Master Jiang stared, incredulous, looking at Old Madam Jiang as if seeing a rare object: "Mother, you didn’t also scold Fourth Madam Xiao yesterday, did you?"
"Naturally, whoever displeases , I will make them displeased too!"
Master Jiang’s face turned ashen as he slumped down, pointing helplessly at his mother: "Mother, do you know who she is? How could you scold her?"
"Why can’t I scold her? How is she nobler than ? My son is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel!" Old Madam Jiang retorted confidently, "She is Xiyan’s younger sister, I am the elder, why can’t I scold her!"
Master Jiang shook his head and sighed: "Mother, do you know how much trouble you’ve caused? Forget that Fourth Master Xiao, the Grand Commander, is a First Rank official much higher than Shilin, even the Xuanning Marquis Mansion behind him is not sothing we could compare to, not even a finger. He paused and then continued: "Do you know she has a title by imperial decree? She tolerated you out of respect for elders, but if she really bore a grudge against you, insulting a titled lady could land you in prison."
Old Madam Jiang’s face turned pale, still sowhat disbelieving.
She thought that while people in the Capital were wealthy, they were much like their own family; if two families were unhappy, they’d argue, and even if they fought, it would be fine, at most they’d stop interacting. Who needed whom? Besides, her son was the third place in the examination, a fifth-rank official, and even the Emperor trusted him; who was she to fear?
No way such a thing as exterminating a family could happen!
Master Jiang looked at Old Madam Jiang with so pity. His father had failed the autumn examination four tis in a lifeti and was disheartened when he found himself destitute. The old man of the family decided to marry her, and his uncle’s family had run a prosperous general store for generations. His mother was adept at business from a young age, and everyone in the neighborhood praised her abilities, though she was illiterate; his father disagreed at the ti, but the old man insisted on the marriage.
Later his father found out that her dowry was the largest and most generous in ten miles and eight villages.
With money, his father opened a private school, while his mother managed the household and business and gave birth to four siblings!
At that ti, his father rarely ca ho, indifferent, thinking his mother was capable and straightforward. Only after he married his current wife did he gradually understand his father’s difficulties.
They were fundantally two different kinds of people, never able to see things eye to eye.
"Mother, her husband is the Fourth Master of the Marquis Mansion, a Minister of the Dragon, a First-rank Central Army Commander, a Second-Grade General. The Emperor granted him a mansion so large it’s dozens of tis the size of ours. Can we afford to offend such a person? Not only can’t we afford it, we should be eager to win his favor. Having such a brother-in-law is sothing others couldn’t even dream of." He finished speaking and turned away from Old Madam Jiang, talking to Jiang Shilin: "Second Brother, I’ll accompany you to the Tong Family to apologize. No matter what they demand, we must agree!"
Jiang Shilin nodded, full of grief.
The brothers sat discussing how to proceed at the Tong Family tomorrow, while Old Madam Jiang stood there in a daze.
She thought of the harsh words she said today, and if Tong Xiyan were to co back, how would she have any face as a mother-in-law? She stood up suddenly, pointed at her two sons, and said, "If you want to split the family, you’ll have to wait until I’m dead!"
Then she resolutely left with the help of her cane.
Jiang Shilin stood frozen, his face gray with despair. Master Jiang patted his shoulder in comfort: "I’ll persuade Mother later. Quickly bring Sister-in-law back. If they really want to split the family..." He thought deeply and said, "There’s no need to buy another house; I’ll take Mother back to live with us. That way, we won’t disturb you."
His suggestion was also not a bad idea. But Jiang Shilin clutched his hand in distress and said, "Big Brother, how can we let you move? If Father-in-law insists on us living separately, then we’ll just get a new house. Under no circumstances can you move!"
Master Jiang sighed and said nothing more.
"Then I’ll head to the Tong Mansion now to explain things clearly to Father-in-law and Eldest Brother." Jiang Shilin stood up and was about to leave when Miss i hurried over, her cheeks adorably flushed from running: "Brother Shilin, I heard you’re going to fetch Sister? Let go with you."
Jiang Shilin paused and replied, "I can go alone. You stay at ho." Saying so, he bypassed Miss i and left. But before dinner ti, he returned empty-handed from the Tong Mansion. Master Jiang, puzzled, asked: "What happened? Couldn’t settle it?"
Jiang Shilin sat down in a chair, took a big gulp of tea, and shook his head: "She... won’t co back." Master Jiang was puzzled, asking, "Sister-in-law is unwilling?"
Jiang Shilin nodded, recalling Tong Xiyan’s pale face as she asked him, "If I asked you to live separately, if I asked you to send i and Madam He away, would you be willing?"
He was stunned; he had never thought Tong Xiyan would care about this. In Great Zhou, how many n didn’t take concubines? It was just a concubine; his main wife was always her. Why care so much?
Even though he thought so, Jiang Shilin still nodded and said, "I promise you, I’ll send them away when I return."
Tong Xiyan looked at him and then asked, "Do you believe I didn’t harm Madam He? Do you believe my illness was caused by soone secretly?"
"Xiyan." Jiang Shilin held her hand: "Let’s not talk about this, okay? Co back with . We’ll live separately, just the two of us together, okay?"
Tong Xiyan, full of disappointnt, shook her head and continued to ask, "I didn’t harm anyone to lose a child. Do you believe ?"
Jiang Shilin’s eyes flickered, pondering for a mont before he was about to speak. Tong Xiyan withdrew her hand and shook her head: "Just go back!"
"You won’t go back with ?" Jiang Shilin looked at her: "I promise you, I’ll agree to anything, as long as you co back with . In the future, I’ll listen to everything you say, okay?" He paused and said: "I’ll send i away tomorrow, find a good family for her. Xinju, she used to be a maid by Mother’s side, she can go back to Mother. I swear I’ll never take a concubine again unless you agree!"
Tong Xiyan let out a cold laugh, tears she had held back for a long ti fell silently upon the quilt. She thought of the promises they made in their correspondence, those oaths of undying love, suddenly finding it all so laughable...
Jiang Shilin kept talking, promising, and after a long while, Tong Xiyan finally spoke blandly: "Go back, deal with everything, and then co find ." She had nothing else to say.
Nanny Fang ca, pointing at him and cursing, just as when he ca to the Tong Mansion to propose, with that superior attitude, scolding him. All the servants in the mansion watched him like a sideshow with disdainful eyes; he wished he could find a hole to crawl into...
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