The ancient war between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in a wealthy family

Leaving the study, I felt like a huge rock was pressing down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. Finding witnesses was no easy task, and time was running out. We weren't sure if we could find one before the family meeting, which presented a new challenge.

Just when I was at my wit's end, Zhan Yu suddenly stopped and his eyes fell on a figure at the end of the corridor... An old man, dressed simply but with a scholarly air, was slowly approaching. In his hand, he was holding a thread-bound book that was extremely similar to the ancient book in our house! My heart was shocked. Could it be...

"Sir, please stay!" Zhan Yu stepped forward quickly, with a hint of urgency in his tone.

The old man stopped and looked at us in confusion. Zhan Yu briefly explained the situation and showed us the ancient book. The old man examined it carefully for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "This... this is indeed the long-lost 'Zhan Family Tree'!"

I could hardly believe my ears. Could we really be so lucky to have found a witness so quickly? I suppressed my excitement and asked the old man for more details. He told us that he had been a private tutor to a distant relative of the Zhan family and had seen this genealogy in his youth. He was very familiar with its contents and binding.

The dawn of hope finally illuminated the road ahead, and my mood became much lighter. However, the good times did not last long.

The next morning, as soon as I woke up, I received an anonymous letter. There was no signature or address on the envelope, only "From the Mother of the Master of the Zhan Family." My heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over me.

Trembling, he opened the envelope. Inside was a thin piece of paper with a few words written in a beautiful handwriting: "I advise Madam Zhan and Master Zhan not to persist in finding the so-called witness. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences."

In the lower right corner of the letter, a black mandala flower was painted, eerie and sinister. My hand trembled, and the letter fluttered to the ground. This was clearly a naked threat!

Zhan Yu rushed over upon hearing the noise and saw the letter on the ground. His face instantly darkened. He picked up the letter and looked at it carefully, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Song's branch." He spoke in a cold tone, emphasizing each word.

I know that apart from them, no one would be so eager to stop us from finding witnesses. Mr. Qin's harassment of us has undoubtedly given them greater confidence and made them even more unscrupulous.

"They're warning us." I suppressed my fear and tried to keep my tone calm.

"Warning? Humph!" Zhan Yu sneered, "Do they think they can scare us like this? That's wishful thinking!"

He crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it into the brazier. The raging flames instantly devoured the paper, as if to burn away the anger in our hearts as well.

"Don't worry, I will take care of this." Zhan Yu held my hand, his tone firm but gentle, "We will not give in to anyone."

I know that this battle among the wealthy has just begun, and the road ahead is long and full of unknown dangers. But at this moment, my heart is extremely firm, because I know that no matter what happens, Zhan Yu will face it with me.

In the evening, Lawyer Fang came to the Zhan family. He carefully examined the ashes left by the anonymous letter and asked us some details.

"This letter..." Lawyer Fang pondered for a moment, "I'm afraid it's a smokescreen deliberately released by the side branch."

Zhan Yu walked to the window, looked at the gradually darkening sky outside, and said in a deep voice: "They want to disrupt our sight..."

"Smoke bomb?" I looked at Lawyer Fang in confusion. "What are they trying to cover up?"

Lawyer Fang pushed his glasses up, a gleam of light flashing behind them. "Perhaps the real threat doesn't come from this letter, but from somewhere else. They want us to focus on this threatening letter and ignore the truly important clues."

Zhan Yu nodded, a hint of understanding in his deep eyes. "Feinting east and attacking west—this is indeed a common tactic used by the Song branch."

"Then what should we do now?" I asked anxiously. I always felt that time was like sand between my fingers, which I could not catch or keep.

"Speed ​​up the search for witnesses," Zhan Yu said firmly. "The more they try to stop us, the more it proves we're on the right track. We can't be swayed by their intimidation."

Lawyer Fang agreed: "Mr. Zhan is right. We must race against time. I will do my best to help you find the key witness."

Over the next few days, we searched through nearly every genealogy and historical record of the Zhan family, but still couldn't find any clues about other witnesses. We also began asking around within the family, hoping to get some useful information from the elders.

However, things weren't going as smoothly as we'd hoped. Many members of our tribe avoided our inquiries, even giving us the cold shoulder. I vaguely sensed an invisible pressure looming over us, making it difficult for us to move forward.

"It seems that the Song branch has already made some arrangements in advance." Zhan Yu's face was terribly gloomy.

I also understand that the Song branch's influence in the family is deeply rooted. They must have put pressure on the clan members in advance, so that they dare not reveal any information to us.

"Are we really at the end of our rope?" A deep feeling of powerlessness surged into my heart, almost swallowing me up.

Zhan Yu squeezed my hand, giving me strength. "Don't lose heart, we haven't lost yet. There must be another way."

His eyes were firm and persistent, like a bright light in the darkness, illuminating the direction for me to move forward.

We decided to change our strategy and stop asking family members directly. Instead, we looked for clues from the side. We began to focus on some elderly members of the family who were not often seen but had a wealth of information about the family history.

Our efforts paid off, and we finally found a Zhan family elder who was over 90 years old. Although he was old and frail, his memory was amazing, and he knew the family history like the back of his hand.

After our patient persuasion, the elder finally agreed to meet with us. A glimmer of hope ignited in my heart: perhaps he could be our last straw.

However, the night before we were to meet the clan elder, something unexpected happened. While browsing the ancient books in the family library, Zhan Yu was suddenly discovered and accused of stealing family treasures. A group of clan members surrounded him, clamoring to have Zhan Yu brought to the family court.

When I arrived at the scene, I saw Zhan Yu surrounded by people, his face livid and silent. I wanted to go forward to explain, but was rudely stopped by several tribesmen.

"What are you doing!" I asked loudly, but my voice was quickly drowned out by the noisy shouting.

"Thief! And you dare to quibble!"

"Get him!"

The crowd grew increasingly agitated, like an out-of-control beast ready to devour us at any moment. I desperately tried to squeeze in, but was pushed back repeatedly.

Just then, I saw a familiar figure flash through the crowd... It was Song Ziming from the Song branch. He had a sinister smile on his face, and his eyes were full of pride and mockery.

My heart sank, a chill running from my feet to my head. This was all a carefully planned trap! They wanted to use this opportunity to completely overthrow Zhan Yu... "Yu..." I reached out, trying to grab him, but I only grasped emptiness...

"Yu!" I screamed heartbreakingly, but I couldn't break through the wall of people. They surged like a tide, shouting "thief," "scum," "misfortune to the family," their spit threatening to drown me. I struggled desperately, even the pain of broken nails unable to stop me. I had to be by his side, to be his support in his most helpless moment.

Lawyer Fang also tried to maintain order, shouting, "Everyone, please calm down! The matter has not been fully investigated, so please do not jump to conclusions!" But his words fell on deaf ears; the enraged crowd would not listen to any explanation. Incited by Song Ziming, they had determined that Zhan Yu was the thief who stole the family treasure.

Zhan Yu stood in the center of the crowd, his face livid and silent. His lips were pursed, his eyes cold, like the calm before a storm. I knew he wasn't afraid, but angry. The feeling of being falsely accused and unable to defend oneself was more torturous than any torture.

My heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, making it difficult to breathe. Despair and fear surged like a tide, threatening to swallow me. Just as I was about to collapse, an old and majestic voice rang out from the outskirts of the crowd: "Stop!"

The crowd instantly fell silent, turning to look at the source of the sound. A stooped, elderly man, leaning on a cane, slowly approached. His hair and beard were white, and his face was marked by the traces of time, but his eyes were unusually sharp, as if he could see through everything.

My heart was shocked. Could this old man... be the witness we have been looking for?

The old man walked up to Zhan Yu, looked him up and down, and then slowly said, "Zhan Yu, your father is Zhan Qishan, right?"

Zhan Yu nodded slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

"I know your father," the old man continued. "He is an honest and kind man. I believe his son would not do such a thing as stealing."

The crowd began to whisper, and the appearance of the old man seemed to bring a glimmer of hope.

Lawyer Fang immediately seized the opportunity and stepped forward and said, "Old man, do you know Mr. Zhan's father? Then you must be very familiar with the history of the Zhan family. Can you testify for Mr. Zhan and prove his innocence?"

The old man didn't answer immediately, but instead turned his gaze to Song Ziming, a look of scrutiny in his eyes. "Song Ziming, I remember your father had received many favors from Qishan. Now you treat his son like this. Aren't you afraid that your father will be heartbroken in his grave?"

Song Ziming's face changed, and a flash of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Old man, what do you mean by that? I'm protecting the interests of my family. How can you say I'm repaying kindness with enmity?"

The old man snorted coldly, "Protecting the interests of the family? I think you have other intentions! Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!"

My heart was in my throat. The old man seemed to know something! What he was about to say might reveal the truth and clear Zhan Yu's name!

However, just as the old man was about to speak, something unexpected happened! A dark figure leaped out of the crowd, a flash of cold light in its hand, and stabbed the old man straight in the face… "Be careful!" I cried out, but it was too late to stop him… The old man slowly fell to the ground, his cane hitting the ground with a dull thud… The crowd suddenly became chaotic… I stumbled over and knelt beside the old man, "Old man… wake up…" I trembled as I checked the old man's breath…

No breath… My fingertips were icy cold. The blood on the old man's chest spread rapidly, staining his gray coarse cloth red, like a seductive red spider lily, blooming silently amid the clamor.

"Old man!" I cried desperately, my voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible. Zhan Yu pushed through the crowd and rushed to my side, pulling me into a hug. His body was trembling, and I could feel his suppressed anger and sadness.

The crowd was in chaos, shouting in fear. Song Ziming feigned composure, directing them all: "Call an ambulance! Call the police!" A subtle smugness etched itself across his face, as if he had everything under control.

I suddenly looked up and stared at Song Ziming, my heart filled with hatred. It was him, he was the one who planned all this! Not only did he slander Zhan Yu, he also hired someone to kill him to silence him! This beast in human form is simply insane!

Lawyer Fang pushed his way through the crowd and, after checking on the old man, shook his head gravely. "There are no vital signs..."

My tears flowed uncontrollably, my heart filled with a sense of powerlessness. A glimmer of hope finally emerged, only to be shattered in an instant. We were so close to the truth, yet so far away. Was this old man the witness we were looking for? What did he know? These questions, with his passing, became eternal mysteries.

Zhan Yu held me tightly, his chin resting on the top of my head. I could feel his warm breath and strong heartbeat. He whispered in my ear, "Don't be afraid, I'm here." Those three simple words gave me immense strength. I looked up, met Zhan Yu's resolute eyes, and a glimmer of hope ignited within me. I couldn't give up. I had to be strong. For Zhan Yu, for the truth, I must find the mastermind and avenge the old man!

The police arrived quickly, cordoned off the scene, and began investigating and collecting evidence. I was taken to the police station to write a statement, and I recalled the scene over and over again, trying to recall every detail, hoping to find some clue.

It was already late at night when I finished taking the statement. Zhan Yu and Lawyer Fang were waiting for me outside. Lawyer Fang looked grim, his brow furrowed, as if something was bothering him.

"How is it?" Zhan Yu asked with concern.

I shook my head and said wearily, "We didn't find out anything. The police said the murderer was very professional and left no clues at the scene."

Lawyer Fang sighed and said, "It seems that the other party came prepared."

Zhan Yu was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's go back first."

Just as we were about to leave, Lawyer Fang suddenly called us over. "Wait!" He quickly walked to the side of the road and picked up something from the bushes.

It was a small, simple wooden sculpture of a phoenix with its wings spread, ready to fly. I recognized it immediately; it was the top of the old man's cane.

Lawyer Fang carefully examined the wood carving, a strange glint in his eyes. "Perhaps..." he whispered, "There's still hope..."

He handed me the wooden carving and said, "Keep it."

I took the wood carving and held it tightly in my hands, feeling its warm touch. An inexplicable power surged in my heart. I seemed to see the old man's kind smile and hear his deep voice... "Child..."