[Fourth Uncle, have you no shame? If you don't want your face, I'll pick it up and feed it to the dogs.]
Little Wanwan stared in disbelief.
Liu Wan's expression was cool as she said, "Fourth Brother, I warned you to think carefully about this marriage. The Zhong Family may be merchants, but they care deeply about saving face. Now that they've learned of this, they certainly won't let it rest. For the sake of the Marquis's Residence, I won't step in to salvage things for you."
Still less did she want to stake her own reputation on them.
"Besides, you've already admitted that Huai Shan is your son. Paper can't wrap up a fire. Why didn't you think of today when you did this?"
Liu Wan added.
[Hehe, the more Mommy tries to stop him, the more Fourth Uncle will want to salvage it!]
Little Wanwan watched Xie Jinqiu in wonder, eagerly feasting on the drama.
This time, she was going to eat her fill.
Xie Jinqiu's face darkened. Yes, he did somewhat regret claiming his eldest brother's son as his own.
But no one except Eldest Sister-in-Law knew about that, did they?
How had the Zhong Family found out?
"Marrying the Zhong Family's second daughter would benefit both me and the Marquis's Residence. You don't want what's best for me, Sister-in-Law, but don't you want what's best for the Marquis's Residence either?"
"Or are you afraid Zhong Youyan will threaten your position in the household once she marries in?"
"Sister-in-Law, I never imagined you were this sort of person!"
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Xie Jinqiu covered his mouth as he coughed, bringing up some blood that looked particularly glaring against his white handkerchief.
Liu Wan said, "It's precisely for your sake and the sake of the Marquis's Residence that I disagree."
The Zhong Family valued face more than life itself. If the Marquis's Residence forced the marriage, their wealth would make it easy for them to destroy the residence's sources of income.
[Mommy, Zhong Youyan is petty too, and she knows martial arts. It really hurts when she hits people.]
How could a woman like that tolerate other women around her husband?
Liu Wan immediately felt at ease.
In any case, she would stand firm. If the Zhong Family broke off the engagement, that girl wouldn't step into this pit of fire. That would be good for everyone.
If they failed to break it off and the Zhong Family turned the Marquis's Residence upside down, she wouldn't stop them either.
She wanted no part in this affair, lest she end up covered in its stink.
"But Sister-in-Law, I've already invited Madam Zhong to your courtyard. Surely it would be improper for you not to come out and receive your guest!"
A smile curled Xie Jinqiu's lips. He had first gone to the reception hall, claimed that Liu Wan was weak, and invited Madam Zhong to Liu Wan's Courtyard to discuss ending the engagement.
Liu Wan's father was the Minister of Rites. She would never shut a guest out and commit such a breach of etiquette.
She was riding a tiger now, unable to dismount.
[Hmph, I told you! Fourth Uncle isn't kindhearted at all.]
[Not one of the men in the Marquis's Residence is any good!]
Liu Wan summoned Qing Sheng. "Go tell Madam Zhong that my illness is contagious, so I won't come out to see her. I support the Zhong Family's decision. That way, both families can preserve their dignity!"
Qing Sheng nodded, but just as she was about to leave, Xie Jinqiu's men blocked her.
How could they possibly stop Qing Sheng? Lowering her head bashfully, she hoisted the two manservants up and threw them outside.
Qing Sheng covered her face and ran off, crying shyly, "How embarrassing! How embarrassing!"
Xie Jinqiu went deathly pale.
Liu Wan said, "If you can negotiate an agreement, that will be proof of your ability."
"Fine. What a fine sister-in-law you are. I'm telling you, I'm marrying the Zhong Family's Daughter no matter what."
Xie Jinqiu weakly finished speaking. As he turned to leave, he added, "Hmph. No wonder my brother doesn't like you. A dull, stubborn woman like you doesn't deserve to be mistress of the household."
Liu Wan's expression darkened.
Not long afterward, the Old Madam at Charity Hall summoned her.
She told the nanny who had brought the message, "His Majesty has confined the Old Madam to her quarters, and she no longer has authority over the household. I am a Third-Rank Imperial Lady. She has no right to summon me!"
The nanny left sheepishly.
The Old Madam nearly fainted from anger. As she worshipped in the Buddhist shrine, she kept praying for misfortune to befall Liu Wan.
Little Wanwan saw wisps of baleful energy gather around her mommy.
That old hag was actually cursing Mommy!
[Mommy doesn't even drink those tonics anymore, yet that old woman is still cursing you in Charity Hall!]
[I'm so mad! I'm going to curse her back for Mommy!]
[But I'm still so little, and I can't draw talismans. What do I do??]
[Ah, words that become prophecy! I'll help Mommy reflect it back. Reflect it back!]
The baleful energy around Liu Wan seemed to return the way it had come.
Only then did Little Wanwan breathe a sigh of relief.
Oh, so she could activate this ability with her inner voice too.
That was wonderful!
Inside the Buddhist shrine, the Old Madam muttered, "Little bitch, little bitch. You don't want the Marquis's Residence to prosper, do you? May you fall so ill you can't even get out of bed."
"Don't you love being clean? I curse you to soil yourself with piss and shit, with no one to tend to you!"
"Aren't your children so filial? I curse you to be lonely and helpless, with no one to care for you, despised even by your descendants."
"Isn't your family so wealthy? I curse your entire family to go bankrupt!"
As she finished, more and more baleful energy gathered around her.
Then a gust of wind swept past, and she suffered a stroke and collapsed to the floor.
The nannies blanched, covering their faces and screaming, "How did the Old Madam suddenly fall ill? Quick! Fetch the Residence Physician!"
By the time the Residence Physician arrived, the Old Madam had already lost consciousness.
A strange smell filled the room, and no one had cleaned it up.
Xie Jinzhao berated the nannies. "How have you been looking after the Old Madam? Her falling ill may not be your fault, but shouldn't you at least clean the filth off her? I'll have Fourth Brother dock your wages for this month. Go reflect on your conduct!"
The nannies immediately refused to put up with it. Covering their mouths, they said, "You're so noble, so wonderful. Then you look after the Old Madam!"
They simply hadn't had time to clean her yet. Who said they weren't going to?
Xie Jinzhao had docked their wages the moment he arrived. Who would show him any respect now?
The nannies washed their hands of the matter and left.
Xie Jinzhao flushed with anger. Suppressing his fury, he entered the Old Madam's room, only to be driven back out by the stench.
"Urgh, Grandmother, it's not that I find you disgusting. I'll go find some women to nurse you right away. Urgh..."
So he went to Liu Wan and Xu Rourou, but how could two women busy looking after children spare the time?
He then fetched Xie Jinqiu, who covered his nose and mouth in disgust. "Third Brother, we're both men. How can we do such a thing?"
Then the two of them went looking for servants.
When the servants heard that tending to the Old Madam would cost them a month's wages, they all lowered their heads and walked away!
A wave of helplessness washed over Xie Jinzhao. He told the Residence Physician, "Go examine Grandmother first. I'll pay someone from outside to clean her up. Will that do?"
The Residence Physician wrapped a cloth over his nose and mouth before going inside. He took the Old Madam's pulse and prescribed medicine.
He used every precious medicinal ingredient the Fourth Master could send over.
It was not until that evening that the Old Madam slowly regained consciousness, but she couldn't even get up.
Just then, a nanny hurried in and handed the Old Madam a letter.
Before you continue