Zhuang Hui had actually regained her senses the moment she steadied herself on the ground.
Not only was Zhao Jingzhi there, but Zhao Changting was also present. She could be absolutely certain of her safety now. Compared to the terror of facing Tang Wei alone earlier, being held by Zhao Changting as they jumped into the courtyard was nothing to fear at all.
But, but Zhao Changting was still holding her and wouldn’t let go!!
When they were about to fall from the top of the wall, Zhao Changting grabbing her could be explained as an emergency situation where he couldn’t afford to be too careful. She was grateful for that. But now they were standing firmly on the ground—why was he still holding her tightly without letting go?
If she struggled too hard, not only would it seem like she was burning bridges and casting doubt on his character, but it might also attract his attention, right? Weren’t many male characters in novels quite foolish, thinking that when a woman says “no,” she actually means “yes”?
Zhuang Hui didn’t want to attract Zhao Changting’s attention or have him think she was playing some kind of hard-to-get game. So she simply kept her eyes on Tang Wei, pretending to still be shaken and frightened from the scare.
And because Zhao Changting held on for so long without letting go, she couldn’t help but tremble slightly, even her eyelashes quivering—which, to be fair, didn’t seem entirely acted.
“Open the door! Open it right now if you don’t want to die!” Zhao Jingzhi’s voice came from the courtyard gate.
Thank heavens. Hearing this, Zhao Changting finally released her.
Zhuang Hui subtly stepped aside and let out a soft sigh of relief.
The courtyard gate was opened by a sturdy maidservant. Zhao Jingzhi rushed in with Huamei, heading straight for Zhuang Hui. “Sister Hui, are you alright? Are you hurt?”
Holding Zhao Jingzhi’s hand, Zhuang Hui belatedly felt her teeth chattering slightly. “I’m fine, I’m fine.”
Zhuang Hui glanced at her, then walked toward Tang Wei, who was still curled up on the ground. “Where does it hurt?”
Tang Wei was somewhat plump, with arms shorter than average, so even curled up, he couldn’t quite reach the injured area. He could only point vaguely, crying, “Here, it hurts here. Liar, wife is a liar, wuwu…”
Wife?
Zhuang Hui’s expression darkened, though he wasn’t about to argue with a fool. Instead, he raised his hand and knocked Tang Wei unconscious.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jingzhi was explaining the situation outside to Zhuang Hui. “There were two maidservants. They looked like they wanted to run but didn’t dare. I knew something was wrong as soon as I saw them, so I grabbed one and made her open the gate.”
Zhuang Hui gritted her teeth. “What about the other one?”
Zhuang Hui: “She ran off, probably to report back.”
Most likely.
Once someone runs away, it won’t be easy to catch them later and settle the score.
Zhuang Hui looked up at the taller, sturdy maidservant standing by the door. The woman now clearly knew fear—not only was her face pale, but she was also visibly trembling as she leaned against the doorframe.
Zhuang Hui was still furious. She let go of Zhao Jingzhi and strode toward the maidservant.
She walked so quickly that it was obvious she was injured in her leg or foot, limping slightly.
Zhuang Hui watched with a pang of heartache and hurried after her. “Sister Hui.”
The tall maidservant from the Tang Family watched Zhuang Hui approach, having long lost the arrogance she showed when she grabbed Zhuang Hui earlier, as well as the audacity she and the shorter maidservant displayed when insulting Zhuang Hui. Now, her voice trembled as she said, “M-Miss Zhuang.”
Zhuang Hui stopped in front of her. “Was it you who cursed my mother earlier?”
Yes, but the tall maidservant didn’t dare admit it. Taking advantage of the short maidservant’s absence, she quickly shook her head and said, “No, it wasn’t me. It was that Lü maidservant just now. Yes, it was Lü maidservant who cursed… the Marquess’s wife.”
But Zhuang Hui thought, whether it was Lü maidservant’s curse or yours, you both deserve to die!
Actually killing someone was of course impossible, but since her mouth was already rotten, she might as well not have one at all!
Thinking this, Zhuang Hui’s eyes instantly turned fierce. Without another word, she used both hands, grabbing the tall maidservant’s mouth from left and right.
She was furious, using all the strength she had left, pinching and pulling until she tore the corners of the tall maidservant’s mouth. The maidservant couldn’t even control her drool as it streamed down.
Zhao Jingzhi was stunned, even a little frightened. Why was Sister Hui so enraged?
What exactly did this maidservant say to curse Mother?
The pain was too intense, and the tall maidservant naturally wanted to escape, but Zhao Changting had somehow walked over and now stood behind Zhuang Hui, saying coldly, “Don’t move!”
At this point, the tall maidservant was even afraid of Zhuang Hui and Zhao Jingzhi, let alone Zhao Changting?
So she instantly froze.
Zhuang Hui also paused for a moment, but then realized Zhao Changting’s rebuke was likely directed at the maidservant. Even though she knew he was watching from behind her, she couldn’t care less and kept pulling until both corners of the tall maidservant’s mouth bled.
Finally venting her anger, Zhuang Hui released the tall maidservant. Wiping the filth from her hands with disgust, she said, “Even if your mistress ordered you and you dared not refuse, you shouldn’t have such a foul, venomous mouth!”
The maidservant held her cheeks carefully with both hands, too timid and in too much pain to make a sound.
Estimating that the maidservant who had gone to report would soon return with others, Zhuang Hui didn’t dare linger. She pulled Zhao Jingzhi and said, “A Zhi, let’s hurry back. I need to change my clothes quickly.”
Otherwise, in this disheveled state, even if the Tang Family didn’t try to pin anything on her, it would damage her reputation and lead to gossip.
Zhao Jingzhi snapped back to reality. “Right, Sister Yingtáo went to find Fourth Aunt, and that maidservant went to report. Someone will probably come soon.”
Wanting to leave, they both looked at Zhao Changting. The cleanup here would have to be left to him.
Zhao Changting nodded. “Go ahead.”
As Zhuang Hui and Zhao Jingzhi turned to leave, he suddenly added, “Did you vent your anger? Do you want to do anything else?”
Though he didn’t address anyone, both Zhuang Hui and Zhao Jingzhi knew he was speaking to Zhuang Hui. Did she vent her anger?
Of course not. She was just no longer angry at the foul-mouthed maidservant. The score with Second Madam Tang still hadn’t been settled.
But doing anything else… what more could she do?
Today’s incident, first of all, hadn’t caused serious consequences. In fact, she was completely unharmed, while Tang Wei was probably half-crippled from her kick. Secondly, even if it escalated, even if Second Madam Tang apologized publicly and was punished by Old Madam Tang, her own reputation would still be completely ruined.
Her mother would be furious and heartbroken.
So perhaps it was better not to fight for this grievance.
But when she spoke, her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own: “I don’t want to do anything else.”
Because there was nothing more she could do.
And she didn’t answer the first question because she still hadn’t vented her anger.
Zhao Changting acted as if he had only asked casually or hadn’t noticed her skipping the first question, nodding and saying, “Alright, then go ahead.”
When women from wealthy households go out, they always bring at least one change of clothes in the carriage as a precaution. Zhuang Hui and Zhao Jingzhi hurried back to the room where they had changed earlier. Tang Wanqiao and her maid were already gone, so Zhao Jingzhi distracted the coarse maid guarding the door while Zhuang Hui immediately entered the room and changed into the clean clothes she had brought earlier.
Fortunately, she had only applied eyebrow pencil and lipstick before going out today, so there was no smudged makeup to fix. She simply reapplied some lipstick, re-styled her hair, and when she came out, nothing seemed amiss.
The maid guarding the door had already returned and was surprised to see Zhuang Hui, but she wisely said nothing.
Zhao Jingzhi, however, was not in the courtyard. After what had just happened, Zhuang Hui was now like a startled bird, so she immediately took Huamei to look for her. Unexpectedly, as soon as they left the small courtyard, they saw Yingtáo hurrying toward them and the backs of a group of people heading northwest.
Instinctively, Zhuang Hui pulled Huamei back into the small courtyard.
Yingtáo quickened her pace from a fast walk to a jog and soon ran into the small courtyard, embracing Zhuang Hui tightly. “Miss! Miss, it’s such a relief that you’re alright!”
Afraid that crying would draw unwanted attention, she bit her lip hard to hold back tears, but her eyes gradually turned red.
“Yes, I’m fine, I’m perfectly fine. Don’t worry,” Zhuang Hui comforted her before quickly asking, “Did you just go to find Fourth Aunt? Does my mother know I went missing? Is she alright?”
Yingtáo held back her tears and replied, “Madam probably doesn’t know yet. As soon as I finished speaking with Fourth Madame, I saw a maid from the Tang Family hurriedly go to find Second Madam Tang. Then Second Madam Tang said something about an auspicious sign appearing in the house and convinced everyone to go see it. They just left and haven’t arrived yet.”
At first, she thought something had happened to Zhuang Hui and was so frightened her legs went weak. It was only after Fourth Madame scolded her harshly and told her to hurry over to check the situation that she mustered the strength to come.
To her surprise, she first saw the Second Young Miss, who was smiling and chatting happily, and she immediately felt reassured.
Sure enough, the Second Young Miss soon approached her and said that the Young Miss was fine, telling her to come to this small courtyard.
Since Zhuang Mingxiang didn’t know yet, Zhuang Hui felt relieved. However, she still needed to make an appearance as soon as possible. Otherwise, if Second Madam Tang tried to smear her reputation in her absence, her mother would surely worry.
Gently patting Yingtáo’s back, Zhuang Hui coaxed, “Alright, it’s fine now. There’s about to be a show to watch. Wipe your tears, and let’s go watch it too.”
Yingtáo nodded tearfully but asked, “A show? What show?”
She was still confused and hadn’t fully grasped the situation.
Zhuang Hui replied, “Naturally, it’s Second Madam Tang’s show.”
Zhuang Hui had expected to see Second Madam Tang come up empty-handed or perhaps only Tang Wei lying on the ground, clutching his plump self and crying in pain. However, she hadn’t anticipated that the upcoming show would be embellished by Zhao Changting.
…
When Yingtáo went to fetch Fourth Madame, Zhuang Mingxiang was being held in conversation by Second Madam Tang and thus didn’t know about it.
But when Fourth Madame returned, although she refused to say anything, her visibly unpleasant expression was something Zhuang Mingxiang noticed.
Later, when Second Madam Tang returned beaming with joy, claiming that an auspicious sign had been discovered in a courtyard in the northwest corner of the house and convincing everyone to go see it—while repeatedly glancing at her with meaningful looks—even Zhuang Mingxiang, slow as she was, sensed something was wrong. However, what she assumed was that Zhao Changting had been framed.
So although she was also anxious and angry, she was not overwhelmed by great fury or sorrow, and her emotions remained relatively stable. But when she encountered Zhao Jingzhi halfway, not seeing Zhuang Hui, though she felt she shouldn’t, her heart still gave a sudden jolt.
Fortunately, Zhao Jingzhi quickly stepped forward, took her hand, and gave it a discreet squeeze.
Zhuang Mingxiang had watched Zhao Jingzhi grow up, so she understood her temperament very well. If something had truly happened to Zhuang Hui, Zhao Jingzhi would never be this calm.
Knowing it wasn’t Zhuang Hui who was in trouble, Zhuang Mingxiang’s heart, which had risen to her throat, settled slightly.
They soon arrived at the small courtyard in the northwest corner of the Tang Family. The courtyard gate was locked, but there was no maidservant waiting at the entrance to open it. Second Madam Tang stood at the doorway, and for some reason, a sudden sense of foreboding welled up in her heart.
She turned to look for the maidservant who had earlier brought her the message, but when she glanced back, she saw only female relatives from the in-laws’ families and the married daughters of her own family—she couldn’t find that maidservant anywhere.
“Second cousin-in-law, what exactly is this auspicious sign? Don’t keep us in suspense, open the door and let us see.”
“Yes, cousin-in-law, we’re all so curious!”
“What’s going on? Didn’t you have someone guarding this place? Is there a key to unlock this door?”
Urged by questions from everyone, Second Madam Tang found herself with no chance to reconsider.
Just then, someone discovered a key on the stone wall nearby, so Second Madam Tang ultimately ordered a servant to open the door.
Upon opening the door, they saw people inside.
Tang Wei, lying unconscious on the ground, still curled up in a fetal position.
Tang Wanying, standing beside Tang Wei, her figure slender and delicate, but her face as pale as paper, trembling uncontrollably.
When Second Madam Tang saw that it was her own son and daughter in the courtyard, she felt her vision darken and nearly collapsed.
Steadying herself with the help of a servant, she immediately rushed to Tang Wanying: “Why are you here? What happened to Wei Ge’er? Zhuang…”
She wanted to ask, where is Zhuang Hui? Where has Zhuang Hui, who was supposed to be here, gone?
But Tang Wanying hurriedly grabbed her hand and pinched it hard.
Second Madam Tang winced in pain, snapped back to her senses, and swallowed the words that had been on the tip of her tongue.
However, aside from Zhuang Hui, she was more concerned about what had happened to Tang Wei. So, shaking off Tang Wanying’s hand, she quickly crouched down and struggled to lift Tang Wei’s head: “Wei Ge’er, Wei Ge’er, you… you’re injured?!”
Only then did she belatedly notice that Tang Wei’s face was bruised and swollen!
Tang Wei’s injuries were severe. Although he had been knocked unconscious by Zhao Changting, even in his unconscious state, he curled up in pain, continuously moaning in agony.
Second Madam Tang’s heart was shattered. This son of hers had become intellectually disabled due to a high fever from her neglect when he was young. She felt both deep affection and guilt toward him. Even after giving birth to a healthy younger son later, she still favored Tang Wei more.
That was why she had schemed against Zhuang Hui—a beautiful girl from a respectable family—because in Second Madam Tang’s mind, only a girl like Zhuang Hui was barely worthy of Tang Wei.
But she never expected that Zhuang Hui would disappear, and her Wei Ge’er would be injured!
Was it Zhuang Hui who did this?
It must have been Zhuang Hui. She must have been the one who hurt Wei Ge’er!
Second Madam Tang was instantly filled with regret. She should have listened to Auntie Xue’s advice and left someone to accompany Wei Ge’er.
But, but Wei Ge’er is a man. Even if he is mentally immature, he is still a man. If even such matters were to be watched by maidservants, wouldn’t that strip him of all dignity?
Moreover, who could have imagined that Zhuang Hui, that little vixen, would be so formidable—not only escaping but also injuring Wei Ge’er? Second Madam Tang held Tang Wei’s head tightly, her heart torn between hatred and pain. “Wei Ge’er, tell Mother, where does it hurt?”
Tang Wei was in excruciating pain, and as Second Madam Tang shook and embraced him, he finally stirred awake.
Opening his eyes to see Second Madam Tang, the person closest to him, he immediately burst into loud sobs. “Wah… Mother… Wei Ge’er hurts… Wei Ge’er’s pee-pee place hurts so much…”
Tang Wei’s words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake. The female guests, who had previously only exchanged shocked glances, now gasped in alarm, whispered among themselves, or rushed forward to pull Tang Wanying aside and shield her.
The small courtyard had its gate tightly locked, with only Tang Wei and Tang Wanying inside, and Tang Wei was crying out in pain…
Given these circumstances, it was impossible for the female guests not to speculate.
Even if Tang Wei was simple-minded, he was already fifteen or sixteen years old. Boys of that age, though not yet married or with concubines, in families like theirs often understood such matters. So, had Tang Wei developed desires of his own and tried to force himself on his younger sister Tang Wanying, only to be injured by her?
Everyone thought so, including Tang Jiaoyu, who had rushed to protect Tang Wanying.
Tang Jiaoyu was the youngest daughter of Lady Peng—the one Lady Peng had once hoped to marry to Marquis Changping but failed. She doted on her niece Tang Wanying but lacked the maternal affection and pity Second Madam Tang felt for her simple-minded nephew Tang Wei. In fact, she even felt some disdain for him.
Thus, she now angrily exclaimed, “Second Sister-in-law, don’t go too far! Yingjie’er is also your own daughter!”
Second Madam Tang was stunned by the accusation. What did this have to do with her? What had she done to be called “too far”?
But as she looked around, aside from Tang Jiaoyu, all the other female guests—whether usually friendly or not—were looking at her with disapproval, even condemnation.
She instantly understood.
These people… these people actually misunderstood her, thinking she would sacrifice Yingjie’er for Wei Ge’er!
Was she insane? One was her son, the other her daughter—both her own flesh and blood!
“Tang Jiaoyu, what nonsense are you spewing?!” she shouted, losing her composure, and pointed accusingly at Tang Wanying. “Yingjie’er, you tell them! Explain to everyone what really happened!”
“Weren’t you supposed to be in the garden entertaining the young ladies? How did you end up here?!”
“I… I…” Tang Wanying didn’t know how to respond.
She was indeed supposed to be in the garden accompanying the young ladies, but her grandmother wanted her to meet Zhao Changting privately, while her mother wanted her to lure Zhuang Hui away. She had to handle two tasks alone, yet neither could be revealed.
As for why she had entered this small courtyard, it was actually Zhao Changting who had thrown her in.
But on one hand, she had no proof, and on the other, why would Zhao Changting throw her in? If she wasn’t in the garden with the young ladies, how did she encounter Zhao Changting, an unrelated man? What had she done to provoke him into throwing her?
She couldn’t say anything; speaking would only make things worse for her. Tang Wanying’s tears streamed down her face in desperation.
To the female guests, this seemed like a silent admission.
Tang Jiaoyu, furious, pointed at Second Madam Tang and shouted, “And you still deny it?!”
Second Madam Tang was furious. If she weren’t still holding Tang Wei’s head, she would have rushed over to beat Tang Wanying to death. “I really didn’t do it! Use your brain and think—how could I possibly do such a thing!”
Using one’s brain to think, of course, made it clear that this was indeed highly unlikely.
But the reality was now laid bare before everyone, leaving no other excuses to absolve her.
Tang Jiaoyu, aside from doting on her niece Tang Wanying, also had many grievances with Second Madam Tang as sisters-in-law. Thus, she chose the narrative that seemed more favorable to the Tang Family: “The facts are right in front of you, yet you still refuse to admit it. Your mouth is truly stubborn!”
This approach not only painted her niece as a pitiful victim pushed to the brink and forced to retaliate but also taught Second Madam Tang a lesson. Why not take advantage of the situation?
Second Madam Tang gritted her teeth, glaring at Tang Jiaoyu with eyes sharp as knives for a moment before turning to look at the other female guests. She saw anger on some faces, while many others regarded her with disdain.
However, it wasn’t that everyone truly believed Second Madam Tang had locked her son and daughter together. Instead, they thought she was too foolish. The talk of auspicious signs now seemed like her attempt to scheme against others, but she had ended up harming her own children instead—truly reaping what she had sown.
At this moment, Second Madam Tang was both heartbroken for her son and consumed by rage, unable to think calmly. She assumed they believed the accusations. Instantly, she felt everything was over—her reputation, her entire life!
No, she couldn’t let it end like this. Even if it had to end, she had to accomplish at least one thing. She couldn’t go down in vain!
Gently setting Tang Wei’s head down, she stood up. First, she barked at the nearby servants, “What are you standing around for? Can’t you see the Third Young Master is injured? Go fetch a doctor immediately!”
Once the servants hurried off, she lightly smoothed the wrinkles on her clothes and raised her eyes to look at Zhuang Mingxiang, though her words were addressed to everyone: “I don’t know how Ying Jie’er ended up here. But what I do know is that earlier, someone else was here playing with my Wei Ge’er, and Wei Ge’er’s injuries were likely inflicted by that person!”
The crowd didn’t know what she was scheming now, so they all waited quietly for her to continue.
Tang Wanying, hearing this, realized something and wanted to stop her but hesitated. In the end, she spoke up just before Second Madam Tang could continue, “Yes, when I arrived here, Wei Ge’er was already injured.”
Tang Jiaoyu shot her a glare and voiced the question on everyone’s behalf: “Then who injured Wei Ge’er? Who was playing with him?”
Second Madam Tang fixed her gaze on Zhuang Mingxiang. “It was the eldest daughter of the Changping Marquisate, Zhuang Hui!”
Zhuang Mingxiang had already sensed something amiss. Upon hearing this, her expression changed drastically. But at that moment, a familiar hand slipped into hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze, followed by a familiar voice whispering in her ear, “Me?”
Zhuang Mingxiang was overjoyed. “Hui Hui!”
Zhuang Hui smiled at her before turning to face Second Madam Tang. “Second Aunt, are you referring to me?”
Second Madam Tang stared at Zhuang Hui with shock and venomous hatred. She couldn’t believe it—her Wei Ge’er was injured in his most vital area, curled up on the ground crying in pain, yet Zhuang Hui was perfectly fine, seemingly without a scratch!
“You—you weren’t wearing these clothes earlier!” she pointed at Zhuang Hui, highlighting the key detail.
Zhuang Hui was strikingly beautiful, and her status as someone brought into the Changping Marquisate by Zhuang Mingxiang drew attention, so many people indeed remembered what she had worn earlier—it was certainly not this outfit.
Zhuang Mingxiang naturally remembered even more clearly and immediately tightened her grip on Zhuang Hui’s hand.
Zhuang Hui glanced down at her clothes, but when she looked up, her expression remained unchanged: “Yes, I changed my clothes. As for why I changed, Miss Tang the Eldest might not know, but Miss Tang the Second, Miss Tang the Third, and the other four sisters who were in the hexagonal pavilion at the time should all be aware.”
“What’s the matter, Second Aunt? What are you all talking about? Does it have something to do with me changing my clothes?”
Second Madam Tang believed Zhuang Hui was putting up a desperate front. She knew exactly how Zhuang Hui had been locked in this courtyard—it was she who had sent two sturdy maids to apprehend her there, and they had reported back to her immediately after confining her.
What infuriated her was that the maid who later came to deliver the news had not given the full story, leading her to mistakenly believe that Wei Ge’er had succeeded. That was why she had rushed over with others, hoping to catch Zhuang Hui red-handed. Yet, to her surprise, the situation had completely spiraled out of her expectations!
Even so, Zhuang Hui had changed her clothes, clearly indicating that her previous attire could no longer be worn.
As long as she could find those clothes—or even without searching, simply by lifting the corner of Zhuang Hui’s sleeve—she was certain to uncover something amiss. After all, Wei Ge’er was a man; even if he hadn’t succeeded, he would surely have left marks on her body!
Second Madam Tang was well aware that her actions were outrageous and would thoroughly offend the Zhao Family and Zhuang Mingxiang.
But she could no longer afford to care. Things had escalated to this point, and her reputation was already ruined. Moreover, her Wei Ge’er had been injured in that sensitive area. If he were to be left childless for life, Zhuang Hui must be held accountable!
Therefore, even if she couldn’t marry Zhuang Hui into the family, she was determined to ruin her—only then would it be fair!
“Of course it matters!” she said coldly. “Zhuang Hui, do you think others will believe whatever you say? Where are the clothes you changed out of? Can’t they be shown to anyone?”
Zhao Jingzhi finally seized the opportunity to speak. She angrily retorted, “Second Aunt, how can you be so aggressive! Many of us sisters witnessed why Hui Jiejie changed her clothes—it was because of your poor management and negligence! Your servant spilled a plate of hot pastries onto Hui Jiejie’s skirt!”
“With her skirt soiled, shouldn’t she change it?!”
Second Madam Tang pressed, “Then why change the top as well, if it was only the skirt that was dirty?”
Before Zhao Jingzhi and Zhuang Hui could respond, Zhuang Mingxiang stepped forward, shielding both of them behind her, and declared, “How utterly ridiculous! Of course, clothes should be matched as a set. Families like ours are not so impoverished as to pair one top with all skirts!”
“Second Madam Tang, what exactly do you mean today? What are you trying to do?”
“We all sympathize with you—your son injured, your daughter not siding with you—but must you act like a rabid dog, biting everyone in sight? My daughter and I have never wronged you!”
With that, she called out to Fourth Madame, “Fourth Sister-in-law, since the Tang Family does not welcome our visit, let us leave. Better than staying here to be bitten by a mad dog!”
Zhuang Mingxiang, coming from a merchant background and having spent six or seven years in the harsh, backward Mobei, possessed a formidable nature at her core. Now, thoroughly enraged, she no longer cared for elegance or propriety in her speech.
Seeing them about to leave, Second Madam Tang was unwilling to let them go. She raised her voice and exclaimed, “What? Struck a nerve, and now you’re fleeing out of guilt?”
“You mad dog!” Zhuang Mingxiang cursed under her breath. Releasing Zhuang Hui and Zhao Jingzhi, she turned and charged toward Second Madam Tang, her pregnant belly leading the way.
Second Madam Tang straightened her back, prepared to engage in a proper debate with Zhuang Mingxiang.
To her surprise, Zhuang Mingxiang had no intention of debating. As soon as she reached her, Zhuang Mingxiang rolled up her sleeves and delivered a hard slap across her face. Before Second Madam Tang could react, she followed with another slap from the opposite direction.
Not to mention others, even Zhuang Hui was stunned. Having been mother and daughter for eight years, this was the first time she had seen Zhuang Mingxiang fly into such a rage.
After slapping her twice in a row, Zhuang Mingxiang shook her slightly numb and painful hand, scolding harshly, “If you don’t want that rotten mouth of yours anymore, I’ll help you smash it! Better than letting a dog’s mouth spit out no ivory!”
How familiar these words sounded! Zhao Jingzhi turned to look at Zhuang Hui, thinking, truly mother and daughter!
But Zhuang Hui didn’t think that much. She was afraid Zhuang Mingxiang would get so angry she might fall ill, and also worried that Second Madam Tang might retaliate and hurt Zhuang Mingxiang. So she hurriedly stepped forward with Fourth Madame to support Zhuang Mingxiang, shielding her behind them, one on each side.
However, Second Madam Tang didn’t get the chance to say or do anything more, because Old Madam Tang had received the news and rushed over.
Not just her—Zhao Changting, Marquis Changping, as well as Tang Shinian and Tang Jinnian, the two brothers, had all arrived.
Old Madam Tang’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and Tang Jinnian even stepped forward and slapped Second Madam Tang as well.
Mother and son were nearly driven to tears by Second Madam Tang’s stupidity. They had originally intended to take this opportunity to let Tang Wanying get close to Zhao Changting, preferably by making intimate gestures for others to see, forcing Zhao Changting to marry Tang Wanying.
Who would have thought their plan was well-calculated, but Second Madam Tang was so foolish as to drag them down, actually scheming against Zhuang Hui!
If she had the ability to truly succeed in her scheme, even if it displeased the Zhao family, they could still make amends by formally marrying Zhuang Hui into their family and entrusting the management of the Guogong Mansion to her.
But look at her—full of foolish ideas, yet utterly incapable!
Now, with no witnesses or evidence, she was still foolish enough to bite back—truly the epitome of stupidity!
Tang Jinnian’s slap sent Second Madam Tang tumbling to the ground. He then turned to apologize to Marquis Changping.
As for Old Madam Tang, despite her advanced age and status as the former Guogong Madam, and though she inwardly looked down on Zhuang Mingxiang, she now had no choice but to lower her head to Zhuang Mingxiang for the sake of her foolish daughter-in-law.
But Zhuang Mingxiang ignored her. After Marquis Changping appeared, Zhuang Mingxiang, half feeling reassured and supported, half deliberately, instantly reddened her eyes. Gone was the fierceness she had shown while slapping earlier, replaced by a pitiful tone: “Marquis…”
How could Marquis Changping spare any attention for Tang Jinnian? He immediately grasped one of Zhuang Mingxiang’s hands, both angry and anxious, saying, “Xiangxiang, don’t worry. What happened? Tell me slowly. I’m here—I won’t let you suffer any grievance!”
Before Zhuang Mingxiang could speak, Zhuang Hui directly complained with a tearful voice, “Father, it was Second Aunt. She bullied me, slandered me. My mother got angry and wanted to take me away, but she wouldn’t allow it!”
Zhao Jingzhi chimed in, “Yes, yes, that’s exactly what happened, Father!”
Zhao Changting had initially found it hard to watch his father lose all rationality and self-control the moment he saw his stepmother. How could a dignified man be so controlled by a woman’s emotions?
But besides Zhuang Mingxiang’s reddened eyes and pitiful demeanor, Zhuang Hui had instantly adopted a tearful tone to complain. And as soon as she finished speaking, tears rolled down her face, which showed no trace of sweat or redness—leaving him utterly astonished.
After changing clothes and appearing so aggrieved and pitiful, was this still the same Zhuang Hui who had kicked Tang Wei into incapacitation, climbed over walls, and torn the mouth of the Tang Family’s old servant?
With such acting skills, why didn’t she go perform in operas?
Author’s Note: To celebrate the VIP release, I’ll be giving out small red envelopes in the comments for this chapter. Don’t worry about missing out—VIP chapters will be posted for three consecutive days!