Chapter 325

Chapter 325: Smashed to Pieces Xie Yunting never cared about reputation or consequences when he acted, let alone today when he was clearly in the right. Madam Xia sent someone to fetch her mother-in-law while dispatching another to the yamen. When the Old Madame was helped over, Madam Xia hurried forward. "Mother, what exactly did you do? Why must you go provoke Xie Yunting?" Madam Bai shoved Madam Xia aside. "Useless thing. He's nothing but a crude mountain man. What are you afraid of?" Madam Bai walked into the hall, and upon seeing Zhou Dongman on the ground, she turned the blame around instead. "Xie Yunting, what do you think you're doing? You beat my people like this—is there no law left in this world?" "Oh, Old Madame, you really are shameless. I said it before—anyone capable of such deeds must be thick-skinned beyond measure, smearing their face with lard and dog shit every day, aren't they?" Xie Yunting let out two cold chuckles. "You... how dare you speak like that?" Madam Bai coughed violently. "You do as you do, and I speak as I speak." As Xie Yunting spoke, he placed one foot on Zhou Dongman's hand, gradually applying pressure. "Tell me, Madam Lou, I've never wronged you, so why did you send people to play tricks and scare off the craftsmen? Surely you don't intend to do the labor yourself with those old bones of yours?" He pressed down harder and harder, and Zhou Dongman howled in pain. Mama Zhou watched in helpless distress, on the verge of tears. Madam Bai picked up a teacup and hurled it at him, but Xie Yunting caught it and instead splashed the tea all over her. "Xie... Xie Yunting!" Madam Bai's eyes went wide. "Fine, just fine! I'll file a petition to the Emperor! You dare come to my house and cause a scene! Let me see if His Majesty will still protect you when you're this arrogant!" "Go ahead—let's go together!" Xie Yunting made a gesture of invitation. Madam Xia quickly stepped forward. She had finished reading the confession, and it was highly likely her mother-in-law really had sent people to cause trouble. If this escalated, the Lou family's reputation would be ruined. Moreover, Xie Yunting was favored by the Emperor—how could the Emperor possibly punish Xie Yunting for the sake of an insignificant family like the Lou? "General Xie, let's talk this through properly." Madam Xia was anxious inside, only regretting that her husband had not yet returned. But no sooner had Madam Xia spoken than her mother-in-law snapped at her, "You spineless thing! Get over here!" "Mother, if you truly did such a thing, just apologize to him!" Madam Xia was nearly in tears. In response, she received a slap from her mother-in-law. "Smack!" Everyone heard it. Madam Bai pressed one hand on the wooden chair, veins bulging on the back of her hand. "You ungrateful wretch! I am your mother-in-law, and you dare tell me to apologize to this beast? Madam Xia, if you don't want to be part of the Lou family anymore, then get the hell back to your Xia family!" Madam Bai had always been domineering, and now she was even more accustomed to lording over her juniors. Madam Xia had never been slapped in public before. Her face was completely lost. Just then, Lou Hefeng returned. Madam Xia looked at him with resentment. "I'm done meddling in the Lou family's affairs today. If you can't handle this properly, I'm not staying with you either!" With that, Madam Xia ran out crying. Lou Hefeng was utterly bewildered. He had just arrived to find his mother pale-faced and his wife clutching her cheek in tears. He couldn't help but turn to Xie Yunting. "General Xie, you... you go too far! Laying hands on women—what kind of man does that?" He instinctively assumed Xie Yunting had upset his mother and wife. Xie Yunting found this amusing. "Madam Lou, before you leave, you should say the truth clearly—who's being unreasonable, and who slapped you? If you don't make it clear, I'll have to go to the Xia family and ask them directly!" Madam Xia had heard before that Xie Yunting was not to be trifled with, but today she truly understood. She turned her resentful gaze toward her mother-in-law. "It wasn't General Xie who hit me—it was your mother. She did something shameful and dragged our Lou family into it. I only told her to stop being so stubborn, and she... she slapped me in front of everyone!" Lou Hefeng frowned deeply. What on earth was going on? After hearing the rest of what Madam Xia said, Lou Hefeng was even more confused. "Mother, why... why would you do such a thing?" "What, are you going to pressure me too?" Madam Bai refused to admit anything. "No, this person is yours—don't tell me it wasn't your doing. Does Mama Zhou have that kind of nerve?" Lou Hefeng was on the verge of collapse. In recent days, his mother and younger sister had been at odds, and Lou Hefeng had simply thought it was a mother-daughter quarrel. But this matter with Xie Yunting clearly defied all logic. Xie Yunting had never provoked the Lou family. "Fine, fine, so you're pressuring me too. So what if I did it? Are you going to send me to the yamen, or watch Xie Yunting beat me to death?" Madam Bai instead berated her son. "You unfilial son! At a time like this, instead of helping me, you interrogate me just like Madam Xia. Are you even my son?" Xie Yunting said, "Lord Lou, you heard it yourself—your mother has admitted it. May I ask, what grudge or grievance exists between our two families that you would harm me this way?" Xie Yunting raised his hand, and the men he had brought began smashing things. Crash, bang, clatter. Lou Hefeng quickly begged, "General Xie, I truly knew nothing about this. Whatever you want, I'll compensate you—just tell them to stop smashing! I beg you!" "Compensate?" Xie Yunting let out a cold chuckle. "Do you think I care about your paltry scraps?" Since Xie Yunting didn't call for a stop, his men kept going. Still, Xie Yunting didn't go too far—he only had the front hall and Madam Bai's quarters smashed up. Even the roof tiles were broken through, leaving holes that would take at least two months to repair. Madam Bai was so furious she could barely breathe. "Xie... Xie Yunting, for doing this, you'll die a horrible death!" "Oh ho, so you really are one for playing tricks with ghosts and spirits—now you're resorting to curses." Xie Yunting had Zhou Dongman dragged into the courtyard, then turned to Lou Hefeng. "This man hangs here for three days and three nights. If there's a next time, I'll burn your whole family to ashes and make you truly wandering ghosts!" Xie Yunting didn't bother with reporting matters to the authorities. He preferred to handle things himself—that was far more satisfying. As soon as Xie Yunting left, Madam Bai ordered someone to cut Zhou Dongman down. Lou Hefeng and Madam Xia wouldn't dare. Lou Hefeng looked at his mother in disbelief. "Haven't you learned your lesson yet? Since you refuse to speak, then you're not leaving this house!" Fearing the Old Madame might do something else, Lou Hefeng didn't even allow Mama Zhou to accompany her. "Without my orders, no one is to do anything for the Old Madame!" "You unfilial son, you're trying to drive me to my death! I'll go to the magistrate and report you for filial impiety, you... cough... unfilial wretch!" Madam Bai gasped for air. At that moment, she thought of her daughter Susu. She shot Mama Zhou a meaningful look—she couldn't be confined. Mama Zhou was stopped and warned by Madam Xia. "If you want to end up like your nephew, go ahead and kill yourself first—don't bring trouble to the Lou family!" Mama Zhou couldn't say a word. On one side was the confined Old Madame, on the other her nephew who was on the verge of death. The Old Madame's meaningful look could only mean she wanted Mama Zhou to find a way. But what could she possibly do? Just as Mama Zhou was at her wit's end, Miss Wanxian returned in the evening, and she hurried over to find her. Inside the room, Madam Xia was telling Lou Wanxian about how their mother-in-law had lost her mind. "I truly can't understand why Mother would go provoke Xie Yunting. A man as ferocious as that—even your eldest brother has to treat him with the utmost respect—and yet Mother sent people to cause trouble!" Lou Wanxian had initially wondered the same—how her mother had ended up clashing with Xie Yunting. Then she remembered that Lady Cui had mentioned recently that a school was being built. It all clicked into place. And her earlier suspicions were confirmed once again. Her mother was willing to offend Xie Yunting—Zhao Susu meant more to her mother than the Lou family did. Lou Wanxian found it utterly ridiculous. "Dear sister-in-law, the Lou family has now offended Xie Yunting. Who knows what will become of your brother. Your husband is now a favored figure before Prince Wu—you have to help us." Madam Xia pleaded. Lou Wanxian didn't refuse on the spot. "Don't worry, sister-in-law. When I return, I'll speak with my husband and see what can be done. But Mother is still an elder—if you keep her confined and word spreads of unfilial conduct, eldest brother's future will be ruined." "Then... then we can't let her out. What if she goes mad and offends someone else?" Madam Xia didn't dare. Lou Wanxian said instead, "Mother won't say why she offended Xie Yunting. In that case, why not give Mother some freedom and see who she contacts? That way we might find some clues." If her mother wasn't let out, Lou Wanxian could never catch her mother and Zhao Susu in the act, and she would never restore her identity. Why should Zhao Susu live well after stealing her identity? Lou Wanxian's hatred for them had reached its peak. Madam Xia hesitated, and Lou Wanxian persuaded her a little more, then went through the motions of visiting her mother. The result? Madam Bai started cursing at her the moment she saw her. Lou Wanxian didn't argue. When she stepped out, Mama Zhou came to her. "Miss Wanxian, you have to help the Madam. She's isolated and helpless now—no one else can help her." Lou Wanxian thought to herself, coming to her only now—even a biological daughter would be fed up with a mother like this. Let alone one who wasn't her own. These past days, Lou Wanxian had been thinking about everything from childhood to now, and her resentment toward Madam Bai only grew. "I've already spoken with sister-in-law. Mother is still an elder—we can't let eldest brother bear the reputation of being unfilial." Lou Wanxian sighed. "You should persuade Mother too. Though I don't know why she offended Xie Yunting, if she keeps being this foolish, Xie Yunting really will take her life." "This servant will." Mama Zhou nodded repeatedly. "And this servant's nephew, he..." "Mama Zhou, you should be grateful you weren't hung up yourself. At a time like this, you're still thinking of others—think of yourself first." Lou Wanxian cut her off, paused, then lowered her voice. "If Mother did all this to help someone, you'd be better off going to that person for help. You can't do someone else's bidding at the cost of your own interests. Your nephew is already badly injured—if he'd hung for three days and three nights, he'd be dead."