Madam of Marquis Wuning hadn’t expected Shen Xiaohai would suddenly become so unyielding, much less that He Shi, who for these past few months had only known to shrink aside forcing smiles to curry favor, would suddenly become so unafraid of trouble. She furrowed her brows, placed her hands on her hips, and immediately prepared to curse.
She had grown up in the northern territories from childhood. She knew nothing of refinement or the ways of young ladies from noble families. From the time she could eat, she could curse, learning from her father to point at soldiers and curse them like dead men’s heads. When it came to hitting people, she was just like rural peasant women beating up hoodlums. But all these years, no one had ever pointed at her nose and scolded her for lacking upbringing. Having her sore spot suddenly poked, with her family members also being disparaged, and being implicitly told that her daughter and son-in-law were both dead and her granddaughter was vicious-hearted, she could no longer bear it.
But Shen Xiaohai clapped his hands, and over a dozen tall, sturdy household guards immediately surged into the flower hall. Madam of Marquis Wuning watched with tightly furrowed brows and an ugly expression, her eyebrows almost standing on end as she berated: “What?! Are you going to lay hands on me?!”
How was it that arranging a marriage, instead of successfully arranging the marriage, had instead created enmity?!
Madam of Marquis Wuning pointed at Shen Xiaohai with a cold laugh: “You’d better not forget that this marriage has already been settled. What, now you’re preparing to beat your future in-law in front of so many people?!”
“Wouldn’t beating you be exactly what you deserve?!” Shen Xiaohai was so angry he laughed instead: “You old shameless thing, I’ve endured you time and time again. I can’t beat you? You think carefully—how many times have you people come pounding on my door? Each time more excessive than the last. Originally that one from your family was already a cripple, yet we didn’t hold grudges and agreed to marry her in. Still you refuse to let it go…”
If she’d been someone good at living properly who saved people worry, that would’ve been one thing. After all, it was as he’d originally thought—there was still Marquis Wuning’s household and the Tong family, so this marriage wouldn’t be too terrible. But who could have expected this Miss Tong was simply a lunatic!
Madam of Marquis Wuning was like someone whose sore spot had been stepped on, almost jumping up from the ground: “A cripple?! So what if she’s a cripple? Even if she’s a cripple, that useless one in your family still couldn’t control his own…” She remembered how Shen Xiaohai had just pointed at her nose cursing her family for lacking upbringing. The dirty words that had reached her mouth were swallowed back down, and she turned to curse in a roundabout way: “Your family better not try to pull up your pants and refuse to take responsibility, otherwise don’t blame our family for turning hostile!”
He Shi had always felt deeply wronged that her son was matched with a cripple. She hadn’t expected this cripple would also be so terrible. She’d long been holding in a belly full of anger. If not for Shen Xiaohai’s repeated admonitions, she couldn’t have endured this long. Now that she finally heard Shen Xiaohai had intentions to break the engagement, she naturally pressed the advantage and wouldn’t give up: “Turn hostile?! I’d like to see how you want to turn hostile?! Today let’s make things clear. Our old madam is still lying in bed right now. I’ve never seen any family’s daughter be so vicious…”
Her words had barely fallen when Uncle Tian came in bowing and said Court Physician Hu had arrived.
Shen Xiaohai repeatedly called for him to be quickly invited in. With a flick of his sleeve, he glanced at Madam of Marquis Wuning and ordered He Shi: “Don’t bother with her for now—go check on Mother!”
He Shi naturally couldn’t wait for this. She immediately lifted her skirt and followed Shen Xiaohai out to welcome Court Physician Hu. Court Physician Hu was quite easygoing—without a second word, he first asked to be led to see the patient.
Shen Xiaohai led him to the old madam’s courtyard, his tone carrying worry he couldn’t conceal: “There’s a bloody hole in her head… Although the bleeding has now stopped, she still hasn’t woken up. I’m troubling Court Physician Hu…”
While speaking, they’d already reached the room. Court Physician Hu cupped his hands toward Imperial Physician Liang. After hearing about the old madam’s condition, he first lifted the bed curtain to take a look, then furrowed his brows: “To fall so severely…” He pressed his hand against the edge of the old madam’s wound, his expression becoming even more grave: “I don’t know if there’s still blood clotting inside. This is truly quite tricky.”
Madam of Marquis Wuning, who had followed along intending to take a look, froze in place. She finally belatedly realized where the Shen family’s fury came from—could it be they really had pushed the old madam until she was injured this severely?
If she searched her conscience, if someone had pushed her mother into this state, she’d also have to roll up her sleeves and go fight them desperately.
She stood there dazed for quite a while, until Shen Xiaohai turned his head back, startling her back to her senses. She stammered and opened her mouth to call: “In-law…”
Shen Xiaohai didn’t even think before snorting through his nostrils: “I don’t dare accept that. Our family cannot afford to conclude this marriage. Madam of Marquis Wuning, please don’t demean me.”
This meant breaking the engagement? Madam of Marquis Wuning became anxious again: “The betrothal documents have already been exchanged, even the Empress in the palace…”
“I was just thinking of having my wife submit a petition to enter the palace to have an audience with Her Majesty the Empress, to ask Her Majesty to make a decision and save our entire family. This time it was my mother—who knows who will suffer calamity next time.” Shen Xiaohai immediately interrupted her, his face bearing deep mockery: “Now, before even entering our door, she’s already tormented our family into chaos without a peaceful day. If she truly enters the door, I’m afraid even our chickens and dogs will all die. I truly feel this is an injustice.”
Court Physician Hu and Imperial Physician Liang seemed to have received a free theatrical performance. This drama was even more exciting than those at the Hongyun Theater—the dramatic ups and downs truly made one break into a nervous sweat while unable to help watching with great interest. The two exchanged glances, both wanting to laugh but holding it in.
In any case, the matter was going to blow up. Shen Xiaohai now wasn’t afraid of airing family scandals. He was clear as a mirror in his heart—he knew his own family now had no face to speak of whatsoever.
He could consider himself blind. Now, breaking free of this senseless marriage that only brought calamity sooner, cutting losses earlier, perhaps he could still keep his life.
Court Physician Hu lifted the old madam’s eyelids, his voice carrying some gravity as he told Shen Xiaohai: “The fall was truly not light. The bleeding has already stopped, but whether there’s blood clotting inside is uncertain… She must still be carefully nursed. The old madam will probably wake up tonight. It’s crucial she not be made angry again…”
Shen Xiaohai let out a breath of relief, then turned his head with a half-smile to look at Madam of Marquis Wuning: “Did you hear that? I beg you to accumulate some virtue and give my family a way out. This marriage our family definitely must break. Tomorrow I’ll have my wife submit a petition to enter the palace… I don’t dare take Miss Tong as a daughter-in-law. You should go look at other families and see if there are any with sturdier bodies who can withstand your whole family’s torment.”
When Shen Xiaohai spoke sarcastic remarks, he was surprisingly quite capable of making people uncomfortable. Madam of Marquis Wuning wished she could find a hole to crawl into. Looking at Shen Xiaohai, then at Court Physician Hu and Imperial Physician Liang behind him who were suppressing their laughter, for the first time ever she couldn’t manage to open her mouth to curse with dirty words.