A scream pierced the sky above the Cheng residence.
Second Madam Cheng’s skirt was stepped on, causing her to dodge a slap from First Madam Cheng, but she shrieked and fell to the ground instead.
“I’ll beat you to death, you home-wrecking, shameless creature!” First Madam Cheng pounced on her, raining down blows as she wept and shouted.
Second Madam Cheng tried to shield herself with her hands and get up, but the frenzied First Madam Cheng pinned her down firmly, leaving her no choice but to cry and yell.
The maids in the courtyard also fell into chaos. At first, they tried to break up the fight, but when Second Madam Cheng’s personal nannies saw blood on her face, they grew frantic and began throwing reckless blows at First Madam Cheng.
At this, First Madam Cheng’s own maids would not stand idle.
Instantly, the courtyard descended into a brawl between madams and servants.
By the doorway, Cheng Qi-niang clutched the clay doll that the Second Master had specially brought back for her in one hand and gripped the doorframe with the other. Watching the crowd scuffling in the courtyard, her face filled with terror, she finally let out a scream and burst into tears. She threw her hands over her head, and the clay doll fell to the ground and shattered.
…
First Master Cheng’s courtyard was filled with people. One after another, doctors were summoned, gathering in the main hall—some murmuring in low discussions, others stroking their beards in deep thought.
On the other side, the children of the household were all seated. First Madam Cheng lay in the arms of her maids, her clothes and hair disheveled from the earlier scuffle. She neither bothered nor consented to tidy herself up.
“When I die shortly alongside the Master, you can tidy me up during the encoffining—saving the effort now,” she said.
These words reduced the maids and children in the room to tears.
Outside the room, the sound of weeping also rose.
“Mother, Mother, I didn’t do it! I didn’t harm Brother!”
Second Master Cheng knelt and shuffled forward, clutching at Old Madam Cheng’s robes, kowtowing repeatedly.
“I didn’t know! I didn’t know she would do such a thing!”
Old Madam Cheng’s face was deathly pale. She shook off his hand.
“No matter how much we guarded, we never expected a thief within our own household! I never thought our family would be destroyed by your hands!” She cried, striking her chest, then swung her cane fiercely at Second Master Cheng. “Are you satisfied? Are you satisfied now!”
Second Master Cheng did not dare to resist, allowing the cane to strike his head and body as he lay prostrate on the ground, weeping.
He was wronged—how could he possibly be satisfied!
The family had not yet divided its assets, and now, embroiled in this lawsuit, the fortune being drained was his fortune too! It pained him to the core!
No—more than that! As a member of the Cheng family, his heart was breaking over such a disaster!
And most critically, he still held an official post!
With a scandal like this, it would be all too easy for others to impeach him for failing to maintain order in his household—especially given that he had testified in court and caused his brother to collapse in anger.
He had truly been ruined!
Second Master Cheng pressed his face to the ground and wept bitterly.
“The Master is awake!”
A shout came from inside the room. At these words, the courtyard descended into chaos once again as everyone rushed toward the house.
Old Madam Cheng immediately stopped beating him, dropped her cane, and hurried inside without waiting for her maids to assist her.
“My son!”
In the room of First Master Cheng, following the physicians’ instructions, many people had withdrawn, leaving only close relatives.
First Madam Cheng lay slumped over the bedside, weeping too uncontrollably to rise. Old Madam Cheng wiped away her own tears beside her but still scolded First Madam Cheng to stop.
“Don’t cry now—your crying is making Da-lang suffer,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. Then she turned to First Master Cheng, forcing back her tears. “Da-lang, how are you feeling?”
First Master Cheng’s face was ashen, his eyes dim and clouded, as though he did not know where he was. Hearing the question, his eyeballs moved slightly, but he did not speak.
First Madam Cheng immediately broke into fresh sobs.
“Brother, Brother!”
Kneeling by the doorway to the bedroom, Second Master Cheng couldn’t help but call out, his eyes filled with pain, sorrow, and terror.
The First Master must not die—otherwise, he would truly never be able to clear his name!
Hearing Second Master Cheng’s voice, First Master Cheng’s eyes widened. He let out a few hoarse cries, as though struggling to sit up, but the effort left him breathless, his face flushing red.
The room instantly descended into chaos again.
“Are you afraid your brother won’t die soon enough? Won’t die soon enough!”
First Madam Cheng cried, lunging toward Second Master Cheng and raising her hands to strike him.
Heaven knows—he had never wanted his brother to die! What good would his brother’s death do him?
Second Master Cheng bent forward, weeping, and allowed her blows to rain down on him.
Fortunately, after a period of chaos, First Master Cheng caught his breath again. Meanwhile, First Madam Cheng wept and shouted, demanding that Second Master Cheng leave.
“Let him stay for now,” First Master Cheng gasped, his breathing labored.
First Madam Cheng cried and clutched his hand.
“Da-lang, if you’re angry or resentful, don’t look at him now. Punish him when you’re feeling better—he’s not worth upsetting yourself over in your condition!” she sobbed.
Old Madam Cheng also wiped away her tears.
Though both her sons were dear to her, in this matter, the younger son was truly in the wrong.
If Second Master Cheng had committed such an act, First Master Cheng could directly have him confined to the ancestral hall or even removed from the family registry—no one would dare object. He needn’t go that far; a single word from First Master Cheng to the authorities would be enough to ruin Second Master Cheng’s official career.
But what good would destroying Second Master Cheng’s career do for the Cheng family?
Yet, if no lesson was taught, what would that make First Master Cheng?
At this moment, Old Madam Cheng wished she were dead. She had never dreamed that the Cheng family—once so proud of its harmony, with fathers kind and sons filial, brothers respectful and loving—could come to this. But no, this wasn’t even the worst of it. There was also the lawsuit. How could the Cheng family, known for its integrity and purity, become entangled in a lawsuit? When she heard that First Master Cheng had been brought back by government officers, drawing stares and onlookers along the way, Old Madam Cheng felt as though she had already died once.
For centuries, whether the Cheng family had been poor or wealthy, they had never suffered such humiliation.
How had it all come to this? How had things turned out so badly?
“Beat him to death first, and then I will follow him to the grave! I have no face left to meet our ancestors!” Old Madam Cheng wailed, collapsing onto the bed as she broke into loud sobs.
The room once again descended into chaos.
“Why are you still here? Waiting to watch your brother draw his last breath?” First Madam Cheng cried, then immediately ordered servants to drive him out.
“Let him wait a moment,” First Master Cheng said, his voice hoarse.
“Master, don’t mind him now. Punish him when you’re better,” First Madam Cheng pleaded through tears.
But First Master Cheng only shook his head, stubbornly struggling to sit up. Reluctantly, First Madam Cheng and the maids helped prop him up into a half-seated position.
This was the first time Second Master Cheng had seen his brother since hearing he had fainted in the prefect’s hall and was carried back home.
It seemed that in just half a day, First Master Cheng had become a different person—transformed from a ruddy-faced, prosperous gentleman into a pallid, withered old man who looked like a weathered farmer.
Remembering how his brother had always cared for him in the past, Second Master Cheng was overwhelmed with pain.
“Brother, Brother, I was wrong,” he wept, shuffling forward on his knees and pressing his forehead against the edge of the bed.
“Knowing you’re wrong now is too late!” First Madam Cheng cried bitterly, her voice filled with resentment.
First Master Cheng raised his hand to stop her, his gaze fixed on Second Master Cheng.
“Was testifying your own idea, or did they make you do it?” he asked, his voice raspy.
“Master, Master, don’t ask about this now. The doctor said you mustn’t upset yourself again,” First Madam Cheng pleaded through tears.
But First Master Cheng ignored her, his eyes locked on his brother.
“It… it was that fool who made us go,” Second Master Cheng replied, bowing his head with a sob. “Brother, we truly never meant to harm you. We had no idea she intended to do such a thing—we were deceived by her…”
“You were deceived by her?” First Madam Cheng pointed at him, her eyebrows raised in fury, her tone dripping with scorn. “The two of you were tricked by a fool? Do you take us for fools now?”
“Enough,” First Master Cheng said, raising his hand. He looked at First Madam Cheng and gave a bitter smile. “How could she be a fool? We are the fools! Stop refusing to admit it. If she were truly a fool, why would the Zhou family go to such lengths… You can’t prop up mud that won’t stick to the wall—only good clay is worth the effort.”
Having said this, he turned his gaze back to Second Master Cheng.
“Tell me everything that happened, in detail. Exactly what was said?”
Second Master Cheng nodded repeatedly. By now, he was utterly convinced that he and his wife had indeed been bewitched and deceived by that “fool”. He immediately began recounting the events of that day.
When he finished, First Madam Cheng was first stunned, then let out a disbelieving laugh.
“That’s it? She said she wouldn’t marry, so you two just gave in?” she demanded. “Cheng Er-lang, you and your wife really must think we’re fools!”
“It really was like that! We… we were truly deceived by her. We were afraid—afraid she would make a scene, afraid it would harm the family and Brother, so we tried to placate her,” Second Master Cheng hurriedly explained.
First Madam Cheng spat in contempt and was about to say more when First Master Cheng interrupted her.
“You said your wife went to meet with the Qin family?” he asked. “What did the Qin family say to her?”
Second Master Cheng nodded eagerly, then shook his head.
“Yes, yes, she did meet them, but I don’t know what was said,” he replied. “Only that it was called a good match…”
“Send your wife here. I’ll question her myself,” First Master Cheng said.
First Madam Cheng reached out to support him, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Master, please rest now. Don’t trouble yourself anymore. That kind of woman—we don’t want her in the Cheng family. Divorce her, cast her out…” she said, then turned to urge the servants, “Drive her out, drive her out!”
The maids acknowledged the order but hesitated to move, their eyes fixed on First Master Cheng.
“Even if we cast her out, we must get to the bottom of this first,” First Master Cheng said, waving his hand weakly. “Bring her here.”
The maids acknowledged and hurried out. Having spoken for so long, First Master Cheng had exhausted his strength and collapsed back onto the bed, throwing the room into another flurry of activity. Second Master Cheng dared not approach and remained kneeling on the floor.
Before long, the maids returned in a rush—but without Second Madam Cheng.
“She refuses to come?” First Madam Cheng demanded, her eyebrows raised sharply. “Even if she’s on her deathbed, carry her here if you have to!”
“No, it’s not that—Second Madam has run away,” the maid replied.
At these words, everyone in the room was stunned.
“Ran away? Back to her parents’ home? Good—she need not return,” First Madam Cheng said.
“No, she ran south—to that young lady’s place,” the maid stammered.
Once again, everyone in the room was stunned.
First Madam Cheng raised her hand and overturned a small table beside her.
“Perfect! Have them both tied up and brought back!” she shouted.
First Master Cheng reached out to stop her, but before he could speak, a fit of coughing seized him, leaving him red-faced and gasping for air.
First Madam Cheng patted his back and wept.
“Master, Master, don’t worry. Even if I die, I’ll make sure that wretched girl is beaten to death first!” she cried. “After committing such an act of defiance, failing to punish her would be our mistake!”
First Master Cheng clutched her sleeve tightly, struggling for breath before finally managing to speak.
“No, no,” he shook his head, his expression pained and bleak. “Not beating her to death—we can’t lay a hand on her now. Whether our Cheng family can survive this crisis… depends entirely on her now.”
Her?
First Madam Cheng looked both furious and bewildered.
Second Master Cheng stopped crying and pricked up his ears.
Her?
Did that mean Second Madam Cheng had done the right thing by fleeing to that girl?
“Go… invite her!” First Master Cheng said.
Those three simple words seemed to drain the last of his strength.
Invite—her!
Invite!
First Master Cheng closed his eyes, his face a mix of anguish and indignation, then collapsed heavily back onto the bed.
“Of course I listen to myself. Don’t worry, I’ll leave when it’s time. Besides, I haven’t been staying at your place for free.”
The voice of that young lady echoed in her ears.
So, when they refused to let her stay any longer, was this the price to be paid?
The South Cheng family remained unchanged, but the maids who entered again did so with unease, their usual arrogance gone. When they were stopped outside Cheng Jiao-niang’s door, they even bowed and nodded, forcing smiles at the poor wretches they would never have deigned to glance at before.
“May we trouble you to announce us? We humbly request an audience with the young lady,” they said.
The children in front of them wiped their noses.
“The young lady isn’t home,” they replied.
Not home?
The maids were stunned.
