At this time, Xian Yun and Bingtang heard the news and rushed over from Xueli Courtyard with Qin Yining’s cloak.
Sun Shi took the cloak and wrapped it around Qin Yining, then like a mother hen protecting her chicks, spread her arms to shield her while coldly watching Yao Shi sitting on the ground making a scene.
Qin Yining sighed and comforted Sun Shi: “Mother, don’t be angry. Daughter is fine.”
“Fine? Look at your skirt yourself, then look at Ji Yun’s hands! If she hadn’t been loyal in protecting you, what if you had been burned? I was blind before, thinking you had married into such a good family!”
Sun Shi cried: “You were raised by me. Even if the Qin family has fallen, there’s no reason for you to suffer at someone else’s house! Perfect—take this opportunity to leave with mother. Then everyone will be clear of each other! I won’t have to worry about your safety every day!”
Qin Yining knew her mother was speaking in anger and softly comforted Sun Shi with many words.
Rationally speaking, now really wasn’t the time for internal strife.
After much effort calming Sun Shi somewhat, Qin Yining turned to help Yao Shi up.
“Old madam, if you have something to say, please say it properly. The ground is cold.”
How could Yao Shi listen? She shook off Qin Yining’s hand and slapped her thigh while crying: “Oh my heavens! My son has bad luck, marrying such a family-ruining jinx who has stirred up our house with no peace, making my son turn away from his own mother! If my son doesn’t divorce this ruinous daughter-in-law, I’ll dash my head against something and die right here!”
Qin Yining was utterly speechless. If not for the current tense situation, she really wanted to wash her hands of this completely.
Just as she was caught in this dilemma, Qin Huaiyuan arrived after hearing the news.
Yao Shi had been at the countryside estate all along and had no idea Qin Huaiyuan was still alive. Upon seeing him now, her wailing abruptly stopped. Scared out of her wits, she stared blankly with her mouth agape, pointing at Qin Huaiyuan while gasping heavily, her pupils contracted with fear.
“You, you, you…”
Qin Huaiyuan walked closer, looked at the overturned hand warmer on the ground, the extinguished charcoal, and Qin Yining’s burned cloak and hem, gaining a rough understanding.
A young male servant leaned close to Qin Huaiyuan’s ear and spoke a few words quietly.
Sun Shi also looked at Qin Huaiyuan aggrievedly, tears streaming down her face.
Qin Huaiyuan’s expression remained calm, his eyes black as deep pools, as he said in a low voice: “What happened here?” He then turned to ask Sun Shi: “A visitor is a guest. When in-law madam came, how could we let her sit on the ground?”
Sun Shi felt extremely wronged and was about to speak in rebuttal when Qin Yining and Cao Yuqing simultaneously gave her gentle pinches from both sides.
Sun Shi looked left and right, finally hesitating and remaining silent.
Qin Huaiyuan suddenly smiled and looked down at Yao Shi.
“In-law madam, please calm your anger. There must be some misunderstanding here. We’re all family—why get so worked up? Perhaps Yining said or did something that angered you? As her father, I will certainly teach her properly later.”
Yao Shi’s eyes widened even more: “Are you human or ghost!”
“You jest—I’m naturally human.”
Yao Shi clutched her chest, her eyeballs nearly popping out of their sockets.
That Qin fellow actually wasn’t dead? Wasn’t he supposed to be dead? Wasn’t his funeral held back then?
The Qin family was simply cursed!
Yao Shi lowered her head to look at the shadow on the ground. Though the afternoon winter sunlight seemed veiled in white mist, Qin Huaiyuan’s shadow was quite distinct.
This wasn’t a ghost.
With this realization, Yao Shi finally relaxed, jumped up, and put her hands on her hips while glaring at Qin Huaiyuan: “Everyone says in-law lord is an extremely wise person, and your Qin family isn’t some small household either. How do you not know to properly teach your daughter? Even ordinary families’ daughters know to show filial respect to their mothers-in-law! Moreover, she’s committed one of the seven grounds for divorce. I merely said a few words to her, and she slandered me saying I wanted to set her on fire. Our Pang family cannot keep such a daughter-in-law!”
Qin Huaiyuan’s gaze darkened slightly as he smiled faintly.
“In-law madam flatters me. I’m hardly a wise person and naturally cannot compare to in-law madam’s knowledge and reason. I often tell Yining’s mother that what’s rare is an in-law madam like you, a young lady from such a distinguished family background. Our Qin mansion’s status is low—how many years was I prime minister? My humble wife is merely an ordinary young lady from Duke Dingguo’s mansion. In terms of teaching daughters, we naturally cannot match in-law madam.
“If you see her manners as poor, any amount of teaching would be appropriate. However, if you say she’s committed one of the seven grounds for divorce, I as her father am truly alarmed. She and the prince have lived together all these years through life and death, sharing hardships together. She has been diligent, respectful, and deferential to elders, and bore the prince two sons. I’ve never heard her say a single word of complaint about her in-laws’ family when she returns home. Please instruct me, in-law madam—which of the seven grounds has she violated?”
In terms of birth, Yao Shi was merely a daughter of an ordinary farming family, while Sun Shi was a young lady from a duke’s mansion. Who really didn’t know how to teach children?
In terms of family background, the Qin family was a scholarly official household, while the Pang family had long been destroyed. The Yao family ran a restaurant in the marketplace and only gained status through the son’s achievements. The mud on her trouser legs had barely been washed clean before she dared to play the noble lady?
As for the seven grounds for divorce, with Yao Shi being so harsh, Qin Yining had never even committed the offense of gossiping. She had been humble and patient enough—what more could be demanded?
None present were fools, and all now looked at Yao Shi with disdain.
Sun Shi felt particularly refreshed. She finally realized that in her usual arguments with Qin Huaiyuan, he probably had never seriously argued with her—otherwise, she definitely couldn’t out-reason him.
Qin Huaiyuan spoke at an unhurried pace, like falling pearls, leaving Yao Shi unable to keep up with a single word. After blinking for a long time, Yao Shi finally erupted angrily: “Your daughter disrupts family harmony through adultery and jealousy, bringing chaos to households. Since she entered our family, we’ve had no peace. How can you have the face to say she’s good? If she’s so good, take her back and marry her to whoever you want—our family doesn’t dare keep her!”
Just as she finished speaking, an angry rebuke came from behind: “Yuping, what are you saying!”
Yao Chenggu and Ma Shi walked in quickly, followed by two servant women carrying several large bundles—obviously already prepared with luggage for the journey.
Ma Shi strode forward, furious beyond measure, and raised her hand to deliver a slap: “You wretched creature! How dare you speak such nonsense—kneel down!”
Yao Shi never expected her mother to come and slap her without distinguishing right from wrong. She immediately burst into tears and looked to Yao Chenggu for help.
But Yao Chenggu wasn’t supporting her as usual—he frowned and said nothing.
Ma Shi quickly said: “In-law lord, please don’t listen to her nonsense. It’s my fault for not teaching my daughter properly, raising her to be something that doesn’t know propriety. Yining is excellent—good character, good nature, and deep affection with our Dafu. Please don’t listen to her words.”
Qin Huaiyuan smiled and bowed to Ma Shi: “Old madam’s praise truly shames me. It must be that my wife and I have shortcomings in our teaching that caused such misunderstandings.”
“Not at all!” Ma Shi said solemnly: “In-law lord was Great Yan’s prime minister, a famous minister of two dynasties. In-law madam comes from a prestigious family—Duke Dingguo’s mansion was full of loyal martyrs. In-law madam is also warm-hearted, straightforward, and righteous. Yining is a good child—please don’t belittle yourself. It’s our Dafu’s good fortune to marry such a capable wife as Yining.”
Qin Huaiyuan waved his hands with a face full of shame and sighed: “Ultimately, I was incompetent. In my early years as an official, I offended many people due to different political stances, causing Yining to wander outside. Just when we found her back and she hadn’t enjoyed much blessing, she married out. In terms of Yining’s upbringing, it truly was my wife’s and my oversight. However, if you say Yining committed adultery and jealousy among the seven grounds for divorce, I don’t believe it. In-law madam’s meaning just now seemed to doubt Zhao Ge’er and Han Ge’er’s bloodline?”
Upon hearing this, Ma Shi remembered how Yao Shi and Yao Chenggu had once given Qin Yining safflower during her pregnancy, then thought of the two lovely, clever children now. Her anger immediately blazed. She turned and glared fiercely at Yao Chenggu.
“You senseless dead girl!” Ma Shi severely slapped Yao Shi’s shoulders twice, making her cover her shoulders and hide behind Yao Chenggu.
Seeing Ma Shi so angry, and knowing that she must have worried endlessly being caught between her and Yao Shi’s conflicts, Qin Yining feared such a good elderly lady might be angered to illness. She quickly stepped forward to support Ma Shi and lead her aside.
“Grandmother, please calm your anger. Mother-in-law was just speaking carelessly in her anger. Please don’t take it seriously. Today’s matter…”
“Bah! Who has misunderstandings with you? I spoke the truth—stop putting gold on your face!” Yao Shi’s rebuttal came out immediately.
“You, you!” Ma Shi was so angry she wanted to charge forward.
But this time Yao Chenggu stepped ahead of her and angrily scolded: “Shut up! Even at this point, do you still want to speak nonsense!”
Yao Chenggu doted on his daughter greatly and rarely got angry. When he spoke up, outsiders might not think much of it, but Ma Shi and Yao Shi were both stunned.
Yao Shi looked at her father in disbelief and said aggrievedly: “Father, isn’t this what you said…”
“I told you to shut up!” Yao Chenggu glared.
Yao Shi was ultimately intimidated by her father’s authority and dared not speak further.
Yao Chenggu turned around and solemnly bowed to Qin Huaiyuan: “In-law, please don’t get angry. This old fool failed to teach his daughter properly and broke the rules. No matter what caused today’s events, creating such a scene is Yining’s mother-in-law’s fault.”
Seeing even her father wouldn’t help her, Yao Shi sobbed aggrievedly.
Ma Shi looked suspiciously at Yao Chenggu. Today his behavior was so different from usual that she couldn’t help but suspect there were things she didn’t know about.
However, regardless of anything else, Yao Chenggu and Ma Shi’s attitude made both Sun Shi and Qin Huaiyuan feel somewhat better.
Yao Chenggu and Ma Shi were a generation older than Qin Huaiyuan, so naturally he couldn’t let them bow to him. He quickly stepped aside and returned the courtesy: “Elder Yao, please don’t be so polite.”
Seeing that Qin Huaiyuan only said this simple sentence, Yao Chenggu felt anxious inside.
The Qin family obviously hadn’t gotten over their anger!
Now was different from before. Previously they had the confidence to contend with the Qin family, but now they were about to journey to Xi Yue following the Qin family. Though they were in-laws and supposedly equal, the Qin family was large and wealthy with many people. They would definitely have to depend on others for their livelihood in the future.