Chapter 21: Sword Drawn and Bowstring Taut

  Fourth Sister Liu Fu's face showed a hint of joy, as long as Liu Rong dared to do something to Sixth Sister, she would have full confidence in not letting Liu Rong follow Chang Mama, and when Ninth Aunt was happy, Great Grandmother would definitely reward her. Thinking this way, she quickly made eye contact with the maid beside her, telling the maid to hurry up and call someone from Madame's side.

  Sixth Sister Liu saw Liu Rong walking towards her, and was so frightened that she forgot to cry. Sparkling teardrops hung at the corners of her eyes, looking like a small deer lost in the forest.

  Dong Er watched as Liu Rong walked up to Liu Jie's face and stopped, unable to help but close her eyes in despair, thinking to herself, "It's all over!"

  Liu Rong squatted down in front of Liu Jie, who couldn't help but take a step back. Her small hands, which had been dirtied by the mud, were grasped by Liu Rong. Just when everyone thought Liu Rong was going to scold or hit Liu Jie, Liu Rong's serious face broke into a smile: "What are you afraid of? The person whose clothes got dirty didn't say anything, but you're the one who started crying first."

  While speaking, Liu Rong examined Liu Jie's hand. The previous fall was not light, and it was unknown where the mother who took care of Liu Jie went, but she didn't take good care of her, letting such a small child get hurt and frightened: "There is no broken skin, in the future you can't cry when something happens, even if you did something wrong, just apologize sincerely and it will be fine, it's not a big deal."

  Liu Ya still stared at herself blankly, her pitiful little face looked even more heart-wrenching, Liu Rong couldn't help but comfort her.

  Although comforted by Liu Rong, Liu Jie took a step back and withdrew her hand from Liu Rong's, unable to resist glancing up at Liu Fu, then looking at Liu Rong again, wondering what was going through the little girl's mind. In the end, she lowered her head and looked at her own small embroidered shoes.

  Fourth sister's face stiffened as she saw Sixth sister looking at her, and she couldn't help but glare at Sixth sister. However, in her heart, she was unhappy with Liu Rong's behavior.

  Dong Er had been keeping her eyes closed, waiting for a long time without hearing Liu Jie's crying again. She finally couldn't help but open her eyes and saw that Liu Rong was squatting not far from Liu Jie, not doing anything out of the ordinary. Dong Er let out a sigh of relief and quickly walked forward a few steps to pull up Liu Rong: "My little ancestor, it's good that nothing happened. Let's not stay here any longer, we should hurry back so as not to make Zhong Yiniang worry alone in the Buddhist hall."

  Liu Rong didn't respond to Dong Er, but instead looked calmly at Fourth Sister Liu Fu.

  When Liu Rong looked at her like that, Liu Fu's heart was slightly panicked: "What are you staring at me for? I didn't even say that you made my sixth sister cry. You're the one who's being unreasonable, glaring at me first!" Thinking of Ninth Aunt behind her back, Liu Fu couldn't help but stand up straight and puff out her chest.

  But it turned out that the four sisters and six sisters were all daughters of the second house, only the fourth sister Liu Fu was the daughter left by the original deceased second wife, while the sixth sister was born to a concubine. And Liu Rong is the third daughter in the main house. Although Liu Rong's attitude towards the sixth sister is still acceptable, the estrangement and subtle state between them make the three people stand in different directions.

  "What's going on here? Didn't I just tell you all to go back to your quarters and get ready? How did something happen as soon as we left Mei Garden? Third Sister, as the eldest among us, can't you take good care of your younger sister?" The first one to appear was Liu Xuan, who gazed at Liu Rong with narrowed phoenix eyes.

  Liu Rong's eyebrows slightly furrowed, these few people coordinated quite perfectly.

  "Fourth sister, it was just an accident that I dirtied third sister's clothes, but she took advantage of the fact that my nurse and maid were not around to hit me." Fourth sister quickly accused.

  Liu Rong raised her eyes, but didn't expect that Fourth Sister would do such a thing. She and the other party had no grudges or grievances, and it was actually their first meeting! However, when she saw the triumphant smile on Liu Xuan's face, she remained silent. In this unfavorable situation, she didn't want to speak out, and besides, although Liu Xuan was her aunt and a senior, there was no way for her to severely punish herself.

  Liu Xuan's mouth corners coldly hooked up, did he really think nothing would happen to him?

  "I didn't expect Aunt Zhong to have taught you to be like this. You're still so young, and yet you've already taken action. If I don't punish you today, it will be a mistake." Liu Xuan said as she quickly walked forward, raising her hand to slap Liu Rong's face.

  Dong Er was stunned and wanted to go forward to stop him, but it was already too late. She was so scared that she couldn't help but close her eyes.

  Liu Rong, however, directly reached out to block the hand that was about to strike her: "Ninth Aunt, you only listen to one side of the story and don't even ask for an explanation, yet you punish me like this - is this how a senior should behave?"

  "Good! Good! Good!" Seeing her hand being blocked, the anger that had been building up all this time still hadn't erupted. Yu Xuan was even angrier: "You even dare to fight back against your elders? Today's matter, I shouldn't have been soft-hearted and just thought of teaching you a lesson."

  Liu Xuan said, pausing slightly, and instructed the large maid behind her: "Xia He, bind Rong Jie for me and send her to Liu Dà Nǎi Nai's place. I'd like to see if she can still be so stubborn when she arrives at her mother's place!"

  Liu Rong furrowed her brow, considering how much Liu Dà Niáng detested her. With such a ready-made handle appearing, it was impossible that she wouldn't be severely punished. At that time, she would have no way to resist, because Liu Dà Niáng couldn't cope with her. Probably, the punishment would be directly shifted onto Zhōng Shì's body.

  At this moment, outside the plum garden, swords are drawn and bows are stretched!

  Sixth sister couldn't help but raise her head, looking at Liu Xuan and then at Fourth Sister, and finally when she saw Liu Rong, tears welled up in her eyes again. Suddenly, she thought of something and burst into loud wailing: "Waa... I want my wet nurse, I want my wet nurse..."

  Fourth sister's face lit up with joy, she quickly walked to Sixth sister Liu's side and coaxed: "Don't be afraid, Ninth Aunt will help you punish Third sister well, from now on no one will dare to treat you like this again, don't cry."

  At this interruption, Liu Rong looked up at Liu Xuan: "Why must Ninth Aunt be so far-fetched? Mother's courtyard is far from here, why don't we just ask Grandmother to judge and investigate the right and wrong of this place?"

  Since it can't be avoided, then find a place that is more advantageous to oneself to counterattack! If going to Liu Dainai's place, at that time it will really be up to them to say what's black and white.

  Dong Er listened to all this with a mix of anxiety and anger, anxious that Liu Rong would receive severe punishment, but also indignant on her behalf. It was clear that Rong had not laid a hand on Liu Si, but rather it was Si who had stumbled backwards, gotten up, taken a few steps, and collided with Rong, dirtying her clothes. And yet Rong had still tried to comfort Si in a gentle manner. How could these people distort the truth so brazenly?

  She was just timid, although she was anxious and angry in her heart, when she saw Liu Xuan and several masters, the words that had been brewing in her mind to help her own master were stuck in her chest, and she couldn't say a word.

  Liu Xuan's eyebrows furrowed, her mother had been strict with her since she was a child. If this matter were to be brought before her mother, it might lead to unnecessary complications. Thinking of this, Liu Xuan wanted to open her mouth and refuse.

  "Dong Er, aren't you going to hurry up and invite Grandmother over? We've caused such a big commotion outside Mei Garden. If Grandmother finds out that we didn't come to her for help, but instead went all the way to find Mother, won't she think that we consider her old and muddled, unable to handle these things?" Liu Rong's words pierced into Liu Xuan's heart, making her want to say something, but they got stuck in her chest, leaving her feeling suffocated.

  Dong Er hastily responded and was about to head towards Mei Garden when she ran into Madame and Chang Gu Gu who were coming out of Mei Garden.

  Liu Xuan's heart sank as soon as she saw Madame and Aunt Chang, worried that her mother had overheard their previous conversation. She quickly turned to the person beside her and instructed Xia He to go find Madame Tai to preside over the situation!