Chapter 1654 - 602: The Fake True Heiress (Finale) (Part 2)

Silently swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Ma Xin tiptoed back to the courtyard gate.

He didn’t stupidly climb over the wall again, but directly lifted the bolt from the inside.

"Young Madam, I only heard Third Young Master and Miss He’s voices."

"They, they—"

Ma Xin didn’t know whether he should directly repeat what the two had said, so he faltered and stammered.

There wasn’t a single fool present. The more Ma Xin started to speak then stopped, his gaze evasive, the more furious Fei Cui and the others became.

"Young Madam—" This was too much, absolutely intolerable!

Fei Cui wished she could roll up her sleeves on the spot.

Lady Ma hesitated no longer. Her face went cold as she said icily, "Let’s go!"

Time to go catch them in the act!

A whole group of people stormed into the courtyard in grand formation, not caring in the least about appearances.

Lady Ma didn’t scream and howl, but the commotion still drew the nearby neighbors and passing pedestrians to crowd around the little courtyard gate.

Bang!

Ma Xin charged in first and kicked open the tightly shut door.

Lady Ma and the others rushed straight inside.

Behind them, the bystanders, some out to enjoy the drama and some bold enough, even followed into the courtyard.

They craned their necks, whispered to one another, closely watching how this "suspected adultery bust scene" would develop.

"Oh my, which household’s noblewoman came here to catch adultery?"

"Catch what adultery? If you don’t know, don’t spout nonsense. This is the Medicinal Food Lady’s home!"

"Medicinal Food Lady? You mean that Fertility Guanyin?"

"Bah! What Fertility Guanyin, I’ve always thought she sashays around like no good person, and there’s always some man coming to find her. Now it seems, she really is a vixen!"

"...Chen Kang’s mother, I think you’re deliberately slandering the Medicinal Food Lady. Who doesn’t know you—your former daughter-in-law who was ’divorced for being childless’ just gave birth to a big, fat son. Your son was so ashamed he didn’t dare show his face for months, yet instead of blaming him for being duped, you badmouth the Medicinal Food Lady!"

In the crowd, several commoners who lived nearby pointed and commented.

One sharp-tongued woman in her fifties, pushed back by familiar neighbors, actually became somewhat enraged out of shame.

"When did I slander anyone? Isn’t this group right in front of us here to catch adultery?"

"Hmph, I want to see for myself whether that Medicinal Food Lady you all worship like an ancestor is currently being caught stark naked on the bed by the rightful wife!"

The sharp-tongued woman was Chen Kang’s mother, the one the neighbors referred to, Zhou Qianniang’s former mother-in-law.

Her expression turned ugly as she was mocked, and she recklessly shoved through the crowd and rushed into the room.

The few women who had been arguing with her and speaking up for He Tiantian exchanged a look, felt uneasy, and followed as well.

Only, when they squeezed up to the doorway and clearly saw the scene inside, their eyes all went wide.

Just like Lady Ma and the others who had barged in earlier, they all turned into stunned wooden chickens.

What was going on?

No one had been caught in bed?

And no one was stark naked?!

Inside the room, it wasn’t even a case of a lone man and woman.

Besides Gu Jingyuan and He Tiantian, there were also three or four apprentices around twelve or thirteen years old.

These apprentices, both boys and girls, all looked honest and well-behaved.

And there was no "big bed" in the room at all, only a pile of pickle jars.

"You, why are you here?"

Gu Jingyuan was currently being used as manual labor, in charge of moving things and passing tools, busy and happy with the work.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open and his wife, her face frosty, burst in with people behind her!

Gu Jingyuan wasn’t clever, but he wasn’t stupid either.

He stared blankly for a moment, then caught on.

"Lady Ma, you—you don’t think I came here to engage in illicit acts, do you?!"

His question was laced with clear anger.

Lady Ma: ...What could she even say?

The adultery bust had failed; she was already on the back foot. No matter how much she said now, it was useless.

"Well, well, Lady Ma! You—you’re this filthy, this despicable!"

"I know that lately you’ve latched onto Prince Qi’s Mansion and become one of the hottest noblewomen in the capital. Even your maid dares throw me attitude!"

"But I, Gu Jingyuan, am not some useless kept man living off a woman. However poorly I fare, I am still a legitimate young master of a Marquis Mansion, a Qianniu Guards General under His Majesty’s command!"

"You’ve climbed high branches—if you despise me now, you could just openly separate from me. Why bother splashing filth on me?"

"Slandering me I could let pass. I am, after all, your husband and ought to tolerate everything about you. But of all things, you should never, ever have come to cause trouble at the Medicinal Food Restaurant!"

If in the past Gu Jingyuan had still thought about rekindling things with "He Dian," after being ordered by the Emperor to personally come get medicinal food, Gu Jingyuan finally realized that Ah Dian was no longer the Ah Dian of the past.