Ye Jiayao pointed at the names of the few families like the Helian Prince’s and Yong An Marquis’ on the list. “I’m familiar with them and have an idea of what to give them. For the rest, however, I have no clue since I have never met them. How do you give someone you’ve never met a novel and sincere gift?”
Xia Chunyu took a good look at the list. After a few seconds, he started smiling. “Yaoyao, did you notice something here?”
Ye Jiayao moved closer to him. “What is it?”
Xia Chunyu pointed at certain areas of the list and said, “Look. These are the gifts two years ago and these are last year’s.”
She looked at where he was pointing and started laughing. It seemed that Xia You was quite lazy too. She merely swapped the gifts for the families.
“Looks like Mother’s kinda lazy too,” he remarked with a laugh.
Ye Jiayao shot him a look. “Don’t talk about your mother like that.”
This discovery was a huge help. She didn’t need to pull gift ideas out of nowhere. She simply has to do some rearranging and she’ll be golden.
With a better plan forming in her head, Ye Jiayao started writing on a piece of white paper, adding a set of Heavenly Residence’s gift box at the end.
“What are you doing?” Xia Chunyu inquired.
She beamed up at him proudly. “I thought of another way to earn money. We can give the pastries from the new pastry shop since everyone loves them. I can design a pretty gift box for it. I just need to have a goldsmith make a few gold plates or gold chicken accessories to add to the gift box since it’s the year of the chicken next year. The whole thing would look pretty and high-end!”
This idea came from the modern-day mooncake box that a lot of stores sell. People loved it and were willing to buy it even though the prices were high.
Xia Chunyu looked at her flushed cheeks and was mesmerized by her beauty. “You’re creativity and innovation know no bounds.”
“My ideas are golden,” she preened.
“I think you should just change your name to Zhaocai (beckoning wealth). You’re just a regular money-maker,” he joked.
“Stop teasing me!” Ye Jiayao huffed. “Stop or I will get Little Ji and Little Rui to bite you.”
“Why do you still call them little? Look at them! They are almost as fat as pigs now.”
Xia Chunyu immediately ducked after saying that as a brush flew past his head.
“Okay fine!” he conceded laughingly as he walked to his study. “I’m leaving!”
Hearing the laughter coming from the room, Xiang Tao, one of the servants outside today, commented, “Ever since Second Young Mistress came, the Heir-Son Lord has been happy and joyful. I remember how scared I used to get every time I see his stoic face.”
Ying Tao, the other servant on duty, smiled. “Second Young Mistress is a very nice person. Although other people say otherwise, I know that she’s actually really nice.”
Xiang Tao turned to her in surprise. “What did you hear other people say?”
“I only happened to hear a little, they said… they said…” Ying Tao stammered.
“Spit it out,” Xiang Tao urged impatiently.
“They said Second Young Mistress is in an ambiguous relationship with many men… even with the Third Young Master,” Ying Tao said weakly.
“Who would dare say something like that?” Xiang Tao exploded in fury. “Why didn’t you punish whoever this is?”
“I… I wouldn’t dare!”
“You are useless. Not only did you not stand up for your master, but you also failed to report this to us in time. Who said these vile things?”
“It’s… it’s Hong Xiu from First Young Mistress’ place,” Ying Tao answered softly.
Xiang Tao looked for Qiao Xi and told her the story that Ying Tao told him.
Qiao Xi was also predictably enraged but she managed to contain her temper. “We have to report this matter to Second Young Mistress. If we allow the rumor to spread and grow, it’d be bad for her reputation. If outsiders find out about this…”
Qiao Xi knocked on her masters’ door.
“Enter,” Ye Jiayao called, not bothering to look up from the list she was making.
Qiao Xi entered and sneaked a peek at the secondary room in the west. The Heir-Son Lord was busy looking over at some documents so she walked over to the Second Young Mistress’s side and whispered to her,
Ye Jiayao slowly put her brush down and walked to the extended room.
“Ying Tao, tell me the whole story in full detail,” Ye Jiayao ordered calmly. She was doing her best to contain her anger.
After Ying Tao told her the story, Ye Jiayao was holding on to her temper by the thinnest thread.
She knew that Hong Xiu didn’t start this hoax by herself. There has got to be a mastermind in all of these. Ye Jiayao swore that once she finds this person, she’ll hang them out to dry.
“Who else was present then?” she asked Ying Tao.
15 minutes later, all the people that Ying Tao identified was brought in front of Xia You.
Ye Jiayao knelt in front of You, her eyes filled with tears as she was unable to contain her grief and indignance.
“Mother, I have endured other things that they’ve said about me for the sake of the mansion’s harmony. But this… I’m afraid that I can’t tolerate this. This does not just concern my morals and integrity but also Chunyu’s reputation and the Marquis’ mansion’s reputation. Mother, please be the judge of them for me.”
You was so angry that her hands were trembling. “Jinxuan, get up. Mother Sun, go get Ming Xiu and Hong Xiu here.”
Qiao was lulling her child to sleep when Mother Sun came to tell her of Xia You’s message. After quickly passing her child to the wet nurse, Qiao headed over to the main house with Hong Xiu.
Upon entering, Qiao was shocked to see Jinxuan wiping her tears while a few servant girls knelt in front of Lady Xia You.
Hong Xiu’s face turned pale once she recognized the people kneeling on the floor.
“Mother, you called for me?” Qiao said timidly.
You stared dagger at her, making Qiao’s heart pound. She started wracking her brain, trying to find out if she had done something wrong recently.
“Stand aside. I will deal with you after I’m done with this,” You said coldly. She then turned to Hong Xiu and said firmly, “Kneel.”
Hong Xiu crumbled to the floor as her legs turn to jelly.
“Tell me, what punishment do you deserve after spreading filthy rumors about your master behind her back?” Xia You began darkly.
Knowing that she has no way of escaping this, Hong Xiu started to kowtow. “I deserve death, Madame. I apologize. I would never dare to do it again…”
“Who taught you to say such things? Where did you hear it from?”
Qiao immediately knew what her mother-in-law was referring to. It must’ve been the day that she brought Hong Xiu to Zhou’s when she heard that Zhou has been bad-mouthing Jinxuan.
Hong Xiu looked at Qiao timidly.
Qiao immediately snapped, “What are you looking at me for? What on earth did you say?”
Hong Xiu didn’t dare to point at Qiao. After all, she’s still her master.
“Say it or I will have you beaten to death.” You was absolutely fuming. She knew that Jinxuan was not this kind of woman and she would not have her reputation tarnished by evil rumors like these.
Hong Xiu was so frightened that she started trembling. She looked at the First Young Mistress helplessly.
Seeing her servant like that, Qiao’s heart melted. She also knelt and said, “Mother, I am to be blamed. This is all my fault.”
Through gritted teeth, You demanded, “You are also a part of this?”
In all her years in the mansion, Qiao has never seen You this angry. Fearfully, she answered, “I did not say anything bad about Second Sister-in-law, it was all Third Auntie. I even defended Second Sister-in-law! I just didn’t know that my servant heard what she said and that she will spread these kinds of rumors. It’s my fault that I didn’t manage her more strictly. I am willing to accept my punishment, Mother.”
Finally, Xia Chunyu has finished handling his documents. He stretched lazily and was preparing to rest as he walked out of the study when he discovered that Yoayao was not in the room. The half-done gift list was still lying on the small table.
He called for Ying Tao, but it was Xiang Tao who came.
“Where is Second Young Mistress?”
Xiang Tao pursed her lips and started to cry.
Xia Chunyu frowned. “Why are you crying?”
Xiang Tao sobbed out, “Second Young Mistress has brought Ying Tao and Sister Qiao Xi to see Madame.”
“Did Mother summon her over?”
“No…” Xiang Tao shook her head as she started to cry harder.
“Can you talk properly?” Xia Chunyu was getting annoyed.
Xiang Tao replied, “Heir-Son lord, you have to seek justice for Second Young Mistress. Someone in the residence is spreading rumors about her.”
Xia Chunyu’s face darkened. “What did they say?”
“They said… they said that Second Young Mistress is in an ambiguous relationship with Third Young Master. Second Young Mistress was furious so she went to Madame.”
Xia Chunyu was livid. Who the f*ck would do such a thing?
When Zhou heard that Xia You was looking for her, instead of hurrying up, she took her time to come to You’s quarters.
“Sister-in-law, what’s so important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow…” she started complaining as soon as she entered.
She trailed off when she saw the scene before her. A sense of guilt started to creep on her but she quickly suppressed it down. She said laughingly, “What are all these? Why such a big hoo-ha in the middle of the night?”
The sight of Zhou made Ye Jiayao’s blood boil.
“Third Aunt, which eye of yours did you see me seduce Third Brother-in-law?” Ye Jiayao said harshly.
“What nonsense are you talking about? When did I say you seduced your little brother-in-law?” Zhou rebuked.
“You really are a piece of work. Sister Qiao has already admitted to it and yet you still have the gall to deny this? You are the epitome of a snake,” Ye Jiayao said angrily. She doesn’t care about the seniority rules anymore, she was done with Zhou.
“Watch your words. I guess it’s true, someone grew up without a mother would have no sense of propriety,” Zhou spat.
“As opposed to someone like you? Did your mother teach you to be greedy, to be a liar, and to be a scheming vindictive bitch? You thrive in causing chaos. If I were your mother, I would’ve disowned you a long time ago,” Ye Jiayao retorted brutally.
