The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 584 - 551: The First Madam Has Returned (Part 1)
Tang Yuan had a busy day. Just after returning from the Hanlin Academy to home, he learned that his young nephew was punished to kneel by the Xu Family during the day, and the Xu Family even made his mother personally deliver him to the Zilan Courtyard.
Traditionally, it’s only the mother-in-law who can summon the daughter-in-law, how can a daughter-in-law have the mother-in-law deliver someone to the door?
Tang Yuan was instantly furious, striding towards the Zilan Courtyard.
As he entered, he saw Xu Jia calmly eating, with Mo Xiang serving her dishes at the side.
Tang Yuan looked at her carefree manner, too angry to speak.
Xu Jia had already finished eating and took a sip of the last bit of soup. She leisurely took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and washed her hands, only then seemingly noticing Tang Yuan standing by the inner room curtain.
She smiled, "Second Master is back?"
Tang Yuan suppressed his anger, his tone already turning unpleasant, "I haven’t even returned yet, and you started eating first?"
Xu Jia lightly curled her lips, "When we first got married, I waited for Second Master every day. After a few days of your unwillingness to dine at the Zilan Courtyard, I got used to eating alone at meal time. Why, was Second Master planning to dine with me today?"
This woman had a sharp tongue, always managing to block him with words, but Tang Yuan was not content to let it go just like that. "Who allowed you to make Yongyong kneel? Also, as the daughter-in-law, how dare you show such disrespect to your elders by forcing Mother to personally visit you? Xu Family, you are too arrogant!"
Xu Jia moved from the round stool to the Arhat Bed, calmly watching the man, "Did Second Master really find out the ins and outs of the matter before coming to me?"
Tang Yuan’s face was cold and firm, "No matter what, as the second lady of the Tang Family, failing to respect your elders and care for the young is a violation of family rules!"
"Very well then." Xu Jia slowly exhaled, "It is my fault for not respecting the elders and not caring for the juniors. I am willing to accept punishment, as for the matter of Young Master Yong damaging the mechanical beast, I’ll trouble Second Master to personally handle it, whether to seek Minister Song’s help for repair, or confess in front of the Holy Emperor, it’s up to you."
Tang Yuan’s face froze, "What did you say?"
Xu Jia chuckled, "It seems Second Master doesn’t even know what happened. Then what is your righteous anger at the Zilan Courtyard for? Are you targeting me on purpose? Second Master, don’t forget it was you who actively sought marriage at the beginning. A daughter of the Xu Family can live without a man, I don’t necessarily need you. Know who is seeking whom to keep face, don’t overestimate yourself and end up disgracefully."
Yet another round of words that stripped him bare, if not for the bit of reason Tang Yuan still held, he might have been completely distorted by anger.
He steadily watched Xu Jia, truly at a loss for words this time.
Xu Jia picked up the tea Mo Xiang handed her, calmly taking a sip, looking down, "For violating family rules, I will go kneel at the ancestral hall as punishment. As for other matters, I won’t interfere in what doesn’t concern me."
Finished talking, she stood up and called Mo Xiang, "Let’s go to the ancestral hall."
Mo Xiang finally understood what the lady meant earlier by "more disgusting." Indeed, the men of the Tang Family enlightened her, they were indeed disgustingly boundless.
She responded and followed Xu Jia, never giving the male master a direct look.
Tang Yuan stood there motionless, his face showing an indecipherable expression, anyway, it didn’t look good.
When Xu Jia passed by, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, perhaps realizing his earlier impulsiveness, his tone softened considerably, "Come with me to see Madam."
Xu Jia wanted no physical contact with him, retracting her hand as if it were scalded.
Seeing this, Tang Yuan said nothing, and the two silently made their way to the main courtyard.
The eldest grandson was punished today, and it took Mrs. Qiao a long time to appease him. The two had just finished dining and were now sipping sweet soup.
A maidservant suddenly came in to say that Second Master and Second Mistress were outside asking to meet.
Mrs. Qiao’s action of drinking soup paused. Needless to say, it must be her second son knowing that his nephew was punished, who then came angrily bringing the Xu Family to apologize to her.
Indeed, this woman still needs a man’s control.
With the second son here, she didn’t believe the Xu Family would not obediently bow and admit mistakes, and not come out personally to resolve the issue of the mechanical beast.
In this light, her initiative to lower herself and visit today didn’t seem so humiliating after all.
"Let them in." Mrs. Qiao wiped her mouth, signaling the maid to take away the soup bowls.
A moment later, Tang Yuan and his wife circled the screen and appeared in the room.
The moment Tang Yong saw Xu Jia while he was sipping his soup, his face filled with anger and hatred. He stopped drinking, let out a cold humph, and flipped the small bowl onto the ground.
Mrs. Qiao sat there leisurely, waiting for her arrogant daughter-in-law to kowtow and apologize to her.
Tang Yuan asked, "Mother, what happened during the day?"
Mrs. Qiao glanced at Xu Jia with a half-smile, "Didn’t your wife tell you?"
Before Xu Jia could respond, Tang Yuan said, "I want to hear it from you, Mother."
"Nothing much," Mrs. Qiao said. "A few idle servants disassembled the mechanical beast and framed it on Yongyong, who knows nothing. I dealt with the servants and personally took Yongyong to Zilan Courtyard to apologize to your wife, asking for her help. Your wife was magnanimous and only punished Yongyong by making him kneel for half an hour before letting him up, also agreeing to see Minister Song. I say, second son, the matter is over, and Yongyong is fine. Why did you personally bring her over? What is your intention?"
The use of the word "apologize" by the mother-in-law showed how much disrespect the daughter-in-law had shown.
Xu Jia sneered coldly, thinking, why are you still deliberately distorting the facts and playing the victim in front of your son after everything is settled?
As Tang Yuan cast his cold, piercing gaze over, Xu Jia took the initiative to speak, "Today, I indeed lacked respect for my elders and didn’t show compassion to the young. Second Master has already said that my actions make me unfit to manage the household. Therefore, I am here to apologize and to return the storeroom keys to Mother."
After saying this, she took out the keys from her waist, bent over, and respectfully offered them to Mrs. Qiao.
Mrs. Qiao was stunned. She had indeed been waiting for the Xu Family to apologize to save face for what she lost during the day, but why did Xu Jia’s actions feel like she was giving up totally?
Mrs. Qiao couldn’t help but look over at Tang Yuan.
Tang Yuan frowned, his eyes grew colder, "When did I ever say you were unfit to manage the household?"
Xu Jia turned her head towards him, "Didn’t Second Master just say it? You said, as the second mistress of the Tang Family, failing to respect the elders and show compassion to the young is a breach of family rules. How can a newlywed who frequently breaches family rules be fit to manage the household?"
Tang Yuan looked into the deep and unruffled gaze of his newlywed wife and recalled her spontaneous remark before they arrived, "I’m not solely dependent on you either." This strangely annoyed him, and his voice became softer, "I’m not here to argue with you."
"But I am."
Under the mother and son’s frozen expressions, Xu Jia straightened her back, "I don’t know whether I misunderstood, or whether it’s the Tang Family’s rules. Mother herself said she wanted to entrust Young Master Yong to me for upbringing. Yet, barely half a day passed before Yongyong broke the mechanical beast, and I punished him by making him kneel to teach him a lesson, so he would know not to recklessly touch the items bestowed by the Holy Emperor. But Mother couldn’t bear it, and took him away before he even admitted his mistake.
Since you are so fond of your grandson, why would you send him to Zilan Courtyard? Wouldn’t it be safer to keep him by your side so no one would dare touch him?
Or is this another of Mother’s deliberate schemes?"
Mrs. Qiao was so angry she could hardly stand.
She had intended to entrust Tang Yong to the Xu Family merely because of Xu Family’s good reputation.
Earlier, when Xu Family said that under their care, he would not be spared from strict punishment, she thought Xu Family was making excuses to avoid taking responsibility for Tang Yong. Who would have imagined Xu Family would take it seriously and make her beloved grandson kneel on the ground for half a day?
Of course, Mrs. Qiao was displeased.
Not only displeased but filled with pent-up anger, her image of Xu Family’s gentleness and humility shattered completely.
After hearing this much, Tang Yuan finally cleared the air of the whole incident and realized he had wrongly accused Xu Family. He felt a pang of regret in his heart.
Perhaps it was the preconceived notion instilled by Qingyu that made him see cunningness in other women, especially his wife.
However, this perception was just broken into pieces moments ago.
Xu Family stated directly that the daughters of the Xu Family could live without a man, and also claimed she was not entirely dependent on him.
What previously caused him to assume Xu Family must rely on him, Tang Yuan couldn’t quite figure out. Clearly, this woman had never shown him any kindness since she came into the house, and now and then stabbed his heart with words.
Yet, at that moment, he inexplicably felt as if he had lost something important.
The destruction of the mechanical beast was no small matter, and Tang Yuan understood the stakes. He became calm and, unusually, softened in front of everyone, bowing slightly, "It’s my fault for being impulsive and wrongly blaming you, Second Mistress. Please don’t take it to heart."
Mrs. Qiao also said, "I was simply unaccustomed and worried as a grandmother and took him away on his first day with you. It’s understandable. We can talk things through calmly. How did it come to returning the storeroom keys? It’s unnecessary!"
Before Xu Jia could reply, someone outside the door reported, "Madam, Second Master, Second Mistress, the eldest mistress has returned."
