Chapter 128 August Fifteenth (4)

  Yao Cunhui couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic towards Xu Wantong, thinking she was pitiful yet foolish at the same time. Being someone's concubine is that easy? She may be willing today, but who knows if she'll still be willing tomorrow! People all have desires, and these desires change with different stages of life. If she insists on belittling herself, don't think she can take advantage of Madame Xie's favoritism to stir up trouble!

  "No way!" Xie Fu Yun strode forward with a cold expression and said: "I disagree!"

  "My cousin is a respectable young lady, how can I take her as a concubine? It would be unfair to her! Besides, I don't have such thoughts!" Xie Fu glared at Mrs. Xie and turned back to Yao Cun Jia: "I already have a wife, I don't need another concubine!"

  "Brother!" Xu Wanting could no longer hold back, her heart suddenly aching as she wailed: "You actually treated me like this, you actually treated me like this! Yao Cun Jia!" Her eyes were wild and her expression was ferocious as she pointed at Yao Cun Jia, gnashing her teeth: "It's you, it's all because of you, you fox spirit! Can't you tolerate me? I've already retreated, I just wanted to stay by Brother's side! Can't you tolerate me? Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You want us to share a husband, you cheap woman, jealous wife! You won't have a good death, you won't have a good death! I curse you, curse the bastard in your belly, none of you will have a good death!"

  "Hurry up and hold her back!" Jiang shouted, and the two maidservants finally came to their senses and rushed forward to grab Xǔ Yuànzhú. Xǔ Yuànzhú had already lost all reason, struggling and cursing nonstop. Jiang suddenly stepped forward, stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth, and apologized to Old Master Xiè with a bow, then apologized to Madam Xiè and Mr. and Mrs. Yáo, before ordering the maidservants to take Xǔ Yuànzhú away, who was still muttering and glaring with hatred in her eyes.

  Mrs. Xie was stunned for a moment and then ordered someone to follow and assist.

  Yao Cun Jia's face was slightly pale, and Xie Fu Yun tightly held her hand, neither of them knew what to say.

  Yao Cunhui walked to her sister's side, gently placing her hand on her shoulder. Yao Cunjia looked up at her, a faint smile forcing its way onto her pale face, and her heart slightly relaxed.

  As Xu Wanzhu and her mother left, the hall seemed to be suddenly drained of air, eerily quiet.

  "Alas!" After a brief pause, Old Master Xie let out a long sigh, his eyes scanning the crowd before saying calmly, "From now on, I don't want to hear anyone mention this incident again outside these doors. And as for something like this happening again in this household, I hope it never occurs a second time."

  "It's the daughter-in-law who is not managing the household properly, please punish her, sir!" Mrs. Xie stepped forward and knelt down to the old master.

  "The son is also at fault." Xie Lao Ye also knelt down.

  Xie Fu Yun saw his parents and immediately knelt down, and he also knelt behind them. Yao Cun Jia saw this and struggled to kneel down as well.

  "Get up, everyone! Don't kneel!" Old Master Xie said, his eyes fixed on Yao Cun Jia. Yao Cun Jia was standing and hadn't knelt down. After Old Master Xie and his wife got up, the maids who could see helped her sit back down, and only then did she sit down.

  "Tomorrow, I'll go burn incense for your deceased mother." Old Master Xie glanced at the couple with a hint of disdain. This was an arranged marriage set by his wife, and as their daughter-in-law, she actually said that she felt guilty towards the Xu family? The Xies and the Xus didn't even have a betrothal agreement, where did this guilt come from? It's simply absurd!

  "Yes, old master!" Mrs. Xie's face turned slightly red. The old master's punishment was quite severe.

  "That matter on the fake mountain, it was a misunderstanding and is not to be mentioned again." Old Master Xie said slowly: "And what about those two maids? Have they been dealt with?"

  "Yes, the daughter-in-law will give him a dose of medicine tomorrow and send him to the village." Mrs. Xie hurried forward to respond and said: "Whoever dares to wag their tongue, if the daughter-in-law finds out, will not be lightly forgiven."

  "Ah," Old Master Xie nodded and waved his hand: "It's late at night, let's all disperse!"

  Everyone responded in unison and escorted the old man out of the door. They watched as the old man's sedan chair disappeared into the distance before bidding each other farewell and dispersing.

  Xie Fu and his wife, along with Yao Cunhui, returned to the Rongyutang in silence. Along the way, all three of them did not say a word. They didn't speak, and the maidservants who followed behind dared not to speak either, returning to their residence in complete silence.

  "It's really late today, go back home and rest." Yao Cun Jia gently squeezed his sister's hand.

  Yao Cunhui nodded and smiled: "Sister and brother-in-law should also rest early!" She said, taking Xiaoxing and Xiali downstairs.

  "What's wrong with you, Master? You look like you have a lot on your mind." After they finished washing up, Yao Cun Jia noticed that Xie Fu Yun was not in good spirits and asked unintentionally.

  "It's nothing," Xie Fu Yun smiled and gently patted her shoulder, softly saying: "I didn't realize it was already so late, Jia Er hurry up and sleep, our child is probably sleepy too!"

  Yao Cun Jia smiled and let him help her lie down. Xie Fu Yun also lay down on the bed, lightly embracing her as he usually did.

  That night, however, Yao Cun Jia couldn't fall asleep as she usually did. She felt uneasy in her heart. Her husband said there was nothing wrong, but she always felt that he was hiding something from her. She wanted to ask him, but felt it would be too obvious and inconvenient to speak up. Her mind was churning back and forth until the sky was about to brighten when she finally dozed off lightly.

  The next morning, Yao Cunhui saw that Yao Cunjia was in low spirits and had some swelling under his eyes, which shocked him, and he hastily asked what was wrong.

  Yao Cun Jia smiled slightly and said: "I suppose you missed your sleep last night and didn't rest well for a while."

  "Sister should take good care of herself every day!" Yao Cunhui said: "I plan to go to Lake Township tomorrow, and come back in two or three days. Then I will say goodbye to my sister and return to Beijing."

  "Second sister, rest assured," Xie Fu Yun smiled faintly, "I will take good care of Jia Er." As he spoke, he glanced at Yao Cun Hui with a hint of a smile that was hard to decipher, and said meaningfully: "Now there's nothing that can threaten Jia Er anymore, second sister can also return home at ease."

  "With a brother-in-law around, I can rest assured, this is also my sister's good fortune." Yao Cunhui hesitated for a moment, forced a smile, and somehow felt that Xie Fu Yun's gaze was a bit distant and indifferent.

  After finishing breakfast, Xie Fu Yun said he had something to do in the study and told her sisters to chat slowly. He also instructed Yao Cun Jia to rest well for a few moments before getting up and leaving.

  Yao Cunhui accompanied her sister for a walk, saw that she was slightly tired, and let Green Lotus and others support her to rest in the house. Yao Cunhui himself also felt tired, so he didn't decline, but just smiled: "I've already told your brother-in-law, you can rest assured today, tomorrow's carriage and attendants for going to Lake Village are all arranged!"

  Yao Cunhui smiled and thanked him.

  Yao Cunhui stood on the corridor for a while in a daze, lowered her head to think for a moment, and then went straight to Xie Yun's study.

  Xie Fu Yun heard that his wife's younger sister had come to see him, thought for a moment, and then ordered "Let her in!"

  "What's wrong, Second Sister?" Xie Fu Yun smiled and gestured for her to sit down. Star promptly brought over tea, while the young servant who had been attending to them earlier retreated to the outer tea preparation room.

  "There is indeed something I need to tell my brother-in-law, and it's been weighing on my mind!"

  "Haha!" Xie Fu Yun couldn't help but laugh and looked up at Xing Er saying: "You go out first."

  Xing'er glanced at Yao Cunhui and backed away with a bow.

  "Was it suspected that I did it last night?" Yao Cunhui looked straight at Xie Fuyuan's eyes and asked straightforwardly.

  Xie Fu's expression changed slightly, and he stared back at Yao Cunhui without blinking. Suddenly, he smiled, lightly blinked his eyes, and withdrew his gaze, saying calmly: "Why did my second sister say this?"

  "Yes, I really dislike Xu Wantong because she has been saying all sorts of things in front of my sister, trying to stir up trouble, just because she has her eyes on my sister's husband! I've thought about teaching her a lesson and making her give up this idea, but last night's incident really had nothing to do with me!"

  "Second sister is fine, why bring this up?" Xie Fu Yun lowered his head and glanced at the jade ring on his left thumb, subconsciously touching it.

  "Is your brother-in-law hiding something, isn't he?" Yao Cunhui smiled self-deprecatingly: "The skill of observing words and expressions, Hui'er has practiced it herself, and can see a few points. Last night's matter..."

  Yao Cunhui said, recounting the events in detail, including Xu Wantong teasing Xie San Niang earlier, and how she herself was suddenly and violently bumped from behind, while Xu Wantong fell down because she stepped on the scattered pearls on the ground, not because of anything she did.

  Finally, Yao Cun Hui said: "Since I saw my brother-in-law's intentions towards my sister, I believed that he would handle the matter of Xu Wanting himself, and I also gave up on the idea of teaching her a lesson. Last night, although I didn't see it with my own eyes, but at that time, the person closest to me was Xu Wanting, and only she had a reason to do such a thing! She wanted to push me into Shuai San's arms, but unexpectedly, it was she who fell over herself! This is her own doing."

  Xie Fu's eyes flickered and he was momentarily stunned.

  He already had Yao Cun Jia in his heart, although he was unwilling to marry or take in Xu Wen Zhu, but Xu Wen Zhu was after all the cousin he grew up with! For this cousin, there was no love between men and women, but there was a brotherly and sisterly affection. How important is reputation for a girl, does Xie Fu Yun not know? The only one who can design Xu Wen Zhu with reason and heart is Yao Cun Hui.

  Against Yao Cunhui's expectations, the Xie family naturally blamed yesterday's events on Yao Cunhui. On one hand, he was shocked by her ruthlessness and heartlessness, on the other hand, he detested her deep-seated schemes that even involved his own younger brother. At the same time, he thought of her as his beloved wife's sister and a woman whose extensive knowledge he had once admired. His heart was filled with mixed emotions, unsure of what to think. From then on, whenever he saw Yao Cunhui, he couldn't help but feel somewhat awkward.

  "Even if Wan'er has calculated you and Third Brother, what benefit would she gain from it?" Half a moment passed before Xie Fu Yun asked lightly. The implication being that Xu Wanyu didn't have any need to do so!

  She had her eyes on him, and she was going to take down both Yao Cunhui and Xie Fulin together. What could they do about it?

  Yao Cun Hui seemed to have expected him to ask this, and slowly said: "I've thought about this too!" She self-mockingly smiled: "Perhaps she thinks I also have a crush on my brother-in-law! I'm her rival, so if she has the chance, she'll naturally want to get rid of me!"

  Xie Fu Yun's eyes widened in astonishment, staring incredulously at Yao Cun Hui. Suddenly recalling the words "sisters sharing a husband" that Xu Wan Zhu had shouted wildly last night, he became enraged and slapped his palm on the red hardwood table: "How can this be?!"