Chapter 3, Major Changes (Part 2)

Zhang Yu never expected that her father would suddenly erupt in anger. In an instant, her collar was tightly grasped, and she felt as if she could not breathe, her face finally showing signs of panic. When her face was slapped twice, she immediately came to her senses, struggled a few times, and finally heard a tearing sound as her collar suddenly broke apart, revealing her fair shoulder. However, she also took the opportunity to step back a few paces, overwhelmed by a mix of shame and anger.

Good, good, how dare you hit me! Just wait, let's see if I can send out the letter. I want to see what your fate will be!

"You shut your mouth! Don't use your grandmother and uncle to pressure me! Write them a letter? Hmph, you haven't sent them a single word during the holidays, and without my permission, you won't be able to send out a single word!"

Faced with Zhang Changyong's sudden affectionate gesture, Zhang Han felt her entire body stiffen. After a long moment, she instinctively swung her hand to forcefully push away Zhang Changyong's hand and staggered back a few steps: "Godfather, my godmother has just passed away, please show some restraint!"

Faced with the blatant threat, Zhang Han finally came to a halt. Even when the two old women caught up from behind and seized her arms, one on each side, she seemed resigned and did not struggle any further. However, when Zhang Changyong stepped forward and gently hooked her chin with his finger, she could not help but reveal her unmistakable hatred and disdain.

Despite being born with an illness, Zhang Yu grew up safely due to her family's affluence. Madam Gu frequently invited renowned doctors for treatment and used precious medicinal materials daily and yearly. Although she appeared as delicate as a willow in the wind, she had managed to reach this point in good health. At this moment, leaning against a nearby willow tree, she cast a glance at her father, Zhang Changyong, who was furious and embarrassed, and then shot a sidelong glance at Zhang Han. With a cold smile, she said: "Just after Mother Tushu has passed away, and you are already so impatient, Father? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at if this gets out? You don't even consider who it is before pulling them into the room. When did our Zhang family become so undisciplined?"

Those items were given to my mother by the Weining Marquisate and the Wuning Marquisate. Father, you will definitely take a new wife in the future. When it comes to the capital, who will my grandmother and second uncle believe, me or you?" Zhang Yu coldly stated this, then gestured towards Zhang Han and said, "Moreover, my mother's remains are not yet cold, and you are already thinking of your late wife's most beloved goddaughter. What reputation will you have if this gets out? The silver my mother left behind amounts to no less than forty to fifty thousand taels, and I have already given it to you, which is quite fair.

What?

Listening to these words that felt like daggers piercing her heart, Zhang Han felt a violent tremor throughout her body, her mind going blank. At that moment, she suddenly saw a slender figure appear behind Zhang Changyong, and upon recognizing the person, a glimmer of hope arose within her. Before she could call out, the figure suddenly exclaimed: "Father!"

Run? Why aren't you running? There are still plenty of places in this house to hide. Why must you choose to hide here? Oh, are you trying to escape the government office? Tsk tsk, what a fanciful thought. Not to mention that there is already a curfew in place, even if I let you run, have you considered that your mother and younger brother are still at home? Where do you think you can go?

After saying this, she looked at Zhang Changyong and said: "Furthermore, let me add one more thing to what I just said: all of my mother's assets belong to me. I will not concern myself with anything else, including whom you choose to marry in the future. But there is one condition: I am the only young lady of the Zhang family at present, and I do not wish to see that dead girl again!"

At this moment, an indescribable sense of anticipation suddenly surged within her. If only this pair of heartless father and daughter from hetushu.com were to die together right now, that would truly be a sign of divine justice!

Zhang Changyong, despite knowing that his eldest daughter was always sharp-tongued and bitter, had always thought it was due to some ailment she was born with. However, today, as Zhang Yu's outburst erupted, he felt both anger and frustration, leaving him momentarily speechless. Seeing Zhang Qi covering her face and sobbing on the ground, although he usually looked down on this illegitimate daughter, Zhang Yu's threatening words pierced his heart like daggers, ultimately clouding his judgment. He strode forward and grabbed Zhang Yu by the collar.

Upon hearing this, although Zhang Changyong was furious, his eyes immediately brightened. On the other hand, Zhang Han, who had thought she had found a savior, felt as if she had been struck a heavy blow and couldn't help but exclaim: "Sister, you..."

Zhang Changyong had always been quite fearful of his wife, who came from a noble family, and this apprehension extended to his daughter as well. At this moment, upon hearing Zhang Yu's words, he immediately smiled and said, "Since you say so, Yu'er, I will have her moved out of the residence."

What should I do? If I don't come out, how can I witness such a wonderful performance

Seeing Zhang Yu turn and run, Zhang Changyong finally came to his senses and hurriedly rushed forward to chase her. The two women holding onto Zhang Han exchanged glances and also realized that the more pressing matter was to stop the young lady, so they hurriedly abandoned her and pursued after Zhang Yu. Witnessing this scene, Zhang Han quickly mustered her strength to stand up and went to help Zhang Qi, who was sitting dazed on the ground. Before she could say anything, she heard two splashes. Looking up, she saw Zhang Changyong and Zhang Yu in a scuffle, and to her astonishment, the father and daughter both fell into the lotus pond.

"Do not call me sister; what makes you think you are my sister!" Zhang Yu wrinkled her brow in disgust, standing up straight before coldly saying, "Relying on that little bit of kindness, you refuse to leave my home. It is only because my mother is blind that she treats you as a treasure, while she neglects me, her legitimate daughter. It is all your manipulation of her! If it weren't for you flaunting your little charm, would my father ever look at a woman of such lowly origin as you? Dream on if you think you can enter the Zhang family!"

Suddenly appearing, Zhang Qi was dressed in coarse linen. She had not yet fully matured, looking delicate and timid. Her face bore some resemblance to Zhang Yu's, but her brows and eyes lacked that imposing aura. She opened her arms to shield Zhang Han and earnestly pleaded with Zhang Changyong and Zhang Yu, saying: "Father, elder sister, mother has just passed away. She always cared for sister Han. If she knew..."

She pointed at Zhang Qi with one hand, her face revealing deep disgust: "Otherwise, Father, do not blame me for writing to Grandmother and Second Uncle, informing them of this disgraceful matter. By that time, do not say you will never think of returning to the capital; even dreaming of staying in Guidefu as the governor would be impossible!"

As long as she does not obstruct my view, I do not care what you intend to do, Father!" Zhang Yu, seeing her father's beaming face, could not help but snort in disdain. "However, Father, listen carefully: you may take all the gold and silver that Mother brought as her dowry, but from now on, all her properties will be under my control!"

Do not display such a grim expression. You, a trivial commoner and the goddaughter of my deceased wife, who would believe that I, the governor of Guide, would have any designs on you? If you dare to make a scene, you will inevitably earn a reputation for seduction and adultery. At that time, your mother, your younger brother, and even your father and brothers far away in the military will all suffer because of you! If you are truly wise, you should know what to do now and in the future

Do you want to run? In this day and age, do you still expect someone to shelter you?

Zhang Hanwan and the others did not expect that after Madam Gu's departure, Mama Song would poison Mama Zheng. Zhang Changyong revealed his ferocious fangs, and Zhang Yu, this legitimate daughter, not only ignored this scene but at that moment was bargaining with her biological father using Madam Gu's dowry as leverage, even treating her as a bargaining chip. In that instant, she felt that Madam Gu's painstaking arrangements were nothing but a great joke, until suddenly another person appeared from the side.

Zhang Changyong felt as if he had been struck a heavy blow, leaving him almost dazed. His wife came from a noble family, and due to the emperor's longstanding preference for frugality, her dowry was officially only thirty-two carts. However, privately, his mother-in-law and two brothers-in-law had gifted her valuables worth no less than several tens of thousands. Among these, the most valuable were the shops and properties in the capital. Aside from this, his wife, leveraging her esteemed background, had acquired land and shops at the lowest prices during his tenure, which constituted a fortune unknown even to the marquis's household. With these assets, even without assistance from his wife's family, he could seek a transfer back to the capital. During his wife's serious illness, he had already begun to scheme for this, even going so far as to have Mama Song poison Mama Zheng, only to find that his daughter had also been eyeing these assets.

Father, elder sister

What nonsense are you talking about

Over the years that Zhang Han has been staying at the Zhang family, Zhang Changyong rarely came to the backyard. Although his gaze always made her feel uncomfortable, it was the first time she had heard such malicious words. Seeing him reach out to grab her wrist, she immediately steeled her heart, suddenly turned around, and ran back while lifting her skirt.

You ... ... you ... ...

Zhang Changyong's gentle and refined expression suddenly vanished without a trace, replaced by a hint of disdain. "Is this what your adoptive mother taught you? She only knows how to act serious all the time, telling me to maintain my dignity and reflect on myself. But what has been the result? I ended up in this godforsaken place from the capital! If it weren't for her inability to bear children yet pretending to be virtuous, stuffing me with two concubines who are as wooden as dolls, would I still be without a son to this day? Don't think I don't know why she keeps you by her side; she only knows how to find a scapegoat for her sickly and disaster-prone daughter, never considering her husband!"

"Father, listen to this. A concubine's daughter dares to use her mother to pressure others, even going so far as to criticize you, my father, and me, the legitimate daughter!" Zhang Yu scoffed coldly, suddenly stepping forward to deliver a heavy slap to the girl. As she stumbled and fell to the ground, Zhang Yu then sternly rebuked, "What are you? You have no place to speak here! You are merely the offspring of a lowly woman, yet you truly think of yourself as a daughter of the Zhang family!"

Zhang Changyong smiled faintly, then leisurely followed along, his tone laced with a hint of cruel mockery akin to an eagle toying with a sparrow. When he emerged from the back door of the mourning hall and saw Zhang Han had already dashed through the corridor, realizing it led to the lotus pond in the back garden, he felt increasingly certain. Upon reaching the back garden, he observed her desperately running around the lotus pond, seemingly intent on escaping through the back door, and he suddenly stopped with his hands behind his back. Indeed, just as she was about to reach the corner gate of the garden, two women suddenly appeared from somewhere, blocking the path on either side, and then rolled up their sleeves to approach her. Witnessing Zhang Han, under the pursuit of those two women, helplessly turn back, he finally raised the corner of his mouth and strolled forward to meet her.

The call of "Father" startled Zhang Changyong. Turning his head, he recognized it was his eldest daughter, Zhang Yu, and he couldn't help but feel greatly angered. With a cold snort, he scolded, "It's so late; why aren't you resting properly? Why aren't you at the mourning hall keeping vigil for your mother? What are you doing here?"