"You knew what you were doing, so your punishment is doubled. Do you understand?" Nanny Chen, a shrewd woman, knew that since Wei Tingyu was preventing her from beating Zhuang Hanyan, she could redirect her anger toward Zhou Ruyin, who had willingly stepped forward. Nanny Chen had no sympathy for Zhou Ruyin's teary-eyed, "green tea" act. They had all lived in the manor for years and knew each other's true colors. This performance was only for Wei Tingyu and Zhuang Hanyan, who were new to the family.
"I am at fault! The mistress is right to punish me!" Zhou Ruyin said, playing the part of a wronged concubine. She began to slap herself, her face turning red from the blows. "I am at fault! The mistress is right to punish me! I am at fault! I am at fault..."
Wei Tingyu knew she was putting on a show for the master of the house, Zhuang Shixiang, when he returned.
"Mother! Don't do it! Mother!" A clear voice rang out from the courtyard gate. A young woman in a pink tunic rushed in and knelt beside Zhou Ruyin, hugging her.
"Yushan!" Zhou Ruyin's face changed when she saw her daughter.
Zhuang Yushan, Zhuang Hanyan's second sister, was known for her wild and unruly nature. Her audacity to interrupt a punishment session to protect her mother was a testament to her courage. It was far more than her useless younger brother, Zhuang Yuchi, possessed.
Wei Tingyu, now closer, could see her clearly. Zhuang Yushan had a determined face, unlike Zhuang Hanyan's gentle features. She wore her hair in a neat ponytail without any hairpins, only a pair of bright red earrings. Her clothes were practical for riding and playing, fitting for a girl who couldn't sit still.
"Yushan! Why aren't you in your room for your punishment?" Zhou Ruyin was worried about her daughter.
Zhuang Hanyan, kneeling nearby, couldn't help but feel a pang of envy at the sight of their mother-daughter bond.
"Mistress!" Zhuang Yushan said, staring at Ruan Xiwen. "What did my mother do that you would humiliate her like this?"
"Stop talking and go back!" Zhou Ruyin pleaded, afraid Ruan Xiwen's wrath would turn on her daughter.
"I won't!" Zhuang Yushan was stubborn. "You've locked me up for so long, and you won't let me out!" She continued to stare at Ruan Xiwen. "You just don't like us, and you want to show off your power!"
Zhuang Yushan's insolence was met with an immediate consequence. Without a word from Ruan Xiwen, Nanny Chen slapped her.
"The mistress was merciful to not sell your beast!" Nanny Chen said coldly. The "beast" was Zhuang Yushan's prized horse, which she had almost used to hit someone. Her punishment of confinement had not yet ended, and now she had defied the mistress.
Zhuang Yushan was stunned by the slap but was smarter than her brother. She knew better than to fight back. Wei Tingyu was thoroughly entertained. This family's madness was truly something else. He was glad he had come; otherwise, he would have missed this spectacle. Of course, he was also glad that Zhuang Hanyan had been spared.
Zhuang Hanyan, watching the scene unfold, was shocked. She had always imagined the lives of noble ladies to be grand, but in the dead of night, it was a twisted play. She now had a new understanding of the family's madness.
"Who told you to stop?" Ruan Xiwen said, enjoying the chaos.
Nanny Chen understood and raised her hand again. Zhou Ruyin and Zhuang Yushan were helpless. They could only endure the punishment and wait for Zhuang Shixiang to return. Zhou Ruyin looked at Wei Tingyu, who was standing beside Zhuang Hanyan. She knew that the only reason this "country girl" was spared was because of the Duke's protection.
"You have a good man to stand up for you," Zhou Ruyin thought, a new plan forming in her mind. She would find a way for her daughter to marry into the Duke's family instead.
"What's happening? What's going on?" Madam Wei's voice suddenly rang out. She had just woken up from her fainting spell and was brought to the hall. The drama was reaching a new climax.
Wei Tingyu couldn't hold back a laugh, but he kept it silent. Zhuang Hanyan noticed and gave him a look. He was clearly treating her family's troubles as a joke. She felt embarrassed.
"Why the corporal punishment?" Madam Wei asked, seeing the cane in the servant's hand.
"Grandmother! Grandmother!" Zhuang Yushan ran to her, complaining. "Nanny Chen hit me and Mother for no reason! Look at my mother's face!"
"Oh! Why did you call me here?" Madam Wei said, looking pained. "I can't do anything!"
Wei Tingyu was impressed. Zhuang Yushan was not reckless. She had sent for an "ally" to help her. She was a clever girl, but she had underestimated Madam Wei's character. The old woman was a coward who feared her daughter-in-law.
"I..." Zhuang Yushan was at a loss for words. It was rare for a mother-in-law to be afraid of her daughter-in-law, but it was the case in this family.
"The Second Miss and Aunt Zhuang disrespected the mistress. That's why they were punished!" Nanny Chen explained, since she had to give a reason to the matriarch.
"I am in charge of the manor. Do you have a problem with that?" Ruan Xiwen said coldly.
"No, no!" Madam Wei said, waving her hands. "Just be careful! Don't kill anyone!" She rubbed her head and sighed. "I was shocked and my head is spinning. Take me back to rest!"
She left without another word. Zhuang Yushan was speechless. She realized that her grandmother could not, or would not, help.
"This is all your fault!" Zhuang Yushan's temper flared up again. She looked at Zhuang Hanyan. "It's all because of you, the Barefoot Ghost! You came here to cause trouble! Why did you even come back?"
Ruan Xiwen's eyes narrowed.
"Yushan! Are you crazy? What are you saying?" Zhou Ruyin said, stopping her daughter.
"Zhou Ruyin!" Ruan Xiwen said, her voice filled with rage. "You raised a good daughter! Are you now in charge of the house?!"
Zhuang Yushan, who had regained her senses, and Zhou Ruyin knelt down again.
"The mistress is right," Zhou Ruyin said. "It's all my fault."
Ruan Xiwen ignored them and looked at Zhuang Hanyan. "Third Miss! If you want to stay in this prestigious manor, you must decide if you can handle this life!"
"I don't care about luxury!" Zhuang Hanyan said. She realized this was a twisted test. She knew that without Wei Tingyu, she would have been beaten. But what happened to her in the past seventeen years was no better.
Wei Tingyu understood. Ruan Xiwen was so consumed by her own suffering that she couldn't see the suffering of others. She thought the world outside was perfect. She didn't know that if it weren't for Wei Tingyu, Zhuang Hanyan might have been sold into a brothel.
"Zhuang Yushan was right about one thing," Ruan Xiwen said. "You shouldn't have come back."
Wei Tingyu couldn't even bother to criticize Ruan Xiwen. She was so self-centered. She thought she had found a way to protect her daughter, but she had only pushed her into a pit of vipers.
"Nanny Chen!" Ruan Xiwen said. "The Zhuang family has no such daughter! She has been beaten and punished. Now, get her out of here!"
Zhuang Hanyan's eyes widened. She never expected this. Wei Tingyu heard the sound of a carriage and knew he didn't have to intervene. Zhuang Hanyan looked at him, hoping for his help. She knew his presence was her only trump card. She saw him wink at her, signaling that everything was fine. She was confused, but then she heard the commotion outside.
Zhou Ruyin, Zhuang Yushan, and the others looked relieved. Zhuang Shixiang, the master of the house, had returned.
"Hanyan! Hanyan!" Zhuang Shixiang's voice called out, and he rushed in.
Wei Tingyu coughed softly, and Zhuang Hanyan understood. She was an excellent actress herself. She immediately fainted and fell into his arms. She felt him take advantage of her, and she was helpless but also a little amused.