Sécurité

Chapitre 18

The two chatted for less than an hour when a maidservant came to report that the Xue family had sent a matchmaker. Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "Master Xue is really impatient. It's a good thing the matchmakers all have big feet."

Because she wasn't allowed to go out and meet the matchmaker herself, she went to the hall and listened to the yellow-skinned man ramble on for a long time. Then she handed over Aunt Chen's betrothal certificate and ordered someone to bring her a gift of top-quality land.

The best matchmakers, always those wearing purple vests, were the ones who won the best prizes. The man in the yellow vest was overjoyed to receive the reward money. In his gratitude, he revealed the truth to Xiao Yuan: "Madam, the Xue family has practiced martial arts for generations. Everyone in the family is of impeccable character, straightforward and righteous. However, the family is not very wealthy. Although they have a few acres of land, land in Lin'an is extremely valuable. Their family of more than ten people is crammed into a small two-courtyard house."

Lin'an is a water town in Jiangnan. Most houses are small. A two-courtyard house is indeed a bit small. Aunt Chen, however, now lives in a three-courtyard house all by herself. Xiao Yuan noticed that the matchmaker in the yellow-backed shirt didn't mention Aunt Chen's current house at all, which made her quite fond of her. She ordered tea to be served and said, "This house that my aunt lives in was originally lent to her by us. Since her place is small, we have to lend it to her for a few more years, but we're afraid the Xue family might have some reservations."

Matchmakers travel to many homes. He understood her meaning immediately. "I know. These days, many people try to take advantage of a woman's dowry, even targeting relatives. Although the Xue family isn't like that, I'll still be on your side. Don't worry, Madam. I know what to say to the Xue family."

After seeing the matchmaker off, Xiaoyuan found Aunt Chen, who was eavesdropping behind the curtain, and asked, "Aunt, do you think I'm being too petty?" Aunt Chen shook her head and smiled, "If you weren't careful, I would say you're not like my daughter. There are all sorts of people in the world. No matter how good Master Xue is, we can't predict everything about the rest of his family."

Chapter Forty-Nine: Daughter's Wedding

Now, Shen Changchun was indeed carried to the yamen. First, he accused Xue Wushi of stealing his wife. When the magistrate asked for the engagement letter and marriage certificate, he couldn't produce either. So he changed his accusation to that Aunt Chen had an affair with Xue Wushi. When Shen Changchun discovered this, he attacked her. The magistrate slammed his gavel: "Since our Great Song Dynasty moved south, helping widows remarry has been called a 'righteous act.' Others are in love, what trouble are you causing? Besides, you don't have a single injury on your body. Are you trying to deceive me? Guards, drag him away and give him thirty strokes of the cane."

Upon hearing the report that Shen Changchun had been punished by the official for his failed complaint, Xiao Yuan laughed at Aunt Chen, saying, "That's another fool. Zhu Xi's ideas about women remaining chaste are still considered 'false learning' even now." Aunt Chen, holding Xue Wushi's draft, leaned back in her chair contentedly, "He's an illiterate brute; how would he know anything about 'false learning'?" Xiao Yuan said, "Doesn't he know that helping someone remarry is a 'righteous act'? Luckily, Aunt Chen didn't marry such a fool."

Thinking that she was about to get married and would find it even more inconvenient to see her daughter in the future, Aunt Chen let her stay overnight. The next day, just as dawn broke, Cheng Mutian knocked on the Chen family's door, saying that several corals had recently arrived from the sea and he had brought them for Aunt Chen to play with. Who would bring a large basin of corals so early in the morning? Aunt Chen smiled and smiled at him, then called into the room, "Fourth Sister, Second Brother has come to take you home."

Xiao Yuan blushed as she took her leave of Aunt Chen. Even as she sat in the sedan chair, she complained, "It's only been one night, and it's my own mother! Why did you come to pick me up so early? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?" Cheng Mutian asked curiously, "I came to deliver coral to Aunt Chen. Who told you to follow me out?" Xiao Yuan was both ashamed and anxious upon hearing this. She wanted to punch him, but he was outside the sedan chair. Finally arriving home, just as she was about to strike, Cheng Mutian whispered in her ear, "I couldn't sleep last night without you here." Her anger and embarrassment instantly turned into tenderness. She withdrew her fist and nestled into his arms.

After a tender moment together, Cheng Mutian reluctantly left for the dock, while Xiaoyuan went to prepare Chen Yiniang's dowry. The two shops, each with a 60% share, had been agreed upon yesterday and would be kept as a secret, to be kept quiet from everyone except Xue Wushi. Chen Yiniang's current residence would be said to be borrowed from the Cheng family, and she would return there after the wedding. Chen Yiniang had already prepared her own gold and silver jewelry, so Xiaoyuan used her own savings to buy her a small estate.

Because Xue Wushi was not young, his parents did not want to delay any longer. After the betrothal gifts were exchanged, they chose an auspicious day nearby to welcome him. In order to give Aunt Chen face, Xiao Yuan invited several prominent ladies from Lin'an Prefecture to act as the bride's relatives on the wedding day, and sent Aunt Chen off in a lively manner.

When Aunt Chen arrived at her husband's house, the wedding party said that her family had good relatives, so the male relatives who had previously looked down on her kept quiet. Her dowry consisted of dozens of loads, and she also brought a farm as part of her dowry. It turned out that she was the richest person in the Xue family. Aunt Chen had money in her hands, but she was neither pretentious nor stingy. She was generous and lavish. After a few days, not only did her parents-in-law like her, but even her two sisters-in-law were reluctant to let her go to the kitchen.

Aunt Chen had originally planned to serve her parents-in-law at home for a month before moving back to her house with Master Xue. However, since the day of their marriage, the Xue family had treated her very well, the whole family was harmonious, and the servants treated her like a proper lady. As she lived there, she found herself reluctant to move back.

That day, Xiaoyuan came to visit Aunt Chen, but the gates of the Chen residence were tightly closed. The gatekeeper said that Aunt Chen was still at her husband's home and had not returned. She was shocked, thinking that the Xue family was making things difficult for Aunt Chen. She hurriedly took several strong stewards and called two martial arts instructors from the family. The group of people went straight to the Xue family.

Unexpectedly, when she arrived at the Xue family's gate, Xue Wushi's two sisters-in-law came out to greet her personally, saying that their family was poor and that they had wronged her aunt. When Aunt Chen came out, Xiao Yuan saw that she looked very well and seemed to have gained some weight, and her heart was finally at ease.

When the two sisters-in-law saw Aunt Chen arrive, they quickly led the servants out and closed the door behind them so that the mother and daughter could have a heart-to-heart talk. Xiao Yuan, seeing how adept Xue Wushi's two sisters-in-law were at handling people, asked Aunt Chen with a smile, "Auntie, you don't want to leave, do you? I saw our gate was tightly closed and thought something had happened to you, so I brought a dozen thugs here." Aunt Chen replied, "My child, you know your aunt. Apart from having a daughter, I don't even know who my own parents are, let alone any relatives. Now that I have such a large family to live with, living harmoniously, I really don't want to leave them and move back home alone."

Xiao Yuan took her hand and asked, "Is Master Xue treating you well?" Aunt Chen blushed and nodded gently. Xiao Yuan then said, "Auntie, you're a better judge of people than I am. If you say they're good, then they really are. In that case, what's wrong with the whole family moving there? We can still make some money renting out this courtyard."

Aunt Chen excitedly grasped her hand in return: "Is it really feasible? That's a house that Erlang gave you."

Xiao Yuan patted her hand and said, "Auntie, we are mother and daughter. It's too formal to talk like this. But I brought so many people here today, looking very aggressive. I hope you can put in a good word for me."

It would be wonderful if the whole family could live together in a large house. However, the Xue family elders are both very proud people. One wrong move and you might offend them. Aunt Chen thought for a moment, then led Xiao Yuan to them and said, “Father, Mother, my daughter is being unreasonable. She brought so many people today, which may have frightened you two sisters-in-law. She feels bad about it and is thinking of borrowing a larger house from us. I hope you, Father, Mother, and Sisters-in-law, will consider her young age and not hold it against her.”

These words were spoken so aptly and pleasingly that even Xiao Yuan secretly admired them. Sure enough, after the two elders of the Xue family thanked her repeatedly, they gratefully agreed.

Xiao Yuan was warmly invited to stay for a meal by the Xue family before taking her leave. Before she left, Xue's sister-in-law told her to come visit often. Upon arriving home, she exclaimed, "I thought all people in this world were the same. Turns out there are good ones too!" Cai Lian served tea and said, "That's because Aunt Chen knows how to treat people." Xiao Yuan was also very proud of her aunt. She then took the opportunity to lecture the maids, telling them that when they looked for husbands, they should find someone like her.

People are in high spirits when they have good news. Xiao Yuan prepared wine early in the evening and drank a few cups with Cheng Mutian. She then told him about the Xue family moving into the Chen residence and said, "Although the house is now under my aunt's name, it is ultimately your wish. If you don't want the Xue family to live here, I will have my aunt buy another house." Cheng Mutian waved his hand and said, "As long as your aunt is doing well, let her choose whoever she wants to live in."

Xiao Yuan was truly grateful to him for treating Aunt Chen much better than before. Cheng Mutian was happy as long as his wife was happy. So the couple toasted each other and drank until they were both drunk before going to sleep.

They slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky, only to discover upon waking that a momentous event had occurred in their home, leaving them in a dilemma from which they could not avoid it.

Chapter Fifty: The Baby's Washing (Part 1)

It is said that Xiaoyuan and Cheng Mutian got drunk last night and slept until the sun was high in the sky. Before they got out of bed, they were woken up by Cailian knocking on the door: "Young master, madam, Aunt Ding gave birth to a baby girl before dawn."

A girl? So all the suffering I endured earlier—the beating I received, the battle of wits between my wife and Aunt Ding, our anger over Cheng Fu's son not being able to marry a proper man…—has all vanished? All the troubles have been resolved? Cheng Mutian, carrying his shoes, forgot to put them on. Xiao Yuan nudged him, bringing him back to his senses. He quickly slipped them on, grabbed Xiao Yuan's hand, and said, "Come on, let's go congratulate Aunt Ding." Xiao Yuan slapped him, got up, and dressed, gently scolding, "You gloating little rascal."

Women take their time getting dressed, and Cailian waited anxiously outside the door for a long time without any response: "Young master, madam, the master has spoken and wants you to bathe the baby."

The door to the inner room was very soundproof. Xiao Yuan and Cheng Mutian only heard the words "washing the baby". The two looked at each other and knew that the so-called washing the baby, also known as not raising the baby after birth, or not raising the baby, was a practice where some poor people, due to hardship or preference for sons, would drown their newborn babies in a water vat, or, unable to bear it, throw them out on the street.

Although Cheng Mutian loathed them, he also felt that Master Cheng was too cruel. No matter what, they were his own flesh and blood. How could he just kill them and throw them away like that? Besides, they weren't the kind of family that couldn't afford to raise children. Although he thought this way, he refused to speak ill of his father, so he said to Xiaoyuan, "Washing a baby is something that only poor families do. Cailian must have misheard."

Xiao Yuan smiled bitterly, "You only know about poor families washing their babies, but you don't know how much worse rich families are at abandoning their children—those families with grown brothers don't want another brother to share the inheritance; those families with daughters don't want to prepare an extra dowry. If you don't believe me, I am a living example. I was thrown onto the street by my stepmother when I was still an infant. If my aunt hadn't been quick-witted and followed me back, I would have starved and frozen to death long ago."

Cheng Mutian felt sorry for Xiaoyuan, and by extension, he felt more pity for his newborn half-sister. He hugged her and said, "Even if I thought it was a younger brother, I never thought of doing something so cruel. Don't worry, I won't ask Father to throw your sister away."

Hearing this from outside, Cailian stamped her feet and shouted, "My young master, the master is telling you to wash the baby. He's not the one washing the baby; he would have gone out to avoid the cold long ago."

"You want us to wash?" Cheng Mutian and Xiaoyuan were shocked and rushed forward to open the door, asking Cailian, "We've only ever heard of going out to escape the heat, not the cold! Where has Master gone to hide?"

Cailian shook her head and said, "Master left before dawn, and no one knows where he went."

Cheng Mutian and Xiaoyuan exchanged glances again. It was one thing for the old man to cruelly bathe his own child, but how could he possibly pass the responsibility onto the younger generation? They, as the elder brother and sister-in-law, were to decide whether to drown their own sister or abandon her. No matter what they did, not only would their consciences be troubled, but they would also be condemned by everyone in the streets. And if Master Cheng ever thought of this youngest daughter again, even if he didn't demand her back, he would find an excuse to make their lives miserable.

Cheng Mutian, being a man, was the first to regain his composure. He asked, "Where is Aunt Ding?"

Cailian replied, "The master disliked that she had given birth to a daughter. He sent her back without even paying her rent."

"It's freezing cold. And she just gave birth. And they're kicking her out?" Xiao Yuan exclaimed in surprise. It was entirely out of sympathy as a woman. She instructed Cai Lian, "Tell the people in the master's courtyard to go and check on Aunt Ding. Take the unpaid rent to her on the way."

Cailian nodded in agreement. Then, she cautiously asked Cheng Mutian, "Young Master, should we take the child with her too?"

Cheng Mutian was about to say that this was not a bad idea, but Xiaoyuan interrupted, "What child? We're sheltering from the cold in the mountains. We had no idea that Aunt Ding had given birth. Even the people who went to see Aunt Ding were sent by Master." As she spoke, she pulled Cheng Mutian along, "My lord, let's follow Father's example and go into the mountains to shelter from the cold."

Upon hearing this, the maids quickly packed their luggage, but before they could even leave the courtyard, Cailian rushed over: "Madam, Aunt Ding is kneeling at the gate and refuses to leave. People have already come to watch the commotion." Xiaoyuan sighed helplessly. With Aunt Ding's outburst, where would the Cheng family's reputation be? In the end, it was all Master Cheng's fault. If this reputation for being ruthless spread, even Cheng Mutian's business would be in trouble.

Just then, Qin Sao, the manager of the garden, came over and saw that Xiao Yuan looked worried. She suggested, "Is Madam worried about that woman kneeling outside? I have a good idea that might salvage our reputation. We can send someone outside to scold Aunt Ding. We'll say that she was a concubine we rented. We gave her money after she gave birth and told her to go home to recuperate. But she's greedy and is now asking for more money."

Cheng Mutian repeatedly agreed and was about to call for help when Xiao Yuan couldn't bear it: "We were clearly in the wrong first. Even if she was awful before, we can't just kick her while she's down and trample her to death."

Madam Sun said, "What you say is true, Madam. This matter has nothing to do with the young master and his wife. It's not your place to be the villains. Why don't we quietly go out the back door and have someone tell others that we went up the mountain to check on the crops before dawn?" Because she didn't want to speak ill of her master, she only said half of what she meant. What she didn't mean was that Master Cheng had eyes and ears in the house. If he knew that there was no one in charge of the household, he would not allow Aunt Ding to ruin the Cheng family's reputation at the door and would have to rush back to deal with it.

Xiao Yuan and Cheng Mutian were both clever people, and they immediately guessed her intentions. They nodded in agreement and told the maids to take a few bundles. It was the same group of people who went into the mountains last time. They quietly got into the sedan chair through the back door, and only after leaving the city gate did they change to a large carriage. The group then rode quickly into the mountains.

Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.

Master Cheng's excuse of going out to escape the cold was just that—an excuse. In reality, he was hiding in his villa in the east of the city. He was sitting in the hall, warming himself by the fire, drinking tea, and cursing Aunt Ding when he suddenly received news that his son and daughter-in-law had gone to the mountains. He flew into a rage: "They went to the mountains before dawn, just to fool outsiders. They were still drunk in bed this morning. Did they go in a dream?" He smashed his teacup to pieces and summoned his personal servant, instructing him: "We can't let Aunt Ding ruin the Cheng family's reputation at the gate, but if she wants to kneel, we can't stop her. Just say she stole our money and is being punished by kneeling at the gate. If she talks nonsense, gag her."

The old servant nodded in agreement, then hesitated and asked, "Master, who will wash the newborn fourth daughter?" Upon hearing this, Master Cheng's anger flared up again: "I wish I could treat her like royalty every day, and I even found a page for my son, but she gave birth to a daughter, which really makes me furious. If Erlang and the others don't want to wash her, I will do it myself."

The old servant obeyed the order and hurriedly sent someone to the house to silence Aunt Ding and keep it from the neighbors. Only after the report that the onlookers had dispersed did he invite Master Cheng to come out and get into the sedan chair.

Master Cheng rushed home and the first thing he asked was, "Where is the newborn baby?" The servant replied that she was in Concubine Ding's room. The old servant hurriedly told her to go and bring her the baby. But when the servant went to Concubine Ding's room, she looked around and came running back in a panic, shouting, "The newborn Fourth Mistress is gone!"

A newborn baby, unable to walk, must have been taken away. Who was it? Why was it taken away? To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next installment.

Chapter 51 Washing the Baby (Part 2)

Last time, we talked about how Master Cheng came home to bathe his baby, only to find that his daughter was missing. A group of servants were in a panic. An old servant wanted to send people to look for her, but he stopped him, saying, "It's better if she's lost. Whoever takes her can raise her."

Hearing this, all the servants in the room felt a chill in their hearts. They dared not question Master Cheng, but as soon as they left the house, they surrounded the old servant and kept asking, "Steward Guo, it's not like our family can't afford to raise people. Why doesn't Master Cheng even want his own daughter?" Steward Guo, who had come from Quanzhou with Master Cheng, defended him, saying, "According to our Fujian custom, if a family has many sons, they will not raise the fourth son. If it is a daughter, they will not wait until the third. Master already has two daughters, and this one happens to be the third, and she is born out of wedlock. How can she not be raised? Besides, you all know how expensive it is to marry off a daughter in Lin'an these days. Marrying off a daughter means taking away a small portion of the family property. Keeping the fourth daughter would only cause trouble for the young master and his wife."

Aunt Qin, who had been watching the commotion from the sidelines, immediately objected upon hearing this and squeezed into the crowd, saying, "Don't talk nonsense. The young master and mistress are the kindest of people. They were thinking of Fourth Miss in every way when she was still in her mother's womb. The master even praises them in front of and behind their backs. Besides, Third Miss was also born out of wedlock. She was only twelve years old when they brought over the cedar wood for her dowry. Are you saying they would dislike Fourth Miss?"

The servants who had been shaking their heads after hearing Steward Guo's words all nodded in agreement after Aunt Qin finished speaking. Steward Guo wanted to refute her, but seeing that everyone was on her side and that she had brought up the master in her words, he didn't know how to speak and just kept humming in anger.

When Master Cheng saw the commotion outside, he would have dragged them all out and given them a good beating long ago, given his usual temperament. But today, having just had a daughter, he was quite dejected. Hearing their arguing, he got up, closed the door, and sat alone at the table, sighing.

Everyone thought it was a son, so why was it a daughter? Master Cheng was completely baffled. Little did he know that, apart from Aunt Ding, he was the only one in the family who wholeheartedly believed that Aunt Ding was carrying a son. The others were merely feigning agreement with him.

The youngest son's hopes were dashed, and from now on, they would have to rely on the eldest son. Master Cheng quickly realized this and immediately got up and went outside, scolding the group of servants who were still making a fuss: "Shut up, all of you. If anyone speaks ill of the young master and young mistress again, drag them away and beat them with a board."

Steward Guo, who was loyal to his master, was scolded instead. He was so aggrieved that the wrinkles on his face were squeezed together. Just as he was about to say something to defend himself, he heard Master Cheng order: "Prepare the carriage. I want to go up the mountain myself to bring Erlang home."

Has the Cheng family's attitude changed? Steward Guo quickly swallowed the words that were about to come out, loudly replied, and hurriedly went out to get the carriage. Master Cheng reached the door to get into the carriage, but was blocked by Concubine Ding. He looked up and saw that Concubine Ding's hair was disheveled, her face was pale, her mouth was stuffed with rags, and there was still blood on her head. Compared with her previous glamorous appearance with makeup, she was completely different. He turned his face away in disgust and asked the guard next to him, "Why is there blood on her head? If others see this, won't they say that our family is heartless?"

"You're afraid people will say you're heartless for letting her bleed? Making a woman who just gave birth that morning kneel outside in the dead of winter is considered merciful?" The guard secretly pursed his lips and said aggrievedly, "Master, I was only thinking about our family's reputation, so I only secretly stuffed a cloth in her mouth and didn't tie her hands. But as a result, she takes every opportunity to take the cloth out of her mouth. I couldn't stand her fussing, so I had to gently tap her with a brick to make her behave."

"Fool!" Master Cheng stomped his foot and cursed, "After you beat her, why didn't you take a cloth to wipe her clean? Why did you leave it out and give people something to talk about?" The servant realized what was happening and said repeatedly, "Master is so smart. I'll go get the cloth right away."

"Fool!" Master Cheng cursed again. "Isn't there a cloth in her mouth? Why don't you just pry it out, wipe the blood away, and then stuff it back in?"

The servant glanced at the filthy, drool-soaked rag that had been removed from Aunt Ding's mouth and stuffed back in after countless mishaps. He really didn't want to do it. He hesitated for a long time, but ultimately couldn't resist Master Cheng's murderous gaze. He stretched out two fingers to pick up the rag.

He was unwilling, so he sluggishly took his time. Aunt Ding seized the opportunity and bit down on him.

"ah--"

Master Cheng heard a scream that could pierce eardrums. The servant was already clutching his right hand, tears and snot streaming down his face. Steward Guo stepped forward to take a look and gasped, "What a vicious mouth. It's probably bitten off." Master Cheng was startled. He involuntarily pulled his hand back into his sleeve. This ruthless woman... she's probably gone mad. He looked at Aunt Ding, who was hanging her head, as if she hadn't moved at all. After thinking carefully, he decided not to provoke her. He cautiously lifted his foot, intending to walk around her.

He had just lifted his left foot when Aunt Ding suddenly leaped high into the air, pouncing like a bloodthirsty she-wolf. She wrapped her arms tightly around his body and bit down hard on his neck.

"ah--"

The ear-piercing screams rang out again at the entrance of the Cheng residence. Several servants were stunned and stood there until blood flowed from Master Cheng's neck. Only then did they come to their senses and hurriedly went to fetch the concubine.

Before being rented out by her parents, Aunt Ding was used to doing farm work in her rural hometown, and her hands were quite strong. She was also exerting all her strength, and the servants couldn't pull her away for a while. Seeing that Master Cheng's eyes were rolling back, Steward Guo called out anxiously, "Fourth Madam." Aunt Ding immediately let go and turned to look at the gate. Only then did the servants have a chance to rescue the half-dead Master Cheng from her grasp.

Just as Steward Guo breathed a small sigh of relief, he looked up to wipe his sweat and discovered that a crowd had already gathered at the Cheng family's gate, all pointing and whispering about Master Cheng and Concubine Ding. This would ruin the Cheng family's reputation! His heart raced, and he broke out in another sweat. He hurriedly ordered his men to carry Master Cheng inside, and had Concubine Ding, whose mouth was full of blood, tied up and thrown into the woodshed. He then personally went to drive away the crowd.

As he was busy, the servant boy with the severed finger ran out, holding up his hand, and said, "Manager Guo, the master has fainted. Quickly send someone to fetch the doctor from our pharmacy." Manager Guo didn't believe him. "You just wanted to take this opportunity to treat your finger, didn't you?" When he rushed into the room, he saw that Master Cheng's eyes were closed and he was only breathing out, not in. He panicked and shouted "Help!" before running towards the Cheng family's pharmacy.

Chapter Fifty-Two: Washing the Baby (Part Two)

The couple, Xiaoyuan and her husband, had barely enjoyed a day of carefree life on the mountain. They were watching the farmers harvest their crops on the ridges of the fields, discussing making sorghum porridge, when someone came to deliver a message that their master was seriously ill in bed. No matter what faults Master Cheng had, he was still Cheng Mutian's father. Upon hearing this, the couple didn't even bother to pack their luggage, hitched up their cart, and sped home.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop at the door, Cheng Mutian, anxious and impatient, jumped out and rushed into Master Cheng's room. Just then, the doctor was taking Master Cheng's pulse while he was unconscious. He quickly stood quietly to the side and waited for the doctor to finish before asking him, "How is my father's condition? Why is there an injury on his neck?"

Lang Zhong thought this was a scandalous affair for the Cheng family, and it was best to leave it to them to discuss. So he went to his desk, picked up his pen, and wrote a prescription, changing the subject as he spoke: "Master Cheng's coma was caused by excessive blood loss, but fortunately, the treatment was timely, so he is not in serious danger. However, when I took his pulse, I discovered that he also suffers from diabetes. People with this disease usually have slow wound healing, so he will need to stay in bed for a while. I will prescribe both the wound treatment and the diabetes treatment together, treating both diseases simultaneously." After he finished speaking, he sighed: "Young Master Cheng, you are the owner of this pharmacy, so I won't hide it from you. I'm afraid Master Cheng's injury is a minor matter, but his diabetes is much more tormenting."

Cheng Mutian nodded slowly and said, "Although I don't understand the art of traditional Chinese medicine, I have some knowledge of it after running a pharmacy for so many years. People suffering from this disease become thin and weak from drinking and eating too much, and eating more will only worsen their condition."

"Isn't 'Xiao Ke Zheng' just diabetes? Although it's difficult to cure, it's not a serious illness. Controlling your diet and taking care of yourself is better than taking medicine." Xiao Yuan followed Cheng Mutian in and stood by the door listening for a while before saying, "For this illness, it's best to eat smaller, more frequent meals, keep your diet light, eat more vegetables and less staple food, and also eat less sugary things." She wanted to say that it's better for diabetics to eat whole grains, but she didn't say it out loud, lest others think that she was abusing her father-in-law while he was seriously ill.

The doctor listened to her words and nodded in agreement: "Madam is quite knowledgeable about health preservation. Even people who are not sick will be healthier if they take care of their bodies in this way."

Cheng Mutian hurriedly sent someone to the kitchen to relay a message, requesting adjustments to Master Cheng's daily meals, reducing the amount of snacks. He then took Xiaoyuan into the room to visit Master Cheng. When Steward Guo saw them enter, remembering the impending change in the Cheng household, he quickly bowed and stood respectfully by the bedside, replying, "Young Master, Young Madam, Master had already woken up, but due to pain, the doctor prescribed calming and soothing medicine, so he fell asleep after taking it. Young Master and Young Madam must have had a long journey; why don't you go back to your room to rest? This old servant is here; I'll go and wake you when Master wakes up."

Xiao Yuan and Cheng Mutian were both secretly surprised. This Steward Guo, usually so deferential to the younger generation of masters, only ever showed politeness because he was a senior servant of Master Cheng. Why was he so respectful today? Xiao Yuan quickly realized that Master Cheng, seeing no hope for his youngest son and knowing he could only rely on his eldest, had changed his attitude. With the master's change of heart, the servants naturally followed suit. Master Cheng would have to cherish his eldest son more from now on. Xiao Yuan was secretly happy for Cheng Mutian, but dared not show it, only bowing her head and following behind him to the bedside.

Cheng Mutian walked to the bedside and saw that Master Cheng's face was completely pale, and there were bloodstains on the cloth wrapped around his neck. Father and son are of one heart. No matter how badly Master Cheng had treated him, his heart still clenched. He turned around and asked Steward Guo through gritted teeth, "Who did this?"

Recalling the scene of Aunt Ding biting Master Cheng's neck, Steward Guo broke out in a cold sweat. He involuntarily shuddered and replied, "Young Master, Aunt Ding went mad. She bit Master..." Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Mutian grabbed him by the collar, veins bulging on his hand: "Where is Aunt Ding?"

“In the woodshed. The woodshed,” Steward Guo said, trembling.

Cheng Mutian turned and ran outside. Xiao Yuan hurriedly lifted her skirt and followed. Before they even entered the woodshed, they heard a shrill scream coming from inside: "Fourth Sister! Fourth Sister!" The two exchanged a glance, both shocked: Had Fourth Sister already met with misfortune? Father really had the heart to do such a thing. That was his own daughter.

The gatekeeper was the very same boy whose finger had been bitten off by Aunt Ding. Seeing the young master and mistress approaching side-by-side, he hurriedly stepped forward to stop them, holding up his severed finger: "Young master, young mistress, please don't go in. That madwoman is very good at biting. Look at my hand!" Xiao Yuan asked, "Where is Fourth Mistress?" The gatekeeper replied, "I don't know who took her. The master said whoever took her must raise her."

Compared to Madam Jiang, Master Cheng was truly no less formidable. With Cheng Mutian present, Xiao Yuan merely pursed her lips, silently walked to the woodshed door, and coldly ordered, "Open the door."

The house was called the woodshed, but there wasn't a single piece of firewood inside. There was only a bench and a plank. The bench was used to lie face down when someone was being beaten, and the plank was used to slam the floor against her. At that moment, Aunt Ding was pressed tightly onto the bench, her body still wet from childbirth. The blows from the plank caused blood and lochia to flow like a river beneath her. Xiao Yuan glanced at the scene from the doorway but couldn't bear to look any longer. She turned around and shoved Cheng Mutian, who was still shouting for help, hard. "You Cheng family members are too heartless. If she deserves to die, just bring her a cup of poison. What kind of skill is it to torture a woman who has just given birth?" Before Cheng Mutian could speak, she called Cai Lian over loudly and pointed to the woodshed. "The people in the front yard are not my responsibility, but I really can't tolerate such 'sensible' servants. You can have the slave trader take them away. If the master asks, just say it was my idea." Cai Lian replied, "I'll go and tell the manager of the front yard right away."

"What do you need to explain?" Xiao Yuan made no attempt to hide her anger. "If the steward of the front courtyard doesn't speak, how dare these servants lay a hand on him? You don't need to explain anything; just hand him over to the slave trader. Also, the master has been unconscious. Who ordered people to beat her? Find him and bring him to me."

Cailian had never seen Xiaoyuan so stern before. She was stunned for a moment before answering and turning to go to the front to inquire.

Cheng Mutian was also seething with anger, but he still knew to save face for Xiao Yuan, the head of the household, in front of others. After Cai Lian left, he questioned her: "Ding Yiniang bit Father like that, shouldn't she be punished? Don't be soft-hearted and get bitten by the snake."

Since their marriage, when had Cheng Mutian ever spoken such harsh words to Xiaoyuan? Hearing this, she felt even more aggrieved and, desperately holding back her tears, said, "If you want to hit her, wait until she's finished her postpartum period. Why make things difficult for a woman who's not even clean yet? Besides, if my own daughter were to be bathed by her father, I'd bite him too." Afraid that the tears in her eyes would spill over, she covered her face and ran into the room after speaking, where she lay on the bed and cried bitterly.

After finishing her business, Cailian came to find Xiaoyuan to report back. She found her crying in the room and hurriedly came in to comfort her, saying, "Madam, I heard what happened just now. The young master was just feeling sorry for his father, which is only human nature. Besides, what the young master said makes sense. Aunt Ding tried to frame you back then, so she deserves to suffer a bit."

Xiao Yuan didn't want to speak, but hearing her tone was exactly the same as Cheng Mutian's, she sat up and said seriously, "You think I saved Aunt Ding today because I pity her? You're wrong. I only pity 'women'. Cai Lian, you are my most prized maid. Don't learn from those men who blame everything on women. It's true that Aunt Ding isn't a good person, but what did she do wrong this time? She was sent back after giving birth, and her daughter, who was born with half her life on the line, was drowned by her own father. And she can't even get a word in edgewise? If anyone should be punished, it should be..."