It was not easy for Lin Shi to get such substantial evidence against Yu Xiang, so Old Madam and Yu Pin Yan could not say anything even if they asked to send her to the countryside. How could a daughter be so impatient and couldn’t wait to embezzle her mother’s dowry? In other words, what else could stop her greed then?
Such inferior conduct is enough to suppress Yu Xiang from raising her head ever! Even if Old Madam and Yu Pin Yan insist on protecting her, she won’t be able to be defiance in the future!
The more Lin Shi thought about it, the more pleased she was with herself, thus she quickened her steps and arrived at the entrance of the main courtyard with Yu Miao Qi followed closely behind.
Seeing both of them, Ma Momo, who was standing under the porch, hurriedly entered the room and whispered, “Old Madam, they are really here.”
“Humph~” Old Madam twisted the rosary lightly as she opened her mouth slowly, “They are here in just merely two hours. Truly too anxious. I supposed the latter ledgers might not have even been browsed through yet.”
Ma Momo lowered her head, not daring to answer. Inwardly, she knew there would be unrest in the room later, hence she dropped Wan Qiu a hint to send all the idle people away.
“Trouble, trouble, how much trouble has already been caused in just two days since her return? Let me reckon.” Old Madam put down the rosary and pinched her fingers to count when her smile became even more colder, “Indeed a jinx. There have not been any peaceful days since she was brought home. I thought she would be able to urge Lin Shi to stop a little, but didn’t expect her to be even more incessant, having her heart set on fighting for favors and the family possessions. Hasn’t Lin Shi spoiled her enough? She even dares to target the family possessions. Where should my Yan’er stand then? If I had known this, I should not have brought her back in the first place.”
Old Madam shook her head and sighed deeply.
Ma Momo softly comforted, “You’re not those who are heartless, so how can you watch your biological granddaughter wander in destitute and not bring her home. This is also because she is young and frivolous. Just wake her with a smack and discipline her slowly in the future. A new appearance will be able to be carved out within a year or two.”
“Discipline?” With her inferior character, it will be useless for me to teach her even in hundreds of years. It’s the fundamental that is not good and also inherits Lin Shi’s true legacy. It’s all my fault after all. I’m to be blamed for not able to read people clearly back to welcome such a disreputable person into the family who even gave birth to a little jinx that caused restlessness to the family.” The more Old Madam said, the more depressed and angry she felt that she was merely waiting for Lin Shi to come in for her to take care of her.
Ma Momo was about to strike up a conversation when Wan Qiu reported outside the door, “Old Madam, Madam and Second Young Miss are here, saying that they have an urgent matter for you.”
“Let them in.” Old Madam waved her hand, her tone was very impatient.
After both of them entered the room, they paid their respects slowly.
“That’s enough, just say what’s the matter directly. Don’t give me any obeisances, I’m afraid of reducing my lifespan.”
Before Lin Shi could complain, Old Madam darted her a fierce look that caused Lin Shi to hesitate for a moment. Knowing that there was no room for her to intervene at this moment, Yu Miao Qi picked a stool and sat down, then secretly pulled Lin Shi’s sleeve.
Lin Shi quickly calmed down as sat down next to her daughter and said, “Mother, let’s wait for Yan’er and Yu Xiang’s arrival. This is a serious matter. I’m afraid when the time comes, someone might say I’ve wronged her behind her back.”
Laughing angrily, Old Madam asked, “Should we call Si Yu along? Since it’s a serious matter, might as well call the whole family over to hear about it.”
“It’s not a bad idea.” Lin Shi originally was somewhat guilt-ridden, but when she thought of those ledgers that had been tunneled with big deficits one after another, hence she became unyielding for once.
Old Madam beckoned Wan Qiu to summon the person, then twirled the rosary with her eyes closed.
Standing by the door, Ma Momo looked at the mother and daughter with a kind of pitying and mocking gaze, then immediately bowed her head to reduce her presence. Even the Marquis was called over, this was not the way to court death. Having lived a life of seclusion for fourteen years, she had inversely idle away all her shrewdness and ability, leaving only a head full of paste.
The hall was so quiet that even a dropping needle could be heard while the faint and exquisite scent of incense lingered in the air, which ought to be gladdening the heart and refreshing the mind, yet it roused a little sense of repressiveness for no reason. Yu Miao Qi kneaded her chest as a subtle yet an inescapable feeling of apprehension arose in her heart.
She had clearly decided to take her time to gain a firm foothold in the Marquis manor yet she had come to snatch the control of the family’s head the very next day and confronted Yu Xiang, would this be too big a move and will this conduct be too unsightly in others’ eyes?
She felt stunned when she realized she had been blinded by jealousy and moved the wrong chess piece. She should have slowed a little, at least after she had won over Old Madam and Yu Pin Yan. However, having come this way, it was only possible to carry this error through the end as Yu Xiang’s demerit was even greater, that once Old Madam and Yu Pin Yan about knew it, there would be no reason for them to condone it.
She could put her hand into Lin Shi’s dowry, hence she must have also inevitably embezzled a lot from the household account. If this came to her mind a little earlier, they would have finished looking through all the household’s account books and brought them over too.
Yu Miao Qi’s rosy face gradually began to turn pale the more she mulled over the errors and omissions that she couldn’t help but pinch the purse on her waist.