Chapter 109 Collision
"Second brother, your words are somewhat biased. One should look at a person with new eyes after three days of separation. I have seen Yuxuan's studies, and she is indeed working very hard and has already caught up with the girls' school's pace."
Xiao Jin disagreed with her second brother's words and defended her.
"Ha, I think you've ruined your brain from studying in the palace. Can't you see? Both of your younger sisters are useless. If you still dream of using your sisters to advance your future, I advise you to give up that idea as soon as possible!"
Xiao Min was in a bad mood. A lot of troubles had happened at home recently, which made him the target of ridicule and mockery from his classmates. He also kept making mistakes in his studies and was punished by his teacher...
In short, it's all the fault of those two younger sisters!
One seduced his adoptive brother, and the other climbed the social ladder by currying favor with the powerful; neither of them were good!
Xiao Min grew angrier the more he thought about it, and spoke without thinking. Only after he had vented his anger did he see that Xiao Jin's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
"What do you mean by that, Second Brother? Are you saying I sold my sister for personal gain?"
Xiao Jin lowered his voice, his fist clenched tightly under his sleeve, his anger rising in his chest, ready to explode at any moment.
"Isn't that right? You used to act as a matchmaker for the Fourth Prince and Xiao Yuyao. Did I remember wrong? Look, they don't appreciate your efforts at all. They turned around and got together with my eldest brother!"
"I advise you not to waste your time; those two are very ambitious!"
"Bang---"
No one saw clearly how Xiao Jin made his move. The punch was swift, accurate, and ruthless. Caught off guard, Xiao Min was knocked to the ground by his younger brother, clutching his face and crying out in pain.
"ah!"
"Second Young Master!"
Still not satisfied, Xiao Jin strode over to Xiao Min, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded:
"How can you talk to your own sister like that?! Don't you have a heart?! Have all the books you've read at the academy gone to waste?!"
"Xiao Jin, what's wrong with you! I'm your second brother!"
Xiao Min was so frightened that he braced himself on the ground and tried to back away.
However, Xiao Jin's archery and horsemanship skills learned in the palace were much better than those taught in the academy, and his strength was also much greater than that of a weak scholar who only knew how to read the classics. He could not escape the other party's anger at all.
"Besides, Xiao Yuyao isn't even our biological sister. What's wrong with me saying a few words about her? Don't you know that the storytellers outside have made up even worse stories? Why don't you listen to what they have to say?"
Xiao Min was still trying to defend himself when Xiao Jin tried to throw another punch.
"Second Young Master, stop hitting him! Stop hitting him!"
When Li's mother saw this scene from a distance, her heart skipped a beat.
"Are you all dead? The two young masters are having a falling out, and you're just going to stand by and watch?!"
A group of servants and maids who were standing nearby finally came to their senses and hurriedly pulled the two apart.
"What's going on? They're not little kids anymore, how could they fight like this? If the master and mistress find out, they'll be in big trouble! It'll interfere with their studies, wouldn't that be a loss?"
Having served Madam Xiao for a long time, Li Mama received some respect from the young masters and ladies. Seeing that she was truly angry, Xiao Jin and Xiao Min also restrained themselves somewhat.
"What happened? You tell me!"
Mother Li pointed to a maid who was serving tea and said that the maid was also very knowledgeable and had a good memory. She told the story of what had just happened without missing a single word, including the conversation and expressions of the two brothers.
The more Li's mother listened, the colder her expression became.
"Second brother, I hurt you in a moment of panic. No matter what, it was my fault. I apologize to you."
Xiao Jin was the first to react. After all, he was the younger brother, and if he were accused of disrespecting his elder brother, he would likely be punished in the palace.
Madam Li glanced at him. After all, the Third Young Master was only fourteen or fifteen years old. It was normal for him to be impulsive and unable to contain his anger. Now that he had realized his mistake, it depended on the Second Young Master's attitude.
But to everyone's surprise, Xiao Min completely refused to accept this offer.
"I, a heartless person, dare not accept your apology, you who are so thoughtful!"
“You’ve got all that studying into your head, and you’re a precious companion in the palace. How could I possibly be your second brother? Tomorrow I’ll go back to Father and Mother and change the order in the family genealogy so that I can call you brother!”
Mrs. Li frowned.
"When two brothers live under the same roof, they're bound to have their share of disagreements. Even teeth and tongue can fight. The Third Young Master has already admitted his mistake, so the Second Young Master should say less. The Madam has just taken her medicine and gone to sleep; don't upset her again."
Xiao Min was already feeling resentful, and being punched only to receive a perfunctory apology made him extremely unhappy. Now, seeing that Mother Li was actually speaking up for the guy who beat his brother, he quickly forgot all his respect for her.
"And who is your status to interfere in the master's affairs? Does Mama Li really think of herself as our elder?"
"presumptuous!"
Madam Xiao's voice suddenly rang out from behind them, startling Li's mother.
"Madam, why are you up?"
"If I hadn't come, those two bastards would have turned the world upside down!"
Madam Xiao stared at the two brothers kneeling on the ground, her eyes filled with disappointment.
It turned out that when the two brothers started arguing, a passing maid heard something was wrong and hurried to the main courtyard to find the madam, just in time to miss Li Mama.
"Mother, I acted impulsively and hurt my second brother. I am willing to accept the punishment!"
Xiao Jin dared to apologize before Xiao Min, because he was really afraid that his second brother would say something even more outrageous.
His mother's health was deteriorating, which made him uneasy. He didn't want his mother to be upset because of his second brother's words.
"You are wrong, but your second brother is no less so!"
Xiao Min found it hard to believe. Could it be that even his mother was biased towards this unfilial person?
“Mother! I was just telling the truth, and my third brother got angry and hit me. You can’t be so unreasonable!”
“I’m sick, not stupid. Ask yourself honestly, weren’t you harboring some malicious intent in everything you just said? And Aunt Li, how could you cough like that…”
Madam Xiao spoke hastily, her face flushed with a sickly redness, and before she could finish, she began to cough violently.
"Mother!"
Xiao Jin hurriedly got up to help her sit down.
“Mother, this is my fault alone, it has nothing to do with my second brother. Mother, don’t worry, I will never do it again.”
He spoke very quickly, and by the last sentence, his voice carried a barely perceptible sadness.
When did his mother's health deteriorate to such a state?! He had no idea!
Li's mother also came up and busied herself patting Madam Xiao's back.
"Madam, please don't be angry. It was this old servant who overstepped his bounds. The second young master is right."
An old man and a young boy comforted Madam Xiao, and Xiao Min watched this with mixed feelings.
But there's absolutely no way he'd back down!
“Mother trusts Li Mama and spoils her young son. This is the kindness of a woman. She will surely pay the price for today’s indulgence in the future.”
"Shut up!"
Xiao Jin stared fiercely at her second brother, who was still kneeling on the ground, as if she wanted to bore a hole through him with her gaze.
Can't you see how badly Mother is acting? How can Second Brother still spout such nonsense!
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