Zhu Xinyan held Jiang Li with one hand and the invitation card with the other as she walked home.
Her excitement from seeing a handsome man gradually calmed down.
After all, she was someone who had received nine years of compulsory education. How could she be so easily bewitched by good looks?
There were scammers even in ancient times. Maybe those two were just baiting her.
They probably knew she had lost her husband and had no family to rely on, so they wanted to covet her massive fortune.
Zhu Xinyan glanced at the invitation in her hand and continued thinking:
Still, these swindlers were really willing to spend money. They had even sprinkled gold powder over the red paper. Looks like they’d scammed quite a lot of people before!
Lost in thought, she arrived at the entrance to her courtyard when she suddenly heard Qiao’er shrieking inside like a pig being slaughtered.
“What are you doing?! Why are you tying me up? Get your filthy hands off me!”
Qiao’er was the original owner’s personal maid. The two had grown up together, eating and sleeping side by side since childhood.
Though they were technically mistress and servant, they were practically sisters.
After coming to the Jiang family, Qiao’er had always shielded her mistress from every trouble, afraid that her young lady might suffer even the slightest grievance.
Now that someone was bullying her, how could Zhu Xinyan not step in?
Holding Jiang Li in her arms, she charged inside. Near the screen wall, two old serving women were holding ropes, trying to tie Qiao’er up.
Despite her slender frame, Qiao’er’s combat ability was explosive. She was holding off both women at once, refusing to let them get close, and had even scratched their faces during the struggle.
Xu Shi, the foolish fourth sister-in-law of the original owner, stood nearby baring her teeth and shouting angrily,
“Didn’t you eat enough today? You can’t even tie up one little slut! If you ruin Master Liu’s plans, just wait and see what happens to your hides!”
After speaking, she rolled up her sleeves and prepared to join the fight herself.
But the moment she took a step forward, Zhu Xinyan’s sharp voice rang out.
“Everyone stop right now!”
The two old servants belonged to Zhu Xinyan’s courtyard. Feeling guilty, they immediately stopped and stepped forward to bow.
“This old servant greets Madam.”
Zhu Xinyan said coldly,
“So you still remember I’m your mistress? I’ve treated you well for four years. Fed you and clothed you generously. Even a dog should have learned loyalty by now. Yet instead of helping your own people, you turn against them!”
She had no intention of saving face for the two women.
From past experience, they knew that no matter how badly servants behaved, their mistress could never bear to punish them harshly.
Usually, a few mild scoldings were enough to let things pass.
This was the first time they had ever seen Zhu Xinyan truly angry, and the two women were instantly terrified.
Their legs trembled, and with a loud thud they dropped to their knees, immediately crying injustice while pushing all responsibility away from themselves.
“Madam, please see clearly! This old servant only obeyed Fourth Madam’s orders. She said you planned to sell Miss Qiao’er to the wealthy Master Liu in the eastern suburbs as a concubine. We saw that she resisted desperately, so we fetched ropes to help.”
“Yes, this old servant was only following orders too.”
“Bah!”
Qiao’er spat fiercely onto the ground and ran to Zhu Xinyan’s side to complain.
“Miss, these two old hags are traitors who eat from our table while helping outsiders. While you were away, they joined others in looting the valuables from the house. When I tried to stop them, they wanted to tie me up and sell me off!”
Zhu Xinyan stuffed Jiang Li into Qiao’er’s arms, walked past the two servants, and stopped before Xu Shi.
Her voice turned icy.
“Fourth Sister-in-law, is that true?”
At that moment, Xu Shi only hated herself for not moving faster and getting caught red-handed by Zhu Xinyan’s return.
She first shot Qiao’er a vicious glare, then tightened her cheeks before forcing herself to explain.
“Seventh Sister-in-law, listen to me first. I saw that this girl was getting older, and it wasn’t good for her to stay idle at home forever. Besides, Seventh Brother just passed away, so naturally you wouldn’t have the heart to arrange these matters. That’s why I kindly stepped in and settled a marriage for her. Yes, she’d only be a concubine, but there’s no legal wife in Master Liu’s household. Once Qiao’er gives birth next year—”
Slap!
A loud smack interrupted her.
A bright red handprint instantly appeared on Xu Shi’s face.
She froze for three seconds, clutching her burning cheek before screaming sharply,
“What right do you have to hit me?!”
“Hah, and you still have the nerve to ask?”
Zhu Xinyan rubbed her wrist, narrowing her cold eyes.
“You and my husband were barely even related. It’s only because you share the surname Jiang that you were allowed into the clan. And it’s only because my husband and I were decent people that we respectfully called you cousin-in-law. Coming here to freeload before was one thing, but now you’ve gone too far and started meddling in my household affairs. Who gave you the courage? Liang Jingru?”
Xu Shi naturally couldn’t understand the last sentence.
But the earlier words alone already made her face flush purple with humiliation.
She stared at Zhu Xinyan in disbelief.
Was this still that gentle, timid little woman who barely spoke above a whisper?
How had she suddenly gone mad and become like a completely different person?
Xu Shi wasn’t the only one confused. Qiao’er was stunned too.
But after only a moment, she completely understood.
Ever since the young master died and her mistress smashed into the coffin before being rescued, her behavior had become extremely strange.
Qiao’er had worried all this time that perhaps her mistress had damaged her brain.
But now she realized that wasn’t the case at all.
Her mistress had simply become strong for the sake of her child and finally stood up for herself.
If she weren’t holding the young master in her arms right now, she would already be clapping and cheering for Zhu Xinyan.
As for Zhu Xinyan herself, after striking Xu Shi, she felt utterly refreshed.
In her previous life, she had been suppressed by her superiors until she became a soulless work machine.
To climb higher, she constantly pushed herself harder and harder, eventually ruining her health and dying young.
Since heaven had given her another chance at life, she refused to live another life of silent frustration.
This time, she would live however pleased her most.
She reached out and grabbed Xu Shi, who was still clutching her face, deliberately threatening her.
“You tried to traffic my servant without my permission. Come with me to the magistrate’s office and let the officials judge this matter properly. And everything you stole from my house will also be accounted for clearly.”
Earlier, Xu Shi had been too stunned by the slap to react.
But now that Zhu Xinyan was dragging her forward, she finally understood.
This woman must have had her brain knocked back into working order.
She was no longer the soft fool Xu Shi could manipulate at will.
She wasn’t afraid about Master Liu’s matter, since she had only sent him word and hadn’t yet received any silver.
But occupying Zhu Xinyan’s property was an undeniable fact.
Everything she currently ate and used belonged to Zhu Xinyan.
Some items had even already been secretly resold.
If Zhu Xinyan truly took this matter to court, not only would Xu Shi lose her livelihood, but her son’s future would also be ruined.
Determined, Xu Shi clung desperately to the doorframe and refused to go outside no matter what.
The two old servants, eager to redeem themselves, joined in and helped Zhu Xinyan drag her away.
“Help! Somebody help! The seventh branch’s wife is sending me to the authorities!”
The moment Xu Shi began howling at the top of her lungs, all the influential members of the Jiang clan immediately gathered from outside.
When Qiao’er had been screaming earlier, these people had pretended to be deaf.
Yet now they appeared instantly, proving this had clearly been planned in advance.
Just as Zhu Xinyan expected, the clan leader didn’t bother asking right from wrong. Pointing at Xu Shi’s swollen face, he immediately began scolding Zhu Xinyan.
“Wife of the Seventh Branch, although Xu Shi married into our clan from outside, she is still older than you. You shouldn’t have raised your hand against her so casually. Have you no respect for proper order? And now you even want to drag her to the authorities? Are you trying to destroy the Jiang family’s reputation? Come over here at once and apologize to your fourth sister-in-law!”