As Qi An ate, he kept spitting bones onto the floor that Han's mother had cleaned, so Han's mother had to clean it again and again.
Yuan Qing suddenly entered the room, looking anxious, and said, "Master, news has come that the army is on its way and will arrive in two days."
Han's mother's eyes lit up. Her son was finally coming back. She wanted to think of a way to kill that bitch.
Yuan Qing was filled with worry. He feared that his master would face retaliation for what he had done when the general returned.
The servants of the Han family originally served Qi An out of greed for money and their lives, but now they genuinely want to follow their master.
It turns out that the old, cunning butler is dead, and the newly appointed young butler is tactful and fair.
As long as they do their job well, no one beats or scolds them, no one deducts their wages, and they even get extra bonuses from time to time.
Even the standards for work clothes and meals have been raised.
They eat well and dress well now, and the young mistress has plenty of money, little trouble, and a good temper. Where can you find such a wonderful master?
So when they heard that Han Xiuzhe was coming back, they were all worried for her.
What if he comes back and kicks the young mistress out? What will they do then?
Damn it, why don't those gigolos who live off women just die out there?
Qi An noticed Han's mother's agitation and sneered inwardly, wondering what was so exciting about returning to her death.
She said calmly, "I understand."
Seeing Qi An's calm and composed demeanor, Yuan Qing's tense heart gradually calmed down.
He now blindly trusts Qi An; as long as his master doesn't panic, nothing is a problem.
Han's mother waited anxiously for two more days, counting down the days until her son would be back today.
She was so excited that she didn't sleep all night. She got up very early in the morning and skillfully cleaned all the toilets.
Then, as she ate the spoiled steamed bun, she mentally rehearsed what she would do when her son returned, telling him all sorts of things to make him kill that bitch to vent her anger.
Around noon, Han's mother was sweeping in Qi An's courtyard when she heard Yuan Qing report:
"My lord, the army has entered the city. The generals have been ordered to go to the palace to meet the emperor. The general who made meritorious contributions has also gone. He has now left the palace and is on his way back."
Han's mother was overjoyed. She stopped sweeping and pricked up her ears to eavesdrop.
Yuan Qing paused for a moment and then said, "I heard that because the old lady's matter has spread too far in the capital, even the palace has heard about it."
The Emperor felt this matter was too immoral and disgraceful, so when it came time to reward those who had rendered meritorious service, he not only failed to reward the general but also demoted him by one rank, ordering him to return home and reflect on his actions in seclusion.
Han's mother was struck dumb, stunned and frozen in place.
For the past two weeks, she had been confined to the mansion, completely cut off from the world, and she had forgotten that the vile woman had sent people to spread many rumors about her.
Has it already ruined her son's future?
My son was originally a fourth-rank military officer. He fought hard for three years and made great contributions, but he didn't receive any reward and was even demoted to a fifth-rank adjutant.
Han's mother felt her heart sink to the bottom.
She was too dazed to hear Yuan Qing continue speaking. Rumors were circulating outside that the general was holding a woman on horseback, and the two were behaving intimately, causing much discussion among the people.
Yuan Qing was indignant at his master's indignation. The young mistress had been living as a widow for three years and had suffered so much, yet he still couldn't forget to find women while fighting a war.
Suddenly, Hongdou's voice rang in her ears: "Miss, be careful."
Yuan Qing turned his head and saw that Han's mother was filled with hatred, holding the wooden handle of a broom and hitting Qi An on the head like a madwoman.
"You wretch, I'm going to kill you! You've ruined my son's life! I'll kill you..."
Yuan Qing was shocked and tried to block him, but Qi An moved with lightning speed, grabbing Han's mother's wrist and snapping it with a crack.
Immediately afterwards, a flying kick sent Han's mother flying out, crashing heavily onto the bluestone ground outside the door. With a scream, she fainted.
Without the cushioning effect of the thick layer of fat, Qi An could tell from the sound that her coccyx was broken.
Ata earnestly explained: "Weight loss should be moderate; fat can be life-saving in critical moments."
Just then, a voice came from outside the door: "Young Madam, the General has returned."
Qi An clapped his hands, walked outside, and instructed Yuan Qing, "Take care of it."
Yuan Qing was startled; his master's test had arrived.
His eyes darted around, and he gave an order to his servants:
"Go and fetch the most expensive doctor. Tell everyone that after the steward died, the old lady was heartbroken and lost her appetite. Today, upon hearing the news of the general's demotion, she was so disoriented that she fell heavily and lost consciousness."
"Yes, sir, I'll go right away."
After giving his instructions, Yuan Qing quickly went to catch up with Qi An.
On the way back to the manor, Han Xiuzhe rode on horseback, with a pretty woman in a white dress encircling him.
He was handsome, and he was wearing the armor that Song Xinlan had prepared for him. The armor was covered with scratches, showing how much damage it had protected him in times of crisis.
But in his heart, he was plotting to harm the person who gave him the armor.
At this moment, Han Xiuzhe was dejected, lacking the high spirits he had in his previous life when he was promoted and honored.
The woman he was holding pouted and said, "What kind of things did your mother do? She even caused you to be demoted. You worked for nothing for three years."
Han Xiuzhe remained silent, but his furrowed brows betrayed his frustration and irritability.
Zhang Yanyan complained to herself for a while, then comforted him, "It's okay, you can get promoted back later, I'll help you."
Han Xiuzhe's expression softened a bit. He lowered his head and kissed Zhang Yanyan's forehead, saying with emotion:
"Yan Yan, you are so good to me. I will be good to you for the rest of my life."
The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice the strange looks from the people on either side, or the pointing and whispering.
The henchmen following behind overheard snippets of conversation, such as "heartless man," "birds of a feather," "like mother, like son," and "he's just after other people's money."
They exchanged a glance but neither of them reminded Han Xiuzhe.
Seeing that they would reach the Han residence after just one more turn, the men took their leave.
"I haven't seen my wife and children for three years. I can't wait any longer, so I'm going home now. If there's anything else, please send someone to tell me."
Upon hearing the address "General," Han Xiuzhe's face darkened. He waved his hand impatiently, and several of his men quickly turned and left.
He turned his head and curled his lip in disdain.
Pah, what a load of rubbish!
Within half a day of entering the city, they heard about the glorious deeds of the Han family mother and son: the mother was vicious and dissolute, and the son was a womanizer who married a rich man and lived off his wife.
His wife put in both money and effort to take care of the family and be a dutiful daughter-in-law to his mother, and yet he brought home a vixen instead.
They need to keep their distance from such heartless scumbags, otherwise what if their wives misunderstand and think they've gone astray too?
Those women hit really hard; they didn't want to be beaten and forced to kneel on a washboard.
At the entrance of the Han residence, before Han Xiuzhe could even dismount, he saw Song Xinlan, whom he hadn't seen for three years, standing outside with her servants, eagerly awaiting his arrival.
Zhang Yanyan peeked out and said smugly, "That's Song Xinlan. Just as you said, she's an ugly woman, far inferior to me."
Han Xiuzhe was somewhat absent-minded, and subconsciously echoed, "Yes, you're the most beautiful."
The scumbag's face drew closer, and a large number of onlookers had gathered around the Han residence to watch the spectacle.
Qi An sneered, "As expected, he looks decent enough, but what's with the name Xiu Ze? What a waste of a good name. In my opinion, he should be renamed 'Shameful Ancestor'."
Ata nodded in deep agreement.
Then he saw his boss, who had been looking sinister just a second ago, suddenly have red eyes and tears falling like beads from a broken string.
Ata: ...Is it really that real?
She lifted her skirt and ran forward, looking up and crying softly and sorrowfully:
"Husband, why are you only coming back now? Mother... Mother is paralyzed."
Han Xiuzhe was shocked and was about to dismount when he saw Song Xinlan pointing at Zhang Yanyan in his arms with trembling hands and a pale face, asking in a trembling voice:
"Husband, who is she?"
Han Xiuzhe glanced at the people around him, then lowered his eyes guiltily, about to say that he would talk about it when they got back.
Dissatisfied with his silence, Zhang Yanyan raised her chin, her face full of arrogance:
"Hello, my name is Zhang Yanyan. I am in love with Brother Ze and I am his most beloved person."
The onlookers were shocked; how could there be such a shameless person in the world?
That Han family lad is indeed a heartless man.
Then they saw the pale-faced Song family girl trembling all over, tears streaming down her face, before finally collapsing and fainting.
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