Xu Mama covered her face, her complexion reddening, then paling, then turning greenish, her anger and humiliation reaching an extreme.
In all these years at the Marquis residence, she had never suffered such a great grievance!
From the very beginning, she had looked down on Qi Yuan!
This uncultured, countryside brat not only pushed Qi Jin, whom she had watched grow up since childhood, into a corner with no place to stand, but also almost forced Qi Yunting to be sent back to their old family home.
Why?
She was Madam Wang’s trusted confidante; Madam Wang controlled the Marquis residence, and she was rightfully the mansion’s chief housekeeper.
But just because of the appearance of this aberration, Qi Yuan, she had nearly followed Madam Wang back home to cultivate herself by chanting sutras and fasting!
All of this was caused by Qi Yuan!
No matter what, she could never accept it!
So after being slapped, she immediately cried out to Madam Wang: “Madam! This old servant has no face left to live!”
She then tried to bang her head against the wall.
Madam Wang was terrified, hurriedly pounding the table: “Qi Yuan, you unfilial wretch! What are you? A cat or dog in the elder’s quarters! We juniors should at least show some respect! Especially since she is my wet nurse—how dare you!”
Qi Yuan didn’t bother to respond to Madam Wang’s shouting. She grabbed the despairing Xu Mama’s arm tightly.
Only then did Xu Mama realize Qi Yuan’s strength was astonishing.
Held by her elbow, she couldn’t move a bit!
At that moment, she finally understood why last time Qi Yunting had fallen onto the glass screen, badly injured, and shouted that Qi Yuan was strange.
Qi Yuan really was strange!
Madam Wang, seeing Qi Yuan holding Xu Mama so tightly, both frightened and angry, asked: “Qi Yuan, what exactly do you want to do?!”
Qi Yuan didn’t even glance at her, staring fixedly at Xu Mama and asking, “Where’s my dog?”
Dog!?
Again, it was about the dog?!
Madam Wang was so furious she nearly fainted: “What does your dog have to do with Xu Mama?!”
“I don’t know what the Young Mistress is talking about!” Xu Mama said righteously as well: “We’re not like the Young Mistress. She values that dog more than people. Because of a dog, she’s caused chaos for everyone in the house. I’m busy—I have no time to care about the Young Mistress’s dog!”
Qi Yuan’s patience ran out. With a sharp slap, she hit Xu Mama again.
Before it was the left cheek; now the right.
Xu Mama felt her face tighten so much that her speech became somewhat slurred.
She was furious: “Young Mistress!”
“On maternal grandmother’s birthday, you gave me attitude and pulled away the stool I was stepping on,” Qi Yuan grabbed her chin coldly and said, “I’ve wanted to deal with you for a long time, and you just came to me on your own.”
Qi Yuan shoved aside two maids who tried to intervene, held Xu Mama’s chin firmly, then suddenly applied force.
There was a cracking sound from Xu Mama’s jaw.
Her jaw dislocated.
Saliva involuntarily dribbled out; she screamed in pain.
Qi Yuan showed no expression. Using both hands, she put the jaw back in place.
Then she coldly said: “Fun, isn’t it? If you still don’t think it’s enough, we can do it a few more times.”
A dislocated jaw, with the cheekbones clenched tight, was an unbearably terrible feeling.
Xu Mama still felt the pain on both sides of her cheeks was intolerable.
She stepped back two paces: “How can the Young Mistress falsely accuse someone without reason?”
“Apparently, not enough!” Qi Yuan sneered, and without hesitation applied force again. Xu Mama’s jaw dislocated once more.
The pain in both cheeks was so severe that for a moment she felt her ears were smoking.
She looked at Qi Yuan in terror.
This madwoman!
How could she be a normal person?!
Qi Yuan leaned forward, slowly meeting Xu Mama’s eyes, and again put her jaw back in place. With a half-smile she said: “Xu Mama, think carefully before you speak. After all, I can’t always control the strength. If you don’t tell the truth, you may never be able to speak again.”
Xu Mama completely broke down.
She had seen all sorts of people.
She knew well how to scheme and how to be sly.
But she had never encountered anyone as unreasonable as Qi Yuan!
Madam Wang trembled with anger: “Do you still see me as your mother?! What do you take me for?!”
Qi Yuan didn’t even turn to look at Madam Wang.
She just patted Xu Mama’s face and said: “Xu Mama, my patience is limited. One, two…”
Before she could count to three, Xu Mama collapsed: “Okay! Okay! I’ll say it! I ordered the servant who delivers night fragrant hairpins to send the dog meat to the butcher!”
Qi Yuan threw her to the ground and then looked at Liuzhong, who had been standing quietly nearby, unable to raise his head: “Steward Liu, I’m entrusting Little Yellow to you.”
Liuzhong had no idea what Xu Mama was thinking.
There were so many past lessons right before their eyes.
Neither the Madam nor the eldest young master had ever gotten any favor in front of the Young Mistress. How could a mere mother manage anything? It was incomprehensible!
He hurriedly promised: “Young Mistress, don’t worry. I’ll go immediately! Right now!”
Madam Wang could no longer hold back: “Just for a dog, you dare to confront your mother like this? To slap the face of your mother’s trusted housekeeper?!”
Qi Yuan sneered coldly.
Now that she had found out where Little Yellow was, she had the mood to deal with Madam Wang.
She raised an eyebrow and smiled: “Madam is wrong. Why would you think I’m just here to slap her face once?”
Madam Wang was stunned.
She then heard Qi Yuan say slowly: “What value is her face? Today she dares to touch my dog; tomorrow she’ll dare to touch my people! I’ve tolerated her for a long time. Since Madam can’t control her, then don’t let her stay around to cause trouble.”
Qi Yuan said this, then slowly gestured to the servants in the room to leave.
Seeing Qi Yuan send the servants out, Madam Wang felt uneasy: “What are you going to do?!”
Qi Yuan slowly squatted down, said “Oh,” and then placed one hand on Xu Mama’s neck, the other on her head, and exerted force.
Xu Mama immediately collapsed silently to the ground.
Madam Wang was terrified.
She rushed over, crouched, and checked Xu Mama’s breath.
Trembling all over, she pointed at Qi Yuan: “You unfilial wretch, how dare you kill someone! You actually dared to kill someone!”
Qi Yuan stood up calmly: “How can you say I killed someone? Clearly Madam discovered this servant woman’s sinister heart—daring to betray her master, intending to poison the mistress and steal money—so she committed suicide out of guilt.”
What blatant lies!
Madam Wang was about to speak when the Old Marquis and Old Madam arrived together.
They looked at Xu Mama lying on the ground as if it was normal, without even changing expression.
Madam Wang went mad with fury, rushing forward, pointing at Xu Mama’s body, and complaining to the Old Marquis and Old Madam: “Father, Mother, do you see? She killed someone! She actually dared to kill someone!”
