Chapter 19 The Servant Executed with a Beating
Just as Zhang picked up her teacup, she glanced at Xing'er and said coldly, "It was indeed I who sent Xing'er to fetch the mistress. How dare you, you lowly servant, falsely accuse someone."
Dong Rou's eyes were filled with tears of grievance. She turned her head and looked at Lu Zhaoruo with a pleading expression: "Madam, I clearly..."
Lu Zhaoruo nodded slightly and gave her a reassuring look.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang immediately questioned, "But you, you've been nowhere to be seen since early this morning. I also heard that you withdrew six taels of silver from the accounting office?"
Lu Zhaoruo took out two amulets from her sleeve and respectfully handed them over: "My daughter-in-law has recently caught a cold and is afraid of infecting my parents-in-law. Since business at the shop is slow, I thought I would go to Jingci Temple to ask for two longevity amulets for my parents-in-law so that they may live a long and healthy life."
Granny Zhou stepped forward, took the longevity charm, and handed it to Zhang.
Zhang examined it carefully and saw the temple seal on it.
She cherished her life most and hoped to stay healthy and live to be a hundred years old.
However, she still had some doubts: "How could this have cost six taels of silver?"
Lu Zhaoruo explained, "Besides the incense money of one tael, this talisman is a consecrated talisman, which cost two taels of silver. The other three taels are for merit money. The more you donate, the more effective the talisman will be. I only hope that my parents-in-law will be healthy and live a long life, so that I can wait with them for my husband's triumphant return."
Although Zhang felt bad about spending the money, since it was for her and her husband's health and longevity, she couldn't say anything more.
She always knew that her daughter-in-law was both foolish and filial.
Seeing that she didn't suspect anything, Lu Zhaoruo continued the previous topic: "Aunt, it's true that things often go missing from my room. I haven't mentioned it before, but I didn't want to disturb the peace of the house. Although Xing'er said she came to my room to call me on your behalf, it's hard to guarantee that she won't take something."
Upon hearing this, Xing'er panicked and hurriedly said, "Madam, please understand, this servant would never dare to steal Madam's things!"
Zhang looked displeased and said, "The Shen family has had three generations of servants, are they not as knowledgeable about loyalty as you, a new bride? How could you steal things?"
After saying that, she raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure and contempt: "Besides, it's just an animal. If you kill it, you kill it. Why are you so angry and beat my man like this?"
Lu Zhaoruo's eyes instantly reddened, and her voice trembled slightly: "Aunt, you don't know, Abao was found by me outside the door the morning after my husband left home. Abao has been with me for three years, and I have always thought of him as someone my husband left behind. Whenever I think of my husband in the dead of night, I would hold Abao and cry."
She sobbed softly, "It's not an animal. It knows how to feel cold and warm. It has a conscience more than those so-called people."
She raised her head slightly, her gaze firm, her words carrying a hidden meaning.
Zhang felt inexplicably guilty after being told this.
Lu Zhaoruo continued, "Auntie likes to believe in Buddhism and chant scriptures, and has the virtue of loving life. However, these three servants have no pity for a cat and have humiliated and abused it. It can be seen that they are so cruel."
"How can someone like that properly serve Auntie?"
She paused slightly, then her tone became even more resolute: "Besides, as servants, they defy human ethics and have no respect for hierarchy. I am the mistress of the house; if I am weak and accommodating, I will be ridiculed for 'lacking the ability to manage a household.' How can you, Aunt, feel at ease letting me manage the household?"
Zhang was speechless. She didn't want to punish anyone, but she had no choice. She could only say with a stern face, "Then everyone will be fined three months' worth of their allowance."
At this point, self-interest is still the primary concern.
Lu Zhaoruo suddenly bowed and said respectfully, "Please take back the management of the household, Aunt. Your daughter-in-law knows she is incompetent and cannot manage this family."
Zhang was slightly taken aback, then frowned and asked, "So what do you want?"
Lu Zhaoruo raised her head, looked directly at Zhang Shi, and said firmly and calmly: "The wicked servant will be beaten to death."
Upon hearing this, Xing'er, Tao'er, and the old woman from the kitchen turned deathly pale, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. They stared at Lu Zhaoruo in horror, as if they couldn't believe that their usually gentle mistress could be so resolute at this moment.
Ms. Zhang sat in the chair, feeling uncomfortable all over, yet helpless.
It's true that her brother from her maternal family passed the martial arts exam, which made her a bit more assertive.
Upon seeing this, Xing'er exclaimed, "Madam, it was the eldest young lady who told me to hang that cat up and beat it because the cat scratched her neck last time."
Lu Zhaoruo's gaze instantly turned cold; it was that person who had returned home...
Zhang rubbed her temples gently, seemingly with a headache, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Why does a beast have to cause so much trouble in the house? It did scratch Ayi last time, but let it go. Just fine each of them three months' wages. Look, you've beaten them up like this, and you're still not satisfied?"
She paused slightly, then suddenly raised her voice, "Could it be that he became a beast and killed three people? Then, our Chen family mansion will not only be left without anyone to serve us, but it will also become a haunted house."
Lu Zhaoruo naturally knew that Zhang Shi would not really punish them, so she beat them severely in the kitchen backyard.
Zhang then said, "Let's drop this matter."
Her tone was resolute, clearly indicating that she didn't want to continue the argument.
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoruo suddenly coughed violently, her body trembling slightly...
Seeing this, Zhang showed a hint of disgust on her face, frowned, and quickly left with the help of Granny Zhou.
The three servants on the ground struggled to their feet, their eyes filled with resentment as they glared fiercely at Lu Zhaoruo.
Lu Zhaoruo raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her movements gentle and composed. The next second, she turned around, raised her chin, and swept her icy gaze over the three servants. Her tone was still gentle but carried an air of authority: "Dongrou, beat them back!"
Xing'er was stunned for a moment.
Dong Rou was also stunned for a moment, but quickly reacted, stepped forward, and slapped Xing'er hard across the face.
A crisp slap rang out, and Xing'er screamed as she was hit.
Lu Zhaoruo brushed past Xing'er, and Dongrou quickly followed behind.
Back in the courtyard.
The veterinarian is already cleaning and bandaging Abao's wound.
There was also a willow splint to stabilize Abao's broken tail...
They also prescribed some herbs.
The veterinarian sighed and said, "If you keep fussing with it, this cat won't survive. Fortunately, it's very resilient and is out of danger for now, but it will need to rest for a month or two, and its health will suffer afterwards. We can't let it get hurt again next time."
Lu Zhaoruo asked Dongrou to see the veterinarian out, and then thanked Shitou.
After everyone had left, she looked at Abao with tenderness, gently stroked its little head, and whispered, "It's my fault for being useless; I couldn't even protect you."
Abao is in a deep sleep.
After Dongrou returned, Lu Zhaoruo picked up a hot water bottle and said, "Dongrou, take good care of Abao. I'm going to the eldest daughter's room."
Dongrou was somewhat surprised: "Is Madam here to settle scores with the eldest daughter? Does she intend to throw a hot water bottle on her? Absolutely not..."
Lu Zhaoruo smiled slightly: "I'm going to apologize."
Dong Rou frowned in confusion: "Why go and apologize?"
Lu Zhaoruo didn't say anything more and stepped out the door.
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