Offended Li's family with rude behavior and ruined their reputation.

  Li rushed hastily to Li Yuan. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw several servant women wielding boards and hitting people in Qinghua Hall.

  The force was so fierce that the entire courtyard was filled with wails, one louder than the last.

  The old woman Qian saw that Mrs. Li had arrived, and like grasping a lifesaving straw, she cried out loudly, "Madam, you've finally come! Quickly save your servant, I'm about to be beaten to death!"

  These women are really ruthless. She had only been hit a few times and already felt like she was going to die from the pain. If they were to finish hitting her fifty times, it would probably take half of her life.

  Mr. Li immediately shouted at the woman who was beating the board, "You bunch of slaves who are courting death, stop it at once!"

  The rough maidservants seemed to be oblivious, continuing to beat the boards with all their might. Completely ignoring the other person's existence, they were filled with disdain in their hearts. This Mrs. Li was not their mistress, and the young lady had not given any orders, so why should they listen to her?

  Mrs. Li saw that her words had no effect at all, and these women continued to wield their bats one after another, not putting her, the mistress of the house, in their eyes at all, almost making her angry.

  At a glance, Xia Tingjing was sitting at the entrance of the hall, leisurely holding a teacup and drinking tea. She was even more furious, and immediately stormed over to the other person, shouting "You damned little hoof, don't you dare make them stop for me? You're getting bolder now, aren't you, daring to move my people?"

  The person who dared to beat her in public with a board, isn't this clearly showing that they don't take her seriously? Now she really has the ability to tear apart the other person's heart.

  Xia Ting drank a mouthful of hot tea elegantly, gesturing to her mother and brother sitting beside her who wanted to speak up after hearing Li's words to remain silent. She raised her head, looked at Li with an indifferent expression, and said, "No."

  "Li glared with rounded eyes and raised her voice, 'How dare you say no? You wretched woman, do you still have your legitimate mother in your eyes?'"

  This damn little wretch, she actually dared to refute her words in front of everyone, and told her no, she didn't believe that as the mistress of the house, she couldn't even handle a concubine.

  Xia Ting smoothed her raven-black hair by the temples and said calmly, "It's just not possible. This money auntie is really bold, daring to run to my place to move food materials and make a big fuss in the kitchen. If I let them go, it would be hard to convince the crowd."

  There's no such cheap deal in the world. This Pear Garden isn't a place where just anyone can come and go as they please. These people today, even if they don't die, will at least lose their skin.

  Mrs. Li was so angry that she almost smoked her seven orifices, and said with a straight tone, "It was I who let her come to move the ingredients, you have good things, shouldn't you take them out to show filial piety to me, this legitimate mother? Do you want to swallow it privately?"

  It wasn't until recently that she found out that the Li Yard had always been buying the highest quality ingredients, with expensive abalone, shark fin and various rare seafood every day, not to mention those chickens, ducks, fish and geese.

  Nor did she know where the silver came from, but as the mistress of the house, her daily food was not so good. Why could the three members of the Shi family eat better than her? She had long wanted to move all these ingredients to Qinghua Hall, such good things, only she deserved to enjoy them.

  It just so happened that this little scoundrel was not around today, and Qian Yiniang volunteered to come over to Liyuan to move food materials. Who knew that this little scoundrel would come back so quickly and catch Qian Yiniang red-handed.

  Xia Ting's eyes shot towards Li Shi, her gaze icy and sharp. "You dare to say such a thing? Don't you fear others laughing at you? What do you mean by 'exclusive'? Not a single item in the daily expenses of the Pear Courtyard is paid for with the Xia family's silver. I bought these ingredients myself, why should I show filial piety to you? Who are you to me? And as for you, stepmother, let me tell you, don't even dream of getting anything from me."

  She's really shameless, unparalleled in the world. Show filial piety to her? What is she, anyway? Just a nominal stepmother, with her own mother sitting right next to her. It's really astonishing that she dares to say something so shameless.

  Li was so angry that he almost turned his back, his eyes fixed on Xia Tingcong "You, you this rebellious scoundrel, dare to defy me."

  Xia Ting smiled brightly "What am I afraid of, you're not my mother. How can this be considered a great sin? I advise you to stop wasting your breath and know when to retreat back to Qing Hua Hall. Once these fifty big slaps are finished, I will naturally let them go."

  Li was so angry that she attacked her heart and couldn't stand still. Fortunately, there was a clever maid beside her who supported her.

  Jiuxiang, who had been following Li's family all along, saw that things were not going well and quickly took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to slip out of the pear garden and hurry towards Chunxi Residence. She must rush to tell Old Madam as soon as possible.

  While Chunxi was in the middle, Old Lady Xia was sitting on the couch talking to Old Master Xia, barely concealing a face full of spring breeze and pride. "Yong'er, this time Er Ya has been fortunate enough to be selected by the Jing Wang Fu, once she enters the palace and gains the favor of the Jing Wang's son, your official path will surely become smooth and straightforward, rising straight up to the sky. Our Xia Fu will also turn bad luck into good fortune."

  Xia Lao Ye sat respectfully below, smiling humbly and said, "Mother, this still needs to wait until Ning Er has gained favor before it can be discussed. It's still too early to think about these things now." Although he said so with his mouth, in his heart he was also excited. When the time comes and Ning Er gains favor, then even if the Crown Prince of Jing doesn't look at him as anything else, he will still have to give him some consideration because he is Ning Er's father.

  If the other party just mentions a few words in front of Sheng, then isn't wealth and glory just around the corner? Just thinking about it is already exciting enough.

  Just thinking about this child, I'm a bit worried again. Lan has been complaining about him for days because of the matter with Ning, and she won't even talk to him. Even Yun, that kid, has made a big turn in her attitude towards him, and as soon as she sees him, she turns cold and won't even call him "dad". No matter how hard he tries to please her by saying nice things, this child doesn't respond at all.

  Alas, Xia Lao Ye silently sighed in his heart, knowing that the mother and son resented him. He didn't want to either, but since the imperial edict had been issued, he had no choice but to comply. When it came time for Ning Er to participate in the selection, although he had hesitated, Liang Er was after all his own legitimate daughter, and this status should be somewhat more noble. In the future, if they were to form alliances with other families through marriage, it would also be the legitimate daughters who would be married off; few people would ask for the hand of a concubine's daughter in marriage.

  So the mother and father-in-law wanted Jing'er to replace Lian'er in the selection, he just turned a blind eye, tacitly approving.

  Old Lady Xia raised her chin and said with a smile, "That's also a matter of time, relying on the looks of these two girls, they will surely capture the heart of King Jing's son."

  Just as they were talking, Ju Xiang rushed in with a worried look on her face.

  Old Lady Xia frowned and looked at her, "What's wrong? What's so urgent that you're running like this?"

  "Old madam, it's terrible! The mistress and second young miss are quarreling!"

  Old Lady Xia heard this and suddenly felt a suffocating sensation in her chest, hastily asking "What's going on? How did things turn out like this?" She had just been discussing with her son how to get the two maidservants to do more for the benefit of the Xia household, but before she knew it, Li Shi was already at odds with someone.

  Chrysanthemum fragrance glanced at Old Master Xia sitting beside her, and stammered, "Madam remembered the ingredients from Pear Courtyard, and today Second Miss happened to be out. So, Qian Mama discussed with Madam to take advantage of this opportunity to move all the ingredients back to Qinghua Hall. Who knew that after Qian Mama went, she got into a dispute with the people at Pear Courtyard, and was caught red-handed by Second Miss who happened to return. Second Miss ordered her people to tie them up and give them fifty big slaps, which is why Madam rushed to Pear Courtyard to quarrel with Second Miss."

  Mrs. Xia was furious, this Li must be trying to drive her to death, she had been warned not to provoke that stupid girl Er Ya Tou, but she actually dared to ignore her words and secretly sent someone to bring food ingredients to the Pear Garden. If it were true, it would be over. But unfortunately, nothing was brought back, and the person was even detained. This brainless fool, why did she always do things that would only lead to trouble?

  Xia Lao Ye's face was also filled with anger, looking at what his wife had done. Was he lacking in food or clothing for her? How could she do such a shameless thing? Why did he listen to his mother and marry such a woman back then?

  Although Mrs. Xia was angry, she had no choice but to turn her head and say to Qiu Ayi, "Take someone over to the Pear Garden and bring both the mistress and Second Miss back for me."

  This Li family is her own maternal family, she can't not take care of them, so let her come over and have a good talk. As for that second daughter-in-law, knowing that she was going to enter the Wang Fu as a concubine for several days now, but why didn't she see her coming to ask this grandmother, it's just right to let her come together and explain what to do after entering the Wang Fu for the Xia Fu.

  Digression

  Everyone, be more civilized.