Chapter 77 - Anger

Shen Ziqao chased away Old Madam’s trusted aides all in one shot, having the people left by Pan Madam replace their positions. Old Madam Shen heard about this in the first moments.

The situation in the Shen Family right now was the same as when Pan Madam was still alive.

Old Madam Shen was furious watching Mama Cui and the others kneel in front of her, listing Shen Ziqiao’s atrocities. She fainted right then. Mama Li hurriedly pressed on Old Madam Shen’s “human center” acupuncture point. Mama Cui couldn’t really complain right now. She hurriedly searched for peppermint oil and applied it on Old Madam’s forehead.

Everyone panicked and rushed around to save Old Madam Shen, and she finally woke up.

“Bastard! Bastard!” Old Madam trembled in anger. “She actually dares?! She actually dares!”

Mama Cui and the others kowtowed and begged, “Old Madam, please bring justice to these maids. Third Miss is too harsh. She wants to kick us maids out without even listing our faults.”

Old Madam Shen held onto Mama Li’s hands and got off the bed. Her hair pins were slightly trembling because of how fierce her movements were.

“Old Madam…” Mama Li was scared that something might have happened because of how angry she was. She hurriedly held onto the Old Madam and said, “Old Madam, please don’t be angry. Third Miss just likes to look good in front of others and wants to appear impressive in front of them. Within a few days, she’d come to beg you. How could she possibly manage the household?”

Third Miss doesn’t know how to manage the household, but could her subordinates not know how to manage the household?

They were previously Pan Madam’s trusted aides. They had been working in the household way before Mama Cui and the others.

Old Madam Shen gradually calmed down.

She brought Mama Li and Cui to Qiao Xin Courtyard.

This was the second time Old Madam Shen entered Qiao Xin Courtyard. The first time was a decade ago after Pan Madam passed away. She brought Shen Ziqiao to De’an Courtyard.

Shen Ziqiao was in the room discussing with Lady Meng and the others planning what to do for Mid-autumn Festival and Old Madam’s birthday.

Old Madam didn’t even have anyone report her presence. She lifted the curtains and walked in. Her face was as dark as ink.

“Grandmother?” Shen Ziqiao was shocked. She clearly knew why Old Madam came, but she pretended to be shocked. “Why did you personally come? If there’s anything, just have someone call me over. You’re getting old, so please don’t tire yourself by coming here.”

It seemed to have touched Old Madam’s wound when she heard that she was getting old. Old Madam smashed the teacup that Hong Yu just brought over on Shen Ziqiao.

Everyone in the room gasped in surprise.

Without another world, Lady Meng immediately went over to protect Shen Ziqiao. “Third Miss, are you hurt?”

Shen Ziqiao glanced at Old Madam Shen and lightly chuckled. She slowly brushed away the tea leaves stuck on her shoulders. The tea created a stain on her red collars, making a flowery stain. “Old Madam, why are you so angry? Did I do something wrong again?”

“Don’t you know your mistake?” Old Madam Shen disregarded Shen Ziqiao’s state. She was still angry, and her icy gold gaze was about to tear Shen Ziqiao apart.

“I’d like to hear.” Shen Ziqiao smiled at Lady Meng, indicating that she didn’t need to worry. Meanwhile, she sat down by the chair idly and confronted Old Madam Shen.

Old Madam Shen had never seen such an arrogant grandchild. She seemed to have seen Pan Madam mocking her. She was unable to suppress her anger at all.

“Who allowed you to kick Mama Cui and the others? Do you still place this grandmother in your eyes?” Old Madam Shen sternly asked.

“Why would I kick them?” Shen Ziqiao glanced at Mama Cui who kept her head down. “I remembered that I kicked Lady Meng and the others away because they were disrespectful. Mama Cui, tell me. Who are you?”

Mama Cui’s expression changed and she looked at Lady Meng. Seeing that her expression was normal and wasn’t moved by Shen Ziqiao at all, she responded in a low voice, “This mama is a servant.”

“Who am I?” Shen Ziqiao asked.

“You’re Third Miss.” Mama Cui didn’t understand what exactly Shen Ziqiao wanted to ask.

“I am a master while you are a servant. Do you place me, your master, in your eyes?” Shen Ziqiao’s voice unconsciously deepened and she stared fixated at Mama Cui with her clear and bright eyes.

Mama Cui knew that Shen Ziqiao wanted to bring up what happened today.

“This morning, this maid…”

“I waited four hours for you guys this morning. Don’t mention how all eight of you coincidentally fell sick, but even if you guys really did fall sick, someone should’ve told me. I don’t care who gave you guys the courage to disobey me, but I am the one managing the household now. Don’t blame me for not caring if you guys don’t give me face.” Shen Ziqiao’s voice wasn’t loud, but her voice was clear and moving. However, cold sweat drenched Mama Cui and Li’s backs.

Mama Li started this. She wanted to teach Shen Ziqiao a lesson and tell her that as a young girl, she had no control over the household.

Who knew that she wasn’t afraid of anything…

Old Madam Shen burned with rage. “You have a lot of confidence, even kicking my people!”

“Old Madam’s people aren’t servants? Old Madam’s people can give me an attitude?” Old Madam’s people can do anything they want? They can give me an attitude when they don’t want to do something? Then who am I? Old Madam, if you dislike me, then don’t give me power to manage the household. Since you did, you should give me, your granddaughter, face. Don’t let the servants climb above me and order me around!” Shen Ziqiao sneered.

She didn’t bother to hide anything anymore. So what if she hit Old Madam’s people? What was she going to do? Bite her?

Mama Li watched as Old Madam’s expression changed greatly, so she hurriedly scolded, “Third Miss, how can you talk to your elder like this? Old Madam is your grandmother.”

“Shut up. Who are you? Who gave you the permission to interrupt me?” Shen Ziqiao glared at Mama Li coldly.

These people thought that she was easily bullied, so they joined forces to deal with her. They just wanted her to admit defeat, hence the incident that morning. In the end, she’d submit to the Old Madam and Shen Xiao would be disappointed in her.

They were just doing this to snatch the dowry left by Pan Madam.

She refused to grant them their wish! She already felt enough grievances being a cannon fodder, and now she needed to live every day in fear. Could she possibly stay alive at this point?

If anything, she’d be kicked away again. After all, she had Shen Zikai. Even if she was kicked out, she wouldn’t be starved to death.

She never thought of relying on the Shen Family for the rest of her life.

Most importantly, she could afford the wait. However, the old woman could probably only live a few more years at most. Let’s see who could live longer.

Mama Li was slapped in front of everyone. Her face flushed and she stood by Old Madam’s side, feeling wronged.

Old Madam Shen chuckled craftily. “Great skills, great skills!”

Pan Madam’s people must’ve badly influenced this stupid girl. She never dared to go against her that brazenly in the past.

Old Madam hated herself for not getting rid of her back then.

“Old Madam, thank you for all these years of teachings. Doesn’t the Old Madam know about my capabilities?” Shen Ziqiao smiled and said. She wore a sweet face and there was no overbearing imposing manner at all. However, people didn’t dare to underestimate her.

Since Pan Madam died, no one dared to go against her.

This was the first time Old Madam Shen’s heart ached in the decade or so. Besides Pan Madam, only Shen Ziqiao was capable of doing so.

“Girl, think carefully before kicking Mama Cui and the rest. Don’t think about begging for them to come back later.” Old Madam Shen knew that Shen Ziqiao was going to kick them out no matter what, so she held in her anger and said this.

“If I do a poor job, don’t I still have you? Do I really need to beg the servants?” Shen Ziqiao smiled and said this. After all, she didn’t care whether they left or not. She just needed to insert her people into the Shen Family.

Old Madam Shen smiled. “Hopefully, you’re capable like your mother.”

“As long as I have a portion of mother’s skills.” It was enough to deal with a shameless and greedy old woman like you!

Shen Ziqiao hadn’t seen such a shameless grandmother that schemed their daughter-in-law and granddaughter’s things after living for such a long time.

In order to deal with a person like her, she needed to be worse.

Old Madam Shen left Qiao Xin Courtyard under extreme anger.

“Third Miss, hurry and change your clothes.” Hong Yu was worried that Shen Ziqiao might get a cold. She already grabbed some dry clothes for her.

Although it was a bit warm in the air, she would still get a cold wearing soaked clothes.

Lady Meng felt bad as she said, “Third Miss, why did you fall out with Old Madam today? What do we do…. in the future?”

“We’ll do what we have to do.” Shen Ziqiao said faintly, not regretting angering Old Madam Shen.

But if strangers found out, they would think Third Miss was unfilial

“I know what you guys are thinking. You guys are scared that my reputation would become worse right?” Shen Ziqiao smiled at the people in the room. “It’s already like that. So what if it gets worse? If I don’t confront Old Madam today, you guys’d be kicked.’

“I’ll treat whoever treats me nicely, nicely. It’s as simple as that.”

She wasn’t the real Shen Zqiao. She had her own values. It was one thing that Old Madam Shen didn’t feel anything to her, but she even schemed her own granddaughter. Lady Meng and the rest treated her genuinely. There was no way she’d kick them in order to please Old Madam Shne.

Lady Meng didn’t know what to say. She bit her lips tightly and held in the tears in her eyes.

After Old Madam Shen returned to De’an Courtyard, she scolded Mama Li.

“...Who allowed you guys to not go to Qiao Xin Courtyard? Don’t you know how fearless that girl is? Who gave you the right to go against her? Didn’t she just kick your nephew? You’ve been holding a grudge since then? You think that she is really scared of you? You’re basically giving her an opportunity to kick you guys!”

Tears streamed down Mama Li’s face. She got on her knees and kowtowed, admitting her mistakes.

Mama Cui and the others knew that the Old Madam couldn’t save them. Their faces were pale as they stood outside, not knowing what to do.

“Tell them that if they want to stay...they could only beg the Lord.” Old Madam Shen waved her hands helplessly. She wouldn’t go ask her son this time.

She lost her face too much! She actually lost to a teenage girl!

“Stop offending that girl. She isn’t even scared of me, so you think she would be scared of a servant? After all, Mama Li had served her for decades, so she stopped scolding her.

Mama Li cried as she nodded, hating Shen Ziqiao even more in her heart.