Chu Changping coldly looked at Liu Shi. “Oh really? A thief has entered the house, and no one else has seen it, except for you, sister-in-law.”

Liu Shi sensed that Chu Changping’s words were not quite right.

She restrained her expression and said, “Third Brother, I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

What Chu Changping said was clearly insinuating that she was the family thief.

Having managed the household for more than ten years, she had undoubtedly pocketed some money, but she only took some small benefits, so Old Master Chu and Old Madam Chu had turned a blind eye.

Now that Chu Changping suddenly attacked, Liu Shi couldn’t help but feel angry and embarrassed.

She pointed to Jiang Yanyi’s door and said, “I know my younger sister is here, and both you and your parents feel sorry for the pair of children she left behind. But a daughter’s virtue must still be upheld, right? I just heard a man’s voice coming from Yanyi’s room. You care for your niece, but don’t you care for your own daughters? Their marriages are still unsettled!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the guards surrounding the courtyard had different expressions.

The housekeeper glanced at Chu Changping’s ashen face and silently cursed his luck.

He had come at Liu Shi’s request, thinking a thief had truly entered the house, not knowing it was a power struggle among the upper class.

Chu Changping angrily retorted, “Nonsense!”

Liu Shi sharply countered, “How would you know if I’m talking nonsense? Just ask Yan Yi to open the door and take a look!”

At this moment, fearing that Chu Changping might lose his temper and physically assault Liu Shi, Chu Dage also rushed over.

Old Master Chu was furious about the actions of the main house, but how could a younger brother hit his sister-in-law?

He brought his second son along to mediate, but upon hearing Liu Shi’s adamant claims, he felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

Just as the atmosphere was tense, Jiang Yanyi suddenly opened her door.

Seeing the crowd gathered in her courtyard, she exclaimed in surprise, “Why is everyone here in my courtyard?”

Liu Shi, seeing her calm demeanor, felt a sense of panic and hurried a few steps forward into Jiang Yan Yi’s room, frantically searching under the bed and inside the cabinets. “Where is he?”

Jiang Yanyi stood at the doorway and asked her, “Aunt, what are you looking for?”

Liu Shi secretly regretted having spoken too hastily, and now she could only throw caution to the wind. “I just came to see Yan Gui, and I clearly heard a man’s voice in your room!”

Jiang Yanyi’s expression immediately soured. “I still call you Aunt, and this is how you ruin my reputation?”

Liu Shi thought to herself, “You’ve been in the army; how do you still have a reputation?” but she didn’t dare to voice it.

She turned the entire room upside down but didn’t find anyone.

Chu Changping stood outside the courtyard and shouted, “Enough!”

Old Master Chu also angrily pointed at Chu Dage and scolded, “Look at you! Your sister’s body is barely cold! What kind of behavior is this from you two as a couple!”

Liu Shi felt a wave of panic.

If she couldn’t provide solid evidence today, her reputation as a cruel sister-in-law who mistreated her sister’s orphaned daughters would be firmly established.

In her distress, she suddenly noticed that Jiang Yan Yi had changed into a different outfit.

Earlier, when she was cooking in the kitchen, Jiang Yan Yi was wearing a soft silk skirt, but now she had changed into a flower-patterned pleated dress.

Liu Shi hurriedly said, “Why are you changing your clothes during the day?”

Jiang Yanyi replied, “I just went to check on the medicine I was preparing for Yangui. I accidentally spilled the medicine bowl and stained my dress. The dirty dress is still in the laundry basket. Didn’t you see it earlier?”

Liu Shi rushed over to where Jiang Yanyi kept the dirty clothes and indeed found a brown stain on the hem of the dress, which unmistakably had the scent of medicine.

Liu Shi’s face instantly turned pale.

Jiang Yan Yi looked at her with an expression that was oddly calm and indifferent. “Aunt, do you still want to keep searching?”

Liu Shi awkwardly replied, “Misunderstanding… it’s all a misunderstanding! I… I was just afraid you might be bullied…”

Even though Liu Shi was convinced she had heard a man’s voice, without evidence, she quickly changed her tone.

Outside, Old Master Chu felt even more anxious and angrily scolded his eldest son, “Why don’t you call that foolish woman of yours out!”

Chu Dage also felt embarrassed and shot Liu Shi a glare.

As Liu Shi left Jiang Yanyi’s room, she was anxious; this was not how she had imagined it.

She had originally thought that since Jiang Yanyi was infatuated with that commoner, staging this scene would allow the rest of the Chu family to accept the marriage while preventing rumors from spreading that would tarnish her daughters’ reputations.

She thought she was helping Jiang Yanyi, but unexpectedly, everyone had gathered to watch, yet the man in Jiang Yanyi’s room was nowhere to be seen!

In the courtyard, she anxiously called out to Old Master Chu, “Father.”

Then she turned to her husband, “Eldest Brother.”

It was only then that she noticed Old Master Chu was in a sorry state, clearly having been beaten.

She quickly asked, “What… what happened?”

It wasn’t normally the role of the old master to discipline his daughter-in-law, but due to Old Lady Chu’s poor health, Old Master Chu feared that his wife might fall ill from anger.

He pointed at Liu and said:

“You have been married into the Chu family for over twenty years. Although we don’t say we have treated you generously, we have at least never treated you poorly. The Chu family’s daughters who return to their natal homes have their clothing, food, and expenses all covered by the Chu family; you have not spent a single penny from your Liu family nor taken a single coin from the eldest branch.

Yet, not only did you cut off the money for Yangu’s medicine, but now you also dare to open your eyes and falsely accuse yanyi girl.

Regardless of the grievances you had with Ping’er during her lifetime, those old grudges should have been resolved after her death.

Yanyi girl at least calls you aunt, yet you slander her like this. What kind of heart do you have?”

“If it weren’t for the fact that you have managed the household for over twenty years and have traveled all the way from the capital to Xizhou, I would have truly wanted to have Dala write you a divorce notice!”

These words completely frightened Liu.

How did Old Master Chu know about Jiang Yangu’s medicine?

Could it be that this pair of siblings reported her?

Liu’s mind went blank, and the phrase “divorce you” sent a tremor through her pupils.

She knelt on the ground, desperately begging, “Father, I was wrong! I was momentarily bewitched! As for Yangu’s medicine… I didn’t mean it… At that time, the family finances were tight, and every coin had to be spent wisely. I was forced to stop the pain medicine, but I didn’t cut off any of the other medicines for Yangu!”

Chu Changping closed his eyes and said, “That pill was for inflammation; Yangui’s leg nearly rotted away from the infection!”

Liu knelt on the ground, crying bitterly, “I didn’t know! I truly didn’t know! I thought that was just ordinary pain medicine… If I had known that without that medicine Yangu would be in such trouble, I wouldn’t have dared to stop it!”

Eldest Brother Chu also knelt before Old Master Chu and said, “Father, I know you and Mother dislike me, but Liu has been with me for so many years, serving Mother diligently and even giving birth to three children.

She may not have done much good, but she has worked hard. She came all this way from the capital to Xizhou; even if she made a huge mistake, I cannot ignore her. If you wish to punish her, punish me along with her.”

Both the palm and back of his hand are flesh; Old Master Chu felt pained in his heart.

He heavily struck his cane three times against Chu Dala, then turned and left, tears streaming down his face, his form noticeably more dejected.

Chu Dala was his legitimate eldest son, who had been given high expectations since childhood.

Compared to the younger ones, he and his wife had indeed been strict and harsh on this child, trying to mold him into the family’s backbone.

However, such a harsh upbringing had driven Chu Dala away from them.

**

Jiang Yanyi watched the farce unfolding in the Chu family and felt utterly exhausted.

Indeed, she had gone to fetch medicine for Jiang Yangu and accidentally dirtied her dress, so she returned to change clothes.

When she pushed the door open to enter her room, she found Feng Shuo inside.

The two exchanged only a few words when Feng Shuo noticed someone eavesdropping outside.

Through the door crack, Jiang Yanyi saw Liu sneak out and asked Feng Shuo to leave first.

Unexpectedly, Liu made a big fuss, bringing so many people, as if she were trying to catch them in the act.

Jiang Yanyi decided to play along, hoping to create a bigger reason to propose to Chu Changping and the elder Chus that she wanted to take Jiang Yangui away.

However, when the rest of the Chu family learned that Liu had cut off Jiang Yangui’s medicine funds, things became easier.

Eldest Brother Chu and his wife remained kneeling on the ground, embracing each other in tears.

Chu Erye, perhaps reminded of his divorced wife, took a jug of wine and returned to his own residence.

Chu Changping looked at Jiang Yanyi, his throat seemed choked with something. What came out was just one sentence: “Ah Yi, your uncle is sorry for you.”

Jiang Yanyi replied, “Uncle, don’t say that. There’s something I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time: I plan to move out with Yangui.”

A hint of sadness appeared on Chu Changping’s weathered face. “Do not fear; such things will not happen again.”

Jiang Yanyi stated seriously, “Uncle, this is a decision I have made after much contemplation. Leaving the Chu family does not mean I will sever ties with you. I just want a different environment where Yangui can feel more comfortable, and his injuries can heal faster.”

With her words laid out clearly, and the facts laid bare before him, even if Chu Changping had more words of persuasion, he could not voice them.

He knew that two of his guards were working at Jiang Yanyi’s shop.

He understood that Jiang Yanyi had the ability to live well on her own, and combined with what the Prince of Liaonan had said today, she had backing.

Chu Changping realized that letting the siblings move out might lead them to a better life.

After a moment of silence, he said, “Alright, I will go tell Mother.”

**

Jiang Yanyi had no idea how Chu Changping communicated with Old Lady Chu, but Old Lady Chu did not try to keep them; she personally came to see Jiang Yangui in his room and tearfully said that even if they moved out, they must come back to see her often.

The management of the household in the Chu family was no longer under Liu’s control.

Old Lady Chu took charge herself, and everything in the manor was being managed in an orderly manner.

The necessary servants were quickly acquired and distributed to various courtyards.

The children of the first and second branches were all brought to Old Lady Chu’s side, where she personally nurtured them.

Jiang Yanyi was recorded as a “deceased” in the Jiang family genealogy, and Jiang Yangu was unwilling to recognize Jiang Shangshu as their father anymore.

The siblings changed their surname to their mother’s and were adopted into the Chu family’s genealogy, under the care of Chu Changping.

On the day before they left, Jiang Yanyi went to the kitchen to prepare medicine for her younger brother and encountered Liu, who was covered in soot while making soup—Old Lady Chu had to drink soup every day and insisted that only Liu could make it.

From preparing the ingredients to taking it off the stove, no one else was allowed to do it.

An old maid by Old Lady Chu’s side would occasionally supervise in the kitchen.

This was ostensibly to make Liu fulfill her duty, but it was also a form of punishment.

Liu had never endured such suffering. When she wasn’t crying from the smoke while tending the fire, she would accidentally cut her finger while chopping vegetables.

After toiling to make a pot of soup, if it didn’t taste good, she would be scolded and made to redo it.