The word “divorce” completely snapped Madam Jiang awake.
“Good, you, Duan Wenshou, dare to divorce me? I’ll fight you to the end!” Madam Jiang immediately lunged at Marquis Dingyuan. “I’ve been married to you for so many years, you’ve been greedy for pleasure, neglecting your responsibilities, indulging concubines, never repenting, and now you dare to divorce me!
Go ahead, try to divorce me, and I’ll file a lawsuit with the authorities for taking a concubine and destroying your wife. Let’s see where the Duan family’s reputation will go! Let’s see how your descendants will face the world!”
The two started fighting.
Duan Mingxi watched coldly, not intending to intervene at all.
Duan Huirou was frightened. Coming to her senses, she quickly stepped forward to try to separate the two, but somehow one of them slapped her in the face. Duan Huirou was stunned, and without caring about them, she began crying while covering her face.
Why? Why did things end up like this?
Thinking about it, she suddenly raised her head and glared at Duan Mingxi. “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t come back, everything would’ve been fine!”
Before Duan Mingxi returned, their family was doing so well!
Duan Mingxi sneered. “If you’re sick, go get treated!”
Duan Huirou cried even harder. She couldn’t beat them, and she couldn’t curse them either. Why was she so miserable?
Such a commotion naturally alarmed the Old Madam.
The Old Madam, with a dark face, had people separate the husband and wife. After learning the details, she was so angry she almost fainted.
Looking at the chaotic scene, seeing Duan Qingyin, red-eyed and sheltered behind Mingxi, and the miserable state of the eldest couple, there wasn’t anything worth looking at.
It was truly tragic.
The doctor, who had witnessed the huge family scandal, was terrified for his life and hid in a corner, afraid to show himself.
When the Old Madam called him out, he trembled and, pretending to know nothing, said, “The Yiniang in your household was already quite old when she conceived this child. A miscarriage is very damaging to her health, and she can’t have any more children. Furthermore, this injury has affected her health, so she needs to recover well.”
The doctor quickly handed over his prescription, acting as if he would leave immediately if everything was fine.
The Old Madam had the steward hand over a generous fee. When the doctor received the money, he secretly weighed it, immediately understanding the situation and said, “Rest assured, Madam, I didn’t see anything today.”
“Thank you.” The Old Madam had someone send the doctor out.
He kept his life and got double the payment, so he quickly took his leave.
The scandal of the rich and powerful families was nothing new; this incident at the Duan household wasn’t really that significant.
Once the doctor left, the Old Madam cast a cold glance at everyone present.
She first looked at Mingxi, her expression softening a bit. “Good child, you’ve worked hard. If it weren’t for you, Yang Yiniang would have suffered.”
“Grandmother, don’t say that. Since I knew, I couldn’t just stand by. If you don’t have any other orders, I’ll leave now,” Mingxi said.
The Old Madam speaking to her first was a hint for Mingxi to leave.
Moreover, she didn’t want to watch the couple’s disgrace any longer.
“Go ahead,” the Old Madam waved her hand.
Duan Mingxi left with light steps, giving Duan Qingyin a look before she left.
After leaving Yang Yiniang’s courtyard, Duan Mingxi looked at Qiancao and said, “Go to the medicine shop outside and buy some medicinal herbs for women recovering from miscarriage, then send them to Yang Yiniang.”
“Yes, Young Miss, you are too kind-hearted,” Qiancao said.
“Go ahead.”
After Qiancao left, Mingxi returned to her courtyard.
It wasn’t that she was especially kind-hearted, but this time Yang Yiniang’s suffering had something to do with her efforts.
Moreover, a miscarriage was not good for a woman, and if not taken care of properly, it could leave lingering health problems.
Thinking of Duan Ning and Duan Qingyin, Mingxi couldn’t just ignore it.
After changing her clothes, Mingxi sat by the window, reading a book while leaning on a soft pillow when Xiangxiang entered.
“Miss, the Old Madam has punished Second Miss to kneel in the ancestral hall for three days without allowing visitors. The stewardess has been told to keep an eye on her. Madam was also scolded by the Old Madam and is required to ask for a doctor for Yang Yiniang to help her recover.”
Duan Mingxi wasn’t surprised; the Old Madam was very adept at handling family matters.
She instructed Madam Jiang to take good care of Yang Yiniang to appease Marquis Dingyuan’s anger, thereby avoiding the situation of divorce and public discord.
Sure enough, Xiangxiang added, “The Old Madam scolded the Marquis and even forbade him from leaving the mansion for the time being.”
Keeping him in the residence served two purposes: first, it ensured that Madam Jiang wouldn’t interfere with Yang Yiniang’s recovery; second, the Marquis staying by Yang Yiniang’s side after her miscarriage would alleviate her resentment.
This delicate balancing act was executed flawlessly.
The commotion in the elder branch of the family couldn’t be suppressed.
After hearing the news, Madam Xiao came to Mingxi with a slightly troubled expression.
Mingxi glanced at her. “Sister-in-law, it’s all in the past now. There’s no need for concern.”
Madam Xiao asked softly, “Is Yang Yiniang alright?”
She didn’t want Duan Ning to hold a grudge against her husband over this matter.
“How could she be fine? After the miscarriage, she’ll never be able to have children again. Moreover, her health is severely damaged, and recovery will be difficult,” Mingxi said coldly. “Eldest Brother should write to Second Brother personally about this matter to prevent any rifts between the brothers.”
Madam Xiao sighed in relief. “I thought the same, but if I were to bring it up, he wouldn’t agree. Now that you’ve said so, my husband will surely write the letter.”
Mingxi smiled. “Sister-in-law, Eldest Brother isn’t a child. He surely knows the importance of this.”
“Thanks to you recommending him to the Martial Selection Bureau, he now has advisors to assist him and is gradually finding his footing,” Madam Xiao said, her tone brightening. She then described her husband’s recent diligence in studying and learning from the advisors.
Mingxi nodded slightly. “Only by enduring hardship now can one enjoy success later. If Eldest Brother can’t establish himself in the Martial Selection Bureau, I doubt he’ll succeed as an official in the future. It’s comforting to see his determination.”
Madam Xiao quickly agreed. “He’s truly more focused now than during his years of study. Rest assured, Meimei, he won’t let you down.”
Mingxi seemed to comment casually, “It doesn’t matter if I’m disappointed. After all, he’s not the only male in our family. If he fails, someone else will step up.”
Madam Xiao: …
“You can rest assured, Meimei. I’ll ensure my husband remains diligent,” Madam Xiao said earnestly, even deciding to postpone their plans to have children if necessary.
Mingxi chuckled. “With you saying that, I’m reassured. Eldest Brother is fortunate to have married someone like you.”
Madam Xiao exhaled softly, then mentioned, “By the way, the Old Madam of Duke Wei’s household will celebrate her birthday soon. Eldest Meimei, you’ll likely receive an invitation.”
Mingxi hadn’t heard about this. She wasn’t familiar with Duke Wei’s household and hadn’t interacted much with them in her previous life.
She looked at Madam Xiao, realizing there must be more to this. “Sister-in-law, if you have something to say, please speak plainly.”
Madam Xiao’s expression turned serious. “There’s something you may not know. Duke Wei’s Madam has a niece who has been staying at the duke’s residence for years. They intend to have her marry Duan Wang.”
