Chapter 258: Chapter 258: A String of Knowns and Unknowns (Thanks to Etoiles for the Extra Monthly Ticket)
Xie Yingying was overcome with excitement, grabbing Mrs. Lin’s hand and questioning her eagerly. Seeing her daughter’s agitation, Mrs. Lin rose and had a carriage prepared. She then quickly left the city with her daughter. Consequently, when Xie Pan’Er arrived at the residence of the Main Branch, she had just missed Mrs. Lin and her daughter.
"Mrs. Lin, come out here! You wicked woman, how could you commit such a heinous act?"
Nanny Hua led two robust serving women to block Xie Pan’Er.
"Third Miss, what do you think you’re doing? Causing such a ruckus in the Main Branch’s residence, have you no sense of decorum?"
"Nanny Hua, why are you here?" Xie Pan’Er was surprised to see Nanny Hua; she was a personal attendant to the Old Madam of the Main Branch. When the Xie Family had sent people to the countryside to bring her and Xie Yingying back, Xie Yingying had written a letter to Mrs. Lin, hoping Mrs. Lin would decide to leave her in the countryside permanently and not bring her back. Unexpectedly, the ones sent to fetch them were not Mrs. Lin’s people, but a trusted nanny of Old Madam Xie. Nanny Hua had said that bringing the Third Miss back was the Old Madam’s intention, and Mrs. Lin could not object. That was how she had ended up returning with Xie Yingying.
"Third Miss, since you now have the indenture contract, you should stop entangling yourself with the Main Branch!"
Nanny Hua’s words made Xie Pan’Er sneer. "Your Main Branch truly has its methods! On one hand, you give me my mother’s indenture contract; on the other, you poison my father and brother. Instead of all this, why not just take a knife and kill our whole family? That would be more straightforward. Why go to such great lengths to deal with us? What does our Fifth Branch possess that your Main Branch covets?"
Hearing this, Nanny Hua’s expression changed, and she asked in surprise, "Third Miss, what makes you say that?"
"What do I mean? Nanny Hua, stop playing dumb with me. Ostensibly, you are the Old Madam’s most capable nanny, but in reality, don’t you take orders from Mrs. Lin in all matters, big or small, within the Xie Family? Mrs. Lin has placed companion Gu on my father and brother! Do you know about this? Does my Eldest Uncle know? Does the Old Madam know? If your Main Branch doesn’t give me an explanation today, I will go to the Government Office and file a complaint! I will make sure this affair becomes known to everyone—that the Xie Family of Wuliuxiang murders their own kin and is utterly devoid of conscience!"
As Xie Pan’Er fired off these questions, her face showed a mixture of defiance and the recklessness of someone with nothing left to lose.
"Insolence! Such audacity! A mere child, spouting such unfounded nonsense here. Xie Pan’Er, you are, after all, a descendant of the Xie Clan. We have raised you for over a decade. Is this how you repay your clan?"
The Old Madam’s voice suddenly came from outside, and then she entered the Courtyard, supported by a young Maid.
"Grand Madam, why have you come?" Nanny Hua asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Seeing Old Madam Xie, Nanny Hua was stunned. Publicly, she was the Old Madam’s capable nanny, but privately, she had accepted countless benefits from Mrs. Lin and had done many things for her in secret. She wondered if the Old Madam had overheard Xie Pan’Er’s words. Hopefully, she’s a bit deaf and didn’t hear anything!
Dim-sighted and deaf? Of course not. Not only was Old Madam Xie far from being dim-sighted or deaf, but she had also heard every single word Xie Pan’Er had spoken. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have reprimanded Xie Pan’Er so harshly.
"If I, this old woman, hadn’t come, our Xie Family would have become the laughingstock of the entire Capital City! Where is Mrs. Lin? That third girl was raising such a commotion in this Courtyard, why wasn’t she here?"
Hearing this, Nanny Hua quickly put on a smile and said, "Weren’t the Eldest Miss and Eldest Young Master just released from the Celestial Prison? Mrs. Lin has taken the Eldest Miss to see a Doctor."