Chapter 43 (Abusive, proceed with caution) I followed him. ...
When Cheng An called Qing Yue over, a few servants and maids had already quietly gathered around to watch the commotion.
Without a cane, Cheng Min had no choice but to stand aside with a wooden paddle.
Liang Ye stood with his hands behind his back, his back to the crowd. Shan He slumped down beside him, her eyes vacant and her movements numb. The moment she saw Qing Yue, the grievances of the past few days welled up in her heart. Shan He propped herself up, called her name, and was about to rush towards her. But Liang Ye grabbed her collar, and she fell back down.
He then turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said to Cai Xiang, "Call the people from the main branch of the family over here."
Before long, three or four rows of people stood there, all craning their necks and focusing their gaze on Shanhe.
Shanhe lowered his face and sat there resignedly, motionless.
Liang Ye then said to Granny Wei, "Granny, from now on, the rules of the eldest son's household will need to be managed by you."
Granny Wei nodded, stepped forward, and said steadily, "I dare not disobey the master's request." She turned to the others and said, "The master is kind and benevolent, and cannot bear to punish those who have made mistakes. If this were in Mizhou, it would be fine. But this time, as we go to the capital to establish our residence, the rules must be strictly enforced. If things remain as they were before, wouldn't people laugh at the master? From now on, anyone who speaks inappropriately or acts insubordination will be punished according to the rules." She glanced at Cheng Min: "Cheng Min, anyone who speaks inappropriately or acts insubordination will be punished with ten strokes of the cane. Begin."
After saying that, Huaisong and Huaifeng immediately stepped forward, grabbed Qingyue, and forced her onto the bench. Qingyue, confused, shouted, "I didn't! I was locked in the room by you, how could I have committed any insubordination!"
Granny Wei laughed: "You serve Madam Xue. If Madam Xue makes a mistake, it is your mistake. If Madam Xue deserves punishment, it is you who should punish her."
Qingyue was stunned for a moment, her resistance halting for a split second: "What?" She had already been forced down onto the bench, her hands and feet bound.
Shanhe, who had been huddled silently beside Liang Ye, suddenly stood up, rushed over and lay on top of Qingyue, hugging her. Shanhe cried, "I'm sorry, I'm the one who tired you out."
There are so many things I'm sorry for, not just today. Looking back, Shanhe suddenly realized that she was also sorry for the Xue family's downfall two years ago—it caused Qingyue to lose her job as a head maid, leave Jinling where she grew up, and wander with her all the way to Mizhou.
Cheng Min's raised wooden paddle froze in mid-air.
Granny Wei said to Caixiang and Caiping, "Pull the lady away."
Ercai had no choice but to go up and grab Shanhe's sleeve, not daring to use her full strength. Caixiang whispered in her ear, "My lady, don't be stubborn. Just admit your mistake now and ask the master to have mercy."
Shanhe didn't speak, but just held Qingyue tightly.
Liang Ye's eyes darkened: "Pull her away."
Cai Xiang and Cai Ping had no choice but to pull hard, and Qing Yue cried and begged Shan He to let go, but Shan He held on too tightly and didn't say a word, using all his strength to protect Qing Yue.
Granny Wei frowned and turned to look at Liang Ye. Liang Ye sighed coldly, "Fine, I'll leave it to you, Granny." He turned away, unwilling to look any longer.
Upon receiving the order, a glint of ruthlessness flashed in her old eyes. She said, "Young master should have done this long ago. Your master was too soft-hearted and kind back then, which led the Liang family to where it is today. After the third son-in-law passed away, the Liang family has not produced a capable descendant for so many years. It was only with great difficulty that we finally saw you, young master, become successful. If we followed the rules of your maternal grandparents' family, not to mention anything else, even someone as stubborn as Madam Xue would have been tamed long ago."
She would never have said such a thing in front of Liang Ye before, but over the years, seeing Liang Ye gradually make his way to the capital, seeing his behavior and conduct become increasingly different from that of the old master Liang, and seeing him become more and more like the current head of the Shi family, Wei Mama felt a sense of relief: Liang Ye had more of the Shi family's blood in him.
He possessed both the Liang family's natural talent and erudition, and the Shi family's cold-heartedness and ruthlessness; this was the kind of person who could rise to high office and achieve great success. Granny Wei felt that her youngest daughter, who had died young, could finally rest in peace.
Granny Wei stepped forward and said in a kind voice, "Please rise, Madam."
Shanhe disliked her to begin with, so he buried his face in Qingyue's shoulder and whispered to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here..."
Before she could finish speaking, her wrist was suddenly grabbed, the grip tightening until Shanhe felt as if her bones were about to be crushed. She cried out in pain, "Ah!"
Granny Wei twisted her wrist, and seeing that her fingers were gradually loosening their grip, she hurriedly said to Cai Xiang and the others, "Why aren't you pulling the lady away!"
Upon receiving the order, Cai Xiang and Cai Ping immediately grabbed Shan He and pulled her away from Qing Yue.
Shanhe struggled to lunge back, but two other maids, acting on Wei Mama's orders, grabbed her and wouldn't let her move. Four or five people held Shanhe captive, like an abyss swallowing all her resistance. She was dragged a few steps away from Liang Ye, all her resistance suppressed.
With a snap, the wooden paddle landed on Qingyue's waist and hips, and Qingyue's shrill scream tore through the sky.
Shanhe felt a jolt, followed by uncontrollable trembling.
She cried out, "Oh my God! Qingyue!" Her vision went black again. In that brief moment, Qingyue was struck two more blows with a stick, her clothes on her buttocks now stained crimson with blood, a horrifying sight.
Shanhe hurriedly shouted, "Enough! Enough! Chengmin, stop!"
Cheng Min seemed not to hear her and dropped another oar.
Qingyue was in excruciating pain; she couldn't lift her head and slumped on the bench, her breathing becoming weak, only gasping for air. She began to cry, calling out to Shanhe, "Mother—it hurts—"
Shanhe opened her eyes wide, bloodshot and tearful. Her resistance suddenly stopped, and tears streamed down her face.
Qingyue said again, despite her pain, "Miss, young lady! Please don't look!"
The fifth blow landed heavily.
Qingyue screamed even more pitifully. Her voice weakened completely, and she seemed to be gurgling blood bubbles as she coughed up blood: "Miss..."
She was consumed by immense pain: "Miss, give up..."
"Just give in to me... please..."
"Just give in to him..."
"—It hurts!"
Shanhe was struck dumb; the last wall she had built in her heart finally crumbled completely. Looking at Chengmin's raised oar, she cried out in anguish, "Stop!"
Her crying was so heart-wrenching that Cheng Min was stunned. She looked at Granny Wei, waiting for her instructions. Granny Wei's dry lips twitched, about to speak, when Shanhe cried out, "Liang Ye, I was wrong, I was wrong... Please let her go..."
Granny Wei swallowed her words and remained silent.
Shanhe struggled, crying, "Let me go! Let me go! I want to talk to the old man!"
Cai Ping didn't intend to let go, but Cai Xiang glared at her secretly, so all eight or nine hands relaxed their grip, and Shan He quickly escaped the restraints.
She stumbled and fell at Liang Ye's feet, clutching the hem of his black robe with both hands. She knelt down, tears streaming down her face, and cried, "I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong... Sir, please let her go... I won't do it again, I promise I'll be obedient from now on..."
She pressed her forehead against her hands, kneeling before him, trembling uncontrollably. Shanhe's tears quickly soaked the hem of his robe: "Please... Master, please... I promise I'll be obedient, I promise I won't disobey you... I'll do anything you want, please don't punish her... Please, please..."
Above her head came the man's deep, steady voice: "If you had done this earlier, why would Qingyue have suffered so much?" He lifted her up from his feet, turned her face to face Qingyue: "Look, the injuries and blood on her body are all because you disobeyed me."
Shanhe's face was held in his large hand, limiting her speech and movement. She nodded woodenly, repeating over and over, "I'll be good... I'll be good..."
So Liang Ye frowned and said to Granny Wei, "Granny, a small punishment to serve as a warning is fine. But the rules cannot be broken. Ten strokes of the cane, not a single one less."
Shanhe suddenly looked up.
Liang Ye smiled and pinched her cheek: "But Madam Xue is worried about Qingyue. Chengmin, take it easy and let it pass."
Cheng Min responded with a "Yes".
Liang Ye then said, "Caixiang, help Madam Xue back to her room to rest. Granny, I'll leave this to you."
Shanhe was then flanked by Caixiang and Caiping and pulled back into the house. Liang Ye, disgusted by the scene, also returned to the house with a sullen face. After Liang Ye left, Cheng Min tossed the wooden paddle to Cheng An: "I can't move, Cheng An, you do it."
Next, Granny Wei reprimanded and established rules for all the maids and servants present, and only after everyone had witnessed the execution did she send them away.
Shanhe sat on the edge of the couch, her eyes vacant, twisting her fingers, listening intently to the sounds outside. But she could only hear rustling noises; Qingyue's crying was gone. She hurriedly said to Caixiang, "Caixiang, she's stopped crying. Go and see her." Caixiang sighed and went out on her own.
She left only the colorful screen in the room. She took a mirror and a wooden comb and began to comb Shanhe's messy hair.
In the mirror, Caiping saw Shanhe silently shedding tears, pouting: "If you keep crying, the master will be unhappy to see you like this. My wife, you should at least think of the good things about the eldest son's family and smile more."
Shanhe hurriedly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand: "Yes, I won't cry anymore." After saying that, tears started flowing again.
The color screen sighed again.
When Shanhe saw the red marks on Caiping's face in the mirror, he couldn't help but ask, "What happened to your face? Were you punished too?"
Cai Ping sneered, "I got into a fight with someone, and she bruised my face, so I pulled out her hair."
"Oh," Shanhe said, "then they didn't punish you?"
"Of course there is! It's a monthly allowance!"
"Didn't I hit you?"
“The master never uses torture; at most, he'll just fine her a little of her monthly allowance.” She suddenly realized that Shanhe was insisting on being “punished” when Qingyue was beaten today. She couldn't help but ask, “What did my wife do wrong today? How did it come to this?”
Shanhe said blankly, "I... Caiping, do you know the saying, 'Treat others as they treat you'?"
“Oh, I see. My wife is using the same tactics against me.” Caiping chuckled. “Well, I don’t know how to put it. But Caixiang is right about one thing: living is the most important thing. Just like Fanniang this time—” She realized she had misspoke and quickly fell silent.
Shanhe clutched her face: "I know, I know... but I can't accept living like this..."
Caiping frowned: "You saw the unacceptable outcome today, my wife. How many people in this world can accept their way of life? They just endure it. For example, I even wanted to be reborn as a princess, but I'm still trapped in the inner palace as a servant. Do you expect me to just die?"
Shanhe said slowly, "Yes, I know... I will try my best to accept it..."
Cai Ping smiled and leaned down to whisper in Shan He's ear, "Hey, Second Madam, don't be sad. With a man of your stature and family background, the First Master still wants you. You're not at a loss."
Shanhe was stunned, his eyes widened, and he was too surprised to speak.
Caiping straightened up again and continued combing Shanhe's hair, a smile on her lips: "I was talking nonsense, please don't mind, my wife."
Shanhe nodded slightly.
Her hair was combed, but her face was still streaked with tears. Caiping fetched more water, wrung out a white towel, and wiped Shanhe's face. Even after wiping away the tears, her face remained pale, her eyes swollen and red like peaches, and her complexion deathly ashen. Caiping helped Shanhe sit at the dressing table and applied makeup, powder, and lipstick. In the mirror, a beautiful face soon appeared again, with delicate eyebrows and red lips, elegant and gentle, though a hint of sorrow lingered in her eyes.
Caiping intended to cheer Shanhe up, hoping to make her laugh. But after only a few words, Shanhe suddenly looked up at her and said calmly, "That Granny Wei, I've never seen her before?"
Seeing her curiosity, Caiping felt somewhat relieved. Curiosity meant there was hope for survival. The worst thing was being indifferent and uncaring; that wasn't a sign of longevity. So, Caiping rolled her eyes, racking her brains, and recounted in detail what she knew about Granny Wei and the long-deceased Madam Shi. Actually, she had hardly ever met any of the people in the story; she had only met Granny Wei a few times before today. However, she was a servant in the Liang family, and naturally, she was talkative and cheerful, always at the forefront of gossip, so she spoke as if she had experienced it herself.
Cai Ping spoke up: "Granny Wei is the dowry maid that the eldest and second masters' mother, the deceased Madam Shi, brought from her maiden home."
"The Shi family has lived in the capital for generations. Everyone in the household has a heart full of wealth and a eyes that crave prestige. Not to mention the masters, even the servants walk with their heads held high like proud roosters. There are examples to prove this—"
When Shanhe heard the phrase "a proud rooster," her lips curved slightly.
Seeing that she finally smiled a little, Caiping felt smug and continued, "Just to mention one thing, since you married into our family and have been the housekeeper for nearly two years, how much contact have you had with the Shi family?"
Shanhe was taken aback, only then realizing that the Shi family seemed to live forever in account books and ledgers, and only in the old ones at that. Since she married into the Liang family, the Shi and Liang families hadn't even exchanged gifts for festivals for two or three years.
Shanhe shook his head: "It seems not."
Caiping laughed, and she spoke without any restraint, saying directly, "That's for sure. The current head of the Shi family, Mrs. Shi's own brother, and the uncle of both masters, sent four or five letters back then, expressing his disapproval of our second master's marriage and his refusal to let him marry you!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: The next chapter will be served with braised pork. [glasses]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com