to dress her wound now. Please fetch me a basin of hot water and a clean towel.”
Han Yu, now focused solely on Su Wenyue, could not concern himself with anything else. Normally, Mrs. Yang might feel uncomfortable with her son favoring his daughter-in-law too much, but now, with Su Wenyue injured and having remained faithful to her son, Mrs. Yang felt both worried and comforted. They indeed had a good daughter-in-law in their family.
Jiang Chunlan originally thought after this incident Su Wenyue, having lost her chastity, would certainly be despised by Han Yu. To her surprise, Han Yu’s reaction was even more caring than before. Furthermore, according to Han Yu’s explanation, the situation had not unfolded as Jiang Chunlan had imagined. Su Wenyue hadn’t been violated by the men; it was her effort to protect her virtue that resulted in the injury to her neck.
How could this be? The plan had been so meticulously crafted! Once those men took Su Wenyue, she would have had leverage over her, forcing Su Wenyue to obey her like a dog and robbing her of her haughtiness. But instead, the situation had developed so unfavorably that she had outsmarted herself. Seeing the look of distress on her Cousin’s face, as he wished he could cradle Su Wenyue in his palms, Jiang Chunlan’s envy reached its peak.
After hearing Han Yu’s words, Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang hurried to prepare what was needed. Mrs. Liu stood still with a worried look on her face, but she was mostly curious.
“This is so strange; how can there be bandits during broad daylight? Perhaps they were coveting Fourth daughter-in-law’s beauty. Indeed, even we women find her pleasing to the eye, let alone men. And considering her distinguished family background.”
“Oh my, maybe those bandits knew about Fourth daughter-in-law’s family and were after some benefit,” Mrs. Liu suddenly seemed to realize something, slapping her thigh while speaking, feeling more convinced the more she spoke.
“Certainly, but Fourth daughter-in-law’s visit to her mother’s family was decided abruptly. I only found out this morning that she was going to her mother’s family, and not many people knew about it. How could those bandits have known?” Mrs. Liu displayed a rare moment of insight, sensing something afoot.
Having suffered such a situation at home before – last time it was Mrs. Wang who conspired with her mother’s family to let thieves into the house – Mrs. Liu could not help but make a connection. Given her straightforward nature, which never hid her thoughts, and her dissatisfaction with Jiang Chunlan, especially considering her recent behavior, it was natural for Mrs. Liu to shift her suspicion onto Jiang Chunlan, who indeed had the most motive to commit the act.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, you can mess with food, but you can’t spout nonsense like this. Fourth cousin’s wife encountered trouble on her way back. What does it have to do with me? Maybe it’s because she’s too ostentatious normally that she caught the bandits’ eye. Don’t try to smear me with this,” Jiang Chunlan retorted hastily, feeling like a cornered thief. If the Han family found out she was responsible, she would be unable to stay. Moreover, her Cousin’s recent display of concern for Su Wenyue made her very uneasy. If her Cousin knew she was responsible for this, she didn’t know how he would treat her! And the Su Family; it was only then that Jiang Chunlan remembered her mother Yang Juxiang’s warnings – she couldn’t afford to provoke the Su Family. If this matter were to come to light, the people from the Su Family wouldn’t let her off either. She could only hope those lowlifes wouldn’t get caught by Han Yu and the Su Family.