“This bewitched child!” Mrs. Wu exclaimed, standing up furiously. “When I catch him, I’ll slap him silly!”
Ruan Ning ignored them. Wu’s wife wouldn’t harm her, but she was wary of her own safety. If he didn’t want to leave, that was fine; she could escape on her own.
As she walked away, Zheng Yu felt something was wrong and called out, “Where are you going? Didn’t I tell you to rest?”
“Rest my foot!” Wu’s wife and a group of servants charged at her. “You shameless nun, how dare you kidnap my son? I’ll teach you a lesson!”
Zheng Yu sighed in relief. Her arrival was perfectly timed.
Ruan Ning tried to run, but Wu’s wife quickly caught her, viciously attempting to attack. Zheng Yu only mumbled, “Mother, please don’t do this. It will affect my son’s reputation.”
Damn, what a useless waste!
Ruan Ning dodged dejectedly, not expecting him to save her or commit suicide successfully.
Wu’s wife dragged her back, and Ruan Ning seized the opportunity to grab Zheng Yu’s sleeve, eyes brimming with tears. “Good brother, they won’t let us get married. Remember Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai? If we die together, might we also become butterflies?”
Her words inspired Zheng Yu. If his mother wouldn’t listen, he could seek death! He picked up a branch and poked himself in the chest, shouting, “Mother, if you embarrass me again, I’ll kill myself!”
Ruan Ning: …
If this could actually kill someone, I’d write my surname backwards!
Wu’s wife snatched the branch and broke it, then knocked Zheng Yu’s head: “You little brat, how dare you threaten your mother with suicide!”
After a few knocks, Zheng Yu obediently followed Wu’s wife as they walked back. He looked thoughtfully at Ruan Ning and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way.”
Zheng Yu attempted suicide three times that afternoon. The first attempt involved ramming into a wall, resulting in a painful forehead injury. The second involved trying to hang himself, but the beam was too high and the doorframe too low, leaving him unable to reach it. The final attempt was a jump from a table, which caused him to fall and scrape his hand.
