A Misty Night, With A Crystal-Clear Moon - Chapter 9
Chapter 9: The Tragic Reckoning
The next day, Lang Ping returned home. Linglong initially thought Lang Ping had been unable to overcome her emotional barrier and had resigned herself to fate. However, on the third day, members of the Cao family came raising a ruckus at Lang Qiyou’s residence. The visitor was Cao Hanqiu, Commander Cao’s cousin and the father of Lang Ping’s husband, Cao Ming.
“Lang Qiyou, you truly raised a well-behaved daughter. She actually wants to divorce Ming’er!”
Lang Qiyou was greatly surprised and said in disbelief, “How can that be? Brother Hanqiu must be joking.”
“How is this nonsense? Ming’er, you tell him what happened!”
Cao Ming pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and sneered, “This is the divorce agreement your precious daughter wrote me, in black and white, saying she can no longer endure my rough and overbearing manner? What absolute nonsense! I am a man; how can I not have some temper? To divorce me over this? How is this supposed to make me, my father, and my uncle feel?”
Lang Qiyou took the divorce agreement and was dumbfounded. He looked at Yu Tianmei beside him and demanded, “What is going on here? I felt something was wrong the day she came back. Did you say something to her?”
Yu Tianmei quickly said, “How could I tell my daughter to do such a thing?” She suddenly remembered Linglong’s words that day, and her heart jumped to her throat.
“Hmph, Lang Qiyou, you’ve seen it; this is solid proof. Your daughter was always treated with respect as a young mistress in our Cao family. She never lacked for food or necessities. Why would she do something that makes our Cao family lose face like this? Yes, Ming’er’s temper isn’t good, but since they are husband and wife, they should be considerate of each other. Is Ming’er not even allowed to scold her?”
“No, no, no, Brother Hanqiu, listen to me. Ping’er has always been a gentle child. This is absolutely not her original intention. I will come with you right now and teach her a lesson.”
“No need. I’ve brought the person to you. Since she doesn’t want to be my Cao family daughter-in-law, I won’t be unreasonable either. I’ve already told Ming’er to draft the divorce letter. We are breaking off the relationship right here.”
With that, he ordered his men to bring Lang Ping out. Linglong secretly peered out and saw the girl’s hair was disheveled, her clothes untidy, and her face bruised and swollen.
“That killer Cao Ming actually beat Miss Lang like this!” Cui Xin whispered angrily.
Linglong quickly covered her mouth, signaling her not to speak.
Yu Tianmei burst into tears, heartbroken to see her daughter in such a state. Lang Qiyou, however, glared fiercely at Lang Ping. He slapped her across the face, and bl00d immediately seeped from Lang Ping’s mouth.
“You unfilial child! From today onward, you are no longer a part of the Lang family! You want to pursue your freedom, pursue your happiness? Then go!”
Lang Ping covered her face and cried, “Father, please forgive your daughter. Your daughter truly had no choice!”
Lang Qiyou kicked Lang Ping. “Get out! Never let me see you again!”
“Qiyou, she is our daughter! How can you be so cruel? If she hadn’t suffered Cao Ming’s brutal beatings, she wouldn’t have thought of this method!”
“What nonsense are you talking about? If you keep talking nonsense, you won’t stay here either!”
Yu Tianmei was frightened and choked back her sobs, daring not to speak anymore. Lang Ping’s eyes suddenly changed color. While no one was paying attention, she rushed directly toward the corner of a table. There was a loud “bang,” which shocked everyone.
Yu Tianmei screamed and rushed to embrace Lang Ping, shaking her and calling her name repeatedly. But Lang Ping had struck the corner extremely hard. In her last moments, she said weakly, “Mother, I finally took control of my life, just once.”
Just like that, Lang Ping was gone. No one had expected it.
Lang Qiyou stood there dumbfounded, his lips trembling continuously. Cao Hanqiu and Cao Ming were completely taken aback by the seemingly weak Lang Ping’s courage. In their astonishment, they also felt somewhat guilty. They quickly and awkwardly left.
Linglong was completely shaken. Her heart sank to the bottom. She never imagined such an ending. Did I kill her? she kept thinking. Despite the warm weather, she felt icy cold. She huddled in her covers, skipped dinner, and sat up all night, eyes wide with anguish.
Lang Ping’s funeral was carried out with dignity. The Cao family, still feeling they had wronged the Lang family, ultimately acknowledged the daughter-in-law who had tried to escape. Yu Tianmei couldn’t eat for days, and her spirit was greatly diminished. Lü Qiao, showing some sense, kept quiet for a few days, but the malicious joy in her eyes had not lessened at all.
Yu Linglong remained deeply troubled by Lang Ping’s death. She felt she was indirectly responsible for her murder. She couldn’t face Yu Tianmei anymore. So, after the funeral, she packed her bags and, with Cui Xin, bid farewell to Yu Tianmei.
Yu Tianmei knew in her heart that Lang Ping’s actions had been influenced by Linglong’s words. Although she didn’t voice any blame, she harbored some resentment. When she saw Linglong wanted to leave, she initially didn’t want to agree, but remembering Lang Qiyou’s words, she could only silently accept.
Before leaving, Yu Tianmei offered her some money, but Linglong stubbornly refused to take it. She was an obstinate person; no one could force her to do what she didn’t want.
But now that they had left the Lang residence, where could they go?