Yu Xiang picked up her bag. As she passed Ge Furen (Mrs. Ge), she gave her a courteous smile and a polite nod before leaving.
Old Master Jiang rolled the walnuts in his hand. “That younger brother of yours went and complained to you, did he?”
With Yu Xiang’s brief interruption, Mrs. Ge’s anger had not erupted on the spot. By now, she had calmed down a little.
Suppressing her temper, she went over to the sofa and sat down. “Master, I know you ordered the charity foundation to be strict about everything before. I knew I was in the wrong, so I never argued with you about it. But I truly cannot understand what happened with Wen Guan. Why did you suddenly change your mind the very next day?”
Old Master Jiang’s brows drew together. “Did I ever say the day before that I wouldn’t punish him?”
“You handed the procurement authority over to the deputy manager. Such a simple punishment—did it really require someone as experienced as you, a former chairman, to think about it all night?”
“Outrageous! When did it become your place to criticize every decision I make?”
Mrs. Ge began to cry. “Fine, fine! When you married me, you said that according to some master’s fortune-telling, you were destined to be a lone star and would bring misfortune to your wife! You didn’t even let me register our marriage! So it turns out you had this in mind all along—you wanted to treat me like a concubine from the old days, someone you could dismiss whenever you pleased?”
Old Master Jiang hated seeing women cry. He rubbed his temples helplessly. “Nonsense! If you were a concubine, would I have given you authority over the entire household?”
Mrs. Ge choked back a sob. “Fine. Since I am your lawful wife, the woman you married in a ceremony and announced in the newspapers, and since I have managed this household conscientiously ever since I married into it, am I no longer even allowed to ask why my brother was punished after devoting half my life to this family?”
Old Master Jiang said sternly, “He bought inferior essential oils and caused me to lie unconscious in a hospital bed for more than ten hours. If it had been anyone else, I would have fired him on the spot—and made him pay for it, too! It was precisely because he is your younger brother, your own flesh and blood, that I let him off and allowed him to remain in charge of procurement. Isn’t that favoritism enough?”
Mrs. Ge wiped away her tears and set down her handkerchief. “Fine, fine, fine. Then tell me, Master—why did you only scold him and tell him to get out the day before, but change your mind and decide to punish him the next day? Tell me!”
Old Master Jiang fell silent.
That girl Little Hu was gentle, docile, virtuous, and refined. How could she possibly withstand the fury of the lady of the house?
Besides, he felt that the atmosphere between the two of them was harmonious at present. She came by every day to keep him company, chat with him, relieve his boredom, and massage his legs. It was just right.
To let outside forces destroy that tacit understanding would be a bad idea.
“What, I just woke up. Is it not possible that my mind wasn’t working properly at the time?” Old Master Jiang had made up his mind to protect Little Hu. His voice turned stern. “Just because I didn’t punish him then, does that mean a punishment imposed afterward doesn’t count?”
Mrs. Ge felt utterly chilled.
Fine. Fine!
When he was young, his heart had belonged only to his career and his business empire! Now that he was old, he had finally learned how to dote on someone—and here he was, protecting her!
The two of them sat locked in silence.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiang had returned to the auxiliary first floor.
“Mom, come quickly!” Jiang Chuling called out. “I saved you a seat! It’s getting to the good part!”
The Master, his wife, the young master, the young ladies, and Qiuyun—six people in all—sat around the square table, listening with rapt attention.
After a brief silence on the recording, there came a knock at the door.
“Master, I’m here.”
When Old Master Jiang saw Hu Tingxue, he frowned. “Who told you to come?”
Mrs. Ge smoothed her skirt. “I did, of course.”
Hu Tingxue looked a little bewildered, but she still walked over properly and asked, “Madam, did you need something from me?”
Mrs. Ge looked her up and down.
She was indeed quite attractive. Her movements were proper, her voice gentle and soft—the very picture of a virtuous wife and loving mother. She had truly figured out exactly what the Master liked and put on the act perfectly!
“Go and pour me a cup of tea,” Mrs. Ge ordered coldly.
Old Master Jiang frowned. “Qingyang, don’t make things difficult for her.”
Hu Tingxue hurriedly shook her head. “It’s no trouble at all, no trouble. I’ll do it right away!”
This was her future mother-in-law. Everyone said that mothers-in-law were far more demanding of their daughters-in-law than fathers-in-law. Since her future mother-in-law had asked her to do something for the first time, she had to do it perfectly!
Although she did not understand the art of tea preparation, she watched the tea master fuss over it every day and had learned enough to imitate the motions.
Hu Tingxue gave her future mother-in-law an ingratiating smile and began brewing the tea.
Mrs. Ge watched through narrowed eyes.
Hah. She was practically begging to serve this cup of tea to the concubine!
Not long afterward, the tea was ready.
Hu Tingxue carried the teacup over and said humbly and cautiously, “Madam, please have some tea.”
Mrs. Ge raised her chin, her eyes carrying a mocking smile, and reached out sideways to take it.
“Ouch! Are you trying to scald me to death?”
She flung her hand aside. The teacup fell onto the carpet, and the tea instantly stained a large patch.
Hu Tingxue panicked. “I’m sorry, Madam. I’ll brew you another cup right away.”
“That’s enough!” Old Master Jiang could not stand by any longer. “Little Hu, you should go downstairs first.”
Seeing that she had offended her future mother-in-law, Hu Tingxue grew so nervous that tears welled in her eyes. “No, Master. Please let me brew another cup for Madam. I’ll make sure to get the temperature right this time!”
Cold arrows seemed to shoot from Mrs. Ge’s eyes.
Well, well. She was quite something!
That delicate, understanding act after being humiliated by the legal wife was something Mrs. Ge had only ever seen on television.
Today, she was truly getting an eye-opening experience!
Mrs. Ge said sarcastically, “Words are easy. Why aren’t you going yet?”
“Yes, yes, I’m going right away!” Hu Tingxue hurriedly picked up the teacup from the floor and rushed off to brew another cup for Madam.
Old Master Jiang glared angrily. “Ge Qingyang! That’s enough! What are you making such a fuss with me for?”
Seeing that her future father-in-law and future mother-in-law were about to start arguing, Hu Tingxue quickly tried to mediate. “Master, I was the one who failed to hold the cup properly and let Madam touch the rim and burn herself. Please don’t blame Madam.”
Old Master Jiang grew even angrier. “Look at her, and then look at you! You’re the lady of this household, yet look at the way you’re behaving!”
Mrs. Ge was so furious that her eyes and mouth twisted.
Fine, fine, fine. So she was another innocent white lotus untouched by the filth of the world!
Her chest heaved with anger. “What kind of person am I? What kind of person could I possibly be? In what way have I failed to be a good mistress of this house? You’re actually humiliating me over a woman like that!”
Hu Tingxue was dumbfounded.
Why did everything get worse the more she tried to mediate?
Old Master Jiang shouted, “Watch your mouth! Ge Qingyang, did you come here today determined to make a scene with me?”
“That’s right!” Mrs. Ge said, her eyes red, as she smoothed her hair. “Look at the way you’re defending that slut. In all these years, I’ve never seen you show that much concern for any woman! Hah, at this rate, I’ll have to make a scene sooner or later anyway. I might as well do it now. It’s better than waiting until you take away my authority over the household just as you did with Wen Guan!”
Hu Tingxue listened with a blank expression.
Who was she calling a slut?
Her?
Old Master Jiang was genuinely furious now. “Fine! Very well! Since you say there’s no need to wait until later, then we won’t wait! From now on, you are no longer to manage anything in the estate. Hand everything over to the eldest son’s wife!”
