“You should have listened to me earlier and sent her back to the Wen family. Then we wouldn’t have all these rumors.”
Madam Meng sighed as if she were deeply troubled.
“Mother, that’s not quite right, is it?” Shen Yunhuai said expressionlessly. “It’s because you failed to discipline the servants in your courtyard, allowing them to spread gossip outside and distort the facts. That can’t cover up your mismanagement.”
Madam Meng: “……”
Shen Yunhuai has really changed.
He was actually blaming her?
“Mu Si, what are you waiting for? Drag them all out. Cut out their tongues and sell them off.”
Shen Yunhuai smiled so faintly it made one’s scalp tingle.
“Madam, please save us! We won’t dare again, madam—!”
The maidservants cried and wailed.
Madam Meng felt a flicker of alarm, but still kept a forced smile on her face.
“Yunhuai, even if they were a bit loose-tongued, isn’t this punishment a bit too harsh? If word gets out, people might say you’re cruel.”
“As servants who spread rumors and speak ill of their masters behind their backs, I’ve only cut out their tongues instead of killing them. That already counts as mercy.”
Shen Yunhuai’s tone was calm.
All the servants trembled.
Madam Meng still wanted to speak, but Shen Yunhuai cut her off.
“Mother, I’m doing this for their own good. Otherwise, when they go to another household and repeat the same mistake, they might lose their lives if the new master is not merciful. Wouldn’t you say I’m saving them? Cutting out their tongues is just to teach them a lesson.”
Madam Meng: “……”
You’ve twisted every argument into your favor.
What am I even supposed to say?
Since when did Shen Yunhuai become so sharp-tongued?
No—this Shen Yunhuai she raised would never have such eloquence.
Madam Meng shot a cold glance at Wen Jiushu. Could it be she taught Shen Laosan to speak like this?
[So she thinks I taught my brother-in-law? Hah, she’s overthinking it. Maybe she just hasn’t noticed his natural “green tea” talent.]
Green tea again.
Seems big sister-in-law really likes that term.
Shen Yunhuai casually instructed, “The Shen household servants really lack awareness. Didn’t they see the mistress of the house sitting here? Why is there no tea being served?”
“Green tea.”
“Yes!” A maid hurried off trembling to prepare it.
Wen Jiushu: “……”
Looks like green tea really does like green tea.
Soon, a cup of green tea was placed before Wen Jiushu.
She didn’t mind and took a sip to moisten her throat.
Seeing her calm, unbothered expression, Madam Meng ground her teeth in anger. She hadn’t expected Wen Jiushu’s skin to be this thick—those ugly rumors hadn’t shaken her at all.
Fine.
Let them have their tongues cut out anyway. No need to worry about them talking nonsense later.
“My son has grown up. You’ve learned how to intimidate the servants. Mother is very pleased. Since I can’t intervene in my own courtyard people’s mistakes anymore, I won’t plead for them either. It would only make the servants think our mother-son relationship is soft and easy to exploit. The Shen household must maintain discipline. Do as my son says—take them away.”
Madam Meng waved her hand.
The maids looked in disbelief.
“Madam…”
But Butler Lin quickly covered their mouths before they could say anything harmful to her and dragged them away.
Madam Meng finally let out a breath of relief.
“I’m tired. If there’s nothing else, I’ll return to my room first.”
“Mother, please wait.”
Unexpectedly, Shen Yunhuai stopped her. Then he looked at everyone in the Shen household and said in a deep voice:
“I think even Mother’s title should be changed.”
“Changed? How?” Madam Meng felt a bad premonition rise.
As expected, Shen Yunhuai said, “Now that my elder brother is married, the household has a new mistress. Mother should henceforth be addressed as Old Madam. You’ve worked hard all these years; from now on, you need not worry about household affairs anymore. In the future, Sister-in-law will be the Madam of the Marquis household. Do you all understand?”
Madam Meng was shaking with rage.
Shen Yunhuai was stripping her of her authority.
The son she raised was turning on her!
A white-eyed wolf!
A complete ingrate!
“We understand!” the servants answered in unison.
Shen Yunhuai’s ruthless handling of the gossiping maidservants had already instilled fear throughout the household.
Wen Jiushu’s eyes flickered slightly.
“Third Brother means… I’ll be managing the household from now on?”
[Is he helping me establish authority?]
Shen Yunhuai nodded.
“Sister-in-law is the rightful mistress of the Marquis household. From now on, the Shen family will be in your care.”
Wen Jiushu: “……”
[This is not what I expected. Being the mistress sounds impressive, but it’s basically an unpaid full-time housekeeper managing an entire household. Can I refuse? I’m not interested in the housekeeper position at all.]