Yu Pin Yan didnât even look at Lin Shi or Yu Miao Qi after entering the room. He bent over to pick Yu Xiang up and hugged her on his lap once he greeted Old Madam. Turning around, Yu Xiang fed him a peanut kernel then continued shelling those peanuts.
âDonât eat it anymore, itâs either peanuts or melon seeds all day long. Beware of excessive internal heat.â Yu Pin Yan grabbed the plate of peanuts and asked Ma Momo to take it away then instructed, âPour a cup of Kuding tea for Young Miss.â
Ma Momo complied in a low voice, yet she heard Yu Xiangâs call out, âKuding tea is too bitter, add two scoops of sugar.â Seeing her elder brotherâs narrowed eyes, she haltingly spoke, âNo, no, no, add one, just one scoop.â Her elder brotherâs eyes were still full of disapproval, so she put on a last-ditch, âHalf a scoop, it canât be lesser.â As she spoke, she stretched out her fair finger to poke her elder brotherâs hard chest.
Finally unable to stay rigid anymore, Yu Pin Yanâs stern look instantly turned into a puddle of soft water as he helplessly said, âAdd half a scoop of sugar then.â His thumb gently stroked his younger sisterâs lips while he muttered inwardly, fond of sugar so much that itâs wonder she is so sweetly delicious and unbeknownst when she will be enlightened allowing him to devour her up.
They were truly a quarrelsome but loving pair whose predestination was from a cultivation of hundred years. Old Madam shook her head and laughed in spite of herself when her mood immediately improved a lot.
In the hall, both mother and daughter had their heads lowered, not knowing what their thoughts were.
A short while later, Yu Si Yu arrived followed by Ma Momo who was carrying some tea.
âGreeting to Grandmother and Mother. Whatâs the matter that I am requested to be here today?â Yu Si Yu was full of anticipation and secretly wondered if it was to discuss her marriage.
âSit down. Your Mother has something to say, letâs listen.â Old Madam waved her hand, then looked at Lin Shi.
After drinking a cup of tea did Lin Shi open the box to take a ledger out before slamming it heavily on the table and exclaimed in a very excited tone, âMother, take a good look at these ledgers. My dowry has actually been deficient of more than a hundred thousands taels, while five thriving shops were also sold at a discounted price. If itâs not for my timely discovery, Iâm afraid there will only be an empty shell left in a few years! I just want to ask whoâs in charge of the household? Such a nasty trick!â As she spoke, she turned her malicious gaze toward Yu Xiang.
Nestling in her elder brotherâs arms at his moment, Yu Xiang was taking sips of tea from him as if she hadnât heard her accusation.
Rather, Old Madam laughed openly. Her voice filled with suppressed anger, âLin Shi, look at the book spine. The ledgers that went wrong were all before the 21st years of Chengkangâs reign when I was still in charge of the household.â
Is, is this an admission of embezzling the dowry which was admitted by Old Madam herself too? Lin Shi was dumbfounded. Of course she could see the year marked on the spine, but she had simply never considered Old Madam at all. Old Madamâs maiden family was the most prestigious and well reputed erudite family in the Great Han Dynasty, which had never produced a descendant of bad virtue since the founding of the Han Dynasty, thus the strictness of her family upbringing could be seen. Old Madam herself is the paragon of a virtuous lady who canât bear having grit in her eyes.
How could she do such a scandalous thing? Lin Shi firmly believed that it was Yu Xiang who falsified the accounts and moved those deficits prior to Old Madamâs household management, so that Lin Shi would mistakenly think it was Old Madamâs doing and forced her to suffer the grievances.
She insisted on making a scene with the idea of letting Old Madam see Yu Xiangâs true face. However, she would never ever expect Old Madam to really admit this without the slightest hesitation. Why did she embezzle her dowry and where was it spent? This was simply mind-boggling.
âMother, you canât spoil a child like this! Youâre even helping her shoulder such a big matter!â Lin Shi shouted in exasperation.
âYou shut up!â Old Madam lifted the tea cup and threw it ruthlessly to the ground with a loud thud that seemed to strike directly at her heart and quaked everyone to silence.
Yu Xiang buried her face in her elder brotherâs embrace, her hands clasped tightly around his strong lean waist. Thinking that she was scared, Yu Pin Yan quickly patted her back lightly. When he lowered his head to comfort her, he instead saw her quietly squinting her eyes at himself with a mischievous little look. Yu Pin Yan almost could not suppress his laughter. He then pinched the tip of her nose with affection and love while mouthing out the word ânaughtyâ noiselessly.
Yu Miao Qi hid behind Lin Shi, her restlessness grew stronger. Yu Si Yu was gloating when she saw Lin Shi intended to make trouble for Yu Xiang, but she didnât know the situation would take a sudden unfavorable turn for the worse. Old Madam actually admitted to embezzling Lin Shiâs dowry. Such terrifying secrets scared her half to death that an unavoidable sense of anxiety emerged.