Сhарtеr 19: Protесtiоn
Тоnight’s dinner was held in Оld Мadam Jiаng’s courtуаrd.
Night hаd fаllеn.
Мoоnlight sрillеd likе quicksilver аcross the cоurtуard. А lаrgе rоund tаble stооd in thе centеr, lаden with sumрtuous dishes.
Aftеr the inсident at breаkfast, Jiаng Luowеi hаd witnessed firsthаnd the powеr оf thе Gu Wоrm and darеd nоt ехposе such аn unsightly statе beforе Old Mаdam Jiang agаin.
Неr stomасh had alreаdy bееn growling with hunger sinсe the аfternооn, sо she hаd wolfed dоwn a bowl оf riсе and two large steamed buns in her оwn rоom.
That amоunt fаr excееded her usual limit. Only after stuffing herself to the point of barely being able to eat anything more did she dare join Old Madam Jiang for dinner.
“Father, Grandmother, please eat more.”
At the dinner table, Jiang Luowei had regained her previous dignified and elegant demeanor. She even took the initiative to serve dishes to Jiang Bingrong and Old Madam Jiang, while hardly eating anything herself.
Jiang Bingrong looked pleased. “Luo Wei is truly sensible.”
He also picked up a piece of chicken and placed it in Jiang Luowei’s bowl. “Luo Wei, you needn’t be too strict with yourself. Even if you’re dieting, you mustn’t starve yourself to the point of illness.”
A gentle smile graced Jiang Luowei’s face. “Thank you, Father.”
It was a heartwarming scene of paternal kindness and filial piety.
Jiang Chuji, seated nearby, remained silent.
She ate the food in her bowl quietly, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her.
Seeing Jiang Chuji being ignored, a faint trace of smugness flickered in Jiang Luowei’s eyes.
No matter what, Father would always side with her.
And even if Jiang Chuji had become more beautiful, no matter how much effort she made, no one would ever pay her any attention.
However, just as everyone was dining, one of Old Madam Jiang’s personal maids suddenly emerged from the house, looking flustered.
Seeing Old Madam dining with the Master, Concubine Zhou, and the two young ladies, she hesitated, unsure whether to speak.
She only dared to approach Mama Li and whispered, “Mama Li, could you come with me for a moment?”
Mama Li usually attended to Old Madam during meals.
Hearing this, Old Madam Jiang found it strange and looked over. “What’s the matter?”
“Well…”
The maid glanced first at Old Madam Jiang, then at Jiang Chuji seated at the table, not daring to speak.
Old Madam Jiang set down her chopsticks and frowned. “What exactly has happened?”
Seeing Old Madam’s displeasure, the maid took a deep breath and said cautiously, “Old Madam, Ying’er and I were just tidying your bedroom, and we discovered… we discovered that your hibiscus-inlaid gemstone gold hairpin is missing.”
These words struck like a sudden clap of thunder.
Upon hearing this, everyone at the table changed expressions.
Concubine Zhou was the first to widen her eyes in disbelief.
“What’s missing? Are you talking about Old Madam’s favorite hibiscus hairpin?”
Everyone in the Jiang household knew that Old Madam Jiang cherished a hibiscus-inlaid ruby gold hairpin above all else. She usually treasured it so much that she rarely wore it, carefully storing it in her jewelry box and taking it out to admire from time to time.
“Yes…” the maid replied, trembling slightly. “We clean and tidy Old Madam’s bedroom once in the morning and once in the evening.”
“The hairpin was still there this morning, but now it’s gone. Ying’er and I searched the entire jewelry box but couldn’t find it.”
Old Madam Jiang also stared wide-eyed.
How could something have gone missing from her room again!Three months ago, what she lost was a jade bracelet. This time, it was her favorite hairpin, which she had brought as part of her dowry from her maiden family!
The maid said the gold hairpin was still there during the morning cleaning, but now it was missing, proving it had been lost sometime during the day.
And today, apart from the maids attending to her, only Jiang Luowei and Jiang Chuji had visited Old Madam Jiang’s quarters.
Almost everyone reflexively turned their gaze toward Jiang Chuji, who was sitting nearby.
This scene felt all too familiar.
Three months ago, the jade bracelet Old Madam Jiang had lost was eventually found in Jiang Chuji’s room.
And now, where would the missing gold hairpin be?
Jiang Bingrong reacted after a second, his anger flaring up almost instantly.
He slammed his bowl heavily onto the table, his face turning ashen.
“What exactly is going on?!”
The previously harmonious atmosphere suddenly plummeted to freezing point. Everyone present held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Concubine Zhou hurried over to pat Jiang Bingrong’s back, speaking softly and gently, “Husband, don’t be hasty, calm down first…”
Jiang Luowei was startled and quickly stood up.
Her tone was innocent, “Father, this matter has nothing to do with me. I was so unwell during breakfast, vomiting until I felt dizzy—how could I have touched Grandmother’s hairpin…”
Jiang Bingrong waved his hand dismissively, without a moment’s hesitation, “Of course, Father knows this has nothing to do with you!”
If it had nothing to do with the eldest young lady, then it must be the second young lady.
Jiang Chuji, who was sitting nearby, also seemed stunned at first.
Then her face turned pale as she stood up.
“Father, I didn’t…”
Before she could finish, she was interrupted.
“Don’t call me Father! I could never raise a daughter with such unclean hands—you’re a disgrace to our Jiang family!”
Jiang Bingrong was so furious his chest heaved, as if he wanted to slap the young girl across the face, and he began to berate her loudly.
“Last time, I had you confined for nearly three months. Seeing you behave somewhat sensibly after you came out, I thought you had learned your lesson.”
“I never expected you to be so incorrigible. How dare you steal from your grandmother again and again? You have the audacity!”
Old Madam Jiang’s expression was also extremely grim.
She looked at Jiang Chuji with utter disgust, seemingly having forgotten all about the previous incident with the Lake Heart Grass and rootless water.
“You, girl, have truly disappointed me. From now on, you need not come to my courtyard anymore!”
Looking at her so-called father and grandmother before her, Jiang Chuji sneered inwardly.
See, some people—no matter how much effort you put into trying to please them, if you do well, you might earn a lukewarm compliment. But if you make one mistake, all the good you’ve done before is instantly erased.
Why bother wasting effort on them?
It’s just a pity that the original owner never understood this truth, even until her death. She spent her life begging for her father’s and grandmother’s pity.
Yet, on the surface, the young girl appeared flustered, her eyes reddening, “Father, Grandmother, I really didn’t…”
For someone with a “criminal record,” who would believe her when she said she didn’t do it?
Even without any evidence, it seemed everyone had already assumed she was the one responsible.
Concubine Zhou actually didn’t know what was going on either.
Last time, when Old Madam’s jade bracelet went missing and was found in Jiang Chuji’s room, it was because she had bribed the maid named Fang’er.
But this time, who was behind the loss of Old Madam’s hairpin? Could it really be Jiang Chuji herself who stole it?However, regardless of whether Jiang Chuji was truly responsible for the incident, it was enough for the master and Old Madam to believe she was the one who did it.
As long as this matter was confirmed, Jiang Chuji would never have another chance to turn things around.
Concubine Zhou said with a pained expression, “Chuer, you must stop being stubborn. If you return the hairpin now, perhaps your father and grandmother might forgive you once more…”
Words that seemed to defend Jiang Chuji only added fuel to the fire at this critical moment.
“Forgive her once more? It was because I forgave her too easily last time that she dared to do such a shameless thing again!”
Sure enough, Jiang Bingrong grew even more furious. “Someone, bring the family punishment. Today, I will teach this girl a lesson and see if she still refuses to tell the truth!”
—The family punishment.
The Jiang family’s punishment was a specially crafted leather whip.
A single lash from it could make even a strong, robust man break out in cold sweat from the pain. For a frail and slender young girl, being whipped could very well take half her life.
As the whip was presented, even those present who usually disliked Jiang Chuji couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat for her.
Seeing the master’s uncontrollable rage, if the second young lady still refused to confess, she would be in grave danger.
Jiang Chuji watched everything unfold before her.
She heard footsteps approaching from outside.
They sounded hurried, as if someone was rushing toward the courtyard.
At that moment, the young girl’s face grew as pale as paper, and her body trembled involuntarily.
Tears welled up in her eyes, making her appear fragile, helpless, and utterly alone in the night. “Father, please believe me. I truly did not take Grandmother’s hairpin…”
Without another word, Jiang Bingrong picked up the whip and swung it fiercely toward the girl.
The whip cut through the air with a sharp whistling sound, tracing a merciless arc—
Jiang Chuji closed her eyes.
“Miss!” Fuling cried out anxiously, wanting to rush forward and shield her young mistress.
But someone was faster than her.
In that split second, Jiang Chuji felt the world spin around her, and the scene before her blurred. A pair of strong arms tightly wrapped around her, shielding her in an embrace.
Immediately after, the sound of the whip landing heavily echoed through the air, followed by a muffled groan from above her head.
She slowly opened her eyes and met that gaze, her eyes instantly reddening. “…Brother?”