in2ebook Chapter 184 His mother never blamed him
Chapter 184 His mother never blamed him
Cheng Yan and Qin Yizhen were both stunned for a moment.
The old man the woman was talking about was none other than Cheng Yan's and Empress Dowager Cheng's third uncle, and the younger brother of the Marquis of Chengen.
I never imagined he had already passed away.
Cheng Yan lowered his eyes and asked her, "When did this happen?"
"In March of last year."
Last March, more than a year has passed.
Qin Yizhen asked, "What is the reason?"
Aunt Cheng wiped away her tears and said, "When he went out, he accidentally tripped and fell, hitting his head. He only managed to say a few things before he passed away. Lord Marquis, Princess, his life was truly full of suffering!"
Aunt Cheng was also full of grievances.
In the Cheng family, Cheng Laosan, Cheng He, was another victim of the Marquis of Chengen.
When the Marquis of Chengen was young, he showed great talent for studying, and the Cheng family, a farming family that had been making a living from the land for generations, saw hope for changing their fate.
To support the Marquis of Chengen's education, the Cheng family tightened their belts. Cheng He was an honest man who, at just over ten years old, began to do odd jobs to earn money, all to support his elder brother's education.
For this reason, I've done all the hardest and most tiring jobs.
Because he didn't eat well and worked hard, he didn't grow tall and became as thin as a monkey. Everyone called him "Skinny Monkey." He hoped to earn a little more so that his brother could buy another book.
He hoped that one day his elder brother would lead the Cheng family out of the countryside, so that the descendants of the Cheng family would never have to suffer again.
Marquis Chengen did indeed meet Cheng He's expectations, but the first thing he did upon returning home after passing the imperial examination was to divorce his wife, and the second thing he did was to 'separate' Cheng He and his wife.
In the end, he even abandoned his parents and left without a word.
He was determined to pursue his life, to marry a woman from a wealthy family, and to rise to prominence. As for the old people and old stories mired in the mire, he only wished he could trample on them one more time.
The only mistake Cheng He made was informing the Marquis of Chengen about the situation when Lady Ming was forced to become pregnant with Cheng Yan, and then sending Lady Ming and Empress Dowager Cheng away when the Cheng family sent people to pick them up.
Perhaps his intentions were good; he thought that if Empress Dowager Cheng and Lady Ming followed the Cheng family, they might have a better life. But he forgot that his elder brother was a despicable and shameless man, and the woman he later married was no better.
Stepping onto that path is like entering an abyss, the beginning of misfortune.
If it weren't for Empress Dowager Cheng clearing a path for them, the grass on their graves would probably be incredibly tall by now.
Cheng Yan had only met Cheng He a few times, but his feelings for him were extremely complicated. He was grateful to Cheng He and his wife for taking care of his mother and sister, but he also felt hatred when he learned that Cheng He had pushed his mother and two children to the Cheng family in Qindu, causing his mother to die tragically and his siblings to survive with difficulty.
However, the people he hated the most were Marquis Chengen and Lady Zhang. As for Cheng He... he just thought that Cheng He had done something wrong with good intentions, and he was not very willing to see him.
Cheng Yan listened to Aunt Cheng's heartbroken sobs as she recounted the hardships she had endured over the years, remaining silent for quite some time.
After an unknown amount of time, he said, "Mother once told my sister that Uncle did not mean it. He just thought that the Cheng family was suffering too much. In addition, my grandfather was angered to death by the Marquis of Chengen, and my grandmother was also in poor health. My mother was already struggling to make ends meet with my sister. If I were added to the family, it would be even more difficult."
"As for my third uncle, he injured his body in his early years. He and his wife struggled for many years before they had a child. The child was also in poor health. He had to support his mother and raise the child, and he was unable to take care of others. He only thought about finding a way to survive for my sister and me."
“His mother never blamed him.”
Later, Empress Dowager Cheng and Cheng Yan did indeed fight their way out and reach the pinnacle of power.
Lady Mingguo did not blame Cheng He for what he had done, but Empress Dowager Cheng and Cheng Yan could not let it go. After all, they had lost their mother forever because of it. Therefore, Empress Dowager Cheng only sent some silver to Cheng He's family and never met them.
Aunt Cheng was stunned, her face full of disbelief: "Really? She didn't complain?"
"Of course it's true."
"That's good, that's good. He's held a grudge for years. If he knew about this, he could rest in peace." As Aunt Cheng spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again. "Your mother was such a wonderful woman. It's such a pity she met someone like your father."
He met the wrong person and suffered a misfortune.
Lady Mingguo's life can probably be described using these eight words.
"By the way, when I was chatting with your mother back then, she told me about her childhood. She said that her ancestral home was in Lanzhou City on the banks of the Lanzhou River. Back then, the city was affected by the war, and her family fled north. Later, she was separated from her relatives."
“He also has an older brother named Ming Dachun. If you want to find her family, you can go to Lanzhou City to look for them. Perhaps after they were separated from your mother, they couldn’t find her and returned to Lanzhou City to wait for her?”
The Ming family's previous generation was also educated, and the names of the brother and sister were also very beautiful: one was called Dachun, and the other was called Jixue.
Cheng Yan nodded: "I've noted it down. If you wish to pay your respects, please come on the eighth day of next month."
"Alright, alright." Aunt Cheng was very grateful, but also a little afraid that Cheng Yan would change his mind, so she said that she was about to leave. "Then we will not disturb the Marquis and the Princess any longer."
However, Cheng Erniang, who had remained silent until now, became anxious: "Third sister-in-law, what's the rush? You've finished your business, but I haven't finished mine yet."
"Cheng Yan, I am your second aunt. Do you still remember me? I saw you a few times when I first came to Qindu." Cheng Erniang was wearing a peach-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress). She was nearly fifty years old, but still had a charming appearance, which showed that she was living a good life.
"I had a good relationship with your mother before I got married. Now your elder sister has become the Empress Dowager. I still remember the days when she was a child and would follow me around, calling me 'Auntie'."
Of the three Cheng brothers, only Cheng He is truly honest. Marquis Chengen is selfish and self-centered, and Cheng Ergu is also a cunning and eccentric person.
Before she married, she did have a very good relationship with Lady Mingguo and also cared for her niece, Empress Dowager Cheng. Even after she got married and the Marquis of Chengen divorced her, she didn't kick him while he was down. However, she was a person who was on good terms with Lady Mingguo on the one hand, and flattered the Marquis of Chengen on the other.
During the years that Empress Dowager Cheng and Cheng Yan lived in the Cheng family in Qindu, Cheng Erniang came to visit them several times to beg for food. You might say she was shameless, but she would also secretly visit Empress Dowager Cheng and Cheng Yan and give them some food.
She wasn't a bad person, but she considered anyone who did her a favor her mother. However, she would never help anyone, only telling them not to anger Marquis Chengen and Madam Zhang.
Perhaps the human heart is an extremely complex thing in this world.
"What do you want?" Cheng Yan asked her directly.
Cheng Erniang smiled and said, "Second Aunt, I don't want anything, I just want to ask you for a favor."
You are now a marquis, but your cousin has accomplished nothing. I was thinking if you could arrange a job for him. Don't worry, he is very obedient.