“Who cursed you? And what does being cursed have to do with your hand hurting?” Xiao Xu glanced at the commotion nearby, immediately catching the key point in Mi Yao’s words.
“That child called Ma Hu cursed me. His words were vile. I raised my hand and struck him. His skin is thick, his flesh tough—my palm hurt from hitting him.” Mi Yao made no attempt to conceal her actions. When Xiao Xu asked, she told the truth plainly.
Her honesty made Xiao Xu pause mid-step, his gaze shifting from the crowd to her. He had no concern for the neighbor’s child, but faintly recalled that the Ma boy was younger than Xiao Liang. For her to strike a four-year-old and then seek his support?
For a moment, Xiao Xu wanted only to leave, to avoid being dragged into a meaningless quarrel. But it was too late.
Old Madam Ma, seeing Mi Yao accuse first, hurried forward with her grandson, showing Xiao Xu the slap mark on Ma Hu’s face.
“Commander Xiao, look—my grandson is so young, yet this wicked woman dared raise her hand against him!”
“Exactly. Xiao Lang, look at how foul his words must have been, to drive me—such a delicate young lady—to such anger, to strike him so hard.”
“You woman, twisting black and white! You struck my grandson—how could that possibly be his fault?”
“If not his fault, then yours. You failed to raise him properly. An old woman and a child come to another’s house to make trouble—I’ve never heard of guests who strike the household’s young master and curse its future mistress.”
Mi Yao’s face was cold as she spoke. Then, turning to Xiao Xu, she softened again, tugging at his sleeve with a plaintive tone: “Xiao Lang, them bullying me is no different from bullying you.”
When Xiao Xu heard her say “the old one struck the household’s young master,” his gaze shifted to Xiao Liang and Xiao Shan.
Seeing Xiao Liang’s tear-streaked face, he realized the “young master who was struck” referred to him.
“What happened?” Xiao Xu asked, looking at Xiao Liang.
“What else? My Hutou was kindly playing with him, but he repaid kindness with blows, injuring my grandson!”
Old Madam Ma spoke first. Ma Hu nodded along, pointing at Xiao Liang: “Erlang hit me first.”
“Children’s quarrels are no great matter. Let them both apologize to each other.”
Madam Pan then spoke: “Hutou, why don’t you apologize to Erlang first?”
It was clear that Ma Hu feared his mother. Though her tone was gentle, he grudgingly shuffled toward Xiao Liang, intending to obey and apologize.
“Then Xiao Liang should apologize as well.”
Xiao Xu’s cold gaze fell on Xiao Liang. To Mi Yao, his look was not that of a father at his son, but of an enemy. She had intended to stay out of it, but seeing Xiao Liang clench his fists, sobbing as he prepared to apologize to Ma Hu, she could not.
Thinking of how familiar Old Madam Ma and Ma Hu were in their act of one accusing and the other echoing, Mi Yao realized he must have suffered such grievances many times before. She finally opened her mouth: “Erlang, tell me what really happened. Don’t say it for others to hear—say it for me. I didn’t slap that ugly brat for your sake, but I was dragged into this mess because of you.”
At her words, Xiao Xu cast Mi Yao a sidelong glance.
“Madam…” Xiao Liang remembered he could not yet call Mi Yao “Mother.” She said she hadn’t struck Hutou for his sake, but he believed she had.
Pressing his lips together, trembling and sobbing, Xiao Liang said to Mi Yao: “It was Hutou who snatched my things. I didn’t want to give them to him. Old Madam Ma saw and said I was stingy, told me to hand them over. I refused, so Hutou kept crying and fussing. Later, Old Madam Ma took advantage of my inattention and grabbed them. After Hutou tasted the pastry, he said it was cold and not good, called me a beggar, threw it to the ground, and stomped on me—so I pushed him…”
As he spoke, tears spilled again. He stole a glance at Xiao Xu, saw the cold hardness on his face, and his body stiffened.
“You’re lying! Who stole your things!” Old Madam Ma, seeing the matter about to be settled, grew furious at Mi Yao for stirring trouble and letting Xiao Liang speak. She moved as if to shove him.
“Stop her.” Mi Yao ordered Shi Ya.
“No one stole his things. Hutou only saw the pastry and wanted to eat. He ate two bites of Erlang’s pastry, and Erlang, being stingy, struck my grandson.”
“That’s not true! You stole it. That was the pastry Madam gave to my sister. She hadn’t finished it, so I hid it in my room to eat a little by little when I was hungry. Hutou rummaged it out.”
Hearing that the quarrel had begun over the pastry she had given, Mi Yao beckoned Xiao Liang: “Come here. You’ve spoken the truth. Your father is not a fool who sides with outsiders’ children to bully his own. He won’t let you suffer injustice for nothing.”
Then, meeting Xiao Xu’s gaze, she smiled sweetly: “Xiao Lang, quickly judge for us. Don’t forget your promise—to carefully tend this fragile little flower of mine.”
Old Madam Ma nearly clawed Mi Yao’s fox-like face in rage. How could there be such a shameless woman, acting spoiled and coquettish before a man in public, no different from a courtesan in a brothel?
Old Madam Ma was furious, while Madam Pan was uneasy. In her past life, she had not paid attention to Mi Yao’s behavior when she first arrived at the Xiao household. But she remembered that Mi Yao, preoccupied with the uncertain fate of her lover, had shown Xiao Xu no warmth, even causing a scandal at their wedding by refusing to bow at the ceremony.
Yet now Mi Yao’s gaze was tender—nothing like the cold indifference she remembered. A beauty cold as frost could already make men yield; how much more so when Mi Yao acted coquettish, her soft, delicate tone like a hook that melted hearts.
“Xiao Erlang struck my Hutou and you struck him too. If Commander Xiao is to judge, it should be in our favor. You woman from Jiangnan is sly and deceitful, twisting the truth!”
“Xiao Lang, look at her!” Mi Yao did not quarrel with Old Madam Ma. She only tugged lightly at Xiao Xu’s sleeve.
“It grows late. If Madam has no further business, she should take her grandson home.”
These words clearly placed Xiao Xu on Mi Yao’s side.
Old Madam Ma, realizing she had lost ground, flared her nostrils like an enraged ox: “For the commander’s sake, I’ll let Hutou’s grievance pass today. But Erlang is still young—lying at his age is intolerable. Commander, you must discipline him well at home, lest others corrupt him!”
With that, she carried off her grandson, leaving Xiao Liang standing anxiously behind. He dared not tell his father he had not lied, knowing it would be useless. He could only wait for punishment.
With the adversary gone, Mi Yao felt no joy in victory. Instead, she was stifled with anger, wanting to kick Xiao Xu.
What kind of father treats his own son like an enemy? No wonder, in the book, the original Mi Yao had been able to kill Xiao Liang and the others so easily.
Speaking of it, the original heroine’s ending was truly unjust. Xiao Xu, as a father, was of this nature—when his children died, he should have been glad. Yet he feigned grief, and in the end had his benefactor carved into pieces.
“Go back.” Xiao Xu did not punish Xiao Liang; he only dismissed him impatiently.
“You too, return.”
Once Xiao Liang left, Xiao Xu met Mi Yao’s gaze but had no intention of speaking further with her.
“I’m still feeling wronged. If I stay in the room, I’ll suffocate.”
“You struck someone—what grievance do you have?” Xiao Xu frowned, not understanding what Mi Yao was playing at. His cold face worked well enough on Xiao Liang and the others, but Mi Yao ignored it completely, forcing him to endure and ask what she truly wanted.
“I hit him, so his body was hurt. But he’s only four—pain fades quickly. Yet his words wounded my heart. Between body and heart, which do you think hurts more?”
Before answering Mi Yao, Xiao Xu turned to Madam Pan, who had not yet left with her family. “Madam Ma, do you still have business?”
Seeing his gaze, Madam Pan smiled sweetly: “I haven’t seen Ninth Brother in so long. No serious matter—just wanted to chat about family affairs.”
Mi Yao’s difference gnawed at her like a bone in the throat. Even knowing the timing was wrong, she wanted to wedge herself between them to stop Mi Yao from continuing her coquettish act in front of Xiao Xu.
“Madam Ma, Xiao Lang wasn’t truly asking if you had business. He meant you should know you’re in the way and leave. We are betrothed, and at this moment we have private words. Xiao Lang is thin-skinned—if others are present, he cannot easily soothe me.”
Mi Yao disliked the Ma family, so naturally, she would not spare Madam Pan. Moreover, Madam Pan, forgetting her own son and clinging to Xiao Xu with talk of old times, clearly had other intentions.
After a pause, Mi Yao continued: “Madam Ma, have you forgotten that Ma Hu is your own son? He was unruly, got slapped, and was sent away by the master of the house. Instead of disciplining him, you linger here. No wonder he turned out that way.”
Madam Pan’s smile froze. She was Zhao Tianhe’s foster daughter, yet Mi Yao dared speak to her so bluntly. It was as if, aside from Xiao Xu, no one else was worth Mi Yao’s regard.
“Lady Yu is new here and doesn’t know much. My life in the Ma household has not been easy.” At the last words, Madam Pan looked toward Xiao Xu.
“Not easy—and why look at Xiao Lang? Was he the one who made your life hard?”
Irritated by Madam Pan’s endless entangling, Mi Yao said directly, “If you have designs on Xiao Lang, then wait your turn. I have matters here. Can’t you come tomorrow instead?”
“Tomorrow is our wedding.” Xiao Xu reminded her. As soon as he spoke, he realized he had invited trouble. Sure enough, Mi Yao replied: “If a man has the heart, even a moment before the bridal chamber, he can still whisper sweet words to another. What does it matter if the wedding is tomorrow?”
She finished speaking, then paused and tugged at his sleeve again: “Does my lord enjoy watching women quarrel over you, or what? I am eager to lodge my complaint—quickly make room for me to do so.”
Xiao Xu had no desire to hear Mi Yao’s grievances, nor to linger and reminisce with Madam Pan.
Since he had to choose one, he said to Madam Pan, “Madam Ma, I appreciate your efforts for the wedding. But Lady Yu is unlikely to accept your goodwill. It would be best if you returned home now. I will send someone with thanks for your help today.”
Once Madam Pan departed, Xiao Xu fixed Mi Yao with a cold stare, truly feeling he had married trouble into his household. She refused to manage domestic affairs, yet when others came to help, she drove them away.
“What do you want? Shall I carve out the Ma boy’s heart and liver to compensate you for the insults you suffered?”
His tone was mocking. Mi Yao pretended not to notice: “If Xiao Lang were willing to do that, I would naturally be satisfied.”
“Yu Mi Yao, I despise troublesome people—whether they are women or beautiful.” Xiao Xu’s narrow eyes seemed layered with ice, cold and sharp.
He did not care how Mi Yao quarreled with others, but whatever disputes she stirred must be settled by herself. He would not be dragged into the role of judge and arbiter.
“Call me Huhu.” Facing his warning, Mi Yao lifted her lips in a radiant smile, reminding him sweetly.