"Thanks to the old master's blessing." Hong's wife knew Mr. Qin's background, and she said a word of thanks, "Amitabha Buddha, our master is... Alas! He is also an educated person, but he made such a big mistake, the old master is his real blood brother, they are connected by flesh and blood, when one rises, the other rises too, when one falls, the other falls too... No matter what, they should be closer than outsiders... I'm just chattering... I'll go back now, that woman's affair will trouble you, Master Ji."

  Hong's aunt felt relieved and didn't linger, leaving the inn and heading back home.

  Mrs. Xue felt at ease, and the excitement and joy in her heart couldn't be calmed down no matter what. She didn't sleep all night but wasn't sleepy at all. Looking at Li Dong who was curled up on the couch, sleeping soundly, she did some needlework while chatting with Hong Nian in a low voice.

  "...She would spend one hundred taels of silver at a time, and this family was emptied by her. The several children only had Shan Ge wearing a few new clothes... Our family has been plagued by her for over a decade, fortunately heaven has finally opened its eyes..." Madam Xu sighed while sewing the old fabric in her hands.

  "Madam, I'm going to tell you the truth, don't get angry." Hong Yiniang said in a low voice while pinching her clothes with her fingers: "This family has been ruined by her, Madam, and you have to take seven-tenths of the blame."

  Mrs. Xu was taken aback.

  Hong's mother-in-law raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, "She stole the mistress's dowry, not once or twice. The mistress also knew, what did she say every time? Before the mistress got married, the old lady had instructed more than once about the three virtues and four moralities, which refer to major principles, not absolute obedience. A woman should have her own backbone when managing the household. What kind of person is that servant? Doesn't the mistress know?"

  "I knew it, what can I do...?" Mrs. Xu was made uncomfortable by Hong's extremely impolite words and forced a smile to defend herself, but was interrupted by Hong, "Madam has never done anything or thought about doing anything, look at now, Madam really wants to take action, isn't this sending her away? Madam is not incapable, in the past you didn't do anything!"

  Mrs. Xu was left speechless by Auntie Hong's few words.

  "Madam, now that I've said this much, I'm not afraid of offending you, let me say a couple more things."

  Madam, you're the one who should be strong for your children. You must stand up for yourself, if not for your own sake, then for your son and daughter. As they say, "A mother's strength is in her children." If you don't become stronger, are you going to just sit back and watch as your daughter is forced into someone else's bed and becomes their concubine? Can you really just stand by and...

  "Enough, Auntie Hong," Mrs. Xu interrupted in a trembling voice.

  Hong's sister was stuffed into someone else's bed, she thought for a moment, and her heart was like a knife twisting.

  "I understand now... I was confused before, always thinking that with Master around, everything..."

  "Madam is right too." Hong's nanny chuckled, "These men... Madam, when you were at home, from the old lady to the big lady, to that sixth aunt, which one didn't have to stand up for herself in order to get by? Not to mention others, if the old lady was like Madam, always relying on Master for everything, how many years could she live? Madam is lucky, Master didn't take in several concubines, this family really has a few precious treasures, and Madam still dares to say that everything relies on Master?"

  Mrs. Xue's face turned pale, and Hong Yiniang looked at her expression, gritted her teeth and continued: "Not to mention the past, just this matter in front of us, Madam, think about it yourself, if Fifth Brother hadn't taken the lead, could Dong Jie have escaped this calamity? If it weren't for Fifth Brother's affair, Dong Jie would be... who knows whose bed she'd be in by now."

  Mrs. Xu's lips kept trembling.

  "Alas, madam, it's not that I'm speaking out of turn, but with a father like Master Hong, the children are already doomed to suffer. And yet, you're still smearing dog blood on your own eyes, layer by layer, pretending not to see anything, shrinking your neck and devoting yourself to the three virtues and four moralities. It's fortunate that Brother is all right, but his future prospects are also at stake. As for Winter and Summer, I fear they might even lose their lives!"

  "Ah... Ah..." Mrs. Xu burst into tears, "I understand, Nanny... it's for..."

  "I'm looking at these poor kids, such good kids." Hong's aunt glanced at Xu's tearful wife, "Madam, don't be foolish again. As the saying goes, where there is a stepmother, there is a stepfather. A child without a mother wears a rush hat. This child's fortune depends on his mother. Besides, Master was so foolish when you first married in, didn't you know? Such a foolish husband, and you followed him with three obediences and four virtues..."

  Hong's aunt stopped talking and let out a series of sighs.

  Mrs. Xu looked at Dong Jie, who was sleeping motionlessly, and covered her face with both hands, slowly slumping forward, burying her head between her legs, stifling her sobs, and crying until she was out of breath.

  ………………

  Li County Magistrate and Mrs. Xu, who were both shocked and stimulated, finally calmed down a bit and took a rest. Li Wenshan slipped out and sat in the small pavilion in the back garden, talking to Li Xia.

  "Ji Da said that Hong Niang had gone to look for him, saying she didn't trust Zhong Paozi." Li Wen Shan had been up all night, but looked spirited and refreshed.

  "She said goodbye, gave Tang Baozi one hundred taels of silver, gave Old Zheng twenty taels, and also went to find Qiong Hua, but Qiong Hua didn't dare take her silver." Li Xia swung her leg, at this moment, she found that being small also had its own advantages.

  "Lao Zheng's head can't be used anymore, just right, he's also getting old, let Qin Mr. arrange it. Tang Pozi handed over both the silver and the words to Hong Niangniang, she has no children, Fifth Brother has time to go thank her, and tell her that in the future you will take care of her until the end."

  Li Xia spoke while Li Wenshan nodded in agreement.

  "Qionghua is no longer young, let Mother Hong arrange it. This Hengshan County is a good place to spend one's days. Choose a good family and marry into them."

  Taking advantage of this incident with Zhong Baozi, it's a good opportunity to get rid of these people at home.

  "Qiong Hua didn't want her silver..." Li Wen Shan had no bad impression of Qiong Hua, who was as silent as a gourd.

  "This silver, Zhongshi only gave to Qionghua, she didn't go find Suye, why? Because she knew if she gave the silver to Suye, Suye would definitely tell her sister or Amang, Qionghua wouldn't. That is to say, in the past, Qionghua must have often listened to her words." Li Xia slightly raised her head.

  Li Wenshan furrowed his brow, in the past, who dared not listen to Old Lady's words in this house...

  No! What my sister meant... Li Wenshan was stunned, his face changed slightly, and after a while, he let out a soft sigh. There's a paulownia by Father's side, and a jasmine by Mother's side...

  "Besides, Fifth Brother, you...you once told me: when faced with such great difficulties, the most taboo thing is to run around and make connections everywhere. The later hands are all prepared in advance, but when the wall collapses, there will be no more later hands, nothing can be done, just standing by and watching people's hearts is enough."

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