"Um... Grandfather, Grandmother, when will the food be ready?" Jiang Xueshi asked timidly.
At this time every day, Gao Jingde would have already delivered the food to the guest room, and also helped him fetch a basin of hot water for his feet...
But now it was almost戌时 (7-9 PM), and the Yun family hadn't eaten yet. Jiang Xueshi was so hungry his back was against his stomach.
Seeing Mr. Jiang arrive, Old Man Yun quickly cupped his hands, "Mr. Jiang, don't rush. Once your grandmother finishes treating Cai Xia's wounds, we'll have dinner!~"
Hearing this, Jiang Xueshi looked towards Niu Cai Xia...
As the saying goes, a young woman is not as beautiful as a married woman. Niu Cai Xia was filled with a unique feminine charm and tenderness. Looking at her age, she seemed to be only eighteen or nineteen.
Although her face was bruised and swollen from being beaten, the other side was still delicate and lovely...
Long-term malnutrition had not diminished her charm; instead, it lent her a beauty that was almost sickly.
As if noticing someone's gaze, Niu Cai Xia looked up and met Jiang Xueshi's eyes. Their gazes collided, and sparks seemed to fly between them...
Jiang Xueshi's face flushed with panic. He hastily cupped his hands in a salute, "I am Jiang Youde. May I be so bold as to ask why your face is so badly injured?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinheng shot him a glare, "Can't you tell, Mr. Jiang? Do normal people walk into themselves and end up with a pig's head?"
Jiang Xueshi: "......"
Your Highness the Crown Prince, could you speak a little more gently?
I am your teacher, after all.
Niu Cai Xia nodded gently, saying nothing.
As Madam Gu applied ointment to her, she complained, "Cai Xia, as an outsider, I really shouldn't interfere in your family matters, but your mother-in-law is going too far. Not only does she do nothing, but she's always finding fault. If she's even a little displeased, she'll resort to fists and beatings. You work from dawn till dusk, doing all the housework and raising Jiu Hong, yet she acts like an empress dowager, living off the fat of the land. It's truly outrageous..."
Madam Gu was also a mother-in-law, but she had never made things difficult for her daughter-in-law for any reason.
Niu Cai Xia sobbed, unable to speak. Little Jiu Hong also reached out her small hand with concern, wanting to comfort her mother.
Hearing this, Jiang Xueshi's heart blazed with anger, "So Jiu Hong's mother has such a mother-in-law! This cannot be tolerated any longer; she must be taught a lesson..."
Laifu, who was about to enter the main hall, stopped in his tracks, stunned.
Lord Jiang is just a scholar. Since when did he have such resolve?
Seeing Niu Cai Xia crying incessantly, Jiang Xueshi hardened his heart and clenched his fists, saying, "Jiu Hong's mother, please rest assured. If I hadn't heard about this, it would be one thing. But now that I know, I cannot stand idly by..."
In this world, how could there be such a black-hearted mother-in-law?
Little Xi Tian heard this, picked up a sticky bean bun, and walked over, asking as she ate, "Mr. Jiang, how do you plan to seek justice for Sister Niu?"
Perhaps he'd go to the old woman's house with a broom to beat her up...
That would be too undignified.
Jiang Xueshi was, after all, a lecturing scholar of the Hanlin Academy. He had both culture and good looks. How could he do such a vulgar thing?
Niu Cai Xia also looked at Jiang Xueshi with curiosity, choking out, "Mr. Jiang, you... you don't need to worry about this matter!~"
"No!" Jiang Xueshi flatly refused, his attitude extremely firm, "I will see this matter through to the end!"
Little Xi Tian: "......"
Mr. Jiang, why have you suddenly become so enthusiastic?
Could it be love at first sight?
Bah, bah, bah, Little Xi Tian shook her head. What was she thinking about all day? Jiang Xueshi was highly learned and as handsome as Pan An. How could he take a fancy to a village woman?
Seeing the little village child eating bean buns and shaking her head, Xiao Jinheng smiled, feeling very pleased...
It seemed that the little village child's illness was indeed not serious.
At the dinner table.
"Third brother, let me tell you, the Mahjong that sister brought out is so fun! I could play it for days without eating or sleeping..." Yun Erman said exaggeratedly.
Yun Sanman was a little puzzled, "What Mahjong?"
He had never heard his parents or sister mention it...
Xiao Jinheng smiled slightly, "If Brother Sanman wants to play, I can teach you another day!~"
Although he hadn't mastered the essence of playing Mahjong, he knew the rules.
"Okay, then I'll trouble young master Xiao!" Yun Sanman said with a smile.
Xiao Jinfeng had been busy preparing for pregnancy during this time, so he couldn't drink alcohol...
Although the dinner tonight was extremely lavish, Xiao Jinfeng's willpower was astonishing, and he didn't touch a drop of alcohol.
After dinner, Niu Cai Xia ran into the kitchen, eagerly washing dishes and pots, wiping down the dish racks and the stove. She also heated the large kang beds in the house until they were warm, and even took out the slop bucket.
Zhao Xiaojie followed her example, starting with washing dishes and sweeping the floor, learning the motions skillfully.
"Cai Xia, come here!~" Madam Gu walked into the kitchen and pulled Niu Cai Xia.
Niu Cai Xia's hands paused from her work. Her slightly swollen eyes looked at Madam Gu, "Auntie, what... what's wrong?"
She understood very well that everyone in the Yun family, inside and out, was a good person, so Cai Xia was willing to help them without compensation.
Madam Gu sighed and got straight to the point, "Cai Xia, tomorrow you should bring Little Jiu Hong to live at my house. You've seen how Xiaojie works. She can't cook, she doesn't know how to heat the kang, she can't carry the slop bucket, and she's no good at feeding pigs or cows. After you move in, you can help her with some of the housework, and we'll give you some wages at the end of the month to supplement your household expenses..."
As she spoke, Madam Gu, with a pained expression, stroked Niu Cai Xia's hair, "We don't need to sign any indentured servitude contracts. From now on, you'll eat what we eat, and Auntie won't treat you unfairly!~"
Madam Gu's words were heartfelt. She truly didn't want Niu Cai Xia to return to that broken home...
Niu Cai Xia was so moved that tears streamed down her face. She threw herself into Madam Gu's arms, "Wuwuwu, Auntie, I know you mean well and are thinking of me and Jiu Hong. But you know what kind of person my mother-in-law is. If I were to live at your house, she... she would beat me to death!~"
Madam Gu had naturally considered this problem. She calmly said, "Your mother-in-law can still take care of herself. She doesn't need to rely on you for everything. From now on, I'll have people deliver her three meals a day. Including your monthly wages, it will be enough for her daily expenses and old-age support. If she's still not satisfied, she can come talk to me..."
Madam Gu had lived in Dashui Village for many years and had seen all sorts of troublesome people.
She had plenty of ways to deal with such a wicked mother-in-law.
Niu Cai Xia hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "Th-thank you, Auntie!~"
After helping out at the Yun family's for a while longer, Niu Cai Xia finally carried Little Jiu Hong home to rest...
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Jiang Xueshi, accompanied by Laifu, walked out of the Yun family's gate and headed towards a dilapidated thatched hut.