Chapter 65: Chapter 56, Lock the Door_2
She really hadn’t expected her father to hit her older sister.
Yan Yile and Yan Yihuan were also terrified, huddling to one side.
Seeing his youngest daughter cry, Yan Zhigao immediately felt heartache, “Madam, let’s talk this over calmly, look how frightened Yishuang is.”
Madam Yan was so angry she laughed, “I merely asked her a question and you think she’s frightened, yet when you slapped Daohua, did you ever consider the fear you might cause her?”
Yan Zhigao looked somewhat sheepish, “Daohua wouldn’t be scared at all. Madam, you didn’t see it; at the time, she even dared to talk back to me. Saying things like she didn’t want to be the Yan Family’s eldest daughter anymore, can you believe it? Aren’t these utterly unfilial words?”
Madam Yan was momentarily stunned, “Daohua really said that?”
Yan Zhigao nodded, “Of course, Madam, Daohua is too stubborn. It won’t do to leave her unmanaged. You shouldn’t always spoil her either. Look at her now; does she resemble an elder sister at all?”
Madam Yan gazed at Yan Zhigao indifferently, just looking, without a word, until Yan Zhigao felt compelled to lower his head.
Madam Yan didn’t want to bother with the oldest son anymore and turned towards Yan Yihuan and Yan Yile, “Yihuan, Yile, you two were also in the pavilion at the time. Did you see your older sister throw the flowerpot at Miss Zhu?”
Yan Yihuan trembled a little when Madam Yan addressed them. She was about to say something when Yan Yile preempted her.
“Grandmother, we did indeed see our older sister throw the flowerpot at Miss
Zhu.”
As soon as she spoke, Yan Yile felt Madam Yan’s gaze turn sharp as a blade, shooting straight at her, scaring her into quickly lowering her head.
Yan Zhigao, for some reason, felt a sense of relief in his heart when he heard
Yan Yile confirm Daohua’s act of throwing the flowerpot, and just as he was about to suggest that since the matter was clear, they should let the three young ladies stand up, he looked up to see his mother’s eyes full of cold disdain.
Madam Yan watched the four kneeling people for a long while in silence, “Very well, you’re all behaving splendidly!” Having said that, she closed her eyes as if unwilling to see the four any longer.
Yan Zhigao looked at Madam Yan, wanting to say something but at a loss for words.
And so, they remained kneeling.
After a quarter of an hour, Nanny Sun stepped forward, “Sir, Madam wishes to rest now. You may go.”
Only then did Yan Zhigao stand with the three young ladies, and he said to Nanny Sun, “Take good care of Madam.” With that, they left the scene.
As soon as the four had left, Madam Yan opened her eyes. Hearing her eldest son exit, she had Auntie Lin stand up and then dismissed the other people in the courtyard.
“Once a heart turns away, no outsider can bring it back!
After a moment of silence, Madam Yan sighed again, “Daohua and Zhigao, this father and daughter, must have been sworn enemies in a past life!
The second household.
Yan Zhiyuan and Madam Sun, along with Yan Yile, Yan Yihuan, and Yan Wenjie, returned to their own courtyard. As soon as they entered the room, Madam Sun immediately looked at Yihuan and Yile and asked, “Was it really Daohua who threw the flowerpot at Miss Zhu?”
Under their mother’s glaring, Yan Yile shrank back, and Yan Yihuan also appeared hesitant.
At this, the astute Yan Zhiyuan and Madam Sun knew the answer without being told.
Actually, Yan Zhiyuan had sensed something was amiss back in the pavilion. His eldest niece had too pure a look in her eyes, not to mention Master Lin standing beside them.
Madam Sun, feeling like they were hopeless, tapped Yan Yile’s forehead, “You’re really going to be the death of me. Haven’t I always told you to keep out of the conflicts between the main house and Shuangxin Courtyard?
Yan Yile pouted, “I don’t like older sister. Ever since she came, auntie wouldn’t even give us a few rolls of fabric.”
Madam Sun laughed bitterly out of sheer frustration, “Shortsighted as you are, now that you’ve truly offended the main house, don’t even think about getting any more fabric.”
Seeing how upset his mother was, Yan Wenjie was indifferent, “Mother, look at how agitated you are over this. What’s the big deal? It was Yishuang who started this. Even if auntie wants to settle scores, she won’t be able to trace it back to us.”
“Moreover, with uncle now protecting Shuangxin Courtyard to this extent, it’s uncertain if auntie will actually settle things come autumn. You really shouldn’t worry so much.”
Madam Sun looked at Yan Zhiyuan, who nodded in agreement.
Their big brother’s attitude was clear; even if they had indeed wrongly blamed Daohua, he would still stand by Shuangxin Courtyard.
Madam Sun said nothing more, yet still addressed Yan Yihuan and Yan Yile sternly, “How old are you two to already know how to deceive? Go, copy the ‘Women’s Admonitions’ ten times.”
Yan Yile and Yan Yihuan immediately frowned and sullenly returned to their room.
The Third Room.
Yan Zhiqiang and Madam Wu anxiously waited inside the room; upon seeing
Yan Wentao return, they hurriedly pulled him over and asked, “How is
Daohua?”
Yan Wentao shook his head and didn’t speak.
Madam Wu became frantic, “Will you speak up? What does shaking your head mean?”
Yan Wentao’s voice was muffled, “Daohua didn t cry.
Hearing this, Madam Wu breathed a sigh of relief, but Yan Zhiqiang furrowed his brow, “Daohua must have some grudges against big brother in her heart.”
“Ah?” Madam Wu was taken aback.
Yan Wentao showed agreement, “Exactly. If Daohua had cried it out, it wouldn’t be a problem, but she didn’t show any reaction. She must be truly resentful.” Madam Wu immediately gave her son a smack on the head, “Nonsense, what are you talking about? What your Uncle did today was wrong, but it’s only natural for a father to discipline his son. How could she hate him just because of that?”
Yan Wentao replied, “Mother, you don’t understand Daohua. If she’s willing to quarrel with you, it means that she still cares about you in her heart; but if one day she doesn’t care to deal with you anymore, then it means you’ve become negligible to her.”
He had grown up with Daohua since childhood, and knew her character very well.
The slap that Uncle had given was not light, but Daohua had not uttered a sound. She must be utterly disappointed in Uncle.
Madam Wu sighed, “Look at the mess this has caused, and New Year’s is right around the corner.”
Yan Wentao snorted, “This is all because of Shuangxin Courtyard. Back when Daohua used to listen to plays and stories, she said more than once that having many wives and concubines was the root of family chaos, and it turns out she was right.”
Yan Zhiyuan glared at his son, “You’d better hold your tongue. It’s not for someone of your junior status to comment on your Uncle’s affairs. Go back to sleep!”
After the son left, Yan Zhiyuan said to Madam Wu, “In the next few days, you should visit the Master Courtyard more often to see Daohua. That girl tends to overthink. It mustn’t come to a point where she becomes estranged from her big brother, that’s exactly what Shuangxin Courtyard would wish for.” Madam Wu nodded and complained, “Big brother was truly harsh, even though she’s the one he raised by his side, he didn’t show any mercy.
“Better hold your tongue too…”
The Master Courtyard.
Madam Li only returned to the main room after Daohua went to sleep, wiping away her tears.
Returning to her room and not seeing Yan Zhigao, her heart felt unusually cold.
“GO, lock the courtyard gate. Starting today, if the master hasn’t returned by 9:00 PM, the gate shall be locked.”
Ping Tong’s expression paused, hesitant.
Since Madam had married the master, she had never locked the courtyard gate. Even if the master stayed in Shuangxin Courtyard, the gate of the Master Courtyard was always left open for him, symbolizing that he could return at any time.
However, today, the master had slapped the eldest daughter, hurting both the daughter and Madam’s heart.
Ping Tong hesitated, but Ping Xiao had no such reservations; she took the keys and went to lock the courtyard gate.
Once the Master Courtyard closed its doors, word quickly spread everywhere, and Yan Zhigao only learned about it on the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month when the New Year’s holiday began.
These past few days, he had stayed exclusively in Shuangxin Courtyard to placate the concubine, Mrs. Lin, who had been punished to kneel by the family matriarch. Had he not needed to discuss the hosting of colleagues with Madam Li tonight, he might not have returned to the Master Courtyard until the New Year’s celebrations.
Confronted with the firmly shut gate of the Master Courtyard, Yan Zhigao was taken aback.
He was so angry that he wanted to knock on the gate, but was afraid of making too much noise and alarming others, which would embarrass him, so in the end, he could only sulk back to Shuangxin Courtyard in a mix of rage and frustration..