TSWRLM -Chapter 60 Madam Xiao Has Arrived

Madam Xiao had come prepared.

The moment she grabbed Chun Xi’s hand, she slipped a translucent green jade bracelet onto it. Then she had two large boxes carried in, packed to the brim.

One box was for an apology; the other was a wedding gift from her “cousin-in-law” to the newlywed.

Both boxes were from Madam Xiao’s own dowry, filled with valuable items far superior to anything Madam Mo had quietly taken from the Xiao family over the years to enrich herself.

Madam Mo’s eyes burned with envy.

Over the years, she had tried so hard to curry favor with Madam Xiao, yet Madam Xiao had never given either her or Shen Qingchi a single thing—not even once.

Chun Xi hadn’t expected Madam Xiao to be so generous. She felt a twinge of guilt, having pinched Xiao Qingyue several times during the chaos: “Madam, these gifts are far too precious. I cannot accept them.”

“What is given to you is what you deserve. Take them with peace of mind.”

Madam Xiao patted Chun Xi’s hand. Seeing the scratch on the back of her hand, she immediately ordered someone to fetch a scar-removing jade ointment from her residence. Then she cast a cold glance at the servant women behind Xiao Qingyue: “Who harmed Lady Shen?”

The women lowered their heads like quails. The chaos had been too great; they had been too busy taking blows to remember exactly how the scratch happened.

“Since no one will say, then let them be punished!” Madam Xiao’s tone carried lethal authority. She then looked at Madam Mo: “This all happened in the Hou residence. Please lend me some of your people to discipline these insolent servants.”

Though she spoke politely, her tone left no room for refusal. Madam Mo dared not object and hurried to have the steward bring over a long bench, holding the Xiao family’s coarse servant women in place while they were caned.

Madam Xiao supervised personally. The Hou residence staff struck with full force, and the women howled and begged for mercy under the blows.

Xiao Qingyue hadn’t expected Madam Xiao to back Chun Xi so strongly. Her face flushed and paled as she hurriedly said: “Mother, it’s all my fault! Please spare them.”

“Where exactly did you go wrong?”

“I shouldn’t have impulsively brought people to make trouble at the Hou residence.”

“And?”

Madam Xiao’s expression was icy; she had no intention of sparing Xiao Qingyue’s pride.

Xiao Qingyue had never been so humiliated in front of outsiders. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she glanced at Chun Xi and bit her lip: “I shouldn’t have been disrespectful to my little aunt.”

Madam Xiao’s face remained stern, giving no response. After a moment, Xiao Qingyue stepped toward Chun Xi: “Little Aunt, I’m sorry. Yue’er was wrong. Please forgive me.”

The humiliation made her break into tears. She tried to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more they flowed.

Xiao Qingyue resembled Xiao Qinghe slightly; her tears made her look delicate and pitiful, hiding completely the earlier scene where she had shouted about maiming Chun Xi.

Chun Xi handed her a handkerchief cheerfully: “It’s nothing, it’s all minor. No need for forgiveness.”

After all, it was Madam Mo who had been struck, and Madam Xiao had presented such generous gifts as apologies. Chun Xi felt no resentment toward Xiao Qingyue, instead seeing her almost as a “wealth-bringing little fairy.”

Previously, it had been Ye Er’s gold ingots; last time, the Crown Prince’s three hundred gold coins and jade pendant; now, Madam Xiao’s two dowry boxes. What would come next?

Thinking this, Chun Xi’s gaze at Xiao Qingyue carried subtle anticipation, which Xiao Qingyue misinterpreted as provocation.

She glared at Chun Xi, only for Madam Xiao to catch it. Madam Xiao’s voice was calm but commanding: “What, still defiant?”

Xiao Qingyue quickly lowered her head: “I dare not.”

With her own people disciplined, Madam Xiao turned to Madam Mo: “Such a scandal occurred. What do you have to say?”

Madam Xiao had already seen through Madam Mo’s intent to use Xiao Qingyue as a pawn. Madam Mo could no longer evade responsibility and promptly fined the main house’s servants two months’ wages, including the gatekeepers and the steward, who received half a month’s penalty.

Once Madam Mo finished her punishments, Madam Xiao turned to Shen Qingyuan: “Qingyuan, your marriage has been too low-profile. Many didn’t even know you had a new wife. In a few days, Qinghe will host a promotion banquet for Ze at the Wei residence. You and your wife should attend. I will personally introduce her to the prominent ladies, ensuring incidents like today won’t happen again.”

Madam Xiao had always been a model of propriety for noble families. Her willingness to personally introduce Chun Xi to others meant the Xiao family valued her.

That alone was worth more than the two boxes of gifts.

Shen Qingyuan nodded in agreement.

With that, Madam Xiao left with Xiao Qingyue.

Even in the carriage, Xiao Qingyue still felt wronged and teary-eyed. Madam Xiao gave her a sharp look: “Still crying? How have I taught you all these years?”

“Mother, you don’t understand. That Cao Chun Xi is amazing! My people didn’t even touch her, yet she pinched me!”

Xiao Qingyue tried to lift her skirt to show the marks to Madam Xiao, but Madam Xiao interrupted coldly: “You brought just a few people to cause trouble in someone else’s home. If you didn’t get beaten, who would?”

Madam Xiao felt no pity. Xiao Qingyue’s cries grew louder: “You’ve always been like this, Mother—just reasoning and looking at the bigger picture. That’s why my sister endures so much, even when her hands were hurt on her return visit, she smiled and said it was nothing. Don’t you feel any pity for her?”

Her words struck a chord in Madam Xiao.

Madam Xiao furrowed her brow. Both her daughters had been carried for ten months and were so beautiful and sensible—how could she not care?

It was precisely because she cared that, when Wei Lingze was severely injured and paralyzed, she would have divorced Xiao Father rather than break the engagement. Xiao Qinghe had knelt and threatened with her life to delay the marriage rather than cancel it.

For three years, Madam Xiao repeatedly urged Xiao Qinghe to give up on Wei Lingze and marry someone else, but Xiao Qinghe had refused to listen.

Madam Xiao softened and wiped Xiao Qingyue’s tears: “Of course I care for your sister, but this is the path she chose herself. You cannot blame others.”

“How can we not blame others? If it weren’t for Cao Chun Xi being so unruly, how would Brother-in-law…”

“Yue’er!” Madam Xiao sharply interrupted, her expression stern. “Even without her, someone else would care for your brother-in-law. Since the Xiao family delayed the wedding, your brother-in-law and sister-in-law can’t go back to how things were. You also know how doting your grandmother is on Shen Qingyuan. Respect your little aunt in the future.”

Xiao Qingyue felt dissatisfied, opening her mouth, but no words of rebuttal came out.

Once the Xiao family left, the main hall felt emptier.

The beatings weren’t in vain. Madam Mo was considering how to get Chun Xi to hand over the two boxes when Shen Qingyuan’s cold voice rang out: “If Mother and Third Brother do not regard us as one family, then let’s separate the households!”

Madam Mo: “……”