Chapter 10: Kneeling [Edited]

As soon as the old lady finished speaking, a gleam of triumph flashed in Madam Zhang’s eyes, though her face still wore a worried expression as she called for someone to bring cooling soup.

Xia Tong fixed her gaze on the group, her lips tightening. “In that case, I will kneel with my mother.”

With that, she stepped out of the inner room.

“Hey, why is the Fourth Miss so stubborn?” Madam Zhang shook her head slightly. “I wonder how Fourth Sister-in-law has raised her daughter; she’s so headstrong and doesn’t listen to your words. Does she even see our Xiahou family?”

The others chimed in with their comments, but the old lady remained silent. A moment later, Momo Liu followed Xia Tong outside.

The blazing noon sun was enough to make someone faint. Seeing her mistress emerge with a troubled expression, Qing’er knew things weren’t good. Before she could speak, she was shocked to see her mistress kneeling down.

“Tong’er, what are you doing? Get up!” Madam Liu’s face changed as she grabbed her daughter’s hand, clearly disapproving.

“Mother!” Xia Tong remained resolute, kneeling straight-backed. “You are being punished, how can I stand by?”

“Miss, you’re not well. This scorching sun will harm you!” Qing’er panicked and knelt beside her.

Xia Tong glanced at her mother, her expression serious. “Since Grandmother insists on punishing you, I’ll share the punishment. No more arguments, you know my temperament.”

Let the old lady be harsh. The more she was punished, the sooner she could convince her father to split the family!

Madam Liu was anxious, but no matter how she pleaded, her daughter refused to rise.

At that moment, Momo Liu stepped outside and, seeing Xia Tong truly kneeling in the courtyard, wondered how that delicate body could withstand such heat.

“Fourth Miss, please get up. You’ll get sunburned!” Momo Liu urged earnestly.

Everyone was trying to persuade her, but Xia Tong held her ground, staring straight ahead. “If Grandmother doesn’t forgive Mother, then I’ll have to endure this punishment alongside her.”

Under the scorching sun, Xia Tong’s fair face was already glistening with sweat, yet her spirit remained unyielding. After several attempts to convince her failed, Momo Liu could only sigh and return indoors.

As someone who had undergone military training, Xia Tong found the sun tolerable. Her main concern was for her mother. The old lady, for the sake of her authority, would never easily release her mother, and it seemed they would be kneeling for at least an hour.

The sun blazed overhead, and cicadas chirped. The usually quiet Xiahou manor grew livelier, with many passing by the old lady’s courtyard, curious about the commotion. They were surprised to see both the Fourth Madam and her daughter kneeling in the sweltering heat.

However, Xia Tong underestimated her own limits. Although she had trained before, her current frail body struggled against the heat. After less than fifteen minutes, she began to feel dizzy and unsteady.

Hearing the news, Xia Min rushed over, excited to see the spectacle. When she arrived at the courtyard and saw the scene, her smile stretched from ear to ear.

“Tsk tsk tsk, Fourth Sister, you’re quite filial! Look at how sunburned you are—Aunt must be heartbroken!” Xia Min fanned herself, looking down at them with glee.

Seeing her smug expression, Xia Tong simply shut her eyes, unwilling to engage. Her mother continued to urge her to get up, but it was clear that she too was struggling in the heat.

Feeling lightheaded, Xia Tong knew she couldn’t continue this way. Just as Xia Min was mocking her, she suddenly tipped sideways.

“Tong’er!” Madam Liu’s face went pale as she caught her daughter, urgently turning to the others. “Quick! Call for a doctor!”

“I’ll go right away!” Qing’er, still shaky from kneeling, got to her feet and dashed out of the courtyard.

Unexpectedly, the person fainted. Xia Min just snorted and watched the show from the side.

Outside, a commotion ensued. Someone rushed in and reported, “Old Madam, the Fourth Miss has fainted!”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions changed. The old lady narrowed her eyes but eventually waved her hand. “Let them all return. Find a doctor to check on the Fourth Miss, so she doesn’t suffer any lasting effects.”

“Yes.” The maid quickly ran out.

“That Fourth Sister-in-law is truly something, letting her daughter kneel in such heat. Won’t that harm her?” Madam Zhang sighed.

The others were mostly silent, but they called out to see how the Fourth Miss was doing.

*

Once carried into the house, Xia Tong could only hear her mother’s voice filled with regret. But she couldn’t wake up. When the doctor arrived, he offered vague reassurances—she simply had heat exhaustion and needed rest.

Later, a few of her aunts came to “visit,” but Xia Tong couldn’t be bothered to engage and ended up truly falling asleep.

When Xia Zhian returned and heard what had happened, he rushed to his daughter’s room. Seeing her still unconscious, her pale face filled him with worry, and he couldn’t help but rush to his mother.

The old lady had just learned that her granddaughter was fine when she saw her son enter with a serious expression, and she knew immediately why he was there.

“Mother, Tong’er is so weak. How could you let her kneel in the hot sun for so long?” Xia Zhian questioned impatiently.

For the first time, his tone was a little aggressive, and the other maids in the room immediately retreated. The old lady’s expression became stern, and she snorted coldly, “She wanted to kneel down on her own. I want to ask, how did you and that Liu teach your daughter to be so stubborn? Is it possible that she only has that Liu in her eyes?”

The atmosphere in the room froze instantly. Thinking that the other party was his mother, Xia Zhian also softened his tone, but still asked with a serious face. “Tong’er is filial. In terms of rules, she has never been inferior to anyone. Today, she only did this because she was worried about her mother. But how could you really bear to let her kneel in the scorching sun for so long?”

He couldn’t bear to say a single harsh word to his own daughter, and now that she had just returned to Beijing and was being hurt one after another, Xia Zhian had to reconsider the idea in his mind.

“She is just threatening me. It must be that Liu who ordered her to do this. You can only blame that Liu for being so cruel as to let her own daughter kneel with her. If this goes on, Tong’er will be led astray by her sooner or later!” The old lady narrowed her eyes, and her wrinkled face was full of displeasure.

“Mother, I know you have never liked Zhilan, but don’t you think it’s too much to punish her like this for giving alms to a beggar?” Xia Zhian frowned.

At these words, the old lady seemed to hit a nerve. Suddenly, she shouted angrily, “Oh, so in your eyes, there’s only that Liu! What about our Xiahou family? If it weren’t for the recent orders from the court, you might never have returned to the capital!”

Their eyes locked, and facing his aggressive mother, Xia Zhian shook his head slightly, ultimately frowning and leaving without saying a word.

After he left, Momo Liu hesitated before entering, only to see shattered tea cups strewn across the floor and the rare sight of anger on the old lady’s face.

Clearing her throat, the old lady took another sip of hot tea, her eyes still glinting with intensity. “As long as that Liu is around, Zhian and his daughter will never truly belong to the Xiahou family.”