Li Jiāo instinctively lowered her head to look at her injured right hand.

“Second Sister, am I right?”

Li Jiāo’s heart sank, but having been the leader among the young ladies for so many years, she had never been forced into such an embarrassing situation. Immediately becoming angry from shame, she said: “I don’t understand what you’re talking about! What do you mean everyone’s hand patterns are different? I’ve never heard such nonsense!”

Qiao Zhao was stunned by this girl’s unreasonable tantrum and sighed: “It’s quite normal that Second Sister doesn’t understand—after all, people’s natural abilities differ.”

If it were her, once defeated, she would simply admit defeat. Acting this way only made her look worse. Didn’t this girl understand such a simple principle?

“Natural abilities differ? You, you’re saying I’m stupid?” Li Jiāo immediately caught on, meeting Qiao Zhao’s “teachable child” expression with fury. “Say that again—”

“Silence!” Old Madam Jiang shouted.

The scene immediately fell quiet. Li Jiāo looked toward Old Madam Jiang with a pale face, calling out softly: “Grandmother—”

She knew that although her grandmother doted on her, she would not be lenient if she lost face in public.

Old Madam Jiang’s gaze slid over Li Jiāo’s face and landed on her eldest granddaughter Li Jiǎo‘s face.

Li Jiǎo stood ramrod straight, her body tense, not daring even to breathe loudly.

Today’s events were thoroughly strange everywhere—how had Third Miss Li managed to drag both of them into this mess?

No, that wasn’t right. Ever since Third Miss Li returned, she seemed completely different from before. Could it be true that surviving a great calamity made people smarter?

A cough from Old Madam Jiang made Li Jiǎo startle and instantly snap back to attention.

“Sister-in-law, Second Girl… doesn’t know better. I’ll take her back right now to properly discipline her!” When Old Madam Jiang spoke these words, it was more painful than if someone had slapped her face.

The matter was already crystal clear—to pursue it further would only invite more humiliation.

Old Madam Deng raised her eyebrows.

After all this commotion, it turned out Second Girl had been arrogant and domineering first, then falsely accused others afterward!

“The County Lady sees things indeed. When children haven’t yet grown crooked, they must be properly managed,” Old Madam Deng drawled, returning Old Madam Jiang’s earlier words right back to her.

Old Madam Jiang trembled with rage, yet found herself speechless, completely choked up.

But Old Madam Deng wasn’t planning to let it end there.

Even if the West Residence had no status, she still had two sons serving as officials. Did others think their granddaughters were treasures while hers was worthless grass?

Old Madam Deng gave He Shi a meaningful look.

He Shi, who in both old ladies’ minds was about as useful as a wooden club, was suddenly blessed with divine inspiration and instantly understood her mother-in-law’s meaning. She chimed in: “Exactly! County Lady, you don’t know—just earlier when Mama Gui was removing Second Miss’s shoes, Second Miss kicked her right over!”

“Is this truly what happened?” At this point, Old Madam Jiang couldn’t be bothered to worry about He Shi’s attitude, and with a dark expression, asked Li Jiāo.

Li Jiāo was frightened pale and hurriedly hid in her mother Wu Shi’s arms.

Mama Gui, who had been acting like wallpaper until now, hastily apologized: “It’s all this old servant’s clumsiness. Second Miss was right to discipline me.”

Looking at the apologizing Mama Gui, Old Madam Jiang felt completely mortified. She glared fiercely at the Wu Shi mother-daughter pair, and no longer having any face to remain, abruptly stood up: “Return to the residence!”

“Old Madam, Jiao Jiao’s foot—”

“She won’t die! Have someone carry her back!”

Old Madam Jiang returned to the East Residence in suppressed fury, dismissed Fifth Miss Li Shu to her room, and slammed the table: “Disgraceful thing, kneel before me!”

Li Jiāo dared not disobey the old lady’s words. Enduring the pain, she climbed down from the servant’s back and knelt on the ground in a wretched state.

Wu Shi watched with an aching heart and couldn’t help calling out: “Old Madam—”

Old Madam Jiang’s fury blazed higher: “Wu Shi! You’ve raised your daughter to be like this, and you still dare plead for her?”

“This daughter-in-law wouldn’t dare.” Wu Shi also dropped to her knees with a thud.

At this moment, a senior maid brought tea. Old Madam Jiang took it and sipped, the neither-too-hot-nor-too-cold temperature bringing her heart slight comfort. Setting down the teacup, she looked down at the mother and daughter kneeling on the ground and slowly began to speak: “Jiao Jiao, how have I always taught you?”

Li Jiāo kept her head down as tears streamed: “Grandmother, I know I was wrong.”

“Then tell me, where exactly were you wrong?” Old Madam Jiang picked up her teacup.

“I shouldn’t have lied and falsely accused Third Miss Li, and I shouldn’t have failed to control my temper and casually struck servants—” Li Jiāo reviewed her mistakes while observing Old Madam Jiang’s expression. Seeing the old lady’s one eye clouded with white mist and the other glaring coldly, she suddenly couldn’t continue.

“Wrong!”

Old Madam Jiang slammed the teacup heavily onto the tea table. The porcelain striking the wooden surface made a loud thud, like a drumstick falling on Li Jiāo’s heart, making it tremble with fright and terror.

“Your first mistake was: if you don’t have the brains for it, don’t casually dig pits for others. Once you’ve dug a pit, you must ensure the person is buried so thoroughly they can never turn things around, not lift a rock, only to drop it on your foot! Your second mistake was using the crudest method to punish servants, and in front of everyone, no less. Were you afraid word of your tyrannical reputation wouldn’t spread? Your third mistake was: having already suffered complete defeat, instead of simply admitting defeat, you made a scene unreasonably, throwing away every bit of a proper young lady’s dignity!”

Li Jiāo stared at Old Madam Jiang without blinking, listening in complete shock.

“Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

Looking at her bewildered granddaughter, Old Madam Jiang secretly shook her head.

This granddaughter of hers was naturally impatient. Normally, remembering her teachings, she could barely manage to appear dignified and refined, but the moment something happened, she immediately couldn’t hold it together.

She was hopeless—

Old Madam Jiang immediately stopped that thought.

Even if her granddaughter was hopeless, she had to mold her into refined jade. No matter what, she was still better than those from the West Residence!

“Enough. Wu Shi, take Jiao Jiao and go. From now on, Jiao Jiao will copy Buddhist scriptures two hours daily to cultivate her character!”

“Old Madam, isn’t the time a bit—”

Old Madam Jiang glared harshly at Wu Shi: “She injured her foot, not her hand! Buddha’s Birthday is approaching—don’t you want her to shine?”

“Yes, this daughter-in-law understands.”

Wu Shi led Li Jiāo away. Li Jiāo’s vision kept going black.

Two hours, excluding study time, wouldn’t she not even have time to bathe?

In the west side courtyard of Yahe Courtyard, after the East Residence people left, the space immediately felt much emptier.

Li Jiǎo secretly drew a breath and knelt: “Grandmother, Mother, I was momentarily blinded by foolishness. Please punish me!”

He Shi couldn’t help scolding: “You’re so malicious at such a young age, brazenly helping outsiders slander your sister!”

Li Jiǎo’s whole body trembled as if unable to bear the weight. Her oval face turned snow white, and she lowered her eyes: “I was in such a poor mood today that I momentarily thought wrongly. It’s right for Mother to be angry with me. No matter how Mother chooses to deal with me, I won’t have any complaints!”

As she spoke, she touched her forehead to the ground and kowtowed heavily.

“Quick, help the eldest miss up!” Old Madam Deng had been angry, but seeing Li Jiǎo like this, her heart softened.

Children without mothers always had harder lives, and the old lady inevitably felt more protective.

Senior maid Qing Yun quickly helped Li Jiǎo up, and they could see a large bruise on her forehead.