“Ma-master…”
A maid’s sudden exclamation drew everyone’s attention. They saw Zhao Yuawai so terrified that his legs gave way, nearly collapsing to the ground.
Maids and servants hastily scrambled to support him. Zhao Yuawai gasped for breath, his plump cheeks pale with fright, clearly shaken to the core.
Steward Zhou had retreated to a corner, all traces of his earlier arrogance and bullying demeanor gone. He didn’t even dare to breathe loudly.
These eight burly men were the Zhao Residence’s elite guards, each capable of taking on two or three ordinary people. Anyone who fell into their hands would either die or suffer severe injuries.
Relying on these eight men, they had tyrannized the town, committing countless acts of oppression against the common people.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, this woman had knocked all eight to the ground, leaving them unable to get up.
Just who was this woman? How could she be so formidable?
The gambling den manager and Zhang Sheng trembled with fear, recalling how the den’s enforcers had returned yesterday to report and warn them about this woman. At the time, they hadn’t taken it seriously.
Now it seemed those enforcers had likely been taught a lesson by her as well.
Damn them for not warning us properly!
“Mother is truly incredible.”
In the corner, the Chen family siblings watched with wide, shining eyes, both awestruck and filled with admiration.
“Going to beat me to death with clubs?”
Xiao Ying stepped slowly toward Zhao Yuawai, her tone icy.
“No, no, no!” Zhao Yuawai shook his head vigorously like a rattle-drum, hastily denying it. “Madam, what I meant was to invite you as an honored guest and treat you with the utmost respect.”
Xiao Ying sneered. This man changed his tune faster than flipping a page—utterly unprincipled.
“Let me be the one to treat you with ‘respect’ instead.”
She suddenly kicked out, sending Zhao Yuawai and the maids and servants behind him tumbling to the ground in a heap of cries and wails.
She planted her foot on Zhao Yuawai’s chest, making him scream in pain. His trousers immediately grew wet.
Xiao Ying frowned in disgust and asked coldly, “I want to redeem my daughter Chen Xingyue. Do you have anything to say about that?”
“Nothing, absolutely nothing!”
Zhao Yuawai shook his head repeatedly, terrified. He didn’t even know who Chen Xingyue was, afraid that any delay in his response would earn him another beating.
“How can there be nothing?” Xiao Ying expressed clear dissatisfaction. “You bought her for five taels of silver. She served as a maid in your residence for half a year, suffering who knows how much hardship and injury.”
Beside her, Chen Xingyue bit her lower lip tightly. How did this woman know all this?
She fought back tears, unwilling to let anyone see her vulnerability.
“Yes, yes, yes! There is, there is!”
Zhao Yuawai, ever the opportunist, immediately grasped Xiao Ying’s implication.
“It was my fault for not taking good care of Miss Xingyue and letting her suffer. Someone, hurry up and bring compensation! Give Miss Xingyue whatever she wants.”
“Yes, master.”
A woman who appeared to be in charge promptly acknowledged the order and hurried out with two maids.
Chen Xingyue’s mouth fell open slightly, her eyes filled with astonishment. Zhao Yuawai was actually apologizing to her and offering compensation?
Even the servants who usually bullied her now looked at her with fear and even a hint of ingratiation.
The world suddenly seemed incomprehensible to her.
Before long, the woman returned with two maids carrying several trays laden with gold, silver, and jewels, their dazzling brilliance nearly blinding everyone present.
“Miss Xingyue, these are all our master’s most prized possessions. Please take your pick.”
The woman spoke politely and humbly with a smile, slightly bowing her head.
“I…”
Chen Xingyue was utterly bewildered. How dare she make a choice? Her first instinct was to look at Xiao Ying.
She felt somewhat annoyed at herself for still relying on that woman as her main support.
But that woman was truly formidable.
“Go ahead and choose. They owe you compensation for medical expenses and half a year’s wages,” Xiao Ying said casually.
“Yes, yes, yes, Miss Xingyue, please don’t stand on ceremony. If this isn’t enough, I’ll have someone fetch more,” Zhao Yuanwai said with a forced grin, though his smile appeared twisted no matter how one looked at it.
Chen Xingyue gritted her teeth. It was true—the Zhao Residence owed her.
She had endured countless beatings, suffered endless bullying, never had enough to eat, lacked warm clothing in winter, and hadn’t received a single coin in wages.
Gazing at the dazzling array of gold, silver, and jewels before her, she clenched her fists and finally selected a single ten-tael silver ingot from the pile.
This was her compensation.
Xiao Ying was somewhat surprised. Those trays of gold and jewels were worth at least a thousand taels, and any single piece was more valuable than that silver ingot. Was Chen Xingyue truly unmoved?
“This is what you owe me,” Chen Xingyue said clearly, insisting on taking only that silver ingot.
This made the woman hesitate, and she looked to Zhao Yuanwai for guidance, who in turn cautiously glanced at Xiao Ying.
“My daughter only wants that silver ingot,” Xiao Ying stated.
“Yes, yes, silver is good, silver is best,” Zhao Yuanwai quickly agreed with an ingratiating smile, secretly relieved and inwardly cursing her for being unsophisticated.
Hmph, did she think Zhao Youcai’s money was so easy to take? He would make sure these people paid back every last coin with interest!
He had dominated Hongye Town for so many years not only because of his family’s wealth but also due to his close connections with the town chief and even the County Magistrate of Yun’an County.
How dare this woman assault him and his servants? Would she dare lay a hand on the constables too?
He would make sure she regretted it deeply, throwing her into prison with no chance of escape.
Though he harbored vicious thoughts, his expression grew increasingly humble and amiable.
“Madam, why don’t you pick a few items you like as well?”
But Xiao Ying didn’t choose anything. Instead, she tossed him twenty taels of silver, leaving everyone stunned.
“Five taels are for my daughter’s freedom, eleven taels are for the gambling den’s debt. You owe me four taels in change, and return my daughter’s contract of servitude.”
She disliked being shortchanged but also avoided taking advantage of others.
Only with a clear conscience could one’s Dao heart remain firm. Cultivation most forbids acting against one’s true intentions.
“Madam has remarkable resolve,” Zhao Youcai said, taken aback—it was his first time encountering someone like this.
But he soon scoffed inwardly. How could someone so destitute put on such airs?
Aloud, he urged, “Hurry up and return Miss Xingyue’s contract of servitude!”
“Master, this servant already retrieved it earlier,” the steward woman promptly replied, pulling a contract from her sleeve and handing it respectfully to Xiao Ying with both hands.
Xiao Ying glanced over it and noticed the script resembled that of her previous life, with less than a third of the characters differing.
From the recognizable parts, she could tell it was indeed Chen Xingyue’s contract of servitude.
With the contract in hand, they would still need to register at the government office and transfer it to their household registry to officially remove her slave status.
She casually tucked the contract away. The three children were overjoyed, especially Chen Xingyue, who felt both exhilarated and incredulous.
This woman had actually redeemed her. She would no longer have to be a maid!
Even if the days ahead were difficult, at least she still had her elder brother and sister. Thinking of this, her eyes couldn’t help but redden.
“This lady, does this mean our debt is settled now?”
Zhao Yuanwai asked cautiously, his gaze fixed on Xiao Ying’s foot that was still pressing down on him, noticing she showed no intention of loosening her stance.
Xiao Ying laughed, “What, planning to report us to the authorities as soon as we leave?”