He was murdered after his family was wiped out and left with no descendants; his whole family knelt

Chapter 120 Retribution

She has great difficulty speaking now. After howling a few times, she was exhausted and leaned against the bedside, panting heavily and sighing.

Qiao Qingshu moved an embroidered stool and sat down beside Old Madam Qiao's bed, speaking slowly.

"Grandmother, you're bedridden now, do you know what's happening outside?"

Madam Qiao really didn't want to see Qiao Qingshu, but she was also very curious about what was happening outside.

These days she spends all her time lying in bed, eating, drinking, and using the toilet, feeling extremely lonely and isolated.

Qiao Jizhou rarely visited her, citing his busy work schedule as an excuse.

Even the second and third daughters rarely came to see her; since she became paralyzed, they had only visited once each.

Madam Qiao regretted that she had been too harsh on her two illegitimate granddaughters in the past, and now they were no longer close to her.

Only Aunt He would come to see her every three to five days, but Aunt He was not fond of chatting and would just sit quietly to the side, which was very boring.

She also sent her personal maids, Granny Zou and Granny Li, to inquire around the courtyards, but to her surprise, each courtyard had maids and servants guarding the entrance and preventing them from entering.

Neither Granny Zou nor Mama Li had anywhere to gossip, so they could only stay quietly in their own courtyards.

Old Madam Qiao has come to realize that the Qiao family is now completely under Qiao Qingshu's control.

She watched helplessly as this granddaughter, whom she had once looked down upon, gradually usurped her power and seized control of the Qiao family.

And this right, Madam Qiao could never take back.

She had also cried to Qiao Jizhou, but Qiao Jizhou was now wary of her as his mother, after all, she had squandered the family fortune.

She has lost all say and trust with her son.

She wanted to hate Qiao Qingshu, but she couldn't find a reason. After all, she had really done something wrong, and Qiao Qingshu exposed her shameful deeds for the sake of the Qiao family.

The unspeakable frustration caused Old Madam Qiao great pain.

She said unhappily,

"What happens has nothing to do with me!"

Qiao Qingshu smiled and pulled the stool closer, slowly recounting everything that had happened in recent days.

When she heard that Aunt Chen was having an affair and was planning to marry the second daughter into Prince Jing's mansion as a concubine, Old Madam Qiao was so shocked that she sat up straight.

Seeing that Old Madam Qiao had perked up, Qiao Qingshu continued,

"The case from a few days ago has also been decided. Shen Shi'an was sentenced to death, and Qiao Chunli will be imprisoned for ten years."

Old Madam Qiao's mind went blank for a moment. She lost her balance and was about to fall off the bed.

Qiao Qingshu helped her so she wouldn't fall off the bed.

“Grandmother, I deliberately kept this news from you so that others wouldn’t tell you. I wanted to tell you myself and see your expression.”

Old Madam Qiao stared blankly at Qiao Qingshu with her triangular eyes and shouted helplessly.

"Why!"

Qiao Qingshu answered calmly.

"I want to see how much pain you can feel when your loved ones are suffering."

Qiao Chunli was the youngest daughter, and Old Madam Qiao doted on her almost all her affection. She also carefully selected a wealthy family for her marriage.

It was this daughter, on whom Old Madam Qiao placed her boundless hopes, who deceived her. Now that her daughter is to be imprisoned for decades, Old Madam Qiao, though deceived, still feels heartbroken.

This complex pain was like a fire burning wildly in her internal organs, leaving her completely drained, powerless, and withered.

Old Madam Qiao raised her face, looking at the roof with utter bewilderment, and wailed.

"Why? Why did this happen?!"

Qiao Qingshu looked up at the roof, sighed softly, and then said...

"Grandmother, do you believe in karma?"

Grandma Qiao was completely stunned, staring silently at her granddaughter with a hoarse voice.

Qiao Qingshu recalled the pain of her past life, suppressed the tears welling in her eyes, and revealed a resolute gaze.

“Everything is the cycle of nature, Grandmother.”

After saying that, Qiao Qingshu stared at Old Madam Qiao for a moment, then walked out.

“Liu Wan’er is determined to marry into the Xiao family as a concubine, so I, as her cousin, should make some preparations for her. Grandmother, please rest.”

Even after Qiao Qingshu had long since gone, Old Madam Qiao still sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, staring blankly into the distance.

As if she could foresee her own end, fear flickered in her empty eyes for the first time.

When Qiao Qingshu returned to Zhuqingxuan.

The meal had already been prepared, and several maids were helping her take off her outer garments and serving her food.

Wanqiu said with heartache,

"Nowadays, the eldest daughter has to make all the decisions in the Qiao family, big and small. She's gotten so thin, it's really heartbreaking."

Lin Dong, holding her soup bowl, glanced down at the young woman eating and said...

"That's right. One thing after another has happened in our family, and our girls do it all themselves. They're even more capable than men."

Summer Solstice also hopped and skipped along, saying

"Yes, the eldest young lady is incredibly insightful. If it weren't for our young lady, the second young lady would have been sold off by Aunt Chen long ago!"

After finishing her meal, Qiao Qingshu looked out the window; it wasn't quite dark yet.

She was worried about her second sister, so she asked Xia Zhi to carry a lantern and lead the way to see her.

When the maid came to report, Qiao Qingqiao was sitting in the room wiping away tears.

Qiao Qingshu went in and bumped into her second younger sister who was crying.

He hurriedly stepped forward, grasped her hand, and said...

"Why are you crying for no reason?"

When Qiao Qing saw that it was her older sister, she quickly wiped away her tears and forced a smile.

"Big sister, why are you here so late?"

Qiao Qingshu said reproachfully,

"I came here specifically to check on you because I was worried about you. There are too many people around during the day, so there are many things I can't say to you. Let's have a good talk now, sisters."

Qiao Qingqiao's tears, which she had managed to stop, started falling again. She threw herself into her older sister's arms and cried.

"Big sister, I'm scared. My aunt treated me like that, and I'm her own daughter, yet she schemed against me. Who can I trust in the future?"

Qiao Qingshu patted her back to comfort her.

"Qiao'er, don't be afraid, you still have me. I will take care of you in the future."

Qiao Qingqiao raised her head and asked in great fear,

"Will Aunt Chen come back? I'm afraid she'll come back and scheme against me again, and she'll beat my brother. I'm really scared."

Qiao Qingshu recalled the scene of Aunt Chen committing suicide by hitting her head against the wall, and grabbed her hand, saying,

"She's not coming back. Don't worry."

Qiao Qingqiao stared wide-eyed at Qiao Qingshu as if she were looking at a savior, feeling immense gratitude welling up inside her.

Qiao Qingshu gently smoothed the stray hairs from her temples and continued to comfort her softly.

"Qiao'er, I will take care of you and your brother from now on, and I will protect you and keep you safe."

Qiao Qingqiao nodded slowly. The only person in the Qiao family who could make her feel at ease was the eldest sister in front of her.

She didn't know why, but she unconditionally trusted her older sister.

That night.

It was Qiao Qingshu who stroked her head and coaxed her second sister to sleep.