Chapter 383: Chapter 377 More Like They Were Poisoned
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Everything was normal. Zhao Chuchu then checked Chen Dashan and Zhao Changrong’s conditions.
Due to matters related to Zhao Zhizhi, Madam Ma subconsciously lowered her head and did not dare to look at Zhao Chuchu.
“Sister Chuchu, my head feels significantly less painful now. Thank you.” Zhao Changrong had become more staid and thoughtful after experiencing being abandoned by Old Man Zhao.
“That’s good to hear.”
“Does that mean that I can stop taking medicine?
He did not want to continue staying with the Chen clan and take advantage of them. If word got out, it would affect his mother’s reputation.
After the incident, compared to his peers, Zhao Changrong was more thoughtful.
“No. You have to continue your medication to recuperate. If you do not nurse yourself completely back to health, you might be stuck with sequelae. You have been receiving treatment here for a while. There’s no need to rush things now.”
After Zhao Chuchu said this, she glanced at Madam Ma and continued, “Your mother has sacrificed a lot for you. Do not let her efforts go to waste. Your living expenses here at the Chen residence are covered by the Zhao clan.”
“Then, can we return to the Zhao clan?”
“What do you think?” Zhao Chuchu answered with a question.
Zhao Changrong fell silent.
Ever since he woke up from the blood transfusion, he had not seen Old Man Zhao and the rest of the Zhao clan members. In reality, he was very sad about it.
However, he suppressed his feelings after seeing how dejected and worried Madam Ma was.
Zhao Changrong could hide his feelings from Madam Ma, but he couldn’t fool Zhao Chuchu. The latter was well aware of what he was thinking.
“Are they really determined to divorce my mother?” Zhao Changrong asked with a muffled voice. Then, he said to Madam Ma, “Mother, I will follow you wherever you go. I will not stay in the Zhao clan. Is that alright? I can work and take care of you.”
Zhao Chuchu couldn’t help but sigh when she heard what he said.
How did Zhao Baogen and Madam Ma manage to raise such an endearing son? If Zhao Changrong had been born into a normal family, he might have had even better manners and achievements.
Madam Ma’s eyes reddened. As she choked up, she said, “I don’t have much, but I am still capable of raising you. I just ask for you to do as I say and be a good boy.”
“Mother…”
When Zhao Chuchu saw Zhao Changrong cry, she also felt like tearing up. She advised, “Changrong, do not cry. If you can’t bear even this suffering, then there are more things in the future that might crush you. You need to learn to be less emotional.”
“But I am…” Changrong began to say, visibly upset.
“Changrong, I am fine,” comforted Madam Ma as she quickly wiped away her tears. “Wherever you go, I will follow.”
“That’s it. Madam Ma, I have something I want to ask you. Come outside with me.”
Zhao Chuchu did not like seeing mother and child hugging and crying, so she called Madam Ma and went outside.
Madam Ma composed herself and tidied up her appearance before following her outside.
By now, aside from Chen Dashan and his wife, the other members of the Chen clan had already left for work.
Zhao Chuchu brought Madam Ma to a corner of the courtyard. In a low voice, she asked the latter, “I want to ask you about some matters. Can you answer me truthfully?”
“Let’s hear it,” said Madam Ma. She was actually somewhat afraid that Zhao Chuchu would bring up Zhao Zhizhi again.
She found it difficult to accept that some wandering spirit had possessed her own daughter. However, Zhao Zhizhi’s actions back then were indeed no different from a person who was possessed. Even though Madam Ma was unwilling to believe it emotionally, her mind already thought it to be true.
“My parents passed away when I was still young. I cannot remember many things from back then. Can you tell me how serious their illnesses were?
Madam Ma suspiciously looked at Zhao Chuchu and asked, “Are you suspecting me of murdering them?”
Zhao Chuchu said nonchalantly, “You don’t have the guts to do so.”
Madam Ma calmed down and recalled the past incident carefully. She said, “Your father caught the flu first. He had been taking medicine for half a month but showed no signs of recovery. Then, your mother fell sick too. They visited the doctor and took medicine but did not get better. Later, your father would always wake up in the middle of the night, frantically looking for water to quench his thirst. Sometimes, he even beat your mother. However, only the members of the Zhao clan know about this. Zhao Baotian claimed that your father had gone nuts. He warned us not to spread a word about this for fear that our children would have a hard time getting married in the future.”
She continued, “The two old farts even hired an exorcist to perform an exorcism at home. The exorcist shook his head and declared that your parents had gone crazy because of karma they had accumulated in their past lives. They fell ill because they had to pay back their debts. After the exorcist announced that your parents were beyond saving, the Zhao clan stopped providing medicine to them. Their sickness worsened, and they were given only one meal every day. You were too young then, so you probably don’t remember any of this.”
After Madam Ma finished, she paused and wondered whether she should continue recalling the incident.
“Continue the story,” Zhao Chuchu instructed.
Madam Ma hesitated for a while before she whispered, “Your parents passed away one after another. In both cases, the first person who discovered them was Zhao Baotian. Moreover, your parents were put into coffins right after they died. Zhao Baotian did not allow any of us to pay our last respects. He claimed that they looked frightening. I secretly looked at your mother after she passed away, and she had blood oozing out from her orifices. I was shocked pale.”
“Are there any other details that you want to share?”
Madam Ma concluded, “I furtively asked around, and others told me that patients who died from flu would not bleed from their orifices.”
“If you are not lying to me, they indeed did not die of illness. It sounds more like they were poisoned.”
“What?” Madam Ma exclaimed.
“What happened?” asked Madam Zheng as she stuck her head out of the kitchen when she heard the noise.
“Auntie, it is fine. I was just asking her about Changrong’s condition,” said Zhao Chuchu as she casually glossed over it.
“Oh, alright. Continue with your chat,” said Madam Zheng as she went back into the kitchen, not prying any further.
Madam Ma suppressed her own nervousness. In a trembling voice, she asked, “Chuchu, you are scaring me, right?”
“Why would I scare you out of the blue?”
“Then, do you suspect me of being the culprit?”
“I said that you probably wouldn’t dare to do so. As to who the culprit is, I do not know. Last night, I suddenly dreamt of my parents coming to see me. They told me that they had died miserably, so I came to ask you about it.”
“This, this… were they truly poisoned?”
“Did Zhao Baogen do it?”
“It wouldn’t be him. Although he is no better than a beast now, he still had a
conscience back then.”
Madam Ma shook her head. She did not falsely accuse him even though she hated him.
At the end of the day, he was still Zhao Changrong’s father. She did not wish for her son to have a father who murdered his own elder brother.
If that were the case, her son would not be able to hold his head up high for his entire life. This was not what Madam Ma wanted for him.
“Then, who do you think is the culprit?” asked Zhao Chuchu.
Madam Ma pondered for a moment. Two names crossed her mind. However, this was not a trivial matter that she could gossip about and sow discord about, so she did not dare to speak rashly. She replied, “I also do not know. I truly cannot say for sure.”
“Alright, I understand. You may go back first.”
Madam Ma did not dare to remain any longer. She was afraid that if she continued to listen to Zhao Chuchu speak about this, the latter would suspect her of being the culprit.
If Zhao Baolin and his wife were actually murdered and Zhao Chuchu was certain that she was the perpetrator, Madam Ma would definitely not live easy.
Madam Ma did not want to be suspected by Zhao Chuchu.
After she took a few steps, Madam Ma managed to summon the courage to turn back and ask, “If you find the person who killed your parents, will you kill them directly?”
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