Ch 90: Mother-in-Law, Please Calm Down
Old Madam Nian pushed Mama Cui aside, not letting her help, and stumbled towards Xing Ge’er with her walking stick!
“Oh, my, my Xing Ge’er, how could you be beaten like this? Xueyue!”
Old Madam Nian and the maids helped Xing Ge’er up, and other maids also helped up Ji Ge’er, who was unsteady.
“Why did you do this!” Old Madam Nian questioned in a cold voice.
Guo Liangxian was also shocked to see this.
Why suddenly enforce family law for no reason?
Yuan Xueyue just smiled faintly, applied some ointment to Song Ge’er, and explained the reason lightly.
Then she had Cuiping call the maid who had witnessed it. With both witness and material evidence, along with Ji Ge’er’s confession and pleas for mercy, and Xing Ge’er’s lies, everything was revealed.
Cuiping bowed and said, “General, Old Madam, that’s how it happened.”
“The Eldest Young Master and the Second Young Master were indeed naughty, but it was also wrong of them to disturb the Third Young Master’s studies. Moreover, they rashly attacked the Third Young Master, which pained Wife to see.”
“I don’t know what the two young masters were thinking, and I can’t speculate.”
After Cuiping finished speaking, Yuan Xueyue took Song Ge’er’s hand and prepared to leave and go inside.
Unexpectedly, Old Madam Nian suddenly called out to stop them,
“Wait!”
Yuan Xueyue’s footsteps paused.
Old Madam Nian said, “The boys were naughty and shouldn’t have fought, but as their mother, shouldn’t you also be punished for not teaching them well?”
Guo Liangxian remained silent. He didn’t get involved in these household matters at all.
Hearing this, Ji Ge’er was stunned. The pain in his body already prevented him from saying anything. Was his mother also going to be punished?
Xing Ge’er reacted, enduring the pain and tugging at Old Madam Nian’s clothes, saying,
“Grand, Grandmother, don’t punish Mother, it’s Grandson’s fault.”
Xing Ge’er almost spoke with all his might. His words were slurred, but Old Madam Nian heard him clearly. Seeing the injuries on Xing Ge’er’s mouth, she exclaimed,
“Boy, what happened to your mouth?”
The servant beside them explained,
“During the family punishment, the Eldest Young Master cried out, but only the Second Young Master refused to cry out and kept biting his mouth…”
Old Madam Nian held Xing Ge’er tightly in her arms, patting his back gently to comfort him, “Don’t be afraid, Grandmother will stand up for you.”
At the same time, the Paternal Aunt from Peach Apricot Pavilion also rushed over. Seeing Xing Ge’er like this, she wanted to question Yuan Xueyue, but Yuan Xueyue had already gone inside and ignored her.
Xing Ge’er didn’t want to face Guo Lianglian and just buried his head in Old Madam Nian’s embrace.
Yuan Xueyue didn’t care about punishment. Let it come.
Song Ge’er didn’t want to look at Yuan Xueyue and lowered his head, saying,
“It’s Son’s fault. If Grandmother punishes, Son is willing to take the blame for Mother.”
Yuan Xueyue smiled and stroked Song Ge’er’s head, saying, “How can you take the blame? Old Madam’s punishment is unclear. You should just study hard, that’s how you can repay Mother.”
Mother and son were sympathetic to each other, but fate wouldn’t allow it.
The next day, after settling the injuries of the two young masters and taking a few days off from school, Old Madam Nian, accompanied by Mama Cui and four servants, came to Liyuan Garden, ready to confront Yuan Xueyue!
Yuan Xueyue, adhering to the principle of “come what may,” was not afraid at all.
Early in the morning, she finished her own tasks, had breakfast with Song Ge’er, applied ointment for him, and sent him to the study to read.
As Yuan Xueyue walked down the steps, she saw Old Madam Nian and her entourage entering Liyuan Garden.
“Greetings, Mother-in-Law.” Yuan Xueyue bowed slightly.
Old Madam Nian said coldly,
◈◈◈
“How can I be as well as you? You touched Xing Ge’er, how can I be well! Go!”
Old Madam Nian ordered the servants to seize Yuan Xueyue and enforce family law!
Mama Cui watched, feeling a little unbearable.
Just then, Ju Niuer from Yaoyu Pavilion, along with Jiang Tingting, came to pay respects to Wife. They had also heard about yesterday’s events and came early in the morning!
“Old Madam, please calm down! Can this matter be discussed?”
Ju Niuer stepped forward, bowed, and stopped the servants.
The servants were stunned. A pregnant concubine was blocking them, so it was difficult to act.
Guo Liangxian wouldn’t come. Last night, he spent the night with Qin Qing’er at Yanling Courtyard.
Here, only Ju Niuer could plead for mercy.
Mama Cui was taken aback, winking and gesturing for Ju Niuer not to block Old Madam!
However, Ju Niuer, remembering the kindness Wife had shown her, stubbornly refused to move, saying,
“Old Madam, for Niuer’s sake, please don’t punish Wife for now. The boys still need care, and besides, with the New Year approaching, Wife still needs to prepare for the household affairs.”
With Ju Niuer’s words, Old Madam Nian was momentarily stunned.
That’s right!
Yuan Xueyue was still needed to handle all the household affairs!
Old Madam Nian gritted her teeth in anger and said, “Xueyue enforced family law on the boys yesterday. Such a mother who doesn’t know how to teach, letting the boys fight and cause trouble, how can she not be punished!”
Ju Niuer, with her belly just over three months pregnant, slowly knelt down and said,
“Old Madam, don’t be angry. Wife cares about the boys. It’s not that she rashly enforced family law. Wife did it to discipline the boys’ temperaments. Otherwise, if they continue to be so impulsive, they might offend others and cause even bigger trouble in the future!”
Ju Niuer had been somewhat influenced by Yuan Xueyue. In her memory and behavior, she had some of Yuan Xueyue’s way of handling things and her sense of justice.
However, her status was still that of a concubine, and she occasionally felt dissatisfied with the other concubines in the residence, fixated on the General’s affection!
Hearing Ju Niuer’s words, Mama Cui, fearing that Niuer would be implicated, also knelt down and pleaded for Wife,
“Old Madam! Considering that Wife has been diligent and dutiful in managing the household, please spare Wife for now. The matter of the boys can be put aside for now, and she can be punished later!”
Punish her later? The New Year was approaching. Wouldn’t “later” be almost two months later?
This month was for the New Year, and one couldn’t be harsh in the first lunar month. After the first month, Yuan Xueyue would have to arrange the household affairs, and she had to return to her maiden home!
Wouldn’t it be until Yuan Xueyue returned from her maiden home, in the summer?
The journey there and back would take at least two months!
It was no use either way, and Old Madam Nian was so angry that she suddenly threw her walking stick towards Yuan Xueyue!
Obviously, it didn’t reach.
Yuan Xueyue also knew that someone was pleading for her, and she had to go along with it. She bent down, picked up the walking stick, and handed it to Old Madam Nian.
“Mother-in-Law, please calm down. Your daughter-in-law will do better in the future. As for the matter of the boys, your daughter-in-law was impulsive. Mother-in-Law can punish me slowly later.” Yuan Xueyue said calmly.
Old Madam Nian looked at this calm and composed face and couldn’t bring herself to do anything. She took a deep breath and said,
“Humph! Consider yourself lucky! Make sure you manage the household affairs well! Don’t mess things up!”
Old Madam Nian also remembered what Xing Ge’er had said yesterday, pleading for his mother.
This made Old Madam Nian’s trip here pointless!
Fortunately, Ju Niuer and Mama Cui provided cover, and Yuan Xueyue was sensible enough to come over and apologize, so Old Madam Nian didn’t bother to pursue the matter!
Seeing this, Mama Cui quickly helped Ju Niuer up and patted the nonexistent dust off her body. Mother and daughter exchanged a smile.
Yuan Xueyue nodded and said, “Mother-in-Law is right. Mother-in-Law, please take care.”
After sending Old Madam Nian away, Yuan Xueyue looked at Ju Niuer beside her and smiled with relief,
“Thank you.”
