Chapter 23 Zhao Xian: I want to take the tragic heroine of a novel with me...

Chapter 23 Zhao Xian: I want to take the tragic heroine of a novel with me...

Zhao Xian closed the booklet containing the script she had memorized, and asked, "What's the eldest young mistress's attitude?"

Although the male protagonist in a angst novel might scold the female protagonist for other women, he must be a clean person, otherwise he will be disliked by the readers.

Zhao Xian wasn't worried about Jiang Wei getting involved with the Li family's younger sister, as the plot wouldn't allow it anyway.

After thinking for a moment, Granny He shook her head and said, "The eldest young mistress is busy with Xiu'er's full moon celebration and has no time to attend to this matter."

Zhao Xian muttered under her breath, "What a workaholic!"

Now that Li Lianniang is in charge of the household, the servants, in order to please their mistress, will probably inform her about the affair between Li's younger sister and Jiang Wei.

There was no response.

This surprised Zhao Xian quite a bit.

While looking at the account books at Haitang Residence in the afternoon, Li Lianniang noticed that her mother-in-law always smiled at her, her eyes full of approval and satisfaction.

This put her in a great mood, as if she had been encouraged, and she was full of energy.

"Mother, I'm back."

A youthful voice rang out, and Jiang Heng entered the room as if a gust of wind had swept in, causing the gauze curtains to flutter.

"Son greets Mother and wishes her good health, longevity, and everlasting youth."

Zhao Xian looked up at him, feeling as if her silly son had come home: "What happened that makes you so happy?"

Unlike last time when Jiang Heng came back with a dark face and questioned her, this time his face was almost splitting with a smile. His cheerfulness made people smile involuntarily.

As if by magic, Jiang Heng pulled out a box of pastries, opened the lid, and said in a praising tone, "Mother, my best mother, you saved your daughter-in-law. You are simply the best mother-in-law in the world. This is the 'Wealth and Prosperity Blossoms' pastry, a new product. Your son bought it immediately to show his respect to you. Mother, please try it."

The box contained six pastries, the central one being round, and the five outer pieces shaped like peach petals, each a different color.

Unable to resist his enthusiasm, Zhao Xian reached out and took a piece: "I was wondering why you were only home this afternoon. Did you go to the Lu family's?"

If Jiang Wei had his brother's flair for pursuing girls, he wouldn't have ended up sleeping in the study. Serves him right.

Jiang Heng chuckled, not answering his mother's question, but his smile betrayed him.

He turned the brocade box containing the snacks around: "Sister-in-law and Sister Tingyue, please try them too. There are six flavors."

Jiang Heng's enthusiasm carried the cheerfulness of youth, so much so that it was impossible to refuse.

Li Lianniang and Cui Tingyue smiled and each took a piece of pastry, then got up and excused themselves to attend to other matters, leaving the mother and son to talk.

Zhao Xian slowly and methodically ate the pastry, while Jiang Heng plopped down, his face full of expectation for praise, "Is it delicious?"

Zhao Xian did not answer him.

He waved for the servants to leave, then lowered his voice and asked, "Did you put away what I asked you to put away last time?"

Upon seeing Jiang Heng, Zhao Xian recalled the time she had asked him to place the string of bells he owned in his brother's study. More than half a month had passed, and there had been no word from Jiang Wei.

Jiang Heng also took a piece of pastry and ate it. "Put it down. Mother ordered it, how could I dare disobey?"

"Then why hasn't your brother discovered it yet?" Could it be that Jiang Wei discovered it, but hid it out of pride?

That shouldn't be the case. He could have secretly given it to Cui Tingyue, but there's been no response from either side.

Zhao Xian couldn't help but ask again, "Where did you put it?"

"In the jar of scrolls in my brother's study."

Zhao Xian thought for a while before she remembered that the so-called scroll jar was placed in the study to display scrolls of calligraphy and painting.

She raised her hand and nudged Jiang Heng's shoulder. "Why didn't you hide it on the roof beam? Would it be more obvious if you put it in a scroll bin?"

"Ouch." Jiang Heng exaggeratedly rubbed his shoulder, leaned back, and laughed while rubbing his shoulder, "How can it not be obvious? It's right next to the desk. My brother can see it every day when he goes in and out of the study."

Zhao Xian couldn't help but kick him, "Get lost."

Useless stuff.

"Sigh, then the son is gone."

Just as Jiang Heng stood up, Zhao Xian said again, "Wait a moment, we'll have guests coming to the manor. They'll be your sister-in-law's stepmother and younger sister. You'd better watch your mouth."

Jiang Heng was a little confused and pointed to his mouth, but his mother didn't say anything more and nodded: "Oh, okay."

In the evening, Zhao Xian heard from Granny He relaying news from the maids who had been keeping watch: the second young master had made Miss Li cry.

Zhao Xian: "..."

They didn't listen to a word I said.

Before Zhao Xian could finish laughing, Granny He changed the subject and said, "Miss Li ran into the eldest young master's arms while crying, and was seen by the eldest young mistress on the spot."

Zhao Xian: "..."

Is it really such a coincidence? Could it be that after she adopted Cui Tingyue as her goddaughter, she stopped playing the villainous supporting character role and someone else took over?

“Madam, it may not be convenient for Madam Li and Miss Li to stay in the manor for long.”

It's not appropriate for a servant like Granny He to say such things, but judging from the reports from the servants who were keeping watch, the mother and daughter have big plans.

Madam Li wanted to help Lord Li climb the social ladder and build connections with powerful figures, while also wanting her daughter to rely on the second young master.

Unfortunately, the man that Miss Li had taken a liking to was her own brother-in-law.

If the mother and daughter stay any longer, the Jiang family will be in turmoil.

Zhao Xian picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "Once Xiu'er's full moon celebration is over, we'll send them away."

Granny He said with some worry, "Inviting a god is easy, but sending him away is difficult."

Madam Li still has her eye on the second young master of the Jiang family.

Zhao Xian put down her teacup, thinking to herself, 'If they don't want to leave, then I'll send them away.'

Like in the book, they parted on bad terms.

I just don't know what the specific conflicts were that weren't mentioned in the book, or how they drove people away.

March 21st arrived in the blink of an eye, the day of Jiang Shuxiu's full moon celebration.

The Jiang residence was bustling with activity, with servants busy at work everywhere.

Li Lianniang instructed the steward to keep an eye on everything, while the two brothers, Jiang Wei and Jiang Heng, were to receive guests in the front yard.

Jiang Shuxiu was then held by the wet nurse and placed next to Zhao Xian.

Although she is still young, Jiang Shuxiu's swaddling clothes are all red silk to match the festive occasion, making it clear at a glance who the main character is today.

Zhao Xian picked up Jiang Shuxiu and took out a pure gold longevity lock to tease her:

“Today, our Xiu’er looks like a New Year’s picture doll, so cute. Come, put on the longevity lock that Grandma made for you. May our Xiu’er be safe and sound and live a long and prosperous life.”

Don't get caught up in those nonsensical plots and die prematurely; just be safe and happy.

"What a sparkly solid gold longevity lock! Grandma has such a thoughtful gift."

Jiang Shuxiu looked at her grandmother with her round, bulging eyes.

If only she could speak, she would cling tightly to her grandmother's leg. She absolutely could not let the events of her past life happen again, and she could not let her grandmother despise her and her mother.

The grandmother was the true head of the household.

Cui Tingyue took a bundle from Dong'er's hands and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mother, I made a set of clothes for Xiu'er."

Zhao Xian hurriedly said, "Oh, let me see quickly."

The bundle was opened, revealing a tiger-head hat, a bib embroidered with patterns of the five poisonous creatures to ward off evil and disaster, and a brand-new outer garment.

Their clothes were usually embroidered, but Cui Tingyue's embroidery style was different from that of the embroiderers kept in the mansion, which made people's eyes light up: "Tingyue, you are so skillful, your embroidery skills are amazing."

Seeing that her adoptive mother showed no disgust, Cui Tingyue breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Shuxiu also glanced at Cui Tingyue, and found it strange that this person was different from her previous life.

Is her memory playing tricks on her?

"Madam, the carriage of the Minister of Rites has arrived at the door."

The servants reported that guests had arrived. Jiang Shuxiu was already asleep, so Zhao Xian put her in a cradle, where her wet nurse and maidservant stayed by her side.

"Come, let's go with Mother to greet the ladies from each family."

Zhao Xian, holding Cui Tingyue's hand, greeted the first guest.

Before long, the ladies and young misses of each family sat in a circle in the courtyard, with maids bustling around serving tea, melons, fruits, and snacks.

Cui Tingyue stayed by Zhao Xian's side all day, and Zhao Xian introduced Cui Tingyue to everyone she met.

The quick-witted lady smiled and inquired about Cui Tingyue from Zhao Xian: "How old is Miss Cui? Is she married?"

The Jiang family used to have only two sons, but now they have an adopted daughter. Madam Jiang said she would register the adopted daughter under her name and put her in the family genealogy, so her status would be no different from that of a biological daughter.

Zhao Xian was waiting for this: "She's sixteen and still not married, but her father and brothers died saving my eldest son and are still in mourning."

Today, Cui Tingyue was not dressed in a very flashy way, but it would not be good to be too plain on a festive day, so she dressed up a little. Underneath, she wore a pale yellow plain silk shirt, paired with a lotus root-colored trimmed bodice, and an outer layer of pale yellow bamboo leaf silk jacket, with a light green pleated skirt on the bottom.

The plain white silk flower in her hair was replaced with a hairpin.

Although not an extravagant or elaborate outfit, it still managed to catch the eye.

As the villainous female supporting character in the book, Cui Tingyue's face is quite striking.

Zhao Xian generously allowed her to appear in front of everyone: "To be honest, I also want to look for a suitable match for her first. If we find someone suitable, we can settle down and get married after the mourning period is over."

Everyone nodded, and some began to think about it. The mourning period was over, and they were getting quite old.

However, as the adopted daughter of the Jiang family, this one identity alone is enough to make her overlook this minor flaw.

The other ladies chimed in, "Madam Jiang is very thoughtful."

No matter what kind of banquet it is, it is a large-scale social event.

Zhao Xian naturally saw Li Zhou's figure moving around. Even though the original owner had a physical aversion to Li Zhou, she had to admire Li Zhou's thick skin.

Having been hungry for several days, she first served him tea and snacks after he arrived, and he ate and drank his fill.

Whether she knew the lady who came or not, she could go up and chat with her for a few words.

It seems that Jiang Wei's words last time only frightened her temporarily.

It's only been a few days, and I've already forgotten about it.

"By the way, I was thinking of asking Madam Jiang last time at the Princess's residence, is your second son engaged yet?"

When Madam Jiang suddenly left the banquet and went home, this matter weighed heavily on her mind.

Zhao Xian looked at the lady who had spoken and said apologetically, "Erlang is still young and has a childish air about him."

Zhao Xian didn't want to talk about Jiang Heng. Firstly, he already had a romantic partner, and Jiang Heng was certain that he was with Lu Zhaoying. Although the matter was not yet settled, it was not appropriate to discuss it with others.

She was worried that interfering would cause unexpected trouble.

He turned to the maid and asked, "Is Xiu'er awake? If she is, bring her out to see everyone."

Change the subject.

Everyone turned to play with the child, since the main character today was Jiang Shuxiu, who was full-moon.

Madam Lu, who had just arrived, happened to see the whole story of how the lady asked the second young master about the marriage.

Madam Lu frowned slightly. The fact that the Jiang family hadn't gone to the Lu family to propose marriage meant that Madam Jiang was indeed regretting it.

Madam Lu clenched her fists tightly. What was wrong with her daughter? Why would Madam Jiang change her mind?

"Mother, why are you standing at the door and not going in?" Lu Zhaoying was summoned by Jiang Heng halfway there, so she did not come to the backyard with her mother.

The maid led her to the women's quarters, only to find her mother standing motionless at the door.

Madam Lu's lips parted, wanting to tell her daughter that the Jiang family had reneged on her marriage to Jiang Erlang, but looking at her daughter's face, Madam Lu hesitated to speak.

There were other families who proposed marriage to the Lu family, but among them, the second son of the Jiang family stood out the most in terms of family background, status, and appearance.

If you miss him, how can anyone else possibly be worth your attention?

Lu Zhaoying, unaware of her mother's thoughts, took her mother's arm and urged, "Mother, let's go in, the baby bathing banquet is about to begin."

"Alright, let's go." Madam Lu glanced at her daughter with regret, not daring to let her notice her emotions.

Because of this incident, Madam Lu did not bring her daughter forward and remained outside the crowd.

She even used the excuse that a baby shower banquet was not suitable for an unmarried girl like her to join in the fun.

--

This was the first time Zhao Xian had ever seen the process of a full moon celebration, since these things had long been omitted in modern times.

After the elaborate but joyous process was completed, everyone was invited to take their seats.

Zhao Xian pulled Li Lianniang to sit down as well: "You've been working hard all morning, sit down and rest."

Cui Tingyue quickly handed her a cup of tea at a suitable temperature, saying, "Sister-in-law, your lips look a little dry. Please have some water."

Jiang Shuxiu didn't cry at all today, and she wasn't afraid of crowds, which earned her a lot of praise.

Jiang Wei's usually expressionless face, though he didn't burst into laughter and ruin his persona, still revealed a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

The guests had a great time.

After the banquet ended, some left early, while others stayed to play.

Today, the household has also invited an opera troupe to perform.

Zhao Xian played a card game with several ladies.

After playing a few rounds, Granny He leaned down and whispered in Zhao Xian's ear, "Something has happened at Molinzhai."

Molinzhai was Jiang Wei's study. Zhao Xian's expression remained unchanged until she finished playing the game. Then she apologized, "You guys play first, I'll excuse myself for a moment."

There were other ladies nearby who were pulled in to take her place.

Zhao Xian arrived at Molinzhai with Granny He and her maid. Before entering, she rubbed her cheeks, her eyes instantly turning cold, and pushed the door open.

Granny He closed the door and stood guard at the entrance with her maid.

In the study, Jiang Wei and Li Lianniang were both present. One was leaning against the soft couch, supporting her head with her hand, a trace of lip rouge on the corner of her lips, her cheeks flushed and looking rather strange; the other was standing, her eyes cold as if she wanted to kill.

On the ground, there was also Li Xinxin, the younger sister of the Li family, who was dressed in revealing clothes and had a rag stuffed in her mouth. She was being held down by Danruo and Chilan.

"Go and fetch the imperial physician."

Could Jiang Wei have been drugged?

Li Xinxin is quite capable; she actually succeeded.

Hearing the voice, Li Lianniang turned around in surprise and said, "Mother, what brings you here?"

Zhao Xian patted Li Lianniang's hand to comfort her. Of course, she wouldn't suggest having someone keep an eye on her all the time, but rather to report any problems immediately.

Things like giving her a purse or rushing into her arms are just minor actions; Li Xinxin is probably testing the waters.

But Li Xinxin's actions today were quite bold; she really dared to do it, and even chose such a day.

She absolutely had to come and see.

Jiang Wei had been forced to drink a lot of alcohol by his colleagues and was suspected of being drugged. He was feeling dizzy and hot all over. He staggered and tried to get up, calling out, "Mother."

Zhao Xian said disdainfully, "Sit down."

Like a rotten egg, attracting flies everywhere. Ugh, that's too harsh a word, it drags innocent people into it.

Let's just call it a hot commodity.

Suddenly, Li's younger sister spat out the handkerchief in her mouth and said to Zhao Xian, "Please, Madam, do justice for Xinxin. My brother-in-law has had physical intimacy with Xinxin, and Xinxin can no longer get married. Please, Madam, do justice for Xinxin."

Hearing her words, Danruo angrily picked up a handkerchief and shoved it into her mouth, "Stop talking nonsense, the young master didn't touch you."

Zhao Xian ignored Li Xinxin's words and her gaze drifted to the scroll holder next to the desk, where several scrolls were inserted.

That bastard Jiang Heng, he did it on purpose, didn't he?

Li Xinxin attempted to break free from control.

Zhao Xian snapped out of her daze and glanced at Li Xinxin, who was dressed scantily and struggling: "Tie her up and have someone watch over her."

Although it's already late March, I still feel cold because I'm not wearing enough clothes.

After saying that, she looked at Li Lianniang and said, "Today is Xiu'er's full moon celebration. As her mother, you must be there. These matters can be dealt with after the banquet and after the guests have left."

As for Jiang Wei...

The royal physician had already arrived; he was the father of Physician Liu. Because there was also a scantily clad woman named Li Xinxin in the study, he waited outside.

They had someone help Jiang Wei to the tea room, where the physician took his pulse and said, "The young master has been given that kind of drug."

"Give him some antidote."

Zhao Xian wasn't surprised. Regardless of whether the aphrodisiacs in the novel had any side effects, why should such a drug only work for that kind of thing? Wasn't she afraid of developing psychological problems and becoming impotent?

The physician was somewhat puzzled, but the eldest young mistress was right beside him; this was the best antidote.

But he couldn't disobey his wife's orders, so he immediately prepared the medicine.

Zhao Xian couldn't leave Jiang Wei alone after he took the medicine: "Granny He, you take some people and keep an eye on him. Once the medicine on Wei'er has worn off, carry him to the front hall, even if you have to."

There are many guests in the manor today, so Jiang Wei shouldn't stay in the study to sober up or take his medicine. He almost caused a scene. He should go out and make an appearance in front of everyone.

Before leaving, Zhao Xian glanced at the scroll jar containing the paintings one last time, and cursed Jiang Heng in her heart again.

--

Today, Madam Li met many noble ladies in Jin'an. As the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jiang family and the mother of her own family, she made many friends.

She was both satisfied and exhausted from being so busy.

She seemed to think that her husband's position as prefect was already secure.

After all the guests had left in the afternoon, and she had some free time, Madam Li Zhou realized that she hadn't seen her daughter for a long time, and even the old woman who served her was nowhere to be found. She could only ask the maid, "Where is Miss? And where is Granny Yuan?"

Both maids shook their heads. One of them suddenly remembered and said, "Mama Yuan was called away by one of the maids in the mansion. It's been quite a while."

Madam Li first sent her servants back to Xiequ Pavilion to search, but not only was Li Xinxin missing, but her personal maid was also nowhere to be found, nor was there any sign of Mama Yuan.

Only then did Madam Li Zhou begin to panic, and she found Zhao Xian: "My dear in-law, my Xinxin is missing."

Peony was massaging Zhao Xian's shoulders, and she was leaning back on the soft couch, looking very lazy.

Zhao Xian had been waiting for a long time, and finally Zhou Shi came to ask. She raised her eyes slightly and said, "Miss Li, I know where it is."

Realizing something was off about Zhao Xian's tone, Li Zhoushi still asked, "Where?"

Zhao Xian stood up. "My dear in-law, don't be in a hurry, come with me."

As she stepped out of the sedan chair, when Madam Li Zhou looked up and saw the three characters 'Mo Lin Zhai', her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a chill run down her spine.

During her stay at the Jiang family's residence, she inquired about several main courtyards.

At the same time, she was also angry, knowing that her daughter hadn't listened to a word she said.

Upon seeing the person arrive, the servants opened the study door.

Li Lianniang and Jiang Wei arrived before them.

Zhao Xian gestured for them to enter: "My dear in-law, please."

With each step she took up the stairs, Li Zhoushi pondered an idea.

Since it has already happened, we can't let our daughter suffer.

As she stepped over the threshold, her eyes sharpened.

"Waaaaah..."

When Li Xinxin, who was tied to the pillar, saw Zhou Shi, she felt as if she had seen a savior and made a sound.

She had already planned how to manipulate the Jiang family, and she had to secure a good future for her daughter.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing her daughter bound hand and foot to a pillar in such a pitiful state, Li Zhou screamed.

"Xinxin, my darling." Madam Li Zhou rushed over and pulled the cloth out of Li Xinxin's mouth. She hurriedly untied her, her eyes filled with anxiety as she untied the ropes. At the same time, she roared at Zhao Xian in a fit of rage, "What have you done to my daughter?"

Li Xinxin's tears fell instantly. Her mouth had been blocked for too long and she couldn't close it for a while. Tears, snot, and saliva streamed down her face as she cried.

"Mother, sob sob sob..."

"Xinxin, don't be afraid, Mommy's here, Mommy's here, don't be afraid."

The rope seemed tightly tied, but once you found the loose end from behind, it became much easier to find.

However, Zhou herself lost her composure and had no one to help her, so she was a bit slow.

Zhao Xian entered the room and glanced at the scroll jar containing the paintings. Regarding Zhou's anxiety, she said slowly, "Your daughter is quite bold. She managed to drug my son without the servants' knowledge. I only ordered the servants to tie her up because we are in-laws."

After the rope was untied, Zhou frantically rummaged around and managed to rescue her daughter. Holding her in her arms, Zhou felt heartbroken as she listened to her daughter's cries.

Holding her daughter tightly and comforting her for a while, Zhou suddenly turned to look at Zhao Xian, her face devoid of any pretense, her eyes as cold as knives: "Jiang Zhao, what do you mean? If you have a problem, come at me, don't touch my daughter."

Faced with the other party's fierceness, Zhao Xian thought about it seriously and said with difficulty, "This is not right. It's not like you drugged me, nor did you take off your clothes and run to the study to seduce my son. There is no reason to kidnap you."

"Ahem, Mother." Before Zhou could speak, Jiang Wei coughed first, reminding his mother to watch her words.

Having been given both antidote and hangover cure, he was now incredibly sober and incredibly embarrassed.

Zhou spat at her: "Stop slandering people. My daughter would never do such a thing. I know you hate me and are deliberately using this method to humiliate me. It's all old news, but you still won't let it go. You've done this to my daughter just to get revenge on me."

Li Lianniang was angry at first, but later, when she accompanied her mother to entertain guests, she heard some gossip from other families and suddenly realized that it wasn't uncommon for her younger sister to fall for her brother-in-law, so it wasn't a big deal.

But her stepmother's aggressive behavior, and her blaming of her mother-in-law, reignited her anger.

For the first time, Li Lianniang roared, "Enough! Li Xinxin drugged her brother-in-law and appeared in his study dressed like this, yet my mother keeps blaming my mother-in-law. What does this have to do with my mother-in-law?"

Zhou glared at Li Lianniang with a stern look, her voice full of oppression: "You little bitch who's siding with outsiders, shut up."

Li Lianniang's chest heaved with anger, but she gritted her teeth and continued, "With witnesses and evidence gathered, will Mother still deny it?"

Zhou glared at Li Lianniang: "What witnesses and evidence? This is the Jiang family home. The servants are just following your orders. Don't try to fool me."

As she spoke, Madam Zhou looked at Zhao Xian again: "Your son has already seen my daughter's virginity. He must marry my daughter as a concubine, or this matter will not be over."

'Pat pat pat pat pat...'

Zhao Xian couldn't help but applaud her, "Then go make a scene at the gate, say that my son defiled your daughter, and then report it to the authorities so that the midwife can verify her identity."

Zhou pointed at Zhao Xian: "Jiang Zhao, don't go too far. My daughter is an innocent person, and you treat her like this..."

Zhao Xian interrupted her: "That's why I told you to report it to the authorities."

Zhou was choked by the retort. Her gaze swept over the Jiang family members, and she suddenly froze, then burst into a tirade: "So, you've all ganged up on us, mother and daughter!"

"Your Jiang family is bullying us. They bullied my daughter and threatened me to report them to the authorities. My lord, please come quickly! We've been bullied. The Jiang family is trying to force our daughter to her death."

Seeing Zhou Shi suddenly start throwing a tantrum, Zhao Xian was somewhat taken aback. Compared to the person in the original owner's memories, she had leveled up.

Zhou's outburst slightly shocked the people in the study. At the same time, they pointed at Li Lianniang and said, "It must be you, it must be you! You can't give birth to a son, and you can't even control your own man. You can't stand seeing Xinxin talking to her brother-in-law, so you deliberately harmed your sister. Xinxin is so innocent. You must have deliberately plotted against her, and then conspired to cry wolf to force my Xinxin to her death. You must make Jiang Wei marry her as a concubine. This is what you owe her."

"..." Li Lianniang was so angry that she couldn't utter a single word. Her raised hand trembled slightly, and her lips turned white.

Jiang Wei was also greatly shocked, but he rarely saw a woman who could so distort right and wrong, and he did not know how to deal with her.

"Smack—"

Zhao Xian raised her hand and slapped the mad Zhou Shi: "Shut up, you crazy woman, nothing good can come out of a dog's mouth."

"What do you mean you can't have a son? Our Xiu'er is perfectly fine, it's none of your business to bark like a dog." Zhao Xian was genuinely angry. Li Lianniang and Jiang Wei were juniors and it was inappropriate for them to lay a hand on her, but she could, and this was something she had to do.

Unable to resist, she slapped Zhou again: "You're a woman yourself, yet you keep saying you can't give birth to a son. You don't even have that much flesh. Why don't you just plunge into the river and drown yourself? What's the point of your life? Just die! Why don't you die?"

Zhou's madness stemmed from her desire to secure a position as a secondary wife for her daughter. She only dared to bully Li Lianniang, and she never uttered a single word of reproach towards Jiang Wei, which shows that her madness was not without its limits.

Zhao Xian was different; she only retaliated.

After all, the original owner had wanted to beat her up for a long time, and now that Zhao Xian had seized the opportunity, she naturally wouldn't let it go.

While attacking, they pressed Zhou Shi relentlessly, forcing her to retreat, her retreat direction being towards the desk.

Zhao Xian had also engaged in heated arguments with haters, and her fighting spirit was definitely not bad: "Your daughter is naive? Your daughter is so naive that she would drug men and dress indecently to warm their beds?"

"Your daughter is indeed naive, she has inherited your true skills. After all, you taught people to play such despicable tricks more than ten years ago. It's really a lineage, so shameless."

"You want to enter the Jiang family? Don't you even know if you're worthy?"

The more I talked about it, the more I felt that another slap would be appropriate.

As a result, when the hand was raised, the slap did not land on Zhou's face, but was instead caught by Li Xinxin.

"ah--"

Li Xinxin had been tied up all afternoon and was very weak. She bumped into her mother, and the two of them fell backward, knocking over the scroll jar next to the desk.

With a crash, the roller was knocked over, rolled several times, and then shattered with a crash as it fell down the steps.

Amidst the broken porcelain shards and the partially obscured scroll, a corner of the string of bells could be vaguely seen.

Zhao Xian was secretly pleased; good positioning, beautiful.

"Xinxin, are you hurt? Does it hurt? Tell your mother." Zhou Shi hurriedly checked Li Xinxin on the ground to see if she was injured.

Nestled in her mother's arms, Li Xinxin looked at Zhao Xian with a face full of resentment and said, "How am I not worthy? Brother Wei was betrothed to a girl from the Li family. Brother Wei and I were childhood sweethearts. Why should it be Li Lianniang who marries Brother Wei?"

Zhao Xian frowned slightly, not expecting that Li Xinxin had such thoughts in mind. "Why? Just because Lian Niang's grandfather did a good deed for her father-in-law. Go back and ask your grandfather if he ever did such a good deed."

The original owner's husband insisted on not breaking off the engagement with his son for two reasons. First, Jiang Wei and Li Lianniang had a childhood friendship, and Jiang Wei had agreed to marry Li Lianniang. Second, Li Lianniang's maternal grandfather had helped the original owner's husband, and they owed him a favor.

Zhao Xian turned to look at Li Lianniang, only to see that her face was pale and her whole body was trembling, indicating that she was very angry: "Has she ever mistreated you before? Has she taken any of the dowry left to you by your mother?"

Li Lianniang was so angry that she had a headache. She didn't know that her younger sister would think this way.

They were two years apart in age. When she got married, Li Xinxin was not even of marriageable age yet. How could she have such thoughts?

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, he subconsciously replied, "Yes."

Zhao Xian understood and said that Li Lianniang in the book was unbelievably poor, and that she only earned money through her own abilities after the divorce.

"Granny He, go and fetch paper, pen, and ink."

Granny He glanced at Jiang Wei, who nodded in agreement.

Granny He immediately retrieved the necessary items from the desk, "Madam."

Zhao Xian raised an eyebrow at Zhou Shi: "Write it down. Write down exactly how you bullied your stepdaughter in the Li family, how much of her mother's dowry you embezzled, and how you caused her to bring nothing but junk to Jin'an. Write it all down in detail."

In the book, Li Lianniang was disliked by her mother-in-law, and because her dowry consisted of tattered items, she was often ridiculed by the original owner of the body.

To make matters worse, Jiang Wei was busy using his money to support his benefactor's daughter, which gives you an idea of ​​how miserable her life must have been in the Jiang family.

Zhou immediately spat, "Pah, impossible! You did this on purpose. This is your son's study. There must be someone guarding outside. How could my daughter have come in so easily?"

After being slapped a few times, Zhou's mind worked even faster, and she discovered the flaws in the matter.

Zhao Xian rolled her eyes at her: "Then you should teach your daughter to be smarter, so she doesn't fall into a trap."

She didn't try to hide it and directly admitted to the trap.

“You…” Zhou was furious.

“Write it down. If you don’t, I will write a letter to Lord Li detailing everything your daughter has done. She’s so young and she knows how to drug men. I don’t know who taught her that.”

Zhao Xian glanced meaningfully at Zhou Shi and continued, "If you are not satisfied, I can also send a letter to each of your two sisters' husbands, to talk about how they waited for their men in bed back then, wearing pink embroidered mandarin duck bodices and sheer gauze underpants."

Zhou's face changed drastically. "You...you dare?"

"You can try to see if I dare. When you return to the Li family, will you be greeted by a letter of divorce and a Buddhist temple, or by Lord Li's welcome? Or perhaps, your two sisters will be waiting for you with knives halfway there."

Just as Zhou stood up, upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, her body went limp, and she collapsed back to the ground, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.

Zhao Xian bowed slightly, "Did the fact that we didn't do anything to you back then embolden you? Did it give you the guts to come to my Jiang family and cause trouble again?"

"Write it down. Write down clearly how you mistreated Li Lianniang. Oh, and I have a document here that the old woman next to you told me about the things you did in the Li family. If you don't remember, you can just copy it."

Zhao Xian sat down on the stool, picked up her teacup, and slowly began to drink.

Zhou stared intently at the ground. No wonder she couldn't find Yuan Mama anywhere. After a long while, she pushed herself up and got up.

My hand was shaking so badly that it was uncontrollable.

"Mother." Li Xinxin was truly frightened.

She never expected that she would get involved in so many things.

She thought that even if things didn't go well, she could become her brother-in-law's concubine, so she didn't care.

But I never expected it to turn out like this.

Zhao Xian put the tea lid down a little louder. "Write carefully. If there's even one word I can't recognize, just get a new sheet of paper and start over."

“You and your daughter may leave this door once you have finished writing, signing, and sealing the document.”

Zhou's face was pale, her lips bloodless, and she looked up at Li Lianniang, "Are you just going to stand by and watch the Jiang family bully us like this?"

Li Lianniang looked at Zhou Shi calmly and said without much expression, "Mother, write it down. You don't want what you and your sister did to be told to Father and your two uncles, do you? Father and your two uncles are not too old. It shouldn't be difficult for them to divorce their wives and remarry. It's just that it will be hard on your younger brothers and sisters."

At first, Li Lianniang didn't know how to deal with her stepmother, Zhou Shi, because she was afraid of her from the bottom of her heart.

But seeing her mother's actions, she did not interfere, thinking that as long as Xiu'er's full moon celebration went smoothly, everything would be fine.

But Li Xinxin actually chose the day of Xiu'er's full moon celebration... If things get out of hand, how will outsiders view the Jiang family? How will they view the Li family?

Will this matter be brought up again every year on Xiujie's birthday?

Li Lianniang couldn't give herself a reason to be soft-hearted; she hated it.

Anger and despair mingled in Zhou's eyes, but seeing Li Lianniang's fearless gaze, she knew that the person she had once manipulated had grown strong enough to control herself.

She was like a flower that had bloomed too brightly and withered after being battered by the rain, slowly reaching out to pick up a pen.

...

After the charges were written, Zhao Xian looked at them carefully and said, "You have three months to deliver Lian Niang's dowry to the Jiang family. Otherwise, this charge, along with your daughter's scandalous history with your sisters, will be added to your list of crimes..."

Zhao Xian didn't say anything in the end, but just smiled at Zhou Shi.

Zhou looked flustered but dared not say anything more.

But she was unwilling to accept it.

Why is it that Zhao Xian, a village woman, has such a good life? The witty and humorous Lord Jiang doesn't take any concubines and just stays with her, a village woman. Why is that?

She's a young lady from the Zhou family, so why should she marry a rigid, dull, old, ugly man with no sense of romance?

On what grounds?

Zhao Xian, upon seeing the last part, reminded her, "By the way, I've already had your old woman sent back to Xiequ Pavilion."

In the book, the tragic heroine, Li Lianniang, seems to have committed countless evil deeds in her past life, which is why she is so unlucky and suffers so much in this life.

Anyone can step on her and she suffers both physically and emotionally. She has never experienced love. Her stepmother also contributes to her mistreatment. Later, after their divorce, she almost tricked Li Lianniang into selling her to the male supporting character.

Zhao Xian carefully put away the list of crimes written by Zhou Shi herself, got up and walked towards the door, then stopped after taking two steps and said:

"I will send someone to take you back to the Li family. You will leave first thing tomorrow morning. Sweet dreams tonight, my dear mother-in-law."

Whether she can fall asleep or not is not something she should worry about; she's probably capable of sleeping well.

Li Lianniang helped Zhao Xian out, her eyes filled with unwavering admiration.

She thought about it carefully, and realized that if it were her, she wouldn't know how to deal with her stepmother's tantrums.

"Don't you think that the men in the Jiang family are all restless and have a tendency to bring bad luck?"

The father is a ladies' man, and the son is no less so.

The unfortunate ones were the women in the inner quarters.

Tsk.

Or, she could just take Li Lianniang with her and get a divorce.

Li Lianniang: "..."

Why did the topic suddenly change so quickly? She couldn't keep up and didn't dare to.

Lord Jiang, who was working in a government office thousands of miles away, sneezed several times.

The servant brought over some clothes and said, "My lord, please put on some more clothes so you don't catch a cold."

Jiang Liangxu waved his hand, a smile appearing on his lips: "It's nothing, I guess someone is missing me."

-----------------------

Author's Note: Red envelopes are dropping! ~~~ [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]