The house servants all saw the fierce spirit Su Xiuer displayed when killing the dog, so they all hesitated and dared not go forward first.
Duan Zhenzhu was so angry she cursed, "Useless trash! You're a group of grown men, and she's just a lowly village woman. Even if she's strong, a stick each, and you could surround and kill her."
Her words made the house servants' eyes light up.
Exactly, there were so many of them. If they were afraid of a lowly village woman, how would they be able to show their faces in the future if this got out?
A burly man, carrying a wooden stick, rushed towards Su Xiuer first.
"Mother..." Su Xiaobao, who had been following Su Xiuer, called out worriedly.
"Don't be afraid," Su Xiuer turned her head. "Can your hands still move?"
"Yes," Su Xiaobao gritted his teeth and nodded. Although he looked disheveled, he had a stubborn, unyielding spirit for his age.
Su Xiuer smiled in satisfaction, bent down, and tossed Su Xiaobao onto her back, urging, "Hold on tight."
After speaking, she dodged the charging house servant sideways with Su Xiaobao on her back and kicked him to the ground.
Relying on her strength and fierce spirit, she knocked two house servants protecting Duan Zhenzhu to the ground.
In the blink of an eye, she had pressed the butcher knife against Duan Zhenzhu's neck.
"Believe it or not, I'll disfigure your face and break your legs right now?"
The cold butcher knife, carrying the smell of blood, pressed against her neck. Duan Zhenzhu's body stiffened, and she shivered. While furious, she felt even more heartache for Wei Mingze.
This lowly, damned fierce woman was indeed ferocious. No wonder Wei Lang was bullied without any power to fight back.
She was born a noble lady, and even if she was afraid, she could not bow to a lowly peasant.
Duan Zhenzhu stiffened her body and arrogantly threatened, "My father is the current Minister of War, and my mother is the Eldest Daughter of the Duke's Estate. If you dare to touch me, my parents can find a hundred ways to kill you, and then kill your bastard son."
"Oh, right. I heard that in the countryside, you have a lowly widowed mother. Guess what kind of death she'll die to accompany you to hell? How about sending her a few men first..."
"Shut up!"
Su Tianjiao was Su Xiuer's inverse scale. Her mother gave birth to her and raised her. She could accept others insulting her, but she absolutely could not insult her mother.
Su Xiuer's hand gripping the butcher knife moved forward half an inch. The blade grazed Duan Zhenzhu's neck skin, drawing blood.
"If you dare to mention my mother again, even if I have to risk being hunted by the Minister's Estate, I will make you taste death first."
Duan Zhenzhu winced in pain.
This was why she disliked lowly peasants.
They acted without thinking, driven only by impulse.
She was afraid, but she could not bow to a peasant.
However, when she spoke again, Duan Zhenzhu avoided mentioning Su Tianjiao. "You are inherently lowly people. I, this young lady, am merely stating the fact. Trading one for three, have you really thought it through?"
The situation became tense. Cui Juan and all the Duan Mansion house servants grew anxious. They were afraid Su Xiuer would really injure Duan Zhenzhu, making it difficult to explain back at the mansion.
But their young lady was accustomed to being willful and would never yield to a lowly village woman.
As they hoped and thought, they wished someone would step forward to mediate at this moment.
At the end of the road, a horse suddenly appeared. It was Chang Qing, the head servant of Minister Duan.
Chang Qing dismounted and said loudly, "Miss, Master wants you to return to the mansion immediately."
Wang Quan immediately turned to Su Xiuer and said, "Miss Su, for the sake of your family, release our young lady immediately. As long as you take your child and return to the countryside now, our Minister's Estate can let bygones be bygones."
"Why should I believe you?" Su Xiuer did not release her, and the butcher knife pressed harder against Duan Zhenzhu's neck.
The cut on Duan Zhenzhu's skin immediately began to bleed more.
Duan Zhenzhu's face turned paler, but she still held her head high.
Wang Quan, being the second steward of the mansion, naturally had some perception. He understood that Su Xiuer needed a guarantee from their young lady.
A lowly village woman actually had some cunning.
Wang Quan cautiously advised, "Miss, Master wants you to return to the mansion immediately; there's no time to delay. You know Master's temper; if you truly anger him, it will be difficult to explain."
Duan Zhenzhu's raised head slowly lowered. She glared at Su Xiuer and said, "Let go of me, and I'll let bygones be bygones."
Su Xiuer pursed her lips. What she wanted was a promise from Duan Zhenzhu at this moment.
She understood the principle of knowing when to stop.
Although she had strength, with Xiaobao, she couldn't possibly fight against the numerous people from the Minister's Estate.
Moreover, if Duan Zhenzhu died, the Minister's Estate would likely not let her mother off.
She wanted revenge on the Minister's Estate, not to sacrifice her entire family.
Su Xiuer withdrew her knife, pushed Duan Zhenzhu hard on the back, and then retreated a few steps herself, adopting a stance as if ready to fight again at any moment.
Duan Zhenzhu stumbled from the push, almost falling, but Cui Juan caught her.
After steadying herself, she touched her burning neck, turned around, and glared venomously at Su Xiuer and her son. "Wicked woman, you're lucky today. I'll let you off for now."
"If you dare to step into the Capital City again and damage Wei Lang's reputation, I will make sure your entire family has a terrible end. If you dare to report this to the authorities, feel free to try; I'll be waiting."
"Miss, Master is waiting," Wang Quan said, still somewhat fearful of Su Xiuer's stubbornness. Fearing further complications if they lingered, he urged her on.
Duan Zhenzhu hurried back to the Minister's Estate. As soon as she entered the study, Minister Duan slapped her. "Rebellious daughter! The entire Capital City is now spreading rumors that you are fighting over a man with a country village woman and that you're trying to kill someone to silence them over a man."
Duan Zhenzhu covered her face, her eyes reddening with grievance. "Father, it's all that village woman's fault. She relies on her strength, is wild and unreasonable, and wants to bind Wei Lang with a little bit of kindness."
Minister Duan flicked his sleeve and stared at Duan Zhenzhu. "That lowly woman is unappreciative, couldn't you have acted more discreetly and cleverly? If you wanted to set a fire, you should have watched to ensure she died, not given her a chance to speak again."
Duan Zhenzhu, prompted by Minister Duan, felt that her actions had indeed been too careless and was annoyed, wanting to rectify it immediately. "What should we do? Daughter, should I bring more people to kill her?"
Minister Duan glared at Duan Zhenzhu, almost laughing in anger. "Once the opportunity is missed, it's gone. Wei Mingze is a good prospect—obedient, talented, and without a strong background. You don't need to worry about this matter anymore; prepare for your engagement tomorrow."
After reprimanding Duan Zhenzhu, Minister Duan dismissed her.
Duan Zhenzhu left the study and, as she crossed the courtyard gate, met Cui Juan, who was hurrying over. Cui Juan lowered her voice to report.
"Miss, just now when Master was returning from court, a lowly person rushed out and pointed at Master's nose, cursing him for letting his daughter commit murder. They said you had already taken the child outside the city and were planning to kill again to silence witnesses."
"No wonder Father found out even though I told people to keep it from him," Duan Zhenzhu said with a dark expression, unable to understand. "That village woman just arrived in the Capital City; who would help her..."
As she spoke, her heart sank again.
Could it be Father's political enemies?
That's right.
Otherwise, why would Father be so furious?
Meanwhile.
After Duan Zhenzhu left, Su Xiuer had not yet departed.
She first cleaned Su Xiaobao's arm wound and then tore off a corner of her clothes to bandage it.
Fortunately, she had the medicine given by Shen Hui with her.
Su Xiaobao's little face was dirty. He didn't cry despite being injured. He watched Su Xiuer carefully bandage him and reached out his chubby little hand to touch her face.
"Mother, Xiaobao doesn't hurt at all. Don't be sad."
Su Xiuer's eyes turned red. After taking a deep breath, she looked up and, pretending to be relaxed, lightly flicked Su Xiaobao's forehead. "Mother isn't sad; Mother just feels heartache. Mother will definitely get justice for you."
Su Xiaobao showed his white teeth and smiled innocently. "I believe Mother."
"The common people cannot fight against officials. The lives of ordinary people are less than ants in the eyes of those nobles. Continuing to throw eggs at rocks will not end well."
Just as Su Xiaobao finished speaking to Su Xiuer, a voice came from above their heads.
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