“Father, what do you mean?” Yao Shi sounded somewhat confused.

Yao Chenggu tucked the bank notes into his chest and picked up his pipe again, methodically filling it with tobacco. “Isn’t the biggest problem right now that the child in Qin Shi’s belly might not be Dafu’s?”

Yao Shi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood, her face turning pale. “Father, you mean…”

Yao Chenggu puffed on his pipe with narrowed eyes, saying nothing.

Yao Shi sat on the edge of the kang, lost in thought. After a long while, she said: “If Dafu found out about this matter…”

“Can’t you handle it cleanly without letting Dafu know? That girl’s child has unclear origins – even if born, it would just cause trouble. Since the Qin family is powerful and Dafu needs such a father-in-law, and the marriage was bestowed by the Emperor so we can’t divorce Qin Shi, then let’s make her clean. When can’t she have children? She can bear a guaranteed legitimate one later.”

“But… that girl isn’t even eighteen yet. At this age, if her body is damaged and she can’t bear children in the future, what then?”

“Won’t Dafu take concubines his whole life?”

Looking at Yao Chenggu’s kind and gentle face, Yao Shi’s hesitation slowly turned to determination.

“Father is right. As a mother, I must be responsible for my son. I cannot let Dafu’s bloodline be unclear. I’ll find a way to handle this matter. Father, you…”

“The Grand Madam has returned.” A maid’s voice came from outside.

Yao Shi immediately closed her mouth.

In the span of a breath, Ma Shi lifted the door curtain and strode in quickly, her brows tightly furrowed as she demanded without preamble: “Where are the bank notes?”

“Mother.” Yao Shi stood up.

Yao Chenggu was also somewhat surprised. Just as he was about to ask how Ma Shi knew, the pipe in his hand was snatched away by Ma Shi.

Ma Shi knocked the ash from the pipe bowl into the spittoon, then gripped both ends with her hands, raised her leg, and snapped it hard against her knee. With a “crack,” the jade-decorated mouthpiece and brass pipe broke in two.

Ma Shi angrily threw the pieces to the ground: “I’ll teach you to smoke!”

“What madness has possessed you!” Yao Chenggu jumped up.

Yao Shi also came over to mediate: “Mother, what are you doing? Why did you break Father’s pipe for no reason…”

“You roll over there and kneel!” Ma Shi raised her hand and delivered a slap that turned Yao Shi’s face to the side, a red handprint quickly swelling on her cheek.

Yao Shi covered her face and looked at Ma Shi in disbelief: “Mother, why did you hit me!”

“I’m hitting you because you deserve it! You wicked girl with evil intentions! Wasn’t what I told you last time clear enough? Look at what you two have done today!”

Ma Shi pushed Yao Shi aside, then pointed at Yao Chenggu: “Surnamed Yao, I know what you’re scheming. Having lived with you for decades, I know what shit you’re going to pull just by how you stick your ass out! I’m telling you, stop with those tricks of yours and return the in-law’s silver immediately! Otherwise don’t blame me for losing my temper with you!”

“Surnamed Ma!” Yao Chenggu was also furious, pounding the table until it rang: “Are you trying to rebel! Don’t forget who’s the head of this household!”

“Head of household? You think you’re the head? This is a prince’s mansion – men manage external affairs, women manage internal ones. The external head is Dafu, the internal head is the princess consort, Yining! Who do you think you are? Put away those filthy thoughts of yours! This old lady has lived an upright life, yet I married someone so wicked!”

“How am I wicked? I’m thinking of Dafu, worried he might end up raising someone else’s child! Is that wrong!”

“Dafu isn’t a fool – wouldn’t he know if it’s his own child? Other families rejoice when expecting great-grandchildren, living harmoniously under one roof with in-laws – how wonderful. But when it comes to you two, everything becomes wrong! Do you know how much of Yining’s dowry silver was spent during this disaster relief trip with Dafu! Without that silver, the Emperor might have already punished our Dafu! The in-law master has had people protecting and hiding us these days, yet you still demand three thousand taels from him! Are you even human!”

“I didn’t demand it! He brought it to me! Besides, why do we have to hide and flee? Wasn’t it to find that Qin girl that Dafu left? Shouldn’t the Qins protect us?”

“Bullshit! Don’t you know why Yining was kidnapped? The Qin family hasn’t blamed us yet, but you act this way – your damn brain got kicked by a donkey!”

Ma Shi angrily slammed her palm down, directly shattering the kang table into pieces – the surface broke into several chunks and the legs snapped. Compared to Yao Chenggu’s earlier thumping, this was truly earth-shaking, her might undiminished from years past. One could imagine that if this blow had landed on a person, broken bones and torn tendons would be the least of it.

Ma Shi pointed at Yao Chenggu’s nose: “None of you surnamed Yao are any good! You have evil intentions, you raised a daughter who knew to climb into masters’ beds while young, and at forty she still doesn’t understand propriety, competing with her daughter-in-law – what worthless things you both are!”

Yao Chenggu’s face flushed red with anger. His hands shaking, he pointed at Ma Shi, wanting to retort but unable to find suitable words, and thinking of fighting back was even more impossible – he’d never won a physical confrontation with Ma Shi in his entire life.

By this time, Ma Shi had grabbed him by the front of his clothes and pulled out those three bank notes from inside.

“I’m going to return the bank notes to the in-law master. I’m warning you – stop scheming! I just told Dafu that I’ll be moving to Siqing Garden until my great-grandson is born. If you two dare plot anything, watch me skin you both alive!”

“You, you wasteful old hag! What does it look like for an old woman to live in her grandson’s courtyard! As if I would actually harm Qin Shi!” Yao Chenggu was hit where it hurt, his face reddening as he bellowed with his neck stretched.

Ma Shi sneered coldly: “Having lived with you a lifetime, wouldn’t I know you? You’re already half-buried in the ground – wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy your twilight years peacefully? Why meddle in Dafu’s household affairs? And you!”

She turned and grabbed Yao Shi by the collar, lifting her up: “These next few days you’ll reflect in the side room, and don’t come out wandering around without my permission! If you dare loiter around Siqing Garden, watch me break your legs!”

Ma Shi stood with one hand on her hip and the other gripping Yao Shi, dragging her to the side room. She loudly ordered the door to be locked and told the nearby nanny: “Your old madam has developed hysteria. To prevent her from suddenly harming people, let her recuperate well inside. When she becomes sensible and acts like a normal person, then she can come out.”

The nanny had been eavesdropping by the window for quite some time and heard the entire conversation clearly. Though Yao Shi usually appeared dignified and gentle, she actually treated servants rather poorly. Seeing the Grand Madam punish Yao Shi, she naturally nodded eagerly and said: “Oh my, women of the old madam’s age have weak bodies and night sweats, often getting angry and hysterical. We should find a good imperial physician to examine the old madam properly.”

Ma Shi nodded, turned to point at Yao Chenggu with clear threatening intent, then walked away.

Yao Chenggu leaned against the door frame, trembling. He had thought that though his wife was from the martial world, she had always been willing to endure hardship with him, showing deep and unwavering affection, and he had always respected her greatly. When they ran their restaurant, he only focused on developing recipes while Ma Shi managed everything inside and out. The restaurant’s success was entirely due to her ability to win people over – even if bandits came to rob them, Ma Shi could handle them with a few punches and kicks.

Originally, Yao Chenggu was quite content having such a capable wife who could manage both public and domestic affairs, especially since their grandson was now a prince.

But who would have thought that after a lifetime as husband and wife, in their old age they would tear their relationship apart over an outsider.

Yao Chenggu felt angry, wronged, and stifled. Clutching his hair, he let out a long “Hey-yo!” sigh and crouched heavily on the ground.

At this time, Qin Yining had just taken a dose of pregnancy-stabilizing medicine that Bingtang had personally prepared and was feeling much better. She leaned against a soft satin pillow, staring blankly at the “Hundred Sons, Thousand Grandsons” pattern on the bed curtains.

Pang Xiao sat beside her, asking somewhat cautiously: “Are you feeling better?”

“Much better.” Qin Yining smiled. Though full of suppressed anger, Pang Xiao had done nothing wrong, and she wasn’t a foolish woman who would throw tantrums at her own man. She knew when and where to maintain her image and position in Pang Xiao’s heart.

She propped herself up on her elbow and moved forward, then lay back down with her head pillowed on his thigh.

Pang Xiao quickly pulled the thin quilt up for her and gently smoothed her disheveled long hair.

“Yining, don’t be angry anymore. I handled this matter poorly. My grandfather and mother were indeed overthinking. I’ll explain things clearly to them later. Don’t take it to heart, and there’s certainly no need for any rent.”

“I know.” Qin Yining smiled and said: “I also spoke in anger. Thinking about it now, I regret it and feel I shouldn’t have taken such an attitude toward grandfather and mother-in-law.”

“Look, you’re not even calling them grandfather and mother anymore.”

Qin Yining smiled: “They don’t consider me family either. They suspect me.”

Both Pang Xiao and Qin Yining were intelligent people – how could they not see these things?

Seeing Qin Yining’s weary appearance and thinking of how she had been suffering constantly since the day she followed him, never having a single peaceful day, and now being suspected by family members even while pregnant – Pang Xiao felt both guilty and furious.

He helplessly patted her shoulder with his large hand: “Yining, regardless of what others think, you and I are husband and wife. I trust you and know you. As for them, I’ll make things clear. I won’t let today’s situation happen again. Don’t be sad, all right?”

Qin Yining nodded, and a strand of long hair slipped from her shoulder, flowing down her snow-white neck to rest on Pang Xiao’s leg.

Seeing her so listless, Pang Xiao felt even more heartbroken, wishing he could give her his very heart.

“Rest well for a while. I’ll go out briefly and be right back.”

Knowing he was going to Songshe Hall, Qin Yining moved back to a distance, smiling as she saw him off. Only after he left did she gradually withdraw her smile and lie back down.

She was not a weak person.

Years ago when Sun Shi treated her poorly, she endured it because Sun Shi was her birth mother.

When Yao Shi and Yao Chenggu suspected her and drew clear boundaries, though initially shocked, she also felt this was human nature – nothing incomprehensible about it.

As a child, she had seen too much of humanity’s selfish and ugly side. Yao Shi and Yao Chenggu weren’t bad people, just the most realistic common folk.

Ma Shi was genuinely good to her, so she would repay that kindness a hundredfold.

As for Yao Shi and Yao Chenggu, maintaining things at a level where they didn’t tear their faces apart and didn’t make things difficult for Pang Xiao was sufficient.