When the day for the Third Day Return Visit arrived, Xiao Ji indeed took Xie Linlang to visit their neighbors on both sides. Most of Xiao Ji’s neighbors had attended his wedding banquet and had heard about how the bride’s natal family had refused to allow the Third Day Return Visit. Therefore, no one was tactless enough to bring it up in front of Xie Linlang.
At each household they visited, the couple received warm hospitality. Because Han Zongqi’s wife had prevented everyone from entering to tease the bride on the wedding day, everyone was quite curious about Xiao Ji’s wife, who came from a prominent family.
The common folk among themselves harbored no ill intentions, though some secretly thought Xiao Ji’s wife would likely start causing trouble by the very next day. To their surprise, not only did she not cause any trouble, but she also went out with Xiao Ji on the second day.
It seemed Xiao Ji’s new bride was not the arrogant and domineering type. After all, everyone had been neighbors with Xiao Ji for many years and got along quite well. If Xiao Ji’s wife looked down on them as mere commoners, it would be awkward seeing each other all the time in the future.
Now, seeing Xie Linlang carry herself with grace and poise, her demeanor clearly marked her as someone from a distinguished family.
Even when she saw their slightly messy courtyards, she showed no sign of disdain, and she treated the children in their homes with gentleness.
Everyone suddenly felt that if it weren’t for her poor health, such a girl would never have ended up with a fellow like Xiao Ji.
Thus, some secretly envied Xiao Ji for his stroke of luck in marrying such a beautiful and sensible wife.
Xie Family
Today was supposed to be the day for the third young lady to return to her natal home after marriage, but the main gate of the Xie family remained tightly shut. Only the side gate was opened in the morning for people to come and go.
Madam Xie had been extremely busy with Xie Yurou’s wedding preparations recently. After properly sending her off, she felt somewhat unwell and was still resting quietly in her courtyard.
Yao Mama came to Minghui Courtyard every day to keep Madam Xie company, and naturally, their conversations often revolved around the eldest young lady, who was now married.
Madam Xie had invested no less effort in her daughter Xie Yurou than she had in her two sons.
Although her daughter had now married into a prestigious family and was highly regarded by her in-laws, as the old saying goes, “You worry about your child for ninety-nine years out of a hundred.”
With her daughter no longer by her side, Madam Xie missed her dearly. However, a married daughter couldn’t just return to her natal home whenever she pleased. Even if Xie Yurou wanted to return, Madam Xie would advise her to focus more on her husband.
Perhaps because the lady of the house was lax in her duties, Madam Xie had handled Xie Linlang’s wedding in an extremely perfunctory manner, and the servants followed her example.
Unwilling to deal further with a child who was not her own, she instructed the steward to privately advise Xie Linlang to stay properly in her husband’s home after marriage and not return to her natal home frequently.
But who could have imagined that fool would handle things so poorly, publicly telling Xie Linlang in front of so many people not to return for the Third Day Return Visit?
And that Xie Linlang—after being raised under her care for so many years, who would have thought she had the nerve to say such slanderous things about her?
What happened in the front courtyard of Xie Manor naturally couldn’t be hidden from Xie Yuanshou. This man originally paid no attention to his daughter Xie Linlang, but after returning home that day, he was displeased with her because of this incident. How could Madam Xie swallow such an insult?
Xie Yuanshou was certainly not angry because he pitied Xie Linlang for suffering unfair treatment. It was just that he had always prided himself on being a gentleman in public. Now, being outmaneuvered by that Chen fellow was one thing—he could marry her off smoothly and pretend this poor relative never existed.
But his usually shrewd and capable wife had made a foolish mistake in this matter, causing many colleagues in Qinren Lane to laugh at him. That was why Xie Yuanshou had taken out his displeasure on his wife.
The steward was Xie Yuanshou’s man, so even if she was dissatisfied, she couldn’t punish him. The only option was to settle the score with Xie Linlang.
Madam Xie thought that if Xie Linlang returned for Hui Men today, she would definitely teach this daughter of a concubine a proper lesson.
Nanny Yao knew best what Madam Xie was thinking. Seeing Madam Xie’s gloomy expression, she said, “Madam is the Legal Mother. Even if a married daughter of the Xie family behaves improperly, Madam has the right to discipline her. This Third Young Lady acts recklessly and defiantly. Madam should teach her a good lesson today, lest she tarnishes the Xie family’s dignity outside. Otherwise, if the younger masters and ladies see this and follow her example, showing disrespect to the Legal Mother, that would be unacceptable.”
Hearing this, Madam Xie nodded in satisfaction.
Neither the mistress nor her servant expected Xie Linlang to be so obedient—if she said she wouldn’t return for Hui Men, she truly didn’t. After all, who would willingly give up a natal family like that of the Vice Minister of Revenue?
It must be said that the reason Nanny Yao had maintained Madam Xie’s trust for so many years was not just because she was Madam Xie’s wet nurse. When it came to understanding Madam Xie’s thoughts, even the senior maid Meixiang couldn’t hold a candle to her.
Madam Xie put on a full display of authority, ready to give Xie Linlang a hard time. But as the morning passed, not even a ghostly shadow appeared.
Madam Xie’s face gradually darkened. Nanny Yao suggested again, “Madam, Third Young Lady has grown wings. She doesn’t stop to think that she’s only married to a lowly man—how could he possibly protect her?”
Nanny Yao’s meaning was clear: if Xie Linlang wouldn’t come to them, then they should trouble her worthless husband. That would still make her suffer.
For the first time in her life, Madam Xie had been slighted by a daughter of a concubine—one she had raised as a stepping stone for her own daughter. The thought of how Xie Linlang had once bowed and scraped before her, following her every command, filled Madam Xie with a sense of being fooled. She was determined to teach Xie Linlang a lesson.
But it must be said, these two were making a grave mistake by targeting Xiao Ji. In their eyes, Xiao Ji, a guard at Zhengyang Gate, was indeed a lowly man. However, “a third-rank official stands before the prime minister’s gate.” If the steward of Xie Manor could bully others by relying on his master’s influence, then the Guard Station guarding the emperor’s gate was the third-rank official before His Majesty.
Moreover, in Daqing, civil and military officials had always been clearly distinct, keeping to their own domains without interfering. Master Chen might not care about Xiao Ji’s life or death, but if something happened to Xiao Ji and the reason was linked to Xie Manor, Master Chen would undoubtedly pursue the matter relentlessly, tearing a piece of flesh from the Xie family.
Setting that aside, after nearly a century of development in Daqing, the penal and judicial systems had become extremely comprehensive. Even if a commoner’s family had a chicken stolen, there were strict penalties in place. This greatly regulated the oppression of the lower classes by the nobility.
Furthermore, the current Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture was the only son of the former Minister of Justice. Father and son were equally merciless, and no noble in the capital dared to commit crimes under his watch.
All of these factors greatly limited Madam Xie’s ability to exact revenge on Xiao Ji. Her subordinates had plenty of underhanded schemes to deal with Xiao Ji, but Xiao Ji, coming from the streets, was even more cunning. After days of back-and-forth skirmishes, Xiao Ji remained unfazed, while the thugs tasked with harassing him grew weary first.
After all, anyone who went out at night to cause trouble, only to wake up the next morning stripped naked and tied to a tree, would likely carry that psychological trauma for a lifetime.
As time passed, Madam Xie’s full attention was drawn to Xie Yurou’s joyful news of pregnancy, and no one paid any further mind to Xie Linlang and Xiao Ji.