Chapter 29 – The Xie Family Arrives

Xinghua’s shrill cries were so piercing that all the servants in the marquis manor stopped what they were doing and started whispering among themselves.

“Honestly, what Xinghua said isn’t entirely wrong. Ever since Miss Yao Yao arrived, the young master and the cousin have had one incident after another. I heard the cousin still hasn’t been found…”

“The young heir was already said to be a demon reincarnated, and now another bringer of bad luck arrives in the house. The marquis and madam sure are bold…”

“Now that the young heir’s taking over household affairs again, our good days are over…”

Hearing Xinghua shifting the blame onto Yao Yao, Xie Yixing’s face showed a look of disgust.

He exchanged a glance with the guard beside him, who instantly understood and headed to the neighboring courtyard.

Not long after, everything next door fell completely silent.

Madam Wei looked worriedly at her son. “She’s not… dead, is she?”

Xie Yixing didn’t say a word but gave her a look that clearly meant “no.”

She’s still alive.

Only then did Madam Wei breathe a sigh of relief.

Though her son’s methods were harsh, he never took lives.

It wasn’t until Xie Yixing carried Yao Yao away that Madam Wei sent Nanny Zhao to check next door, and only then did she learn that Xinghua’s tongue had been pulled out.

As soon as Xinghua saw Nanny Zhao, she locked eyes with her, pleading desperately for help.

But Nanny Zhao remained unmoved, her voice cold as she tossed a sentence over her shoulder:
“You should never, ever have tried to hurt a child! Yao Yao lost just one strand of hair, and this old woman would’ve punished you even more brutally!”

Although the fireworks couldn’t be set off, Xie Yixing promised Yao Yao that once things calmed down in the next couple of days, he’d invite a shadow puppet troupe to perform just for her.

Yao Yao had never seen a shadow play before and was immediately intrigued.

Even her writing improved—more focused, faster, and neater.

Xie Yixing was very pleased with Yao Yao’s learning progress and decided to start teaching her the Analects of Confucius soon.

For the past couple of days, the Marquis of Chengming had been sleeping in his study. This time, it wasn’t because of work, but because he’d been kicked out.

Though he eventually cleared up the misunderstanding, Madam Wei resented him for being too slow and giving Xinghua time to make excuses.

Even when the Marquis swore to the heavens that he would never take a concubine in this lifetime, Madam Wei still felt a deep chill in her heart.

Not because she didn’t trust him—but because of her own shortcomings.

The moment she recalled Xinghua accusing her of being unable to bear healthy children for the marquis household, Madam Wei grew depressed. Within a day, she fell ill.

With her bedridden, all major and minor matters of the household were handed over to the young heir at Rui Court.

This meant Xie Yixing had to manage the entire marquis manor while still keeping up with his studies. Yet, he somehow still found time to teach Yao Yao to read and write—all in an orderly and efficient manner.

Meanwhile, Madam Wei was fretting over how to host her husband’s family, but since Xie Yixing had taken the reins, she could finally relax and focus on recovering—essentially becoming a hands-off “boss.”

Before long, the Xie family arrived—just one day before the shadow puppet troupe was scheduled to perform.

Although Madam Wei had just recovered from her illness, as the eldest daughter-in-law who had spent many years away from her in-laws, she was expected to greet them at the door.

But just thinking about her in-laws’ sharp tongues made it impossible for her to smile.

The moment the Xie family carriage pulled up, the old madam lifted the curtain and called out to Madam Wei,
“Eldest daughter-in-law, come help me out of the carriage.”

Madam Wei’s face stiffened even further.

So many years apart, yet her mother-in-law hadn’t changed one bit—coming in strong with her usual power plays.

Thankfully, the Marquis of Chengming was present this time. He quickly stepped forward and supported the old madam.
“This is a duty a son should fulfill.”

“Minlan just recovered from an illness recently,” he added, “The physician advised her to stay in bed and rest. But when she heard you two were arriving, she insisted on getting up. I couldn’t stop her.”

Hearing her son speak up for her daughter-in-law, the old madam’s expression soured further. She lowered her voice and snapped,
“You always make excuses for her! I’m not blind—I can tell whether she wanted to come or not.”

The Marquis, tongue-tied but desperate to defend Madam Wei, mumbled,
“Mother, please don’t make things hard for her. It’s the new year—harmony brings prosperity. Just consider it a blessing for your grandchildren.”

The old madam was momentarily speechless and gave a cold snort,
“It’s cold outside. Let’s go in first.”

Once the Xie elders entered the manor, Madam Wei finally got a full view of the visiting entourage.

In addition to her parents-in-law, there were two younger brothers-in-law, their wives, concubines, and children.

They came bearing a mountain of luggage. Even the mule cart at the end of the caravan was stacked full of goods.

Noticing her frown, Nanny Zhao quickly offered comfort,
“Perhaps it’s just a generous gesture from the elders—New Year’s gifts for you and the marquis.”

Even as she said it, Nanny Zhao sounded unsure.

Madam Wei let out a cold chuckle.
“Even if they are New Year’s gifts, they’re like weasels paying respect to chickens—up to no good. And based on what I know of them, there’s no way those gifts are all for us.”

Sure enough, no sooner had they sat down than the old madam blurted out,
“Dalang, Minlan—this new manor of yours is certainly more spacious than the last one. I saw so many empty courtyards along the way here. Right now it’s just the three of you living here—what a waste!”

“So, your father and I discussed it. We’ve sold the old house and decided to move the entire family to the capital to live with you. It’s just right—Yaowen and Yaowu are at the age to start school. They can attend the academy with your boy.”

Madam Wei instantly grasped her mother-in-law’s intention.

Their large clan not only needed money—they now wanted to move into the manor and leech off them.

She tightened her grip on the handkerchief, neither agreeing nor refusing.

After all, the household authority no longer lay in her hands. Even if she agreed, it wouldn’t matter.

But her hesitation clearly displeased the old madam. Her face darkened as she scolded,
“Minlan, you’re the head madam of this household! And the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xie family! How can you be so petty?”

Nanny Zhao, afraid her mistress might fall ill again from anger, quickly stepped in to explain:
“Old madam, please don’t misunderstand. It’s not that our madam doesn’t want to host you and the second masters, but the household authority no longer lies with her. This isn’t something she can decide.”

The old madam grew even more irritated at that.

“Dalang hasn’t taken another woman in all these years. Who else would be running the household besides her?”

Just mentioning this made her fume again.

Her son was a battle-hardened marquis—so many noble ladies in the capital admired him. Yet he only married one woman, and even swore in front of the ancestral tablets on their wedding day never to take a concubine!

What nonsense!

A grand marquis household, and only one woman? Just one child under their roof?

Speaking of children, the old madam suddenly realized she hadn’t seen her grown grandson yet.

Her cloudy eyes scanned the room but found no trace of the boy.

“Where’s that rascal Xinger? Why didn’t he come greet us?”

Her tone had already turned impatient.

The Marquis of Chengming quickly chimed in,
“Xing’er is handling some affairs. He’ll be along shortly.”

His heart, however, was uneasy.

Just yesterday, he had gone to Rui Court in person, hoping to persuade Xie Yixing to come greet the guests in the front courtyard.

But his timing was terrible. When he arrived, Xie Yixing was busy feeding Yao Yao pastries.

For every character Yao Yao recognized, he rewarded her with a piece of pastry.

In no time, Yao Yao had eaten an entire plate of sweets.

The Marquis had waited patiently outside Rui Court until Yao Yao swallowed her final bite, and only then dared to gently bring it up:
“Your grandparents will arrive tomorrow. As the eldest grandson of the Xie family… perhaps you should come greet them in the front courtyard…”