CHAPTER 621: 239 LET’S GO TO HELL TOGETHER_3

Grandmother fell ill afterward and never recovered, passing away on a winter day.

When Grandmother passed away, she did not cry. In fact, she really liked Grandmother. Grandmother was a gentle woman, patient with her, often holding her in her arms, teaching her how to read and write, explaining historical anecdotes, and guiding her hand stroke by stroke to learn calligraphy.

Her most vivid childhood memory was the scent of Grandmother, like dried orange peel—something she could never tire of smelling.

"Our little Huanhuan is so bright; she learns everything immediately. But remember, no matter the circumstances, one must always be diligent and kind. The principles of being a person have long been summarized by our ancestors: Yao cultivated goodness, and goodness followed; Jie committed evil, and evil multiplied."

"Grandmother, I don’t understand."

"This saying means that the accumulation of good deeds ensures success, while the accumulation of evil invites calamity. Everything in this world abides by the law of cause and effect. You must understand that karmic cycles are unyielding, and retribution is inevitable."

Though Grandmother wasn’t conventionally beautiful, in the eyes of her young self, she was the most beautiful woman.

That day’s sunlight fell into Grandmother’s eyes, stirring a fractured melancholy that rippled gently.

She cradled her and murmured, "Retribution does not fail, merely waits for its time."

Even when Grandmother was bedridden and emaciated, she never forgot to teach her.

But Great-Grandmother’s contempt for Grandmother reached its peak. She forbid her from visiting Grandmother again.

She wasn’t allowed to see Grandmother one last time.

Kneeling in the mourning hall, she stared at Grandmother’s memorial tablet, with Grandmother’s words echoing endlessly in her mind.

Cause and effect, retribution is unyielding.

Retribution does not fail, merely waits for its time.

Grandmother was a good person—so kind-hearted that one could almost call her saintly. Yet even such a good person met a tragic end, passing away prematurely.

And as for Great-Grandmother? She wasn’t a good person by societal standards. Her rise to power was fraught with treachery and filth, yet she was surrounded by children and grandchildren, prosperous and long-lived.

Before Grandmother’s body had even grown cold, Great-Grandmother was already arranging for Grandfather to remarry. When Grandfather refused, Great-Grandmother pointed at his nose and scolded him, accusing him of being in cahoots with that "shameless woman" even in death, determined to disrupt the peace of the household. She threatened that if Grandfather didn’t comply, she would find a Taoist to cast a curse on Grandmother’s soul, dooming her to wander as a restless ghost, unable to reincarnate for eternity.

In the mourning hall, as she recalled Great-Grandmother’s savage expression when she referred to her kind and devoted Grandmother as a "shameless woman," cold sweat slipped down her back.

What exactly is good, and what is evil?

She stared at Grandmother’s memorial tablet, and for the first time, she felt confused.

All she understood was that if she wanted to survive in this sprawling manor, she must obey Great-Grandmother.

The boundary between good and evil vanished, and she completely forgot Grandmother’s teachings.

At seven years old, she sneaked into Silent Garden and encountered the elderly couple who had fueled the quarrel between Grandmother and Great-Grandmother. The more disdain she showed toward them, the happier Great-Grandmother seemed. When Great-Grandmother was pleased, she would always speak well of her to Father.

She took a snake and deliberately released it into their room to frighten them.

The elderly couple handled the situation more calmly than she did. The old woman even reached out her hand smiling kindly, her gentle and loving demeanor evoking memories of Grandmother.

Infuriated and embarrassed, she lashed out, "So it was you who kept angering Great-Grandmother! Villains, you’re all villains—I despise you all."

The old woman did not show anger but paused briefly before saying, "Ah, so you are Zhilan’s granddaughter."

Jiang Zhilan—that was her Grandmother’s name.

"How dare you call my Grandmother’s name? You wretched old hag."

"Your Grandmother... is she well?"

"My Grandmother has passed away. It’s all your fault."

The old woman froze for a moment, then smiled bitterly. "Gone...?"

The old man who had stayed silent sighed deeply. "Zhilan’s life was too hard."

"It’s your fault! My Grandmother died because of you. I hate you both."

Grandmother had only wanted to protect them, but she angered Great-Grandmother in the process, making her life miserable in the Yu household, until she withered away in despair.

This elderly couple was the root cause of it all.

After a moment of silence, the old woman spoke slowly, "Child, don’t cry. Your Grandmother surely loved you dearly. If her soul were to see you grieving like this, it wouldn’t find peace in the heavens."

"What do you know?" she retorted bitterly, wiping away her tears.

"I will never forgive you for as long as I live."

As memories retreated, ten years felt as though they had changed something—and yet, perhaps nothing at all.

Yu Ruohuan looked at the shriveled, aged old woman before her. Those once-clear, gentle eyes had lost their luster, as vacant as a dried-up well.

The once-glossy black hair had turned to silver-gray, devoid of shine.

Yet she still sat there as always—calmly, unhurriedly—forever gentle and composed. Time could make her skin wither, but her soul would always remain pure.

Why?

Why could she remain untainted in the swamp of filth?

Why did all her struggles amount to nothing but fleeting illusions?

Then let’s descend into hell together.

Suddenly, she curled her lips into a sinister smile.

"Shen Qiunong, do you still remember the marriage agreement you made with the Gu family back then?"

Shen Qiunong’s breath caught sharply. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."