Red Bean Lives in the Republic of China - Chapter 32.1

Chapter 32.1

Something soft brushed against her face making Yu Hongdou startled. It was a curtain.

However, before she took any action, she heard footsteps getting closer and closer outside. 

She saw someone slip into the room. The man hesitated to come in before checking whether there was someone in.

“I just asked the troupe to perform in the garden. Everyone is outside now. My son and his friends were supposed to play bridge here, but I sent them off. No one will be coming here for a bit. If you have something to say, just say it quickly. Let me ask you, who gave you the guts to show up here uninvited?”

Upon hearing the voice, Yu Hongdou held her breath. 

The man’s voice was deep and resonant, carrying a sense of authority. When she heard him mention that his son wanted to play bridge, Yu Hongdou couldn’t help but feel a sense of surprise. ‘This…could this man be He Mengmei?’

Her heart began to beat fast as she got excited. After realising that the man’s son, He Yunqin, remained silent, she could only lie still against his chest.

“Mengmei, you’ve been avoiding me these last few days. I know you’ve made up your mind to give up. I’ve been with you for years, and now you’re ignoring me. Shouldn’t I be asking for some clarity?” The woman’s painful cry echoed in the room.

He Mengmei laughed in anger. “Oh, I see! So you came to my house to question me, right? You didn’t even want to give my wife any face. Chen Baidie, no wonder beauty can lead people astray. I was really out of my mind at the time, getting involved with a woman like you. Not only did I ruin my own character, but I also brought an unwarranted disaster to my family.”

‘What? 

Chen Baidie?’

Yu Hongdou couldn’t believe her ears.

“He Mengmei, did I force you to be with me? I think now you are tired of me and you think I’m not beautiful as before. Master He, just say it directly. Why do you have to accuse me of these groundless words?” The woman said with a sneer.

He Mengmei shot back, “I’ve been busy celebrating Xiuli’s birthday these days, so I don’t have time to talk to you in detail. I was planning to visit your apartment in two days to end things. Now that you’ve come to me, I’ll be frank with you. I only want to ask you this. When you were with me, did I ever force you in the slightest? Don’t you know what you’ve done?”

“Since I followed you, I have always been obedient. Apart from the servants around me, has anyone known about our relationship in the past few years? Why do you have to use these ambiguous words to provoke me? What did I do wrong? Do you dare to tell me directly?” 

He Mengmei asked sternly, “Three months ago, Yunqin and his sister-in-law had a scandal for no reason. Overnight, the whole of Shanghai was buzzing with rumours. Don’t you know about this?”

Chen Baidie didn’t reply for a long time. “That’s a strange question. Since Mr. He also knows that this matter has spread everywhere, I naturally know it too,” she said with some confidence in her voice.

Upon hearing the woman’s reply, He Mengmei’s voice turned cold. “First, find an obscure tabloid and write gossip to discredit the second son and his eldest sister-in-law. Then, fan the flames and let the matter spread quickly among the people. At the same time, deliberately leave a loophole to let the second son suspect the boy surnamed Lu. Wait for this matter to be exposed. On the one hand, it can ruin the second son’s reputation, and on the other hand, it can smoothly alienate my two sons. The clever thing is that even if this matter is exposed, there are still people who take the blame for you. Chen Baidie, you are really capable. Every step is calculated to the point of being perfect. I really underestimated you at the beginning.”

Chen Baidie was silent for a long time before she argued. “It’s really easy to find a pretext to accuse someone of a crime. Why should I do this? What good will it do to me? If I ruin your precious son, He Mengmei, will you marry me?”

He Mengmei said, “In the past two years, your temper has never changed. You always think that people in the world are not as smart as you and others deserve to be played around by you. Half a year ago, when you were pregnant, I spent money to buy a house and sent the most capable servants to take good care of you. I felt sorry for both Xiuli and you. I told you a long time ago that no matter whether you continue to be with me or find someone else, I will take good care of you.”

Chen Baidie: “…”

“Although you have never said it explicitly, ever since you became pregnant, you have said in front of the servants more than once that you envy Xiuli’s good fortune, simply because of her better family background. On the other hand, you are pregnant without any status. Even if you give birth to a child in the future, you will at most be a concubine. You are afraid that people will find out that you are pregnant, and now you dare not even take a role. You said these words with the original intention of complaining about your grievances so that I can give you more money to support you. Who knew that your words would change in tone, and your words were full of sourness? What good do you get from doing this? Just making Xiuli unhappy would be enough to relieve your hatred?”

Chen Baidie: “…”

“You have planned well. Ruining her son’s reputation… Ha… you thought if the two brothers quarrelled, it would also make her unhappy, and break down my He family. What a win-win situation, right? It will only benefit you and your child. If you hadn’t accidentally miscarried while playing cards with friends three months ago, who knows how much trouble you could have caused?”

Hearing that, Chen Baidie trembled and exclaimed, “What nonsense are you talking about? This is all your speculation. He Mengmei, do you have any evidence?”

Then someone knocked on the door. “Master, Master.”

“You really won’t shed a tear until you see the coffin. Someone has already sent me the proof. I won’t falsely accuse you. Since you’re eager to see the evidence, I’ll have someone deliver it to your apartment tomorrow morning.”

Chen Baidie held back her painful sobs: “Mengmei…”

He Mengmei didn’t even give the woman a second look as he walked out of the room.

Chen Baidie cried for a bit, and when it seemed like He Mengmei wasn’t coming back, she gradually stopped her tears. After a moment, she suddenly left with a sharp laugh.

Have a nice day!