Chapter 89: Tomorrow I'll go to the academy.

“Absurd,” the old lady said to Wu Mama, who was lighting the lamp, as she sat on the edge of the bed with her hand on her phoenix-head cane. “Since ancient times, when has a woman ever been so high-profile and ostentatious in wanting to marry another woman? Aren’t they afraid of being laughed at if word gets out?”

Mother Wu extinguished the tinder in her hand and placed it aside, then covered the oil lamp with the lampshade again, echoing:

"It's one thing for the patriarch to be young and impetuous and ignorant, but the Zou family head and his wife also joined in the nonsense. If I didn't know Zou's character, I would really think that the patriarch bribed him with money to get him to agree to make this trip today."

The old lady gave a sarcastic snort, "Who knows what he's planning? Scholars are all about fame; he might be planning to use this to make a name for himself."

Whether it's a good reputation or a bad reputation, when people talk about Qu Rong and Li Yue'er's marriage, they always mention that "Li Yue'er lives in the academy." If someone asks out of curiosity, "Which academy?", wouldn't that academy's reputation spread far and wide?

Seeing that Headmaster Zou was also at a loss after losing Li Juren, a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, and the academy had no students left, he came up with this low-class method.

The old lady asked, "Did he say he was coming to see me when he came today?"

While pretending to pack her things, Wu's mother looked around and said vaguely, "Of course, you are an elder in the family, so naturally we should pay our respects to you first when we come to the house."

In fact, Headmaster Zou had not mentioned this matter. He neither came to Shouhe Hall nor asked the old lady. Perhaps he was too busy to remember. I heard that Songlan Hall and the front yard were quite lively. The firecrackers alone lasted for almost the length of an incense stick, not to mention the three large baskets of candy and melon seeds that were distributed.

The old lady said, "I won't see that couple. I can't bring myself to be polite to them, especially that Li Yue'er. She looks so gentle and harmless, but who knew she was so scheming? If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have bought her in the first place."

Mother Wu said with a smile, "You must look down on that Li Yue'er. I don't know what kind of seductive tricks you used to coax the head of the family into marrying her after going through so many formalities."

The old lady's face was gloomy. She glanced at Wu Mama out of the corner of her eye and lowered her voice. "Her father, who was a scholar, died strangely and at a convenient time. After he died, Li Yue'er and her mother were freed from their shackles and lived more and more freely. Do you think Li Yue'er thought it was worth it for her father to die?"

Having been mistress and servant for many years, Wu Mama knew what the old lady meant as soon as she brought up the topic. She looked around to make sure no one else was there before approaching the old lady and asking, "Do you suspect that the master colluded with Li Yue'er to kill Li Juren?"

Heavenly Bodhisattva, if that's really the case, murdering a scholar is a capital offense!

Mrs. Wu carefully observed the old lady's expression, trying to glean something from it.

The old lady was naturally dissatisfied with the head of the family, and even quite resentful, but compared to the head of the family, she was even more unwilling to let the Qu family business fall into the hands of others.

However, if the head of the family is sent to court because of this matter, not only will the Qu family lose its head, but if Qu Rong breaks ties with the Qu family and reveals Qu Ming's affairs, then no one in the entire Qu family, including the old lady, will be able to escape.

Mrs. Wu wanted to advise the old lady to think twice and not to let her impulsive decision ruin the whole family.

"You old hag, I can tell what you're thinking at a glance," the old lady scolded her. "I was just telling you. Without solid evidence, why would I risk the Qu family?"

Even if Qu Ming makes her angry, he is still the last beloved grandson of the Qu family. Although he gave up his merchant status, as long as the old lady knows that he is still alive, she will have something to look forward to. Even if he goes to the underworld, she will have something to say to her ancestors. So how could she act recklessly and disregard him at all?

What the old lady wanted was solid evidence, preferably proof that Li Yue'er was the one who murdered her father. When the evidence was presented to Qu Rong, it would be up to her to decide between the Qu family and Li Yue'er.

If she chooses the position of head of the Qu family, gives up marrying Li Yue'er, and guarantees that the two will never have any contact again, then I can loosen my grip and let Li Yue'er off the hook.

If she insists on marrying a woman into the Qu family, then she will have no choice but to deliver the evidence of Li Yue'er's patricide to Li Yue'er. Li Yue'er is a very loyal and righteous person; she knows whether to drag Qu Rong to her death or to abandon the marriage.

The old lady had no intention of taking this matter to the authorities; she preferred to resolve it privately if possible.

Mrs. Wu breathed a sigh of relief, then her mind raced, and she said, "Right now that Li Yue'er isn't in the house, there's no one to manage the household affairs. And since the head of the family doesn't have three heads and six arms, it's difficult for him to take care of everything inside and outside the house. This is a good time for us to investigate the evidence."

Seeing the old lady look up at her, Wu Mama whispered, "Songlan Hall also has maids who have been redeemed this year. When that time comes, I will buy two maids and send them into Songlan Hall as spies. That way, I can always find some clues."

The old lady put her cane aside, lifted the covers and lay down on the bed, letting Wu's mother lower the bed curtains. She comfortably closed her eyes and relaxed her brows. "Go and make the arrangements."

Mrs. Wu: "Yes."

Li Yue'er left the Qu residence in mid-April, while the newly purchased maids entered the residence on April 20th.

With no one to manage the household affairs of the Qu residence, Su Rou unexpectedly offered to help her manage the inner quarters for a period of time, on the condition that she stay in the Qu residence and not allow Shi Yi to enter.

Qu Rong, “?”

Dansha also looked up at Su Rou, who was sitting at the lower end of the table.

In her opinion, Sister Su has been thinking of Shi Yi in everything these past two years. Even the best stepmother and stepson would find it hard to do so much.

Why is it that today you say you can't let Shiyi come in to find her?

For Qu Rong at this moment, Su Rou's request was like a pillow delivered to a sleepy person.

Regardless of what kind of trouble Su Rou and Shi Yi, the nominal mother and son, were having, for Qu Rong at the moment, the situation was entirely beneficial to her.

Qu Rong didn't ask how long Su Rou would stay, nor did she inquire about what had happened between Su Rou and Shi Yi. She simply instructed the maids to prepare a room for Su Rou immediately and told the gatekeeper not to let Shi Yi in.

After Su Rou left, Dan Sha said, "Isn't the patriarch going to ask?"

Qu Rong asked in confusion, "Why are you asking this?"

She needs someone to help manage the yard, and Su Rou is just the right person to do so, which is enough. If she asks a few more questions and Su Rou and Shi Yi find out they've made up, wouldn't she be asking for trouble?

Moreover, the fact that Su Rou sought her out on this matter meant she knew Su Rou wouldn't ask any further questions.

Qu Rong said, "You should ask Su Rou to keep a closer eye on Shouhetang. My grandmother is too docile; she's not like her."

The old lady is the best at causing trouble. She was looking for a reason to arrest her so that Li Yue'er wouldn't become her legitimate junior after marrying into the Qu family, and she wouldn't make things difficult for Li Yue'er as an elder.

Cinnabar, "Yes."

Dansha followed the head of the family out. Seeing that she was going to the market again, she looked up and pursed her lips, wanting to say something but holding back.

It's been almost half a month since Miss Yue'er left the Qu residence with Teng Huang. Doesn't the head of the family want to go to the academy to check on things?

But since the head of the family didn't speak, she couldn't say anything either, so she had to suppress her longing and focus on her work.

If Dansha didn't know the head of the family's personality, she would have suspected that the head of the family had already forgotten about Miss Yue'er, which was why he didn't mention her, ask about her, or visit her.

Qu Rong knew what Dan Sha was thinking, but ignored it.

With Su Rou helping to manage the courtyard, Qu Rong was able to focus on handling matters in the neighborhood, and sometimes she even stayed there instead of returning home.

Half a month passed in this way, and it was now May. Just when Qu Rong was about to lose her temper and go to Shouhe Hall to cause trouble, at 7 p.m., Su Rou led two maids to her.

Qu Rong's heart, which had been so agitated, slowly settled back into her stomach.

We finally caught the old lady by the tail.

Her expression was no different from usual; she even picked up her teacup and took an elegant, calm sip. "What's wrong?"

Su Rou sat down beside them, looked at the two maids standing in the middle of the room, and said softly, "You two tell the story yourselves."

The two maids exchanged a glance, then timidly looked up at the head of the household.

The head of the family looked over coldly.

The two maids trembled with fright, lifted their skirts, and knelt down, crying and begging:

“Please forgive us, Master. It was not our intention to do this. It was Wu Mama from Shouhe Hall who tempted us with money, saying that if we found anything unusual or any evidence in your room, we should tell her immediately, and there would be a big reward.”

Qu Rong, "What evidence did she ask you to search for?"

A maidservant lowered her head and said, "We don't know the specifics either. They only asked us to inquire whether you and Miss Yue'er were in the inner quarters during the days of heavy snow last year, and whether you sent any of your maidservants out to do anything."

When they first entered the Qu residence, they had no idea who Miss Yue'er was. It was precisely because they didn't know that the maids had to explain it to her in detail.

The maid was clever, so she took the opportunity to ask a few more questions, such as whether Miss Yue'er liked to go out, whether she would go out when the weather was bad, and whether she went out by herself or with the master.

Su Rou let them peek and ask questions until today, when the two secretly met with Wu Mama by the artificial hill. Only then did she lead her men out from the shadows and capture them on the spot.

The two maids were caught red-handed and had no way to deny it, so they had to confess honestly.

Su Rou raised her hand and gently stroked her skirt, saying softly, "I've caught the rat's tail you wanted. As for the rest, it's a private matter within your Qu family, so I won't interfere."

As she spoke, she got up to leave, but before she did, she pursed her lips, frowned, and turned back. "We've already caught those we needed to catch. If we can finish this tonight, we should bring Li Yue'er back as soon as possible. I'm afraid she'll become too complacent and forget everything she's learned."

If she works hard for almost a year, and Li Yue'er learns one thing but forgets another, wouldn't that ruin her reputation?

Qu Rong gave a soft "hmm".

After Su Rou left, the two maids trembled in fear before Qu Rong, afraid that the master of the house would sell them off that very night.

But when they looked up and peeked, they found the head of the family calm and composed, even looking better than when they first met.

Qu Rong was in a very good mood. She gently put down her teacup and said to the two maids in a rather gentle voice, "Let's go. I'll take you to see the old lady. Since you are physically in Songxin Courtyard but your hearts are in Shouhe Hall, you can stay and serve her from now on."

Dansha turned to look at the patriarch, "?!"

The two kneeling maids didn't understand the mistress's temperament, but she did.

The patriarch is usually a man of few words but sharp tongue, so he must be very pleased to have spoken so eloquently today.

Is it because we're about to go fetch Miss Moon?

The thought of this possibility made Dansha feel much more energetic. The head of the family had people he wanted to see, and she had people she wanted to see.

The master and servant walked briskly toward Shouhe Hall.

Before Qu Rong even went there, she had someone inform the old lady in advance, so that the old lady would not pretend to be asleep and refuse to see her after she arrived.

In early summer, in May, even at the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), the sky wasn't completely dark, but the Shouhe Hall was brightly lit, as the lamps had already been lit.

The old lady sat in the main seat, sipping her after-dinner tea, and didn't even lift her eyelids when she saw Qu Rong coming over.

On the contrary, Wu Mama, who was beside her, changed her expression slightly after seeing the two maids behind Qu Rong, and moved her feet to walk behind the old lady.

Qu Rong sat down in another chair in the main seat with ease and gestured for the two maids to repeat what they had said in Songlan Hall in front of the old lady.

Almost as soon as the maid opened her mouth, Wu Mama rushed out and slapped the maid across the face, yelling, "What nonsense are you spouting!"

The maid was not resentful after being hit. Seeing that her masters did not intend to reprimand her, she immediately started pulling at Wu Mama.

The scene became quite lively for a while.

It wasn't until the old lady slammed her teacup heavily on the coffee table that Wu's mother, who was barely holding her own against two opponents, finally raised her hand to tidy her hair and came back. She even turned her head and spat, "You shameless brat, you don't know your own limitations."

These words were not only directed at the two maids, but also the old lady's way of using Wu Mama to scold Qu Rong.

Qu Rong smiled, "They don't know their own weight, and I suppose Mama Wu doesn't either. But there's one thing I want Mama Wu to remember: I want you to weigh exactly how much you weigh tomorrow, and that's exactly how much you weigh tomorrow."

Wu's mother's legs went weak, and she said awkwardly, "Master, don't make such jokes so late at night, it's quite frightening."

Qu Rong looked at her expressionlessly, "Do I look like someone who would joke around?"

That's why it's even scarier when she says things like that!

Mrs. Wu's face changed drastically, and she looked at the old lady pleadingly, almost saying, "Old lady, please say something!"

She did all these things for the old lady.

The old lady did not disappoint Wu's mother's expectations. She turned to look at Qu Rong and said, "Just say what you want to do. Why scare her?"

Qu Rong didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I want you to calm down."

Qu Rong said, “If you have any questions, just come at me. Whether it’s Scholar Li or Qu Ming, as long as you dare to ask, I will tell you everything I know. In the Qu residence, in our own home, why do we have to be so secretive and covert between Grandmother and me, sending servants to me to find evidence?”

The old woman's face darkened. "I don't understand what you're saying."

At the same time, he stared intently at Qu Rong, warning her not to talk about Qu Ming's affairs.

Qu Rong scoffed, "You're afraid, but I'm not."

"Since you are too old to understand what I am saying, I will have to put it more bluntly."

Qu Rong said, "Now that the Qu family is in my hands, I advise you to stop. Considering that you have worked hard for the Qu family business, I will not hold it against you this time, but Grandmother, this is the last time."

"You're not young anymore, so you should stay in Shouhe Hall and enjoy your retirement. I'll take care of things outside."

The old lady reacted instantly, slamming her palm on the coffee table and asking sharply, panting, "What do you mean? Are you going to imprison me in this Shouhe Hall?"

Qu Rong did not refute, but said, "Since you and Mama Wu like these two girls, let them stay and serve you and Mama Wu from now on. As for Mama Chen and the others, they have worked hard for the Qu family for decades and it is time for them to go home and retire."

She not only confined the old lady to Shouhe Hall, but also dismissed all the loyal servants around the old lady except for Wu Mama.

Qu Rong stood up and slowly straightened her sleeves. "You are an elder of the Qu family. Although I will take care of you in the future, I will no longer respect you. Take care of yourself, Grandmother."

The old lady was so angry that she almost fainted. She had just stood up when everything went black, and she fell back into the chair behind her.

Mrs. Wu turned pale with fright and shouted, "Get a doctor! Go get a doctor!"

She fainted from the shock of her blood and qi. The old lady has no other health problems. She won't die from being angered by her now, and it won't matter if she's angered by Wu Mama and those two maids in the future.

Ignoring the chaos of war behind her, Qu Rong only told Dan Sha, "Dan Sha, prepare the gifts and go to the academy tomorrow."

Cinnabar, "Yes!"

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Cinnabar: Why not go tonight?

Mistress: I'm going to take a nice bath tonight [shy]

cinnabar:……