amaotonovel Chapter 610: Marriage Changes
Chapter 610: Marriage Changes
Murong Chang's face flushed crimson, his originally elegant and refined face looking very ugly. "Eldest sister, you don't understand the truth! It's the third sister who's been like a hedgehog all day, always trying to make everyone unhappy. Whenever she and Ronglan meet, something unpleasant happens. Every time the fourth sister is bullied by her, she cries. Later, she even attacked the two-year-old Molan! Molan was only two years old! Her arms were covered in purple marks from being pinched! She has absolutely no sibling love! So that time, my parents were furious and wanted to send the third sister to Zhuangzi to go to school and follow the rules! I didn't ignore her! I persuaded her to apologize, to kneel down and apologize to my mother and my fifth sister, and to beg my father and grandmother to let her stay, but she was always stubborn and refused! She was also stubborn and refused to admit her mistakes! She was really..."
Murong Zhilan's eyes flashed with a sharp look, and she slapped Murong Chang in the face without mercy: "Who are you calling mother! Murong Chang, who are you calling mother in front of your biological mother's shrine!"
The second slap came down again: "An elder sister is like a mother, I ask you questions and you answer them! Xiang'er and Murong Ronglan cried as soon as they met. Have you ever found out what happened between them? Or do you think it's Xiang'er's fault when you see that little bitch crying!"
Murong Chang said with a hot face, "If Ronglan wasn't bullied, why would she cry?"
Murong Zhilan slapped him again: "Crying? She's spoiled by her father and mother, and she has a lot of maids and old women. She has no worries about food and clothing. Compared to Xiang'er who is ignored by everyone, how can she say she is wronged! Every time she cries in front of you, the result is that Xiang'er gets scolded by you, the treacherous brother. Is that right or wrong! You idiot! You don't even know what wronged her or what happened, and you still make excuses! If I cry now, can you accuse you of bullying me and beat you to death?"
The fourth slap came again: "I heard that because Murong Ronglan's own doll was broken, you blamed Xiang'er and pushed Xiang'er, pushing her to the ground and causing her to get hurt, is that right?"
Murong Chang didn't dare to move or hide, and said hesitantly: "I didn't mean to do that! I thought it was her... I..."
The fifth slap followed immediately, and the pain in Murong Zhilan's palms could not extinguish the anger in her heart: "Let me ask you again! Did you see Xiang'er strangle Murong Molan with your own eyes?"
Murong Chang's head was buzzing from the beating: "I... I didn't see it with my own eyes... but..."
Murong Zhilan was furious. She slapped him again: "You didn't see it with your own eyes, so you're sure it was Xiang'er who did it?"
"But...but...at that moment, she was the only one in Mulan's room. No one else was there! And they were all servants prepared by my mother...all prepared by my stepmother for Mulan. How could they possibly attack Mulan? So..."
"So when everyone said it was Xiang'er, you didn't even look, didn't even think, didn't even investigate! You were so stubbornly convinced it was Xiang'er's doing, you were led by that bitch by the nose. Whatever she said was true, true or false?"
"Her... stepmother also pleaded with father on behalf of my third sister. As long as she apologized..."
Murong Zhilan shouted angrily, "Stupid thing! Regardless of whether Xiang'er did it or not, once Xiang'er apologizes, it will confirm the accusation that Xiang'er killed her siblings! Do you still think that bitch is kind-hearted? This is obviously a trap set by that bitch. Don't you think that a bunch of servants usually stay with Murong Molan, but on that day when Xiang'er went to give her a two-year-old birthday gift, all the servants disappeared, and they locked Xiang'er and the servant in the room for nearly a quarter of an hour. Do you think this is normal?"
Murong Chang stared and said, "But why did stepmother do this? She is her own daughter! She can't be so cruel... She..."
Murong Zhilan picked up the testimony and slapped it on Murong Chang's face, "This is the reason!"
Murong Chang took it in his hand and read it quickly. After a while, he was stunned. He said in disbelief: "This is impossible! This is impossible!"
Murong Zhilan snorted and laughed, "You believe in someone who is only separated from you by a belly! You don't believe in someone who was born from the same belly as you! Murong Chang, should I say that bitch is too good at acting? Or should I say that you are too stupid! Today, the clear evidence is placed in front of you, do you still want to speak for that bitch, that vicious woman? In the past, I always thought that you were young and a boy, so I tried to avoid you from the dirty things in the inner house! I didn't expect that you can't even tell right from wrong! You can't even protect your own sister!"
"That bitch regards Xiang'er as a thorn in her side! It's all because she's unfaithful to her husband and got married while pregnant! She entered the Murong family a hundred days after her mother's death! And within half a year, she gave birth to Murong Ronglan at full term! Murong Ronglan and Xiang'er were born in the same year. Xiang'er's existence is a constant reminder of that bitch's shamefulness. And that fourth sister who you think is gentle and dignified is actually a child born out of wedlock! Murong Chang, do you understand? Do you still want to feel sorry for your two sisters who came to you crying? You don't really think that bitch regards you as her own child, do you?"
Murong Chang is just a scholar with a strong sense of righteousness. He is not really unreasonable, nor is he really stupid!
Despite being beaten and scolded by his elder sister, his mind became clearer and clearer. His entire worldview was overturned and his back collapsed all of a sudden.
Could this really be the case? Clearly… clearly… she treated me like her own daughter! My two younger sisters also truly respected and admired me! Why? Why did things turn out like this?
Murong Chang murmured, "Is all this fake? She cares about me every day and shows me the utmost concern. It doesn't seem fake at all! Could it be that she's only doing this because of my third sister..."
Murong Chang was only three years old when his biological mother passed away. Her voice, appearance, and smile gradually faded from his mind, but soon a new mother took her place in his heart. This mother was gentle and kind, always smiling, and treated him with sincerity. Many people said that Ji Shi treated him like her own son! After all these years, was this all fake? Can someone really act out a role for so many years?
Murong Zhilan snorted coldly, "Murong Chang, you're still moved! It's true, that bitch might have some genuine feelings for you. Do you know why? It's because she sees you as a possible support in the future! After all, you're the only male heir in the Murong family right now. Think about it carefully. If Ji Shi had her own son, would she still be so loving and kind to you? Think about it again. Your grandmother kept you firmly by her side. Did she ever tell you to get close to Ji Shi? Men have heavy academic workloads, and your father values his eldest son. Did he ever let Ji Shi spoil you?"
Murong Chang shuddered all over. Could it be that... the truth was so ugly?
Murong Chang's initially confident gaze gradually turned evasive. He looked at his sister, who had always looked at him coldly. Then, seeing Murong Xianglan's bandaged hands, he finally moved his lips and said, "Third sister, how are your hands? You... have you been okay these past few years?"
Murong Xianglan said calmly: "It's amazing that you still remember me, your sister!"
Unlike the rest of the Murong family, Murong Xianglan once considered her brother a family member whom she could rely on. However, repeated favoritism, hurt, and distrust caused Murong Xianglan to fall into the abyss. When she looked around, she saw only accusing, cold faces. Some ignored her, some mocked her, and some secretly gloated. Back then, she didn't understand, couldn't see the situation clearly, and desperately tried to explain and beg her father and brother to believe in her, but it was they who pushed her into a deeper abyss.
From then on, Murong Xianglan never spoke again after she arrived at the farm in the suburbs. It was not until more than half a year later that she had to escape and met the person who saved her!
Murong Xianglan scoffed, "These wounds are nothing compared to the beatings I suffered daily! There are still white scars on my calves that haven't faded yet. If you don't believe me, I can show you!"
Murong Changlie hurriedly shook his hands: "No! No! No! I didn't mean that! I... I really didn't know... I... I'm sorry!"
Murong Xianglan turned her head to look at her mother's tablet and said, "Eldest sister, I don't understand why those people treated me like that, nor do I understand why the people closest to me would trust others but not themselves! I also used to doubt myself. Is it really my fault? But it's not! Someone told me that I'm not wrong! It was those people's greed, desire, and shamelessness that caused all this! Eldest sister, I understand your painstaking efforts. You want my brother to realize his mistakes, and you want us to reconcile as before! But what is my brother's fault? He just followed his own inner choice! Eldest sister, from now on, we will just let nature take its course. We are destined not to be a pair of siblings with deep affection!"
Murong Zhilan naturally understood that some injuries, once caused, could not be easily healed. At this moment, she could only sigh helplessly: "Xiang'er, do whatever you want to do, without worrying about anyone."
Murong Chang was somewhat at a loss. Looking at his elder sister and Murong Xianglan, he stammered, "Eldest sister, Third sister, I will change in the future. I will protect Third sister well, but..."
Murong Chang hesitated and said, "But then... Ji was sent away. Ronglan and Molan are still young after all. They are innocent. Now that they have suddenly lost their mother's protection, they are worried all day long! Can we..."
Murong Zhilan was about to lose her temper again: "Are they innocent? They suddenly lost their mother? Murong Chang, you are so kind-hearted! I wonder if you still remember your own sister, who has never enjoyed the love of a mother for a single day! You should think about them! You..."
Murong Xianglan took her elder sister's hand and shook her head at her. The two sisters were now in a weak position. Murong Chang, who had read a lot of etiquette, integrity, the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues, fatherly love and filial piety, and sibling love, was just feeling compassion. However, he had always been distant from his own sister. She was not surprised at all that Murong Chang would say this.
慕容湘兰站了起来：“我早已和父亲说过，我和她们之间互不相扰，可是兄长，若是那慕容蓉兰再来我面前哭丧，我就让她真哭！我向你保证，你所期盼的手足情深，绝对不会发生在我的身上！她们来我面前一次我就揍她们一次！至于你，你今后可要好好的劝着着慕容蓉兰她们，少在我面前晃！”
Murong Xianglan turned around: "Eldest sister, I'm tired!"
"Let's go get some rest!"
Ignoring Murong Chang's stunned expression, Murong Xianglan whispered as she passed by him, "By the way, brother, do you know who pinched Murong Molan when she was two years old, leaving her arms covered in bruises?"
Murong Chang didn't know why, but he really didn't want to hear that answer. He wanted to cover his ears.
"The fingerprints are so small and delicate, so similar to mine! Brother, was there anyone in the entire Murong family who was of similar stature to me, with fingerprints that resembled mine?"
The two sisters left, leaving Murong Chang kneeling blankly in front of his mother's shrine.
Murong Zhilan accompanied Murong Xianglan for a few days and then returned to her own home. After all, she had her own home, and Murong Xianglan had to grow up alone in the Murong family.
She remembered Chu Ming's words: no one should bully her again, no matter what the circumstances. Sometimes she would wake up in the middle of the night, knowing that she would have to stay in this house for a few more years.
Murong Xianglan ignored Murong Chang's deliberate flattery and threw the things he brought on the ground. Ran Xia sarcastically said, "Oh, you're giving our young lady the things that the two sisters left over! Young Master, you are such a good brother to our young lady!"
"No! This is the remaining gift from the original. I wanted to give it to my third sister first! I... didn't think too much about it."
If it were in the past, Murong Xianglan would have been very sad, as this was not the first time her brother had done something like this.
Murong Xianglan looked at Murong Chang's embarrassed expression and said directly, "I don't need any compensation or gifts from you. Take them all! Also, I don't need this kind of brotherly love that is picked up by others! You can leave now!"