Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

141. Cao Le’s Wedding Night

Translator: Sissy That Walk

Xiao Jin and Cao Le’s wedding was rashly done because Dowager Xiao’s condition was getting worse day by day.

Lady Lu had to use her pin money to make it more decent, she asked the servants to clean the small house behind Magnolia House to use as her son’s matrimonial home, she had arranged four maids and four servants for the newly-weds.

There was some drama when Xiao Jin went to Cao Manor to escort Cao Le, Cao Le refused to mount the sedan chair because Xiao Jin couldn’t be bothered to go into the yard and say nice things outside his room by convention. Officer Cao had to knock Cao Le off and stuff him into the sedan chair.

Cao Le was already in the bridal chamber when he came to his sense, but the groom was nowhere to be seen, so he had to lift the red bridal veil himself for he was starving. Suddenly he heard moaning when he walked to the door, he opened the door and what met his eyes was Xiao Jin having intercourse with one of his pages he had brought from the Cao Manor.

In a towering rage, Cao Le pushed Xiao Jin away and dragged the page in the yard, he insisted the page should be sold out after a good beating.

Xiao Jin rejected it firmly and the two got into an argument until Xiao Yugui showed up and lectured Xiao Jin.

The page ended up being sold out to a brothel where he endured endless hardships, but Xiao Jin couldn’t even bothered to inquire about him.

Xiao Jin disliked Cao Le even more after this episode, he didn’t even rest at the bridal chamber that night.

… …

In Cunxi Hall.

As luck would have it, Dowager Xiao took a turn for the better right after Cao Le married into the family, she was able to walk the next morning.

Dowager Xiao rewarded Cao Le a lot of stuff when Cao Le paid his first visit to her as her grandson-in-law, the newly-weds needed to serve tea to the elders in the family on such an occasion, Dowager Xiao liked Cao Le better because he was willing to stoop to compromise in front of her.

Dowager Xiao had heard what happened to Cao Le the night before, she grabbed Xiao Jin and rebuked him, “Don’t… don’t… bully your… wife.”

Xiao Jin sprang to his feet, “He doesn’t respect me at all, he beat the page up and even sold him out regardless of me!”

Cao Le defended, “I was exactly doing that for your reputation! If scandals like that spread out, I don’t care about my name, but I dread to think how people will talk about you, indulging in sensual pleasures? Can’t keep his hands off his wife’s page on their wedding night? Jin, if will do no good to your future official career.”

Cao Mo exclaimed in his heart, ‘such eloquence, brother!’

“All right, Jin, you need t behave! Le, you need to learn respect your husband’s opinion in the future too. You two just got married, don’t worry, it takes some time to know each other better.” Xiao Yugui adopted the policy of appeasement as usual, he gave them the red packet money and asked them to serve tea to the rest of the family.

Xiao Yi and Cao Mo were next, however, the page said the pot was empty now and he had asked a maid to fetch a new pot already.

Cao Le smiled, “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

Cao Mo replied, “That’s all right, I can wait a bit longer, it’s all worth it to hear you call me sister-in-law.”

Cao Le’s eye twitched, he and the page exchanged a vicious look, with that the page handed Cao Le the hot tea.

Cao Le bowed to Cao Mo slightly and said, “Big… …”

Cao Mo chuckled and reached out his hands, but it seemed to be awfully long before he could hear ‘sister-in-law’.

Cao Le deliberately lost his balance, “Ouch! It’s burning hot… …”

“What are you doing?” Cao Mo avoided the hot tea falling on his lap in time.

Xiao Jin defended Cao Le for the first time, “Sister-in-law, Le has accidentally dropped the cup, please forgive him.”

Cao Mo didn’t want to squabble with Xiao Jin, but Xiao Yi was annoyed.

“How come everyone else is having warm tea, and he uses burning hot water for Mo! Or is it you who asked him to do so? Do you think you can show no respect to your sister-in-law be cause you are the second young master?”

Xiao Jin humphed, while Cao Le played innocent and replied, “This is all my fault, I should have cool it down before I served my brother.”

“Enough! Quit putting on the act of loving brothers! You just addressed Mo in the wrong way, now you are married to my younger brother, so you need to refer Mo as your big sister-in-law, understood? I think you know exactly what you should address Mo, why did you call him wrongly on purpose?” Xiao Yi rebuked Cao Le hard, he didn’t save Cao Le any face.

Cao Le thought Lady Lu would defend him, but to his surprise, Lady Lu just sat there quietly.

Lady Lu dared not to make a move for Xiao Yugui had warned her already, she would end up being repudiated if she dared to meddle again. Plus she didn’t like Cao Le in the first place, so she didn’t care whether Cao Le was losing face.

Xiao Yi glared at the page, “Is it you who has prepared the tea? You senseless blockhead! Why embarrass yourself and pretend you are good enough to serve us!”

Cao Le thought Xiao Yi was actually abusing him instead of the page, his countenance turned livid.

The page replied promptly, “But it’s the second young madam who orders me to prepare burning hot tea, he said Shizi Madams likes it burning hot.”

Cao Le kicked the page, “How dare you to sow discord between me and my brother!”

“Drag him out! No way I can watch you people involve my wife in your pathetic little tricks!” Xiao Yi ordered.

The page dragged Cao Le’s sleeve hoping he could say something to save him. Cao Le panicked as well, the page was the only one who was loyal to him, he dreaded to think what would become of him if they drove the page out of the manor.

“Please save some face for me, Shizi brother, just for my father’s sake, he will be sad if he knows what happens between me and Mo.” Cao Le begged.

“You face cannot be saved, it’s too late for that now.” Cao Mo sneered and he asked Xiao Yi to be seated, “Yi, no need to get so riled up, it’s not worth it.”

Xiao Yi decided to let it go when he took the signal Cao Mo sent him, he didn’t want to make a big scene in front of Dowager Xiao either.

Cao Le bit his lips, “This is all my… my fault… …”

Dowager Xiao pointed at Cao Mo and said, “You… you family mutiny… get lost… …”

Everyone knew Dowager Xiao was cursing Xiao Yi, but Xiao Yi rose to his feet and blamed Cao Le.