Chapter 78 - Causing a Disturbance

The sun set and a glimpse of golden-yellow sunshine shone on Shen Family’s rooftop tiles. Shen Xiao returned home bathing in the fading sunlight.

“Lord, you’re back.” The boy servant waited for him by the study. The moment he saw him, he hurriedly welcomed him.

“What happened at home?” Shen Xiao thought it was strange that a boy servant from his study was actually waiting for him in the corner of the house. He was suspicious and thought something happened at home.

The boy servant’s name was Mo Xiang. Pan Madam was the one that named him. He followed behind Shen Xiao and reported what happened today to his master.

“...Mama Cui brought the mamas and maids over, and disregarded Third Miss. She waited for a while and the matters in the household were delayed as a result of this. Thankfully, madam’s people were still there… Mama Cui went to complain to the Old Madam, causing her to throw a cup of burning tea on the Third Miss. She didn’t even bother to listen to Third Miss’ explanation...”

Shen Xiao paused, eluding an icy cold and furious aura. “Third Miss got hit?”

“She got splashed a cup of tea.” Mo Xiang replied in a low voice.

“Lord, Lord, you have to bring justice to us maids.” Outside the study, Mama Cui along with the rest of the maids got on their knees on the stone steps. Seeing Shen Xiao, they immediately started crying and kowtowing, claiming their innocence.

Shen Xiao stared at them coldly, veins popping on his forehead. These damned servants that dare to bully their master dared to claim their innocence?

“Lord, us maids are all loyal to you and Old Madam. Please bring justice to us.” Mama Cui’s forehead was already red and swollen, but it seemed like she couldn’t feel pain. She kept on kowtowing firmly against the ground.

If the Lord didn’t bring justice to them, then they’d be goners for sure.

“You guys joined forces to bully the Third Miss, and you guys dare to let me bring justice to you guys? You want me to bully my own daughter?” Shen Xiao’s voice wasn’t loud but it carried a sense of authority. In Mama Cui and the other’s ears, his voice was as loud as lightning, buzzing. They had no idea what to say.

Mama Cui glared at Mo Xiang who kept his head down, in hatred. It was all because of this damned servant!

“This mama has been wronged, Lord. The heavens can see this. Where would us maids get the courage to be presumptuous to Third Miss? We...we were just incited. That’s why we made this huge mistake. Lord, this mama knows her fault. Please give us another chance.” Mama Cui didn’t dare say that she wasn’t wrong. Right now, she could only struggle and try to get a light punishment. Since the Old Madam abandoned them, they could only save themselves.

“Who incited you guys?” Shen Xiao asked deeply.

Mama Cui clenched her teeth, hesitating whether or not to say.

Behind her, Mama Chen and Li already said hoarsely, “It was Mama Li. She, she was the one that said that she’d give us benefits as long as we force Third Miss to give up the power of the household.”

Benefits? What benefits could a maid give them? It naturally had something to do with the Old Madam.

Shen Xiao’s face ashed. He wanted to kick these maids.

If he kept these servants, he’d basically be telling everyone in the residence that he allowed servants to bully his daughter. Then how was Jiao Jiao going to get the servants to accept her at home?

He really didn’t understand why the Old Madam disliked Jiao Jiao that much. She clearly liked Xin’er. How was Jiao Jiao any worse than Xin’er?

“Kick them all out.” Shen Xiao walked around, leaving no mercy.

Mama Cui’s face paled and her legs weekend, falling on the ground like mud scattering everywhere. The maids around her all howled and cried, cursing Mama Li out.

Old Madam Shen quickly heard about Shen Xiao kicking Mama Cui and the others away.

“He cares about Pan Madam’s bastard child in the end…” Old Madam Shen basically squeezed her words out.

Mama Li sobbed. She didn’t expect that Shen Ziqiao would kick Mama Cui and the rest away without a care for Old Madam’s face, and even more, she had put Old Madam’s efforts all these years to waste.

Shen Ziqiao had control of half the people of the Shen Household now.

When did this idiot become that powerful? In less than a month, she had actually got this point.

Old Madam Shen seemed to have gotten much older. She was annoyed. When Pan Madam was in charge of the household, she couldn’t seem to breathe, feeling as if there was no place pleasing to the eyes within the residence.

“When is second daughter-in-law coming back?” Old Madam Shen asked.

“She’s on her way. She won’t be back until at least half a month later.” Mama Li responded.

“Don’t go provoke her during this period of time.” Old Madam Shen said coldly.

Shen Xiao arrived at Qiao Xin Courtyard. Shen Ziqiao was just drinking ginger tea.

“Lady Meng, I didn’t get a cold. I don’t need to drink ginger tea. It tastes bad.” Shen Ziqiao cried as she said this, glaring at the smoking ginger tea in Lady Meng’s hands in resentment. Tea just splashed her. It wasn’t like she would easily get a cold.

She wasn’t that weak.

Shen Xiao stood by the door. His deep voice rang, “Quickly drink the ginger tea. Even if it tastes bad, it’s better than drinking medicine.”

“Father, why did you come?” Shen Ziqiao immediately stood up to welcome him.

“I came to see what trouble you’ve caused.” Shen Xiao revealed a pampering smile on his serious face.

Shen Ziqiao pursed her lips unhappily. “When did I cause trouble? I’m very capable, okay? Ask them. Look at how good I handled the matters in the household the past few days.”

“And kicked Old Madam’s servants?” Shen Xiao smiled as he asked.

“I had no other choice.” Shen Ziqiao said as a matter of fact. She didn’t have any experiences in handling these matters, but she knew what it meant by setting an example for others.

Shen Xiao sighed helplessly. “You’re like your mother. You only do things according to your mood. Aren’t you afraid of being in a bad relationship with Old Madam?”

“Old Madam doesn’t like me anyway. Why should I go up and try to please her?” Shen Ziqiao pursed her lips.

“You…” It wasn’t that Shen Xiao didn’t want her daughter and mother to get along well, but that Old Madam still held a grudge over the Pan Madam. Therefore, no matter what Jiao Jiao did, it was futile. He stopped spending his efforts as well.

Maybe it’d get better once Jiao Jiao gets married.

…

After Mama Cui and the others were kicked, people in the Shen Family immediately worked to please Shen Ziqiao. No one dared to underestimate or cause trouble for her anymore.

She even dared to kick Old Madam’s trusted aide away. Even more, the Lord and Eldest Master didn’t even scold Third Miss. Who dares to go against her anymore?

Did they not want to live?

Shen Ziqiao got better at managing the matters in the family. With Lady Meng and the others’ assistance, she could basically make them do everything for her.

Just as she found her days to be idle and relaxing, something happened and it made Shen Ziqiao unhappy.

There was an issue with the rice in the store.

“What’s the matter? You’re saying that someone is causing a disturbance in front of the store?” Shen Ziqiao asked Hong Ying shockingly, already getting into the horse carriage with Hong Yu’s support.

“They said that they were poisoned after eating the rice from our store, and that they were going to report us to the government office.” Hong Ying stated.

“Let’s hurry and see.” Shen Ziqiao said.

By the time they reached the west street, Shen Ziqiqao watched as the rice store was packed with people. Everyone was angrily shouting, demanding that Shen Family give them an explanation.

“Third Miss, you can’t go over. Be careful.” Hong Yu’s face was slightly paled, afraid that Shen Ziqiao might run to the store under impulse.

“These people all came here to buy rice yesterday?” Shen Ziqiao knitted her brows and asked.

Hong Ying said, “Shopkeeper Fan had someone come and say that someone is purposely trying to frame the Shen Family.”

Shen Ziqiao narrowed her eyes at a figure a bit familiar standing in the crowd. She lightly smiled. “I know who it is.”

“Let’s go over.” Shen Ziqiao said.

Hong Yu and Hong Ying hurriedly stopped her. “Those unruly common people don’t seem the type to care about status. Third Miss, don’t get injured…”

Before she could finish her words, she heard someone inciting everyone to charge in and smash the store.

Shen Ziqiao’s face darkened.

“Shen Family’s Third Miss is here. Let’s go over and demand her for an explanation!” It was unclear who hollered and shifted their attention to Shen Ziqia.

Hong Yu and Hong Ying’s faces paled. They both stood by Shen Ziqiao’s side, guarding her.

The driver nervously grabbed the chair and glared at the common people already charging their way.

Shen Ziqiao recognized the person that was yelling before. They were the shopkeeper of the rice store.

He really didn’t give up! He still wanted to seek death!

“Everyone, please be patient!” Shen Ziqiao hollered loudly at the tens of angry common people.

However, everyone ignored her.

“Shen Family scams common people…”

“Just because they hold high positions on court, they dared to feed people poisonous rice…”

“They shouldn’t die a good death!”

“Beat Shen Family down!”

“...”

The more people cursed, the more intense it was. Shen Ziqiao was surrounded.

There was no way they all bought rice from the Shen Family. There were definitely some that were incited.

At this time, Shen Ziqiao clenched her teeth, hating Mama Li’s nephew.

“Shen Family’s Third Miss isn’t a kind person either. She bullies the weak, and often bullies us too!” It was unclear who added this remark.

“Let’s bring Shen Family’s Third Miss to the government office!”

“Okay!”

Shen Ziqiao’s face darkened and she stared coldly at the two sturdy men in front of her.

“Try touching me.” Her gaze was icy and she said in a dark tone.

“Our young miss is the general’s daughter. Who dares to touch her?!” Hong Ying shrieked at hte top of her lungs.

“Everyone is equal under law. Are you saying that the Shen Family will beat us to death?!”

Shen Ziqiao narrowed her eyes. They were trying to beat her down seeing that they had an advantage over the number of people here, aren’t they?

She regretted jumping down the horse carriage out of impulse. She was basically seeking death. She should’ve gotten support first. A military troop best.

She’d let these people know what it really meant to bully the weak.

The two sturdy men were incited by the people behind then, and their minds went blank as they grabbed Shen Ziqiao.

Shen Ziqiao grabbed the pedal in the driver’s hand and harshly smashed it against a sturdy man’s face. Then she hollered at the people surrounding her, “Try me. See if the general’s residence dares to sentence you guys or not. Touch me and I’ll have your whole family die with you guys!”

The sturdy man’s face was covered in blood from the pedal being smashed into his face. He was now cupping his hands with his two hands and hollering in pain.

Everyone around them were shocked.

They had never seen a woman being that harsh and cruel.

“I’ll see if the Shen Family dares…” The other sturdy man shouted, provoked by the fresh blood, reason leaving his mind.

“Ah—” The moment the sturdy man reached for her, a wide and rough hand grabbed his wrist.  

The man cried in pain.