Mi esposa se sube al muro

Capítulo 56

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Xu Shirong kicked him, then pouted towards the door and said, "You overslept. Now my sister-in-law is here, blocking your way out."

Yang Huan then noticed that it was already bright outside. He sat up, turned his head to look at the window, paused for a moment, looked at Xu Shirong, and said hesitantly, "Jiaoniang, if you're scared, I'll find a place to hide first?"

Xu Shirong didn't say a word, but went barefoot to slip on her shoes, picked up all the clothes that she and he had carelessly thrown on the floor last night, and threw them on the bed. She quickly put them on, saying, "I'm fine..."

Upon hearing this, Yang Huan lay down again, watching her get dressed with a smile, while remaining completely still.

Xu Shirong heard the old woman knocking on the door even louder, but he still didn't move. He was so anxious that he jumped up and down and said, "Aren't you going to put your clothes back on? The servants will be here soon."

"So what if you're here? If you're not afraid, why should I be? I'm in my wife's room, what can anyone do to me? Let's make a scene, I'll take you home today, so we can stop sneaking around like this!"

Seeing his nonchalant expression as he spoke, Xu Shirong gritted her teeth in anger and said, "My little lord! Others may not be able to do anything to you, but it's not good for people to see you like this. You're not ashamed, but I am!" As she spoke, she shook out his undergarment from a pile of clothes, grabbed his hand, and pulled him up to sit up, trying to put it on him. But the more she tried, the more difficult it became to get the clothes on. To make matters worse, he was restless and kept rubbing his nose against her chest when she leaned closer.

Xu Shirong heard the footsteps outside the door getting closer and closer, and heard the old woman and her third sister-in-law talking to each other. She realized that Zhenniang was already close. Seeing that he was still grinning, she suddenly got angry, reached out and pinched his ear hard, and whispered, "Hurry up and put it on!"

Yang Huan cried out in pain, looked up and saw her glaring at him, knowing she was really anxious. He chuckled, suddenly threw off the covers, jumped down naked in front of her, grabbed his clothes, and dressed himself.

Meanwhile, Zhenniang, standing outside the gate, had knocked on the door countless times. She then saw the maidservant who had been sent to attend to her sister-in-law bring water. Upon asking, she learned that the maid had also come earlier, but had turned back after finding the gate closed. Annoyed, Zhenniang knocked several more times. Finally, an old woman slowly opened the door a crack, then slammed it open, stepped in, and angrily berated her for being lazy. The old woman dared not argue, only meekly agreeing, and followed behind Xu Shirong into her room, her heart filled with unease.

Zhenniang approached Jiaoniang's room and found the door still tightly closed. The two old women both looked uneasy, and Zhenniang herself, whose sister-in-law rarely slept in, became suspicious. Thinking something had happened, she hurried forward, about to knock, when she suddenly heard a faint groan from inside. Startled, she gasped, her scalp tingling. She was about to break down the door, but then hesitated, turning to the water-delivering maid and whispering for Madam Xu to come. She stopped knocking, stepped back, and glared fiercely at the two old women.

The two old women had heard that cry of pain, and the young master of the Yang family was still there. Their previous hopes had vanished, and they were filled with regret and fear. Now, seeing Zhenniang glaring at them with angry eyes, they knew how formidable she was, and their limbs went weak with fear. After being questioned a few times, they confessed everything, saying that they had been forced into this situation by the young master of the Yang family, but they didn't mention at all that they had taken money.

Zhenniang was both shocked and furious. She was shocked that Yang Huan was so cunning, even sneaking into the inner courtyard to steal kisses and illicit affairs. She was furious that if word got out, her chances of marrying Xu Jinrong would be even slimmer. Her teeth ached, and she wanted to strangle the two old women. However, this was a serious matter, and not something she could decide on her own. She glared at the old women resentfully and stood there waiting for her mother-in-law to arrive.

Madam Xu had only heard that something had happened to her daughter and wanted to find out what was going on, but the maid's explanation was vague, so she probably didn't understand either. Worried, she hurried off, accompanied by two maids. On the veranda, she met Liu and He, who had come to greet her, but she quickly responded and rushed towards Xu Shirong's courtyard. Liu and He exchanged a glance and followed.

Madam Xu arrived quickly, only to find her daughter's room door still tightly shut. To one side was her third daughter-in-law with an unfriendly expression, and to the side knelt two pale-faced old women. She was momentarily confused, but when she heard Zhenniang whisper a few words in her ear, her face turned pale instantly. She turned and walked to the door on the side, pounding on it fiercely, and shouted angrily, "Jiaoniang, open the door for me!"

Xu Shirong heard Madam Xu's voice again at the door. She turned around and saw that Yang Huan was already dressed and smiling at her. He seemed to be at home. Xu Shirong sighed inwardly, then smoothed her hair that she had just casually tied up, and went to the door to unlock it.

She had just unlatched the door when Madam Xu shoved it open. But when she looked up, she saw Yang Huan sitting on a stool with a grin. Their eyes met, and Yang Huan stood up, bowed to her, and said, "Greetings, Mother-in-law."

Madam Xu's hands and feet turned icy cold in an instant, and she was furious. She spat at him fiercely, and out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at her daughter. Although her clothes were still neat, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were watery. She knew that the deed was done, and her vision blurred. If Xu Shirong hadn't been quick-witted, she would have lost her footing. When she came to her senses, she saw her daughter supporting her and cursed angrily, "You wretched man, how could you do such a shameful thing!" She was about to raise her hand to strike, but Yang Huan, who had snatched her away, stopped her, pulled Xu Shirong to his side, and glared at her angrily, saying, "She's already a member of the Yang family. You dare to lay a finger on her again!"

Enraged, Madam Xu abandoned all pretense of decorum. She glanced at a porcelain vase on the nearby table, grabbed it, and hurled it at Yang Huan. He dodged, but the vase shattered on the ground with a bang, scattering the citron fruits inside all over the floor. Seeing that he had dodged it, Madam Xu grew even angrier. Unable to find a stick, she picked up a small stool to smash it. Yang Huan dodged, muttering, "Mother-in-law, you can hit me a few times to vent your anger today. I'm thick-skinned, it won't hurt. Just be careful not to step on the fruit and hurt your back..." Madam Xu was furious, but unable to get close to him, she could only curse him as a "scoundrel and a lowlife." After several rounds of chasing and hitting him, even her carefully styled hair from that morning was half-ruined.

The Liu family members outside the door were dumbfounded. When they turned around, they saw some maids and servants who had come to watch the commotion peeking into the courtyard. They hurriedly chased them all away and then rushed forward to try to stop Madam Xu, but they couldn't stop her at all. Zhenniang, on the other hand, stood aside and watched with a cold smile on her lips, without trying to stop her.

Seeing that the two were making a scene, Xu Shirong suddenly shouted angrily, "Both of you, stop right there!"

She spoke, and Yang Huan immediately stopped. Madam Xu was also stunned. She turned to look at her and was speechless for a moment. She threw down the stool in her hand with a bang, pointed at Xu Shirong, and kept trembling.

Xu Shirong frowned and looked at Yang Huan, saying, "You should go first."

Yang Huan refused, shouting, "No, I'm taking you with me today, or I'm not leaving!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Madam Xu cursed, "You shameless scoundrel, my daughter is no longer a member of the Yang family, how dare you say such things!"

Zhenniang chimed in, "Young Master Yang, we've caught you red-handed today. Even if you're sent to the authorities for punishment, it'll be a lawsuit!"

Xu Shirong snorted and sneered, "Third sister-in-law is right. We should just take it to the yamen right now and convict her of adultery. The last time Mother and my mother-in-law had that muddled case is still being talked about. If something like this happens again today, I'm not afraid, but I'm afraid my sisters-in-law will feel bad."

Zhenniang paused, and Madam Xu scolded her, "You fool! Do you want to harm my precious daughter?"

Zhenniang's face flushed, and she was speechless.

Madam Xu had been furious, which was why she had chased Yang Huan around several times, ready to beat him. Now, having calmed down, she understood the situation. It took two to tango; if her daughter hadn't consented, how could that brat have stayed overnight in her boudoir without anyone noticing? She was now at a loss as to how to handle Yang Huan. Sending him to the authorities was absolutely out of the question, but letting him go like this was also unacceptable. She looked up sharply and saw her daughter had already pushed Yang Huan away, whispering something unintelligible. Yang Huan, however, was still tugging at her clothes, looking utterly unwilling. Both angry and heartbroken, she rushed forward to pull her daughter back, but without looking at the ground, she stepped on a citron fruit that had rolled on the ground earlier, lost her balance, and fell to the ground.

The Liu family was shocked and hurriedly helped her up, supporting her as she sat back in a chair. Madam Xu, with one hand on her waist, kept cursing Yang Huan.

Xu Shirong turned around and saw that Madam Xu's face was full of anger. Liu, He, and Zhenniang were trying to comfort her while glancing at her repeatedly. She took a few steps to Madam Xu and said, "Mother, please don't be angry. He and I are husband and wife, and we love each other. It's just that your two families have their own agendas, which has caused all this trouble. Now that we've run into each other, I'll make things clear. It's impossible for me to separate from him. Mother, you should also give up the idea of remarrying me. I heard that the previous Prefect Li made a muddled judgment that was against the law. He was even reprimanded by the Emperor yesterday. Mother, you should go to the prefectural office as soon as possible to have that judgment revoked, so that if something else happens in the future, it will make Father and Mother lose face."

Madam Xu was so angry that she couldn't speak, and Zhenniang and the others beside her also looked strange, but dared not say anything more.

Yang Huan, who had been pushed against the door, was overjoyed upon hearing her words. He realized that while he always showered his wife with sweet words, she had never reciprocated his feelings, leaving a lingering resentment. Now, seeing her protecting him in front of her family, he was overcome with emotion. He rushed back to Madam Xu, knelt down with a thud, and said solemnly, "Mother-in-law, I accept your son-in-law's bow. You must have heard what my wife said earlier. If it were up to me, I would want to take her back right now. But my mother at home has made a mistake..." Tu is still unconscious. I was afraid that Jiao Niang would be mistreated if I went there, and I thought that since my mother-in-law is her own mother, she would love her and is much more reasonable than my own mother. That's why I was willing to let her stay with you for a few days. I'm going back to wake up my mother. After the auspicious omen is presented to the Emperor in the capital in a few days, I will immediately be ordered to return to Qingmen County. Then I will come to pick up Jiao Niang. From now on, I will do my best to make you proud, Mother-in-law. In the next few days, please take good care of my Jiao Niang!" As she spoke, she solemnly kowtowed.

Madam Xu was initially startled by his words, but upon hearing them, she was momentarily speechless. Looking up at her daughter's stubborn expression, she felt a surge of anger and heartache. She sighed, turned her head away, and remained silent. Madam Liu and Madam He, however, felt a pang of envy, thinking that if their husbands treated them like this, they would die content. Only Zhenniang stood to the side, a cold smile still lingering on her face.

After Yang Huan finished kowtowing, he got up and turned to leave. Xu Shirong saw him off all the way to the courtyard gate, noticing that he kept turning back to look at her.

Yang Huan left Xu Shirong's courtyard and headed towards the Xu family gate, only to run into Xu Hanlin and his two sons, who had just arrived after hearing the news. He greeted his father-in-law and brother-in-law with a smile, ignoring their livid faces, and walked away on his own.

Xu Hanlin was furious, but he couldn't stop him or not. He could only watch helplessly as the man swaggered toward the main gate amidst the astonished gazes of the Xu family servants.

After Madam Xu calmed down, she was helpless against her own daughter, so she took her anger out on the two old women. She ordered them to be dragged away and beaten, but Xu Shirong stopped her. She was so angry that her head was throbbing. She told several of her daughters-in-law to order the whole household to keep quiet about the matter and not to mention it again. She was helped back to her room by a maid and went to rest.

Erbao waited until dawn, his ears perked up as he stood in his usual spot outside the wall, but there was no movement. He waited a long time, until it was bright daylight and people were constantly moving around him. He dared not stay there any longer, afraid of arousing suspicion. He circled the Xu family's wall countless times, still without a sound. Frustrated, he scratched his head, thinking he must have been caught stealing someone's secret, and was probably being beaten by the Xu family right now. Finally, he hid in a corner near the main gate and waited a while longer, his anxiety growing. Just as he was considering whether to go back and report to rescue them, suddenly the Xu mansion gate creaked open, and a man strode out. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than his young master!

Chapter Seventy

Erbao watched as he walked a long way, and no one from the Xu residence chased after him; they simply slammed the gate shut. Stunned and utterly bewildered, Erbao hurriedly followed. Looking closely at his face, he saw none of the bruises and deformities he had initially imagined. Instead, the man was spirited and beaming. Erbao couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, what happened? Why did you come out through their main gate?"

Yang Huan glanced at him and said smugly, "Who do you think your young master is? He's their legitimate son-in-law! If you don't respectfully see me out the front door, you can forget about ever seeing your grandson again."

Erbao inwardly scoffed, thinking to himself, "Why did you sneak over the wall in the middle of the night the previous two times, stepping on my shoulder? You made me stay up all night for nothing!" But he didn't dare show it on his face, only flattering, "Young Master, you are indeed amazing! Truly beyond the reach of ordinary people!"

Yang Huan chuckled twice, then turned to see that his eyes were puffy, probably from staying up all night. He casually said, "You must have had a hard night. I'll give you a reward when we get back!"

Erbao was overjoyed and was about to agree when he suddenly remembered something he had been thinking about for a long time. He thought that since Erbao was in a good mood, he might be able to agree. He quickly smiled ingratiatingly and said, "It's a servant's duty. If you're so kind, young master, then it's a thousand or ten thousand times over. I dare not accept the reward, but I have a favor to ask. I beg you to put in a good word for me with the madam..." Seeing him nod, he cautiously continued, "I... have taken a liking to Miss Xiaoque, who serves the madam. Isn't she of marriageable age? I beg you, young master, to put in a good word for me with the madam and arrange for her to marry me..."

Yang Huan stopped abruptly, stared at him for a long time, and then asked in surprise, "She's so fat and heavy that you can't move when she's on top of you, so how did you manage to have feelings for her?"

Erbao chuckled and said, "Young Master, you don't know this, but women are more enjoyable to hold when they're a bit plump. Besides, my mother said that women with fuller hips are better at giving birth."