Yun Man covered her face, pointing at Yun Xuesheng, and shrieked, “Yun Xuesheng, how dare you hit me, you bitch!”
“So what if I hit you?!”
Yun Xuesheng looked at the mess scattered across the courtyard, her eyes red with fury. She grabbed the herbs that Yun Man had just trampled to pieces, seized Yun Man’s arm, and stuffed the plants into her mouth. “You dared to touch my herbs! You deserve this beating!”
“Bitch! You’re a bitch!”
Yun Man reached out to claw at Yun Xuesheng, but Yun Xuesheng had already gained the upper hand. Besides, having spent years cultivating herbs herself, her strength was naturally far beyond Yun Man’s.
Yun Man couldn’t fight back, so she shouted, “Are you all dead? Pull her off me!”
The maidservants, stunned by the scene, finally snapped out of it and rushed over to separate the two.
Just then, Banxia charged over and shielded Yun Xuesheng behind her. Yun Xuesheng reached out and grabbed Yun Man’s hair. “Take one more step, and I’ll cut it all off!”
A pair of scissors had somehow appeared in Yun Xuesheng’s hand. She aimed them at Yun Man’s hair. “Have them properly gather up the herbs, then pack up everything my mother left me.”
“Otherwise, even if I get beaten to death, I’ll make sure you die before me!”
“Yun Xuesheng, don’t you dare!”
One’s hair and skin are gifts from one’s parents. Yun Man’s face turned pale. “Give it to her! Give it to her now!”
Yun Xuesheng looked at the chaos in the courtyard—everything her mother had arranged for her had been destroyed by Yun Man—and she wished she could shave off every last strand of Yun Man’s hair to vent her fury!
The maidservants carried Yun Xuesheng’s belongings over and set them at her feet.
“Banxia, check if anything’s missing.”
Banxia counted through them. “Miss, the gold-inlaid jade bracelet that Madam left you isn’t here.”
“Go find it!”
Banxia shot the maidservants a fierce glare, ran inside, and emerged shortly with a wooden box.
“Miss, I found this. It’s all things Madam left for you.”
“You little wretch! That’s mine!”
Yun Man’s eyes nearly spat fire when she saw what Banxia was holding.
Banxia ignored her and opened the box. Inside were gold butterfly earrings, bracelets, a jade puzzle ring, and other delicate trinkets fit for a young lady.
These were all things her mother had bought to spoil her with. After her mother passed away, they had gradually disappeared. She had searched for them for so long, thinking they were lost—only to find them here.
“Yun Man, you dared to steal my things!”
Yun Xuesheng tightened her grip, the scissors pressing closer to Yun Man’s hair.
“Yun Xuesheng, let go of me! I didn’t steal them—Third Brother gave them to me!”
Yun Sumu!
No wonder she could never find these things no matter how hard she looked. There was a thief right beside her!
“What else did he give you?”
“That’s all! That’s everything! It’s all here!”
Yun Xuesheng shoved Yun Man away. “Keep an eye on these.”
With that, she picked up a hoe nearby and strode into the house, smashing everything in sight.
“Bang!”
“Crash!”
“Yun Xuesheng, you’ve lost your mind! How dare you smash things! I’m telling Father! I’m telling Grandmother!”
Yun Man stamped her feet in panic. Of all the courtyards in the Yun estate, Yun Xuesheng’s was the most elegant and refined—that was the only reason she had pestered Yun Ting to give her this residence.
But she never expected Yun Xuesheng, who didn’t even live here, to want to destroy it.
The windows, the tables and chairs, even the bed her mother had specially made for her—Yun Xuesheng smashed every single thing that could be smashed.
Yun Man wanted to live here, didn’t she?
Fine, let her have it. But living in a room her mother had personally arranged?
Dream on!
After demolishing the house, Yun Xuesheng’s hair was disheveled and she looked a mess, but her eyes burned with startling intensity.
In her past life, she had given up everything for the sake of her father and brothers, to make way for her younger sister. In the end, she still ended up strangled to death.
In this life, no one was going to make her yield!
“Bang!”
The hoe slammed into the ground right at Yun Man’s feet, making her stumble back a step. “Yun Xuesheng, you’re insane!”
“I’m telling Father!”
Meeting Yun Man’s hateful gaze, Yun Xuesheng gave a mocking smile. “Go ahead. He’s your father. He has no authority over me.”
“Yun Xuesheng, refusing to acknowledge your own father over a cripple—you’re truly unfilial!”
Yun Man’s eyes dripped with contempt.
“Who says he’ll be crippled forever? I’ll cure him. You know his abilities. Hmph, one day, all of that will be mine to enjoy.”
“Banxia, let’s go!”
Yun Xuesheng led Banxia away, carrying their things, and strode off without a backward glance.
Behind her, Yun Man listened to Yun Xuesheng’s words, her expression shifting unpredictably.
What did she mean?
Yun Hong’s leg could heal?
No, that couldn’t be. If his leg healed, wouldn’t Yun Xuesheng reap the benefits? Wait—she was Yun Hong’s daughter. Whatever Yun Hong had, it could only be hers!
Yun Xuesheng returned to the small courtyard with her belongings. She first put everything away inside, then went out with Banxia to sort through the yard, laying out the herbs that were still usable to dry.
Soon, half the courtyard was covered in herbs.
Inside the main room, Wu Zi was grinding ink for Yun Hong. He stood on his tiptoes and glanced outside, then said in surprise, “Second Master, it looks like the eldest young lady really is going to live with you—she’s brought all the medicinal herbs over.”
Yun Hong paused mid-motion, then continued writing his letter without a word.
Most of the herbs had been destroyed by Yun Man; what remained was all here now. It wasn’t enough for Yun Hong’s toxin removal, so more would need to be purchased.
“Banxia, go find Wu Zi and get some paper and a brush. I need to make a list.”
She was determined to cure Yun Hong—not just his legs, but also the poison in his body. She would infuriate Yun Man.
Banxia had just entered the room when someone came from outside looking for Yun Xuesheng.
Yun Xuesheng had long anticipated that Yun Man wouldn’t let things go so easily. Unhurriedly, she wiped her hands and left with the messenger.
Banxia had gotten the paper and brush but could no longer find her mistress.
“Young miss! Young miss! Where have you gone, young miss!”
In the main room, hearing the maid’s shouts, Yun Hong furrowed his brow. “Go see what’s going on.”
“Our young miss is missing?”
Banxia grew anxious. “She must have been summoned by the old madame.”
Seeing Wu Zi’s confusion, she recounted how they had run into Yun Man when they went back to fetch their things. “The second young lady must have gone to complain to the old madame. The old madame has never liked our eldest young lady—who knows how she’ll torment her now.”
“I have to go see!”
Good heavens—the seemingly demure eldest young lady actually had such a fierce side.
Wu Zi marveled inwardly, then turned to report to his master, only to find that his master had already wheeled his chair to the doorway.
“I heard. Let’s go see what’s happening together.”
Ci’an Hall.
Yun Xuesheng walked in and saw Yun Man sobbing pitifully in Old Madame Yun’s arms.
Old Madame Yun’s face was ashen. She reached out, picked up a teacup from the table, and hurled it at Yun Xuesheng. “Kneel!”
Smash!
Yun Xuesheng didn’t dodge. The scalding tea splashed onto her, and the cup shattered at her feet.
Ha. These tactics haven’t changed one bit.
Because Old Madame Yun had never liked her mother, she’d never liked her either. So whenever Yun Man accused her of wrongdoing, Old Madame Yun would throw a teacup at her, make her kneel on the broken porcelain, and then have the servants slap her face.
Every time her father learned of it, he would only say—if she hadn’t done anything wrong, why would her grandmother punish her?
“I’ve done nothing wrong!”
Yun Xuesheng lifted her gaze, staring straight at Old Madame Yun. “Yun Man took over my courtyard and destroyed the things my mother left me. I was merely taking back what’s mine.”
“How dare you talk back!”
The sight of Yun Xuesheng’s face—so similar to that woman’s—only enraged Old Madame Yun further. “Slap her mouth!”
The old nursemaid approached Yun Xuesheng with a vicious expression, raising her hand high.
Beneath her sleeve, Yun Xuesheng’s hand clenched tightly, the cold iron pressed firmly against her skin.
In this life, she would never be at anyone’s mercy again!
She—
“Stop!”
A cold, stern voice came from outside the door. Yun Xuesheng turned to look. In the fading light of the sun, Yun Hong entered the room in his wheelchair.
Yun Xuesheng’s heart relaxed for a moment, but quickly tensed again.
She hadn’t yet treated Yun Hong’s legs, and in her previous life, Yun Hong had doted on Yun Man greatly. Even after Yun Man had broken his heart, he still kept sending her things.
Would Yun Hong take her side?